The Stitch in Time Project a New 15-Month Project to Tackle Invasive Non- Native Species (INNS) in the Gwaun Valley Is Set to Begin in the New Year
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The Stitch in Time Project A new 15-month project to tackle invasive non- native species (INNS) in the Gwaun Valley is set to begin in the New Year. The Stitch in Time project is to target Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Rhododen- dron, which are all known to be present in the valley. They also feature among the priorities for action in the Pembrokeshire INNS Grouped Species Action Plan. Volume 12 Issue 1 Spring 2015 The project is funded by the Sustainable Devel- opment Fund, which is administered by the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority. In this Issue INNS can out-compete native UK species, The Stitch in Time Project physically change ecosystems and damage property. Some, like Giant hogweed, can be Pages 1—2 extremely harmful to human health. Jewels in the Ocean… Not Your Average Slug! Piecemeal treatment of INNS rarely addresses sources of infection, which implies that treat- Page 3 ment will need to continue indefinitely. Treat- ment is not cheap - the cost of managing INNS Pembrokeshire’s Wildlife has been put at £1.7 billion per year in the UK - Set to Receive a Boost so prevention is better than cure. Pages 3—4 The Welsh Sea Watchers Project Pages 4—5 Poppit Marsh – From Tangled Balsam Forest to Access-for-All Path Page 5 Courses and Events Rhododendron Ponticum Photo: RPS Group PLC Pages 6—7 As many invasive species spread along water- Contact Details courses, a joined-up, catchment-based re- sponse to control, and subsequent defence of Page 8 the catchment, would seem to be a cost- effective approach. Ant Rogers — Biodiversity Implementation Officer [email protected] 01437764551 Page 1 The project, which is being managed by the to Ceredigion where I worked as a field sci- National Park Authority, will test just such an entist on the Miscanthus breeding pro- approach in the Gwaun Valley. gramme at IGER. A central aim of the project is to increase “Since then I’ve worked in the Plant Health awareness among organisations, individuals and Biotechnology Branch of Welsh Gov- and communities about INNS and to build ca- ernment where I updated the Code of Prac- pacity in local communities to monitor and tice on ragwort, assisted on the consultation manage them and any re-infestation. document excluding genetically modified plants from Wales and assessed applica- The Stitch in Time project will apply learning tions for plants submitted onto the National from other initiatives, including the recent Ce- List. maes Himalayan Balsam Eradication Projects, also funded by the Sustainable Development “More recently, I worked as a Phytophthora Fund. Inspector for Food and Environment Re- search Agency (FERA) where I surveyed for The newly-appointed Stitch in Time Project Co- plant disease in North Wales and the north ordinator is Dr Ali Wright, who will join the Na- of England. This involved managing infec- tional Park Authority in the New Year. tion sites, working with landowners and stakeholders, and delivering Phytophthora awareness and training sessions. Biosecu- rity was a key consideration. “Since leaving FERA, I’ve set up my own business specialising in refurbishment and painting of antique and vintage furniture, while training as a professional upholsterer. “The Stitch in Time project promises to be a return to my roots and an exciting, commu- nity-based approach to management of in- vasive species. I can’t wait to get started!” Please get in touch if you would like to re- port any of the target species within the Gwaun catchment, or to get involved with practical action as part of the project. Email: [email protected] Tel: 0845 Dr Ali Wright 345 7275. Project Co-ordinator, Ali said: “I’m a local girl, Michel Regelous and grew up in Llanrhystud where my parents Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority ran the village pub. I gained a degree in Botany from Aberystwyth University, and later a PhD from the Institute of Grassland and Environ- mental Research (IGER) at Aberystwyth. “I worked for six years in the south-east of Eng- land as a scientific writer, before moving back Ant Rogers — Biodiversity Implementation Officer Page 2 [email protected] 01437764551 Jewels in the Ocean… Not Your Average Slug! Nudibranchs are the carnivores of the ‘sea slug world’ and like their terrestrial cousins have a big appetite, however unlike the terres- trial slugs they exhibit a huge variety of shapes and dazzling colours. The name nudi- Flabellina pedata branch means ‘naked gill’, the name refers to Photo: Phil Newman the external respiratory organs such as the brachial plumes or club like processes found Skomer Marine Nature Reserve boasts a high on the outer body. diversity of nudibranch species with 68% of the UK species represented in an area just Nudibranch are predators, each species often 13.3 square kilometres. 