Editorial

I have just come in from my garden laden with produce. Lucky me! Except that it all has to be ‘dealt with’ one way or another – jam, chutney, freezing, soup, baking etc. It’s what I call squirreling away for the winter and it is a full time job at the moment.

We have quite a few students at Treborth who are growing some of their own food and really learning how to feed themselves well. We even have some pots of vegetables in the courtyard at Treborth.

Education in food production, food security and avoiding food waste are all subjects dear to the hearts of the volunteers at Treborth and there is a role for the Garden here, namely the conservation of food plants. Crop plants will feature strongly in new plantings in the Tropical House.

In an ideal world we shouldn’t have food waste, but there will always be some to compost or put into the wormery, as David Shaw tells us in this edition.

My thanks go to the newsletter team for all their hard work yet again.

Happy growing.

Judith Hughes Chairman

REMINDER…Subscription Rates and Standing Orders

As mentioned in the May issue of the newsletter, we are introducing concessionary rates for those who feel financially challenged (as the jargon goes) by an increase in subscriptions. Concessionary rates are kept at the old rates while non- concessionary full rates are slightly raised as follows:

Concessionary Full Student membership (three undergrad years plus one post grad year if applicable) Free Free Single membership £7 £10 Joint membership (two adults at one address) £10 £15

We have decided to drop the old family rate as children are allowed free entry to Friends’ events in any case.

1 So at the end of October when membership renewals are due these will be the rates that will apply. Members with Standing Orders for Barclays are asked to make out new ones as we have changed our bank to the Co-operative Bank, as we have explained before. The new membership leaflet enclosed with this issue will have all the details on it to enable you to do so, and it will also have details of the Gift Aid scheme and the declaration for you to complete.

We do hope you will continue to be members and help Treborth to flourish!

Angela Thompson Membership Secretary

New Logo for the Friends of Treborth

After using the present bramble leaf logo for many a year, the Committee thought it would be a good idea if we had a change to reflect a modern approach to our work. So we asked a limited number of people if they could come up with a new design, and now we have one. It was created by mature student Barry Roberts who graduated this year with a degree in forestry. He is a past president of the Bangor Forestry Society, a student body that has been very supportive of the Friends’ struggle to keep Treborth alive and buoyant. He has organised student work parties and been an energetic volunteer himself.

As you can see, it consists of three stylised fern leaves in a simple circular design, reflecting the cyclical essence of the natural world. It also echoes the three aspirations of the Friends to conserve, educate and inspire. When printed in colour, as on the new leaflet we are having produced, you will see there are three shades of green. Barry considered simplicity important and wanted a design that would ‘work’ when used with traditional material and the more modern fliers etc that are used for Botanical Beats. It also had to work in different sizes – clear enough when reduced and used in letterheads and other correspondence, yet enlargeable and eye-catching for posters etc. And it looks good in black and white too.

We hope you like it!

Angela Thompson

2 Treborth’s Ulmus 'Sapporo Gold'

We are sad to report the demise of the Ulmus 'Sapporo Gold', a beautiful tree that grew beside the car park at the back of the Friends' hut. This tree is a hybrid elm cultivar whose parentage is U. pumila x U. davidiana var. japonica. It has dark green leaves that turn pale yellow in autumn. This particular specimen was planted in about 1984 by the Llandegfan Brownies and Guides.

Volunteers were doing their usual Friday tasks when there was a strange noise and a crash and we discovered that one of the three main limbs of the tree had split and fallen into the Griselinia hedge. Cars were hastily moved and the area taped off while we waited for the University Grounds and Gardens Manager to come and inspect. The fallen limb had rot in it and it was clear that that the remaining two limbs would have to be felled as they were likely to be unhealthy as well. As we watched the tree surgeons at work we wondered what Nigel's reaction would be when he came back from holiday - we knew he was fond of the tree and used its lichen communities for teaching purposes. However he was sanguine about it and, seeing the open space created, is full of ideas about possible uses. We can also report that logs from the Ulmus will not go to waste, as the long lengths will be used in the new wildlife area as edging, and some of the smaller pieces will be used for wood turning.

Sarah Edgar Secretary Volunteer Val

It is almost a year now since I began as a volunteer at Treborth. I was assigned the ‘keyhole’ bed almost immediately by Pauline. This is not the bed I would have chosen myself as I have had little acquaintance with plants from Mexico, New Zealand and South Africa, only ever having had largely indigenous plants in my garden. I found that I knew the names of all the ‘weeds’ in the bed as they are the plants I cultivate at home. I have great difficulty in pulling out poppy and lady’s mantle, and being a butterfly lover, what could I do when I saw a green veined white delicately lay an egg on a bittercress leaf? However, the bed’s main redeeming feature is its close proximity to a beautiful spreading beech tree which is a joy to see in every season.

My main responsibility is the part of the bed containing the yucca, phormium and Beschorneria yuccoides. These are large plants, taking up a lot of space with their drooping habits. They have tough sharp leaves which aim for the eye when one weeds beneath them. They produce splendid flowers on tall stalks, but these too droop, and bloom for a short time only. My first task was to prune and remove about a half of them. This was enjoyably achieved with a saw and pick (and some help from the student work party). It created space for other plants more suited to a roadside position. As well as gradually building up ground cover I have tried to keep ahead of the weeds. I am sure that if I spent a whole day watching, I would 3 see the nightshade, willowherb and dock actually growing. I would also no doubt see the rabbits ignoring the weeds and nibbling Pauline’s precious South African blooms.

I find I can become completely absorbed with weeding. There is something very satisfying about finding the white strings of nightshade roots. I am mindful of a Zen book on archery; perhaps I will attempt one on weeding.

Being by the roadside the bed is the first to be seen by visitors. I have engaged with a number of people over the year, mostly ladies in pink with dogs on leads. Sometimes there are ladies in pink with dogs not on leads, and these are spoken to less amicably. One Saudi gentleman wanted to know ‘what is this place?’ and could he come to light fires to cook food! Sometimes people arrive with picnic baskets and tents, sometimes stoats appear to snatch a rabbit. I am intrigued that a passer-by should assume that the male volunteers who stand with their hands in their pockets are there in a supervisory capacity, when really they are awaiting their orders from Pauline.

I am learning a lot from Pauline and the very stimulating environment which is Treborth, so as long as I can bend without complaint I shall continue as an active volunteer.

Val Lane

Weather and Wildlife April – early August 2009

Days Month Rainfall Temperature oC 20oC Mm Inches Max Min or above April 44.1 1.7 17.5 2.0 0 Quote 77.0 3.0 24.5 6.0 4 June 47.6 1.9 27.75 7.5 12 July 122.4 4.8 27.5 10.0 13

Rabbits and Painted Ladies – what have they both in common? Abundancy. Yes I shall remember this spring and summer for that reason, and when I start thinking about the relative frequency of wild things I come to realise that other species have displayed marked changes in numbers as well.

But let’s start with rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) – they are of course part of the scene at Treborth, after all most of the Garden is ‘wild’ – but this spring it soon became clear that their numbers were higher than normal and by June the population was burgeoning with a hundred or so commonly grazing the main cultivated area of the Garden each evening at dusk. Inevitably cultivated plants suffered, especially on the rock garden and the South African border. The lack of 4 extensive burrows and a ban on shooting in the Garden meant their population growth was unchecked by Man. However help was at hand in the sleek shape of one or more Stoats (Mustela erminea) which were sighted with daily regularity from June onwards. One appeared on the Curator’s patio with rabbit in mouth as if to prove the point that Nature was taking control of the situation and I shouldn’t worry myself any more. Buzzards also loitered with intent at the woodland margin and no doubt took a few though their hunting remained discreet. Surprisingly I registered no other predators in this time but by late June the rabbits certainly had another, unseen menace to contend with – the viral disease myxomatosis - it remains to be seen what impact this will have.

While the population increase in rabbits was unwelcome the population explosion of Painted Lady (Cynthia carduii) was a real highlight and stimulated much nostalgia – why do butterflies elicit such sacred memories? Do they represent, more than most wildlife, a gentler age and youthful times? This outburst of butterfly biomass was the direct result of an invasion on an enormous scale, a natural dispersal from a heartland in Morocco, triggered by forces unknown and witnessed by peoples of at least 5 nations as billions of butterflies traversed southern and western Europe quickly reaching the UK by late May. During 29- 30th May I estimate that 5-10 Painted Ladies over-flew Treborth every minute between 0900 and 1800, all travelling in a NNW direction. None loitered for nectar, their flight was swift and purposeful. Similar numbers were reported all over the UK.

By the end of the first week of June the rush of newly arrived Painted Ladies had subsided and a smaller more sedentary sub population had established in the Garden, characterised by rather worn individuals content to nectar on local flowers. In due course these have bred and their larvae began to make a visual impact by the beginning of July when I had many reports of huge numbers in some coastal gardens feeding on thistle. A second mass appearance of Painted Ladies occurred in the first week of August as a result of successful, local breeding of the original migrant individuals. The sight of 20-30 individuals per meadow plot enjoying the dense inflorescences of Knapweed (Centaurea nigra) was reward indeed for the effort involved with meadow management.

Such invasions are part of the natural scheme of things whereby species instinctively disperse and may establish new colonies, all very important for their long term survival in a constantly changing environment. In an evolutionary sense such pioneering behaviour ensures each species occupies as much of its potential niche as possible as well as ensuring maximum gene flow within its biogeographic range.

And of course such dispersal offers hope of recolonisation after local extinction events. In this respect it will be interesting to note how long it will be before Small Skipper (Thymelicus sylvestris) reappears at Treborth – it colonised the Garden a few years ago but seems to have disappeared this year. Among the moths 5 we may be currently witnessing fresh colonisations by several species such as Lobster Moth (Stauropus fagi) and Slender Brindle (Apamea scolopacina).

Among the local birds I have noted a serious decline in Greenfinches (Carduelis chloris) in the Garden culminating this spring in their complete absence as a breeding species for the first time in at least 33 years. It is thought that disease is to blame for local declines of this species in Wales. The rate of recolonisation will depend on the dispersability of the species. Ringing studies have demonstrated that a significant proportion of Greenfinch populations displays a natural tendency to disperse between 5 and 100 kilometres.

By contrast to the misfortunes of Greenfinch it is pleasing to report that Bullfinch (Pyrrhula pyrrhula), a species flagged up by the RSPB as being of conservation concern, is thriving at Treborth after a successful breeding season. So too Blue Tit (Parus caeruleus) with high numbers of immature birds visiting bird feeders in the Garden as well as consorting with other small passerines in gleaning caterpillars and greenfly from birch and oak. I watched as one such party cleansed a swaying birch canopy early one morning, flitting at break-neck speed through the tracery of twigs and leaves – I counted 40 individuals, mostly Blue Tits, their agile powdery blue and citrine bodies transformed by speed and deft movement, bird and branch as one.

In the Strait the return of the terns to breed on Ynys Gorad Goch after an absence of ten years was also one of the highlights of the summer – I have missed their strident calls delivered day and night, quickened by the tide. And the dreadful screech of immature Jays (Garrulus glandarius) one summer evening preceeded by a life saving fraction of time a failed precision strike by an immature Goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) – her swift ambush yielding no feathered gain on this occasion but forcefully announcing the arrival of a new top predator at Treborth.

Recording the arrival and loss of plants and animals and changes in their populations from year to year is at the heart of ecology – Treborth is a valuable living laboratory for studying population dynamics and understanding the role of dispersal in determining the species composition of biological communities. Our efforts to understand the processes whereby individuals and species come to occupy living space should encompass studies at community, organismal and genetic levels. Butterfly invasions are a startling expression of wholesale genetic and ecological renewal. Viral infections such as myxomatosis (and indeed swine flu) remind us of the power of pathogens in controlling populations.

