Biodiversity Action Plan highlights 2008

The Biodiversity Partnership (formerly the Nature Conservation Topic Group of the Hertfordshire Environmental Forum) was set up to bring together organisations concerned with nature conservation and biodiversity issues in Hertfordshire. Its focus is to ‘drive’ the implementation of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (A 50-year vision for the wildlife and natural habitats of Hertfordshire), prepared in 1998 by the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, on behalf of the Hertfordshire Environmental Forum. Progress with the delivery of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) is reported quarterly at the Hertfordshire Environment Forum (HEF) Joint Steering Group meetings and in the HEF Quality of Life Report, produced annually. A communications plan prepared for the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership identified the need to raise awareness of Hertfordshire’s biodiversity and to promote the achievements of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership in implementing the Hertfordshire BAP. As a result, this report of progress has been produced to celebrate some of the work that’s taken place to conserve and enhance Hertfordshire BAP habitats and species over the past year. Some news from the district and borough councils

Get to know Park Oughtonhead Common, a wetland Local In partnership with Broxbourne Borough Nature Reserve owned and managed by North Council, the Hertfordshire Biological Records Herts District Council (NHDC) is relatively little Centre and Historic Environment Unit of the known. Working for the Countryside Manage- Hertfordshire County Council, the Countryside ment Service and NHDC, honorary site warden, Management Service is completing a range of Phil Lumley, has done much recently to improve projects to enhance and raise awareness of access and raise the site’s profile. wildlife here. With Heritage Lottery Funding the A new easy access trail has been surfaced large pond that is home to Great Crested Newts and waymarked and interpretation boards will has been de-silted and restored; two WWII pill aid navagation around the cattle grazed boxes have been secured and fitted out as bat pastures, wetlands, wooded areas and scrub hibernacula; an orchard has been established that make up the site to reflect the past use of the site and in the The work has been made possible by a grant coming months livestock will be returning to from Biffaward and funding from North Herts one of the herb rich meadows. At each of these District and Hertfordshire County Council. features interpretation panels will tell the story of the park and raise awareness of the wildlife Interpretation panel at Oughtonhead Common value of each feature. Orchard trees on

A couple of Ponds Projects Woolmer Green pond is set in the historic centre Ponds feature in all sorts of settings across of this relatively new parish in Wet Grassland at Park Borough. Here a simple plan, some enthusiastic Pishiobury’s historic parkland is owned and managed Hertfordshire from urban parks to rural by East Herts Council. Guided by a Historic Landscape farmland. Volunteers have been busy surveying parish people, grant aid from the Community Environment Fund and some advice from the Restoration Plan new hedgerows of native species ponds in the borough of , to establish and future parkland trees have been planted and the their characteristics, condition and stewardship. Countryside Management Service were all the ingredients required for a successful restoration roundalls (groups of trees surrounded by circular, Currently 103 out of 411 ponds have been hawthorn hedgerows), that are a feature of the site, surveyed. This project supports actions project. The eroding banks have been re-profiled and restored using coir rolls planted with native are being restored or recreated. identified in the Dacorum Biodiversity Action The Council is now working with the Countryside Plan and Dacorum Community Plan. emergent wetland plants and the nearby willows are now sprouting back from their coppiced stools. Management Service to reintroduce extensive grazing to an area of species-rich wet grassland and tall fen to the north-east of the main parkland. The fen area was cut and lifted by volunteers in the previous year Butts Close is one of ’s ancient cow to set the restoration programme on a firm footing. commons. Its pond, however, is a more recent English Long Horns in Pishiobury Park addition sporting vertical concrete sides. A floating hydroponic reed bed, re-profiling of the surrounding banks and newly installed, pre-planted coir rolls have established the pond South West Hertfordshire Commons LNR as a valuable wildlife feature. Several of the Grazing Group The Countryside Management Service working with over-shading willow trees have been converted The South Hertfordshire Commons Grazing Council successfully secured to pollards and the surrounding grassland Group has representatives from the parish over £75,000 from the Aggregates Levy Sustainability transferred from an amenity cut to a cut-and- councils of Chorleywood and Colney Heath, Fund which contributed to improving the visitor lift regime by the owners, North Herts District along with St Albans District Council and the experience and enhancing the site for wildlife. Council (NHDC). All of the works were funded Countryside Management Service. They came Essential tree work will be completed as well as the by NHDC and the Community Environment together to investigate the possibility of creation of reedbeds around both Batchworth and Fund. reintroducing grazing to the 4 commons under Bury Lakes their management: , This is the 2nd phase in the overall project - the Colney Health, Nomansland and Bricket Wood first was to complete a bat survey, a full ecological Common. A joint consultation was held in the and topographical survey also funded by the Autumn / Winter of 2007. Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

