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Newsletter Winter 2016 Final High Res 0 Winter 2016 Thames Valley Environmental Records Centre Photo by Caroline Coleman Welcome to the Winter Newsletter As Winter draws in, it’s The more people who wonderful to read about understand the all the surveying and importance and beauty of conservation work that has our environment, the taken place since the more chance we have of summer. conserving our environment for the As usual this work has benefit of us all. mostly been carried out by Photo by Julie Kerans enthusiastic volunteers, Camilla Burrow, Director inspiring and teaching and it’s great to hear how INSIDE THIS those new to conservation. the more experienced are ISSUE: TOE2 and TVERC 3 TVERC at Wychwood Fair Recorders’ Grant On Sunday 4th September TVERC had a enough to become detectives for the TVERC 2017 5 stall at the Wychwood Forest Fair. The day and identify the wildlife from the Training Forest Fair is a major fundraising event clues they’d left behind. We hope that Programme to support the local wildlife and the certificates and pencils they won, LWS survey 6 landscape conservation work of the with our recording website printed on highlights 2016 Wychwood them, will Project and encourage even Oxon Mammal 8 celebrates the more people to Group Surveys at diversity and submit records to Shotover richness of TVERC. The more Abingdon 10 the natural data we have, the Naturalist Society world and the better we are Survey working and able to help Trap Grounds 11 leisure protect our local Restoration Work activities of Photo courtesy of the Wychwood Project wildlife. local people Oxford becomes 12 http:// living within ‘Swift City’ sightings.tverc.org/record/sighting the bounds of the old Royal Hunting FHT—People, 14 Forest of Wychwood. By Camilla Burrow, Director Ponds and Water Many adults and children were brave Meet our Volunteer 17 Kim Jenkins To keep up to date with what TVERC are up to, follow us on twitter @TVERC1 Send us pictures of your finds to help with identification. P A G E 2 TVERC Autumn Recorders’ Conference 2016 “Joining the dots, making links for wildlife” ur autumn conference was learn from one another. Short speed held in October, generously updates, as usual, gave groups a chance to hosted again by Oracle update others and we were pleased to Corporation at its offices in hear from Isobel Collyer about new O Reading. Opening the developments for the Berkshire Local conference, Dr David Roy, Nature Partnership. Head of the Biological During the afternoon, those who chose to Records Centre at the Centre for Ecology and get a breath of fresh air, joined Dr Dan Hydrology told the Carpenter to explore how to value audience how biological landscapes or Dr Alastair Driver for a walk recording can be used to around the wetlands at Thames Valley monitor change and Park. Others opted for a workshop run by discussed future TVERC’s data team which demystified how challenges. The crucial role that volunteers can to use the online recording website. have in recording was demonstrated through a Dr David Roy fascinating description of BBOWT’S Linking “The conference the Landscape project in West Berkshire, described by Roger provided an Stace. Hannah Worker explained how the Freshwater Habitats Trust Dr Dan Carpenter—Living Landscape walk opportunity for has mobilised volunteers recorders from nationally to monitor and protect freshwater habitats including ponds. Once again, we enjoyed a fascinating day across Berkshire Keiron Brown also gave a characteristically of talks, conversation and networking. enthusiastic talk about FSC’s BioLinks and Oxfordshire Huge thanks to all those who took part. project, which aims to fill gaps in biological We hope you will join us for our next recording. th to meet, events in Wallingford on Saturday 4 th exchange news The conference provided an opportunity March and Reading on Saturday 7 for recorders from across Berkshire and October. and learn from Oxfordshire to meet, exchange news and Caroline Coleman, Volunteer Coordinator one another” TVERC’s Spring Conference2017 will be held at the new venue of CEH Offices in Wallingford on Saturday 4th March As usual, there will be talks, practical sessions, time for conversation and news from other groups across Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Hold the date! Keep an eye on our website and twitter feed, more details will be available nearer the time. The 2017 Autumn Conference will be Saturday 7th October at Oracle. TOE2 and TVERC Recorders’ Grant Scheme P A G E 3 TOE2 have been inviting applications for projects that improve the quality, quantity and/or coverage of voluntary species recording in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. Applications may be standalone grants to support better recording or they may be linked to a larger biodiversity application to TOE2. So far two projects have been successful in securing funding from the TVERC grant: 1. Moth trapping and