Nigel Brown Curator Quote - Unquote

September...what a turnover, what a watershed of the year. Vita Sackville-West

6 FRIENDS COACH TOUR TO THE SOUTH WEST JUNE/JULY 2009

Westonbirt Arboretum (Pat Denne)

On this tour, our first visit was to the National Arboretum at Westonbirt (near Tetbury, Glos.), and to anyone with an interest in trees Westonbirt is a must, a delight at any season. As we had a long way to travel that day we had only a couple of hours there, time to get just a flavour of the 3000 different tree species spread over 600 acres. I opted to explore the ‘Old Arboretum’, starting with the Summer Trail, which is easy to follow, wheel-chair friendly, with well-labelled trees and good interpretation boards to hold interest. One of the joys of Westonbirt is the freedom to roam freely amongst the trees; one is encouraged to venture off the marked tracks, soon losing sight and sound of the many visitors, hearing only birds and rustling leaves. Peak seasons for spectacular colour at Westonbirt are spring and autumn, but even at the height of summer there is the beauty of form and texture of leaves and bark to inspire. Particularly stunning when we were there was the dense curtain of leaves of the weeping Cedrus atlantica glauca var. pendula, and superb bark colouration of a Chinese mahogany (Toona sinensis) which is rarely seen in Britain though it appears to be hardy.

The Friends of Westonbirt (21,000 of them) play as vital a role at this National Arboretum as do our own Friends at Treborth: they were seen welcoming visitors, litter-picking, manning the information desk, and guiding a tour. They also do practical work in the Arboretum, and raise funds - amongst other things they paid for the splendid “Great Oak Hall”.

Well worth another, longer, visit.

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens (Hazel Bond)

The weather was very kind to us on our visit to Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, on the second day of our trip. When we arrived the whole place was bathed in sunshine and the immediate impression was one of lush planting. The Colonial Teahouse by the entrance had plenty of interesting planting around it, gerberas, acanthus and dahlias as well as large agaves and succulents in pots. From there we went into the walled garden passing the renowned specimen wingnut tree, Pterocarya fraxinifolia. The garden also has the national collection of Hoheria. The herbaceous borders were looking good, with plenty of hot colour and in the Victorian Garden lush bananas, cannas, castor oil plants, to name but a few, all gave an exotic look. 7

The garden is well signed throughout with a helpful route to follow. We were told that the Magnolia Walk was a must do and although much effort was needed to get to the top, the view once you reached it, of Chesil Beach, was definitely worth it. We saw some superb specimens of Cornus kousa and Cornus contraversa and then we followed the streamside planting and admired the lush vegetation and crossed the red bridges. Here we saw rodgersia, astilbe, hostas and tree ferns. There is a sunken lawn area, near the tea house, the added interest here being two enclosures housing kookaburras which occasionally remind the visitor that they were there.

From here we made out way to the lily ponds that were formal and full of fish, visitors being encouraged to feed them after paying for a small quantity of fish food. The pond area then leads down through the Mediterranean garden with its gentle south facing slope, to the South African bulbs, protea, aloes, agaves, lavenders, santolina and salvias all giving off their wonderful aromas in the hot sunshine. The Bothy was accessed up a small flight of stairs giving an insight into how, in times gone by, the gardener would have lived and worked with his tools and implements on show, including his wonderful wooden wheelbarrow. When we left Abbotsbury we were tired but satisfied that we had just been to a superb garden.

Groves Nurseries (Sarah Edgar)

On our return from Abbbotsbury we stopped off at two nurseries. The first one, Little Groves at Beaminster, is managed by Becky Groves. Becky used to be the biodiversity officer for Conwy Council, and was also a Friend of Treborth for several years and a member of the Committee until she moved to Dorset in 2008 to set up Little Groves. We were warmly welcomed to the nursery by Becky and her mother and were given excellent refreshments. The nursery specialises in scented and medicinal plants (including the widest variety of thymes and basils that I had ever seen) as well as perennials and shrubs. They were grouped by themes - eg colour, aspect and season - which is very helpful for garden planning. (Photo at end of article). After this nursery we went to her father’s nursery down the road at Bridport. C.W.Groves and Sons has the National Collection of Viola odorata and Parma violets. Of course July was not the right time of year for us to see these, but we did enjoy browsing the well-stocked nursery, which included many roses, with several varieties shown at their best on a large pergola. By the time we returned to the coach after this second day it was filling up with plant acquisitions! 8

RHS Rosemoor (Sarah Edgar)

Rosemoor demonstrates every type of garden one could imagine including formal borders, arboretum, woodland, bog garden and fruit and vegetables. In the time available we concentrated on the more formal areas which were set out in rooms. There were two rose gardens which were looking (and smelling) gorgeous and we saw some imaginative colour combinations in the spiral and hot gardens (a very dark, almost purple Hemerocallis caught my eye). The long border which linked all the formal gardens was also full of colour with tall species such as Campanula lactifolia, delphiniums, and Echinops ritro at the back and smaller species such as geraniums, lilies and penstemons at the front. We talked to one of the gardeners about the amount of work needed, eg deadheading, to keep the garden looking so good. A gentle walk though meadow and bog garden, where we spotted orchids and ragged robin, took us to the orchard and fruit and vegetable gardens which were full of good ideas for managing one’s own kitchen garden - I particularly liked the tunnel of hazel branches that supported runner beans. We had to get out our waterproofs as we made out way back to the main building but soon dried off in the café over lunch.

Garden House (Morag McGrath)

Ever since seeing a television programme featuring the Garden House and subsequently reading Keith Wiley’s inspiring book ‘On the Wildside’, I had been keen to visit the Garden House. Keith Wiley had been head gardener at the Garden House for over 25 years and the book describes his views and experience of naturalistic planting. The gardens lived up to my expectations even in the steady rain that accompanied our visit. Although Keith Wiley left five years ago his influence remains. He draws his inspiration from natural plant associations with an extensive use of grasses, a rich mixture of species although sometimes dominated by two or three species, plants growing in a high density of cover while encouraging self-seeders. Founded by Lionel Fortescue in 1946 and since 1961 run by the Fortescue Garden Trust, the garden’s eight acres are situated in lovely Devon countryside in the village of Buckland Monachorum, near Taunton. The gardens are very varied from formal lawns and beds to the wildflower meadow with areas of rhododendrons and other shrubs. In retrospect three areas stood out for me. Undoubtedly the most striking area at the 9 time of our visit was the South African garden (not totally restricted to S. African plants) with three fine-looking Cornus controversa variegata at its head. It was in full bloom, a brilliant mosaic including scarlet poppies, pink Eschscholzias, tall clumps of waving grasses and graceful Dieramas in a range of colours with occasional orange and yellow Kniphofias. My second highlight was the contrasting subdued colouring of the Acer glade, with its sculptural shapes, varied leaf colour and form. With Acers on either side, the narrow path led down a slope, beautifully set overlooking a wooded valley and the church of Buckland Monachorum. The third highlight was the sixteenth century walled garden with its stone tower in one corner. Here the planting is more formal and highly colourful including bright blue delphiniums and soft yellow kniphofias. Apart from these three areas there were many other delights and memories: a bank bright with Thymus, Dianthus, Scabiosa species among low grasses with swaying Dieramas in the background; the extensive use made of Geranium species and tall Campanulas; the mixing of British native plants with cultivated species such as Silene vulgaris (red campion) combined with Digitalis purpurea and magenta geraniums; a group of multi-stemmed Betula ermanii with their brilliant white trunks. It was clear that at other times of year there would be other delights such as snowdrops, one of the current head gardener’s specialities, in the spring or autumn colours in the Acer glade.

Wildside Garden and Nursery (Morag McGrath)

A couple of miles down the road from the Garden House is Keith Wiley’s new premises to which he moved in 2003. Sadly, the rain had not relented for our visit here. As we entered the gate we gazed at the huge bare banks of earth by the roadside. These were in fact the key to Keith’s basic garden structure. The site Keith and his wife, Ros, bought was totally flat as could be seen looking over his boundary fence to the field beyond. Using a mini-digger Keith has carved the garden into a series of valleys and banks of varying heights, some over six feet, and widths through which narrow paths wind. This has created a great range of micro-climates which have been, and are being, planted up with species reflecting different plant associations adapted to the precise conditions. The initial area we walked into was reminiscent of the Garden House’s South African garden with a dense planting of grasses and herbaceous plants, including white daisy-like species, other Asteraceae and Dieramas. Other banks have low evergreens and maples together grasses and herbs. The habitats available vary from south facing dry tops of tall banks to wet areas with candelabra primulas and other moisture loving species. At the bottom of the garden, Keith is in the process of constructing a series of ponds, so far mostly dug out but not yet planted. We were fortunate in meeting Keith, who was working in the garden, and had the opportunity to discuss the garden and his plans with him. With only the two of them working in the garden, the achievement over the five years is impressive. It was interesting to see the garden at this stage in its development with some areas looking well established and others clearly newly planted. At the end of our time we visited the

10 nursery area, a large polytunnel, where Ros did an excellent trade before we finally departed.

Bristol Botanic Garden (Pauline Perry)

Although a comparatively small site the University of Bristol’s new Botanic Garden is packed full of interesting and educational displays all clearly indicated on the map forming part of the information leaflet handed out on arrival at the Welcome Lodge. This is a small building at the entrance manned by a volunteer, and also selling cards and various leaflets. No space is wasted with lawns but many hard surface footpaths, several suitable for wheelchairs, lead to clearly marked display areas.

Due to the limited time we had to spend at the garden it was not possible to do all the displays justice. I was especially frustrated to miss the Angiosperm Phylogeny collection as apparently this unique collection represents a new understanding of the relationships between flowering plants based on DNA sequences devised from research published in 1998 and 2003.

I was very impressed by the Evolution of Land Plants area. In the form of a dell it illustrated 500 million years of plant evolution with information boards explaining each of the different geological Periods. Starting with mosses and liverworts for the Devonian then a dramatic planting of Australian Tree Ferns (Dicksonia antarctica), together with horsetails, sellaginellas and clubmosses depicting the Carboniferous. Various cycads and Ginkgo represented the Permean. Members of the Monkey Puzzle family (Araucariaceae) and Wollemia nobilis illustrated the Triassic leading to Dawn Redwood and Swamp Cypress for the Jurassic. Finally the early flowering plants of the cretaceous were shown by Magnolia species, Drymis and ending with a Tulip Tree Lirodendron tulipifera.

A large area has been devoted to Local Flora and Rare Native Plants. Here an overflow from a large pond draining into a low lying part has produced an area wet in winter and allowed to dry out in summer, suitable for plants of the famous Somerset Levels. Carboniferous Limestone rocks provide a home for rare species from the vicinity of Cheddar. Sorbus species only occurring in the Avon Gorge are other rare plants to be seen here.

The glasshouses are slightly apart from the planted garden. They consist of four adjoining areas with temperatures suited to different climatic zones: Tropical, Subtropical, Warm Temperate and Cool Temperate. The latter at present houses a reserve of plants awaiting planting in the garden beds and was not open to the public. In the centre of the Tropical House is a large pond of aquatics including the Giant Amazon Waterlily, Victoria amazonica. A variety of food crops, medicinal and other useful plants as well as orchids, bromeliads, ferns etc are displayed in the appropriate zones. The Potting Shed and propagating area adjacent to the glasshouses were not open. 11

The Curator of the Garden, Nick Wray, met us and gave us a fascinating account of how the Garden had been set up (it cost £600,000, including moving some plants from the old site), how they set their priorities, and how it was financed and managed. We were particularly interested to hear about the contribution that volunteers make to the work of the Garden, and about the relationship between Bristol University and the Garden’s management team.

This account only scratches the surface and hardly does justice to this excellent newly developing Garden. I hope sometime I shall manage another and longer visit and would certainly recommend anyone in the area to visit it.