Butts Close Pond – pollards and planted coir pond edge Raising awareness of awareness Raising www.hertsdirect.org/cms respectively. www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/herts and websites: their visit on forthcoming events biodiversity ofHertfordshire.of the For information to events raise held awareness walks and guided led Service Wildlife Trust Management Countryside and &Middlesex Herts the Organisations including events and walks Guided Broxbourne Wood. Site(PAWS) Woodland HCC in owned Ancient restoration tothe Planted ofthe contributing timber, proving popular. worksare very The thinning to used extract horse Clydesdale the the with Silent, from activity thinning first to through rocessing, cut Trust, Day, Woodland Open bythe supported the ran volunteers Woods Broxbourne the thirty and Service Management Staff from Countryside the Broxbourne Woods OpenDay2007 Walk - looking at meadow plants Walk atmeadow Mead -looking Hunsdon Woods Heavy atBroxbourne horses applications which affect which Localapplications Wildlife Sites. strategic documents and commenting on planning within appropriateprotected through policies Local Wildlife ensuring are Sites landowners; and developers Local Wildlife toLocal Sites Authorities, on advice information byproviding and system protect Local planning Wildlife the through Sites county’s biodiversity. ofthe assets sites are critical these (BAP)because Plan Action Hertfordshire ofthe Biodiversity implementation role the in Partnership important plays an Interest Scientific (SSSIs).TheSpecial Wildlife Sites of Sites as wildlife ofprotected such areas outside for places important Local Wildlife most are the Sites Hertfordshire Local Wildlife Sites Local Wildlife Sites Partners have continued to Local Wildlife havecontinued Partners Sites Visitors witnessed tree approximately 1,500people. (NNR), attracted National Nature Reserve Hertfordshire’s only of awareness The event, held to raise (HCC). Council County Trust Hertfordshire and Wildlife &Middlesex Herts biodiversity biodiversity. county’s recording the and surveying in involved people to become more toencourage aim courses The ecology. otter grassesidentifying and as such of subjects adiverse rangecovering Wildlife’about workshops programme of‘Learning Park,Regional ran a Lee Valley and Natural Society Herts History with the Wildlife &Middlesex Herts Trust, partnership in Wildlife training October 21 to celebrateacross county the National Day Apple on events eight planned and August in Show Country the Hatfieldthe HouseLiving Crafts Festival Mayand in at demonstrations HOIhabitat. juicing alsoprovided specifically targeted orchards, aUKBAPPriority now which ofNational Night Moth part as events year. organised they trapping In twomoth June Mayofthis in atShenley event launch with aspecial HOI celebrated withorchards 10years ofworking Hertfordshire (HOI) Orchards Initiative st . successfully established. established. successfully atfour farms 26hectares covering havebeen To key onthree sites. plots date, 8plots three nesting atleast maintain create and Hertfordshire by2010–more specifically, to to create suitable habitat breeding North in atarget has plan action The Stone-curlew Stone-curlew management for Bitterns. management plan/statement includes which management havea now County acrosssites the great refuges for smallfish. Nearly allreedbed soalsoprovide slowly rot whilstdoing but down winter. trees useover Bitterns These which lake area ofthe the into dropped and down were trees weighed Christmas unwanted where Nature atAmwell is Reserve ofthis example feeds onsmallfish. which Bittern One the to year benefit past the over undertaken been existing areas in has spawning and populations Lots ofworktoimprove habitats for fish Bittern the Hertfordshirethe Biological Records Centre. Authority, British Waterways, Thames Water and Lee Valley Agency, ParkEnvironment Regional Wildlife Trust, &Middlesex Herts the between apartnership The project is vole conservation. water and towetlands access ofand ciation appre- and understanding awareness, increase protection and wetland water vole recovery and Hertfordshire; in public participation increase in water populations vole enhance and conserve to: 2007.The aims project November in for People Water Project’ thatstarted Voles and for LotteryHeritage funding ‘Wetlands a3-year Wildlife Trust &Middlesex The Herts secured People Project forWetlands Water Voles and objectives. required the can achieve plots sothatthey ground-nesting manage and toestablish on how tolandowners given tobe willcontinue Advice ontwofarms. place onlytook sucessful breeding but season, breeding Lapwings the during plots were by used thattheir in objective Three four ofthe farms principal the achieved to. were whatthey designed were delivering found plots to to present) establish be ifthe if alsoStone-curlew but Lapwing, birds (namely for plots the ground-nesting surveyed England, Centre, from withapproval support Natural and In 2008,Hertfordshire Biological Records Nature Reserve near Welwyn Garden City Welwyn Garden near Nature Reserve training atTewinbury course Water surveyor vole spraintthe found there. to regularly byotters be of used known because is Joe’s Island island. tothe disturbance) hence to prevent dredged (and access was channel Two were holts a artificial created new and refuge otter an (King’s Meads). atJoe’s Island Wildlife TrustMiddlesex haverestored direction, & Herts the under Agency, The Environment Otter Newly planted reeds at Amwell

