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A round up of the top countryside, conservation, wildlife and forestry stories as chosen by the CJS Team.
Tuesday's news includes a full round up of the headlines from over the Christmas break.
defra announcements and consultations plus reactions
Plastic carrier bags: Gove sets out new measures to extend charge
Government launches consultation to extend the 5p plastic bag charge
to all retailers and increase the charge to 10p The 5p plastic bag charge will be extended to all retailers and
increased to 10p to cut their use further, under plans put forward in a
consultation launched by the Environment Secretary. Plastic bags have a significant impact on the environment. Government
scientists believe plastic in the sea is set to treble in a decade
unless marine litter is curbed - with one million birds and over 100,000
sea mammals dying every year from eating and getting tangled in plastic
waste. Currently, the 5p charge applies only to big businesses, but it is
estimated over 3.6 billion single-use plastic bags are supplied annually
by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Trade bodies representing
around 40,000 small retailers have already launched a voluntarily
approach to a 5p charge, but this accounts for less than one-fifth of
England’s estimated 253,000 SMEs. The consultation launched today will also explore the possibility of
increasing the 5p minimum charge to encourage further behaviour change,
potentially doubling it to 10p. Consultation on the proposal to extend the Single-use Plastic bag
charge to all retailers and to increase the minimum charge to 10p Overview These changes will build on the success of the existing
Single Use Carrier Bags charge in reducing the effect of plastic
bags in the environment.
Closes 22 Feb 2019
CPRE welcomes the Government consultation, launched today (27
December), that sets out plans to increase the carrier bag charge from
5p to 10p, and for it to be extended to all retailers. This will build
on the already successful waste reduction policy, which CPRE played a
key role in campaigning for, alongside its Break the Bag Habit partners. Currently, the 5p charge applies only to big businesses, but it is
estimated that more than 3.6 billion single-use plastic bags are
supplied annually by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). CPRE
states that extending it to these smaller business, along with
increasing the charge, will drive the 86% drop in plastic bag usage
already seen even higher. In addition to this extension, the countryside charity also welcomes
the Government’s commitment to keep the momentum going and introduce a
deposit return system for cans and bottles, putting an end to recycling
confusion and boosting stagnant recycling rates. Samantha Harding, Litter Programme Director at the Campaign to
Protect Rural England, said: Communities to have greater say in protecting local trees - defra Michael Gove launches consultation on plans to create greater
protections for trees in urban areas. Environment Secretary Michael Gove today announced plans to create
greater protections for trees in urban areas. The proposals would ensure councils can’t cut down street trees
without first consulting communities. The measures reflect the important role trees in towns and cities
play in improving our health and wellbeing, as well as providing crucial
environmental benefits.
Launching a
consultation on a raft of new forestry measures, the Secretary of
State unveiled proposals designed to ensure local people have a bigger
say over what happens to the trees in their communities. The proposals include:
Take part in the consultation Overview Two of the measures introduce new duties on local authorities: a duty
to consult on the felling of street trees; a duty to report on tree
felling and replanting; while the third suggests the production of best
practice guidance to support local authorities in drawing up, consulting
on and publishing a Tree and Woodland Strategy. Closes 28 Feb 2019
Fly-tipping: New financial penalties in government fight against waste
crime - defra New penalties come into force to crack down on fly-tipping. New financial penalties have come into force to crack down on
fly-tipping. The majority of householders already dispose of their waste
responsibly, however from today (7 January) any householder who fails to
pass their waste to a licensed carrier, and whose waste is found
fly-tipped, could face penalties of up to £400. The government has also
issued guidance to ensure councils use these new powers
proportionately, which makes clear penalties should not be used as a
means of raising money and should not be issued for minor breaches. Potential fly-tipping by rogue operators, and the risk of a penalty,
can be simply avoided by using certified waste carriers. Householders
can search for registered waste carriers quickly and easily on the
Environment Agency’s website.
Latest figures show the government’s crackdown on fly-tippers is
delivering results, with no increase in the number of incidents for the
first time in five years for the 2017/18 year.
Land and Countryside Management, including
marine
St Kilda's sea caves in good condition -
Scottish Natural Heritage St Kilda’s special reefs and sea caves are in good condition, a new
report concludes. The findings of a wide-reaching survey carried out in 2015 by a team
of divers have now been published by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).
Almost
90 years after St Kilda’s last 36 residents were evacuated to the
mainland, the islands remain vitally important for the wildlife they
support.
