Warwickshire Rings 35Th Newsletter & Calendar January 2007
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Warwickshire RINGs 35th Newsletter & Calendar January 2007 www.warwickshire.gov.uk/rings________________________________________________ Warwickshire RINGs (Research, Recording and Recreation in Nature Groups) is a network of groups, organisations and individuals with an enthusiasm for any aspect of wildlife in the Warwickshire, Solihull and Coventry sub-region. The RINGs Newsletter attempts to be a comprehensive directory for all local natural history groups, sources of expertise and activities that we are aware of. If you wish to publicise your group or activity, or know of someone who would like to receive a copy, please drop RINGs a line. Press dates are 10 April, 10 August and 10 December. Address correspondence to: RINGs, Warwickshire Museum, Market Place, Warwick CV34 4SA. Alternatively you can ring Steven Falk on 01926 412481, or E-mail: [email protected]. This newsletter can also be accessed directly via the web at: www.warwickshire.gov.uk/rings. Spread the word! CONTENTS disseminating the vast amount of biological information • News items – page 1 that local naturalists produce. It is easy to forget just • Calendar of Meetings – page 7 how ahead of her time she was. • Courses – page 20 • Working Parties – page 21 Pam was essentially a botanist and acted as the • Ongoing Surveys and Projects – page 22 Warwickshire BSBI representative for many years, • Museum-based Natural History Education helping to drive forward national surveys such as Resources – page 23 FLORA 2000 at a county level. In characteristic style, • Contact details and meeting arrangements for she did not pursue this in an isolated way but groups and organisations – page 25 encouraged dozens of botanists, experts and novices • Useful local web sites – page 30 alike, to pitch in. • Where to send your site and species data and seek expertise – page 31 Pam also established many other important projects • Bibliography of key Warwickshire books and such as the Warwickshire Churchyard Survey, the journals – page 34 Warwickshire Oldest Tree Survey (‘WOT’ – now part of the ongoing Big Tree Hunt), the Warwickshire Domesday 1976 Countryside Survey (in partnership with NEWS ITEMS the WI and NFU) just to mention a few. Creepy crawlies did not escape her attentions either. She produced Pam Copson – thank you and farewell county atlases for pseudoscorpions, harvestmen, millipedes and centipedes, plugging valuable gaps in our Pam Copson, Keeper of Biology at Warwickshire Museum knowledge. She was also at an advanced stage of 1969-1999, and effectively my predecessor, died producing a new book called ‘A Century of Wildflowers’ st peacefully on 31 November after a battle with cancer. celebrating 100 years of plant recording in Pam was a tremendous force of nature, and established Warwickshire. Warwickshire Museum will now be many important natural history initiatives and surveys completing this project for her, and hopefully it can be during her time at Warwickshire Museum. Warwickshire published within a year or two. RINGs was her brainchild – an expression of her determination to bring local naturalists and Her passing truly is the end of an era. But hopefully, for environmental organisations together and get them to those of you who knew her, the arrival of each new work alongside local museum services (notably RINGs newsletter will be a heart-warming reminder of Warwickshire Museum and Coventry’s Herbert Art her legacy. Gallery & Museum) and also Warwickshire Wildlife Trust for the greater good. But even before this, she Steven had established the Warwickshire Biological Records Centre, a county Ecology Unit, and the Warwickshire Benchmark Atlas series as a way of storing, using and 1 Warwickshire RINGS 35th Newsletter & Calendar January 2007 ___________________________________________________________________ Section 40 of the Natural Environment and Rural Welcome Natural England Communities Act 2006. It aims to raise the profile of biodiversity, clarify and consolidate existing It’s all change in the world of statutory nature requirements with regard to biodiversity, and embed conservation and landscape stewardship in England. On biodiversity in the decision-making process. Precisely 1st October, English Nature, the Countryside Agency, how it is to be interpreted and implemented is not yet and DEFRA’s Rural Development Service (RDS) were clear, but DEFRA will be publishing two sets of guidance formally combined to create a new organisation called in early 2007. But it could have implications for local Natural England. The aim of the organisation is (and I authorities in our area, not all of whom employ quote) “to conserve and enhance the natural ecologists or buy in ecological expertise from environment, for its intrinsic value, the wellbeing and Warwickshire County Council (which employs a whole enjoyment of people and the economic prosperity that it team based at Warwickshire Museum). Copies of the brings”. There is a logic to bringing together these Act can be downloaded at: closely related services, though there have been some fears that the level of funding for the new www.defra.gov.uk/rural/ruraldelivery/bill/default.htm organisation’s work may be less than that of its predecessors. Natural England intends to develop new campaigns based around four crucial themes: Another Warwickshire farm wins a prestigious conservation award • Climate Change • Health In October, Rob Daykin, of Manor Farm, Priors Marston, • Sustainable Land Management near Southam was awarded the UK-wide Farmcare • The Marine Environment FWAG Silver Lapwing First Steps Award, for farmers new to conservation, at a ceremony in London’s Pall Mall. Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull all fall within the The Silver Lapwing Awards are the UK’s most West Midlands Region South administrative bit of prestigious farm conservation competition. The First Natural England and will be served by several offices, Steps category is for farmers new to conservation who but most notably Banbury (Anton Irving, formerly the can best demonstrate significant steps made towards English Nature Conservation Officer for Warwickshire) care of the environment in the last year. Manor Farm and Worcester (Ann Harris and her team that were had already been named as the English First Steps formerly part of the RDS). These offices will be in a winner, and won the overall award after beating transitional phase during the winter as officers develop competition from First Steps winners from Scotland, new roles. Anton will eventually concentrate on Wales and Northern Ireland. ‘Government & Communities’ work which will include planning and protected species work in Warwickshire Manor Farm is owned by the J B Young Will Trust and and other parts of the West Midlands. Ann’s team will managed by Rob Daykin. Rob has managed to create a concentrate on ‘Land Management’, continuing the work range of habitats whilst still delivering a very effective of the former RDS but also taking on responsibility for commercial production. The Farmcare FWAG Silver SSSI consents that were formerly within the remit of Lapwing Awards are sponsored by Farmcare, the UK’s English Nature. leading farm management business and organised by FWAG. Toft Farm near Dunchurch was national winner To find out more about Natural England, visit its web of the main Silver Lapwing Award in 2005. site at: www.naturalengland.org.uk Tony Beysen, Warwickhire FWAG RINGs wishes Natural England good luck in its new and important role. The Big Tree Hunt challenge – your help needed! Steven Not another item on the Big Tree Hunt! Well yes, but a new angle that requires your help. The Big Tree Hunt of New Biodiversity Duty on all public bodies Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull attempts to identify all ‘champion trees’ in the county i.e. the biggest specimen of a given species. We send this data to the As of October 1st, a new biodiversity duty was placed on Tree Register of the British Isles, and this is already all public bodies requiring them to “have regard to the helping us to spot local specimens that have national as purpose of conserving biodiversity”. It stems from well as county significance. But the Big Tree Hunt has 2 Warwickshire RINGS 35th Newsletter & Calendar January 2007 ___________________________________________________________________ also absorbed the ongoing ‘Warwickshire’s Oldest Tree Sycamore - county record 4.95 (Bitham Hall, Avon Survey’ (WOT) which registers all trees in the county Dassett, but possibly a larger one in Ufton). we would that can be considered veterans. This data is then sent like to know of any over 4m to the Ancient Tree Forum who monitor Britain’s Crack Willow - county record 6.02m (a pollard in the internationally important holding of old trees and try to Avon Valley N of Hampton Lucy), we would like to know protect them in a world of ever increasing threats and of any willows (Crack or White) over 4m, and what is the pressures. To start the ball rolling, here are some largest Weeping Willow you can find? challenges for you! The measurements refer to girth at Yew - county record 5.70m (Ragley Hall), we would like breast height, in meters, but you can measure multi- to know of any over 4m and the Conservation Foundation trunked trees at a lower height, just let us know what also want this information to for their Veteran Yew height: Survey. Ash – can you beat the county record 5.01m? (Coombe), It’s a big county and big trees can turn up in the least we would like to know of any over 4.5m as we hardly likely places. If you find trees falling in to the above know of any categories or any other large or unusual trees let me Alder – what is the biggest coppice stool or single- know. We will attach a table listing all the veteran trees trunked individual you know, we currently have no data we know of to the Big Tree Hunt home page (embedded for large Common Alders within the RINGs web site) in the New Year.