recording in Oxfordshire, Butterfly Conservation Funding for moth traps that can be loaned out to individuals. Photo by Julie Kerans Moth traps are quite expensive equipment but by using them and becoming familiar with locally occurring species of moth, as well as challenging themselves with the harder to identify micro moths, the aim is to engage a new younger audience of moth recorders who can add valuable data to the existing moth records. As well as engaging with a wider diversity of individuals about moths. The project will be run over two years from October 2016; there will be a review in October 2017 to see how well the traps are being utilised, with a view to expand the project to neighbouring counties in the future. Participants will be encouraged to record their sightings via irecord and with TVERC and Butterfly Conservation. 2.Improving biodiversity in the Lower Thame catchment, River Thame Conservation Trust Funding for a handheld GPS with detailed OS mapping accuracy in order to collect data from planned surveys. The River Thame Conservation Trust is a grassroots environmental organisation working towards a river catchment with healthy fresh waters and wildlife, more resilient biodiversity for the future, and valued and enjoyed by local people. The trust’s interest is in all freshwaters including ponds, ditches, flushes and wetland areas as well as the main river and its tributaries. The project aims to: 1. Improve biodiversity of terrestrial and aquatic wildlife. 2. Involve more local people as volunteers in enjoying and understanding freshwaters. 3. Improve conditions to enable successful re-introduction of water vole to the area. As part of the project submitted for TOE2 funding and our other survey work being carried out by trained volunteers and our own staff in the Lower Thame in the next three years, a range of survey and monitoring activities will be taking place: All data will be provided to TVERC. There is still money left in the pot for projects which meet the criteria. If you would like to apply please contact: 01865 407003 or [email protected] or visit our website www.trustforoxfordshire.org.uk and follow us on Twitter @TOE2_Oxon P A G E 4 TVERC Training Courses 2016 or the past few years TVERC has identification and delivered the course been running training courses to with great enthusiasm, providing just the help train volunteers to fill gaps in right balance between theory and practical environmental data. Once again content. Fthe courses were very popular and we had Woodland Plant ID, trainer Julie Kerans— many satisfied customers, some of whom Hannah Boylan have gone on to help collect species records for us. “Julie very patiently took us through keying out a good selection of woodland plants This year we ran 7 courses, the Winter tree using vegetative and floral diagnostics ID, Bumblebee ID, Introduction to bird followed by a field visit to a wonderful surveying, Woodland plant ID, Grassland woodland with many of the typical species plant ID, Otter and Water vole. talked about earlier, brilliant to be able to spot them in the wild.” Grassland Plant ID , trainer Julie Kerans - Dan Carpenter ‘Julie is a very knowledgeable trainer and it was really useful to get her guidance about using the keys. The site was fantastic and a good place to practice your field craft’ Solomon’s seal on Woodland ID course Water Vole Ecology and Surveying, Taken by Hannah Boylan Trainer Dr Merryl Gelling—Rachael Clemson One of the perks of working for TVERC is “Merryl is one of the authors of the Water that we can go along to the course to help Vole Conservation Handbook so we knew out, but also to learn from our colleagues. we were in experienced hands. A really Here’s what those of us who made it onto enjoyable day which covered water vole the courses this year have to say about ecology, legislation and identification of them. field signs. Unfortunately we couldn’t Winter Tree ID course, trainer Julie control the weather and unseasonable Kerans—Yolanda Vazquez heavy downpour meant we weren’t able to spot any field signs during the walk, Julie’s extensive experience in plant ID however a previous photo game in the always comes across in her courses. She is classroom meant we still had ample able to point out exactly what features to opportunity to become more confident in look for and which are the most reliable/ recognising field signs for water vole and variable for identification. A really useful how to distinguish them from field vole course that achieves a lot in one day and signs. I am inspired to go water vole makes winter tree identification seem far spotting when the weather behaves itself.” less daunting! Bumblebee ID course trainer Ivan Wright—Yolanda Vazquez Do you wish you had been there? Don’t worry there is always 2017, we are taking bookings A very informative an enjoyable now for next years courses—see opposite page introduction to bumblebees and their for details.
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