Becky Groves and Judith Hughes in Groves Nurseries

ABERCONWY NURSERY The Welsh Alpine Plant Specialists

Interesting home grown alpine plants, including dionysia, androsace, saxifrage, gentians and dwarf ericaceous subjects as well as other choice plants all grown on our attractive hillside nursery in the Conwy Valley, overlooking the Carneddau

On a minor road just off the A470, about 2 miles north of Bodnant Gardens we’re open in the Spring, Summer and early Autumn but never on a Monday.

Graig, Glan Conwy, LL28 5TL. Tel. (01492) 580875

12 My Way With Food Waste And Worms

Everybody tells you not to put food waste into your compost heap. This is good advice because juicy bits attract rats and stray dogs etc and rats don’t need free handouts these days. So after struggling to find an easy way of converting the waste to compost I have settled on this method.

Get yourself an oil drum (40-gallon type). Ask around and you will soon find someone delighted to oblige. Hack off the lid with a bolster and start to fill with kitchen waste, collected in a bin under the sink in our case. Introduce some brandling worms, easily obtained from a manure heap or from any rich organic matter lying on top of the soil. Then sit back and enjoy the fact that the worms are busy feeding on the food you did not use, converting it to lovely compost and the rats have gone next door for dinner. Oh, and it is worth driving a six-inch nail into the side of the drum near the bottom to collect the coke-coloured liquid which accumulates.

One refinement is an easily detached lid. For years I used an old fertilizer bag tied on with baler twine but it is easier if you can find an old compost bin – the plastic, conical-shaped ones that make lousy compost because they are too cold and airless. Wedge it over the top of the drum and you have a nice snap-on lid to make life easier.

What happens when the bin is full? Well you now have to find another oil drum etc, etc. Then you can leave the contents of the first drum to mature to a sweet- smelling compost while the second accumulates.

You might like to have fun testing the quality of your compost and “coke”. Fill a few small pots with compost and make some up with good seed compost as a control. Sow some easily-germinated seeds like radish, mustard or cress. Wait and see what happens. As for the coke, you can test it by adding some to a pot of ordinary, unimproved garden soil. You can add it neat or dilute 50/50 with water or say 1 part in 10 of water and test these too. Then you will find out what is the best concentration to use on your plants without damaging them with too much nutrient.

The main thing is, enjoy your experiments!

Dr. David Shaw Vice Chairman

Quote - Unquote

Not all seedlings are weeds. You may feel that life is too short to leave a seedling in till it’s large enough to identify. My own feeling is that life’s too interesting not to leave it there until you can identify it. Christopher Lloyd

13 The Lost World of Pen Y Ffridd

December 19 2008 was not only a very sad day for the PYFF team and myself - especially as it was the end of my employment within the university – but it was also the end of an era, with the final closure of the Pen Y Ffridd research centre in Bangor, after half a century of plant research activity. As the person at the helm for the last voyage I offered to attempt a history of the site for the Friends newsletter, and, although much of this is based on rumour and guesswork, I hope that it is worth the reading. If anyone has any corrections or additions (Charles Ellis, Dave Shaw et al?) then I am sure Angela would be very grateful for them.

I believe the site was first established shortly after the end of the second world war, as an ADAS field station and demonstration site, with the intention of encouraging local farmers to diversify their activities into the production of soft fruit such as raspberries and strawberries. Certainly the buildings were of that era, looking like any wartime airfield or similar. The site orientation and the layout of the fields, extending in narrow strips down the south facing slope towards the back of B&Q and Halfords on Caernarfon Road also support this theory. This has been backed up by reminiscences from local people in the area who can remember working there or going to ‘pick your own’ in the relevant season.

At some point the site was taken over by the university, and more modern agricultural buildings were erected to allow a wide variety of research activities to take place there. The site was run by the predecessors of the School of Biological Sciences, and I think there was considerable duplication of facilities with those down at Henfaes or on the college farm, which indicates that universities existed in a very different financial world to the one in which we live now! One building had the remains of a cow crush, and other veterinary equipment - including a fine selection of needles and ampoules of something interesting and unlabelled - found on my initial site tour of inspection when I started there. There was also a building equipped as a shearing shed, and of course the pigsties and the piggery building. It was clear there was a lot of animal research activity, and the plant research side of things had also obviously started with the extensive glasshouses and visible remnants of growth cabinets at a similar level of technology to a Morris Minor – or a 2CV!

I think the name most associated with PYFF must be that of Charles Ellis, who was the manager of the site when I first arrived in the early nineties. I think that he had then been in charge for a substantial period, during which he had enlarged the activities of PYFF considerably. I understand he was given a free rein to develop commercial operations at PYFF and did so very successfully. There was a training centre for wayward boys and girls, to teach them to be horticultural technicians instead of selling other peoples car radios to each other. There were various other activities including UHS, an arms length plant research company whose activities ran in parallel with the work done by the university, a leading light of which was Simon Retallick. 14

After Charles Ellis retired, there were several changes in the management of PYFF until SBS decided that they could no longer afford to maintain the site, with the very limited amount of research that they were still doing there. However, there was still a considerable amount of work on behalf of the Centre for Arid Zone Studies, funded by the overseas development administration and mainly involving encouraging tropical crop species such as cotton, rice, wheat, barley and millet to grow despite horrid conditions such as drought, heat, disease, and waterlogged and saline soils. At the time, I was involved with this work, as a technician for John Gorham and others, so I was available to take over the day to day supervision of PYFF, from Easter 2001.

The next eight years saw us, the team and myself, struggle to keep PYFF afloat for the benefit of anyone who wanted space there. We were fortunate to have two commercial customers, Medwyn Williams and his giant vegetables, and Ben Kettle and his exotic ferns, who provided a solid financial base. On top of this, we could provide a service for any research work within the university, producing plant material for practical classes, support for undergrad, postgrad and grown-up research projects, and for the occasional bit of commercial research, occasionally including some interesting Hungarian potatoes. Years before the establishment of the College of Natural Sciences, at one point we had work in from CAZS, SBS, SAFS, CEH, ocean sciences, chemistry and geography, in addition to the users from outside the university.

One of my main aims for PYFF, in addition to providing a high quality of service, was to provide a good atmosphere to work in, especially for the overseas students who found not only their work, but the whole experience of living in a western country, difficult and stressful. In this I was very fortunate in that the whole team also wanted this, so we had our own little world, frequently referred to as the Independent Republic of Pen Y Ffridd, in which we all worked hard, but when we sat down for coffee, real coffee of course, everyone came to the kitchen together and talked. On the table there was a white sugar pot, looking suspiciously like an old chemical pot, and each newcomer was encouraged to write the word ‘sugar’ in their own language on the side. We managed almost thirty different words for sugar, and the old atlas of the world scored almost a hundred rings drawn around ‘the town I come from’. Any newcomer had to do a very informal seminar on what they were doing, and answer questions which could, in the absence of any responsible adults, be very searching. I doubt that anywhere else in North Wales could one regularly sit at a table with people from five or six countries on three different continents and where the cultural exchange of views could include those of devout Muslims, fierce feminists, the British army and French work experience students.

Even when I first began visiting PYFF in the early nineties, (pickin’ cotton for Massa John!), it was obvious that the site was under a form of ‘planning blight’. The university could see the pound signs on a large tract of possible housing land 15 in Penrhosgarnedd, and, although no final decision was ever made, the level of spending on the site made Treborth look like Kew Gardens. We virtually had to beg for light bulbs and toilet paper. I went in on the evening of Boxing day in 2004 to see a substantial proportion of the roof torn off by a hailstorm, so for two months we lived in conditions approaching those of the poor people of Banda Aceh, as we rebuilt the greenhouse in midwinter. Two or three years previously the idea of replacing the fragile and elderly plastic roof panels over the summer, using casual student labour, had been ridiculed as being far too expensive. We had to do it anyway, in January and February, in foul weather and in the dark, and once we had finished, we went to the pub to celebrate the fact that we could do something estates thought would be impossible. (Lou, Judith, Dan the lobster, and Mike Treborth)

As the years rolled by, so the research grants gradually ran out, and eventually, with the establishment of the College of Natural Sciences, and the building of a new commercial glasshouse on the Henfaes site, it was decided last April to close the old place down at Christmas. We slowly ran the activities down, the last practical class, the last project work, the last of the commercial tenants, until there was only the job of stripping out everything of any value, and moving it to Treborth and Henfaes. Jacki organised us a great farewell party in the now empty tropical house on a really dirty night in December, and we locked the gates for the last time the Friday before Christmas and went to the pub to celebrate. Since then I believe the local ‘orcs’ have trashed the place, and, with the collapse of international capitalism, there is at present absolutely no chance of the university selling the site for housing.

It has been painful writing some of this, but to finish in a more positive vein, the most important part of PYFF were the people who actually made it work. We had work experience kids from Friars school, work experience students from the secret Department of Geography, work experience students from the Polytechnique Horticultural in Paris, casual staff on pink forms, the majority of whom were students or postgrads, paid marginally more than the minimum wage to conduct the experiments on which others based their research careers, the last pink formers being Rob and Laura, who helped close the place down when they were not pushing each other around in a shopping trolley. Gaggs Williams and Mike Roberts never ever missed a single weekend watering session, the only mistake being once when some uncertainty meant that they both turned up just in case. Most of all, my glamorous assistants, the people who put up with me on a longer term basis, Judith Jenkins, Christian Dunn, Jacki Read, and Louise Bastock. I honestly don’t think any of them will forget what we achieved at PYFF, and I want to take this opportunity to say Thank You to them, for making it all possible, for making it all happen, and for making it all such fun.

Julian Bridges

16 The EuroGard V Congress in Helsinki, Finland – Botanic Gardens in the Age of Climate Change.

It is well known now that climatic changes are happening and are having a massive effect upon our native wild flora. But climatic changes are not only affecting wild plants and animals, they are also affecting the way we conserve them in ex situ conservation collections such as botanic gardens. In recognition of the existing and future challenges that climate change presents to plant conservationists, the fifth European Botanic Gardens Congress, held by the European Botanic Garden Consortium and Botanic Gardens Conservation International (of which Treborth Botanic Garden is a member), followed the theme of Botanic Gardens in the Age of Climate Change. To coincide with the inauguration of a brand new botanic garden that has been assembled with climate change and plant conservation as a main theme, the congress was this year held in June in Helsinki, the vibrant capital of Finland. As the topic is so crucial to all botanic gardens, both large and small, to my great pleasure I was sent along by the Friends to represent Treborth Botanic Garden.

First, a little about Helsinki and Finland for those of you who haven’t ventured so far north. Helsinki itself is a very compact and clean city, with a great maritime history. It boasts two cathedrals, a Finnish one and a Russian one, reflecting the influence that their eastern neighbour has had on Finnish culture through the ages. Outside the capital, Finland is a land of lakes and forests. Finland is mainly in the boreal bio-zone, though in the south there are some oceanic influences. The winters are bitterly cold, and the sun never seems to rise, but the summers are mild, and the sun never seems to set (a common complaint of the congress delegates was that it never actually got dark enough to sleep!). Finland’s flora is relatively depauperate compared to more southerly countries, owing to the cool climate, but it has vast areas of peatland and forest, making Finland an important country for carbon sequestration.

The congress itself took place close to the Senate Square in Helsinki. There were many broad themes related to climate change and botanic gardens discussed at the congress, with eminent speakers from botanical institutions across Europe presenting their ideas and arguments as to how botanic gardens can contribute to global plant conservation, and how botanic gardens themselves can cope in light of climate change. Here is a summary of some of the keynote speeches.

