Wild

CornwallISSUE 135 SPRING 2018

Boiling seas Fish in a frenzy A future for wildlife in Our new CE looks ahead Wildlife Celebration FREE ENTRY to Caerhays gardens Clues in the grass Woven nests reveal Including pull-out a tiny rodent diary of events Contacts Kestavow Managers Conservation contacts General wildlife queries Other local wildlife groups Chief Executive Conservation Manager Wildlife Information Service and specialist group contacts Carolyn Cadman Tom Shelley ext 272 (01872) 273939 option 3 For grounded or injured bats in Head of Nature Reserves Marine Conservation Officer Investigation of dead specimens Cornwall - Sue & Chris Harlow Callum Deveney ext 232 Abby Crosby ext 230 (excluding badgers & marine (01872) 278695 mammals) Wildlife Veterinary Bat Conservation Trust Head of Conservation Marine Awareness Officer Investigation Centre Matt Slater ext 251 helpline 0345 130 0228 Cheryl Marriott ext 234 Vic Simpson (01872) 560623 Community Engagement Officer, Botanical Cornwall Group Head of Finance & Administration Reporting dead stranded marine Ian Bennallick Trevor Dee ext 267 Your Shore Beach Rangers Project Natalie Gibb animals & organisms [email protected] Head of Marketing & Fundraising natalie.gibb@ Marine Strandings Network Hotline 0345 2012626 Cornish Hedge Group Marie Preece ext 249 cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk c/o HQ (01872) 273939 ext 407 Reporting live stranded marine Manager Cornwall Youth Engagement Officer, Cornwall Bird Watching & Environmental Consultants Your Shore Beach Ranger Project animals British Divers Marine Life Rescue Preservation Society Phil Hills ext 311 Jen Sandiford (01825) 765 546 (24 hours) Phil McVey (07740 923385) jennifer.sandiford@ [email protected] Environmental Records cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Dave Jarvis 07787 433412 Centre Manager RSPCA 0300 123 4999 (24 hours) Cornwall Butterfly Conservation Gary Lewis ext 238 Upstream Thinking Project Jim Barker (01736) 794134 Manager [email protected] Conservation Manager Peter Warman ext 277 Local Tom Shelley ext 272 Cornwall Mammal Group 07938 985419 and Specialist Group contacts Marine Conservation Manager peter.warman@ www.cornwallmammalgroup.org (Chair) Ruth Williams ext 261 cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Cornwall Reptile & Amphibian Group Jan Hicks (01288) 352726 Paul Diamond (01872) 273939 Conservation Officer/ (General contact) Sue Hocking admin@ecologicalsurveysdevon. Geoconservation [email protected] Marketing & ext 280 co.uk Fundraising contacts sue.hocking@ Camel Brian Wright (01208) 814138 Cornwall Seal Group - Sue Sayer Membership Manager cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Falmouth Marine Conservation [email protected] Andrea Toy ext 231 Landscape Partnership Group Cornwall’s Living Churchyards Membership Coordinator Programme Manager info@falmouthmarine Robert Moor (01872) 272929 Lisa Kessell ext 248 Pattie Richmond conservation.co.uk 07814 139223 Friends of Kilminorth Woods members@cornwallwildlifetrust. Friends of Christine Spooner (01503) 265590 org.uk pattie.richmond@ Community Nature Reserve cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk [email protected] Venue Liaison Officer Bob & Jackie Austin (01752) 844666 Plant Galls in Cornwall Jo Stevenson ext 240 ERCCIS contacts [email protected] & the Group 07885 063062 Elizabeth Jackson (01209) 713644 Data Manager Launceston Area Parish Wildlife Business Support Manager Martin Goodall ext 250 elizabeth@ Group (Vice-Chair) dromona7.orangehome.co.uk Antonia Mullaly ext 264 Data Officer - Niki Clear ext 257 Jen Bousfield (01566) 782661 Your Shore Network Local Marine Marketing Manager Wildlife Information Manager launcestonareawildlife.group@ Ella Clark ext 239 Nic Harrison-White ext 254 gmail.com Groups. Full list of local marine groups around Cornwall with Communications Officer Wildlife Information Officer (Chairman) Ian Nash (01579) 370644 (email above) location map & contact details: Chris Betty ext 235 Laura Fox ext 246 https://beachrangers.com/ Family Events and Mid-Tamar Valley - Caroline community/your-shore-network/ Nature Reserves contacts Vulliamy (01579) 370411 Volunteer Coordinator Jo Arvor ext 241 Mid Cornwall Reserves Manager Penwith - Robin Knight Seán O’Hea 07971 542185 [email protected] Professional Fundraising Officer West Cornwall Reserves Manager Emma Miller ext 266 Ecology Service Nick Marriott 07973 954189 Dave Thomas (01726) 861093 East Cornwall Reserves Manager [email protected] Bat & Barn Owl surveys Peter Kent 07866 430086 Officers Cornwall Bat Group Wildlife & Protected Species President - Jan Dunes Ranger Sam Smith 07919 923468 surveys Jon Cripps 07500 080385 [email protected] Vice-president - Nick Tregenza Ecological Impact Assessments Island Cornwall Fungus Recording Group Phase 1 Habitat surveys Hon Secretary - Daniel Eva Jon Ross 07974 293495 or Pauline Penna (01209) 210281 Claire Lewis 07814 166718 Farm Environmental Plans (FEP) Hon Treasurer - Paul Coyne [email protected] looeisland@ BREEAM & Code for cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Cornwall Geoconservation Group Council Chairman Sue Hocking sue.hocking@ Sustainable Homes Mark Nicholson Habitat Restoration & Creation Volunteer enquiries cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Council Vice-chair Cornwall Wildlife Trust Chartered Landscape Stephen Warman Reception at Five Acres Architects Available reception@ Photographic Group (Secretary) David Chapman (01736) 850287 Hon Solicitor - Tim Atkins cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Looe Marine Conservation Committee Chairs Magazine contacts Group (VMCA) Conservation Strategy Wild Cornwall [email protected] Frank Howie Managing Editor St Agnes Marine Conservation Ella Clark ERCCIS Advisory Board Group (VMCA) ella.clark@ [email protected] Steve Crummay cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Finance - Paul Coyne Seaquest SouthWest Editor seaquest@cornwallwildlifetrust. Reserves - Fred Currie Rowena Millar org.uk [email protected] Marketing & Fundraising Dee Reeves Wild Cornwall Diary Editor Health, Safety & Welfare Policy Mark Dungey Cornwall Wildlife Trust Gordon Fuller (01209) 860970 Five Acres, Allet, , Cornwall TR4 9DJ Tel: (01872) 273939 Staff Welfare & Reward [email protected] Email: [email protected] Daniel Eva All magazine delivery enquiries www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk Lisa Kessell (01872) 273939 ext 248 We begin the first issue of 2018 by thanking Trevor Edwards for his hugely successful 37 years with Cornwall Wildlife Wild Cornwall Trust. The Trust owes a massive In this issue Rowena Millar FEATURES NEWS & UPDATES debt of gratitude The worst marine to Trevor, who was o4 Seas alive! 15 our Director from 1987 to 2017. Our Vice- strandings for president of Council Dr Nick Tregenza 15 years gave a heartfelt tribute and overview of Deeper into Trevor's achievements at the Trust’s 16 nature: AGM and Discovery Day in November. news from our specialist groups An extract from this tribute can be found on page 7. Wildlife 19 Watch We also heartily welcome the Trust’s new o7 CEO, Carolyn Cadman. With a wealth goes wild of experience in marine and landscape leadership and policy roles, Carolyn brings Your Local with her a fresh and vibrant approach to Group the Trust’s work and its visions for the future. On page 7, she gives her personal perspective on how the Trust plans to In gratitude to Trevor Edwards meet the challenges ahead, working on his retirement towards a better future for Cornwall’s From our new Chief Executive wildlife and wild places. 20 With spring in the air, we have a host of o8 inspiring wildlife projects and activities to The harvest mouse, 22 Wildlife Celebration 2018 nature’s tiny read about, including exciting news about treasure marine life, from bottlenose dolphins 23 Nature Notices to mega-shoals bringing huge tuna to our coasts. Find out why these are such 24 Diary of Events thrilling times to be out in wild Cornwall. You never know what you might discover. Bottlenose 30 bulletin Do join in if you haven’t taken the plunge NEWS & UPDATES already, whether you prefer monitoring 31 wildlife, giving practical help outdoors, or Conservation coming along to beautiful Open Gardens catch-up 10 Thank you (back page) as well as the magnificent 23 32 Helping wildlife gardens and beach at Caerhays Estate, a winning business strategy who are hosting our Wildlife Celebration 2412 on May 20th this year. We will have birds, bats and beasts, wildlife walks, rockpool Nature rambles and advice from the best of Reserves news Cornwall’s wildlife experts.

We are lucky to have special guests this Natu ral World year - Gillian Burke from , News from across the UK Spring 2018 14 Your spring 35 Nuts about and the student animation team behind squirrels? Find out where to see sightings them on page 12 PocketPals, an interactive wildlife app. A free entry form for readers of this Natural

How to repair a sand dune (With Christmas magazine can be found on page 22. Hope World trees, obviously) The magic of linescapes See your garden in to see you there. UK news from The a whole new way “I like mud, and being close to trees.” The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman on Rowena Millar, Editor Wildlife Trusts the healing power of nature

Any material intended for Events for the diary should be Cornwall Trust for Nature Registered office: publication should be sent sent on the latest template, Conservation Ltd. Trading Five Acres, Allet, Truro, as Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Cornwall TR4 9DJ. to both Ella Clark: available from the Trust offices Registered charity number ella.clark@ at Allet, to Mark Dungey: 214929. A company VAT registration cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk [email protected] limited by guarantee and number 213 2687 26. and Rowena Millar: registered in . Harvest mouse on cow parsley Wild Cornwall is Cover photo © David Chapman [email protected] Registration number printed on paper from 732511. responsible sources.

/CornwallWildlife @CwallWildlife @cornwallwildlifetrust CornwallWildlifeTrust © 2018 Cornwall Wildlife Trust

ISSUE  SPRING  3 Seas alive! Never in recent memory always been seasonal visitors to the cold have our seas been so alive waters of the British with shoals of small bait fish. Isles. In fact, in the These mega-shoals and their 1920s there was even a sport fishery for this impressive predators have species in the North been seen all around Cornwall Sea. But before 2014 Matt Slater they had been virtually Marine Awareness during summer and autumn – Officer absent in Cornish sights you would only expect waters for over to see on Blue Planet II, writes Matt Slater. 50 years.

I first witnessed these massive shoals up the Prized for sushi, bluefin creek on the Fal estuary. One hot, quiet July evening on a tuna are one of the flooding tide, the sea changed colour and began to ‘boil’. most valuable seafoods With mask and snorkel I saw millions of small, shiny fish and have been hunted swimming into the curved bay. At the surface, the water mercilessly. Stocks was broken by larger fish – bass and mackerel – which were reached record lows in

charging into the dense shoal. the 1970s. International DAVID HALE conservation efforts, One of the last recorded landings Huge shoals of small, midwater fish such as sardines, including a 50% cut of a bluefin tuna in Cornwall was sprats and herrings are now a common feature of our in overall quotas for by Percy ‘Powder’ Thurburn at local seas. And with these bait fish come bigger predators. the Atlantic bluefin Frenchman’s Creek in 1910. Reports to Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Seaquest Southwest tuna in 2009, and a Photo courtesy of David Hale project show an increase in sightings of feeding frenzies crackdown on its illegal around our coast, involving common dolphins, porpoises, and unreported fishing, has likely helped the population gannets, and even porbeagle sharks. to partially recover in the eastern Atlantic. Worryingly, the quota has been increased again close to pre-2009 levels, so A huge fish the future of this valuable species is far from certain. Climate change may have more of a part to play in why we

CREDIT?????? There was shock when a 2-metre long Atlantic bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) washed ashore at Cawsands in are seeing more small, pelagic (open ocean) fish. Cornwall 2014. Since then, for the past three summers, sightings of is on a crossroads where the warm Gulf Stream mixes large numbers of bluefin tuna feeding off our coasts have with cooler northern waters. The recent strong influx of flooded in. People ask, “Is this due to global warming?” Sea southern species such as sardine and anchovy provides an temperatures are rising but surprisingly, these fish have abundant food source for predators such as bluefin tuna.

4 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018

to witness a tuna feeding frenzy at first hand underwater, and is to witnessatunafeedingfrenzyatfirsthandunderwater,and is Underwater photographer Henley Spiers was incredibly lucky Underwater photographerHenleySpierswasincrediblylucky one of the first people ever to experience this in our waters one ofthefirstpeopleevertoexperiencethisinourwaters

5 HENLEY SPIERS ...Seas alive

Tom Horton, the Trust’s Seaquest Southwest volunteer very well. It is a local fishery and relatively small, but at coordinator in 2014, has been studying bluefin tuna off present there are no limitations on the amount of fish the British Isles for the past four years. Together with they can take. More research is needed to ensure we academics from the University of Exeter and the Centre fish sustainably, but there appears to be no immediate

sdffdsf miles for Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (Cefas), Tom danger. If you like seafood, Cornish sardines are on the and the team hope to electronically tag bluefin tuna in per hour Cornwall Good Seafood Guide recommended list. Find Cornish waters in 2018, to understand more about their62 out more at www.cornwallgoodseafoodguide.org.uk. movements, spawning behaviour and the threats they face.

Bluefin tuna cannot be targeted by local fishermen as Some good news the UK currently holds no quota. It’s nice that they’re The return of large numbers of pelagic fish is important holidaying here in Cornwall! Let’s hope that these to our fishing industry as well as for wildlife, and incredible sights become even more commonplace. It’s fisheries such as the sardine ring net fishery are doing an exciting time to be a marine biologist in Cornwall. miles 62 per hour 40 yeBluefinars 3.5 metresmiles per hour Get in touch 62680 kg

Bluefin tuna can travel as fast as 62 miles per hour and never stop swimming, years as they rely on ram ventilation to keep their blood oxygenated. 40

To report marine wildlife sightings, please visit www.orks.org.uk 3.5 metres To contact the team working on bluefin tuna at the University of Exeter, ed please contact warm lood 680kg Dr Matthew Witt at b [email protected] or Bluefin tuna are yeeffectivelyar warm-s Bluefin tuna can live for up to 40 blooded, having efficient heat years and are the largest of the Tom Horton at 40exchange systems in their gills and tuna family, growing to 3.5 metres [email protected]. muscles, allowing them to increase in length and weighing up to their internal temperature and 680kg – nearly three-quarters of 3.5function effectivelymetres in cold water. a tonne. Get involved The species spends much of its time travelling vast distances around the ocean, Join us on a sea watch with largely following its food. Seaquest South West: 680kg www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/seaquest d warm bloode Get underwater and record marine life with Seasearch Cornwall. Find out more at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/seasearch.

6 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018

d warm bloode In gratitude to Trevor Edwards on his retirement Trevor Edwards Trevor has said repeatedly that he felt deeply privileged to work with such a great staff and feels justifiably satisfied that first worked for the Trust has made a real difference in many ways. Cornwall Wildlife Trevor’s clear thinking, depth of knowledge, and good Trust in 1980 and was judgment have won him immense respect. He hands over our Conservation the Trust in very good shape. But that is not the end of Officer, Director and his legacy. Trevor has been working on forward-looking issues, and he feels that Cornwall now has an increasingly CEO for two-thirds positive view of environmental issues, embodied in its of the Trust's entire environmental growth strategy. If we can play an effective part in bringing that to fruition it will be of huge DAVE THOMAS existence. benefit to the environment, and Cornwall will be leading Trevor secured grants, brought people in and began rather than following. the consultancy work that developed into Cornwall Environmental Consultants (CEC). Despite recessions and major funding difficulties, he enabled the Trust to develop Nick Tregenza, numerous valuable projects and hugely expand and develop Vice-President of Council, its staff teams, volunteers and membership. Cornwall Wildlife Trust

From our new Chief Executive I am delighted to have landed of The Wildlife Trusts, points out on developments can be designed to page 37. encourage wildlife, and how to connect my ‘dream job’ as the new children and young people with nature. Chief Executive of Cornwall Some key challenges: We want to continue working with those who have the biggest impact on the Wildlife Trust. ●● Farm subsidies will alter following Brexit and government policy everyday management of Cornwall’s It has been a real privilege to meet the changes. We expect more focus on living landscapes and living seas – passionate and dedicated staff, trustees, providing space for nature, clean farmers, landowners and the fishing industry. members, volunteers and partners who water, carbon storage and healthy all want a better future for Cornwall’s soils. We are working with others, Finally, join us at our Wildlife natural environment. And with here in Cornwall and nationally, to Celebration day at Caerhays gardens Cornwall’s amazing coasts, countryside influence policy decisions in support on May 20th to celebrate the wildlife and and culture, my aim is for us to of Cornwall’s wildlife and wild wild places of Cornwall (see page 22). become the most vibrant Wildlife places. See you there! Trust in the country! ●● 2017 saw an unusually high number Carolyn Cadman, I would like to build on all that the Trust of dolphin strandings. We (with our CE, Cornwall has achieved since it was set up in 1962 partners) are gathering data to help Wildlife Trust – in particular, ensuring that new and determine why and inform effective exciting volunteering opportunities are interventions. available for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. ●● We will begin vaccinating badgers on our nature reserves this summer We will continue to work with our as a partner in the Zoological partners to create bigger, better and Society of London’s research project more interconnected wildlife-rich areas in West Cornwall. We seek evidence as part of our contribution that will persuade landowners to to Cornwall’s ambition for choose vaccination in preference environmental growth. to culling as the primary method of Our biggest opportunity is securing a controlling bovine tuberculosis in positive future for Cornwall’s natural badgers. environment. Protection needs to We are also exploring how the be embedded firmly in policies and environment contributes to health legislation, as Stephanie Hilbourne, CE

SUZANNE JOHNSON and wellbeing, how new housing

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 7 The harvest mouse nature’s tiny treasure

Europe’s smallest rodent can Harvest mice usually breed from May to October, building nests 30–60cm off the ground, amongst the stems of be found in rural Cornwall. Liz tussock-forming grasses like cock’s-foot. The female spends Cox reports. three days nest building, shredding grass by pulling it through her teeth, before intricately weaving a tennis-ball- In 2017 harvest mice were sized nest supported by living stems of grass. Harvest discovered at three new mice often have three litters of three to eight babies a year, sites, through the Trust’s born blind and naked, weighing only 0.6g and looking like Liz Cox pink raisins. Their mother gradually supplements her milk Upstream Thinking Upstream Thinking farm with chewed up, regurgitated seeds. From 11 days old the Ecologist wildlife surveys. Andrew and now fully furred babies venture out of the nest, becoming Debbie Collinson, landowners near Mabe, independent at around 15 days. were absolutely delighted to learn that their In the winter, as vegetation dies back, harvest mice come land was home to this minuscule and most down to the ground, building smaller nests at ground level in places like the base of vegetation tussocks, crevices or secretive of mice. old vole runs. Harvest mice don’t hibernate as such but will sleep for long periods of time foraging only in Once a very common sight around cereal fields, particularly milder weather. at harvest time, harvest mice are now more likely to be found in field edges, tussocky grassland or reedbeds. Loss of People often picture harvest mice munching on an ear of habitat and intensification of farming have played a role corn, but they are actually omnivores. As well as seeds, their in this decline, which is why the Trust’s land advisory diet includes shoots, blackberries and insects like aphids and work is so important. On sites where we have found nests, blackfly. They have many predators, from owls and weasels the landowners are now not only aware that they have to domestic cats; even toads have been known to take harvest mice but also happy to work with us and follow our newborn harvest mice! Despite these perils, we can give advice on how best to manage these areas for them. nature's tiny treasures a fighting chance by protecting their habitat and hidden homes. The harvest mouse is truly tiny, weighing only 6–8g, the same as a 20p piece, and measuring 5–7cm nose to tail. Even its scientific name, Micromys minutus, means ‘tiny small mouse’. It can climb among grass and plant stems without bending them. The remarkable prehensile tail is used for balance and wrapping around stems whilst climbing, or as an emergency brake to stop a fall.

