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Back to a Wilder Future Leicestershire and Rutland WildMembership magazine Winter/Spring 2020 Back to a wilder future Simon Bentley & John Clarkson look at the past and future of Leicestershire and Rutland’s wildlife Wet, wet, wet From wild winter walks to managing floods naturally Meet our new CEO We welcome Tim Graham from Manx Wildlife Trust Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust We hope you enjoy your 36 page membership magazine. Welcome to your All the local news and features from your Wildlife Trust, plus national news and stories Wild Leicestershire from Wildlife Trusts around the UK. & Rutland Thank you for your support! Contents Happy New Year! Wildlife Presenter 4 Nick Baker gives his ‘Teal of Approval’ 12 Melissa Harrison on 7 connecting with winter this year We say thank you 8 to LRWT Director Simon Bentley, and John Clarkson looks ahead to the next 20 years Take a wild winter walk 14 around Cossington Meadows Feed the Discover how we’re 14 birds this 16 working with nature to winter help prevent flooding The climate and ecological emergencies demand with Vine urgent action and we are already playing our part. Find out how legacies 20 We are at a time of challenge and opportunity. 18 have saved wild places House Farm 2020 will see a new agenda to generate in Leicestershire and international targets for the next ten years, As winter progresses, small hopefully building a new culture that will deliver Rutland birds must work harder to the start of nature’s recovery. Just imagine a Wilder Future where nature-based solutions help find food. A short spell of cold, manage flooding and store carbon; the NHS uses Learn how to help nature to prevent illness and increase recovery harsh weather can prove fatal, I can’t wait to see in 2020 in Leicestershire and 26 wildlife in your garden with government to improve farming subsidies times; any new development is net positive for as they may struggle to find Rutland. I have settled in with such a warm this winter with Kate for wildlife, setting out a national framework to wildlife; and all this enables investment to secure enough food to keep warm welcome and I’m astonished daily by the great deliver conservation, and increasing the presence our environment. Viable populations of wildlife Bradbury work of our staff and volunteers. I’m joining of the Trust in the community. through the night. By providing will burst from our nature reserves to move across Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust from Something stood out when I came for interview; Leicestershire and Rutland’s landscapes - and Amy-Jane Beer shows us the right type of foods in the the Manx Wildlife Trust, and there are some big the staff, volunteers and trustees gave me a beyond. People will be able to connect closer 28 how spectacular urban right feeders, you can make a differences - most obviously being surrounded by sense of positive direction, which couples well every day to our wildlife and society will truly care. wildlife can be the bustle of the city, rather than the lull of the with a famous history of conservation success. I can’t wait to get stuck in and thank you for your huge difference. sea! That said, many issues are the same, and I We need more of that ambition, alongside our ongoing support. Blackbirds and robins love ground feeding have moved here having successfully negotiating existing amazing work as we look to the future. Tim Graham, CEO Get out and about with trays with sunflower hearts, husk-free mixes 32 our guide to events and and suet pellets, whilst finches, like chaffinch activities 28 or even brambling can be attracted with a plentiful supply of seed either on trays or Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust hanging feeders. Working to protect and enhance the wildlife and Chairman Andrew Cotton Wild is the membership magazine for When you buy bird food and other supplies wild places of Leicestershire and Rutland and to Hon. Secretary Maggie Morland Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and is Membership from Vine House Farm, 4% of your purchase engage people with nature. free to members. will be donated to Leicestershire and Rutland Hon. Treasurer Ann Tomlinson Views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily Our vision is for a Living Landscape rich in wildlife, Wildlife Trust, and if you’re a new customer CEO Tim Graham those of the Editor, Director or the Council of the Trust. Recruiters needed! valued and enjoyed by all. Articles, letters, photographs and artwork are welcomed We have an exciting opportunity to join us they will also give an extra £10! Last year Vine Head of Conservation John Clarkson on the understanding that no liability for their safe as a Membership Recruiter. This flexible job House Farm donated around £3,000 to the