Bedruthan Steps

Cornwall’s Coast

An amazing place for people Our work so far and for wildlife We have been managing land at is a Celtic nation with a strong Marsh for many years to protect sense of identity and tradition. Residents vulnerable species, such as internationally- and visitors value their wildlife experiences important wintering bitterns, which along the coast. Seafaring and mining have depend on reedbeds, and ensuring that been replaced by agriculture and tourism our nature reserve at Estuary as prime industries. Cornwall creates some provides a safe refuge for wintering of the UK’s finest home-grown produce waders and wildfowl. and plays host to increasing numbers of visitors each year. As well as managing our own nature reserves, we work closely with and advise Cornwall’s coastline is magical, with many landowners and farmers all around significant areas of nationally-important Cornwall’s coast to help them support and habitats, from cliffs and slopes to lowland safeguard wildlife on their land. Agri- heath and sand dunes. This rich diversity environment schemes are central to this, supports a host of rare plants, invertebrates and farmland specialists, such as and iconic species, including Cornish choughs, cirl buntings and corn buntings, choughs or palores. By working together are reaping the benefits. So too are a DECLINEPalores and of and pooling our resources we can ensure whole suite of once-common arable plants the the future Capercaillie Cornwall’s wildlife is protected and its land like weasel snout and small-flowered used sustainably long into the future. catchfly – the jewels in our fields. CapercaillieCornish choughs are woodland are special grouse, and confinedmuch-loved to bynative Cornish pine people. forest and Choughs are emblematic for Cornwall Restoring life to the coastal fringe involves someThey are commercial intertwined conifer with its history and have great cultural and spiritual grazing and scrub management to open plantations.and were once Their lost needs from thisare not significance for Cornish people – an up formerly-abandoned cliff slopes. This straightforwardlandscape – losing as themthey requireagain is vast association that can be traced back many provides a mosaic of vegetation that expansesunthinkable. of Theirsuitable return habitat. has had Males a hundreds of years. The totemic status of supports a myriad of species. Cornwall’s arehugely black, positive huge impact, and unmistakable, not just as this bird is unique in the United Kingdom rich history also benefits, with many especiallya flagship sospecies when for they nature gather to and people feel a great pride in the important archaeological sites now being performconservation, their butmating for the ritual health at of reappearance and successful breeding sensitively managed. traditionalCornwall. It lek is essentialsites. They that spend we a lot of choughs once again in Cornwall. ofcontinue time feeding to protect on andblaeberries enhance on their To make a bigger difference for wildlife thehabitats. ground, Increasing but may truly-sustainable also be found The RSPB Date with Nature at Land’s End and the historic environment around intourism, trees, managingfeeding on food pine production needles. and Cornwall Chough Project Partnership Cornwall’s coast we are developing key Thewith UKwildlife capercaillie in mind, population building homes and have proven to be really successful in partnerships, working with Cornwall rangeaway fromhas declinedsensitive rapidly, places andand the getting people involved with this beautiful Biodiversity Initiative alongside Cornwall speciessupporting is nowa thriving at risk economy, of extinction. whilst landscape. It’s vital that we continue to Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Natural Conservationembracing nature and conservationrestoration of is the spread the word about this coast’s amazing England and more. Joining forces and habitatcrucial to is Cornwallessential for if theyeveryone, are to natural value and encourage people to combining expertise enables us to thriveincluding once our more. iconic Cornish choughs. engage with our work here. maximise opportunities to help wildlife. KEY main road Futurescape area Special Protection Area

Bude

Launceston

Padstow

Bodmin

Newquay Cornwall’s Coast

Produced by RSPB CDMU © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 1000217Our87 stewardship scheme “ enables us to farm our land productively, whilst benefiting local wildlife. Being able St Ives to watch skylarks and corn buntings gives both my family and the public St Just Falmouth enormous pleasure. ” The Watson-Smyth’s, Tregirls,

What’s next? Get in touch We have big ambitions for Cornwall and we are working We want to hear your ideas about how we can work together hard to ensure that we continue creating space for nature to make Cornwall’s Coast even better for people and wildlife. on a landscape scale. People are central to our work here, alongside the need to secure funding for future projects. Cornwall Conservation Cornwall Projects Manager Officer Claire Mucklow Farmed land in particular is crucial to ensuring nature has Paul St. Pierre T 01392 453775 a home in Cornwall. Farm businesses reliant on agri- T 01736 362979 environment funding, and the wildlife that has benefited, RSPB South West face uncertainty because there will be less money for these Cornwall Reserves Manager Regional Office schemes in the future. Our challenge is to continue David Flumm T 01392 432691 delivering high-quality agreements with a depleted pot of T 01736 360624 Keble House, money. By working together with farmers, land managers, Southernhay Gardens, business and tourism sectors, and Local Nature and Exeter EX1 1NT Enterprise partnerships, we will ensure Cornwall’s natural assets are at the heart of decision making, with good outcomes for nature and for people.

The Cornwall’s Coast Futurescapes project is Natura 2000 – Europe’s Futurescapes is The RSPB is a member an enormous undertaking that has, to date, nature for you. We are generously supported of BirdLife International, working together across the by the EU Life+ a partnership of conservation benefited from the support of many different EU to safeguard Europe’s rich Communications organisations working to give organisations, landowners and individuals. and diverse natural heritage Programme nature a home around the world Space restrictions prevent us from publicly for the benefit of all acknowledging them all here, but details of the range and diversity of some of the partner organisations can be found on our website rspb.org.uk/futurescapes/cornwallcoast

Futurescapes is the RSPB’s contribution to landscape-scale conservation throughout the UK. The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a registered charity: England and Wales no. 207076, Scotland no. SC037654. Images: choughs by Richard Bedford (rspb-images.com) and Bedruthan Steps by Nick Tomalin. Maps produced by RSPB CDMU © Crown Copyright. All rights reserved. RSPB licence 100021787. 020-1-1238-13-14