MAIN IMAGE. Harvest mouse on an umbellifer in summer. 1. A harvest mouse nest in reeds. 2. A harvest mouse nest in the hand. 3. Harvest mouse on corn, using its prehensile tail. 4. Harvest mouse gathering teasel seeds for food. AMY LEWIS

8 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 MARTHA COWELL 1 3 DAVID CHAPMAN

you can do to help harvest mice: LIZ COX 4 things 2 1. Keep rough, tussocky 3. Send in your records. 4 grass or field edges. Harvest mice are under-recorded, Harvest mice need robust tussocks of and you can help build a better grass that are at least 3 or 4 years old picture of their distribution by to build their nests in, so allowing areas telling us about any nests, cat kills or like this to develop is vital. sightings using the Online Recording Kernow and Scilly website, 2. Do not cut all your www.ORKS.org.uk. tussocky areas at once For help with identification, contact Cutting all your tussocky areas at our Wildlife Information Service on the same time would leave nowhere (01872) 302254. for harvest mice to nest. Instead,

rotate your management, cutting a 4. Spread the word. Many people don't know they have different quarter each year. harvest mice, so please check your This ensures suitable nesting land, and pass these tips on to habitat is always available, your neighbours to help whilst preventing scrub keep a safe habitat for from taking over. these mammals. CHARLES THODY Mammal Appeal news Our ‘Protecting Cornwall’s Mammals’Appeal raised a fantastic Bat work over the winter has £10,396. Thanks to your generous donations: involved clearing new woodland rides for flight £10,396 Beaver monitoring and data gathering continues, as the pair corridors and habitat links, build Cornwall’s first beaver lodge in over 500 years. and restoring broadleaved raised Badger surveys have been carried out on all our nature woodland to provide reserves in the two cull zones. The data has more insects for food been processed by ERCCIS (Environmental Records Centre for and bat homes. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly), with badger territories Mammal-themed family events will be held through 2018, mapped and population sizes estimated, ready to vaccinate and we have produced brand new mammal factsheets badgers later this year (subject to additional funding). as part of our Wildlife Watch work. Dormouse boxes are on order, and wider nest box surveys See www.wildlifewatch.org.uk/downloads. will be carried out this year. Our Conservation Manager Tom Shelley is contributing to Hedgehog hotspots in Cornwall are being assessed using ’s planning strategy, to include vital ERCCIS data, with Trust staff and our partners working measures for mammals such as hedgehog holes in the fences together on a Cornwall Hedgehog Action Plan through of new housing estates. You can find more details about this Operation Hedgehog. Hedgehog events for the public will be important work at: www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ held, so we can all do our bit to help. protectingcornwallsmammals.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 9 Conservation catch-up Nowedhyans gwithans

Our Head of Conservation, Cheryl Marriott, brings us up to date with the Trust’s news from our Living Landscape and Living Seas projects. For news on marine strandings and bottlenose dolphins, see pages 15 and 30.

Great news: our Beaver project was featured in BBC Wildlife Magazine. It’s the first beaver reintroduction Cheryl Marriott Head of Conservation to provide ‘before and after’ scientific data, which will provide valuable evidence to inform policy, and demonstrate how working collaboratively with farmers can benefit our landscape and waterways.

Cornwall Beaver Project in BBC Wildlife Magazine The Cornwall Beaver Project was featured in BBC Wildlife magazine in February. Gillian Burke, who filmed the project for Autumnwatch in 2017, wrote the article, in which Chris Jones, the farmer at the centre of the Woodland Valley Farm trial, and partner with Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Exeter University, provides an honest insight into the reality of living with these semi-aquatic animals. See www.cornwallwildlifetrust/beaverproject.

ReFILL campaign Three Bays promoted in Cornwall helps Wildlife Group Cornwall shape national launched Marine Strategy All local marine groups The Three Bays Wildlife Group was are now selling refillable Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine launched towards the end of 2017, water bottles thanks team has fed into a national Marine joining the 14 other local marine to YSBR funding, Strategy launched by The Wildlife groups in the Your Shore Network and working with Trusts. The strategy identifies the key supported by the Trust’s Your Shore their communities challenges we feel the Government Beach Rangers (YSBR) Project. This to reduce the use of must address before the UK leaves new group will cover the ‘Three Bays’ single-use plastic bottles the European Union. between Caerhays and Charlestown. by promoting the ReFILL campaign, Look out for the fantastic events and providing places where people Read more under 'Living Seas' organised by the Your Shore Network can refill their own bottles. Visit their on our website. during 2018 at https://beachrangers. Facebook page, 'Refill Cornwall'. com/events.

Penwith Landscape Partnership secures National Lottery grant In December we received the fantastic news that we have secured £2,529,100 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to host the First and Last – Our Living Working Landscape programme. Thanks to money raised by National Lottery players, the partnership has a significant opportunity to conserve, protect and enhance Penwith’s ancient farming landscape and field systems, its archaeology and natural environment for future generations. http://www.penwithlandscape.com. CORNWALL COUNCIL HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT SERVICE

10 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Farmers soiling their undies competition The Trust’s Upstream Thinking team is working with farmers to improve soil health on farms around Drift Reservoir near . A fun competition has been launched to raise awareness and see which farm has the healthiest soil. Cotton underpants have been buried on various farms and whichever pair has the most holes when it is dug up a

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST few months later is the winner!

Gylly Beach Café signs up for sustainable seafood The award-winning Gylly cafe in Falmouth is the latest business to sign up to the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide. This brings the total number of Cornwall Good Seafood Guide business supporters to 70! Please help spread the word and encourage visitors and locals alike to make the best choice and eat local Cornish fish that's fished in a sustainable way. Just ask your favourite restaurant or fishmonger if they know about our seafood guide. GYLLYBEACHCAFE Environmental Award-winning growth for business Looe Bathing The Trust is a delivery partner in a Waters Project University of Exeter-hosted project, Environmental Growth for Business. The Trust hosts the Looe Bathing The project will enable us to work with Waters Project on behalf of all the businesses of all kinds to help them organisations that belong to the Looe improve their environmental Bathing Water Quality Partnership. performance; from creating and We were thrilled to accept the maintaining wildlife habitats to Highly Commended award in the energy generation and use, waste Community Resilience category of and recycling. the Cornwall Sustainability Awards.

CORNWALL SUSTAINABILITY AWARDS www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ eastlooeproject. Badger vaccination in north Cornwall Catchment Plans to begin vaccinating badgers on our north Cornwall Project nature reserves are progressing well. Tom Shelley, our Conservation Manager, has surveyed the sites in The Trust will be working with readiness for ordering vaccine and organising the Farmers in the Perranporth area logistics. The work is subject to successful fundraising. during 2018 as part of a South For information on the project see West Water scheme of work in www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/living landscapes and around the town. We will be and click on 'Badgers and Bovine TB', where we working with farmers to improve have outlined three ways to raise the profile of the stream water quality that feeds badger vaccination. into Perranporth’s bathing water.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 11 Nature reserves news Nowodhow an gwithvaow natur

Our Reserve Managers Seán O’Hea,

Nick Marriott and Peter Kent bring us 3 up to date on what’s happening in the Trust's 57 nature reserves. Seán O’Hea Nick Marriott Peter Kent

4

Devichoys Wood – 1 1 a legacy for moths and butterflies 2 A lot of work has taken place recently at Devichoys Wood Nature Reserve near Penryn, thanks to a generous legacy from John Barrington Cooke and his family. The money was donated to the Trust in memory of John and it was decided that it would be used at Devichoys Wood, where John spent a lot of time moth trapping.

The work has been targeted at improving the woodland habitat for moths and butterflies by opening up ancient rides and linking woodland with riverside meadows. This has created greater structural diversity and connectivity for birds, bats and insects, with an added bonus: a new waymarked trail for visitors. The extra loop of the Devichoys Wood footpath takes you across the leat via a new bridge and into Perran Meadows. New gates, steps and signs are being installed and the tracks and footpaths have all been upgraded.

This legacy has provided long-term sustainable support for our woodland management, as we have used some of the fund to invest in forestry equipment to help extract timber from our small woodlands. The new New oak bridge equipment, along with a partnership with a Community Wood Fuel at Devichoys.

Project, means that we can continue with small-scale woodland habitat NICK MARRIOTT management for years to come.

Bartinney – bigger, better and more joined up 2

Bartinney Nature Reserve in Penwith has recently Gateway installed in received some post-winter attention. Hay cuts have preparation for cattle grazing. been taken, ponds dug, dilapidated wooden stiles replaced with granite stiles, Cornish hedges rebuilt, metal Penwith-style bridle gates installed and cattle grazing reintroduced. A management milestone has been achieved: installing pedestrian and site management access through a hedge, linking together Bartinney and Caer Brân Nature Reserves for the first time.

Taking a hay cut from the acid grassland and then ‘aftermath grazing’ with cattle will produce a bumper crop of flowers this summer, providing pollen for the rare tormentil mining bee and its cleptoparasite (food stealer), the tormentil nomad bee. If visiting the site this spring, be sure to look out for cuckoos amongst the grassland,

feeding on large, hairy caterpillars. NICK MARRIOTT

12 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Habitat restoration at 4 This spring we are planning a major habitat restoration project at Make way for Helman Tor Nature Reserve in mid-Cornwall. At the time of writing we are waiting for final confirmation from Natural England, who we hope wildflowers at will fund the work through an ambitious new Countryside Stewardship 3 agreement. The project will build upon work carried out in recent Greena Moor years to maintain the key wildlife habitats we already have there, At the end of November the East Cornwall such as heathland and fen wetlands where the rare marsh fritillary Reserves Team spent a day with Plantlife butterfly lives. at Greena Moor Nature Reserve at , near Bude. We focused our efforts on clearing bracken from an area where upright vetch (Vicia orobus) has been recorded. It is hoped that reducing the biomass on this north-facing slope will improve floral diversity and give the upright vetch a better chance to thrive.

Over the coming months we will continue to work with Plantlife on new projects which have developed as part of their recent purchase of neighbouring land, extending the reserve by another 19 hectares. View from Helman Tor over Breney Once part of a larger area of mire and moor, Common, showing how scrub woodland Greena Moor has one of the last swathes of has isolated areas of open habitat.

Culm grassland in north Cornwall and is also SEÁN O’HEA home to Cornwall’s Coronation Meadow – a great place to visit in the summer months. We plan to clear areas of willow scrub woodland, which has grown across the site, preventing the marsh fritillary from moving between areas of suitable habitat. Many other types of wildlife will benefit from the work, such as the rare fern pillwort, which needs light and thin soils to grow. We will carry out archaeological, ecological and hydrological appraisals to finalise the details in the first half of 2018 before, starting work on the ground this coming autumn. JOE COSTLEY

Clearing bracken with Plantlife at Greena Moor.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 13 Your spring sightings Spring is an inspiring time to discover what’s Spring recordingTell ideas us around you, and you can help wildlife whilst ●● First swallowwhat of the year; swifts oryou house martins see! doing so. You can now report your sightings nesting. Even house sparrows are important. direct from the great outdOors, as Laura ●● WildflowersYour atwildlife your local nature sightings reserve, from providebluebells vital Fox and Nic Harrison-White of our Wildlife informationto orchids. for research and conservation Information Service explain. ●● Hedgehogs and other mammals visiting your garden – even rabbits and squirrels. Everyone has their own idea of what signifies the first day ●● Flowers coming up on the headlands. Have you seen of spring. Did you make a note of the first wild daffodil or spring squill, for instance? butterfly you saw, or the first chiffchaff you heard singing? If so, we want to know. Recording is one of the easiest If you think it’s interesting, so will we. It is now even easier ways to help wildlife. By collecting together every bluebell to let us know about your sightings, especially if you have record or slow-worm sighting, we can build a picture of a smartphone. Our recording website, Online Recording how Cornwall’s wildlife is faring, and work out how best to Kernow and Scilly (ORKS), has proved a popular place for conserve it. people to share their sightings and photos.

The information we gather is put to a multitude of good uses, from informing local or national organisations about how best to save a species to helping landowners write management plans to encourage wildlife on their land. Every record contributes to the bigger picture, helping us better understand changes in habitats Nic Harrison- and species distribution DOWNLOAD THE White locally and globally. ORKS APP

Do you listen out for the song of the chiffchaff each spring?

Laura Fox

Tell us what you see! Your wildlife sightings provide vital information for research and conservation New app for Cornish wildlife while you’re out and about

We are launching a new Cornish You can do all this even if you wildlife app for ORKS, so you can have no signal or data, as you can record your wildlife sightings on choose to upload your changes the go. It lets you: once you get back home and connect to wifi. DOWNLOAD THE ●● add records and photos while out ORKS in the wild. Your phone’s GPS The new app is available to APP capabilities will pinpoint your download for free via the Google Play or App Store. Why not get location, and can be adjusted if your encouraging wildlife in your garden. outside and give it a try? sighting is some distance away. If you have anything you would like ●● review, manage and edit records The Wildlife Information Service is to ask us, we are only a phone call or you’ve already submitted via here to help you with your wildlife email away: (01872) 273939, option 3 the app. questions, from identifying species to or www.erccis.org.uk/WIS. TERRY DUNSTAN

14 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 The worst marine strandings for 15 years Dolphins and porpoises are With the funds we are raising through our recently launched Marine Strandings Appeal, we can endeavour to gather some of our most majestic this strong supporting evidence, which will allow us to take and awe-inspiring marine effective action. mammals, and we are lucky Some of these threats we can’t do anything about, but there enough to see them regularly are simple solutions to others, such as bycatch mitigation in the form of ‘pingers’, which are acoustic deterrent devices Emma Miller around our Cornish coasts. on fishing nets. We also want to influence policy decisions to Fundraising Officer Tragically, we see them far too better protect these magnificent creatures. often washed ashore, stranded on our beaches. 2017 was a devastating year for our dolphins and porpoises. 0345 201 2626 A total of 249 cetaceans were recorded as marine strandings along the Cornish coastline. This figure is alarmingly high: the Marine Strandings hotline highest recorded since 2003, when 255 dolphins and porpoises Cornwall Wildlife Trust runs Cornwall’s Marine Strandings were stranded. Network, which has a team of over 100 dedicated volunteers Furthermore, scientists estimate that only 5–10% of these and mans a 24-hour, 7-days-a-week hotline taking calls from animals dying at sea ever get washed ashore, meaning last people when they find a stranded animal on the coast. We year the total off Cornwall could be closer to a loss of between then send trained volunteers to record every animal we 2,490 and 4,980 individual animals. These beautiful marine possibly can, gathering crucial information to help determine mammals really do deserve better and Cornwall Wildlife Trust why these animals died. We have been unable to process the wants to stop this happening. vast amount of data collected this year! The workload is overwhelming. Our Marine Strandings Network records stranded dolphins and porpoises and provides us with vital information to help determine causes of death and identify threats to their survival. Based on research to date, among the key local Donate threats is accidental entanglement in fishing nets, known as If you would like to contribute to this project, every donation bycatch, which can be recognised from specific injuries such as brings us closer to saving these majestic creatures and your encircling marks, cuts to the fins and mouth, and broken beaks. support would be greatly appreciated. This can be from the larger offshore pelagic trawl vessels, and we know bycatch also happens in local inshore nets. But there You can help by texting STRA18 £3, £5 or £10 to 70070 now, are other causes of death such as pollution, starvation and to donate to Cornwall Wildlife Trust and make a difference even bullying by bigger animals which results in broken today. Donations can also be made via bones, bruising and serious cuts called ‘rake’ marks. www.justgiving.com/cornwallwildlifetrust. In order to take action, we must establish whether there is a specific fisheries problem or other factors causing the unusually high numbers of stranded dolphins this past year. Marine mammal strandings Only by analysing our data, together with fisheries and can have natural causes but, other environmental data will we know enough. increasingly, human activity is behind these tragic events. The Marine Strandings Network is a well-organised and highly effective project that is not only shedding light on the problem, but giving us the means to do something about it.

Gillian Burke, BBC Springwatch Presenter and Marine Strandings Network Volunteer ANNABEELE LOWE

A tragic stranding of a common dolphin at Holywell Bay.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 15 Deeper into nature News from our specialist groups

If you want to wade a little deeper into nature, why not join one of the many specialist wildlife groups that Cornwall has to offer.

Contact details for many, including all those affiliated to the Trust, are on the inside front cover of this magazine. Selected events are in the diary on the centre pages. Here, four groups give an insight into what they do, with some fantastic images from the Photo Group.

1 2 3 Photography Group Annual competition In December we held our annual competition. As usual, entries were collected and collated by one of our members, Nigel Climpson, to whom we owe a big thank you. This year the competition was judged by another member (and another Nigel), Nigel Carter, who spent a lot of time looking through the 100-or-so images and provided a thorough analysis of their strengths and weaknesses, including some very useful technical information. We are grateful to Nigel for undertaking this role on our behalf.

In keeping with a long-standing tradition, published below are the names and titles of the top three placings in each category: Composition & Form; Birds; Fauna (other) and Flora. It is really nice to see so many new names in the honours list this year, as well as a few old ones!

David Chapman, Volunteer

Composition and form Birds st Mallard Feathers by Pamela Robertson 3 st Male Stonechat by Janie Rowe 1 nd Ripples Over the Sand by Joanna Clegg nd Northern Flickers by Adrian Langdon rd Starling Roost by Delia Trathen rd Kingfisher After the Dive by Adrian Langdon

16 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Cornwall’s Living Churchyards The Wheal Buzzy Project is an initiative to grow, so long as we raked up and whole area. Many people to support declining and endangered removed everything after cutting from the community bee species across AONB areas in in the autumn. This we did on the came along with their West Cornwall. One of the churchyards autumn harvest weekend, following rakes and barrows. The targeted is , and church the Council's annual visit to cut the second summer brought more members from there have written the butterflies, and birds including report below. Springtime in the churchyard at swallows swooping through Perranuthnoe. the various grasses. White-tailed Our own Living Churchyard bumble bees have nested, We are now just beginning our third year encouraged by the flowers. We of managing our closed churchyard and are able to walk the paths looking are looking forward to a meeting to learn for and identifying the many how to encourage the single nesting, or different grasses and wildflowers, solitary, mining bee. including ‘star of Bethlehem’, which was seen for the first time this year. We started in early 2016 when we We have seats in different areas, asked Robert Moor to come along including a Celtic prayer circle where to our church at Perranuthnoe to visitors can come, walk around talk about the Living Churchyards and sit awhile, enjoying this Project. We needed advice on how to beautiful place. encourage wildlife and wildflowers at the same time as keeping the area Dilys and Dave Ellis looking good for visitors and giving Volunteers good access to graves. For Living Churchyards We learned that we should keep paths information, call neatly cut around and through the Robert Moor

area but leave grasses and flowers ROBERT MOOR (01872) 272929.