Professor Ilkka Hanski, a zoologist at the University of Helsinki, gave the first in the set of keynote speeches. Though it may seem odd that a specialist in animal biology gave the first speech to a plant-based conference, he made several important points about metapopulation dynamics and its implications to botanic garden conservation, stating that populations of long-lived plant species follow changes in habitat loss and fragmentation with a long time-delay, meaning that by the time we realise that a plant species is under threat, in the wild or in captivity, it may already be too late to conserve them, and that inbreeding and loss of adaptive 17 capacity in small ex situ populations such as in botanic gardens is a serious problem for plant species such as Wollemia nobilis, the Wollemi pine. Susanne Renner, a systematist and Curator of the University of Munich Botanic Garden followed the first keynote with an interesting talk about rates of speciation and extinction. She stated that at present it cannot be said that the current extinction level is larger than normal, as we don’t really know what normal is, but that shouldn’t detract from the need to be concerned about the current level of plant extinction.

Georg Grabherr from the University of Vienna highlighted the plight of alpine plants, which are losing habitat as a result of climate change. He suggests that botanic gardens that have alpine species should focus on endemics with local distributions, specific habitat requirements and low populations, and on alpine plants that are actually endangered, as many gardens simply have ornamental alpine species. Alpine plants are set to be one of the hardest hit groups of plants by climate change, as it gets warmer they will migrate up the mountains until there is nowhere left to go. Seed banking of alpines, as well as plants in general, was discussed as a major way of conserving species, though there are some who believe that seed banking leads to complacency in conserving species in their habitats.

Though not a keynote speech, the chairman of the organising committee, Leif Schulman, gave a fantastic talk on linking bio-climatic theory with botanic gardens. This tied in very nicely with the new botanic garden opened in Helsinki that week, the Kumpala Botanic Garden. This outdoor collection has been assembled according to the Finnish bio-climatic theory, which states that plants from regions of the world with a similar climate to Finland should do well in captivity there. The directors assessed the current and predicted future climate for southern Finland, and then compared this to the current and predicted climates of other temperate-boreal areas of the world. By doing this, the directors of the garden were able to focus in on species that would be suited to growing in the climate of southern Finland. As a further focussing exercise, and in order to maximise the conservation value of the small garden, priority was given to plant species from the areas of the world that matched the climatic criteria that are listed on the International Union for the Conservation of Nature’s Red Lists, which list the threat status of each species assessed. Further assessments of each species on the shortlist were then made to see what the likelihood of the species becoming an invasive pest species were. This exercise demonstrated the usefulness of targeting species to include within the often-limited resources of a botanic garden, in order to maximise their conservation value.

Many of the keynotes addressed the importance of linking ex situ conservation in botanic gardens with in situ conservation efforts in the field. Victoria Chester from Plantlife International even went so far as to suggest that the two terms should be replaced by a single term for plant conservation as a whole. Her very inspiring and well-given speech outlined ways in which botanic gardens can 18 improve their in situ conservation performance, such as adopting important plant areas, managing collections for quality rather than quantity, prioritising native and lower plants and running “botanic farms”.

David Rae, from the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, spoke of the importance of rigorous collection management, with botanic gardens including plants that are fit for purpose and of wild origin, and emphasising that gardens should have the right plant, in the right place, at the right time for those who wish to use them. Dr. Rae, who has co-authored Edinburgh’s collection management policy, agreed to make it available for other gardens as a template for their own collection policies, and I have requested one for Treborth’s use. Software companies gave a few sales pitches, but the usefulness of computerised records for keeping track of plant accessions was definitely made obvious by Dr. Rae and others’ talks.

The final day at the Congress was spent in workshops. Due to Treborth’s situation, I attended the “Gardens in Peril” workshop. In this workshop I learnt that Treborth is not alone in its struggle to stay operational. In particular, many Dutch botanic gardens, and university botanic gardens in general appear to be suffering. Although it was emphasised in the workshop that there is no one answer for all the gardens, six main points were settled upon which gardens that are under threat should consider:

1) Production of a SWOT analysis 2) Playing Devil’s Advocate by making connections between foes and allies, listing the strengths and weaknesses of both, and remaining on speaking terms with opponents 3) Searching for trump cards and using them as a last resort 4) Inclusion of skilled specialists and experts in campaigns to stay open 5) Production of step-by-step plans to oppose any plans against a garden 6) The appointment of one individual as a spokesperson for the garden.

So what does all this mean for Treborth Botanic Garden? Many of you will, quite rightly, come to the conclusion that the congress was mainly focussed on plant conservation as a main function of botanic gardens. That is definitely my opinion, but that isn’t to say that the two other pillars of botanic gardens, education and recreation, are any less important. But in today’s changing world, botanic gardens are increasingly being looked to by policy-makers and governments to come up with a solution to preventing the extinction of our plant biodiversity. Small botanic gardens such as our own can do their bit by informing the public about the latest in scientific information, and about local conservation efforts. We must not forget, even though as a garden Treborth is amongst those that are struggling, that conservation is one of our main functions, and should be at the heart of what we do, along with education and recreation. For those of you who are interested in the suggestions that I have put to the Friends committee following the congress, I have produced a draft report which is available upon request, and once the congress

19 resolutions are completed, a full report will be available containing all the points made that are of relevance to Treborth in the next few months.

It was a great honour for me to represent Treborth Botanic Garden, the Friends and the University at this weeklong event. This not only allowed me to network with other members of staff from various institutions, and to see a little of Finland, but it also enabled me to do one last thing for Treborth before I head off to Edinburgh to continue my studies. My thanks go to the Friends for their support, not only in this, but also throughout my years here at Bangor.

Anthony “Badger” Pigott

Welcome to the World of Ferns…!

Ferns are wonderful and versatile plants. Often described with words such as beautiful, elegant, fascinating, tactile and graceful, ferns can give a sense of peace and well-being as well as drama and impact. They are some of the most successful plants on earth, having been around for millennia, and existing in nature in more than 12,000 forms. Found floating, submersed, climbing, at the edges of water, in crevices, woodlands, deserts, in mountains and high up in the canopy of tropical rain-forest trees; their success in so many places gives us the wonderful choice of form, colour and texture available in cultivation today. Planting ferns can also help with global warming – all that foliage locking up CO2!

From the beginning Mature ferns really are a miracle of the natural world and their appearance in the wild is somewhat of a mystery. First you have a blank wall which you forget about, then a year later you look again and it is covered with small germinating ferns. How do they get there? Spores can arrive as the nucleus of a raindrop and in their own package of water will produce a green moss like film (the prothallus) that will contain both male and female sexual parts. Sexual reproduction takes place and a young fern (sporophyte) appears. Plants can also be produced in other ways: by ‘bulbils’ the tiny young plants on the tips of fern fronds, through plant division and layering, and in cultivation through micropropagation.

There have always been approximately 40-50 fern types widely available, but over the last few years new and continuing introductions of ferns (there are now 450 kinds now available) are firing the enthusiasm of gardeners and landscapers. The range of garden ferns is complemented by many tropical and semi-hardy types 20 giving a huge selection that are well-suited to container gardening indoors and for the conservatory or atria.

Ferns are elegant, tactile and graceful: they can be used to establish a sense of calm and lush tranquility and, equally, to introduce high drama and impact. Many will thrive in conditions other than the wet shade traditionally associated with these plants, such as under trees and there are varieties to suit a wide range of purposes – with growth habits varying from shuttlecocks to rosette and ranging in height from just a few centimetres high to more than five metres. Seasonal features include bright red new growth and coloured fronds as well as the amazing unfurling of the new crosiers in spring. To use ferns to their full potential you need to be aware of which ones will fulfil which function in the garden, as canopy plants, understory plants and architectural focal points.

The canopy plants The humble Australian tree-fern Dicksonia antartica (Soft Tree-fern), which has been available in good numbers over the last fifteen years, has proved to be invaluable in design layouts and planting schemes, adding tropical intrigue and the wow factor to both internal and external spaces.

We now are seeing many other tree-fern species from across the globe in gardens and landscapes, for example Dicksonia fibrosa from New Zealand, Dicksonia squarrosa (NZ), Dicksonia sellowiana (S. America), Cyathea dealbata or Ponga (NZ), Cyathea medullaris (Australia), Cyathea smithii (NZ), Cyathea australis (NZ), Cyathea tomentossissima, (New Guinea), Cyathea cunninghamii (NZ).

In addition to tree-ferns, there are some trunk forming ground ferns that give the intermediate canopy layer such as Blechnum tabulare (South Africa) or the larger Dryopteris species.

Members of the understorey Whether planted formally or informally, for wild, lush tropical effects or as a carpet of a single species, ferns can be used to create wonderful effects of light and shade with great variety of texture, frond form, colour, growth habit and heights. The versatile Adiantum, Asplenium, Dryopteris and Polypodium species are masters at coping with drier places such as walls, small spaces and crevices. The Blechnum, Matteucia, Onoclea and Osmunda are well suited to damper conditions and water features. The boisterous nature of rambling climbing ferns such as Histiopteris incisa and Hyopolepis ambigua, which cling on effortlessly to pretty much any vertical soil less surface can produce great arching fronds in mid summer. For ground-cover the marching habit of Blechnum penna-marina can create a blanket of shiny green ribbons on poor moist soil as can the delicate but prolific fronds of Adiantum aethiopicum. The beauty of both of these plants is that once established they can be, without too much effort, moved and redistributed at will. For the tactile and inquisitive there are the soft delicate fronds of the deciduous Athyrium to the crisp edges of the Polystichum. Mixing these two genus (an others) allows you to create all-year round interest. 21 Collections of New Zealand, Japanese or British plants can be used in themed designs.

Architectural star performers Amongst many we have selected just a few: Blechnum chilens is a magnificent plant originating in South America grows quickly to form a spreading clump that will grow in full sun (and almost any other conditions) providing the roots are not allowed to dry out. The upright or arching, evergreen, leathery fronds can reach five feet (1.6m) in height with the new fronds being red/gold. An amazing feature plant for the garden.

Matteucia orientalis (Oriental Ostrich Fern) the Asian version of the Shuttlecock fern is more tolerant of a variety of conditions and needs much less moisture than the European Shuttlecock fern. The broad bright green feather-like fronds form a flat rosette from the central crown with a spread of 1m. The fertile spore- producing fronds are formed at the end of the season in the centre of the crown and turn black. A beautiful specimen plant.

Polystichum vestitum (Prickly Shield Fern) is a New Zealand native fern with finely dissected dark green glossy fronds that can grow from a central crown to three feet (1m) in length. The stems (stipes) are covered with large golden brown scales and give the plant a striking and handsome appearance. Although it is a ground fern, it can form a trunk in mature plants. Extremely hardy, remaining evergreen through frost and snow, and will grow in a wide range of moisture, soil and sun conditions. A great specimen plant for ground or container planting.

Planting recommendations Ferns are robust and very long-lived plants. The main considerations for planting ferns are aspect (quite a lot of ferns will grow in some sun), soil pH and moisture content. A good standard compost with drainage (add crushed Brick and Coir or composted bark), good pH (6 -7 ideally) and nutrient content (use a slow-release fertilizer) will give good growth and keep watering down to a minimum. For lime-lovers just add some crushed lime. When planting, ferns should have the crown and any unfurling croziers just at the soil surface. Tree-ferns establish more quickly in the ground and should be planted deep enough so that they are stable for their height. Both ground and tree- ferns need to be watered until they are established, in particular the trunks of tree- ferns should always be kept moist.

22 Sourcing plants Always remember to ask your supplier where the plants have been sourced from (sustainable sourcing or spore-grown?), how long they have been growing them on (rooted stock), are they acclimatised to UK conditions (field grown or without the protection of glass or plastic), and what, if any treatments, they have been given as they might look great at first but after a few months on site it might be different. The answers will dictate how tough your plant is going to be and whether it is suitable for your job. The main thing is don’t be afraid to ask the specialist as there is most probably a fern that will suit your exact requirements.