Species Highlights Development of the Key Biodiversity Areas Map Hertfordshire Wet Woodlands Project An initial desk study to estimate the total number of wet woodland sites in Hertfordshire was started in 2006. Additional funding The Biodiversity Partnership, led by the resource, they also offer the greatest enabled a field survey of the woodlands Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre has opportunity for maintaining and creating large identified from the desk study to be carried updated the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Map areas of quality habitat. Key Biodiversity Areas out in the summer and autumn of 2007. The for Hertfordshire as illustrated below. Key of regional significance, primarily those which results of the field survey were then used to Biodiversity Areas represent those areas within include Special Areas of Conservation, Special update the wet woodland GIS (Geographic the County with the greatest concentrations of Protection Areas and Areas of Outstanding Information System) database held at the important habitats and species. As well as Natural Beauty, have also been identified. Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre earlier Nature Reserve, a wet alder or this year. representing areas which are a priority for ‘carr’ woodland in the Purwell Valley conservation due to their existing biodiversity Farmland HAP update Countryside Management Service officers working closely with the Hertfordshire HERTFORDSHIRE KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS (in pink) Biological Records Centre and the Historic AND REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT KBA Environment Unit of the Hertfordshire County (outlined in red) Council have made six applications for Hertfordshire farmers to the national Higher Level Stewardship scheme administered by Herts Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Natural England. Herts KBA of regional importance If successful, the schemes will attract County boundary approximately £2.5 million of funding over 10 years and substantially affect the way that 2,250 hectares of Hertfordshire countryside is managed with major benefits for wildlife. Other

schemes have been developed in Hertfordshire Produced using ArcView by by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre, Spring tilled soil lapwing nesting habitat (FWAG) and private agents. With joint HCC and OS copyright August 2007 Chalk grassland restoration projects Wetland Interpretation and access This map is based upon Ordnance Survey material With the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of Funding from SITA Trust has enabled the improvements The Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.