4

Fauna (other) Flora st Stranded Portuguese Man o’ War by Joanna Clegg 4 st Bloody Cranesbill by Karin Saunders 2 nd Dew-covered Broad-bodied Chaser by Adrian Davey nd Musk Mallow by Karin Saunders rd Brown Hare by Adrian Langdon rd Weeping Widow Mushroom (in habitat) by John Evans-Jones

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 17 Deeper into nature News from our specialist groups

Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust Seal Squad: join our CSGRT needs your help in this ID hub team today important work You will already know about Cornwall Seal Group Research If you are interested in making a positive contribution Trust (CSGRT) and Sue Sayer. But did you know that this towards protecting our iconic grey seals, have some amazing woman has been doing seal photo ID since 2000? time on your hands and reasonable IT skills, we would Driven by her enthusiasm and tenacity, CSGRT is a network of love you to join one of our seal ID hubs. Each seal amazing and dedicated volunteers sharing her passion. team member can do one or more of the following: Recently our international reputation for photo ID was photographing seals; preparing photo albums in represented at the Society for Marine Mammology Conference PowerPoint; matching ID catalogue to album photos in in Canada and was recognised in an award for exceptional PowerPoint; analysing data in Excel; and writing reports contributions by Cornwall Mammal Group. Our long dataset in Word. Once trained, most of these tasks can be done helps understand more than ever about what individual seals remotely from home via a broadband connection. do. Our pioneering evidence about how they associate with each other, how they use different sites (sometimes thousands This project has received funding of £19,300 by players of km apart) and where they are having pups is critical to of People’s Postcode Lottery. To join in, email marion@ informing conservation efforts with partners. cornwallsealgroup.co.uk. Marion Beaulieu, CSGRT Amazement and Discovery Ranger

S89 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 Total Jan 2 2 3 1 1 1 2 1 1 14 Feb 2 1 1 2 1 5 Mar 1 2 2 5 Apr 1 1 2 May 1 1 2 Jun 0 Jul 1 2 1 1 5 Aug 2 1 1 3 7 Sep 1 1 1 2 1 3 9 Oct 3 1 1 2 1 2 2 12 Nov 1 1 1 1 2 6 3 2 4 2 1 3 27 Dec 1 2 1 5 1 3 1 14 WC Mainland Total 2 0 2 2 9 8 9 6 7 6 10 13 7 3 18 126 WC Offshore WC West/Penwith Calendar of 'Wings' identifications Skommer

Cornwall Mammal Group Celebrating, tracking and learning about mammals Another busy autumn for Cornwall Mammal Group (CMG) started with a visit to Woodland Farm in October to visit the Cornwall Beaver Project and to hold our AGM. We had an excellent turnout and a chance to recognise the work of Sue Sayer and the Cornwall Seal Group with a CMG award. In November we moved to for a presentation by Devon vet Stephen Powles on his studies of his local otters – amazing videos and inspirational work. December kicked off with our Christmas mammal quiz at Zelah – 40 ‘mammalophiles’ scratching their heads and trying to answer Pete Cooper’s challenging and entertaining questions. In between this we have also managed to coordinate a little light survey work and produce our twice-yearly newsletter.

Coming up in 2018: we are currently planning our long-anticipated hedgehog workshop, to understand more about hedgehogs in the Duchy. We will also be organising another dormouse event to bring local dormouse workers up to speed on the situation in the South West. Angie Nash will be organising a tracking and trailing workshop in the spring and there will be a scattering of short-notice survey/monitoring events. Sue Sayer of Cornwall Seal Group Research Later in the year we are also planning a photography workshop to help Trust (centre) receiving CMG’s Certificate of members with recording – check out the website for details: Recognition from CMG Chair Dave Groves and www.cornwallmammalgroup.org. Vice-Chair Kate Hills at the AGM in October.

Dave Groves, Volunteer MARION BEAULIEU

18 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Wildlife Watch

The Wildlife Watch team To book a place on our events, email Jo at wildlifewatch@ have been having a wild cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk, time, truly enjoying all goes WiLdbut be quick, as we book up that nature can bring and fast. You don’t need to be a Trust member, but if you are, in spite of the weather you get this fascinating over the winter too! From Wildlife Watch pack Joanna Arvor with stickers, a guide seashore foraging, campfire book, posters and cooking, nature walks and loads of wild and going wild about hedgehogs to bird feeding, weird nature facts. planting vegetables and beach art and crafts. So grab your wellies and come and join in the fun – it’s a great way to spend time in nature as a family. Wildlife Watch Have you seen the Wildlife Watch website? Check it out on www.wildlifewatch.org.uk for activity sheets, needs YOU! information and fun facts. There is so much to learn and to get involved with. Our volunteers are awesome, and we couldn’t do what we do without them. They run all our events with a big smile and look great in their shiny new kit too. To become a volunteer you’ll need to enjoy nature and have a willingness to share your passion with children and young people. You can be a Leader or an Assistant or both, and you’ll have training and regular support all the way. Above all, the aim is for everyone to have fun in our wild and beautiful Cornwall. Just contact Jo to find out more: wildlifewatch@ cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or on (01872) 273939.

Joanna Arvor, Family Events and Volunteer Coordinator

EM M A M IL E LE E R JE G N N N A Y E L S AW R IE

(left to right): Wild about hedgehogs. Wildlife Watch leaders show off their new kit while campfire cooking. Forage and feast.

ISSUE  SPRING  19 Your Local Group Agas Bagas Leel

Our Local Groups support wildlife in a number of ways. Whether you like illustrated talks, discovering wildlife outdoors, practical conservation tasks or simply meeting like-minded people, you are heartily invited to support your local wildlife volunteers by getting in touch and going along to an event near you. Bude The autumn programme started with while sharks are being hunted to a fascinating talk by Jen Bousfield on extinction for their fins, which creates the hazel dormouse and her study of an ecological imbalance in our oceans. these small, nocturnal and arboreal Continuing on a similar theme, a creatures that she first discovered warm welcome was given to Sgt in 1995 in her garden. Jen has Paul Freestone and PC Martin Beck undergone a lot of training and field from the Devon and Cornwall Wildlife work in order to obtain a licence to Crimes Group, who came to talk about become a monitor for the National the variety of problems they face Scheme. Dormice are a rare and when dealing with crimes involving protected species and are not related protected flora and fauna. This small to mice. Their need for a rich, varied Rwandan mountain gorillas are being but dedicated team rely heavily on the and balanced food source and habitat guarded for tourism. How should we public to make them aware of illegal makes them an indicator species: treat wildlife globally, and locally in activities and can be involved dormice in your garden show that the Cornwall? in anything from the illegal RICHARD PEIRCE natural balance is being maintained. importation of protected species first, and not the amount of money to local deer poaching. ‘Can conservation work in the that can be made from them. He wild?’ was the theme of our next used Rwandan mountain gorillas See the diary on the centre pages for speaker. Richard Peirce is a wildlife and sharks to illustrate his point. The upcoming events. conservationist, author and producer gorillas make millions of dollars for Ursula Edwards, who feels that the baseline for true the Rwandan government as a tourist Volunteer conservation is changing the mindset attraction and are therefore protected of humanity so that animals come by limited access and armed guards,

Friends of Kilminorth Woods Looking after Kilminorth Woods involves a never- only in Brittany and Cornwall. This was the ending series of practical tasks to maintain access, and first find in the Looe area. Xylaria crozonensis woodland management to benefit species like butterflies takes the form of small, black buttons, mostly on and dormice. In the autumn and early winter, members sessile oak. Another unusual member of the same used traditional tools to remove a fallen tree which was family, Xylaria cinerea, characteristic of oakwoods in blocking the riverside walk, and assisted our CORMAC maritime regions, was also found. ranger Jenny Heskett with installation of new signposts. Derek Spooner, Volunteer Checking the 70 plus dormouse boxes is a monthly task. Disappointingly, no dormice used the boxes in 2017, Installing a new the first blank year since the scheme started in 2012. In fingerpost. October, the group’s ‘fungi foray’ was joined by members of the Cornwall Fungus Recording Group, led by Pauline Penna. Over 30 species of fungi were found, including many that were relatively familiar, like King Alfred’s cakes, common earthball and sulphur tuft. The most exciting find was made by Cheryl Wiseman. This was Xylaria crozonensis, a rare species first identified nearly 20 years ago on the Crozon peninsula in Finistère, Brittany, and found for the first time in England in 2012 by Pauline near The tree . Since then there have been other finds, but removal gang. CHRISTINE SPOONER

20 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Camel

Most of us who live in Cornwall will Britan’s largest finch has been be familiar with the Atlantic grey attracting the attention of local seals that frequent our coasts, but birdwatchers. not necessarily so familiar with ADRIAN LANGDON common seals. But in 2017 we had and they attracted a lot of attention two incidences of these animals high from local birdwatchers. upstream in the . The first Most of the river valleys around the was seen in January, hauled out on area have been flooded this winter a mudbank about a mile upstream and have thus been supporting large from Wadebridge, and the second in numbers of both wildfowl and waders. December was about 12 miles inland Local birding highlights, besides at Dunmere weir. The latter was the hawfinches, have been a marsh carrying some injuries but was very marrier, a long-eared owl, short- alert and swimming well and after eared owls, ruff, Cetti’s warblers and a couple of days, was seen heading numerous overwintering blackcaps downstream back towards the sea. and chiffchaffs. There are also a few Five or six hawfinches frequented the wintering black redstart around the yew trees in the old part of town area of Wadebridge. A common seal photographed cemetery over the New Year period Camel committee upstream on the River Camel. ADRIAN LANGDON

of a Wild Penwith volunteer Tuesday, 10.00am, forecast wet and chough, ...seal, dolphin, deer, fox, adder, chops. Not today – we’re inside the windy,A daY we’re out on thein open moor!the liFebutterfly, dragonfly. Special, eh! farmhouse. What a spread, then a Get togged up and go, that’s what cream tea (jam first of course, we are Setting to work: it’s amazing what a we do. in Cornwall) from within a volunteer’s small, enthusiastic, team can achieve backpack! We’re stuffed – no work this A bit of scything bracken and bramble – it looked impossible to start with, afternoon. “My productivity targets (Ross Poldark may join us later), but we clear a whole field. A shout is are suffering,” says David! coppicing willow, Cornish hedge heard – “tea” – no mention of biscuits. repairs, burn the gorse, pull Has David forgotten them? We get on, ‘til 3pm. What a glorious ragwort or Himalayan balsam. day, with friends around me. The Stopping to look around we see: the Perhaps we’ll put up a fence or weather forecast was wrong again – Scillies, the , Watch Croft, Carn clear a pond for a change. sunshine, blue sky, turquoise seas. Galver, Beacon, Bosvenning, Just another perfect day with Wild Wow! A reconstructed round house, Common. Fabulous ancient Penwith Volunteers. an ancient well, Cornish tin mining landscapes. Back to work. buddles, an iron age village, 2,000 Julian Little, Volunteer “Lunch” – sandwiches again – year old Cornish hedges – treasures perhaps the farmer’s Land Rover will tucked away from public view for us arrive with roast pork in the back, to explore. The team are keen, banter or home-made sausages, or pork Upstream Thinking

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST incisive – what was that? A cuckoo, Volunteers: Wild Penwith (Tuesdays) We are a friendly, well- equipped, remote-location group supporting local farmers, working towards cleaner water and improved homes for wildlife in the Penzance to St Just area. If you would like to join in, learn new skills, get some fresh air and exercise, make new contacts, find some new interests or improve a CV – all while helping your local wildlife – please contact David May: david.may@ cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk; mobile: 07920 816020, office: (01872) 302274. A trusty group of Wild Penwith volunteers doing hedge repair work with Julian (far left) and David May (centre). ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 21 Sunday 20th May 2018 FREE Wildlife from 10.30pm till 4pm entry form Caerhays gardens, Gorran, , PL26 6LY Wildlife up Celebration close &

personal Wildlife walks and rockpool rambles Birds, bats 2018 and beasts

Special guests Gillian Burke from Springwatch joinfor aus PocketPals wild day Interactive out wildlife app

Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Caerhays Wildlife Celebration Estate would love to let you know what for one or two adults plus children we are up to. If you would like to sign up to our eNewsletter, please tick: Cornwall th FREE ENTRY Wildlife Trust Caerhays Estate . Sunday 20 May 2018, Caerhays gardens, Gorran, St Austell PL26 6LY Please fill out this free entry form and bring with you for free entry* to Wildlife Celebration Any personal information given to us is protected under the UK Data Protection Email [email protected] for more information. Parking and toilets for wheelchair users Act and will only be used for the purpose of membership administration and Name: fundraising for Cornwall Wildlife Trust and promotion of Caerhays Estate. Address:

Cornwall Wildlife Trust member? (please circle) Yes / No Postcode: Telephone: Email: Kindly supported by: How many adults are being admitted with this form? (please circle): 1 or 2

*Members and supporters of Cornwall Wildlife Trust have free entry to Caerhays gardens with this form for one or two adults plus children. Photocopies of this form are not accepted. Please see www.caerhays.co.uk for usual tickets prices for the public. Nature

Take care of noticesSOS – have your nature in your will Say on Our Seas This summer will hopefully see the Once you have taken care of family and government launch its third and final public friends, we hope that you will consider consultation in creating more Cornish Marine a gift in your will to Cornwall Wildlife Conservation Zones (MCZs). This is an Trust. It’s easier than you may think unprecedented opportunity to designate a further to update your will, or create one. And set of new protected areas at sea and we need your if you are arranging a funeral – a gift support to make sure this happens. Sign up to our in kind of donations in lieu of flowers Friends of MCZ newsletters atwww.wildlifetrusts. offer a lasting protection to a treasured org/mczs for news and action updates. Cornish place and memory. Please call Marie on (01872) 302249 for a chat. Find us online Improve your ID The Trust now has over 30,000 followers on and recording skills social media! The Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS) workshops were popular and well received last year. Look in the centre pages for the 2018 Explore the summer programme. shore this summer Each year, The Wildlife Trusts celebrate National Marine Week, which runs from 28th July to 12th August this year. Cornwall Wildlife Trust will Wildlife finds of the arthropod kind be running a series of events to help you discover the wonders of our 2017 was the best year in a century for the marsh fritillary Cornish coast. Check out butterfly on Nature Reserve. www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ More rare bees were found on our West Penwith whatson. nature reserves, and the large and handsomely striped wasp spider (Argiope bruennichi) was spotted at the Trust’s HQ for the first time.

New Marine Conservation Groups 30 Days Wild – school packs There are four new local marine groups, for teachers free wildlife three of them CWT Local Groups. Thanks to Nat and the Your Shore Beach Special packs to give away school Rangers project for making this happen. Be part of something big and wild with the UK’s Find your nearest on a map at packs for nature challenge through June. Last year Cornwall https://beachrangers.com/ teachers Wildlife Trust won the ‘most engaged Trust’ across all community/your-shore-network/ 47 Wildlife Trusts! Do a ‘random act of wildness’ every day. Keep 16th–17th June free for our Big Wild Weekend. We have School free packs to give away – sign up at www.wildlifetrusts.org/30DaysWild. Let’s win it for wild Cornwall again!

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 23 Pull-out Diary of events Dydhlyver hwarvosow

Mid-April 2018 to mid-August 2018

APRIL Mis Ebryl Friday 13 Sunday 15 Sunday 22 Looe Island Guided Walk Rockpool Expedition Open Garden – Pedn Billy Looe, 2.00pm to 6.00pm. Nr Truro, 12.30pm to 2.30pm , 2.00pm to 5.00pm Booking is essential Booking is essential Bar Road, Helford Passage, TR11 5LF. Boat ride to the island where you join the Expedition for adventurous rockpool Wildflower areas, specimen trees, warden for an escorted walk. During the detectives. A mile-long walk to a sheltered terraced borders, azaleas, magnolias, 3-hour visit we’ll help you spot the wildlife. cove to discover rockpools. Age 6+. rhododendrons, camellias, ancient Learn about the Trust’s work & No facilities nearby; steep hills & rocky woodland with paths to challenges of island life. terrain. Bring drinks & snacks. Leader: & R Helford to private beach. Refreshments After the walk there’s the option of a slide Heather Buttivant. Contact/organiser: & toilet. Well-behaved dogs on leads. £5. show in Jetty Cottage.A £25. huge Contact/ thankCWT Wildlife you Watch (01872) for 273939; supportingU16s free. Partial easy access. us Contact:, booking: www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ [email protected]. Open Garden Coordinator (01872) 273939. islandwalks. from everyoneSponsored here by South at West Cornwall Water. WildlifeOrganised by CWT. Trust Saturday 14 Tuesday 24 Sunday 15 Blooming Bluebells and ‘Fish People’ Open Garden – Nr Par, 7.30pm to 10.00pm other Signs of Spring Garden Meet at Trenython Manor, , Nr Truro,10.00am to 12.00 noon Par PL24 2TS (SX101541). Booking is essential and House , , 11.00pm to 4.00pm Fundraising event by Sue Sayer of Cornwall With spring in your step explore a On the A393 between Lanner & . Seal Group. Bring money for donation & wonderful valley looking at signs of Magnificent woodland garden: drinks. Leader/contact: Claire Hoddinott renewal as you go. Leader: Chloe. Contact/ (01726) 833061 or friendsofthefowey@gmail. organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) rhododendrons, magnolias, azaleas & camellias, behind Burncoose com. Organised by FFE. 273939; wildlifewatch@ Nurseries. Access to whole 30 acres & cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. recently refurbished Burncoose House. Friday 27 Refreshments; dogs on leads. See www. Bat Ecology, Identification Saturday 14 burncoosehouse.co.uk. £5. U16s free. Rough-surfaced level paths. Contact: Open and Recording Spring Birds Gardens Coordinator (01872) 273939. Nr Truro. Booking is essential , 10.00am to 1.00pm Organised by CWT. Meet at CWT HQ, Allet. Meet at the Cecil Arms by St Stephens Biological recording workshop to develop ID Church PL12 4AR (SX417583). skills. General bat ecology & echolocation. Discover the wide variety of spring birds on Try out different detectors/recorders & ID Churchtown Farm Community Nature COPY DATE for the next diary software on the reserve. Bring notepad, Reserve. Bring binoculars, camera. Friend is Friday 20th April 2018. pen & torch. Cost: £35 for most, £72 for members free, £2 non-members. commercial/government. Leader: Steve Leader: Peter Kent. Contact: Mary (01752) Wild Cornwall no. 136 will be Marshall. Contact: Laura Fox (01872) 302246; 843852 Organised by FoCFCNR. published on 27th July 2018. [email protected]. Organised by ERCCIS.