About the authors: Ben Kettle and Jennie Jones are directors of World of Ferns (formerly Rickards Ferns) near Bangor in North Wales in the foothills of Snowdonia. In 2007, Dick Hayward retired from the day-to-day running of the business to concentrate on doing what he likes doing best – propagating ferns. Ben and Jennie now run the nursery, and both are scientifically trained. Ben is an ecologist and plantsman with landscaping and habitat creation skills and Jennie is a gardener with an interest in sustainable development. www.world-of-ferns.co.uk

Extracts from an article that appeared in the Journal of Garden Designers February 2009.

DONATIONS

We very much appreciate a donation of £50 from the family and friends of Peggy Roberts; a long standing member of the Friends who died in July.

Many thanks to Betty Williams MP for her donation of £50, and also to the Anglesey Fuchsia Society for their donations.

We are also very grateful to W. Shawn Carbonell of Oxford who donated about £500 worth of carnivorous plants to Treborth, and to several other anonymous donors of carnivorous plants.

Sarah Edgar

PLEASE HELP !!

My recently acquired Dicentra formosa “Langtrees” is sprouting young plants from the flowers. None of my reference books refer to this species exhibiting vivipary. Have others had this experience or know about it?

Morag McGrath

23 Curator’s Report April – August 2009

Without doubt the most pleasing item to report over this period is the outstanding academic success and achievement of final year students who have been closely involved with Treborth. Those graduating from the School of Environment and Natural Resources (SENR) with First Class Honours Degrees include Anthony Pigott (alias ‘Badger’), Ed Clarke and Emma Thomas, while Barry Roberts, Louise Hackett and Mary-Kate Jones gained Upper Seconds. Debs Wieland gained an MSc in Conservation and Land Management.

In the School of Biological Sciences (SBS) Pippa Jones, Alysson Pavitt, Tom Heenan and Rob Corcoran all gained Firsts and Hilary Theaker an Upper Second. Additionally Pippa achieved the prestigious Dr. John Roberts Jones Prize awarded to the most outstanding graduates at Bangor University and a further award as the best overall student in the University in 2009. For further information about Pippa’s remarkable success please see the University’s Press Release included with this Newsletter.

Our congratulations to all these worthy graduates who have combined academic excellence with practical effort and gone that extra mile on behalf of a cause they love. We wish them well in their future careers which include an MSc course at Edinburgh in Biodiversity and Taxonomy of Plants for Anthony Pigott and postgraduate research in predicting the effects of climate change on upland birds for Pippa Jones working with an established team here in the Environment Centre for Wales in Bangor.

Imperial College London has been Sophie William’s base over the last 12 months studying for her MSc in Conservation and now it is Hayley Wiswell’s turn as she embarks on an MSc in Entomology at the same institution having spent the last twelve months with an ecological consultancy. Friends will recall that Hayley had a strong interest in moths when she was here at Bangor and discovered the rare Great Brocade, the first record for N Wales. Sophie will shortly be returning to Bangor to begin a PhD.

Although the university term finished in early June, teaching at different levels continued until mid July as Treborth hosted school classes from across N Wales as part of the Welsh Assembly’s TOP Scheme which provides 14 and 15 yr olds with tasters of university life. In addition Treborth provided in-house and outreach classes (at Gypsy Wood near Bontnewydd) for youngsters groups such as local Beavers. I am extremely grateful to Tom Cockbill for the outstanding effort he put into these activities which realised a significant income for the Garden and provided a high quality experience for the participants. Tom you will recall graduated from SBS with a First last summer and is now engaged in an MA in Countryside Management at Bangor studying peoples perception of the

24 environment – he developed some original learning exercises for these summer classes and developed a novel pictorial method of assessment. Tom’s investigation is an excellent example of combining academic endeavour with practical and constructive Garden activities and his efforts won accolade this summer – the Merfyn Williams Scholarship awarded by the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales.

Treborth continues to provide enjoyable and stimulating experiences for a wide range of special interest groups including Art Classes directed by John Hedley as part of the University’s Department of Life-long Learning Programme. In conjunction with the North Wales Naturalist Trust and the Botanical Society of the British Isles, Treborth hosted a successful wildflower identification workshop in May. Youngsters up to the age of 11 have been enthusiastically supporting the Young Wildlife Explorers activities organised as part of the Friends Programme.

Treborth has hosted 4 Garden visits this summer – Fuchsia and Geranium Soc, Wiltshire Garden Club, Prestatyn Horticultural Soc and Seiont Garden Club. In addition Treborth has hosted lunch-time visits organised by the university’s Occupational Health Dept (to encourage staff to take a decent lunch break!) as well as U3A’s annual Garden Party and an afternoon meeting of PlantLife International. Moth meetings continue to be held in the laboratory on the third Monday evening of each month.

Two former strong supporters of Treborth were remembered this summer – Peggy Roberts, a Friend since the Friends began, sadly passed away in June. In the same month, friends and colleagues of Joan Morgan gathered to rededicate the oak (Quercus petraea) planted at the Eastern end of the parkland at Treborth in her memory now adorned with a fitting plaque in thanks for her tireless commitment to entomology and teaching and her love of Treborth’s natural history.

It is a pleasure to report that once again the students excelled in organising another highly successful Botanical Beats which also featured a major Biodiversity Event supported by leading conservation organisations. My thanks to all involved and especially to Jackie Read.

It is also a great pleasure to celebrate the commencement of Treborth’s second Horticultural Scholarship which once again has been funded by the Stanley Smith(UK) Horticultural Scholarship Fund. This will run from August 2009 until July 2010 and the recipient is Paul Lewis who will be well known to many members who have seen the Rock Garden take a new shape under his care and have admired his landscaping and plantsmanship skills so effectively displayed in the new plant feature at the entrance to the Wheldon Building on the main Science Campus, part of the School of Psychology. As well as his Treborth work Paul will

25 also take over responsibility for plant displays in the ECW building and the School of Psychology’s Brigantia Building.

The latter post has been held for two years by Stuart Stevenson who has maintained this notable collection of tree ferns and bamboo in fine health – many many thanks to Stuart for his twice weekly efforts watering, weeding and cleaning Brigantia’s botanical treasures!

Treborth benefited from the enjoyable company, experience and hard work of two Italian horticulturists this summer; Agnese Bitozzi and Marco Francioni joined us from Tuscany as part of a European-wide work experience and language enhancement scheme known as ectarc. I am very grateful to Dave Shaw for organising this and for ensuring that Agnese and Marco experienced a wide-range of activities including potato research at Henfaes Experimental Station and soils work at ECW. Friends will recall that Treborth also benefited earlier this spring from another excellent ectarc student, Jana Molnar from Berlin.

Help from closer to home came from two enthusiastic local school pupils, Philippa Ogle and Josh Davies who spent a busy week at Treborth on work experience in July.

With the Friends generous provision of funds to employ three students (Louise Hackett, Anthony Pigott and Jamie Stroud) as seasonal help this summer we have been able to proceed with some significant projects including the surfacing of the courtyard areas at the back of the lab with Welsh Slate and some long awaited help for Pat Denne with the NVC Garden. In addition Lynwen Lloyd Hughes has given outstanding voluntary help this summer.

Elsewhere Friends have made notable progress with a major thinning of aquatic vegetation in the outdoor pond (Andrew Dixon), repairs to the pool in the tropical house (Paul Hibbert) and installation of water pump and heater (Paul Lewis) and of course continued major work on the new Wildlife Pond (Paul Hibbert, Tom Cockbill and Gerry Downing). John Gorham has continued to improve automated watering systems in several glasshouses as well as commissioning the mist propagator. He has also devoted much time to the care and expansion of arid zone plants in the temperate house including the establishment of a collection of Canary Is species which will be of value to students taking the Tenerife Field Course and I am grateful to Julian Bridges and his wife Cath for nurturing so many seedlings of Canary Island species for this collection. Anthony Pigott and Mark Long have developed an eye-catching, insect-catching collection of carnivorous plants which proved a great hit with the summer school groups. Simon Retallick has successfully enlisted the help of Angela Thompson and Pat Denne as well as his son David to repot and divide the backlog of pot-bound orchids. Pauline Perry heads up a hard working team (Val Lane, Meriel Kitson and Lynwen Lloyd

26 Hughes) who care for one of the summer’s most colourful and interesting displays – the Key Hole Border with its varied collection of mainly

S African plants. Pauline also manages to find time to develop the glasshouse collection of S African plants and oversee the collation of plant records and the production of plant labels with expert help from David Evans. Ann Wood has carefully raised an extensive collection of wild flower species ready for the butterfly border and keeps control over the now productive compost bins. The weeds of the Long Border West has been blitzed by several volunteers over the summer including Erle Randall, a superhero who happily tackles anything that the rest of us baulk at – his industry and plantsmanship can be witnessed throughout Treborth.

My thanks go to these individuals and to Sarah Edgar and Judith Hughes as well as all the Friends Committee who involve themselves with every aspect of the running of this most volunteer-dependent garden. It is a very great pleasure to report that features such as the S African collection (both indoors and out) and the rock garden have been so eye-catching and interesting this year and great improvements have been made throughout the length and breadth of the Garden. The long grass plots have been highly impressive this summer, amply demonstrating their biodiversity and adding much visual appeal with their colour and variation of form. By contrast the mowed areas have been suitably well maintained courtesy of the excellent performance of the Honda Ride-On purchased last year by the Friends. All such mowing is now carried out by the curator as opposed to Estates (who cover the petrol costs of operating the mower).

Unusually high numbers of rabbits might have helped with the lawn mowing but they certainly didn’t help on the borders and plant losses this year have been severe. It is a difficult situation with no legal or safe method of control given the public nature of the Garden. Although a ferreter will be coming to the Garden, the fact that the rabbits have not established deep warrens may reduce the effectiveness of this type of control.

Sadly we lost a much loved specimen tree this summer – Ulmus Sapporo Gold - the feature elm by the Car Park – it collapsed on June 19th, precise reason uncertain, aged 30 years. It leaves a big gap but also a big opportunity. Its former position is a vital area and deserves some inspired redevelopment - ideas include a welcoming area with some accompanying low plantings, and a feature reception building may be of log cabin style which would also act as an entrance point to a dedicated sales area behind the griselinia hedge which will be drastically reduced and/or replaced with an alternative living boundary.

Of even more concern is the realisation that several more feature trees in the Garden are sick – I am grateful to Dave Shaw for arranging an opportune visit by a

27 plant pathologist from Defra this summer. His findings will certainly lead to the removal of a number of trees and shrubs and major remedial pruning of others. The most shocking loss will be the large beech (Fagus sylvatica) close to the keyhole border. It is important to learn from these events and plan replacement plantings carefully. The adoption of a more prescriptive acquisitions policy (see below) will be crucial in this respect.

Another area on the cusp of positive change is the woodland with the release in late August of a detailed Management Agreement drawn up by the Countryside Council for Wales and the University. This is a very significant step as it will dictate the future management of all the woodland elements within the botanic garden boundary covering all 18 hectares, not just the Site of Scientific Interest. It will pave the way for comprehensive control of invasive shrubs such as Rhododendron (Rhododendron ponticum) and Cherry Laurel (Prunus laurocerasus) as well as fresh coppicing of native Hazel (Corylus avellana). Management work will involve professional contractors as well as volunteers and will commence in late autumn this year.

Another project of considerable importance to the Garden is the imminent initiation of a new public footpath through the lower arboretum area between the Lodge and the woodland gate on the main drive. This is being funded by Gwynedd County Council (GCC) and will follow a pleasant route through the trees allowing pedestrians to avoid the driveway en route to the Garden. A small car parking area will be created half way up the driveway by the woodland gate and from there the original woodland track leading through the coastal woodlands at Treborth will be upgraded as far as the Britannia Bridge as part of the National Coastal Footpath network. This will also be funded by GCC and it is hoped will include one or more look-out points permitting scenic views of the Strait as well as informative signage. Work on these projects will begin in late autumn.