75 species have been only feeding on one kind of prey organism, recorded since records for the Reserve began thus a wide range of food needs to be avail- in 1975 and during summer 2014 a dedicated able to host a high diversity of nudibranch survey found 51 species over 2 weeks. This species. As they are at the top of the food high diversity is a reflection of the wide range chain their presence is an indicator that the of communities found in the Reserve from tide communities they rely on must also be swept rocky reefs to sheltered bays and rich healthy. sediment communities. Okenia elegans is nationally scarce Kate Lock species of the UK. Skomer Marine Nature Reserve Photo: Hayden Close Pembrokeshire’s Wildlife Set to Receive a Boost The Welsh Government Minister for Natural Resources, Carl Sargeant, has approved funding for four projects in Pembrokeshire un- der the £6m Nature Fund announced last year. The fund is aimed at projects across Wales which tackle declining biodiversity and deliver benefits to communities. Nudibranch avoid being preyed on them- The projects approved for funding in Pem- selves as they have a very clever chemical brokeshire demonstrate the range of ap- defence mechanism. Some can produce their proaches to biodiversity conservation, made own chemicals whilst others concentrate the possible by close collaboration between the toxins from their prey rendering themselves many active stakeholders in our county. toxic to predators. Ant Rogers — Biodiversity Implementation Officer [email protected] 01437764551 Page 3 Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum are leading on a and public awareness of Welsh whales and partnership between land managers, business, dolphins. The main focus has been on field- industry, government and third sector organisa- work and training courses, with over 100 tions to reduce nutrient discharges to the Cled- volunteers benefiting from courses run by dau river catchment. our Wales Development officer all around Wales to educate and inspire the general The National Trust are heading up a collabora- public to get involved in marine conserva- tion between several organisations to develop tion. a repeatable template for improving the quality of and ecological connectivity between high Sea-watchers in action value nature conservation sites, with additional benefits to local communities. The project will take place on the Castlemartin peninsula and the hope is that a ‘toolkit’ will be produced which can be used to repeat the project else- where. Coed Cymru and the Rivers Trust will be work- ing across mid and west Wales in a collabora- tive project focusing on the farmed landscape to improve the water quality in river catch- In Pembrokeshire, both the Dale Fort Field ments. Centre and the Tenby National Park Centre have hosted courses and talks for inter- The future Fisheries Living Seas project will ested parties and thanks to the kind support promote low-impact fishing practices to help of the RSPB and Thousand Island Expedi- species and habitats recover from previous un- tions, local volunteers were able to hold a sustainable practices. land based cetacean survey on Ramsey Is- land for Sea Watch’s annual National Whale The projects are all expected to be complete by and Dolphin Watch in July. summer 2015 and the outcomes will be shared widely to inform further work. More recently Sea Watch volunteers as- sisted in the rescue of a rare pygmy sperm Ant Rogers whale off the coast of Anglesey, which was Biodiversity Implementation Officer successfully returned to the sea. Going into our second year, we are hoping to build on the success of the first year but we need some help to do this! We are still looking for volunteers to get involved with the project on a regular basis. Whether you are a recent university graduate, wildlife The Welsh Sea professional or just someone with a strong personal interest in the subject, we want to Watchers Project hear from you, anyone is welcome! Activi- ties involve anything from organising land It has been a busy first year for the Welsh Sea based cetacean watches to data entry; par- Watchers Project. Having received funding from taking in boat surveys to giving public talks the Volunteering in Wales Fund, the Sea Watch and promoting the project on social media. Foundation has been working hard to further systematic monitoring through citizen science If you think you can help, we want to hear Ant Rogers — Biodiversity Implementation Officer Page 4 [email protected] 01437764551 from you! We are particularly looking to build new wheelchair accessible path through Pop- on our public awareness campaign and are pit Marsh. It is a joy that these children can hoping to recruit more volunteers as Sea access the marsh not as some special Watch presenters, to give talks in schools and 'disability' feature but as a normal path that deliver fun and educational activities to the other families use.