The World Heritage Site hosts huge seabird populations, including the
world’s second largest colony of North Atlantic gannets, and the waters
around St Kilda are part of Scotland’s Marine Protected Areas (MPA)
network, designated a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) for their reefs
and sea caves, which attract a wealth of spectacular sea life. Crucial to the management of the MPA network, as with protected areas
on land, is monitoring. The purpose of the St Kilda survey was to judge the current condition
of the site and to establish a baseline against which future assessments
of its special features could be made. The full report on the survey, which found that the cave and reef
features were in good condition, can be read here: https://bit.ly/2V8SuEK
Call for speed limits on common land - Open
Spaces Society We have called for enforced speed-limits on unfenced roads across
common land in national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty. We made this plea in our evidence to the government’s review of
England’s national parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty
(AONBs), led by Julian Glover.
The society emphasises the need to slow traffic across commons so
that they can be grazed by stock, in the interests of the public who
have a right to enjoy these attractive areas on foot and often on
horseback, and the farmers for whom livestock grazing is fundamental to
their livelihoods. The society explains that common land is of immense importance to the
national parks and AONBs, because of its significant public benefit,
for its natural history and wildlife habitats, landscape beauty,
cultural, archaeological and historic heritage, and public access by
right.
Scottish Environmental NGOs call for more ambitious climate targets as
report highlights increasing climate change pressures on Scottish
biodiversity - Scottish Environment LINK Machair, Atlantic salmon, white beaked dolphin, capercaillie and
golden plover among unique Scottish habitats and species at risk. Scotland’s nature, from our seas to the highest mountains, is coming
under increasing pressure from climate change, a new report published
today [Thurs 3rd Jan] finds. Scotland’s Nature on Red Alert: Climate change impacts on Scottish
biodiversity, a joint report by Scottish Environment LINK and WWF
Scotland, focuses on the impact our changing climate is having on
species in five specific habitats across the country. The report highlights species and habitats at risk including:
Craig Macadam, Scottish Environment LINK Vice-Chair said: “From
peatlands to pearl mussels, Scotland is home to many globally
significant species and habitats. With these wildlife treasures comes an
international responsibility to protect them for future generations. We
need to give our species and habitats a fighting chance to adapt to
climate change. It is important that we restore the health of our nature
and improve its resilience to climate change impacts. We therefore need
to set ambitious targets within the Climate Change Bill, ensuring that
Scotland ends its contribution to climate change, and backs these up
with action to secure the future of Scotland’s wildlife.” Read the report in full here:
Scotland’s Nature on Red Alert.
Wildlife and animal news
No fish farms in salmon migration routes, says SGA fishing group
- Scottish Gamekeepers Association River workers have urged Scottish Government to protect iconic wild
salmon by refusing permission for new Scottish fish farms in known wild
salmon migration routes. Members of the SGA Fishing Group are deeply concerned at the impacts
sea lice outbreaks from open net farms can have on wild salmon. Cross-party MSPs recommended a ‘precautionary approach’ be taken to
new fish farm applications, recognising potential impacts aquaculture
operations can have on wild salmon. The SGA Fishing Group eventually wants to see fish farming operations
moved to closed containment facilities onshore but feels better siting
now would be a start. “There is an opportunity, though, to take steps to address some of
the issues between wild fish and farmed,” said SGA Fishing group member,
Iain Semple.
History made as world’s rarest bird released into the wild
- Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust A duck thought to be extinct for 15 years has been brought back from
the brink and given a new home on a remote lake in Madagascar. Madagascan pochard release (image: WWT) Some 21 Madagascar pochards spent a week in the safety of the world’s
first floating aviaries on Lake Sofia in the north of the country. This
pioneering approach is to allow the birds to become accustomed to their
new surroundings, increasing the chances they will remain at the site
after release – the state of wetlands in Madagascar is so poor that they
will likely not survive if they leave the lake. The ducks were released
from the aviaries in December and very quickly adapted to the lake,
diving and flying, associating with other wild ducks, and returning to
the safety of the floating aviaries to feed and roost. WWT’s Head of Conservation Breeding, Nigel Jarrett, said: “It takes a
village to raise a child, so the old African proverb goes, but in this
case it has taken a village to raise a duck. We have been preparing for
this moment for over a decade. The logistics of working in a remote part
of Madagascar – where access to the lakes by vehicle is only possible
for three months a year – have been an enormous challenge, requiring us
to come up with novel approaches. Working with local communities to
solve the issues which were driving this bird to extinction has been
essential to giving the pochard a chance of survival. If we can make
this work, it will provide a powerful example not just for of how save
the planet’s most threatened species, but how communities can manage an
ecosystem to benefit people and wildlife, especially in areas of
significant poverty.” Conservationists have been meticulously planning their release since
the surprise discovery of a small group of pochards in 2006.