EVERYONE is welcome to attend ALL events IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PARENTS: except where specified (eg as unsuitable for Children must be accompanied by an adult at all events, and must remain that person’s young children). Events are free unless specified, responsibility at all times. Sorry, no dogs at Cornwall Wildlife Trust Wildlife Watch events. but donations are appreciated. Please bring appropriate clothing and footwear to all outdoor Further details of events and activities are available on our website: events. If bad weather is forecast, call event www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/whatson organisers to check that weather-dependent activities are still running. Five Acres, Allet, Truro, TR4 9DJ Tel. (01872) 273939

24 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 APRIL Mis Ebryl MAY Mis Me Saturday 28 Wednesday 2 Sunday 6 Reptile and Amphibian Woodland Birds Wildlife Ramble Surveying Near . Booking is essential Constantine, 10.00am to 1.00pm Nr Truro. Booking is essential Meet at Cabilla & Redrice Woods. Meet at junction Fore Street & Well Lane Meet at CWT HQ, Allet. Biological recording workshop to develop ID under noticeboard (SW731291). skills. Breeding birds in ancient woodland: CRAG workshop on survey techniques & ID Guided walk through Bosahan Woods. £4. free birdsong CD. Bring notepad, binoculars, of reptiles & amphibians. From beginners HMCG members; U18s free. Contact: Sue Scott pen & camera. Cost: £35 for most, £72 for to CPD for professionals. Bring notepad, (01326) 340961; coordinator@helfordvmca. commercial/government. Leader: Martin pen & camera. Cost: £25 for most, £50 for co.uk. Organised by Helford MCG. Rule. Contact us re disabled access. Contact: commercial/government. Leaders: Paul Laura Fox (01872) 302246; laura.fox@ Diamond & Helen Fearnley. Contact us re Friday 11 cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Organised by disabled access. Contact: Laura Fox (01872) ERCCIS. Photography 302246; [email protected]. Constantine, nr Falmouth, 10.00am to 3.00pm uk. Organised by ERCCIS. Meet at car park, junction of Vicarage Wednesday 2 (& first Wed of each month) Terrace & Bowling Green Rd, centre of Saturday 28 CSGRT meeting Constantine Village TR11 5AW (SW731291). Looe Island Guided Walk Redruth, 7.30pm to 10.00pm Photographing wildflowers, lichens, 2.30pm to 6.30pm Meet at Inn for All Seasons (SW701434). mosses, birds in Bosahan Woods. Muddy See Friday 13 April for details. Seal updates & highlights. & uneven. Bring camera equipment, drink, Contact: [email protected]. lunch. £2 donation to CWT. Phone if bad Saturday 28 weather forecast. Leaders/contacts: Karin Saunders 07790 613786; kar1n@madasafish. Has Spring Sprung? Saturday 5 com & Becky Curtis 07746 083422; curtis_ Holywell Bay, 10.00am to 12.00 noon [email protected]. Organised by CWT Booking is essential. Meet at NT car park TR8 Spring Vegetable Growing Photographic Group. 5DD (SW766587), parking charges apply. and Companion Gardening St Austell, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Saturday 12 Explore Penhale Point overlooking Holywell Booking is essential Bay at the perfect time for spring flowers. Reptiles in the Wild Meet CWT’s organic cows. Rough ground. Join Wildlife Watch volunteers & Tamasin Nr . Booking is essential No dogs. Leader: Jon Cripps. Booking: CWT Pemberton to learn about organic vegetables to plant. Decorate plant pots to Look for snakes & on a walk around reception (01872) 273939. Leader/contact: a nature reserve, play games & learn [email protected]. take home too. £1.50 to cover costs. Contact/ organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) about these shy, scaly creatures as you go. Organised by CWT/Perran Sands Holiday Park. 273939; wildlifewatch@cornwallwildlifetrust. Leaders: Jenny & Chloe. Contact/organiser: org.uk with www.perennial-harvest.co.uk. CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Sunday 29 [email protected]. Bluebell Storytelling Walk Saturday 5 Saturday 12 Flushing, nr Penryn, 2.00pm to 4.00pm Booking is essential Dawn Chorus Walk History of Looe Island Join the woodland fairy for a spring Looe, 5.00am to 8.00am Guided Walk storytelling walk in the woods, learn more Booking is essential. Meet at gate Looe, 2.00pm to 5.30pm. Booking is essential to Kilminorth Woods (SX246537). about the carpets of beautiful bluebells too. Join local historian Mark Camp for a boat Enjoy the dawn chorus and learn to identify Bring drinks & snacks. Leader: Gill Dobson. ride to and escorted walk around Looe Island birds from their song. Followed by option of Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch Nature Reserve. During the 3-hour walk breakfast in local café. Bring binoculars. (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ (and optional slide show) you’ll learn of the Leader: Derek Spooner. Contact: Christine cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. island’s intriguing history. Fantastic views & Spooner (01503) 265590; kilminorth@ wildlife spotting. £25 Contact: btinternet.com. Organised by FoKW. Sunday 29 www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ Open Garden – Higher islandwalks. Trenedden Sunday 6 Nr , 2.00pm to 5.00pm Wild About Hedgehogs Meet at Peakswater PL13 2QE. Nr Bodmin, 11.00am to 1.00pm Please send details of events (these Booking is essential MUST be submitted on the new Eight-acre garden in quiet valley. Cottage form available from Trust HQ) to: garden, arboretum (planted 2006), with Learn all about our prickly friends and how we can encourage them into our gardens. specimen trees, meadow with large pond, Diary Editor, Mark Dungey, 10 Rame Leader: Emma Miller. Contact/organiser: boardwalk through marshland, abundant Croft, Rame Cross, Penryn, TR10 9NB; CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; wildlife. £5 adults. Disabled access is limited. [email protected] Tel. (01209) 860970 Contact: Open Garden Coordinator (01872) with Operation Hedgehog. Email: [email protected] 273939. Organised by CWT.

Key to symbols: Abbreviations: Bats Film or illustrated talk CRAG Cornwall Reptile & Amphibian Group CSGRT Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust Birds Marine CWT Cornwall Wildlife Trust Butterflies and moths Open garden or wild plants ERCCIS Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly CWT Wildlife Watch event for Photography accompanied children FFE Friends of the Estuary Reptiles and amphibians FoCFCNR Friends of Churchtown Farm Evening get-together Community Nature Reserve Sponsored by South West Water FoKW Friends of Kilminorth Woods Family event, organised with children in mind Walk MCS Marine Conservation Society MCG Marine Conservation Group Full or partial disabled access Workshop/training NT National Trust

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 25 MAY Mis Me Saturday 12 Saturday 19 Sunday 20 Red Moor Spring Walk Snake Patrol Valley South of Bodmin, 9.30am to 12.00 noon Nr Penhale, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Nature Walk Meet at grass triangle, Tredinnick Pits, Booking is essential Luxulyan Village, 10.00am to 2.00pm Bodmin PL30 5AP (SX076622). Fantastic adventure in search of reptiles. Meet at Black Hill free car park near Treffry Walk around northern end of Red Moor, Bring sturdy walking shoes, long trousers Viaduct down from Luxulyan Village looking for resident and returning migrant & long-sleeved tops. Leader: Jon (SW069572). birds & other wildlife. Mostly level, but Cripps. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Walk through beautiful hidden valley, usually wet underfoot. Bring binoculars & Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ carpeted in bluebells & other woodland wellies. Leader/contact: Phil McVey (01208) cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. wildflowers amongst granite boulders. Bring 873300; [email protected]. Organised by CWT Restormel Group. Saturday 19 binoculars, wildflower guide book & lunch. Collection taken. Children welcome with Discover Rockpooling parents. Leader/contact: Joan Farmer West Looe, 2.00pm to 4.00pm Sunday 13 (01726) 852603; [email protected]. Booking is essential Looe Island Guided Walk com. Organised by CWT Restormel Group & Learn how to find & protect crabs, fish & 2.00pm to 6.00pm Friends of . other rockpool creatures. Bring wellies or See Friday 13 April for details. sturdy beach shoes, bucket. No nets please. Leader: Heather Buttivant. Contact/organiser: Monday 28 CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Sunday 13 [email protected]. Solitary Bees Spring Woodland Walk Sponsored by South West Water. Penryn campus. Booking is essential , 10.00am to 12.00 noon Biological recording workshop to develop ID Booking is essential skills. Long-horned Bee Eucera longicornis Explore a beautiful woodland with birds, Sunday 20 & other solitary bees in Cornwall. Classroom minibeasts, bluebells & ancient trees, Wildlife Celebration 2018 session/presentation & field trip. Bring collecting treasures to take home. Leader: Nr St Austell, 10.30am to 4.00pm notepad, pen & camera. Cost: £35 for most, Cathy Turtle. Contact/organiser: Caerhays gardens, Gorran, PL26 6LY. £72 for commercial/government. Leader: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Paddy Saunders. Contact us re disabled [email protected]. Caerhays are opening their gardens & beach to CWT’s Wildlife Celebration. access. Contact: Laura Fox (01872) 302246; Birds, bats, beasts, wildlife walks, rockpool [email protected]. Sunday 13 rambles, wildlife advice . Special guests Organised by The Kernow Ecology Long- Gillian Burke from Springwatch & horned Bee Project, ERCCIS and EcoSoc. Bluebell Walk Pocketpals wildlife app animation team. Looe, 10.30am to 1.00pm. See FREE ENTRY form, page 22. Tea Meet at Millpool gate to Kilminorth Woods rooms & Caerhays restaurant. Disabled Monday 28 (SX246537). parking & toilets. Contact: (01872) 273939; Birds of Looe Island Guided walk among the spring flowers of [email protected]. Kilminorth Woods. Contact: Christine Guided Walk Spooner (01503) 265590; kilminorth@ 2.45pm to 6.15pm. btinternet.com. Organised by FoKW. Sunday 20 Booking is essential Seaquest Sunday Join local birder Derek Spooner for a boat Bude, 11.00am to 1.00pm. Booking is essential ride to & escorted walk around Looe Island Sunday 13 Nature Reserve. During the 3-hour walk (and Join Your Shore Beach Rangers and the Conservation Cruise optional slide show) you’ll encounter a Seaquest team to spot dolphins, seals & range of birds and learn about how they are Helford, 3.30pm to 5.30pm birds. Then learn about Cornish marine monitored. Enjoy spotting other wildlife & Booking is essential. life with games & craft. Leaders: Natalie Meet at Ferryboat Inn Jetty, TR11 5LB great views. £25. Booking: www. Gibb & Jen Sanderford. Contact/organiser: cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/islandwalks. (SW764269). CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Annual conservation cruise down the [email protected]. Helford, with local experts. Displays & Tuesday 29 children’s activities. Binoculars useful. £12 Sunday 20 Bags of Fun adults, £6 children. Contact: Sue Scott Looe Island Trip Penzance, 11.00am to 1.00pm (01326) 340961; coordinator@helfordvmca. Booking is essential co.uk. Organised by Helford MCG. Looe, 9.00am prompt to 1.30pm-ish. Booking is essential. Meet at RNLI Slipway We’ll join Your Shore Beach Rangers for East Looe. PL13 1HL. Nearest car park PL13 bags of fun this half term. Explore the beach Sunday 13 May 2AF (SX254536). to look for treasures; decorate a reusable Open Garden – The Old Guided visit by boat to Looe Island to see seals, cotton bag to take them home in. £2/bag. Rectory, birds, butterflies & meadows and discover its Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch history. Pack a picnic or take a late lunch in Looe. (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Nr , 2.00pm to 5.00pm cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. From Boscastle take road to Bude. Follow Bring money. Cost TBC. Leader/contact: Claire signs to The Old Rectory B&B. If using sat Hoddinott (01726) 833061; friendsofthefowey@ nav use PL35 0BT, continue down road & gmail.com. Organised by FFE. Tuesday 29 follow signs for The Old Rectory B&B. Sunday 20 Wild Foods Walk Three-acre south-facing woodland garden: Helford Village, 10.00am to 12.00 noon magnificent rhododendrons, azaleas, Reptile Survey Booking is essential camellias, long herbaceous borders, Victorian Nr Penhale, 10.00am to 1.00pm walled kitchen garden – fruit, veg, hens & Booking is essential Meet at Helford Village car park. Guided wild runner ducks. Fields with rare breed pigs, food walk to identify culinary & medical Find out how to survey for our native lizards uses of edible spring plants. Learn how to Jacob sheep. Solar panels, biomass boiler. & snakes. Bring walking shoes/boots, long Refreshments & toilet. Well-behaved dogs on forage safely. £4. U18s & HMCG members trousers, long-sleeved tops. Leaders: Jon leads. Disabled access limited to the lower free. Leader: Caroline Davey from Fat Hen. Cripps & Mark Nicholson Contact: CWT part of garden. http://www.stjuliot.com. £5. Contact: Sue Scott (01326) 340961; U16s free. Contact: Open Garden Coordinator Reception (01872) 273939; reception@ [email protected]. (01872) 273939. Organised by CWT. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Organised by Organised by Helford MCG. CWT & CRAG.

26 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 MAY Mis Me JUNE Mis Metheven Wednesday 30 Sunday 3 Saturday 16 Seashore Forage and Feast Open Garden – Sunset Paddleboard Nr ,11.30am to 1.30pm Little Park Farm Nr Falmouth, 5.00 to 8.00pm Booking is essential Malpas, Truro, 2.00pm to 5.00pm Park at Bosveal NT car park. Join a wild food expert on a foraging walk From Trafalgar roundabout follow rd to Join the Your Shore Beach Rangers for a sunset along the coast, where you will learn about Malpas, past cricket ground to Sunny Corner paddle board session & beach BBQ. Cost £20, edible and poisonous wild plants. Help by river edge. Turn left into lane signed £10 for U24s, subsidised by YSBR. No U11s, prepare lunch cooked over an open fire on ‘Little Park’. Drive 500 yards up hill, first U18s accompanied. Bring wetsuit, wetsuit the beach. Leader: Stuart Woodman right, TR1 1SX. boots or old trainers. All SUP equipment www.woodmanswildfood.com. South-facing hillside garden with stunning provided. Booking: Jenn 07973 28775. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch views over the Malpas Passage & downriver. (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Semi-formal gardens, large conservatory, Sunday 17 cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. stone-flagged terrace, large pond. Sponsored by John Bray Cornish Holidays. Treetastic Native Trees Wildflower meadows, mown paths to Nr Bodmin, 10.00am to 12.00 noon shrubbery & woodland walks. Fragment of Booking is essential Thursday 31 18th century parkland with fine specimen Become a tree detective and enjoy some bark trees. £5. U16s free. Some level areas with rubbings & other activities too. Strictly age Spring Beaver Watch parking close to house. Contact: Open Nr Truro, 8.00pm to 10.00pm 6+. Leader: Catriona Burt. Contact/organiser: Garden Coordinator (01872) 273939. Booking is essential CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Organised by CWT. [email protected]. Join Tom our Conservation Manager, for the first of two visits this year to see the amazing Sunday 17 work of two beavers who were introduced Saturday 9 back to Cornwall in June 2017. Learn about Seaweeds and the Sea Open Garden – Lethytep their nocturnal lives as you explore the Nr St Agnes, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Nr , 11.00am to 4.30pm habitat they now call home. We can’t Booking is essential At follow the B3359 towards guarantee a sighting but you may just be Pelynt, Looe & . After 3.3 miles take Explore the beach for seaweeds, find out lucky. Strictly age 6+. Leader: Tom Shelley. right turn marked Penadlake. PL13 2PG. about them, then learn how to press them. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch Make seaweed art and a sun print. Age 7+. 52-acre wildlife haven in sheltered valley. (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Wildflower meadows, large ponds, path cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Leader: Liz Barker. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; through meadow, a woods to wetland [email protected]. area: orchids, dragonflies & butterflies. Thursday 31 Refreshments & toilet. Sorry no dogs. £5. U16s free. Reasonably level access to Polzeath Marine Sunday 10 many parts along winding paths. Contact: Discovery Day Pond Dipping Open Garden Coordinator (01872) 273939. 11.00am to 2.00pm Truro, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Organised by CWT. Polzeath Beach/Polzeath Marine Centre, Booking is essential Dunders Hill, Polzeath PL27 6TA Sunday 17 Do some pond dipping. Who are the ‘top Wildlife Watch are joining Polzeath MCG, dogs’ in the pond? Learn ID skills. Bring Wildflowers NT and other marine organisations for a wellies. Leader: Liz Barker. Contact/ Saltash, 10.00am to 1.00pm wonderful day of rockpool rambles, arts, Meet at Churchtown Farm Nature Reserve, crafts, sand sculptures and much more. See organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch between St Stephens Church & Cecil Arms www.polzeathmarineconservation.com for (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ PL12 4AR (SX417583). more information. Contact: 07779 896650; cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. [email protected]. Polzeath MCG. Discover wildflowers on the reserve. Bring binoculars, camera. Free for Friends Tuesday 12 members; £2 non-members. Leader: Ian Looe Island Guided Walk Bennallick. Contact: Mary Langworth (01752) JUNE Mis Metheven See Tuesday 13 May for details. 843852. Organised by FoCFCNR. Saturday 2 Friday 22 Rockpool Safari Saturday 16 Photography Nr Falmouth, 1.00pm to 3.00pm Encouraging Pollinators St Just-in-Penwith, nr Land’s End, Booking is essential in your Garden 3.00pm to 9.30pm. Join the Falmouth Wildlife Watch crew for a St Austell, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Meet at lay-by near Nanjulian Farm; TR19 fun-filled rockpool ramble. Leaders: Jenny Booking is essential 7NU (SW362293). Take minor road down & Chloe. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife north side of Land’s End airfield. Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Learn how to encourage bees & butterflies. £1.50 to cover costs. Leader: Tamasin We will photograph arable flowers cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. at Boscregan Farm, longhorn cattle, Sponsored by South West Water. Pemberton. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ wildflowers, maybe choughs & sunset on the cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk with coast. Terrain can be difficult & wet; no facilities. £2 donation. Phone if bad Sunday 3 www.perennial-harvest.co.uk. weather forecast. Leader/contact: David Seashore Forage and Feast Chapman (01736) 850287. Organised by CWT Falmouth, 1.00pm to 3.00pm Saturday 16 Photographic Group. Booking is essential Rockpool Safari Join wild food expert Stuart Woodman Friday 22 , 1.00pm to 3.00pm. www.woodmanswildfood.com on a coastal Booking is essential Seagrass Summer Solstice foraging walk and learn about edible & Penzance, 4.30pm to 6.30pm poisonous plants. Help prepare lunch over Find out about the secret lives of marine Booking is essential an open fire on the beach. creatures. Bring wellies or sturdy beach Contact/organiser: shoes & bucket. No nets please. Leader: An afterschool adventure: using bathyscopes, CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Heather Buttivant. Contact/organiser: CWT learn about beautiful sea grass beds. Contact/ [email protected]. Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) Sponsored by John Bray Cornish Holidays. [email protected]. 273939; wildlifewatch@cornwallwildlifetrust. org.uk with the Your Shore Beach Rangers.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 27 JUNE Mis Metheven JULY Mis Gortheren

Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 Sunday 1 Wednesday 11 Dragonfly Weekend Wonderful Wild Flowers Photography Near Truro. CWT HQ, Allet & Nr Saltash, 10.00am to 12.00 noon , 10.00am to 3.00pm Valley LNR. Booking is essential Booking is essential Meet in Penlee Battery reserve car park Biological recording workshop to develop Discover all about wildflowers in a beautiful PL10 1LB (SX436491; directions on ID skills. Day 1 (Allet): larvae/exuviae. Day 2 setting. Decorate pots; plant some seeds CWT website). (Red River) adult dragonflies. Free of charge, to take home. £1/child. Leader: Nat We will photograph arable flowers & courtesy of the Alexanda Records Fund: Mitchell. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife butterflies on Penlee Battery Nature Reserve. http://erccis.org.uk/AlexandaRecordersFund. Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Terrain can be difficult; no facilities. Bring Bring notepad, binoculars & camera. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. food & camera equipment. £2 donation. Not open to commercial/government Phone if bad weather forecast. Leader/ contact: David Chapman (01736) 850287. organisations. Leader: Steve Jones. Friday 6 Contact us re disabled access. Contact: Organised by CWT Photographic Group. Laura Fox (01872) 302246; laura.fox@ Woodland Moth Trapping cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Looe, 9.00pm to 11.00pm Organised by ERCCIS. Meet at Millpool Gate to Kilminorth Woods, Thursday 12 West Looe. (SX246537) Butterflies Sunday 24 Identify, with expert help, the wide variety . of moths attracted to a moth trap. Bring Booking is essential Summer Bughunting torch, camera; magnifying lens useful. Meet at Penlee Battery Nature Reserve. Camborne, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Donations welcome. Leader: John Nicholls, Biological recording workshop to develop ID Booking is essential Leon Truscott. Contact: Christine Spooner skills. A variety of butterfly species, including What minibeasts are out on the longest day (01503) 265590; [email protected]. Marbled White. Bring notepad, pen, of the year? Magnifying glasses & Organised by FoKW. binoculars & camera. Cost: £35 for most, £72 notebooks in hand, let’s go! Leader: for commercial/government. Leader: Dave . Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Saturday 7 Thomas. Contact us re disabled access. Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Wildlife Gardening Contact: Laura Fox (01872) 302246; laura. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. St Austell, 10.00am to 12.00pm [email protected]. Booking is essential Organised by ERCCIS. Sunday 24 We join Tamasin Pemberton to identify what wildlife lives in your garden. £1.50 to cover Thursday 12 Open Garden – ‘Arundell’ costs. Contact: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) Nr , 2.00pm to 5.00pm. 273939; wildlifewatch@cornwallwildlifetrust. Looe Island Guided Walk Meet at ‘Arundell’, , org.uk. Organised by CWT Wildlife Watch & See Tuesday 13 April for details. Crantock TR8 5SE www.perennial-harvest.co.uk. A garden where no garden should be! On NT headland between two fantastic beaches. Saturday 14 Sunday 8 1 acre around original farm cottage. Cottage Rockpool Expedition and garden, Mediterranean courtyard, rockery, Beautiful Butterflies shrubbery, pond & stream, herbaceous Falmouth, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Picnic borders, gravel garden, small pinetum area, Booking is essential Nr , spectacular exotic garden. Best garden in 11.30am to 2.00pm. Booking is essential Explore the meadows to try to find some of Newquay in Bloom. £5 adult. Limited these precious pollinators – catch some if An adventure: nature walk through a disabled access. Contact: (01637) 831 916. you can! Leader: Amber Nichols. Contact/ beautiful valley to a remote cove to discover Organised by CWT. organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; rockpool secrets. 6 yrs +. 1km in each [email protected]. direction. Bring sturdy footwear, bucket & picnic. No nets please. Leader: Heather Saturday 30 Buttivant. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife Sunday 8 Brilliant Bees Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ , 2.30pm to 4.30pm Open Garden – Meadowside cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Booking is essential Redruth, 2.00pm to 5.00pm Sponsored by South West Water. Meet at Meadowside, , Redruth, Learn about these amazing pollinators and Cornwall TR16 6AE. make a bee house to take home. Contact/ Sunday 15 organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) A 6-acre smallholding with large vegetable 273939; wildlifewatch@cornwallwildlifetrust. garden, wildflower meadow with many Dune Nature Detectives org.uk with Society. southern marsh orchids, two large Nr Penhale, 10.00am to 12.00 noon polytunnels, orchard, fruit cage, walled Booking is essential garden with herbaceous and shrub borders, Become an explorer following a trail to see Saturday 30 south-facing gravel garden. Sheep, pigs, hens, what creatures live on a special nature Honeycomb Reef Expedition turkeys & bee hives. Managed with wildlife in reserve. Leader: Cathy Turtle. Contact/ Bude. mind. Refreshments. Good disabled access organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch Booking is essential but toilet not suitable for wheelchair access. (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ Well-behaved dogs on leads. £5. U16s free. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. We’ll join the Your Shore Beach Rangers to Contact: Open Garden Coordinator (01872) explore amazing honeycomb worm reefs. 273939. Organised by CWT. Who also calls these reefs home? Leaders: Sunday 15 Nat Gibb & Jen Sanderford. Sunday 8 Contact/organiser: Seaweed Search CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Visit to Lethytep Gardens Prisk Cove, Smith, [email protected]. Nr Lanreath, 10.00am to 4.00pm 12.00 noon to 2.30pm. Booking is essential. Meet at ‘Lethytep’, Meet at Mawnan Church, Old Church Road, Penadlake PL13 2PG (SX175588). Mawnan TR11 5HY (SW788272). 52 acres of wildlife gardens, meadows. Part of MCS’s project searching for 14 COPY DATE for the next diary woodland & lakes, opportunity to walk species of seaweed following the recording is Friday 20th April 2018. through the gardens & indulge in a cream transect set up in 2017. Leaders: Angie Gall tea. Donations to the Hambly’s chosen & Sue Scott. Contact: Sue Scott (01326) Wild Cornwall no. 136 will be charity. Leader/contact: Peter Edwards 340961; [email protected]. published on 27th July 2018. (01726) 833141; [email protected]. Organised by Helford MCG. Organised by FFE.

28 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 JULY Mis Gortheren JULY Mis Gortheren AUGUST Mis Est

Wednesday 18 Friday 27 Sunday 5 Grasses, Sedges and Rushes Bat Walk Summer Vegetable Near . Booking is essential Nr Bude, 8.00pm to 10.30pm Planting and Growing Booking is essential. Meet at NT Office, Meet at Green. St Austell, 10.00am to 12.00 noon Stow Barton, EX23 9JW Booking is essential Biological recording workshop to develop (SS212113). ID skills. Structures & diagnostic features Learn about organic vegetables. Decorate of varieties in Cornwall. Bring notepad, Introductory talk about bats over a cup of coffee or juice at Stow Barton & walk through pots & plant seeds to take home. £1.50. pen & camera. Cost: £35 for most, £72 for Leader: Tamasin Pemberton. Contact/ commercial/government. Leader: Derek Coombe Valley with bat detectors. Children with adult supervision encouraged. Bring organiser: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) Green. Contact: Laura Fox (01872) 302246; 273939; wildlifewatch@cornwallwildlifetrust. [email protected]. torches. £3. Leaders: Rob Robinson & Sarah Stevens. Contact: (01288) 321326 binsrob@ org.uk with www.perennial-harvest.co.uk. Organised by ERCCIS. aol.com. Organised by CWT Bude Group with NT & Cornwall Bat Group. Tuesday 7 Saturday 21 Saturday 28 Marine Litter Masterpieces Churchtown Farm , 10.00am to 12.00 noon Discovery Day Glowing Glow Worms Meet on beach in front of Follyfield car park, Nr Saltash, 10.00am to 4.00pm Nr Penhale, 10.00pm 11.30pm TR17 0EG. Meet at Wearde Road entrance, Churchtown Booking is essential Beach clean with a difference, creating Farm Nature Reserve PL12 4AS. Late night walk to search for glowing beetles. masterpieces with the colourful plastics Activities throughout the day include table Strictly age 6+. Bring a torch. Leader: Jon you discover. Contact: matt.slater@ top arts & crafts, minibeast hunts. Leaders: Cripps. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Organised by Bob Austin (01752) 844666 or Nat Mitchell. Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ CWT. Sponsored by South West Water. Contact: Natalie Mitchell natalie.mitchell@ cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. Organised by Sunday 5 FoCFCNR with CWT Wildlife Watch. Sunday 29 Open Garden – Trenarth Wildlife Treasure Hunt Nr Falmouth, 2.00pm to 5.00pm Saturday 21 Nr Constantine, Falmouth, 10.30am to Located at High Cross, Constantine TR11 5JN. Butterfly Walk 12.30pm. Booking is essential Join volunteers from Helford MCG on a 4 acre garden around 17th century farmhouse; Seaton Valley, 10.30am to 1.00pm panoramic views. 16th century courtyard, Booking is essential. low input organic farm with meadows, woodland, pond & remains of an iron age listed walls, gravel & palm area, yew rooms, Meet at pay & display car park, Country Park vegetable garden, orchard & woodland. entrance, Seaton (SX303544). round, all leading down to the banks of the Helford. Prizes for winning teams & best Water & bog features, lesser horseshoe bat Looking for butterflies, moths & other bugs. wildlife finds. Why not bring a picnic? Leader: roost. Quirky, child friendly garden, with Leaders: John Nicholls, Leon Truscott. Contact: Sue Scott. Contact/organiser: CWT Wildlife children's trail. Ancient green lane walk to Christine Spooner (01503) 265590; kilminorth@ Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ pond & through woods. Refreshments & btinternet.com. Organised by FoKW. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. toilet. Well-behaved dogs on leads. £5. U16s free. Not suitable for wheelchairs. Contact: Sunday 22 Open Garden Coordinator (01872) 273939. Tuesday 31 Organised by CWT. Summer Forest School Paddle for Plastic Nr Bodmin, 10.00am to12.00 noon Lizard Peninsula, 2.00pm to 5.00pm Monday 6 Booking is essential Booking essential Learn to Snorkel in a Join Badger Forest School looking for signs Kayak adventure with Lizard Adventures & of summer. Den building, fire lighting & CWT Marine Officer Matt Slater, exploring Rockpool exploring. Bring drinks & snacks. Leader: secluded coves & recovering hard to reach Bude, 3.00pm to 5.00pm. Booking is essential Ysella Woods. Contact: CWT Wildlife plastic from around Peninsula, to be Snorkelling in a safe environment. Strictly Watch (01872) 273939; wildlifewatch@ recycled by Fathoms Free. Cornwall residents age 6+. Bring wetsuit, boots & snorkel (some cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. only. No under 8s; U16s accompanied. £35 snorkels can be provided). Leaders: Natalie (discounted rate). Booking: 07845 204040. Gibb & Jen Sanderford. Contact/organiser: Sunday 22 Sponsored by South West Water. CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; Open Garden – Trevoole Farm [email protected] Praze-an-Beeble, 2.00pm to 5.00pm AUGUST Mis Est with Your Shore Beach Rangers. On B3303 Camborne to Helston, on sight of large minehouse & chimneys, take lane on Saturday 4 Friday 10 left (TR14 0RN ). Strandline Treasures and Summer Garden Wildlife Granite-lined flower borders, farmhouse Sand Sculpture Competition Nr Camborne, 10.00am to 12.00 noon courtyard, shade & bog garden, rose Nr Polzeath, 1.00pm to 3.00pm Booking is essential walk, chickens, herb garden, patchwork & Booking is essential vegetable gardens, wildlife pond, orchard, Explore a stunning country garden: birds, greenhouse & shepherd’s hut garden. Decorate sand sculptures with your beach bees, flowers & pond inhabitants. Lots to see Level gravel paths. Refreshments & toilet. finds. Prizes to be won. Leader: Megan Rush. & do. Leader: Daena Rose. Contact/organiser: Well-behaved dogs on leads. £5. U16s free. Contact: CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; CWT Wildlife Watch (01872) 273939; [email protected]. Contact: Open Garden Coordinator (01872) [email protected] Sponsored by John Bray Cornish Holidays. 273939. Organised by CWT. with Wildwood Eco Garden. Saturday 4 Thursday 26 Friday 10 Looe Island Guided Walk Butterflies and Moths Rockpool Ramble Saltash, 10.00am to 12.00 noon See Tuesday 13 May for details. Fowey, 10.45am to 12.45pm. Meet at Churchtown Farm Nature Reserve, Meet at Readymoney Beach. PL23 1DG for between St Stephens Church & Cecil Arms nearest car park (SX117512). 28 July - 12 August PL12 4AR (SX 417583). Fun for all. U18s accompanied. Beach Café Finding butterflies & moths on the reserve. National Marine Week Bring binoculars, camera. Friends free, £2 open. Bring money for car park. Free to FFE See www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ non-members. Leader: Gary Lewis. Contact: members, £1.50 non-members. Contact: Claire whatson for a full list of beach and Mary Langworth (01752) 843852. Organised Hoddinott (01726) 833061;friendsofthefowey@ marine events. by FoCFCNR. gmail.com. Organised by FFE.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 29 Bott lenose bulletin Our Marine Conservation The Consortium worked with Rebecca Dudley, MRes at the University of , to collate all sightings and Manager Ruth Williams now photographic data from a large number of collaborators, and has the answers to some big create a photo ID catalogue. From this, Rebecca was able questions about the bottlenose to assess the social structure, residency and distribution of bottlenose dolphins in south-west England. dolphins we see around Cornwall’s coast. Ruth Williams Bottlenose dolphins are well known as the intelligent and charismatic stars of the sea. They danced through waves in the opening sequence of the fabulous Blue Planet II on television recently, and here in Cornwall we are lucky enough to see them regularly around our coast. However, over recent years we have been concerned that there is no specific protection offered to these animals and we actually know very little about how bottlenose dolphins use our seas. Bottlenose dolphin Cornwall Wildlife Trust launched its Bottlenose Dolphin near the Cornish coast. Appeal in 2015 to raise awareness and much-needed funds, ADRIAN LANGDON and the progress and research that has been undertaken So, to a trumpet fanfare, we can now definitively say that since then has been fantastic. we have an inshore group of approximately 28 bottlenose In 2016, the Southwest Bottlenose Dolphin Consortium dolphins who are resident in our coastal waters (less than was established – a collaborative partnership coordinated 50m deep). This is a very distinct social group, not mixing at by Cornwall Wildlife Trust. The partnership includes a all with other animals from further offshore. These resident range of conservation groups, universities, businesses and animals are seen throughout the year, all around the individuals who agreed to share their data and expertise to south-west coast, ranging from the north Cornish learn more about our local dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins coast to Bournemouth. often have distinct markings and notches in their dorsal This research has provided incredibly exciting proof that we raised fins and these can be used to identify individual animals, do indeed have a small resident population of bottlenose enabling us to answer some specific questions, including: £2,671 dolphins in Cornwall, and we know how many there are, ●● Is there a distinct inshore group of bottlenose dolphins too. This is vital information if we are to better protect our in the South West? dolphins from the many threats they face. Further work is needed, but this is a huge step forward and proves what ●● How far do these coastal animals range? can be achieved by working together and the strength in ●● How many dolphins are in the inshore sharing data. The future of these iconic animals is in population? our hands and we need to make sure the few we currently have in south-west waters are given the protection not just to survive, but to thrive. Definitive proof: Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Manager we have a resident inshore group of bottlenose A summary factsheet of this research can be found at dolphins www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org. uk/living-seas/bottlenose-dolphin- project Close-up of a bottlenose dolphin A full list of collaborators and photographed off how to send in sightings or Newquay. photos can be found at www. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/ living-seas/bottlenose-dolphin- project ANNABELLE LOWE

30 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Meur rhas dhis

Fundraising and volunteering raised for your local Wildlife Trust Tesco Bags of Help £3,730 offer tangible benefits in terms Your votes have again enabled us to secure significant ...funding through the of physical health, emotional Thank YouTesco Bags of Help scheme. Thank you! The wellbeing, social inclusion and £3,730 raised will be used by our Marine Strandings just downright simple fun. Network in response to the tragedy described on Emma Miller Everyone’s a winner, as your page 15. Work will include training volunteers to record, tag, and take dolphins and porpoises to post-mortem to fundraising efforts, donations, grant awards and gather evidence. volunteering make a real impact, providing the backbone to the Trust’s work helping wildlife and wild places. On behalf of everyone at the John Bray sponsors Trust, thank you for your incredible support. happy school holiday Emma Miller, Fundraising Officer memories Holiday specialist John Bray has kindly Co-op Local Community Fund sponsored several Thank you to all the fantastic ‘Wildlife brilliant Co-op members Watch’ family events this who voted for Wildlife year: a Seashore Forage Watch through the ‘Co-op and Feast, Strandline Local Community Fund’, Treasures and Marine raising £2,671.38. Litter Masterpieces this This will help us to summer and an Extreme raised engage and educate Rockpooling event in October. £2,671 more children These will be very popular, so across Cornwall please book well in advance. through our exciting wildlife-themed events. Race for Wildlife A huge thank you to Mounts Bay Harriers for organising the biggest Race for Wildlife yet, raising £370. Over 330 runners enjoyed the challenging 7.5 miles through stunning countryside west of Penzance. Thank you also to Espresso Cornwall for keeping all raised donated the runners and spectators refreshed £2,448 and for the extra donation. £370 ROSE SUMMERS

South West Water provides M&S Power for Wildlife – equipment for volunteers thank you for voting! South West Water has made the generous donation of We secured a massive 2,099 votes, winning grant £2,448 towards equipment for our Upstream Thinking us a grant of £12,000 from the M&S Energy Project volunteers. This has allowed us to purchase Fund. This will allow us to fit solar PV at our £12,000 much-needed tools and wet weather gear, enabling headquarters in Allet and help reduce our carbon our dedicated team to continue their essential practical footprint. By reducing our operating costs we will conservation work. free up extra funds for our key wildlife conservation work.

If you feel inspired to fundraise for Cornwall Wildlife Trust, please contact me on (01872) 302266. To join our committed volunteers, please call (01872) 273939. 31 Helping wildlife – a winning business strategy

Visitors coming to Cornwall As the local environment is such an important part of the business, Perran Sands has invested in a variety of positive each year may appreciate the strategies, including a new Countryside Stewardship scheme beautiful beaches and rugged that runs for five years. This will fund habitat management work such as scrub removal, fencing to enable grazing, countryside, but might not and mowing. The park helps to fund Penhale Dune Ranger realise the hard work and Jon Cripps, from Cornwall Wildlife Trust. He looks after this effort that goes into sustaining precious habitat on behalf of a management group made up Antonia of interested parties including major landowners. Mullaly this often fragile environment. Jon explains, “I work with Perran Sands to help encourage In order to recognise the companies that excel, the Trust people to explore the dunes and experience the wealth of sponsors the ‘Wildlife Friendly Tourism Business Award’ wildlife that lives there. For example, we have developed an trophy at the annual Cornwall Tourism Awards. Entrants orienteering trail. People can follow a map and compass and must demonstrate proven commitment to best practice explore, collecting nature stamps as they go.” Visitors can in protecting and enhancing Cornwall’s wildlife. Our also download an innovative ‘Dune Detectives’ app for the conservation team visit all the locations and undertake site and take part in fun family activities. detailed site visits. This year, we were delighted to see so many of our Business Supporters entering – doubtless June Donnery, General Manager at the park, has initiated a inspired to take part after seeing the many positive effects whole host of developments to protect and enhance their that winning can have. premises for wildlife. She comments, “Our beach, ocean and sand dunes are at the heart of the business; without them the Perran Sands Holiday Park, part of the Bourne Leisure product we offer would be diminished. This would impact Group, won Gold as the best wildlife-friendly tourism directly on return visits and advocacy, which contribute a business. A self-catering holiday park based near Hayle, it great deal towards our profitability. For example, the team sits in the stunning Penhale Dunes – the largest sand dune work tirelessly to litter pick. Attention to detail means the system in Cornwall – which is designated both a Special Area of Conservation and a Site of Special Scientific Interest.

1 2 CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST CORNWALL TOURISM AWARDS

3 CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

32 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 strandline habitat is left undamaged and prevents plastic from entering the ocean. Holidaymakers see the team leading by example and this helps to change their behaviour. We have also created a new pond that is already home to diving beetles and dragonflies, which we use for pond dipping activities.”

In addition, June’s application for the award highlighted their sustainable credentials. Oils and fats are collected and recycled, low energy use is Cornwall thrives on the energy and promoted throughout the site and water is conserved. WeLcome!enthusiasm of its business community and we are thrilled to welcome a fantastic Taken together with many other impressive ideas, Perran Sands proves that selection of new joiners to our Business tourism can go hand in hand with nature, which is probably Scheme. From the worlds of food and one of the reasons why an impressive 50% of people retail to agriculture and art, they have all staying at the park committed to protecting a fantastic place are repeat visitors. to live and work. If you are interested in joining them or upgrading your membership, please get in touch. Winning formula Want to be in with a chance of winning next year? Try some of these ideas and be inspired to develop new ones.