Looking ahead Anthony Pigott’s report from the European Botanic Gardens Conference in Helsinki provides plenty of food for thought and discussion (see separate article) and I am very grateful to the Friends for funding his attendance at such a valuable and prestigious international gathering. One of the most important outcomes is the fresh discussion of a Collections Policy for Treborth now taking place.

Jessica Gould, Horticultural Curator at the National Botanic Garden of Wales, paid us her first visit in August and enjoyed seeing the Garden and meeting Friends and students on the day.

Professor Tom De Luca from Montana, USA, visited at the end of August and also met with Friends and students in order to understand how Treborth works and what it does – Tom has recently joined the staff of SENR and will have special

28 responsibilities for the Garden as an academic champion. His research interests include soil chemistry and soil ecology and how plants influence nutrient cycling through interactions with micro-organisms such as nitrogen fixing bacteria. It is important for the long-term future of Treborth that attempts be made to enliven research in the Garden and rejuvenate facilities such as the rhizotron.

Several funding opportunities present themselves over the next 12 months and therefore it is pleasing to acknowledge the keen contribution made by the Friends towards submitting grant applications. Treborth Botanic Garden will be 50 years old next year and the intention is to celebrate that milestone with plenty of ambition!

Nigel Brown

Friends Landscaping Project at the Wheldon Building, Bangor University

Towards the end of 2008, the Friends were approached by Richard Wigzell of the Psychology Department at Bangor University. Following the Friends’ involvement with the annual maintenance of the Brigantia Building landscape project, the Psychology Department were looking to commission another project to redevelop the planting beds either side of the new access ramp at the front entrance to the Wheldon Building. I was asked by the Friends if I would like to take the lead on the proposed project. Following a meeting with Richard Wigzell in March 2009, during which the department’s requirements for the proposed project were laid out, I decided that within the proposed budget of around £6000 I would be able to create an interesting and attractive scheme.

Throughout the rest of March and April I spent time working on a design/costing plan based on two raised beds with contrasting planting schemes. The largest raised bed would be an alpine and herb bed and the other would retain the beautiful Magnolia tree which was part of the existing planting scheme. This Magnolia would provide the right part-shaded conditions for a range of woodland and shade tolerant plants. The design that I came up with was created with relatively low maintenance in mind and also to raise the level of the planting to make it more prominent. The raised beds would utilise sturdy and long lasting new oak railway sleepers and for both beds the correct soil for the plants would be bought in.

The Psychology Department and the Friends were very pleased with my proposed design and I received the go ahead to proceed with the work. I was given a deadline of the end of May 2009 to ideally have the work completed so that

29 students would be able to see the finished project before they left for the summer break. This deadline set a significant challenge, with areas of the design still to be finalised, materials and plants to be sourced and also a huge amount of labour to be carried out. Also, as I was working three days a week for Keep Wales Tidy, the Wheldon Project would have to be completed on a part-time basis!

For the labour to complete the project I decided that I would carry out the majority of the work and I was ably assisted by two other workers, Alison Sheriff and Amy Rees. In addition to this, the project was also supported by the Friends and I utilised student volunteers on a number of occasions when large tasks needed many hands. Having the use of the University van and tools from Treborth was also invaluable.

Initially a large amount of back breaking labour was required to clear away the tired old shrubs, weeds, accumulated rubbish and a particularly tenacious Bamboo from the existing planting beds!! This work was particularly difficult in the area that was to become the raised alpine bed and it was imperative that all the poor and weed infested soil was removed from this bed. This turned out to be many tonnes of material and I am very grateful to the students for a Sunday workday spent removing soil, weeds and huge amounts of builder’s rubble/rubbish that lay within the existing bed. Once the beds were clear work moved swiftly ahead to construct the raised bed boundaries from railway sleepers. The new oak sleepers were sourced from a Wrexham company, although the oak used was actually French. I did try and source Welsh/UK produced oak sleepers, but this was impossible within the budget. In order to fill the two contrasting beds with the correct soil mixtures for the respective planting schemes, over twelve tonnes of material was brought in including several tonnes of locally produced compost and leaf mould from Moelyci. For the alpine/herb bed the back wall was also whitewashed using ‘university specification’ paint, in order to create the maximum reflection of available light for the plants and this proved to be a considerable task in itself! Another huge job was the mixing and filling of the correct soil mixtures for each raised bed and an old cement mixer found in Rivendell garage proved invaluable for this time-consuming task.

Towards the end of May a mini-heat wave arrived and this coincided with the final planting up of both the raised beds. Suffice to say that copious amounts of daily watering followed, particularly for the sun-drenched alpine/herb bed.

For the sourcing of the plants I used local North Wales’ nurseries where possible and Crug Farm plants provided the majority of the unusual and interesting plants used in the raised woodland bed. The excellent Aberconwy Alpine Nursery near Conwy provided a large variety of alpines and a further existing brick raised bed (at the side 30 of the Wheldon) was replenished with beautiful ferns from the World of Ferns nursery near Tregarth.

Following completion of the project, the Friends have been awarded the ongoing maintenance contract for the scheme, which I will be carrying out. Richard Wigzell is very happy with the finished project and the planting and design has been widely praised by students, visitors and members of university staff. Just over two months has passed since the final planting up and there have been very few casualties despite the initial heat wave. The plants have put on lots of growth (aided by the more recent warm and wet weather!) and all of the raised beds will continue to develop and flourish.

I am particularly pleased with the scheme and feel that it makes a really positive difference to the exterior of the Wheldon Building. The department have asked for some interpretation to be produced and hopefully this will be ready soon! If you get the chance then have a look at the finished project and let me know what you think.

Paul Lewis

The Mountain Ponies of the Carneddau Massif – a Definitive Past. A Definite Future?

The mountain ponies have governed the hills of Wales since the age of the Celts. It is thought that the Romans recognised the power and agility of the breed and used them for various tasks in Wales and even shipped some to their homelands. In around 1509, during the reign of King Henry VIII, it was ordered that all the ponies be destroyed as they were unable to carry the weight of a knight in all his armour. Fortunately, the orders were not followed through.

The Carneddau massif, in Conwy, comprises seven summits over 3000 feet and is a designated SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest) covering 20,343 hectares. The hills are also a designated Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the European Habitats and Species Directive. The area is restricted by the Irish Sea to the north, the Conwy Valley to the east and the A5 to the south and west. The land on which the animals graze is common land, the main landowners being the Crown estate and National Trust, but local farmers or ‘graziers’ have a traditional right to use the ground as an expansion to their holding.

31 Past uses and present truces

It is not clear as to how long the mountain ponies have occupied this area. It has been suggested that they may be the descendants of an equine, whose 10,000 year old jaw was discovered near Llandudno. The existence of the Welsh ponies in these hills was well documented during the late 18th and early 19th century, when cattle were the main animals to roam the land. The drovers who walked the cattle to market mentioned the ponies of this area many times in their records. It wasn’t until the Industrial Revolution, that a market for wool was seen and sheep quickly took over the grazing of the Carneddau.

The heyday of the Carneddau mountain ponies was in the 1920s and 30s, when their strength was put to use, pulling carts in the coal mines. Increased mechanisation after World War II, however, soon saw a loss of interest in the use of the horses. A surge in popularity of riding saw a market opportunity for the equines in the 1960s, when the mountain ponies were sold as they were easy to manage as riding school ponies. Since then, the ponies have been shown little interest and have been allowed to freely roam the rolling hills of the Carneddau massif.

In 2005, the ponies faced an uncertain future as the EU brought in new passport regulations for horses and ponies, where each animal was to have a passport and chip at a total cost of £50 per animal. At the time, this was not financially viable as the ponies were worth only £15 each. The graziers who owned the ponies were in dire straits. Luckily, Countryside Council for Wales (CCW) and Snowdonia National Park Authority (SNAP) came up with funding for the passport payments as part of the Rhaglen Tir Eryri scheme (Snowdonia Land Management Programme), through which the graziers then set up Cymdeithas Merlod y Carneddau (Carneddau Welsh Pony Association) to facilitate negotiations and payments concerning the ponies. An agreement was signed between Rhaglen Tir Eryri and Cymdeithas Merlod y Carneddau on 12th July 2007 to safeguard the future of the Carneddau ponies for five years.

What’s in a name

Throughout Wales, two distinct populations of semi-feral equines exist. These are known as the Welsh Mountain (Section A) semi-feral pony and the unregistered Welsh mountain semi-feral pony. The ponies seen on the Carneddau are currently unregistered in the Welsh Pony and Cob Society (WPCS) and therefore belong to the Welsh mountain semi-feral pony population. The equines on the Carneddau hills are of a unique heritage and are anticipating acceptance by the WPCS as a pure breed. It is possible that these ponies may represent one or more breedlines whose genotypes more closely resemble the feral ponies of the Welsh hills a century ago than they do some herds currently registered to the WPCS. It has therefore been suggested that the ponies should be considered to be unique and the Carneddau breeders to set up their own stud-book. On documents such as 32 passports in the future, these ponies may be described as ‘Welsh Mountain Pony – Carneddau’ and the Carneddau Pony Society may be recognised as an independent pony society.1

An earned place on the mountains

The ponies are selective grazers, meaning that some areas are left untouched. This creates diversity amongst the vegetation, leaving taller patches that may become habitats for invertebrates and small mammals. This structural diversity also benefits the chough, as the rare bird prefers short pasture under 5cm, which is maintained by the grazing of the horses. The chough also feeds on invertebrates found in the dung of the grazing equines and uses animal hair, such as horse, to line their nests. This close association between the ponies and the chough has been recognised to be advantageous and now, Carneddau ponies can be seen at an RSPB reserve in mid Wales and a nature reserve on Anglesey.2

The use of Welsh mountain ponies as conservation grazers is widespread throughout Wales and more and more animals, such as those from the Carneddau are being employed in grazing schemes by such groups at the National Trust, the Welsh Wildlife Trusts, the Countryside Council for Wales and the RSPB. Their suitability comes from their all round hardiness, ability to range across almost all terrain and their need for only routine husbandry. Their selective grazing can suppress the growth of competitive grasses, encourage heather seed germination, suppress bracken and maintain dwarf shrub cover. The ponies, as non-ruminants, are more likely to eat poor-quality foliage than cattle and in winter eat less palatable grasses left over from the previous season. In addition, because they do not favour heathers and do not preferentially select flowers, they can help reconvert overgrazed grassland to heathland.1

The ecological role of the Welsh mountain semi-feral ponies therefore is important in the Carneddau massif, aiding in creating structural diversity of vegetation and maintaining a suitable breeding area for the chough. The future of the ponies in the area is secured for five years under the Rhaglen Tir Eryri scheme but after that, their prospects are unknown. It would be a shame to think that these animals, which have such a historic, aesthetic and ecological appeal, could face an uncertain future.

Beth Silvester (Tutor: Nigel Brown)

References

1 – “The current status, with reference to conservation grazing, of the Welsh Mountain (Section A) semi-feral pony following decoupling of farm subsidies through CAP reform in Wales” - a coping study by David Anthony Murray dated 31/10/2006

2 - “Farming for the environment” Snowdonia National Park Authority Education Services 33

With thanks to:

Carneddau Welsh Pony Association (Cymdeithas Merlod y Carneddau) http://www.carneddauponies.co.uk/

Warren Martin – former Chief Warden for CCW Hilary Kehoe - Wildlife Trusts Wales Angharad Harris – Snowdonia National Park Authority Owain Jones - CCW Twm Elias - Snowdonia National Park Authority

This article was a runner up in Natur Cymru's competition for Welsh university students. Three of the five best articles in the competition were by Bangor University students. Natur Cymru is published quarterly and costs £14 for an annual subscription, or £13 if paying by Direct Debit. See their website for details: www.naturcymru.org.uk.

The Red-Billed Chough (Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax) in Wales

Introduction

The Red Billed Chough, Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax, is the rarest of Britain’s seven corvids, and indeed is one of Britain’s rarest breeding birds. It is also one of the most iconic and enigmatic, its glossy jet black plumage and contrasting red bill and legs making it instantly recognizable. Indeed, its Welsh name, brân goesgoch, literally translates to ‘red-legged crow’. Perhaps even more recognizable is its distinctive call, which gives the Chough its onomatopoeic common name (Sterry 2004).

Since the 19th Century, however, the Chough has been in decline across the British Isles, and is now restricted to coastal areas of Ireland, the Isle of Man and the far west of Wales and Scotland, with two breeding pairs in Cornwall.

Wales is one of the major remaining strongholds of the Chough in Britain, with 262 of the UK’s 498 breeding pairs, and 75% of the total population, spread across the coastline and into Snowdonia (RSPB 2008). Therefore successful conservation of the Chough in Wales is of high importance to the future survival of the Chough in Britain.

Decline

One of the key factors in the decline of the chough has been shifts in agricultural practice. Numerous studies have shown that choughs are dependent upon low- intensity pastoral farming for feeding areas. A study of Chough on the Llyn peninsula in North Wales found that short swards (<7cm) are important, as they

34 increase foraging efficiency by making mobility easier for the chough (Whitehead et al 2005), as well as making it easier for the bird to locate the surface-active invertebrates on which it feeds (Kerbiriou & Julliard 2007). The link with pastoral farming is highlighted further, as dung-associated invertebrates have been shown to be the main component of Chough diet in spring, late summer and autumn (McCracken et al 1992, Kerbiriou & Julliard 2007). Further to this, cereals have been shown to be an important aspect in the diet of Choughs in autumn and winter (McCracken et al 1992).

Therefore the intensification of agriculture over the latter half of the 20th Century drastically decreased suitable chough habitat (Kerbiriou et al 2006). As a result of this intensification, agricultural abandonment has also occurred. This is a result of marginal land being less profitable to farming and is therefore set-aside (Blanco et al 1998). Subsequent succession of this land further decreases suitable habitat for Chough.

In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the Chough was heavily persecuted as an agricultural pest and was hunted for sport, and this is thought to have triggered its decline. Furthermore, as it became rarer its eggs became more valuable to egg collectors, and the theft of eggs further decreased the population (RSPB 2008).

Legal Status, Protection & Conservation

The Chough is heavily protected by UK and EU legislation. Europe wide protection is offered by it’s inclusion in Appendix II of the Bern Convention 1982 and Annex I of the EC Birds Directive 1979. In the UK it is protected under Schedule I of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. This makes it illegal to take, injure or kill a wild chough, or to take, damage or destroy its eggs, nest or young. It is also an offence to disturb the birds close to their nest during the breeding season. It is also on the Amber List of UK Birds of Conservation Concern in the UK (RSPB 2008).

Its inclusion in Annex I of the EC Birds Directive 1979 has led to the formation of eight special protected areas (SPAs) across the UK, seven of which are along the west coast of Wales. These sites are all coastal, apart from Craig yr Aderyn in Gwynedd, and all are primarily focused on breeding chough. In addition to these, RSPB Cymru, with government and EU funding, has identified 12 ‘Key Areas’ that have the potential for classification as SPAs. These Key Areas each have a minimum of 4 breeding pairs, or 15 non-breeding individuals. Some of these sites were designated based on new data found after the 1997 allocation of the original SPAs, others are well established nest sites but for which data about associated feeding grounds has only recently been gathered. However, some of the sites identified as potential SPAs also hold other rare birds, and management plans for chough conservation might clash with management for other priority species and habitats, such as those of coastal heath (Buxton & Whitehead 2002).

35 In Pembrokeshire, grazing and scrub/bracken controls such as burning have been reintroduced to the cliff top homes of the Chough. In addition to this, local farmers have been asked to help in the conservation of the Chough by sowing winter cereals instead of the traditional spring crop. However, one issue yet to be addressed in Pembrokeshire is the widespread use of antihelminthic prophylactic chemicals, which effectively sterilise the important Chough food source of livestock dung (Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales 2006).

In Gwynedd, land is managed in a similar way to that of Pembrokeshire. RSPB Cymru also run schemes to raise the public profile and awareness of the Chough with farmers, land owners and the general public. As well as this, mine entrances and quarry sites are kept clear of trees and scrub to encourage nesting by Chough, and artificial nesting sites are managed (BARS 2004). And at the South Stack RSPB reserve on Anglesey, winter grazing by cattle has proven to be beneficial for Chough by enhancing winter feeding (Ausden & Bateson 2005).

Conclusions

After a century of persecution and decline, the Welsh chough is finally recovering. With the help of SPAs, increased legal protection and aid from organizations such as the RSPB and CCW, it’s distinctive form and call can now be seen and head around much of Wales’ coastline, and even inland into Snowdonia. With the potential designation of more SPAs, the chough in Wales is going from strength to strength.

With three-quarters of the UK’s breeding chough residing in Wales, the Welsh population has massive importance to Britain as a whole. As the population expands from its coastal refuges into inland areas thanks to conservation efforts (Thorpe & Johnstone 2003), there is promise that it will one day spread back into England and occupy its historic range. Indeed, in 2002 the chough returned to Cornwall after having been extirpated in 1948. While it is thought that the pioneer birds back into England were from distant Brittany (RSPB 2008), Pembrokeshire might prove important in the spread of the chough back into south-west England and Cornwall.

Stuart Young (Tutor: Nigel Brown)

References

Ausden, M & Bateson, D (2005): Winter cattle grazing to create foraging habitat for choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax at South Stack RSPB Reserve, Anglesey, Wales. Conservation Evidence 2: 26-27

BARS (2004): Biodiversity Action in Gwynedd (online). Available from: https://www.ukbap- reporting.org.uk/tools/help.asp (Last Accessed 6th December 2008)

36 Blanco, G, Tella, J.L. & Torre, I (1998): Traditional farming and key farming habitats for Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax conservation in a Spanish pseudosteppe landscape. Journal of Applied Ecology 35: 232-239

Buxton, N & Whitehead, S (2002): UK SPA Scientific Working Group (online). Peterborough, UK: JNCC. Available from: www.jncc.gov.uk/pdf/chough.pdf (Last accessed 6th December 2008)

Kerbiriou, C, Gourmelon, F, Jiguet, F, le Viol, I, Bioret, F & Julliard, R (2006): Linking territory quality and reproductive success in the Red-Billed Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax: implications for conservation management of an endangered population. Ibis 148: 352-364

Kerbiriou, C & Julliard, R (2007): Demographic consequences of prey availability and diet of Red-Billed Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax. Bird Study 54: 296-306

McCracken, D.I., Foster, G.M., Bignal, E.M. & Bignal, S (1992): An assessment of chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax diet using multivariate analysis technique. Avocetta 16: 19-29

RSPB (2008): The RSPB: Chough (online). Sandy, Bedfordshire: RSPB. Available from: http://www.rspb.org.uk/wildlife/birdguide/name/c/chough/index.asp (Last accessed 6th December 2008)

Sterry, P (2004): Complete British Birds. HarperCollins: London, UK

Thorpe, R.T & Johnstone, I.G. (2003): The status of the Chough Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax in Wales in 2002. Welsh Birds 3: 354-362

Whitehead, S, Johnstone, I & Wilson, J (2005): Choughs Pyrrhocorax pyrrhocorax breeding in Wales select foraging habitat at different spatial scales. Bird Study 52: 193-203

Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (2006): Chough Fact Sheet (online). Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan: Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales. Available from: http://www.welshwildlife.org/Chough_en.link (Last Accessed 6th December 2008)

Woodhouse, S.P., Good, J.E.G., Lovett, A.A., Fuller, R.J. & Dolman, P.M. (2005): Effects of land-use and agricultural management on birds of marginal farmland: a case study in the Ll
n peninsula, Wales. Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment 107: 331-340

This article was a runner up in Natur Cymru's competition for Welsh university students. Three of the five best articles in the competition were by Bangor University students. Natur Cymru is published quarterly and costs £14 for an annual subscription, or £13 if paying by Direct Debit. See their website for details: www.naturcymru.org.uk.

Quote –Unquote

Often some species would entirely capture the garden – forget-me-nots one year, hollyhocks the next, then a sheet of harvest poppies. Mother went creeping about the wilderness, pausing to tap some odd bloom on the head, as indulgent, gracious, amiable and inquisitive as a queen at an orphanage. Laurie Lee

37 Overcoming illness to realise her dream

Studying at university once seemed like an unachievable dream for 24 year old Pippa Jones from the West Midlands. However Pippa has been awarded a First Class Honours degree in Ecology from Bangor University, at a ceremony where she was also named the best overall student and received a prize of £950.

Pippa is one of four students to receive the Dr John Roberts Jones prize, awarded to the most outstanding graduates at Bangor University. And as the best overall student Pippa received an additional £250 prize donated by Ede and Ravenscroft.

As a mature student, Pippa’s route into university was by her own admission unconventional. She explained, “I was ill during my teenage years and was unable to take my GCSEs or A Levels due to a long period in hospital. After leaving the hospital, I took a GNVQ in Art & Design at my local college and received a distinction. I then worked for four and a half years as a teaching assistant in my local primary school, during which time I did my Maths, Biology and English GCSEs at night school.

“After a period helping out at my local RSPB reserve I realised that my primary passions were nature and the environment and I decided to apply to come to university to study Ecology. Bangor was recommended to me by a friend with whom I volunteered at the RSPB reserve, so I met with Dr Nia Whiteley of the School of Biological Sciences, who accepted my application upon the basis of my interview and an essay.

“I was overjoyed as I had spent the years since my illness doubting whether I would ever manage to get to university at all. Since being at Bangor studying my chosen subject, my interest in Ecology and the natural world has continued to grow and grow.”

During her time at university Pippa has been an extremely active member of the student community, serving both as the Vice-Chairman of the Zoological Society and as the Events Officer for the Students for Treborth Action Group (STAG); a group set up to support the university’s botanic garden.

She also took part in a field trip to the Gambia during her second year, which she described as one of the highlights of her time at university.

Pippa described reaching the end of her degree course as both “exciting and nerve wracking.” She added, “Graduation has come round very quickly! It does not seem very long ago that I was anxiously awaiting a reply from the School of 38 Biological Sciences. I’m looking forward to new challenges and I am very glad that I shall be continuing to study at Bangor for my PhD.

“I would like to thank Treborth Botanic Garden and its ‘community’ of supporters and students, with whom I have shared some of the best times, and the staff of the School of Biological Sciences, who have been extremely supportive. My time at Bangor has been fantastic!” Pippa's tutor, Mr. Nigel Brown is full of praise for her dedication. He said, “Pippa's outstanding academic achievement and her generous contribution to undergraduate life are exemplary. She has demonstrated excellence and effort of the highest order and everyone in the School of Biological Sciences is full of admiration for her. We wish her well with the next stage of her ecological career.”

Pippa now plans to stay on at Bangor to complete a PhD investigating the impacts of climate change on upland ecosystem services and biodiversity.

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39 A Botanist in Chile – Part 3 - The South.

I do not particularly like cities, and after the open spaces of the Atacama, Santiago de Chile was hot, noisy and full of people and traffic. We were not sorry to be spending only one day in the capital before heading south to Puerto Montt, even if it meant another early start. We were heading for a very different region – Los Lagos (the Chilean Lake District) – one of lakes, volcanoes, forests and farmland. On the descent to the airport I noticed some bright red trees. The words ‘nice autumn colour’ were starting to form in my mind before I remembered that it was spring in the southern hemisphere, and there could only be one species that particular shade of red – the Chilean fire bush, Embothrium coccineum. We had quite a large specimen in our garden at one time, but it succumbed to the south westerly winds that limit what we can grow, and none of the replacements have ever become established. It is a member of the Proteaceae, and so is related to the Banksias etc. of Australia and the Proteas etc. of South Africa. This pan-austral, ‘Antarctic’ distribution of plant families was one of three botanical themes evident in southern Chile, the others being Chilean native species that are familiar to us as garden plants, and European species growing as exotic invaders in Chile.

The town of Puerto Montt did not appear particularly attractive – quaint in some ways but decidedly shabby! A good place to take a ferry from (to Chiloe) or, in our case, to pass through on the way to Petrohue. An excellent road lead north to the much more pleasant German-influenced town of PuertoVaras, and the road to Petrohue then followed the southern shore of Lago Llanquihue to Ensenada. A stop at an estancia (farm/estate) along the route provided a splendid view across the lake to Volcan Osorno to the north, and south to Volcan Calbuco (complete with photogenic llamas and the remains of rusty old agricultural steam engines). The volcanoes in this region are not as high as those in the north (mostly less than 3,000 m), but the covering of snow on the top makes them look quite impressive.

From Ensenada a volcanic ash road, frequently in need of reconstruction, led around the base of Volcan Osorno to Petrohue and Lago Todos los Santos in Parque Nacional Pérez Rozales. Along this road the farmland gave way to forests of southern beeches (Nothofagus dombeyi (Coihue or Coigüe in Chilean Spanish) and N. oblique (Roble)). There are 10 species of Nothofagus in South America, and another 25 in Australia, New Zealand, New Guinea and New Caledonia, and some species grow well in Britain. If you enjoy a challenge – try to find all the Nothofagus species planted at Plas Newydd nearly 30 years ago! Another familiar plant in these forests was Eucryphia cordifolia (Ulmo – elm in Spanish) which, with its smaller relative E. glutinosa, makes up the Chilean third of the genus – the other four species being from Australia and Tasmania. The whole family (the Cunoniaceae) belongs to the ‘Antarctic flora’. Our experience is that E. cordifolia is not fully hardy, at least in our exposed garden.

The hotel in Petrohue was one of the best of the trip, although only just gearing up for the summer season. The whole village was not much more than the hotel, a 40 campsite, the ferry terminal, a park ranger station, some small boats and some houses scattered around the lake. On the first, rather damp morning, a trip on the local bus (back along the only road) took us to the Saltos (waterfalls) del Petrohue where the Petrohue river makes a bit of a splash before heading south to an inlet of the Pacific Ocean. We were lucky to get a lift back to the village since there was little traffic and the road was not particularly pleasant to walk on. In the afternoon we walked to the beach at Playa Larga and part of the way up the Sendero Los Alerces (‘Path of the Patagonian Cypresses’, Fitzroya cupressoides, Alerce in Spanish or Lahuan in Mapuche), but most of Volcan Osorno was in the clouds that day. The most striking plants, especially beside the tracks near the lake, were the Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius) in full flower (and scent) – one of the foreign species that are now very visibly part of the Chilean flora. Another familiar plant, although this time a South American native, was the Chilean rhubarb, Gunnera tinctoria. Other large Gunnera species have a neotropical distribution (G. manicata is from Brazil), while some of the smaller species (see below) come from New Zealand.

In the evening the clouds started to clear and we had a spectacular display of southern hemisphere stars framed by the surrounding mountains. With the improved weather we decided on the following morning to take the catamaran ferry to the other end of Lago Todos Los Santos – only to discover that the regular advertised sailing had been hijacked by cruise ship passengers who arrived in a fleet of buses for a trip round Isla Margarita. When they had disappeared in a cloud of ash dust things returned to normal and the ferry departed with its usual load of passengers heading for Puella and the crossing to Argentina. The sunny afternoon and almost cloudless skies afforded spectacular views of the snow- capped volcanoes (Osorno and Puntiagudo to the north, and the 3,491 m peak of Monte Tronador to the east). We had visited the eastern slopes of Tronador, and its strange black glacier and Lenga forests, from the Argentinian side four years before. We also had a good view of hillsides dotted with Embothriums as we approached the even smaller village of Puella. This was quite a rich area for plants, with some old friends – the inevitable Fuchsia magellanica and Buddleia globosa. I prefer B. globosa with its small yellow globe flowers as a garden plant – the more familiar Chinese B. davidii is just too big and vigorous!

The guide book indicated that there was a waterfall a short walk from the impressive Hotel Peulla (a stopping off point on the way to Bariloche in Argentina), and so we followed the ‘Cascada’ signs along a narrow path in the forest to …..a small trickle running down the hillside. The journey was not quite wasted, however, as I found a plant with very attractive Loasa acerifolia 41 yellow flowers (Loasa acerifolia) – only to discover it had a sting like a nettle! Near the hotel another foreigner, this time from North America – the Californian Poppy (Eschscholzia californica), provided a good foreground subject for a photograph of the surrounding mountains.

Yet another early morning transfer allowed us to see a spectacular sunrise behind Volcan Osorno on our way to catch a flight to Punta Arenas in the far south. The route took us close to the Argentinian border and gave us good views of the volcanoes and what remains of the glaciers of the Patagonian ice sheet. Perito Moreno glacier in Argentina, which we had visited in 2004, looked quite small from 30-odd thousand feet! Not far south of Perito Moreno was Parque Nacional Torres del Paine, but we had to fly on south across the relatively flat landscape of southern Patagonia, and then spend 5 hours driving north again from Punta Arenas. The journey was relieved by a stop at Estancia Cerro Negro for an excellent meal in the main house and the obligatory demonstration of sheep shearing (we did not spoil it by telling them about Welsh sheep!). Yes this was definitely sheep country, with remnants of southern beech forests (Nothofagus antarctica (Ñire) and N. betuloides (magellanic beech)) – profusely bedecked with mistletoes (Misodendron linearifolium, M. brahystachyum and M. punctulatum) and lichens – the enchanted forest!). Also evident were the bleached remains of parts of the forests that had been burnt to make way for more sheep – a practice that is now discouraged. A game of ‘spot the Darwin’s rhea’ (Pterocnemia pinnata) helped pass the time, but we only saw them a couple of times. North of Puerto Natales the grassland contained vast sheets of colourful flowers – which turned out to be mainly European invaders – dandelions (Taraxacum officinale) and sorrel (Rumex acetosella). Approaching Torres del Paine we began to see large herds of guanacos (Lama guanicoe) instead of sheep and cattle. A stop overlooking Lago Sarmiento de Gamboa provided a good view of the Paine massif, and the Torres themselves (a set of spectacular rock towers rising above the surrounding mountains). It also Alstroemeria patagonica provided our first specimens of Calceolaria biflora and scattered single flowers of the very low growing Alstroemeria patagonica, which is only found in the Magallanes Region.

Light rain set in after our arrival at the Hosteria Las Torres, situated in a valley below Monte Almirante Nieto, but having come equipped for cold weather it was actually quite mild. On the following morning we walked towards Lago Nordenskjöld, entertained by rufous-collared sparrows (Zonotrichia capensis), a pair of upland geese (Chloephaga picta), and a long-tailed meadowlark (Stumella loyca). Plants included Anemone multifida, Saxifraga magellanica, Embothrium coccineum (in various shades of red), Astragalus palenae, Olsynium biflorum 42 (Campanilla in Spanish, streaked maiden in English, from the purple streaks on the perianth segments), Phacelia secunda, Adesmia lotoides, Viola magellanica, Acaena tenera, Escallonia rubra, Berberis microphylla and Gunnera magellanica (Frutilla del Diablo in Spanish!). The latter was growing by the side of a stream descending from Almirante Nieto, and I was particularly pleased to see this Torres del Paine diminutive Gunnera in its native habitat. I have been protecting a patch in our garden from invading alpine strawberries and Campanulas for many years. The star of the morning though was first spotted by Chris – a single flower of the dwarf Calceolaria uniflora. We later saw plants with several flowers (see front cover) and, not far from the Hosteria, a large clump with ten flowers.

In the afternoon we joined one of the guided excursions, partly because I wanted to see and photograph the Cascada del Rio Paine. The first stop was at Laguna Amarga (a shallow hypersaline lake) to see the flamingos and stromatolites (slowly accreting structures formed from sedimentary particles and extracellular mucilages of cyanobacteria). Later we saw a herd of guanacos feeding on the vegetation surrounding the lake – a ready- salted meal taken to excess! The most interesting point of the excursion was Laguna Azul – although not looking very azul (blue) under the clouds. Here the main attractions were the views of the Torres, flocks of magellanic oystercatchers (Haematopus leucopodus) with their distinctive yellow eye rings and bright red beaks, and buff necked ibis (Theristicus caudatus).

The afternoon confirmed our opinion of organised excursions, and so the following day we set off independently up the Ascensio valley and, after a long, slow climb through the Lenga (Nothofagus pumilio) forest, arrived at the foot of the terminal moraine that leads to the Mirador (viewpoint). On the way we passed some interesting mound-forming plants such as the Llaretilla (Azorella trifurcata) and Llareta (Bolax gummifera), and, living up to its name and growing by a small stream, the waterfall plant 43 (Ourisia ruelloides) with its bright red tubular flowers. We also passed some orchids, but these were not yet in flower. Having come so far it was a shame not to see the view of the Torres, so while Chris waited at the foot of the moraine I started the scramble up the boulders. ‘Nearly there’ said the people coming down – but it was still 30 minutes of hard work to get to the top and take a few quick photographs of the Torres in the afternoon sun. A spectacular climax to three weeks exploring the natural wonders of Chile.

John Gorham

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Quote - Unquote

The form of the orange-tree, the cocoa-nut, the mango, the tree-fern, the banana, will remain clear and separate; but the thousand beauties which unite these into one perfect scene must fade away; yet they will leave, like a tale told in childhood, a picture full of indistinct, but most beautiful figures. Charles Darwin

Weeding is a delightful occupation, especially after summer rain, when the roots come up clear and clean. One gets to know how many and various are the ways of weeds – as many almost as the moods of human creatures. Gertrude Jekyll

44 FTBG Photo Competition

The FTBG photo competition is open to all, both members and non-members. We wish to encourage participation by as many people as possible, and so there will be no entry fee (and hence no cash prizes).

Winning entries will be featured on the FTBG website and, if the standard is high enough, in an exhibition.

Dates: Closing date for entries is the 31st October 2010. Results will be announced in the January 2011 Newsletter.

Categories: 1. Treborth Botanic Garden (including the greenhouses etc.) 2. FTBG (Friends of Treborth Botanic Garden) and STAG (Support Treborth Action Group) events. 3. People 4. Nature/wildlife. 5 Plant portraits

Classes: Juniors (under 16 years of age) Seniors

Judging: The photos will be given entry numbers by the competition secretary and judged anonymously (the photos, not the judges!) by a panel of three named judges (to be announced at a later date).

Judging criteria: Entries will be judged on technical and artistic merit, on relevance to the FTBG, and on usefulness for publicity for the Friends and the Garden. Subjects should be clearly and correctly identified. In the case of people or property it is the photographers responsibility to obtain any necessary permission from the subject or owner of the property.

Formats: Digital images, prints or slides may be submitted. Prints (no larger than A4). Slides may be converted to digital images for easy viewing before judging. Digital images should preferably be submitted as jpg files. These may be submitted on disk, memory stick or e-mailed to the secretary. Entries should be clearly identified, and accompanied by as much information as possible about the subject matter and be the original work of the entrant. Other formats can be accepted (please consult the competition secretary

Copyright: Copyright would remain with the photographer. The Friends would, however, expect to be able to use submitted photos freely in publicity for the FTBG.

Entries should be sent to:

The FTBG Photo Competition Secretary, Treborth Botanic Garden, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2RQ

Or emailed to: [email protected] 45