Highlights Woodland Trust to start removing scrub on the With funding support from the East of England Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright And may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. escarpment at Oddy Hill and Park Site of Development Agency and Green Arc Hertfordshire County Council, 100019606 ,2007 Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). This should (Communities and Local Government grant), benefit grassland species such as Chiltern the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust has Gentian, Autumn Gentian, Twayblade and invested over £450,000 at Amwell Nature Harebell. Part of a project aiming to restore Reserve to enable visitors to get closer to Hertfordshire Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) 15.2 ha of chalk grassland, they have removed wildlife. Works within this 43 hectare reserve No’s on map Key Biodiversity Area Name Brief habitat description 01 Heath/Coombe Bottom chalk grasslands scrub over 1.5 ha so far. have included the building of two new hides 02 Sandon/Green End chalky boulder clay woodlands and meadows The Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust has and an elevated viewpoint, construction of a 03 Clothall/Wallington/Weston chalky boulder clay woods and meadows continued the restoration of chalk grassland at dragonfly-watching boardwalk trail and 05 Cokenach Estate chalky boulder clay woodlands 06 Scales Park/Meesden/Beeches Wood chalky boulder clay woodlands and meadows Nowers by reintroducing grazing and at improvements to nature trails to make them 07 Hiz Valley Catchment (Ickleford/Oughton Head/Purwell) wet meadows and fens Chalk Pit and Telegraph Hill nature accessible to all. 08 Hexton/Pirton/Great Offley chalk grasslands 09 Great Offley/Preston/Knebworth oak-hornbeam woodlands reserves over a hectare of grassland has been The Trust worked in partnership with the Lee 10 Cottered/Ardeley/Benington oak-hornbeam and ash-maple woodlands and meadows restored through the removal of scrub. Valley Regional Park Authority to link reserves 11 /Upwick Green heath, grasslands and woodlands 12 Wellpond Green/Westland Green at with Stanstead Innings and 13 River Ash Valley woodlands and wetlands Grazing – Making it pay improve visitor facilities. The ‘Three Reserves, 14 Stort Valley grasslands and wetlands 15 Lea Valley wetlands A workshop organised by the Grazing Animal One Route’ project was supported by the 16 Rib Valley wetlands and woodlands Project (GAP), Hertfordshire Biological Records Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund. 17 Lower Mimram/Lower Beane/Bramfield Plateau wetlands and woodlands Centre, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust and the 18 Broxbourne Woods/Hatfield Park oak-hornbeam woodlands, grasslands and heaths 19 Mymmshall/Water End woodlands Chilterns Conservation Board was held in Tring 20 Upper Colne Valley wetlands and heath earlier this summer. Aimed at livestock farmers 21 Bricket Wood/Moor Mill wetlands, woodlands and heath 22 River Ver/Gorehambury wetlands and woodlands and graziers, the presentations included case 23 Upper Lea Valley wetlands, woodlands and heath studies from farmers on how they have 24 Mid-Colne Valley wetlands (gravel pits) and grasslands 25 Whippendell Woods and surrounds woodlands, grassland and wetlands integrated conservation grazing into their farm 26 River Chess Valley wetlands, grasslands, woodland and heath 27 / Common/Aldbury beech woodland, heath, chalk grassland

Habitat Habitat businesses, information about direct 28 /High Scrubbs beech woodland, chalk grassland marketing initiatives and a site visit to Tring 29 wetlands Park. New boardwalk at Amwell Nature Reserve 30 Upper Gade Valley wetlands, grasslands and woodland Hertfordshire Environmental Forum

Hertfordshire Environmental Forum (HEF) is a county-wide group that undertakes sustainable development-based initiatives to raise awareness, encourage involvement and bring together key decision-makers to influence sustainable development policies locally and nationally.

Five working groups have been established to achieve its aims. These are the: ● Education & Promotion Group ● Energy Group ● Biodiversity Partnership Group ● Quality of Life Group ● NHS Environment Group

The Biodiversity Partnership Group of HEF includes local authorities, statutory agencies, nature conservation organisations and voluntary interest groups working together to help implement the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). A Biodiversity Officer post, funded by the Hertfordshire Environmental Forum with support from Natural England, provides a driving force behind and co-ordinates progress of the actions within the Hertfordshire BAP.

HEF members include: ● St. Albans City and District Council ● Hertfordshire NHS Environment Group ● Dacorum Borough Council ● Borough Council ● Council ● Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust ● Groundwork Hertfordshire ● Borough Council ● Hertfordshire Association of ● Three Rivers District Council Parish and Town Councils ● Borough Council ● Hertfordshire County Council ● Welwyn Hatfield District Council

For more information on the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership and the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan please contact: Catherine Wyatt Hertfordshire Biodiversity Officer Tel: 01992 531478 Email: [email protected]

Photography Ellie Beach, Clare Gray, Tim Hill, Barry Tranter, the Countryside Management Service Image Library and the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust Image Library

This report has been produced on behalf of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership with funding from Hertfordshire Environmental Forum. www.hef.org.uk Printed on 9lives 80, 60% recycled post-consumer waste paper