Dig a Create a Cornish pond hedge with native Control Wildlife Guardians plants rather invasive Southern England Farms than a fence species Help to record Reduce plastic Business Members wildlife and use and recycle Arts and media share the as much as Natalie Toms results with us possible Food and drink Put up a Trevaskis Farm Choose ‘A’ rated Install low flow mixture of Retail appliances and showers, taps bird and Fin Lines ensure boilers and toilet flush bat boxes are efficient systems Accommodation providers Hotel The Cornwall Hotel Invest in Educate your visitors electric Visitor attractions about the wildlife on vehicles site and support Museum local community projects Please contact me, Antonia Mullaly, Acting Business Support Manager, on (01872) 302264 or antonia.mullaly@ cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk if you are interested in taking out a membership, sponsorship options or fundraising.

1. Regular beach cleans are essential. 2. Perran Sands wins Gold at the Cornwall Tourism Awards. 3. Horses help to graze the dunes. 4. June Donnery, Perran

CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST Sands and Jon Cripps, Dune Ranger 4 launch the Dune Detective app.

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 33 Natu ral World News from The Wildlife Trusts across the UK Spring 2018

for babies & kids 0-10 years! Over the past 11 years we have donated more than £124,000 to the Nuts about Cornwall Wildlife Trust!

Help us to make a BIG change by shopping at welovefrugi.com squirrels? or call 01326 572828 to request a catalogue. Find out where to see Every year we donate 1% of our turnover them on page 12 to charities including the Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Marine Conservation Programme.

Name(s): Wild About Nature? Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Join the Cornwall Wildlife Trust now and Address: discover the incredible natural world, right on your doorstep How to repair You will receive three editions of Wild Cornwall magazine, and Postcode: be part of Cornwall’s leading local wildlife charity working to Date of Birth: Telephone: a sand dune protect Cornwall's wildlife and wild places. Email: (With Christmas Join online at cornwallwildifetrust.org.uk/join or call the Children’s details (for family membership) trees, obviously) membership team on (01872) 273939. Name: We have 57 nature reserves that we manage and develop Name: across Cornwall. Your membership helps to protect our unique Name: biodiversity and Cornish native species. Name: The magic of Membership rates: I am happy to be contacted by Cornwall Wildlife Trust about our linescapes conservation work, membership, fundraising and other activities by: Minimum subscription rates: Monthly Annual See your garden in *(Direct Debit tick for all methods post phone only) a whole new way email e-newsletters text Single £2.50 £30 Joint £2.75 £33 Registered charity number 214929. Registered charity name Cornwall Trust for Nature Conservation Ltd **Concessionary single £1.50 £18 GIFT AID: I confirm I have paid or will pay an amount of Income Tax and/or Capital Gains Tax “I like mud, and being **Concessionary joint £1.75 £21 for each tax year (6 April to 5 April) that is at least equal to the amount of tax that all the charities or Community Student £1.50 £18 Amateur Sports Clubs (CASCs) that I donate to will reclaim on my gifts for that tax year. I understand close to trees.” that other taxes such as VAT and Council Tax do not qualify. I understand the charity will reclaim 28p Family (includes Fox Club £4.00 £48 of tax on every £1 that I gave up to 5 April 2008 and will reclaim 25p of tax on every £1 that I give on or The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman on membership for up to 4 children) after 6 April 2008. Data Protection Act. Any personal information given to us is protected under the UK Data Protection Act 1998 and will only be used for the purpose of membership administration and fundraising for Cornwall Wildlife Trust and we will never sell or swap your details. the healing power of nature **Retired/unemployed. *Forms available online.

34 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 Natu ral World News from The Wildlife Trusts across the UK Spring 2018 Nuts about squirrels? Find out where to see them on page 12

How to repair a sand dune (With Christmas trees, obviously)

The magic of linescapes See your garden in a whole new way

“I like mud, and being close to trees.” The Spectator’s Isabel Hardman on the healing power of nature UK NEWS Latest UK-wide news and issues: wildlifetrusts. Eight things farmers Our biggest org/news Wildlife Trusts call should be paid to provide challenge yet More, bigger and be er Your membership of your Wildlife for a farming rethink Trust is making great things happen 1 natural habitats near you for wildlife and people. New report proposes a better way to spend public Using ecological mapping to co-ordinate Thank you. Together, The Wildlife money on agriculture after the UK leaves the EU farmers’ land management Trusts have a voice infl uencing each Thriving of the four elected parliaments in eaving the EU is a rare environmental needs using local data similar cost to today’s system, the UK. Our input is informed by our work in real chance to reverse the and consultation with local people. public benefits would massively 2 wildlife places, with real people, real local authorities, fortunes of the wildlife, soil, Linking farmers together and increase. For the first time, all good Pioneering farmers have shown that you farmers and businesses. We have a deep and L can farm profi tably and restore wildlife water and habitats which post-war targeting investment where it is most quality habitat in the area would be broad understanding of what helps wildlife on land agricultural policy has depleted. needed will restore habitats and join well managed and expanded. £14m Abundant and at sea, and of the immense benefi ts for people That’s the message in a new them up.” would be invested in natural flood pollinators and communities of being closer to nature. report by The Wildlife Trusts on the The report suggests the current UK management over 10 years. 3 We’ve been on the case for over 100 years. From future of farming and land agriculture budget of £3bn could ■ More on wildlifetrusts.org/ These insects are a vital link in our food 1912, we sought to stop the draining of the East chain. Joint action can bring them back management in England. What fund the new system. We currently farming Anglian Fens. We were pivotal in securing the 1949 Next for Farming? suggests that spend £144bn on health, £87bn on Healthy Act that brought in statutory conservation. We once the UK leaves the EU’s education and £37bn on defence. soils were a central voice when the 1981 and 2000 Acts Common Agricultural Policy, A study of the River Aire 4 were passed, tightening protection for key wildlife payments to farmers should be catchment shows how this idea Westminster Farmers should be paid for conserving and sites. Subsequently, we led the charge for Marine improving soil linked to a wide range of benefi ts, could work. A Yorkshire Wildlife seems to agree! Acts to protect our seas. for people and wildlife. Trust report concludes that for a Clean Now we face our biggest challenge: securing “At the moment, farmers can Environment Secretary Michael water state backing for nature’s recovery. Protected sell the food they grow through Gove has also announced that 5 wildlife sites are vital, but a healthier fabric is the market. But they can’t sell a the Government intends to Reducing fertiliser pollution and run-oŠ required if wildlife is to become abundant again. In will clean rivers and lower water bills whole range of benefi ts or change the current approach to the last issue, we called for an Environment Act. services that society needs,” farm payments. Whilst we Clean air and climate Now there may be political movement towards it. says Ellie Brodie, Senior Policy welcome the proposals, one big In her fi rst speech about the environment, the MATTHEW ROBERTS MATTHEW 6 change mitigation Manager at The Wildlife Trusts. risk remains. Vast areas of Restoring dried-out peatlands locks up Prime Minister refl ected our ambition for nature’s “Our report proposes three farmland currently receive ‘basic atmospheric carbon recovery. Maybe Government is beginning to see public funds. The money would payments’, which require how much wildlife means to society. The speech be allocated through local positive management of wildlife Flood Risk recognised nature’s vital role in our mental health, environment plans designed to habitats, such as hedgerows. 7 Management and the scourge of plastic pollution. There were achieve nature’s recovery. These Restoring peat uplands When these payments end, new Changing livestock and land use on hills fantastic words and ambitions that raise the spirits. plans would be allocated would be more profi table regulations will be required to slows down water runoŠ , reducing fl oods But in the end, actions speak louder than words. through local nature recovery than degrading them replace them. The fact that we depend on the natural world plans – identifying Healthy remains too far from the centre of government 8 people policy. There needs to be legislation to ensure real Better access to the countryside means and lasting change. Unless governments show For a similar cost to today’s system, better physical and mental health more leadership, wildlife will continue to decline and with it our health, as even more people public benefi ts would massively increase become isolated from nature.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts @stephhilborne

Wherever you are in the UK, your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature. Contact us on [email protected] or 01636 677711. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus. Natural World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT. The report shows how we Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Communications Manager Lucy McRobert. Cover: Scottish red squirrel by Peter can meet the needs of Cairns/2020VISION both nature and farming twitter @wildlifetrusts facebook.com/wildlifetrusts DON SUTHERLAND

36 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 UK NEWS Latest UK-wide news and issues: wildlifetrusts. Eight things farmers Our biggest org/news Wildlife Trusts call should be paid to provide challenge yet More, bigger and be er Your membership of your Wildlife for a farming rethink Trust is making great things happen 1 natural habitats near you for wildlife and people. New report proposes a better way to spend public Using ecological mapping to co-ordinate Thank you. Together, The Wildlife money on agriculture after the UK leaves the EU farmers’ land management Trusts have a voice infl uencing each Thriving of the four elected parliaments in eaving the EU is a rare environmental needs using local data similar cost to today’s system, the UK. Our input is informed by our work in real chance to reverse the and consultation with local people. public benefits would massively 2 wildlife places, with real people, real local authorities, fortunes of the wildlife, soil, Linking farmers together and increase. For the first time, all good Pioneering farmers have shown that you farmers and businesses. We have a deep and L can farm profi tably and restore wildlife water and habitats which post-war targeting investment where it is most quality habitat in the area would be broad understanding of what helps wildlife on land agricultural policy has depleted. needed will restore habitats and join well managed and expanded. £14m Abundant and at sea, and of the immense benefi ts for people That’s the message in a new them up.” would be invested in natural flood pollinators and communities of being closer to nature. report by The Wildlife Trusts on the The report suggests the current UK management over 10 years. 3 We’ve been on the case for over 100 years. From future of farming and land agriculture budget of £3bn could ■ More on wildlifetrusts.org/ These insects are a vital link in our food 1912, we sought to stop the draining of the East chain. Joint action can bring them back management in England. What fund the new system. We currently farming Anglian Fens. We were pivotal in securing the 1949 Next for Farming? suggests that spend £144bn on health, £87bn on Healthy Act that brought in statutory conservation. We once the UK leaves the EU’s education and £37bn on defence. soils were a central voice when the 1981 and 2000 Acts Common Agricultural Policy, A study of the River Aire 4 were passed, tightening protection for key wildlife payments to farmers should be catchment shows how this idea Westminster Farmers should be paid for conserving and sites. Subsequently, we led the charge for Marine improving soil linked to a wide range of benefi ts, could work. A Yorkshire Wildlife seems to agree! Acts to protect our seas. for people and wildlife. Trust report concludes that for a Clean Now we face our biggest challenge: securing “At the moment, farmers can Environment Secretary Michael water state backing for nature’s recovery. Protected sell the food they grow through Gove has also announced that 5 wildlife sites are vital, but a healthier fabric is the market. But they can’t sell a the Government intends to Reducing fertiliser pollution and run-oŠ required if wildlife is to become abundant again. In will clean rivers and lower water bills whole range of benefi ts or change the current approach to the last issue, we called for an Environment Act. services that society needs,” farm payments. Whilst we Clean air and climate Now there may be political movement towards it. says Ellie Brodie, Senior Policy welcome the proposals, one big In her fi rst speech about the environment, the MATTHEW ROBERTS MATTHEW 6 change mitigation Manager at The Wildlife Trusts. risk remains. Vast areas of Restoring dried-out peatlands locks up Prime Minister refl ected our ambition for nature’s “Our report proposes three farmland currently receive ‘basic atmospheric carbon recovery. Maybe Government is beginning to see public funds. The money would payments’, which require how much wildlife means to society. The speech be allocated through local positive management of wildlife Flood Risk recognised nature’s vital role in our mental health, environment plans designed to habitats, such as hedgerows. 7 Management and the scourge of plastic pollution. There were achieve nature’s recovery. These Restoring peat uplands When these payments end, new Changing livestock and land use on hills fantastic words and ambitions that raise the spirits. plans would be allocated would be more profi table regulations will be required to slows down water runoŠ , reducing fl oods But in the end, actions speak louder than words. through local nature recovery than degrading them replace them. The fact that we depend on the natural world plans – identifying Healthy remains too far from the centre of government 8 people policy. There needs to be legislation to ensure real Better access to the countryside means and lasting change. Unless governments show For a similar cost to today’s system, better physical and mental health more leadership, wildlife will continue to decline and with it our health, as even more people public benefi ts would massively increase become isolated from nature.

Stephanie Hilborne OBE Chief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts @stephhilborne

Wherever you are in the UK, your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature. Contact us on [email protected] or 01636 677711. To join your Wildlife Trust, visit wildlifetrusts.org/joinus. Natural World, The Kiln, Waterside, Mather Road, Newark, Notts NG24 1WT. The report shows how we Editor Rupert Paul Layout editor Dan Hilliard Communications Manager Lucy McRobert. Cover: Scottish red squirrel by Peter can meet the needs of Cairns/2020VISION both nature and farming twitter @wildlifetrusts facebook.com/wildlifetrusts DON SUTHERLAND

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 37 KODIAK HIGH SCHOOL ALDERNEY WT ALEX HYDE/NATUREPL.COM ULSTER WILDLIFE 27 or more or 27 Herring gulls

can live to be to can live

An example of of example An marine litter art litter marine Come into my parlour: my into Come oricola Sitticus fl Spiders endorse Spiders Landscape Living A survey in the Wildlife Trust’s Delamere Living Landscape has revealed two rare spiders: the Sitticus floricola jumping spider (found at two sites) and the money spider Glyphesis cottonae (four sites). Both species live on wet moss. Long-range secrets Long-range gulls of Alderney’s Alderney by research Long-term the revealed has Trust Wildlife of gulls. A lesser lives extraordinary as a chick gull ringed black-backed Spain and in Castellon, spotted was And a herring in Switzerland. later 27. at alive gull ringed in 1991 is still The Prince chats with chats Prince The marshmallow roasters marshmallow The raw material is, material raw The widely available unfortunately, “Prince Harry is on a mission for Harry is on a mission “Prince is MyPlace, project, The and participants taking part in anddead-hedging, bushcraft mindfulness. be de- to mental health issues said Lancashire stigimatised,” “The CEO Anne Selby. Trust Wildlife normalise is to prize the biggest so it becomes this sort of approach nationally.” part of the system as a holisticpioneering nature that building on research therapy, improves with nature contact health. The mental and physical dynamic partnership between and the Trust Wildlife Lancashire NHS Foundation Care Lancashire the European is funded by Trust Lottery. Social Fund and National

Prince Harry visits Brockholes visits Harry Prince to good mental health mental good to Harry sees nature as a valuable aid aid valuable a as nature sees Harry HRH Prince Harry has been toHRH Prince agship fl Trust’s Wildlife Lancashire support a project to reserve nature get people to young encouraging Viking wild. He visited the into meet sta to Brockholes at Wood LANCS WT LANCS schoolPrimary and secondary NI’s marine NI’s er contest li Northern Ireland across Children into plastic turning washed-up are competition, resulting art. The and the Wildlife Ulster by organised is Festival, Science Northern Ireland of the growing awareness raising and its of marine plastic, menace impact on sea life. the rubbish from pupils collected winningtheir local beach. The Bangor at displayed were pieces and at in February, Carnegie Library In June the coast. around events Living Seas Trust’s the be at they’ll Art Exhibition in Downpatrick. The owls declined owls The SPRING 2018 SPRING ISSUE 135 habitat and nest sites and nest habitat due to loss of hunting of hunting loss due to Adults ringed Adults occupied Boxes Chicks ringed Chicks (from 183 boxes inspected) 183 boxes (from inspected) 126 boxes (from inspected) boxes 72 (from 2017 85 2017 55 2016 24 2015 51 2017 26 2016 11 2015 40 2017 26 2016 16 2015 Project facts Project UK beavers are UK beavers ing established ge After the Scottish Government’s 2016 announcement that European beavers would be a protected species, three new animals have been added to the original group released in Knapdale Forest, Argyll. The aim is to improve the population’s genetic diversity. Other Wildlife Trust beaver projects in Kent, Scotland, Devon and Wales are also gaining support.

RUSSELL SAVORY

east of Chelmsford of east

Aerodrome, south- Aerodrome, A box at Stow Maries Maries Stow at box A “We are thrilled with the numbers are “We of barn owl chicks that have been have chicks that of barn owl said Emma Ormond, Living ringed,” “Thank Landscapes Co-ordinator. landowners all the volunteers, to you the who make and businesses their With such a success. project vital provide to starting are help we will help beloved that information scale.” on a national barn owls

Now in its fi fth year, the Essex the Essex fth year, in its fi Now launched to project The

site at Knapdale at site

beaver release release beaver Idyllic: the the Idyllic: Sustained e† and volunteers ort by e† Sustained be the right to proves landowners success for formula

Barn owls in Essex are returning to returning are in Essex Barn owls haunts, their former of many a multi-partner projectthanks to Trust. Wildlife Essex led by two is run by Barn Owl Project and 160 , 50 volunteers sta‘ Trust advise volunteers The landowners. and boxes, build nest landowners, landowners The their use. monitor hunting and suitable provide Businesses sites. breeding sponsors and corporate also generously have materials. donated the dramatic help reverse across owls barn of decline on, years Five the country. boxes than 260 nest more and been installed have been 164 chicks have also have ringed. Boxes occupied successfully been owls, of tawny the likes by and mallard doves stock ducks. back owls bounce owls Essex barn Essex provide suitable hunting and suitable provide

UK NEWS

SCOTTISH WILDLIFE TRUST WILDLIFE SCOTTISH

SCOTTISH WILDLIFE TRUST WILDLIFE SCOTTISH ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION ANDY 38 KODIAK HIGH SCHOOL ALDERNEY WT ALEX HYDE/NATUREPL.COM ULSTER WILDLIFE 39 27 or more or 27 Herring gulls

can live to be to can live

An example of of example An marine litter art litter marine Come into my parlour: my into Come oricola Sitticus fl Spiders endorse Spiders Landscape Living A survey in the ’s Delamere Living Landscape has revealed two rare spiders: the Sitticus floricola jumping spider (found at two sites) and the money spider Glyphesis cottonae (four sites). Both species live on wet moss. Long-range secrets Long-range gulls of Alderney’s Alderney by research Long-term the revealed has Trust Wildlife of gulls. A lesser lives extraordinary gull ringed as a chick black-backed Spain and in Castellon, spotted was And a herring in Switzerland. later 27. at alive gull ringed in 1991 is still The Prince chats with chats Prince The marshmallow roasters marshmallow The raw material is, material raw The widely available unfortunately, “Prince Harry is on a mission for Harry is on a mission “Prince is MyPlace, project, The and participants taking part in anddead-hedging, bushcraft mindfulness. be de- to mental health issues said Lancashire stigimatised,” “The CEO Anne Selby. Trust Wildlife normalise is to prize the biggest so it becomes this sort of approach nationally.” part of the system as a holisticpioneering nature that building on research therapy, improves with nature contact health. The mental and physical dynamic partnership between and the Trust Wildlife Lancashire NHS Foundation Care Lancashire the European is funded by Trust Lottery. Social Fund and National

SPRING 2018 SPRING ISSUE 135

Prince Harry visits Brockholes visits Harry Prince to good mental health mental good to Harry sees nature as a valuable aid aid valuable a as nature sees Harry HRH Prince Harry has been toHRH Prince agship fl Trust’s Wildlife Lancashire support a project to reserve nature get people to young encouraging Viking wild. He visited the into meet sta to Brockholes at Wood LANCS WT LANCS schoolPrimary and secondary

li er contest li Northern Ireland across Children into plastic turning washed-up are competition, resulting art. The and the Wildlife Ulster by organised is Festival, Science Northern Ireland of the growing awareness raising and its of marine plastic, menace impact on sea life. the rubbish from pupils collected winningtheir local beach. The Bangor at displayed were pieces and at in February, Carnegie Library In June the coast. around events Living Seas Trust’s the be at they’ll Art Exhibition in Downpatrick. NI’s marine NI’s The owls declined owls The habitat and nest sites and nest habitat due to loss of hunting of hunting loss due to Chicks ringed Chicks ringed Adults occupied Boxes (from 183 boxes inspected) 183 boxes (from inspected) 126 boxes (from inspected) boxes 72 (from 2017 85 2017 55 2016 24 2015 51 2017 26 2016 11 2015 40 2017 26 2016 16 2015 Project facts Project UK beavers are UK beavers ing established ge After the Scottish Government’s 2016 announcement that European beavers would be a protected species, three new animals have been added to the original group released in Knapdale Forest, Argyll. The aim is to improve the population’s genetic diversity. Other Wildlife Trust beaver projects in Kent, Scotland, Devon and Wales are also gaining support.