Turning the tide for Scotland’s sea trout -
Scottish Wildlife trust blog post The drastic decline of Scotland’s sea trout makes them one of the
Trust’s Priority
Species. Alan Kettle-White from Argyll Fisheries Trust outlines the
complex life-cycle of these fish, which face threats in Scotland seas
and river, and explores what can be done to help them recover. Environmental Education and Recreation
Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) Children’s
Report 2017-2018 Results for the eighth and ninth year of the MENE survey which
provides data on how people use the natural environment in England. The Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey
is funded by Natural England, with support from Defra. The survey relates to engagement with the natural environment. By
natural environment we mean all green, blue and open spaces in and
around towns and cities as well as the wider countryside and coastline. The main focus of the survey is people’s experiences of nature,
including time spent on visits to the outdoors in the natural
environment, away from home. By visits we mean discretionary time,
ranging from a few minutes out of the home to an all day trip. Visits
may include time spent close to home or further afield, potentially
while on holiday in England. Routine shopping trips or time spent in a
person’s own garden are not included in the definition of a visit in
MENE. The data collected also includes other ways people engage with the
natural environment. This includes activities such as time spent in
private and communal gardens, watching nature programmes on television
and undertaking pro-environmental activities such as recycling.
FSC BioLinks and AFON Launch Competition -
Field Studies Council On New Year’s Day the FSC BioLinks project launched the ‘Tomorrow’s
Invertebrate Recorders’ competition. The prizes are 14 spaces on a
bespoke residential course, focusing on biological recording and
invertebrate identification. The competition is run in partnership with
A Focus On Nature (a group for young naturalists) and will hopefully
help raise the profile of the project and FSC to young naturalists. More information and how to enter
Happy trails – half a million visits to Peak District routes
- Peak District National Park Trails providing a range of opportunities in the Peak District
National Park are playing host to more than half a million visits each
year from walkers, cyclists and horse riders. Data revealed by the
National Park Authority recorded 519,000 visits across key routes
including the Monsal Trail, Tissington, Manifold and High Peak trails.
Our
trails are accessible and can be enjoyed by everyone (image: Peak
District National Park) A number of the popular ‘multi-user’ routes managed by the Peak
District National Park Authority follow former railway lines, which were
closed during the 1950s and 1960s. These routes were opened for visitors
from the 1980s onwards, although safety challenges meant that key
tunnels on sections of the Monsal Trail, were only made accessible from
2011. Often with relatively modest inclines due to their railway
heritage, these trails have proved increasingly popular with families
and those with limited mobility, with cycle hire facilities at Parsley
Hay and Ashbourne now offering a wide range of mobility equipment for
visitors to hire. Emma Stone, head of visitor experience development at the Peak
District National Park said: “These latest figures show just how
important the National Park’s multi-user trails are to our millions of
visitors. For many, a day’s bike ride with the family or exploring the
wildlife and heritage alongside the trails is their first taste of the
Peak District, and the accessibility of many of these routes makes them
even more valuable for those who live within our neighbouring towns and
cities. We are continuing to invest in facilities – such as the current
renovations at Millers Dale station – and also looking at how we manage
the trails with their ‘environmental footprint’ in mind, such as using
sustainable and recycled surfacing materials. For the last five years,
we’ve also been undertaking special mowing and grazing regimes which
keep the route safe and practical to use, whilst ensuring that
wildflowers and native grasses can also flourish to support wildlife.”
70th Anniversary National Parks Photo Competition Launch Treasure your special moments in photo competition to celebrate the
70th Anniversary of National Parks The UK National Parks and Campaign for National Parks have today
launched a new photography competition to celebrate the 70th anniversary
of National Parks in the UK. Around the theme of a ‘Moment in time’, this competition comes 70
years since the 1949 Act of Parliament that began the family of National
Parks in the UK, that today includes beloved landscapes such as the Peak
District, Brecon Beacons and Cairngorms. Pictures could explore the incredible history of world famous
heritage sites, the people, wildlife and landscapes of the UK’s 15
National Parks. John Packman CEO of Broads National Park, speaking on behalf of the
UK National Parks said: “We welcome everyone to share their National
Park moments in time with us this January. Whether it’s a spectacular
dark sky or a selfie on a walk, there’s no better way of kicking those
January blues than with a celebration of the UK’s beautiful National
Parks.” The competition deadline is 7th February 2019. Terms and conditions and further details here.
New funding awarded
New Year joy as wildlife charity awarded National Lottery grant for
major reserve development in East of England
- Hawk and Owl Trust Norfolk-based UK charity, the Hawk and Owl Trust, has just heard that
it has been successful in securing a National Lottery grant of £821,700.
This is a truly significant moment, meaning the vision of a major nature
reserve and community project can become a reality. The National Lottery funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) is
part of an overall £1.7million project, with £850,000 of this to be
raised by a public appeal which launched in May 2017 and finishes in May
2019. Part of the appeal is to raise the money required to purchase two
large parcels of land surrounding its existing reserve at Sculthorpe
Moor, one mile outside of Fakenham.
The purchase of the land, however, is just one piece of the overall
project. Developing the land into a rich wildlife habitat, managing it
for wildlife and creating the infrastructure needed to allow
interpretation and access to all to the land are integral elements. The National Lottery funding is an essential part of bringing this
vision to reality, and we are immensely heartened by their support for
the Sculthorpe Fen project and we look forward to now being able to go
ahead and developing the project with HLF alongside us. Nigel Middleton, Sculthorpe Moor Reserve Manager, said “The extension
and development of the reserve has been a long time coming, but
desperately hoped for. Sculthorpe is an oasis in the midst of intensive
agriculture and the huge and diverse wildlife to be found here bears
testament to how important for wildlife it is – and what effect the
larger area will have on the biodiversity in this part of Norfolk. I was
shaking when I heard that we had been awarded the money – what a rosy
future the reserve now has!”
Westmorland Dales win Lottery support The Westmorland Dales
Landscape Partnership scheme has been awarded a National Lottery
grant of £2.27 million, it was announced today. A total of 21 projects
will be delivered by a partnership of organisations over a four year
period. These will aim to reveal, conserve and celebrate the rich
geology, wildlife, cultural heritage and spectacular limestone
landscapes of the Westmorland Dales. The area lies to the north of the
Howgill Fells in Cumbria, extending over 200 sq km from Maulds Meaburn
in the north to Tebay in the south-west and Ravenstonedale in the
south-east. This remote and beautiful pastoral landscape - which became part of
an extended Yorkshire Dales National Park in 2016 - has a unique mix of
habitats and remarkably intact pattern of historical settlements and
features. It has 79 Scheduled Monuments, 19 Sites of Special Scientific
Interest (SSSIs) and two National Nature Reserves. However, it has been
largely ’hidden’ for the last 70 years, tucked away between the Lake
District and Yorkshire Dales National Parks. Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority chairman Carl
Lis said: “Following the recent designation of the Westmorland Dales
as part of the National Park, this wonderful news gives us the
opportunity to create a strong foundation for its future. The injection
of resources will help us reveal and conserve the area’s rich natural
and cultural heritage; and promote the understanding and enjoyment of
its special qualities, its tranquil and unspoilt character, and its
unique heritage. At the heart of our efforts will be a focus on what is
distinctive about the Westmorland Dales, using this to bring benefits
that will help sustain the local economy in the coming years.”
Climate change, sustainability and pollution
Greenhouse gases from Scottish industry at a 10 year low
- SEPA Greenhouse gases emitted by Scottish industry continue to fall,
according to the latest annual mass pollutant releases published by the
Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA). The figures, published online in the 2017
Scottish Pollutant Release Inventory (SPRI), show how the pollutants
emitted by Scottish regulated businesses are changing as the country
continues to move to a more sustainable, resource efficient Scotland. We place pressures on the Scottish environment in our daily lives,
from dealing with our sewage and waste to the demand for goods like
petrol, plastics, food and drink. Scottish industry also puts pressures
on the environment through emissions to the air and water environment
and through waste management activities. GHG levels have reduced 57% since 2007 when 26 Megatonnes (Mt) of
pollutants were released. The 2017 total was 11 Mt. The largest drop
came in 2016, as Longannet power station was only operational for the
first few months of the year. There was a further reduction of 6% (just
under 1 Mt) in 2017 as the first full year with no emissions from the
plant. Terry A’Hearn, Chief Executive of SEPA, said: “The most successful
countries in the 21st century will function within our planet’s means to
support us. Through our regulatory strategy, One Plant Prosperity, SEPA
is helping business grow sustainably while reducing their environmental
burden. Whilst it’s encouraging to see greenhouse gases from Scottish
industry at a ten year low, we recognise further progress needs to be
made. The data that SPRI holds is vital to helping us understand
how these changes are impacting on our environment both directly and
indirectly, ensuring Scotland can identify priority areas to reduce
releases and track progress.” The SPRI data can be accessed on
Scotland’s Environment web here.
Thames Water fined £2m for “foreseeable and avoidable” pollution
Oxfordshire water contamination "reckless failure" - judge Thames Water has been fined £2million after raw sewage polluted two
Oxfordshire streams, killing almost 150 fish. The sewage also flooded a
nearby garden. Judge Peter Ross, at Oxford Crown Court on 21 December,
ruled the incident in 2015 as a high-end, category three harm offence.
2015
pollution killed dozens of fish including these bullhead (photo:
Environment Agency) Numerous failures in the management of a sewage pumping station
operated by the company led to sewage created by two villages emptying
into two brooks leading to the River Evenlode, a tributary of the River
Thames, for up to 24 hours. Judge Ross found Thames Water were
“reckless” in polluting Idbury and Littlestock brooks at
Milton-under-Wychwood, near Chipping Norton, on 8 and 9 August 2015. Environment Agency officers were quickly on site, discovering the
entire local population of almost 150 bullhead fish had been killed by
the toxic waste along a 50-metre stretch of water. A member of the public reported dead fish in Idbury brook to the
Environment Agency. A backlog of raw sewage was forced into the water
from a sewer pipe that couldn’t hold it. Sewage also escaped from a
manhole and onto a residential front garden. The court heard Thames Water disregarded more than 800 high-priority
alarms needing attention within four hours in the six weeks before the
incident. Another 300 alarms were not properly investigated, all of
which would have pointed out failures with the pumping station. One
alarm was deliberately deactivated during a night shift. Investigations by the Environment Agency revealed Thames Water was
aware the pumping station failed several times in the 12 months up to
and including the incident in August 2015. Scientific Research and results
Plant hedges to combat near-road pollution exposure
- University of Surrey Urban planners should plant hedges, or a combination of trees with
hedges – rather than just relying on roadside trees – if they are to
most effectively reduce pollution exposure from cars in near-road
environments, finds a new study from the University of Surrey. In a paper published in Atmospheric Environment, researchers from the
Global Centre for Clean Air Research (GCARE) looked at how three types
of road-side green infrastructure – trees, hedges, and a combination of
trees with hedges and shrubs – affected the concentration levels of air
pollution. The study used six roadside locations in Guildford, UK, as
test sites where the green infrastructure was between one to two metres
away from the road. The researchers found that roadsides that only had hedges were the
most effective at reducing pollution exposure, cutting black carbon by
up to 63 percent. Ultrafine and sub-micron particles followed this
reduction trend, with fine particles (less than 2.5 micrometres in
diameter) showing the least reduction among all the measured pollutants.
The maximum reduction in concentrations was observed when the winds were
parallel to the road due to a sweeping effect, followed by winds across
the road. The elemental composition of particles indicated an
appreciable reduction in harmful heavy metals originating from traffic
behind the vegetation. The hedges only - and a combination of hedges and trees - emerged as
the most effective green infrastructure in improving air quality behind
them under different wind directions. Roadsides with only trees showed no positive influence on pollution
reduction at breathing height (usually between 1.5 and 1.7m), as the
tree canopy was too high to provide a barrier/filtering effect for
road-level tailpipe emissions. Access the paper: K.V. Abhijith,
Prashant Kumar,
Field investigations for evaluating green infrastructure effects on air
quality in open-road conditions, Atmospheric Environment, 2019, ISSN
1352-2310, doi: 10.1016/j.atmosenv.2018.12.036.
Scientific publications Watson, K. , Galford, G. , Sonter, L. , Koh, I. and Ricketts, T. H.
(2019),
Effects of human demand on conservation planning for biodiversity and
ecosystem services. Conservation Biology. Accepted Author
Manuscript. doi:10.1111/cobi.13276 Moser, B. W. and Garton, E. O. (2019),
Northern goshawk space use and resource selection. Jour. Wild.
Mgmt.. doi:10.1002/jwmg.21624 Mark A. Hall, Dale G. Nimmo, Saul A. Cunningham, Kenneth Walker,
Andrew F. Bennett,
The response of wild bees to tree cover and rural land use is mediated
by species' traits, Biological Conservation, Volume 231, 2019, Pages
1-12, ISSN 0006-3207, doi: /10.1016/j.biocon.2018.12.032. Monterroso, P. , Godinho, R. , Oliveira, T. , Ferreras, P. , Kelly,
M. J., Morin, D. J., Waits, L. P., Alves, P. C. and Mills, L. S. (2018),
Feeding ecological knowledge: the underutilised power of faecal DNA
approaches for carnivore diet analysis. Mam Rev. doi:10.1111/mam.12144
(open access) Gager, Y. (2018),
Information transfer about food as a reason for sociality in bats.
Mam Rev. doi:10.1111/mam.12146 (open access) Shafagh Rahnema, Shahram Sedaghathoor, Mohammad Sadegh Allahyari,
Christos A. Damalas, Hamid El Bilali,
Preferences and emotion perceptions of ornamental plant species for
green space designing among urban park users in Iran, Urban Forestry
& Urban Greening, 2019, ISSN 1618-8667, doi: 10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.007. Barrientos, R., Ascensão, F., Beja, P. et al.
Railway ecology vs. road ecology: similarities and differences Eur J
Wildl Res (2019) 65: 12. doi: 10.1007/s10344-018-1248-0 Gamborg, C., Lund, J.F. & Jensen, F.S.
Landowners’ wildlife value orientations, attitudes and behaviour in
relation to game management practices Eur J Wildl Res (2019) 65: 9.
doi: 10.1007/s10344-018-1245-3 Santos, R.A.L. & Ascensão, F.
Assessing the effects of road type and position on the road on small
mammal carcass persistence time
Yarnell, R.W., Surgey, J., Grogan, A. et al.
Should rehabilitated hedgehogs be released in winter? A comparison of
survival, nest use and weight change in wild and rescued animals Fabrizio, M., Di Febbraro, M., D’Amico, M. et al.
Habitat suitability vs landscape connectivity determining roadkill risk
at a regional scale: a case study on European badger (Meles meles) Yen-Cheng Chiang, Dongying Li, Metric or topological proximity?
The associations among proximity to parks, the frequency of residents’
visits to parks, and perceived stress, Urban Forestry & Urban
Greening, Volume 38, 2019, Pages 205-214, ISSN 1618-8667, doi:
10.1016/j.ufug.2018.12.011. (open access) Boothby, C. , Redfern, C. and Schroeder, J. (2018), An evaluation of canes as management technique to reduce predation by gulls on ground nesting seabirds. Ibis. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/ibi.12702 Kolenda, K., Kaczmarski, M., Najbar, A. et al.
Road-killed toads as a non-invasive source to study age structure of
spring migrating population Eur J Wildl Res (2019) 65: 5. doi:
10.1007/s10344-018-1240-8 (open access) Sterrett, S. C., Katz, R. A., Fields, W. R. and Grant, E. H. (2018),
The contribution of road‐based citizen science to the conservation of
pond‐breeding amphibians. J Appl Ecol. Accepted Author Manuscript.
doi:10.1111/1365-2664.13330 Bernard Verdier, M. and Hulme, P. E. (2018),
Alien plants can be associated with a decrease in local and regional
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Record-breaking year for RSPCA Stapeley Grange An RSPCA wildlife centre in Cheshire admitted a record number of
animals in 2018. Throughout the year, 6,658 animals came through the doors of Stapeley
Grange – up from 6,545 in 2017. It is the most animals admitted to the centre in one year since it
opened in 1994. “Obviously we don’t want there to be more injured animals – we would
rather there were no injured animals at all – but I think what this
shows is that people are becoming more aware of injured wildlife and
what they should do if they see wild animals, including when to leave
them alone too,” said Lee Stewart, manager of the centre which is based
in London Road, Nantwich. “It’s always lovely to have happy
endings, when we can release animals back to the wild, but unfortunately
this isn’t always the case and we have had some really upsetting cases
over 2018. Sadly, human-wildlife conflict cases are fairly regular,
whether it be those that have been shot or those that have become
entangled in fishing litter – so many of these cases are avoidable."
Releasing a Barn Owl – a great way to start the year! On 22nd November 2018 wildlife artist John Walters found a ringed
Barn Owl whilst out for a walk on Chudleigh Knighton Heath in south
Devon. The bird was alive but too weak to fly. After taking a quick
photo (below), John picked her up and brought her to the Barn Owl Trust.
She weighed just 204 grams, two-thirds of the weight she should have
been. At this weight most starving Barn Owls are already dead. After
48hrs of re-hydration and hand feeding she starting eating voluntarily.
On day 9 she was moved into a large Release Aviary and by day 11 her
weight was back up to 322g although her flight was a little lop-sided
suggesting a minor wing injury.
Barn Owl – GV72137 (Photo: John Walters Meanwhile, her ring number revealed that she had been ringed by Craig
Bell as a nesting near Bury, Greater Manchester and had dispersed about
400km. Although this is by no means close to the species UK
long-distance record of 624km it is nonetheless very unusual. By New Years Day she was ready for release. The aviary top was opened
up but she didn’t fly out!
Click through to see the video of her flying out-eventually.
Giant Singers From Neighboring Oceans Share Song Parts Over Time
- Wildlife Conservation Society New study finds shared songs between humpback whale populations in
the southern Atlantic and Indian Ocean basins Research illuminates process of how whale culture changes over time Singing humpback whales from different ocean basins seem to be
picking up musical ideas from afar, and incorporating these new phrases
and themes into the latest song, according to a newly published study in
Royal Society Open Science that’s helping scientists better understand
how whales learn and change their musical compositions. The new research shows that two humpback whale populations in
different ocean basins (the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans) in the
Southern Hemisphere sing similar song types, but the amount of
similarity differs across years. This suggests that males from these two
populations come into contact at some point in the year to hear and
learn songs from each other.
A
breaching humpback whale in the waters off Gabon in Western Equatorial
Africa. “Song sharing between populations tends to happen more in the
Northern Hemisphere where there are fewer physical barriers to movement
of individuals between populations on the breeding grounds, where they
do the majority of their singing. In some populations in the Southern
Hemisphere song sharing appears to be more complex, with little song
similarity within years but entire songs can spread to neighboring
populations leading to song similarity across years,” said Dr. Melinda
Rekdahl, marine conservation scientist for WCS’s Ocean Giants Program
and lead author of the study. “Our study shows that this is not always
the case in Southern Hemisphere populations, with similarities between
both ocean basin songs occurring within years to different degrees over
a 5-year period.” Compare samples of the whale song: Click here to hear:
Song type recorded
in Gabon in 2005. And here for
Song type recorded
in Madagascar in 2005. Both: Courtesy of WCS Ocean Giants Program. Access the publication: Melinda L. Rekdahl, Ellen C. Garland, Gabriella A. Carvajal, Carissa D. King, Tim Collins, Yvette Razafindrakoto and Howard Rosenbaum. Culturally transmitted song exchange between humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) in the southeast Atlantic and southwest Indian Ocean basins. Royal Society Open ScienceVolume 5, Issue 11 Published:28 November 2018 doi:10.1098/rsos.172305
New legislation on fox hunting - Scottish
Government Limitations on dog numbers to be introduced. Legislation will be introduced in this Parliament to close potential
loopholes in the law protecting foxes and other wild mammals. Delivering a statement to Parliament on improving animal welfare,
Minister for Rural Affairs Mairi Gougeon announced her intention to
bring forward a bill that will implement changes proposed by the Right
Honourable Lord Bonomy’s review on the subject. The Minister also announced an intention to explore the option of a
licensing scheme to permit the use of more than two dogs, if it were
deemed necessary for pest control. Additionally, the bill will include pre-emptive measures to address
the likelihood of ‘trail-hunting’ becoming established in Scotland. Fox hunting is currently covered by the
Protection
of Wild Mammals (Scotland) Act 2002 Responses:
SGA will challenge fox hunting proposals -
Scottish Gamekeepers Association Earlier today (9th Jan) Scottish Government announced proposals to
alter fox hunting legislation in Scotland.
Scottish Government ignores evidence and science with new fox hunting
legislation - Countryside Alliance Countryside Alliance Director for Scotland, Jamie Stewart, said: “It
is utterly ridiculous that the Scottish Government has chosen to pursue
a course that is in direct contradiction to its own independent review,
peer-reviewed science and all the available evidence.
New report highlights huge step change needed in SuDS delivery
- The Landscape Institute A new report shows that the delivery of sustainable drainage in
England is currently a long way behind the ambition Sustainable drainage systems (SuDS) are an important way of managing
surface water runoff in built developments. Partly or wholly natural in design, SuDS were first introduced to the
English planning system in 2010. National planning policy encourages
SuDS in all major developments ‘unless there is clear evidence that this
would be inappropriate’, while as of January 2019, SuDS are mandatory in
Wales for all new developments over 100m2. But a new report by the Landscape Institute and Construction Industry
Council highlights the huge step change still needed in this area. 96% of local authorities report that the quality of planning
submissions for SuDS are either ‘inadequate’ or ‘mixed’. And as of 2017,
25% of local authorities had no formal SuDS policies in place, nor any
immediate plans to implement any. This is putting communities under
threat of surface water flooding as climate change continues to put
pressure on our landscapes. ‘The problems for LLFAs in delivering good quality SuDS are clear,’
said Sue Illman, CIC Champion for Flood Mitigation and Resilience, past
President of the Landscape Institute and co-author of the report. ‘At a
time when climate change and sustainability are such prevalent issues,
the shortcomings and inconsistencies highlighted in this report are of
real concern.
Read the report here. (PDF)
LOtC Quality Badge for RFS Teaching Trees -
Royal Forestry Society The Royal Forestry Society’s Teaching Trees programme, which brings
primary schools together with local woods and woodland owners has
received the Council for Learning Outside the Classroom’s LOtC Quality
Badge mark. Teaching Trees Co-ordinator Becky Wilkinson says: “ The Council for
Learning Outside the Classroom is the national voice for learning
outside the classroom and we are delighted they have recognised both the
quality of the learning and the safety of the courses we provide.”
In
2018, RFS Teaching Trees hosted 256 curriculum-linked sessions in
woodlands across England and Wales giving more than 5,000 children the
opportunity to learn about trees, wildlife and forestry in a fun and
hands-on way and an appreciation of woodlands' value for the
environment, timber production and enjoyment. More than 2000 of those
children enjoyed more than one session.
Becky adds: “Teachers tell us that these visits have inspired further
exploration of issues connected with trees and woodlands and that they
continue to use the resources. Feedback from the children is
overwhelmingly positive. One teacher, reported. ‘They thoroughly
enjoying being outside, one pupil said they would get their parents to
take them to the woods, another would like to start collecting acorns.
Others are asking to do more Andy Goldsworthy patterns.’”
‘Fine to Flush’ logo launched to fight fatbergs
- Marine Conservation Societ
The
fight against fatbergs in UK sewers has received a major boost today
(11/1) with the publication of a new official standard identifying which
wet wipes can be flushed down toilets safely.
In 2018, during the MCS annual Great British Beach Clean and survey,
volunteers found on average 12 wet wipes per 100m of beach cleaned and
surveyed - an increase of more than 300% over the last decade. Dr. Laura Foster, MCS Head of Clean Seas, said: “Some products on the
market labelled as flushable have been known to contain plastic fibres
adding to plastic pollution in our oceans. In addition, they’re not
designed for realistic conditions found in UK sewers, may not break down
fast enough and therefore potentially contribute to blockages.” Manufacturers of wipes will be able to feature the official water
industry ‘Fine to Flush’ symbol on their packaging if they pass strict
scientific tests. This symbol will let consumers know that the products
don’t contain plastic and will break down in the sewer system instead of
clogging up sewers and contributing to fatbergs which cause blockages
and sewage overflows.
Partnership launched to support innovative solutions to ocean plastics
crisis - UKRI Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), and Sky have
teamed up to support UK businesses to develop innovative methods of
tackling the global ocean plastics crisis. With the United Nations reporting that eight million tonnes of
plastic enters global waters each year, a figure that is set to triple
by 2025 unless significant action is taken, companies are being
encouraged to come forward with proposals to reduce plastic waste and
pollution and promote a circular economy. Now Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures have launched a £6 million
competition to support UK businesses to tackle the scourge of waste
plastic. Innovate UK is providing up to £3 million through the UKRI Plastics
Research and Innovation Fund, a £20 million programme engaging
researchers and industry to tackle waste and pollution and develop
sustainable approaches to plastic. Sky Ocean Ventures, established by
Sky to support young companies and create meaningful change by
highlighting environmental disaster caused by plastic pollution in the
oceans, is providing the same amount. Ian Campbell, Executive Chair of Innovate UK, said: “Plastic waste
has created a crisis that needs a global resolution. We need
businesses, investors, government and researchers pulling in the same
direction, creating workable solutions that people will be able to see
on the shelves before it’s too late. That’s what this tie-up
between Innovate UK and Sky Ocean Ventures will achieve, while also
helping innovative UK companies become global successes.” Scientific Publications Luke Scheberl, Bryant C. Scharenbroch, Les P. Werner, Jacob R. Prater, Kelby L. Fite, Evaluation of soil pH and soil moisture with different field sensors: case study urban soil, Urban Forestry & Urban Greening, 2019, ISSN 1618-8667, doi:10.1016/j.ufug.2019.01.001.
Julia C. Assis, Henrique C. Giacomini, Milton Cezar Ribeiro,
Road Permeability Index: Evaluating the heterogeneous permeability of
roads for wildlife crossing, Ecological Indicators, Volume 99, 2019, Pages 365-374, ISSN 1470-160X, doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.12.012. Shutler, D. (2019),
Some important overlooked aspects of odors in avian nesting ecology.
J Avian Biol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1111/jav.02003 Lucy A. Capstick, Rufus B. Sage, Andrew Hoodless, Ground flora recovery in disused pheasant pens is limited and affected by pheasant release density, Biological Conservation, 2019, ISSN 0006-3207, doi:10.1016/j.biocon.2018.12.020.
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