Registered office: The Old Mill, Rutland Water Nature Reserve Manager custody or return is incurred and the right to abridge or 9 Soar Lane, Leicester, LE3 5DE. is a great way to support local wildlife and Trust to help support our work. Mat Cottam refuse publication is reserved. Tel. 0116 262 9968 Editor Lucy McRobert. the local environment, while supplementing email: [email protected] Membership Officer Josephine Taylor See a full range of products in the Designer Yarwood Associates. your income. enclosed Vine House Farm flier or visit website: www.lrwt.org.uk Charity No. 210531 Printed on 100% recycled paper. Find out more and apply at vinehousefarm.co.uk wildlifefundraising.org Recruitment © LRWT Company Reg. No. 561833 Chaffinch © Fergus Gill/2020Vision facebook/twitter/flickr/instagram Front cover: Fieldfare © Richard Steel/2020Vision 2 Wild Winter/Spring 2020 Winter/Spring 2020 Wild 3 Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust LRWT NEWS Twenty years with LRWT Beverley Heath has retired from her role as the Trust’s Communications Officer. She joined the Trust back in 1999 and for the first 11 years undertook a combined role of Membership and Communications Officer, co-ordinating administration of the Trust’s membership as well as overseeing communication of the Trust’s work and key messages – a considerable task! In recent years Beverley has been able to focus on communications and particularly the production of the Trust’s various regular publications, including regular membership magazines, annual reports and numerous leaflets, newsletters, brochures and appeals. Teal of approval from Record-breaking year for wildlife presenter Rutland’s Ospreys Wildlife presenter Nick Baker swooped into he was no longer able to drive. I am certain Rutland Water Nature Reserve in September that he would be proud to see what has to meet our young Osprey Ambassadors been created here to help encourage the and open the new Teal hide at Lyndon. next generation.” The Teaching, Education and Learning A sun-drenched afternoon of bird- hide will serve as an outdoor classroom themed activities ensued, courtesy of the - introducing future generations to the Osprey Education Team, while Zeiss kindly wonders of natural history. Most recently she has overseen the sponsored binoculars for everyone. upgrade and update of our Nature The hide was the result of a generous Bunting and cake were the order of the day, Reserves Guide with full colour maps donation from Peter Cox, on behalf of his thanks to the culinary skills of Liz Elsden and and photographs plus comprehensive, father, Dennis, and the hard work of the artistic touches from Libby Smith. clearly presented information. Another staff and volunteers of the Reserve’s Hide Nick tried his hand at the Osprey Migration significant task was the redesign of Building Team: Game, and returned later in the evening the Trust’s membership magazine to a previous record of 16). This bumper “Dennis was an avid bird watcher and to deliver a talk to a centre packed with incorporating local news and articles with crop allowed the project to celebrate the member of the Leicestershire & Rutland Wildlife Trust Volunteers on “How to Rewild national updates and features from The milestone of the 150th chick to hatch since 2019 osprey season Wildlife Trust” said Peter, “He enjoyed Yourself”. Wildlife Trusts (previously Natural World). the project began. in numbers: regular weekly visits to the reserve up until Teal Hide opening © Pete Murray Beverley has made a valuable Another terrific surprise was the discovery 10 breeding pairs contribution to the work of the Trust over of four chicks in a single nest. This is the chicks fledged many years, evidenced by regular positive first time this has occurred in Rutland. It was 23 the UK, too, using the same template and comments and feedback from members all the more rewarding and satisfying that 4 chicks to a nest – A new era appearance. We’re also bringing in several and supporters saying how much they 23 years since the Rutland this nest of four was in Manton Bay – home for the first time! other websites under one united banner, enjoy our informative and of our osprey webcam on Rutland Water chick to hatch from including Rutland Water Nature Reserve, Osprey Project began, the 150th for our interesting publications. nature reserve. People from all over the the Rutland Osprey Project the Rutland Ospreys, Wild Forest School ospreys continue to surprise. world watched as the four chicks hatched, and Wild Lives (don’t worry – the web We wish her a long 3,064 young people aged 6-16 2019 has been a year of record-breaking flourished and fledged in the summer. website addresses will all stay the same). We hope and very happy engaged in nature In mid-January, we’ll be saying goodbye retirement.
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