RUSSELL SAVORY

east of Chelmsford of east

Aerodrome, south- Aerodrome, A box at Stow Maries Maries Stow at box A “We are thrilled with the numbers are “We of barn owl chicks that have been have chicks that of barn owl said Emma Ormond, Living ringed,” “Thank Landscapes Co-ordinator. landowners all the volunteers, to you the who make and businesses their With such a success. project vital provide to starting are help we will help beloved that information scale.” on a national barn owls

Now in its fi fth year, the Essex the Essex fth year, in its fi Now launched to project The

site at Knapdale at site

beaver release release beaver Idyllic: the the Idyllic: Sustained e† and volunteers ort by e† Sustained be the right to proves landowners success for formula

Barn owls in Essex are returning to returning are in Essex Barn owls haunts, their former of many a multi-partner projectthanks to Trust. Wildlife Essex led by two is run by Barn Owl Project and 160 , 50 volunteers sta‘ Trust advise volunteers The landowners. and boxes, build nest landowners, landowners The their use. monitor hunting and suitable provide Businesses sites. breeding sponsors and corporate also generously have materials. donated the dramatic help reverse across owls barn of decline on, years Five the country. boxes than 260 nest more and been installed have been 164 chicks have also have ringed. Boxes occupied successfully been owls, of tawny the likes by and mallard doves stock ducks. Essex barn Essex bounce owls back hunting and suitable provide

UK NEWS

SCOTTISH WILDLIFE TRUST TRUST WILDLIFE WILDLIFE SCOTTISH SCOTTISH ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION ANDY PEOPLE & WILDLIFE ‘‘Nature makes it a bit be er’’ Isabel Hardman is familiar on our screens and airwaves as one of the UK’s top political journalists. She also uses her love of nature to recover from mental illness. Lucy McRobert fi nds out more

s a political journalist on radio Where did your love for wildfl owers How exactly does that work? thought, so I started to learn more. It fl y orchid, which is so tiny, you can’t down. When I sign in to my nature and TV, and assistant editor of come from? When I was very sick, I started to go wasn’t a cure, but I just felt a little bit focus on the mad stu , because Twitter account, there’s people A The Spectator, Isabel As a kid I learnt the di erent garden for lots of walks and write down and better about the world. you’re having to keep looking the sharing pictures of mushrooms I’ve Hardman knows how to survive in plants. It was only this year that I got photograph every wildfl ower that I Then someone posted a picture of whole time. never seen before. Last year, I the shark pool. What sets her apart really into botany. I was on sick leave. found. I didn’t know as many as I a fl y orchid and I didn’t even know tweeted asking if anyone had any from most other hard-nosed hacks is I have post-traumatic stress disorder, they existed! The next day I went to How have you found the online tips for spotting wildfl owers in a bit a passion for wildfl owers, and being and the symptoms are depression the reserve and found it, and the nature social networks? of Sussex, and my inbox was fl ooded completely open about su ering and anxiety, and lots of fl ashbacks. I didn’t even greater butterfl y orchid, and The natural history network online is with messages from lovely botany from depression. Recently she made Focusing on nature makes you twayblade, and all these beautiful so good. The amount of abuse you people who I’d never even met two Radio 4 programmes about attend to the now, rather than what know a fl y fl owers. I was still really sick and I had get as a woman working in before. nature’s ability to improve mental has happened or might happen. It lots of bad thoughts as I was walking politics is awful. I’m health. Lucy McRobert from The helps take me away from the orchid existed! around, but it was much better quite a thick-skinned You started #wildfl owerhour on Wildlife Trusts met Isabel on Walney fl ashbacks, as well as the depression The next day than spending my day lying in person, but the Twitter on Sunday nights. Why? Island in Cumbria, to talk about and the anxiety. It doesn’t solve it, bed. It became a way of treating cumulative a ect I noticed on Sunday evenings that nature, health and her love of botany. but it makes it a bit better. I found one myself. If you’re trying to fi nd a does wear you people shared photos of the

Lucy McRobert is Communications Manager for The Wildlife Trusts, championing Random Acts of Isabel near home Wildness for all! at Walney Island, LEANNE BOLGER Cumbria

40 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 PEOPLE & WILDLIFE ‘‘Nature makes it a bit be er’’ Isabel Hardman is familiar on our screens and airwaves as one of the UK’s top political journalists. She also uses her love of nature to recover from mental illness. Lucy McRobert fi nds out more s a political journalist on radio Where did your love for wildfl owers How exactly does that work? thought, so I started to learn more. It fl y orchid, which is so tiny, you can’t down. When I sign in to my nature and TV, and assistant editor of come from? When I was very sick, I started to go wasn’t a cure, but I just felt a little bit focus on the mad stu , because Twitter account, there’s people A The Spectator, Isabel As a kid I learnt the di erent garden for lots of walks and write down and better about the world. you’re having to keep looking the sharing pictures of mushrooms I’ve Hardman knows how to survive in plants. It was only this year that I got photograph every wildfl ower that I Then someone posted a picture of whole time. never seen before. Last year, I the shark pool. What sets her apart really into botany. I was on sick leave. found. I didn’t know as many as I a fl y orchid and I didn’t even know tweeted asking if anyone had any from most other hard-nosed hacks is I have post-traumatic stress disorder, they existed! The next day I went to How have you found the online tips for spotting wildfl owers in a bit a passion for wildfl owers, and being and the symptoms are depression the reserve and found it, and the nature social networks? of Sussex, and my inbox was fl ooded completely open about su ering and anxiety, and lots of fl ashbacks. I didn’t even greater butterfl y orchid, and The natural history network online is with messages from lovely botany from depression. Recently she made Focusing on nature makes you twayblade, and all these beautiful so good. The amount of abuse you people who I’d never even met two Radio 4 programmes about attend to the now, rather than what know a fl y fl owers. I was still really sick and I had get as a woman working in before. nature’s ability to improve mental has happened or might happen. It lots of bad thoughts as I was walking politics is awful. I’m health. Lucy McRobert from The helps take me away from the orchid existed! around, but it was much better quite a thick-skinned You started #wildfl owerhour on Wildlife Trusts met Isabel on Walney fl ashbacks, as well as the depression The next day than spending my day lying in person, but the Twitter on Sunday nights. Why? Island in Cumbria, to talk about and the anxiety. It doesn’t solve it, bed. It became a way of treating cumulative a ect I noticed on Sunday evenings that nature, health and her love of botany. but it makes it a bit better. I found one myself. If you’re trying to fi nd a does wear you people shared photos of the

Lucy McRobert is Communications Manager for The Wildlife Trusts, championing Random Acts of Isabel near home Wildness for all! at Walney Island, LEANNE BOLGER Cumbria

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 41 PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

diˆ erent wildfl owers they had seen, they can see how much it means to so I decided to try and focus it in an There’s a me. It’s a really satisfying pursuit, and hour. I wanted everyone to join in you’re surrounded by beauty the Get your and just make the internet lovely. plant that’s whole time. When I got ill, I wasn’t really involved evolved to make daily dose in it. I came back a year later and it Why are some people not so was trending every Sunday night! I bees have enthusiastic about nature? of nature thought, ‘How has this happened?’ It I think the biggest problem is that was set up on a whim! sex with it! we’re really disconnected from it. People say it makes their Sunday Some people think you have to go lovely, or it’s helped them with their Westminster, there’s always a 30 miles in a car to see nature, but mental health problems. It’s random member of the daisy family we don’t even notice nature at our encouraged them to explore nature fl owering somewhere, like sow thistle feet. Once in Glasgow, I was in a car Climbing Haystacks above Buttermere, reserves that they’ve never been to in a pavement crack. park and I noticed a scrubby patch Lake District, October 2017 before. Lots of people are nervous of land with birch trees, and I could about joining in, but there is so much How have your friends reacted to see some shapes that looked like enthusiasm that they feel really your wildfl ower obsession? broad-leaved helleborines. So I crept welcome really quickly. I really struggle with people who into the undergrowth – getting some don’t have hobbies. I don’t pretty weird looks – and there were You do a 15-minute nature fi x every understand how you can make your hundreds of these beautiful plants day. How do you fi nd the time? life that intentionally boring! There’s growing under people’s noses. Do something wild every day in It’s about saying ‘no’ to stuˆ and so much to learn about. Who doesn’t People think that when they’ve June, and feel better prioritising my 15 minutes in nature. think it’s interesting that there’s a fi nished school that’s it for learning, I’d love to do everything I get plant that’s evolved to make bees that curiosity isn’t something to This June, we’re asking you to oˆ ered, but I’d rather be mentally have sex with it? Most of my friends cultivate. There’s a fear of curiosity make room for nature by taking well and those 15 minutes outside are are never going to climb around and a fear of nature; people seem to With a lipstick palm at the Andromeda Examining a marsh thistle at the Pen part in 30 Days Wild. Now in its just more important. Even in looking for a dune helleborine, but be scared of going outdoors and Botanic Gardens in Barbados, Feb 2017 Ponds, Richmond Park, June 2017 fourth year, our month-long campaign attracts thousands of Isabel has loved the outdoors her think this is a millennial thing, too – we people, all of them doing whole life. “I like mud, and being People think we have to have things that are something wild every day for close to trees.” organised and personalised for us, 30 days. seem to be rather than going out and discovering Whether you decide to walk scared of letting things for ourselves. People aren’t barefoot in the park, feed the very good at being bored! birds or make elderfl ower their kids When I was young, my mum would cordial, there is now evidence send me into the garden. I’d think, that these Random Acts of roam around ‘What should I do now?’ and it’s that Wildness can boost your gap between asking the question and wellbeing. A study by the letting their kids roam around. no one answering that your University of Derby found that There’s such a tiny perimeter for imagination starts, and you actually 30 Days Wild participants felt children where they can play on their have your childhood. happier, healthier and more own. But you can’t be scared of a connected to nature – and that child falling over in a wood. It’s just a How do you think nature and mental continued to improve even after grazed knee. People say, ‘Don’t climb health are connected? the campaign ended. a tree’. I spent my childhood climbing Loving nature and being involved in Sign up on our website, and trees! Yeah, I fell out of a few of nature gives people a way of talking we’ll send you a free pack to them. But I also learned not to climb about mental health, in a way that help you go wild throughout right out onto the twigs. they might not have been able to June, including ideas and ways before. People have wanted to share to get involved with friends, Why do you think we’re becoming their stories with me online about neighbours and on social media. disconnected? their own mental health problems. It We chase things that we think will was someone online who gave me make us happy, rather than the things the idea for a 15-minute nature fi x. It What are you we know will make us happy. When helps to build something we’ve lost, someone’s old and looks back, they too – community. We’re all so lonely waiting for? think of family; but the things we get nowadays. That shared passion for Sign up, fi nd out het-up about on a daily basis are nature helps you to fi nd your kindred how to take part nothing like that. spirits, and that’s where real and get your It’s the same for nature. I think we all friendships happen. FREE pack on know that when we go outside in wildlifetrusts. nature we feel better. But now we just Share your photos of wild plants org/30DaysWild download an app and make things a every Sunday at 8pm using bit more complicated for ourselves. I #wildfl owerhour

42 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

diˆ erent wildfl owers they had seen, they can see how much it means to so I decided to try and focus it in an There’s a me. It’s a really satisfying pursuit, and hour. I wanted everyone to join in you’re surrounded by beauty the Get your and just make the internet lovely. plant that’s whole time. When I got ill, I wasn’t really involved evolved to make daily dose in it. I came back a year later and it Why are some people not so was trending every Sunday night! I bees have enthusiastic about nature? of nature thought, ‘How has this happened?’ It I think the biggest problem is that was set up on a whim! sex with it! we’re really disconnected from it. People say it makes their Sunday Some people think you have to go lovely, or it’s helped them with their Westminster, there’s always a 30 miles in a car to see nature, but mental health problems. It’s random member of the daisy family we don’t even notice nature at our encouraged them to explore nature fl owering somewhere, like sow thistle feet. Once in Glasgow, I was in a car Climbing Haystacks above Buttermere, reserves that they’ve never been to in a pavement crack. park and I noticed a scrubby patch Lake District, October 2017 before. Lots of people are nervous of land with birch trees, and I could about joining in, but there is so much How have your friends reacted to see some shapes that looked like enthusiasm that they feel really your wildfl ower obsession? broad-leaved helleborines. So I crept welcome really quickly. I really struggle with people who into the undergrowth – getting some don’t have hobbies. I don’t pretty weird looks – and there were You do a 15-minute nature fi x every understand how you can make your hundreds of these beautiful plants day. How do you fi nd the time? life that intentionally boring! There’s growing under people’s noses. Do something wild every day in It’s about saying ‘no’ to stuˆ and so much to learn about. Who doesn’t People think that when they’ve June, and feel better prioritising my 15 minutes in nature. think it’s interesting that there’s a fi nished school that’s it for learning, I’d love to do everything I get plant that’s evolved to make bees that curiosity isn’t something to This June, we’re asking you to oˆ ered, but I’d rather be mentally have sex with it? Most of my friends cultivate. There’s a fear of curiosity make room for nature by taking well and those 15 minutes outside are are never going to climb around and a fear of nature; people seem to With a lipstick palm at the Andromeda Examining a marsh thistle at the Pen part in 30 Days Wild. Now in its just more important. Even in looking for a dune helleborine, but be scared of going outdoors and Botanic Gardens in Barbados, Feb 2017 Ponds, Richmond Park, June 2017 fourth year, our month-long campaign attracts thousands of Isabel has loved the outdoors her think this is a millennial thing, too – we people, all of them doing whole life. “I like mud, and being People think we have to have things that are something wild every day for close to trees.” organised and personalised for us, 30 days. seem to be rather than going out and discovering Whether you decide to walk scared of letting things for ourselves. People aren’t barefoot in the park, feed the very good at being bored! birds or make elderfl ower their kids When I was young, my mum would cordial, there is now evidence send me into the garden. I’d think, that these Random Acts of roam around ‘What should I do now?’ and it’s that Wildness can boost your gap between asking the question and wellbeing. A study by the letting their kids roam around. no one answering that your University of Derby found that There’s such a tiny perimeter for imagination starts, and you actually 30 Days Wild participants felt children where they can play on their have your childhood. happier, healthier and more own. But you can’t be scared of a connected to nature – and that child falling over in a wood. It’s just a How do you think nature and mental continued to improve even after grazed knee. People say, ‘Don’t climb health are connected? the campaign ended. a tree’. I spent my childhood climbing Loving nature and being involved in Sign up on our website, and trees! Yeah, I fell out of a few of nature gives people a way of talking we’ll send you a free pack to them. But I also learned not to climb about mental health, in a way that help you go wild throughout right out onto the twigs. they might not have been able to June, including ideas and ways before. People have wanted to share to get involved with friends, Why do you think we’re becoming their stories with me online about neighbours and on social media. disconnected? their own mental health problems. It We chase things that we think will was someone online who gave me make us happy, rather than the things the idea for a 15-minute nature fi x. It What are you we know will make us happy. When helps to build something we’ve lost, someone’s old and looks back, they too – community. We’re all so lonely waiting for? think of family; but the things we get nowadays. That shared passion for Sign up, fi nd out het-up about on a daily basis are nature helps you to fi nd your kindred how to take part nothing like that. spirits, and that’s where real and get your It’s the same for nature. I think we all friendships happen. FREE pack on know that when we go outside in wildlifetrusts. nature we feel better. But now we just Share your photos of wild plants org/30DaysWild download an app and make things a every Sunday at 8pm using bit more complicated for ourselves. I #wildfl owerhour

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 43 LOVE WILDLIFE

JoinWhere there are people, there arethe lines: fences, walls, lawns,linear hedges. To wildlife, these lines can berevolution barriers or highways. It just depends how you look at them, says Hugh Warwick e love lines, yet we have potential and roads along which to conservation and working with Remember the lines that link need Street campaign. It’s hugely come to let them govern Our gardens wildlife fl ourished. For example, in partners across the board can bring not be straightforward, they can be important, as a foraging hedgehog Wus. Think about our Lincolnshire, a volunteer search for about huge changes: we can truly pearls along a necklace. can cover more than a mile per night. landscapes and you cannot escape can fi t into wildfl owers led to the designation have living landscapes once again. Make sure you have spaces wild Making lines work for us and the impact of the lines we have built. of 159 new Local Wildlife Sites on And we can take action ourselves. enough in your garden to let insects for wildlife is a great way to start Hedges, ditches, dykes, walls, canals, a living verges along 155 miles of road. Look to the patches you can thrive. Of course, there is far more redressing some of the damage we railways, roads and power lines all landscape To fi x our fragmented land infl uence; for many of us that is our out there than just things that fl y, and have inadvertently caused. Why not mark out the space we share with requires a massive change at the gardens. The best way to fi t them we need to make provision for them begin with your garden or workplace, wildlife. Some of the lines are wildlife would be simple. There would be an highest levels; we need to address into a living landscape is by making as well. And that is where a little looking at how you can open up corridors and habitats of the highest easy segregation of lines into good environmental, agricultural and connections, at diˆ erent levels. The engineering can be very useful – a highways or create stop-oˆ points order. Others destroy and fragment. and bad. But very quickly it became transport policy to connect our most obvious is to supply nectar rich hole in the fence, just 13cm square, to for your local plants and animals? When I started researching my apparent that there were hedges landscapes for wildlife. Taking an plants to attract insects – which in let the terrestrial beasts join the fun. And if you can get your neighbours latest book, Linescapes, I was sure it that were living up to none of their active, landscape-scale approach turn feed birds, bats and amphibians. This is the essence of the Hedgehog involved, better still.

Frogs will travel several hundred yards if your pond smells good

Hugh Warwick is BIRDS an ecologist, use trees as author and stepping hedgehog lover. stones How you can help His latest book is Linescapes.

PAUL HARRIS/202VISION PAUL Plug your garden into the linescape We tend to think our gardens stop at the fence, but wildlife doesn’t. Log piles Encourage invertebrates to colonise in the damp, dark corners Ponds Attract highly mobile dragonfl ies HEDGEHOGS and draw in , newts and Use gaps in toads to spawn fences to forage Hedgehog holes Give our prickly friends the right to roam through your garden Messy corners BEES Move from Long grasses and wildfl owers give fl ower to insects a home, attracting bats fl ower Window boxes Even if you don’t have a garden, a vibrant window box is a great How many lines could your wildlife habitat garden have connecting it to other green places? LOVE WILDLIFE

JoinWhere there are people, there arethe lines: fences, walls, lawns,linear hedges. To wildlife, these lines can berevolution barriers or highways. It just depends how you look at them, says Hugh Warwick e love lines, yet we have potential and roads along which to conservation and working with Remember the lines that link need Street campaign. It’s hugely come to let them govern Our gardens wildlife fl ourished. For example, in partners across the board can bring not be straightforward, they can be important, as a foraging hedgehog Wus. Think about our Lincolnshire, a volunteer search for about huge changes: we can truly pearls along a necklace. can cover more than a mile per night. landscapes and you cannot escape can fi t into wildfl owers led to the designation have living landscapes once again. Make sure you have spaces wild Making lines work for us and the impact of the lines we have built. of 159 new Local Wildlife Sites on And we can take action ourselves. enough in your garden to let insects for wildlife is a great way to start Hedges, ditches, dykes, walls, canals, a living verges along 155 miles of road. Look to the patches you can thrive. Of course, there is far more redressing some of the damage we railways, roads and power lines all landscape To fi x our fragmented land infl uence; for many of us that is our out there than just things that fl y, and have inadvertently caused. Why not mark out the space we share with requires a massive change at the gardens. The best way to fi t them we need to make provision for them begin with your garden or workplace, wildlife. Some of the lines are wildlife would be simple. There would be an highest levels; we need to address into a living landscape is by making as well. And that is where a little looking at how you can open up corridors and habitats of the highest easy segregation of lines into good environmental, agricultural and connections, at diˆ erent levels. The engineering can be very useful – a highways or create stop-oˆ points order. Others destroy and fragment. and bad. But very quickly it became transport policy to connect our most obvious is to supply nectar rich hole in the fence, just 13cm square, to for your local plants and animals? When I started researching my apparent that there were hedges landscapes for wildlife. Taking an plants to attract insects – which in let the terrestrial beasts join the fun. And if you can get your neighbours latest book, Linescapes, I was sure it that were living up to none of their active, landscape-scale approach turn feed birds, bats and amphibians. This is the essence of the Hedgehog involved, better still.

Frogs will travel several hundred yards if your pond smells good

Hugh Warwick is BIRDS an ecologist, use trees as author and stepping hedgehog lover. stones How you can help His latest book is Linescapes.

PAUL HARRIS/202VISION PAUL Plug your garden into the linescape We tend to think our gardens stop at the fence, but wildlife doesn’t. Log piles Encourage invertebrates to colonise in the damp, dark corners Ponds Attract highly mobile dragonfl ies HEDGEHOGS and draw in frogs, newts and Use gaps in toads to spawn fences to forage Hedgehog holes Give our prickly friends the right to roam through your garden Messy corners BEES Move from Long grasses and wildfl owers give fl ower to insects a home, attracting bats fl ower Window boxes Even if you don’t have a garden, a vibrant window box is a great How many lines could your wildlife habitat garden have connecting it to other green places? 34 dune PEOPLE & WILDLIFE sites to be The dune system at Lancashire’s restored Formby Point The Wildlife Trusts are lead Dune dwellers partners in a huge project to restore DAVID CHAPMAN 34 sand dunes across England and Wales by 2023, thanks to a £4.1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We will be helped by Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, The National Trust and Plantlife. Na erjack toad ‘Boom and bust’ breeding makes them vulnerable to habitat loss DAVID CHAPMAN Bri le caps Feeds on the decaying roots of marram grass

Scenery. DAVID CHAPMAN Habitat.

Kate Owen is Community Engagement Sea holly Flood defence. O cer for Fylde Metre-long roots make it superbly There’s more to sand dunes than you might think. Kate Owen of Sand Dunes adapted for growing in loose sand Project, Lancs WT

DAVID CHAPMAN DAVID Lancashire Wildlife Trust takes us for a gallop through their main virtues GEOFF SIMPSON Yellow broomrape ith their swaying marram appear, attracting some of the UK’s pools. Damp-loving plants dominate threats varies. In some places, they been lost here. Using windtrap A parasite with no chlorophyll grass and golden sand, rarest moths and butterfl ies. The the fl ora. If the progression of the need stabilising and time to rebuild; fencing, marram plug plants and of its own, it W dunes may not look like the larvae of some feed exclusively on dunes inland isn’t halted by human in others, they need to become more recycled Christmas trees we have steals from most diverse of habitats. But they dune plants. Migratory birds also use development, the system culminates movable and resilient. increased the width of the dunes by the roots of teem with life, lots of it found patches of scrub for a quick rest. If in heath or woodland. Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a up to 30m in fi ve years. We’re lucky other plants to nowhere else: internationally rare you hear a noise like two stones Dunes have a vital role to play in partner on the Fylde Sand Dunes that the coastline is still accumulating survive in dunes fl owers such as Isle of Man cabbage, being rubbed together, it’s probably coastal defence. When pounded by Project, funded by the Environment here, allowing us to work with natural

natterjack toads and wall brown a stonechat, one of many birds that stormy waves they release sand, Agency. Over 80% of the dunes have processes to expand the dunes. AMY LEWIS butterfl ies. breed in the dunes. taking the power out of the water We must conserve this unique Part of the reason sand dunes Between the dunes are the slacks, and protecting homes and towns habitat, not just to protect its contain so much life is their range of a wetland habitat, where the sand behind. The dunes can then naturally amazing wildlife, but ourselves as unique habitats. The mobile dunes has been eroded down to the water repair themselves. This protection well. Climate change is raising sea are dominated by marram grass but table. Frogs, natterjack toads and comes without a hefty price tag, levels and leading to bigger, more there is also plenty of bare sand. This newts lay their eggs in the shallow unlike expensive man-made coastal frequent storms, so these natural gives solitary bees a place to dig defences with limited lifespans. coastal defences are a vital asset. burrows, and butterfl ies and moths a The UK’s 56,000ha of coastal sand Next time you’re at the seaside, chance to bask. It is an ideal place for They protect dunes have been identifi ed as a have another look at the dunes – a rare sand lizards to lay their eggs. priority for conservation. They face shifting, mysterious habitat we would As you move inland, dunes become homes from big challenges, including human do well to look after. Stonechat

less mobile and marram grass loses the power of development, erosion, non-native LANCS WT Perches atop bushes, with a call like its grip. In the spring and summer species and rising sea levels. The best Old Christmas trees collect wind-blown ■ Find out more about dunes on stones being knocked together hundreds of bright wildfl owers storms way to manage dunes against these sand, regrowing a dune naturally wildlifetrusts.org/sanddunes

46 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 34 dune PEOPLE & WILDLIFE sites to be The dune system at Lancashire’s restored Formby Point The Wildlife Trusts are lead Dune dwellers partners in a huge project to restore DAVID CHAPMAN 34 sand dunes across England and Wales by 2023, thanks to a £4.1m grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. We will be helped by Natural England, Natural Resources Wales, The National Trust and Plantlife. Na erjack toad ‘Boom and bust’ breeding makes them vulnerable to habitat loss DAVID CHAPMAN Bri le caps Feeds on the decaying roots of marram grass

Scenery. DAVID CHAPMAN Habitat.

Kate Owen is Community Engagement Sea holly Flood defence. O cer for Fylde Metre-long roots make it superbly There’s more to sand dunes than you might think. Kate Owen of Sand Dunes adapted for growing in loose sand Project, Lancs WT

DAVID CHAPMAN DAVID Lancashire Wildlife Trust takes us for a gallop through their main virtues GEOFF SIMPSON Yellow broomrape ith their swaying marram appear, attracting some of the UK’s pools. Damp-loving plants dominate threats varies. In some places, they been lost here. Using windtrap A parasite with no chlorophyll grass and golden sand, rarest moths and butterfl ies. The the fl ora. If the progression of the need stabilising and time to rebuild; fencing, marram plug plants and of its own, it W dunes may not look like the larvae of some feed exclusively on dunes inland isn’t halted by human in others, they need to become more recycled Christmas trees we have steals from most diverse of habitats. But they dune plants. Migratory birds also use development, the system culminates movable and resilient. increased the width of the dunes by the roots of teem with life, lots of it found patches of scrub for a quick rest. If in heath or woodland. Lancashire Wildlife Trust is a up to 30m in fi ve years. We’re lucky other plants to nowhere else: internationally rare you hear a noise like two stones Dunes have a vital role to play in partner on the Fylde Sand Dunes that the coastline is still accumulating survive in dunes fl owers such as Isle of Man cabbage, being rubbed together, it’s probably coastal defence. When pounded by Project, funded by the Environment here, allowing us to work with natural

natterjack toads and wall brown a stonechat, one of many birds that stormy waves they release sand, Agency. Over 80% of the dunes have processes to expand the dunes. AMY LEWIS butterfl ies. breed in the dunes. taking the power out of the water We must conserve this unique Part of the reason sand dunes Between the dunes are the slacks, and protecting homes and towns habitat, not just to protect its contain so much life is their range of a wetland habitat, where the sand behind. The dunes can then naturally amazing wildlife, but ourselves as unique habitats. The mobile dunes has been eroded down to the water repair themselves. This protection well. Climate change is raising sea are dominated by marram grass but table. Frogs, natterjack toads and comes without a hefty price tag, levels and leading to bigger, more there is also plenty of bare sand. This newts lay their eggs in the shallow unlike expensive man-made coastal frequent storms, so these natural gives solitary bees a place to dig defences with limited lifespans. coastal defences are a vital asset. burrows, and butterfl ies and moths a The UK’s 56,000ha of coastal sand Next time you’re at the seaside, chance to bask. It is an ideal place for They protect dunes have been identifi ed as a have another look at the dunes – a rare sand lizards to lay their eggs. priority for conservation. They face shifting, mysterious habitat we would As you move inland, dunes become homes from big challenges, including human do well to look after. Stonechat less mobile and marram grass loses the power of development, erosion, non-native LANCS WT Perches atop bushes, with a call like its grip. In the spring and summer species and rising sea levels. The best Old Christmas trees collect wind-blown ■ Find out more about dunes on stones being knocked together hundreds of bright wildfl owers storms way to manage dunes against these sand, regrowing a dune naturally wildlifetrusts.org/sanddunes

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 47 GREAT DAYS OUT Share your experiences Kielder Castle Forest Park Forestry Commission Tweet us your best red 7 squirrel photos from Mammal-watch in comfort from the squirrel hide just o the Top places to see your day out @wildlifetrusts Duke’s Trail. The castle has a #LoveWildlife squirrel exhibition, too. Where is it? Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre, Kielder, Hexham NE48 1ER Red squirrels Map ref: NY 632 934 One of our most endearing creatures, red squirrels are now extremely Stenhouse Wood rare, but you can still enjoy watching them in parts of the UK 8 Scottish Wildlife Trust Spot red squirrels all year round in this secluded ancient woodland. Tear your eyes away from the trees for a beautiful view across the glen. Where is it? Shinnel Glen, Tynron, North Dumfriesshire DG3 4LD Map ref: NX 797 931

Spey Bay 9Scottish Wildlife Trust A 2.5 mile circular walk winds through a mosaic of coastline, grassland and woodland, where red squirrels can be seen in the trees. Where is it? Elgin, Moray IV32 7NW Map ref: NJ 325 657

Straidkilly 10 Ulster Wildlife A wonderfully peaceful reserve with stunning views of the Antrim coast. Explore the woodland walk for the best chance of seeing a red squirrel. Where is it? Straidkilly Road, Carnlough, Antrim BT44 0LQ Map ref: NW 457 721

Funded by Heritage Lottery A Scottish red squirrel Fund and EU drinks at a woodland pool. LIFE14, we lead They really are this cute a partnership to MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION 9 conserve red squirrel strongholds here is something so special Where is it? Freshfi eld Dune Heath Where is it? around the UK: about seeing your fi rst red 1 Wildlife Trust Bouldner Forest Centre, Yarmouth, 4 Lancashire Wildlife Trust Smardale Gill NNR, Kirkby Stephen redsquirrels T squirrel, nimbly darting Start your adventure with a Isle of Wight PO41 0AB The largest lowland heath in the CA17 4HG united.org.uk through the treetops, or nibbling 20-minute boat trip from to Map ref: SZ 366 898 county! In addition to red squirrels, Map ref: NY 727 070 8 7 6 seeds o pine cones before tossing Brownsea Island, where the feeders keep a look out for common lizards. 10 aside the core like an apple. These at The Villa Wildlife Centre are often Treborth Botanic Garden Where is it? Hauxley Wildlife Discovery 5 rare and beautiful mammals can only visited by red squirrels. 3Bangor University Freshfi eld Dune Heath, Formby, 6 Centre, N’umberland WT be found in small pockets of the UK, Map ref: SZ 028 878 Red squirrels have been seen here Merseyside L37 7BB. You can see the red squirrels 4 but here are our top since 1976. Search for them in the Map ref: SD 298 081 at Hauxley as soon as you pull recommendations for where to spot Bouldner Forest native woodland and orchards, or into the car park. One intrepid 3 them across England, Wales, 2 Hants and Isle of Wight WT visit the special collections in the six Smardale Gill squirrel was recently seen Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our The pine trees of this former naval glasshouses. 5 swimming across the lake! top tip: watch the forecast fi rst. Much training base are now home to Where is it? Keep an eye out for squirrels as you Where is it? Druridge like us, red squirrels don’t like wet red squirrels. Explore the coastal Treborth Botanic Garden, Bangor stroll along 3.7 miles of disused Bay, Low Hauxley, and windy days, so pick a day when footpath from the Bouldner University, Gwynedd LL57 2RQ railway, with a viaduct giving superb , NE65 0JR the sun is shining. viewpoint, scanning the treetops. Map ref: SH 555711 views of the rolling countryside. Map ref: NU 285 023 1 2

48 ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 GREAT DAYS OUT Share your experiences Kielder Castle Forest Park Forestry Commission Tweet us your best red 7 squirrel photos from Mammal-watch in comfort from the squirrel hide just o the Top places to see your day out @wildlifetrusts Duke’s Trail. The castle has a #LoveWildlife squirrel exhibition, too. Where is it? Kielder Castle Forest Park Centre, Kielder, Hexham NE48 1ER Red squirrels Map ref: NY 632 934 One of our most endearing creatures, red squirrels are now extremely Stenhouse Wood rare, but you can still enjoy watching them in parts of the UK 8 Scottish Wildlife Trust Spot red squirrels all year round in this secluded ancient woodland. Tear your eyes away from the trees for a beautiful view across the glen. Where is it? Shinnel Glen, Tynron, North Dumfriesshire DG3 4LD Map ref: NX 797 931

Spey Bay 9Scottish Wildlife Trust A 2.5 mile circular walk winds through a mosaic of coastline, grassland and woodland, where red squirrels can be seen in the trees. Where is it? Elgin, Moray IV32 7NW Map ref: NJ 325 657

Straidkilly 10 Ulster Wildlife A wonderfully peaceful reserve with stunning views of the Antrim coast. Explore the woodland walk for the best chance of seeing a red squirrel. Where is it? Straidkilly Road, Carnlough, Antrim BT44 0LQ Map ref: NW 457 721

Funded by Heritage Lottery A Scottish red squirrel Fund and EU drinks at a woodland pool. LIFE14, we lead They really are this cute a partnership to MARK HAMBLIN/2020VISION 9 conserve red squirrel strongholds here is something so special Brownsea Island Where is it? Freshfi eld Dune Heath Where is it? around the UK: about seeing your fi rst red 1 Bouldner Forest Centre, Yarmouth, 4 Lancashire Wildlife Trust Smardale Gill NNR, Kirkby Stephen redsquirrels T squirrel, nimbly darting Start your adventure with a Isle of Wight PO41 0AB The largest lowland heath in the CA17 4HG united.org.uk through the treetops, or nibbling 20-minute boat trip from Poole to Map ref: SZ 366 898 county! In addition to red squirrels, Map ref: NY 727 070 8 7 6 seeds o pine cones before tossing Brownsea Island, where the feeders keep a look out for common lizards. 10 aside the core like an apple. These at The Villa Wildlife Centre are often Treborth Botanic Garden Where is it? Hauxley Wildlife Discovery 5 rare and beautiful mammals can only visited by red squirrels. 3Bangor University Freshfi eld Dune Heath, Formby, 6 Centre, N’umberland WT be found in small pockets of the UK, Map ref: SZ 028 878 Red squirrels have been seen here Merseyside L37 7BB. You can see the red squirrels 4 but here are our top since 1976. Search for them in the Map ref: SD 298 081 at Hauxley as soon as you pull recommendations for where to spot Bouldner Forest native woodland and orchards, or into the car park. One intrepid 3 them across England, Wales, 2 Hants and Isle of Wight WT visit the special collections in the six Smardale Gill squirrel was recently seen Scotland and Northern Ireland. Our The pine trees of this former naval glasshouses. 5 Cumbria Wildlife Trust swimming across the lake! top tip: watch the forecast fi rst. Much training base are now home to Where is it? Keep an eye out for squirrels as you Where is it? Druridge like us, red squirrels don’t like wet red squirrels. Explore the coastal Treborth Botanic Garden, Bangor stroll along 3.7 miles of disused Bay, Low Hauxley, and windy days, so pick a day when footpath from the Bouldner University, Gwynedd LL57 2RQ railway, with a viaduct giving superb Northumberland, NE65 0JR the sun is shining. viewpoint, scanning the treetops. Map ref: SH 555711 views of the rolling countryside. Map ref: NU 285 023 1 2

ISSUE 135 SPRING 2018 49 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER Twice as good for wildlife Join the UK’s month-long nature challenge! Make time for We recommend you buy your bird food from nature, explore wild places near you and share your love of Vine House Farm as you will be helping The wildlife with the world this June. Wildlife Trusts to protect local wildlife

Vine House Farm donate up to 5% of every sale to your local Wildlife Trust

Our 5 best buys for birds inside!

NW Advert - Spring 2018.indd 1 30/01/2018 11:07:22 10% OFF YOUR FIRST ORDER Twice as good for wildlife Join the UK’s month-long nature challenge! Make time for We recommend you buy your bird food from nature, explore wild places near you and share your love of Vine House Farm as you will be helping The wildlife with the world this June. Wildlife Trusts to protect local wildlife

Vine House Farm donate up to 5% of every sale to your local Wildlife Trust

Our 5 best buys for birds inside!

NW Advert - Spring 2018.indd 1 30/01/2018 11:07:22 Open Gardens Join us, as some of Cornwall’s most beautiful gardens open their gates2018 for wildlife. APRIL JUNE JULY SUNDAY 15TH, 11am to 4pm SUNDAY 3RD, 2pm to 5pm SUNDAY 22ND, 2pm to 5pm Burncoose Garden and House Little Park, Malpas, Trevoole, Praze-An-Beeble, Gwennap, Redruth TR16 6BJ Truro TR1 1SX Camborne TR14 0RN SUNDAY 22ND, 2pm to 5pm SUNDAY 17TH, 10am to 4pm AUGUST Pedn Billy, Bar Road, Lethytep, Penadlake, TH Helford Passage TR11 5LF Lanreath PL13 2PG SUNDAY 5 , 2pm to 5pm Trenarth, High Cross, SUNDAY 29TH, 2pm to 5pm SUNDAY 24TH, 1pm to 5pm Constantine TR11 5JN Higher Trenedden, Arundell, West Pentire, Peakswater, nr Pelynt PL13 2Q Crantock TR8 5SE SEPTEMBER SUNDAY 2ND, 2pm to 5pm MAY JULY South Bosent, , SUNDAY 13TH, 2pm to 5pm SUNDAY 8TH, 2pm to 5pm nr PL14 4LX The Old Rectory, St Juliot, Meadowside, Trevarth, nr Boscastle PL35 0BT Redruth TR16 6AE SUNDAY 16TH, 2pm to 5pm Marsh Villa Garden, Par, St Austell PL24 2LU

Entrance £5 For more information including garden descriptions, directions and access please see the centre pages and cornwallwildlifetrust. org.uk/opengardens

Kindly supported by: