CITY AND COUNTY OF CARDIFF DINAS A SIR CAERDYDD
COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL 15 November 2001
CABINET PROPOSAL AGENDA ITEM:
Cardiff Local Biodiversity: Action Plan: “Wild About Cardiff”
Background
1. Biodiversity Action Plans are the UK Government’s response to its obligations under the International Convention on Biodiversity, i.e. sustaining the variety of natural life. The essence of a Local Biodiversity Action Plan is that it should reflect the objectives and targets of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan whilst additionally taking into account the needs of local wildlife and the relationship of local people with this local wildlife resource.
The Issues
2. Comments were sought on a consultative draft from interested organisations and groups, and via Capital Times / press articles from the wider public. The content of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan was generally welcomed.
3. Following further selective consultations a final version of the Plan has been prepared, which is appended to this report (Appendix 2). This contains amended “biodiversity indicators”, which link with the Council’s approved Sustainability Indicators and the proposed Community Strategy indicators / targets. It also contains an agreed priority list for the preparation of individual habitat and species action plans. Progress on the first tranche of these (Appendix 1) is being supported by the Countryside Council for Wales as part of the Cardiff Countryside Partnership Programme.
4. All action plans will be prepared in partnership with the Glamorgan Biodiversity Advisory Group and the Greater Gwent Biodiversity Action Group (on both of which the County Council is represented) utilising the Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum to ensure full consultation with relevant Council Services and external agencies and organisations.
5. The Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 placed a new statutory responsibility on the National Assembly for Wales in carrying out its functions “to have regard … to the purpose of conserving biological diversity in
Page 1 of 4 accordance with the Convention”. The Assembly also has a duty to promote such steps by others and it is intended that these new duties will underpin the existing local biodiversity planning process.
6. The UK Biodiversity Group has recently reported on the first 5 years of the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and identified five continuing challenges, including the need to ensure that local biodiversity action plans are developed and put into practice. The attached Local Biodiversity Action Plan will set the context for ongoing biodiversity planning in Cardiff, including the preparation and implementation of further tranches of action plans and will favourably position the County Council to respond to these new policy initiatives. Action planning will also feed into a revision of the Supplementary Planning Guidance on Nature Conservation and into the Unitary Development Plan process.
Page 2 of 4
ADVICE
This report has been prepared in consultation with Corporate Managers and reflects their collective advice. It contains all the information necessary to allow Members to arrive at a reasonable view, taking into account the advice contained in this section.
The Corporate Manager dealing with this report is Emyr Evans
Legal Implications
There are no specific legal implications arising from this report.
Financial Implications
Completion of habitat and species action plans in the current financial year is being supported by grant aid from the Countryside Council for Wales. Future financial commitments will be tailored to suit contribution available.
Consequences
Approval of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan will favourably position the County Council to respond to new national policy initiatives on Biodiversity.
BYRON DAVIES Chief Executive 24 September 2001
Background Papers:
Reports to Deputy Mayor (Environment) 2 August 2000 and 27 June 2001
CABINET PROPOSALS
That Cabinet recommends Council to agree the final draft of the Cardiff Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
The following appendices are attached:
Appendix 1: Habitat and Species Action Plans
Appendix 2: Final draft of Cardiff Local Biodiversity Action Plan: “Wild about Cardiff”
Page 3 of 4 APPENDIX 1
The first tranche of ten Habitat and Species Action Plans for 2001/2002 are:
Habitat Action Plans: · Ponds # · Purple moor-grass and rush pasture · Woodland # · Gardens #
Species Action Plans: · Monkshood · Waxcap Fungi ** · Great Crested Newt * · Bats ** · Water Vole * · Silver-washed Fritillary
[Key: * national priority species, ** includes several national priority species, # linked to Cardiff Biodiversity Indicators].
The scope of these action plans will be reviewed as new information is assessed.
Page 4 of 4 WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
WILD ABOUT CARDIFF
Cardiff’s Local Biodiversity Action Plan
2001
CARDIFF COUNTY COUNCIL
Prepared with the expert help and advice of The Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum - a working group of representatives from over fifty different conservation-minded organisations and with financial support from the Countryside Council for Wales.
- 1 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
CONTENTS PAGE
The WILD ABOUT CARDIFF FACTFILE PageHOMEPAGE 5 · Welcome to Wild About Cardiff; · An introduction to biodiversity; · Some facts about biodiversity in Cardiff; · A brief history of Wild About Cardiff.
FACTPAGES All you need to know about biodiversity, and how to find out more…
FACTPAGE 1 - Did You Know? 8 · Be impressed by the sheer range of Cardiff’s wildlife; · Test how well you know your local wildlife areas; · Check how much potential wildlife habitat there is in Cardiff; · Look up how many different wildlife sites there are in Cardiff.
FACTPAGE 2: Think Globally! 10 The wider picture from global to local · Why Cardiff is not alone; · Biodiversity in crisis – the causes; · From global decision to local action; · Local Biodiversity Action Plans – the wider context.
FACTPAGE 3: The Benefits of Biodiversity 13 · Why do we bother with it? This FactPage lists some good reasons…
FACTPAGE 4: Human Nature 16 · Nature on your doorstep: what does Cardiff’s wildlife mean to its people? · Results of the Biodiversity Ballot and the “Generations” questionnaire; · Hopes for a greener future.
FACTPAGE 5: Biodiversity Action 19 · “Biodiversity Needs You!” - Some examples of what’s being done to give Cardiff’s biodiversity a helping hand.
- 2 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 6: Wild About Schools! 23 · Where does biodiversity fit into the new Welsh National Curriculum? · Young People’s responses to the Biodiversity Ballot and the “Generations of Wildlife” survey; · Examples of wildlife-friendly school grounds projects.
FACTPAGE 7: Friendly Farming 27 · Priority Habitats and Species that depend on farming; · How important is farming for biodiversity – and vice versa? · Why Wild About Cardiff is relevant to farmers.
FACTPAGE 8: Developing a Partnership 31 · How biodiversity fits into the process of development; · Planning Guidance for nature conservation in Wales; · Enhancing development with biodiversity; · Top tips for good practice.
FACTPAGE 9: Biodiversity Indicators 35 · “Are we doing OK?” - An introduction to Sustainability Indicators and how they can be used to measure the progress of biodiversity action; · Cardiff’s Biodiversity Indicators; · How the Biodiversity Indicators came about; · The next step.
FACTPAGE 10: Staying on the Right Track 39 · Guiding principles for making the most of our naturally diverse environment.
ACTION PLANS 41 · An introduction to Habitat and Species Action Plans; · Which species and habitats need Action Plans? · Wild about Cardiff Action Plans · Other related Action Plans; · Putting it into practice.
HELP PAGES 54 · Contacts · References
- 3 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
The WILD ABOUT CARDIFF ACTION PACK
The Action Pack will be the technical supplement to Wild About Cardiff. It will be added to this document and subject to frequent updates. In it you will find:
· Habitat Action Plans · Species Action Plans · Species Statements · Biodiversity Indicators Guidance Notes and Presentation Examples · Examples of do-it-yourself biodiversity projects
- 4 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
HOMEPAGE
Wild About Cardiff, welcome to your Local Biodiversity Action Plan
“Biodiversity”? It sounds like yet more scientific jargon, but biodiversity is simply short for “biological diversity” - in other words, the natural variety of life.
Everyone needs biodiversity - it’s what gives the world beauty and variety, not just in the countryside but also in our parks, gardens or even within the supportive branches of a single, much-loved tree.
But why should we be wild about Cardiff? Isn’t it just a built-up area with no wildlife? No! In fact, Cardiff has an incredible variety of wild plants, animals and habitats. There are hundreds of different plants, birds and insects, which make Cardiff their home. These include seventeen species of Orchids and at least twenty-five species of Butterflies! What’s more, Cardiff has around twenty main types of habitat, ten of which feature in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan as important Priority Habitats.
This variety of wildlife is what makes Cardiff’s local biodiversity so special. “Wild About Cardiff”, your Local Biodiversity Action Plan, aims to keep it this way.
What is a Biodiversity Action Plan?
Biodiversity Action Plans are a way of pinpointing the most important biodiversity features for a particular area and working out what actions need to be taken in order to protect them. For example, the UK Biodiversity Action Plan describes all the most important species and habitats in the UK, makes an assessment of their importance, identifies Priority Habitats and Species, and lists a series of targeted actions that need to be carried out to prevent further losses.
Local Biodiversity Action Plans (“LBAPs”) like Wild About Cardiff are aimed at locally important habitats and species as well as the national priorities. LBAPs have another useful function: they offer a chance to
- 5 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
involve local people in the decisions that are made about the natural areas they know and love. They can also offer a source of information, alerting people to the wealth of local wildlife they might not even be aware of, and putting people in touch with others who care about the wildlife “on their doorstep”.
The history of “Wild About Cardiff”
Cardiff County Council has created Wild About Cardiff with the expert help and advice of The Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum - a working group of representatives from over fifty different conservation-minded organisations. The Forum began in spring 1999 at the Biodiversity Action Day - a series of talks and workshops about biodiversity in Cardiff. Since then, Forum members have had a regular input in the design, style and content of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan.
Wild About Cardiff consists of a FACTFILE and an ACTION PACK. In the FACTFILE you will find:
· information about what makes Cardiff’s wildlife special; · background to biodiversity action; · results of the recent public surveys about wildlife in Cardiff; · examples of how to get involved with giving the wildlife on your doorstep a helping hand; · further contacts and sources of reference; · news about individual Action Plans for helping to protect wild habitats and species.
If you are interested in what ACTIONS are being proposed to help conserve biodiversity in the Cardiff area the place to look will be in the Action Pack which accompanies the Wild About Cardiff document.
How does “Wild About Cardiff” fit in with the Nature Conservation Strategy?
Cardiff’s Nature Conservation Strategy identifies local wildlife sites, known as Sites of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI), and how development proposals that may affect them will be assessed. It is approved supplementary planning guidance to the adopted City of Cardiff
- 6 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Local Plan. An addendum has also been prepared for the assessment of development proposals affecting nature conservation in Pentyrch and Creigiau. The Nature Conservation Strategy also contains the “Red Data Book”, the list of locally rare flora and fauna.
Work is going on at a regional level to refine the criteria for defining local wildlife sites. This work and the additional information coming from the preparation of Wild About Cardiff will feed into a review of the Supplementary Planning Guidance on Nature Conservation, including an update of local wildlife sites. All of this will feed into the preparation of a new Unitary Development Plan for Cardiff. See FACTPAGE 8 for more details.
The “Red Data Book” will also be updated and incorporated into a new inventory of Cardiff’s wildlife resources, to be known as Baseline 2000. Baseline 2000 will also contain information from the Cardiff Biological Database and a series of biodiversity surveys carried out over recent years, in partnership with a wide range of organisations including the Countryside Council for Wales, the Environment Agency and the National Museum of Wales. See FACTPAGE 1 for more details.
- 7 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 1:
Did You Know?
Hundreds of small, medium and large wildlife sites exist throughout Cardiff, not just in the surrounding hills and fields but right in the city itself. In total, these sites contain a surprising wealth of wild plants and animals. · 10 out of the 32 UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Habitats occur in Cardiff · The Cardiff Biological Database holds around 90,000 individual records of wild plant and animal sightings in Cardiff · The Council has designated 5 ‘Local Nature Reserves’ (LNRs) and 124 ‘Sites of Nature Conservation Importance’ (SNCIs) in Cardiff! · There are 10 biological ‘Sites of Special Scientific Interest’ (SSSIs) in Cardiff · The Severn Estuary is designated as a ‘Special Protection Area’ (SPA) under the European Birds Directive · The Cardiff Beech Woods are the most westerly in Britain and will be designated as a ‘Special Area of Conservation (SAC) under the European Habitats Directive · In the rest of Europe, bluebells like ours are very rare · Cardiff has one wild plant, which doesn’t occur anywhere else! Radyr Hawkweed is only found on one or two private sites · Flat Holm Island - a top biodiversity site - is part of Cardiff · Over 54 species of plant were found growing in or around a single pond during a survey of Cardiff Ponds in 1997-98 · Exotic-looking bee orchids have been found on 14 sites in and around the City (source: Baseline 2000)
A feature which makes Cardiff a good place for wildlife to live in often makes it a better place for us, too. Many of Cardiff’s best wildlife sites can freely be visited by the public. For Cardiff residents, these sites are the “countryside on your doorstep”: a green oasis to escape to and enjoy the sights and sounds of nature.
- 8 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Vital Statistics - Key facts about biodiversity in Cardiff
The main source of background information for “Wild About Cardiff” is the Cardiff Biological Database – a computer database containing thousands of records of plants and animals seen in Cardiff, along with a wide variety of supporting maps. Records come from a wide variety of sources including the County Council, members of the public and local species recording groups – see below for details of how to contribute. Based at Cardiff County Council, the Database is kept updated on a regular basis, with new information being added every time an additional wildlife survey or sighting is reported. To help with compiling “Wild About Cardiff” and its associated Habitat Action Plans, the information on the Cardiff Biological Database is being processed into a collection of useful information: “Baseline 2000”.
Can you add to our list? All we need to enter a new species record onto the database is: · what the species is; · who found it; · when it was found; and · where it was found.
To send us a new record, call 029 2087 3227, e-mail: [email protected] or write to: Ecologist, Strategic Planning, County Hall, Cardiff CF10 4UW. Many thanks to everyone who has contributed to the Cardiff Biological Database so far!
To find out about the wider background to biodiversity action, see FACTPAGE 2
FACTPAGE 2:
Think Globally: the wider picture from global to local
The current concern about biodiversity is not a new worry: people have been aware that wildlife habitats and species were under threat for over a century. In Britain, legal protection for the countryside has gradually increased, and the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act introduced
- 9 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
measures to protect wild birds, plants and animals. In 2000 The Countryside and Rights of Way Act (known as the CROW Act) improved the protection given to Sites of Special Scientific Interest (known as SSSIs). Other countries around the world have introduced similar legislation as concern grew about disappearing wildlife.
Bioscarcity: biodiversity in crisis
When the Royal Society for Nature Conservation produced their “Losing Ground” report in 1989, the losses which wildlife in Britain has suffered over the years were brought sharply into focus. Some of the statistics have become notorious: 95% of all lowland hay meadows were found to have disappeared, along with thousands of miles of hedgerows, thousands of acres of marshland, ancient woodlands, ponds, moorland… the list seemed endless. Many individual species had also disappeared from previous strongholds: even the once widespread water vole and many farmland birds had seriously declined.
According to the Countryside Council for Wales’ Action for Wildlife report, the following are some of the many complex, interlinked causes of this biodiversity crisis: · atmospheric pollution leading to the modification of sensitive habitats; · spread of urban, industrial and transport developments leading to the direct loss of wildlife features; · widespread use of herbicides and pesticides leading to the decline of various species groups; · intensification of agriculture leading to the loss and fragmentation of semi-natural habitat; · replacement of deciduous woodland by conifer plantation as the main type of forest cover; · increased tourism leading to disturbance and change in coastal and upland environments
Think Globally !
Wildlife and habitats in other parts of the world often face similar threats to those in Wales. They may also suffer from more dramatic effects of global warming, deforestation and atmospheric pollution.
- 10 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Wildlife doesn’t know about international boundaries, and nor do its main threats, so it is appropriate that the current biodiversity action in Cardiff was triggered by an international event…
From Global Decision to Local Action…
In 1992, global concern about the spiralling threat to the Earth’s living resources led to the largest ever environmental gathering of world leaders at Rio, Brazil. Now famous as the “Earth Summit”, this historic meeting resulted in a resolution to ensure a sustainable future in which the earth’s storehouse of biodiversity could be used for human advantage whilst guarding it from over-exploitation. At the Summit, 150 world leaders signed The Convention on Biological Diversity. All the countries that signed up have agreed to take action to protect biodiversity - this includes us!
By 1994, the UK Government had produced our own National Biodiversity Action Plan, which is now being used to make decisions about how all the UK’s precious biological diversity should be managed and protected .
1997 saw the first regional biodiversity action in South Wales. The Glamorgan Biodiversity Advisory Group was followed by the Greater Gwent Biodiversity Action Group - Cardiff is involved with both. These groups have now produced a series of Regional Habitat Action Plans.
Local Biodiversity Action Plans are the next step: Local “BAPs” help to protect national priority habitats and species at a local level, using regional guidelines. Local BAPs also ensure that local people are involved in the process of caring for the wildlife “on their doorstep” that matters to them – whether it’s nationally important or not. Some Local BAPs have already been produced, and many others are under way throughout the UK.
Remember: “Biodiversity is all living things, from the tiny garden ant to the giant redwood tree. You will find biodiversity everywhere, in window boxes and wildlife woods, roadsides and rain forests, snow fields and sea shore.” (From Biodiversity, the UK Steering Group Report, 1995)
- 11 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
See FACTPAGE 3 to find out about the benefits of biodiversity.
- 12 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 3:
The Benefits of Biodiversity
Why Bother With Biodiversity? What Use Is It?
A lot of thought has gone into answering this question. Here are some official reasons: “No organism lives in isolation from other living things and each has its own way of life which contributes to the balance of nature. The inter-dependence and successful functioning of all these parts is a key contributory factor to the healthiness of the planet as a whole. If we continue to pollute the atmosphere, contaminate land and water, and degrade our ecosystems by, for example, destroying forests, wetlands and marine environments, then the planet will suffer accordingly….. The moral and aesthetic reasons for conserving biodiversity are less tangible but of great importance… We conserve species and habitats because they are beautiful or because they otherwise enrich our lives.” - The UK Biodiversity Action Plan
“Biodiversity is important because the viability and productivity of soils and waters, the climate and other life-support systems depend on the interaction between complex groups of species and their environment…. The variety of life on earth also provides a biological storehouse of medicines, new foods and materials, with genetic variety being crucially important in many fields, one example being the development of disease resistance in crop plants. The presence of a wide variety of plants and animals, together with the landscapes, which they mould, also provides a great source of inspiration and well-being. And, because of the sheer complexity and variety of life on Earth, biodiversity may also be important for reasons which we may not even yet know, let alone be able to express”
“For all these reasons, it is right that we care for the diversity of life and it is within the capacity of each individual to make his or her own contribution to its conservation.”
From “Action for Wildlife”, Countryside Council for Wales 1997
- 13 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
The official accounts say that biodiversity offers us a vast range of benefits… But the best “advertisement” for Cardiff’s wild places comes from Cardiff residents themselves: nearly two hundred people completed our 1999 - 2000 “Generations of Wildlife” questionnaire; the answers show what an improvement Cardiff’s biodiversity makes to our everyday quality of life:
“Cardiff is lucky to have many good sites for biodiversity which can be visited by the public. These include nature reserves, river valleys, parks, woodlands and public footpaths through varied countryside around the edges of the City….. “
What is your main reason for visiting sites like these? “pleasure”, “fun and exercise”, “the fresh air”, “gentle exercise”, “seeing wildlife”, “going for walks”, “I like being close to nature”, “to take the kids somewhere nice”, “leisure”, “interested in nature conservation” , “spending leisure time outdoors”
“pleasant change of scenery”, “to get away from the bustle of city life”, “I enjoy going to parks because they are so peaceful”, “because they are wonderful!”
Members of the Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum agree about the benefits of encouraging biodiversity:
“Cardiff’s parks and street trees help to give the place its special character. The people that go to parks to relax and enjoy the birdsong and calm atmosphere are benefiting from biodiversity without even realising it…” Raj Chettri, Park Ranger
“Wildlife on the site is an added bonus. Many species of birds frequent allotment sites eager to devour the worms and insects turned up while you’re cultivating your plot. If you’re an early morning or late evening gardener you may be privileged enough to be adopted by a family of foxes who will come to observe you working on your plot, or maybe you will be able to watch the cubs playing. It all adds to the delights of gardening….” Graham Willis, Cardiff and District Council of Allotment Holders Associations
- 14 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
“I watched as a Cabbage White butterfly went from one Brussels sprout plant to another. I could actually see the eggs that it was laying. Very close behind a wasp followed and as the butterfly left each plant the wasp moved in and ate the eggs that had just been laid. I had no trouble with caterpillars that year!” Barry Webb, Cardiff Organic Gardeners
“… Restoring the native woodlands of Wales to something like their former glory provides real benefits for the landscape, wildlife conservation, tourism, and a multitude of small businesses utilising Welsh hardwood timber throughout Wales.” Ian Nicholas, Coed Cymru
“Biodiversity means an enhanced environment providing pleasure for all” Linda Nottage, Cardiff Naturalists Society
See FACTPAGE 4 - 10 for more of the Generations of Wildlife questionnaire results plus information about what’s being done for biodiversity in and around Cardiff and how you can help!
- 15 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 4:
Human Nature
What does biodiversity mean to people?
In 1999 the “Britain’s Best Working Cities” survey showed Cardiff to be the most popular workplace city in Britain for a whole range of reasons - including the clean, pleasant environment. A good Local Biodiversity Action Plan should take local views like these into account, so the Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum were keen to know what workers and residents think about the wildlife in their favourite city. In particular:
Which aspects of Cardiff’s biodiversity are valued most? What are people’s main concerns about wildlife in Cardiff, now and for the future?
These questions are what the Biodiversity Ballot and the Generations Survey set out to answer.
The Biodiversity Ballot
The Biodiversity Ballot asked members of the public to “vote” for their favourite wildlife species and habitats in Cardiff. We asked people to put a cross beside their top three favourite places to see wildlife in Cardiff, and then to tell us their favourite wild animal, bird, tree and flower. Over five hundred people of all ages took the time to fill in a “ballot paper” and post their vote into the Big Biodiversity Ballot Box at a range of locations throughout the City. See below for details of who won the vote!
Thank you to everyone who voted!
The Generations Questionnaire was aimed at finding out local concerns about wildlife:
Nearly two hundred people took the time to fill in this survey, which asked people of all ages whether they had heard of “biodiversity” before,
- 16 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
how often they visited wildlife sites around Cardiff, and how they viewed the past and the future of Cardiff’s natural environment.
Thank you to everyone who took part!
Who Won the Biodiversity Ballot? - All of Cardiff’s Wildlife!
The 543 responses to the Ballot were overwhelmingly positive, revealing a great affection for familiar wild species. Of the wildlife-friendly places that people most liked to visit, parks and woodlands were clear favourites. Of the species categories, robins were also outright favourites, as were oak trees.
The flower and animal categories had rather more close-run voting, but the pleasures of seeing beautiful carpets of bluebells and the thrill of seeing fox cubs playing in apparently inhospitable built-up areas was enough to swing the vote in their favour. The overall winners are:
Top Three Places to See Wildlife in Cardiff: 1st Parks 2nd Woodlands 3rd Rivers and streams Close Runners-up: Ponds, gardens
Favourite Animal: Fox Joint Runners-up: Squirrel and hedgehog
Favourite Bird: Robin Runner-up: Buzzard
Favourite Tree: Oak Runner-up: Willow
Favourite Flower: Bluebell Runner-up: Daffodil
Hopes for a Greener Future
The results of the Generations questionnaire show a clear difference in outlook between older and younger respondents. Less than half had heard of biodiversity, almost all of who were under 25. However, many of them enjoy visiting wildlife-rich environments, and most are aware of the key threats that biodiversity faces. The majority thought that the natural environment used to be better for biodiversity, and that
- 17 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
development on wild areas, coupled with increased pollution pressures, were the main reasons for this – and that it was likely to get worse. However, many of the younger participants in the survey (under 25) thought that, although biodiversity in Cardiff used to be better, things were actually likely to improve in the future due to the increasingly high profile of environmental issues. Local Biodiversity Action Plans such as Wild About Cardiff will hopefully help to build on this growing awareness.
reasons for visiting favourite wildlife areas: "have you heard of biodiversity?" 30
20 number of answers 10
0 going for a walk walking the dog never heard of simply enjoying the surroundings recreation heardit of it but don't know what it just passing through taking the kids for an outing vagueis idea about what it stress relief definitelyis know what it exercise to see wildlife is
The results of the Biodiversity Ballot and the Generations questionnaire have been used to inform Habitat and Species Action Plans, Biodiversity Indicators and other important elements of “Wild About Cardiff” – thanks again to everyone who contributed!
- 18 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 5:
Biodiversity Action - Biodiversity Needs You!
FACTPAGES 1 – 3 explain the importance of biodiversity and the benefits it can bring to people, whilst the Biodiversity Ballot results on FACTPAGE 4 illustrate the affection, which people of all ages have for their familiar local birds, trees, animals and flowers. Given all this, it’s not surprising that there are many activities going on in Cardiff, which are aimed at giving wildlife a helping hand, not just for its own sake but also for the many benefits, which it can offer. Here is just a small sample of some of the ways in which Cardiff people are getting down to biodiversity business.
Friends Of…. Biodiversity!
Throughout Cardiff there are conservation groups dedicated to protecting and managing their own local wildlife site. The sites vary from large, varied nature reserves through to individual habitats. All have one thing in common: a team of dedicated local people who are prepared to roll their sleeves up and get down to some grass roots (literally!) biodiversity action. Work can include maintenance of footpaths and boardwalks, mowing and raking of meadow grassland, coppicing, pond clearance, litter picking, walks, talks and partnership projects with local schools. Many of these activities are supported by Cardiff County Council through a variety of management and/or grant agreements. All of these groups share a similar aim: to ensure that their site is kept as hospitable as possible for wildlife, and at the same time as safe and pleasant as possible for people to learn from and enjoy.
Nigel Ferrand, Chairman of Friends of Howardian Local Nature Reserve, writes:
“Of the present 32 acres or thereabouts which constitute the Howardian Local Nature Reserve, about 25 acres were rough grassland until 1973, having been former domestic refuse tips. The remainder of the site comprised small areas of emergent scrubland and two (probably ancient) hedgerows. Since 1973, various habitats have been developed, initially by the former Howardian High School Natural History Society in conjunction
- 19 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
with the Local Authority and more latterly and since the school’s closure in 1990, by the Friends of Howardian LNR. The result now is that the site is a patchwork of varying habitats including flower meadow, bramble scrub, emerging woodland, winter wetland, a deeper, permanent pond and a shallow and more transient “scrape”, reed beds and hedgerows. The number of species of both plants and animals has increased very substantially as a result of the varied habitats now present, with over 500 species identified so far and with plenty of scope for the discovery of hundreds more….”
Fancy Learning More About Wildlife in Cardiff?
Other groups in Cardiff include: Cath Cobb Community Woodland Group; Friends of The Dell; Friends of Forest Farm; Friends of Howardian Local Nature Reserve; Friends of Heath Park Woodland; Radyr Woods Wardens; Friends of Plymouth Great Woodlands; Friends of Roundwood; The Flat Holm Society.
Know Anywhere Else Where the Biodiversity Needs Friends?
If a site in Cardiff offers good local access to biodiversity, and local people are keen to support it, it might be possible to set up a new “Friends Group”. Contact Cardiff County Council for details about how “Friends Groups” are set up, and for information on the groups listed above.
The Cardiff Naturalists’ Society aims to promote the study and enjoyment of the natural world and conservation of the environment, with special interest in our local area. Membership, currently about 200, is open to all. No expertise is needed to participate, and there is an opportunity to learn from members who are experienced botanists, ornithologist, geologists etc. Activities include public wildlife walks, a winter Cardiff birdwatch, autumn fungus foray and summer nature study outings to gather information about local biodiversity, along with a varied winter lecture programme and social evenings. A quarterly newsletter keeps members informed, and two booklets of local wildlife walks have been published. Interested? See Contacts for details of how to get in touch!
- 20 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Favouritism!
For those who are fans of a particular type of wildlife and would like to help with recording and protecting it, there are many ways to get involved. For example: Butterfly Conservation, the national organisation dedicated to protecting wild butterflies and moths and their natural habitats, has launched a Butterfly Guardians scheme. Aimed at recording and safeguarding butterflies and moths within a particular area, the scheme is open to anyone who wants to help with gathering information on butterfly whereabouts and breeding success rates. See Contacts for details of this and other organisations dedicated to special species groups.
Calling All Gardeners!
If you’re fond of gardening, why not take the opportunity to help out some of Cardiff’s wildlife? The Cardiff Organic Gardeners are open to all keen gardeners to join, and can offer a wealth of ideas about how to get the most out of your garden and its biodiversity. The Cardiff and District Council of Allotment Holders Associations also recognises the benefits of biodiversity, and can provide advice on how to rent an allotment and experience for yourself the pleasures of producing your own additive-free food in biodiversity-friendly surroundings. Finally, if you want to get gardening but haven’t got the space, why not get in touch with the Ty Hafan Gardening Club?
Inspired by beautiful wildlife
Ty Hafan the Children’s Hospice in Wales is located at Sully in the Vale of Glamorgan, and opened in January 1999. It is a purpose built and beautiful “home from home” building designed for maximum comfort and care with 10 children’s bedrooms and 8 family rooms overlooking the sea. There are gardens and play areas with ample provision for play as well as space for peace and recreation. The butterfly is the emblem of the children’s hospice movement (signifying a short but beautiful life) and in particular we are keen to attract butterflies and similar wildlife. An area has been set aside and will be developed as a nature reserve. We have started a Friends of Ty Hafan Gardening Club. Interested? Contact the
- 21 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Community Development Team: Tel: 01446 739993 Fax: 01446 739994 e- mail: [email protected]
Thanks to everyone who contributed to this FACTPAGE: more details of these and many other examples are listed in the Contacts section.
- 22 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 6:
Wild About Schools!
During the making of Wild About Cardiff, one theme has emerged above all others as very important for the future of biodiversity: teaching children about the wonderful variety of living things and how to look after it. The welcome news is that from Autumn 2000 the Welsh National Curriculum has offered much more opportunity for biodiversity education. For example:
GEOGRAPHY KEY STAGE 1(Ages 5-7): Geographical Enquiry and Skills: Places “During the study of places, pupils should be given opportunities to reach a better understanding of their own local area and community and become aware of the wider world”
GEOGRAPHY KEY STAGE 2 (Ages 7-11): Theme – Environmental Change “During their investigations pupils should be given opportunities to understand the individual’s responsibility for the environment”
GEOGRAPHY KEY STAGE 3 (Ages 11-14): Themes – Ecosystems, Environmental Issues
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 3 (Ages 11-14): Life Processes and Living Things - Variation, Classes and Inheritance “Pupils should be taught that there is variation within species and between species” Living Things in their Environment “Pupils should be taught about the ways in which living things and the environment of Wales can be protected, and the importance of biodiversity”
SCIENCE KEY STAGE 4 (Ages 14-16): Life Processes and Living Things - Living Things and their Environment “Pupils should be taught about ways of conserving biodiversity in the varied environment of Wales (and of protecting endangered species*)” * = Double Science only
- 23 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Wait! How Much do Young People Already Know About Biodiversity?
What do they think about it?
The Generations questionnaire results (See FACTPAGE 4) showed that 52% of under-18s had heard of biodiversity, although most of them weren’t sure exactly what it meant. This contrasts with the adults’ response: only 37% had heard of it. Young people’s concerns about the future are also different: almost half thought that biodiversity would probably get better in the future, whereas less than a third of adults thought so. They were in agreement about one thing, though: around half of both the adults and the young people suggested that more conservation would improve the situation.
What do Young People Like Best?
24% of the people who voted in the Biodiversity Ballot (see FACTPAGE 4) were under 18. Mostly they voted for the same “favourites” as the grown-ups: Both put parks as their favourite place to see wildlife in Cardiff, with woodlands as a runner-up. Foxes, robins and oak trees (we also counted “acorn tree”!) were clear all-round favourites. However, children rate bats more highly, as their runner-up favourite animal, and owls and woodpeckers come way up the list compared with the grown-ups’ runner-up favourite bird, the buzzard. And kids are definitely more “patriotic” when it comes to flowers! They put daffodils as a clear favourite, with daisies a runner-up and bluebells – the grown-ups’ favourite – at only third place. This information about what young people think will help to prioritise biodiversity projects in the future, so a big Thank you to all the young people who voted.
Extra-Curricular Biodiversity!
Some schools in Cardiff have gone out of their way to encourage wildlife into the school grounds, both for its own sake and for the educational benefits that come with it. All sorts of schemes can help, including bat boxes, butterfly borders, mini-beast banks, log piles, native tree and shrub planting, bird-baths and feeding stations… the list is endless!
- 24 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Cardiff County Council recently carried out a Sustainable Schools Survey, in association with Cardiff Sustainability Education Network (see Contacts for details). Out of the 52 schools that responded, 16 had a pond in the school grounds, 11 had a wildflower meadow area, and 15 had bird-feeding stations.
The schools, which have made these kinds of improvements, are unanimous about the benefits:
“As far as we’re concerned, the garden and wildlife area are part of the classrooms at Caerau Nursery. Little children can learn a huge amount from the sensory experience of exploring the meadow grassland, and recently they planted acorns from our own oak tree and were thrilled to see the seedlings start to grow into trees. This kind of experience is as important for their education as their indoor lessons.” Mrs Davis, Teacher, Caerau Nursery School
“Over the past few years we have succeeded in developing a sensory garden, a pond and wild areas which illustrate to the children the importance of developing different ecosystems that sustain and encourage a variety of plant and animal species. It is a joy to watch the children playing and studying in these areas”. Elisabeth Davies, Headteacher, Llysfaen Primary School
“We designed our wildlife garden to extend the classroom into the playground, greening an otherwise very urban area and offering a whole new range of learning opportunities. These include biology, plant growth and the seasons, studying “minibeasts” and other wildlife, and even new opportunities for maths as we take measurements of how the garden is developing. As the trees develop we also get better shade and shelter, and the whole community benefits from a greener and more pleasant environment.” Ann Williams, Headteacher, Mynydd Bychan School
“The design and construction of the wildlife garden has given the children an opportunity to improve the environment of the school, and also provides an excellent learning resource for the National Curriculum.” Paul Watermeyer, Teacher, St John Lloyd Primary School
“Our wildlife area is part of a range of initiatives aimed at making Oakfield an Eco-School. As well as providing an educational resource in
- 25 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
its own right, it offers the children a chance to take part in making decisions about sustainable activities, and gain valuable hands-on experience of how to care for the environment they live and work in. In July we were delighted to hear that we have been awarded the Eco- Schools flag, and we hope to build on this achievement.” Martin Ruck, Teacher, Oakfield Primary Eco-School
Wildlife in school grounds offers good potential for increasing the biodiversity of the City, whilst simultaneously providing an excellent source of education and awareness to successive generations of young people. The continuity that a simple school wildlife area can offer is also valuable: for example, it is a source of community pride to see trees flourishing that were planted by children whose own children now attend the same school. For all these reasons, the number of biodiversity improvements to school grounds has been chosen as one of the five Biodiversity Indicators for Cardiff (See FACTPAGE 9).
Do you want your school to get the benefits of biodiversity? Why not become an Eco-school? There are a number of grants available, which can help schools and community groups with the costs of environmental projects. See Contacts for details…
- 26 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 7:
Friendly Farming - Biodiversity and Farming
What do the following all have in common?
Lowland hay meadows; brown hare; cereal field margins; skylarks; corncrakes; coastal and floodplain; grazing marsh; marsh fritillary butterfly; purple moor-grass and rush pastures; ancient and species rich hedgerows; lowland calcareous pastures-they are all Priorities in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. They have all occurred in Cardiff either now or in the past and like many other Priority Species and Habitats, they all depend on how the land is farmed.
Key commentators on British and European biodiversity all agree that wildlife-friendly farming practices are vital for the future of biodiversity. For example:
“The role of agriculture as the largest land use in the EU (more than 60% across the Community, and over 70% of the UK) is central to safeguarding biodiversity in Europe….” House of Lords Select Committee on European Communities Twenty Second Report (Nov 1999)
“Most of the species which are decreasing rapidly in numbers and range are farmland plants, particularly of arable land. These declines are almost certainly due to changes in agricultural practice, such as fertiliser and herbicide use.” Biodiversity Challenge – an agenda for conservation action in the UK. Prepared by a group including RSPB, Butterfly Conservation, Friends of the Earth, The Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife, and World Wildlife Fund
“Urgent action is needed in this area. Hedges and farmland birds have declined, as have other habitats and species, while farms are getting bigger and producing more food using less labour and more fertiliser… These trends are leading to a more sterile and less diverse countryside.” Report of the UK Round Table on Sustainable Development
- 27 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
“The declines among farmland birds have been striking…. The declines appear to be driven by the loss of spring-sown cereals and crop rotations, the intensification of grassland management, and the increased use of chemical pesticides…” Biodiversity: The UK Steering Group Report
British Trust for Ornithology data indicates a decline in numbers of 82% for grey partridge, between 1969 – 1994; 80% for corn bunting-; 62% for lapwing; and 58% for Skylark.
In view of statistics like these, it is inevitable that farmers get blamed for being “environmentally unfriendly”. However, the popularity of schemes which are aimed at more biodiversity-friendly methods shows that, when farmers are given appropriate support, the opposite is often true.
“Since World War Two, successive governments have encouraged farmers to produce as much food as possible with little thought for the wider environmental consequences. Today there are numerous schemes to help farmers to change to a more sustainable method of farming the land. These schemes are designed to encourage farmers to produce less, to protect and enhance the environment and to encourage biodiversity. Most farmers have welcomed these changes…. It is important that the new environmentally friendly style of farming is encouraged to flourish around the urban fringe, otherwise there are likely to be unsatisfactory consequences for biodiversity” Rhodri Traherne, Coedarhydyglyn, nr. Cardiff – with thanks to the Country Landowners’ Association
How can we help as consumers?
By supporting local farmers markets where locally grown produce is sold can help Biodiversity in a number of ways. The transportation of food accounts for approximately one quarter of our road traffic; by buying locally the reduction in the distance the food travels (food miles) reduces pollution and also means produce gets to you fresher! Buying organic goods may encourage other farmers to convert to a more environmentally friendly farming system using fewer chemicals, which can only be good for biodiversity.
- 28 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
“There is no question that organic farming is good for biodiversity, good for the natural countryside, good for the whole web of life.” Minister for the Environment Michael Meacher, 25th May 2000
How Can Biodiversity Benefit Farming?
Farming methods may be crucial to the survival of biodiversity in many important habitats, but what does biodiversity offer to farmers? Is it just an unimportant by-product of traditional farming methods, or can it actually be seen as an asset? What do farming organisations say?
The Farmer’s Union of Wales (FUW) recognises that, provided the right assistance is available to farmers, biodiversity has a rightful place on the farm, even offering benefits that link with wider initiatives:
“The conservation and enhancement of biodiversity of local areas has to be done in partnership with agriculture and the farming community… It is important that the extent and range of voluntary participation in agri- environment schemes be encouraged. Agri-environment schemes can produce positive biodiversity benefits, help sustain farm incomes and provide wider socio-economic benefits to local communities. The FUW believes there is scope to link agri-environment schemes with local food strategies and tourism initiatives. This would integrate the production of high quality food with the positive management of our natural biodiversity heritage, as well as sustainable tourism initiatives - such as encouraging the use of local produce and skills, and the wider promotion of Wales as a nation rich in biodiversity.” Angela Giddings, FUW representative, Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum
The Soil Association takes the fact that biodiversity is an asset for granted: “Wildlife is not a luxury for the organic farmer, but an essential part of the farming system” (Soil Association Handbook)
Taking Care Of The Agri-Environment
All the key commentators on farming and wildlife stress the need for suitable assistance to ensure that farmers who try to keep a biodiversity-friendly farm don’t end up worse off as a result. In spring
- 29 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
1999 the Countryside Council for Wales (see Contacts) launched a new, integrated agri-environment scheme with this aim in mind.
Tir Gofal takes over from previous environmentally friendly farming schemes - such as Tir Cymen and Environmentally Sensitive Areas - for the whole of Wales. The scheme is based on agreements with participating farmers to carry out specific tasks and management regimes in order to improve the environment on their farm. Farmers are paid on the basis of the extra work and/or cost that this entails. This makes it an ideal way of supporting habitats and species, which are threatened by intensive farming methods - without the farmers losing out because of the resulting lower yields.
Why “Wild About Cardiff” is relevant to Farmers
Once a farm has entered an agri-environment scheme such as Tir Gofal, the management of Action Plan habitats is highly likely to feature in the overall plan. Whilst most farms in Cardiff have yet to be included in Tir Gofal, there are many ways in which farm biodiversity can be encouraged on a smaller scale, and many potential sources of help and advice. Some information is already available through the Cardiff Countryside Strategy, including the data collected for the Cardiff Landscape Study. For all farmers who want to play a part in improving Cardiff’s biodiversity, “Wild About Cardiff” is now an important additional source of information about which habitats and species need action, where to look for further help, and who might be interested in forming Action Plan partnerships or lending support.
There are many organisations involved with farming and wildlife: see Contacts for more details about organisations such as the Countryside Council for Wales, the National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department, the Glamorgan Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group and the Caerphilly Mountain Countryside Service.
Many thanks to everyone who contributed to this FACTPAGE!
- 30 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 8
Developing a Partnership
Where does biodiversity fit into the process of development?
Alternatively:
Where does development fit into the process of biodiversity?
At the start of the Local Biodiversity Action Plan process in Cardiff, one of the key issues raised during the Biodiversity Action Day workshop sessions was the question of how local biodiversity can be fostered alongside new development - not just in the open countryside but also in the heart of the City. Participants in the workshop overwhelmingly listed “planning and development” as their greatest current concern for the future of biodiversity in Cardiff.
The Thin Green Line?
People in cities around the world all face a similar problem: the need to achieve development and regeneration without losing all of the natural features which are important for wildlife. In Britain there has been a steady increase in environmental laws and planning guidance aimed at protecting wildlife sites, and where the local planning process is concerned, the presumption against building on good wildlife areas has grown in strength. In fact, the planning system is now a major contributor to biodiversity protection in the UK. This is highlighted by current government guidance for planners:
“Plans and development control decisions should ensure that relevant international, national and local conservation interests are properly provided for; they should also be concerned with other land of conservation value, including wildlife sites in urban areas and the possible provision of new habitats.” (para. 106) Planning Guidance (Wales) Planning Policy
- 31 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
“Sensitive landscaping and planting, the creation, maintenance and management of landscape features important to wildlife, and the skilled adaptation of derelict areas can provide extended habitats.” (para. 28)
“Land use planning should take account of the objectives and purpose of nature conservation designations and the wildlife or scientific features and qualities that led to the designation…” (para. 104) The Planning Guidance (Wales) Technical Advice Note on Nature Conservation and Planning
The recently published South East Wales Regional Planning Guidance is also supportive of planning policies that promote biodiversity conservation. Structure Plan and Local Plan policy in Cardiff incorporates both the national and regional guidance, ensuring that the importance of biodiversity is not forgotten whenever decisions are being made about where developments should be allowed to take place. In addition to specific policies, Cardiff also has the benefit of its own Supplementary Planning Guidance: the Cardiff Nature Conservation Strategy. This outlines a procedure for assessing whether a proposed development is likely to affect wildlife sites adversely. Suitable action – such as the use of planning conditions - can then be taken to prevent or at least reduce the damage. As with other Local Authorities, all the planning policy and guidance in Cardiff is subject to regular revision in order to keep it as up to date as possible, including references to the latest wildlife laws.
So why worry about development and biodiversity? Isn’t enough being done already?
“Although it is a major contributor, the planning system alone cannot achieve biodiversity conservation. Pollution control, environmentally sensitive land management and many kinds of nature conservation initiatives are also necessary. …” The Royal Town Planning Institute: Planning for Biodiversity Good Practice Guide
Widespread concern about the impact of development on biodiversity shows that protecting wildlife sites through planning control alone is not enough: Planning controls are most effective in the long term if it they are supplemented by additional positive actions to promote and support biodiversity. A glance at FACTPAGE 3, which lists just some of the
- 32 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
benefits of biodiversity, should be enough to show how most developments could be enhanced by some creative biodiversity ideas. Many developers have already recognised this, and have voluntarily started to explore the ways in which better on-site biodiversity can be achieved.
For example, the following ideas have already been used at developments in Cardiff:
· Use of native, rather than ornamental, trees and shrubs in landscape planting; · Leaving bunds to regenerate naturally rather than using artificial seed mixtures; · Altering the planned orientation of a building slightly in order to leave the most important wildlife habitats on the site intact without affecting the ability to develop the site; · Transferring hardy vegetation from one part of a site to another to avoid total loss of the habitat; · Using some of the existing natural vegetation to plant up new, landscaped areas; · Fencing off vulnerable wildlife areas within and adjacent to new buildings; · A “toad tunnel” to enable toads to get across a busy road in safety; · Saving seed from grassland nearby in order to seed a newly regraded bund rather than use non-native seed mixtures; · Reducing the size of a developed area slightly in order to avoid damaging the edge of an adjacent wildlife site; · Creating a wildlife pond and marsh as a feature in a landscaped business park; · Replanting where site access meant that some vegetation was damaged during construction; · Linking landscaped areas with existing natural features to encourage wildlife corridors.
Other schemes that have proved successful around the UK include schemes to mitigate habitat fragmentation, capitalise on new habitat creation opportunities or otherwise improve the prospects for wildlife where new developments are taking place, such as:
- 33 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
· including “bat bricks” in house building and renovation, to allow trouble-free bat roosting in appropriate places; · “eco-bridges” over busy roads, which are designed to offer a “green lifeline” from one side of a divided wildlife site to another; · Using the plant on a development site to do maintenance work on adjacent ponds or ditches at little extra cost; · badger or deer tunnels under busy roads; · building a “wildlife garden and study area” into the grounds of a new school; · using native-species landscaping to “infill” gaps in existing, fragmented wildlife sites.
As the list shows, there are many features, which can help to make developments more biodiversity-friendly. The rewards are an attractive finished scheme that gives the people that live or work there the benefits of biodiversity at first hand – plus true “environmental credentials” for the developer.
See REFERENCES for more details of publications, which offer advice on biodiversity-friendly development.
- 34 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 9:
Biodiversity Indicators - Are We Doing Okay??
Environmental Problem: Butterflies Can’t Talk!
The current level of concern about biodiversity has led to a huge range of activities aimed at giving wildlife a helping hand. The Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum alone has over fifty local groups and organisations, which are wholly or partly concerned with protecting wildlife and its habitats. Many of their efforts are described on FACTPAGES 1 - 8. All this work on behalf of biodiversity is a cause for optimism: but how can we check whether our efforts have actually been successful? After all, you can’t go out into the countryside and measure its pulse, and butterflies can’t tell us if they’re unhappy about where they live…
Solution: Biodiversity Indicators
Biodiversity Indicators can tell us about the state of the natural world and the direction it seems to be heading in. They are one way of checking how well we’re doing - without having to ask the wildlife in person! Indicators use particular aspects of biodiversity in order to monitor the state of the environment on a regular basis. The following Indicators have been chosen for Cardiff:
Cardiff’s Biodiversity Indicators
1. The number of Cardiff schools which have active projects for the ongoing encouragement of wildlife in the school grounds - A count of the schools which have established and/or have new projects under way which aim to encourage wildlife into school grounds.
2. The area of Cardiff woodlands with natural wildflower “carpets” - The area of change in woodlands with natural wildflower “carpets” containing either bluebells, wood anemone and wild garlic in spring. This includes all fragments of old and ancient woodland, of any size, even if the “carpet” doesn’t cover the whole woodland floor. Biodiversity Ballot Favourite Wild Flower = Bluebell
- 35 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
3. The number of garden birds at key sites in Cardiff - A count of the number and diversity of garden birds at a selection of sites throughout Cardiff. These could include nature reserves managed by “Friends of” groups, individual gardens and parks. Biodiversity Ballot Favourite Wild Bird = Robin
4. Frog, toad and newt populations at key sites in Cardiff - A count of the number of key Cardiff ponds with frog and/or toad spawn, and the numbers of different amphibians present.
5. People volunteering to do nature conservation work in Cardiff - A count of the number of people in Cardiff “Friends of” groups and other conservation groups.
Who Invented The Cardiff Biodiversity Indicators?
Biodiversity Indicators are part of a series of Sustainability Indicators for Cardiff,
Sustainability can be achieved by balancing: · social progress that recognises the needs of everyone · effective protection of the environment · prudent use of natural resources · maintenance of high and stable levels of economic growth and employment.
Many people liken sustainability to a table, where these elements represent the legs of the table and in order to use the table effectively and achieve sustainability they must all be present and in balance.
It took months of meetings and workshops with a broad range of groups and organisations in order to find just the right Indicators for measuring how near Cardiff is to being a truly sustainable city. In the case of biodiversity, these meetings and workshops were not the only source of valuable ideas: hundreds of members of the public helped too!
We asked people at a range of locations around Cardiff to add one more vote to the Big Biodiversity Ballot! On the “ballot paper”, we asked
- 36 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
people to tell us their favourite trees, animals, birds and flowers. Robins and bluebells won by a mile!
This helped us to decide on the final set of Biodiversity Indicators for Cardiff.
See FACTPAGE 4 for more about the Big Biodiversity Ballot…
Thank you to everyone who took part!
We’ve got some Biodiversity Indicators - now what?
The next stage is to start measuring these Indicators in order to see how Cardiff’s biodiversity is faring. The Wild About Cardiff Action Pack will explain the sort of monitoring that is needed, and how the data could be presented.
The Action Pack will also contain a full list of the many groups involved with this process, guidance notes on each of the Biodiversity Indicators listed opposite, and suggestions of how you can make up Biodiversity Indicators of your own in order to measure the biodiversity in your garden, park or other favourite wildlife sites.
If you have any queries about biodiversity indicators, or any of the other Cardiff sustainability indicators, please call the Cardiff County Council Sustainability and Countryside group on 029 2087 3227
People Involved with Creating the Biodiversity Indicators
BEN Wales; British Trust for Conservation Volunteers; Butterfly Conservation (South Wales Branch); Caerphilly Mountain Countryside Service; Cardiff Allotment Holders Association; Cardiff Conservation Volunteers; Cardiff County Council (Strategic Planning, Parks, Educational Advisory Service); Cardiff Friends of the Earth; Cardiff Naturalists' Society; Cardiff Organic Gardeners; Cardiff Permaculture Group; Cardiff University Green Group; Cath Cobb Community Woodland Group; Coed Cymru; Country Landowners Association; Countryside Council for Wales;; Environment Agency Wales; Environment Wales; Farmers Union Of Wales; Farming and Rural Conservation Agency; Flat Holm Project; Forestry Commission; Friends of Forest Farm Country Park; Friends of Heath Park
- 37 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Woodland; Friends of Howardian Local Nature Reserve; Friends of Nant Fawr Community Woodland; Friends of Plymouth Great Woodlands; Friends of Roundwood; Friends of the Dell; Friends of the Earth Cymru; Glamorgan Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group; Glamorgan Moth Recording Group; Glamorgan Wildlife Trust; National Federation of Women's Institutes; National Museums and Galleries of Wales; Park Watch; Radyr Woods Wardens; RSPB (Wales, Cardiff Group); UWCC; and hundreds of Cardiff residents who took part in the Big Biodiversity Ballot 1999-2000
- 38 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
FACTPAGE 10:
Staying on the Right Track Some Ingredients for Successful Biodiversity Action
AWARENESS
Biodiversity is everywhere: rare species can turn up on unlikely sites, and quite ordinary-looking places can be home to unusual wildlife.
COMMUNICATION
Keep in touch with others who are concerned with biodiversity conservation; it may be possible to save time and resources.
PARTICIPATION
Active participation in conservation activities is one of the best ways of helping local biodiversity.
PATIENCE
In a newly converted organic farm or garden, natural processes can take longer to get started than “magic bullet” chemical cures… But once under way, a more natural system can be cheaper, safer, very effective and a lot more wildlife-friendly.
CONSIDERATION
Bear in mind the essential needs of wild plants and animals; often it only takes a small change in your plans to avoid disturbing them or their homes.
CREATIVITY
Grab the opportunity to incorporate wildlife-friendly features into new building schemes; you’ll get the benefits of biodiversity for the minimum amount of effort.
- 39 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
SUPPORT
Be prepared to speak up for biodiversity. If you’re worried about local wildlife, check the Contacts section of Wild About Cardiff to find out who might be able to help or give advice.
ACCESS
Everybody should have access to the benefits of biodiversity – in cities as well as the open countryside.
PUBLICITY
Public awareness is vital to the success of Biodiversity Action Plans – targets are no use if they go unnoticed.
KNOWLEDGE
Biodiversity Action Plans are only as good as the information used to produce them – new biodiversity records are always needed.
PERSEVERANCE
Not everyone is supportive of biodiversity action, and the schedule for saving local biodiversity can seem very demanding: perseverance is therefore vital.
ENTHUSIASM
The enthusiastic support of a few people can go a long way towards achieving biodiversity targets.
Want to find out more about biodiversity action? see the ACTION PLANS section of Wild About Cardiff
- 40 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
ACTION PLANS
An Introduction to Habitat and Species Action Plans
The Need for Action
Despite the popularity of wild flowers, animals and birds, many populations are in sharp decline with the overall rate of loss steadily increasing. Much of this is due to loss of important habitats, but there may also be other factors, which affect the decline of individual species. It now looks as though a mix of human impacts and climate change could result in the complete disappearance of many once-common species - unless action is taken to secure their future. In order to work out what needs to be done in order to save our wildlife, a complex range of factors need to be taken into account:
· how is the species or habitat distributed, and where are its main strongholds? · how rare is it at the local, national and international levels? · has it always been rare, or is it declining – and if so, how fast is it disappearing? · what factors are thought to be involved in the decline? · what are currently the main threats? · what are the predictions for its future, with and without action? · how much time, money and effort will be needed to protect it? · what resources might be available? · is more information needed in order to answer any of the above questions? · who would carry out any work needed to protect it? · how will this work tie in with work on other important habitats and species? · how can we work out whether the actions taken have been successful?
The commonest method of tackling all these inter-connected questions is by creating an Action Plan for each habitat or species of concern. An Action Plan typically contains:
· a Description of the wildlife concerned, including distribution details if possible;
- 41 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
· explanation of the current status (e.g. is it legally protected?); · current factors which affect the feature in question; · list of the current actions being taken; · conservation objectives and targets; · proposed actions – including who will carry them out and when, with relevant costing.
The Cardiff Habitat and Species Action Plans aim to reflect national targets, whilst taking local factors into account. Wild About Cardiff will contain many Action Plans both for species and habitats, which are national priorities, and for locally significant features, which don’t get mentioned in the national lists. These will be contained in the Wild About Cardiff Action Pack. The Action Pack will be subject to updates in line with the ever- increasing list of national Action Plans.
Special Cases
Not all Action Plans follow exactly the same format, as they can be geared towards a variety of different purposes. For example:
National Action Plans cover the whole of the UK. They often have less detail about individual sites, and more detail about national conservation policies. They are important because they contain the overall targets for conserving the biodiversity of the whole nation. The national habitat and species action plans are contained within a series of volumes produced by the UK Biodiversity Steering Group;
Regional Action Plans (such as those produced by the Glamorgan Biodiversity Advisory Group and the Greater Gwent Biodiversity Action Group) Regional Action Plans help to identify aspects of the U.K. plan of particular relevance to the area. They also aim to contribute towards and reflect the national Action Plan targets but concentrate more on detailed distribution information and regional factors that effect the wildlife concerned. They, in effect provide a solid framework within which to construct a well-aimed LBAP.
Local Action Plans such as the ones to be contained in the Wild About Cardiff Action Pack aim to contribute to the national targets at a local level. They include a wider range of local concerns, and often involve
- 42 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
specific actions for individual sites. Both Regional and Local Action Plans may also list the benefits of conserving threatened wildlife.
Group Effort…
Some Action Plans are unusual in that they refer to a group of habitats or, more commonly, species. For example, there is a single, national Action Plan for baleen whales; likewise, Wild About Cardiff will contain a single Action Plan for common garden birds.
Species Statements
Species Statements are used in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan where a species is strongly dependent on a particular habitat. It might not be necessary to write out a full Species Action Plan because all the essential conservation needs are already taken care of in a Habitat Action Plan. In such cases, a Species Statement can serve as a useful reminder of the importance of the species in question. The Species Statement can then be kept with the Habitat Action Plan to which it refers. Species Statements will also be used in Wild About Cardiff to avoid duplication of habitat conservation targets – e.g. for Herb Paris, a woodland flower.
“To Plan or not to Plan?”…… Which wildlife needs an Action Plan?
In the case of nationally rare and threatened wildlife, the Steering Group for the UK Biodiversity Action Plan has identified lists of both species and habitats of concern. Either Action Plans or Conservation Statements are being drawn up for everything that fits the “conservation concern” and “priority” criteria.
The actual criteria for deciding what should have a national Action Plan are quite simple - although they may vary if the wildlife in question falls within a marine environment. Species and habitats which are of concern at a local level may not feature in the UK “priority” lists, in which case it is up to individual Local Biodiversity Action Plans to take local needs into account. The criteria for choosing the Action Plans for Wild About Cardiff are shown in Steps 1 and 2, below. Step 3 shows the full current list. NB. Due to additions to the national and regional Action Plan lists, the number of Action Plans for Cardiff is likely to vary in the future;
- 43 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
other updates are also likely, e.g. where the national targets have been altered and local priorities need to take this into account.
Step 1: Which habitats need Action Plans?
1.1 Selection Criteria for national Priority Habitats (taken from the UK Biodiversity Group’s volumes of UK Action Plans)
· Habitats for which the UK has international obligations; · Habitats at risk, such as those with a high rate of decline especially over the last 20 years · Habitats which are rare · Marine habitats which may be functionally critical for organisms inhabiting wider ecosystems (e.g. spawning areas for fish) · Marine habitats for which 40% or more of the north-east Atlantic’s occurrence is located in the UK* · Habitats formed from keystone species (another marine category – e.g. reefs)* · Habitats important for rare species.
*Note: Wild About Cardiff aims to include Action Plans for all the national Priority Habitats, which occur in the County and along its coastline. The Cardiff LBAP process will also assess the amount of a particular habitat that is present within an area and, as a result build upon and progress the regional and UK biodiversity objects for that habitat. This will assist in prioritising the order in which the plans are produced.
1.2 Selection of locally important habitats:
· Habitats not included in the national priority lists but which represent an important contribution to overall biodiversity resource in Cardiff – in particular, habitats which make a significant contribution to the list of Cardiff Sites of Importance for Nature Conservation (SINCs) or habitats which are known to support UK Biodiversity Action Plan Priority Species (see below) in Cardiff.
· Habitats, which are important for species of conservation concern in the Cardiff Red Data Book – i.e. they support native species that are rare and/or declining in the county.
- 44 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
· Habitats, which are vital for public access to and enjoyment of Cardiff’s biodiversity. For this category, one extra habitat type has been added to the overall list of Action Plans, namely Parks. The reason for the choice is that Cardiff’s excellent city parks received by far the most votes for “favourite place to see wildlife in Cardiff” in the 1999-2000 Biodiversity Ballot (see FACTPAGE 4).
Step 2: Which species need Action Plans?
2.1 Criteria for selecting national “species of conservation concern” (taken from the UK Biodiversity Group’s volumes of UK Action Plans)
· Threatened endemic (i.e. they only occur in the UK and nowhere else) and other globally threatened species · Species where the UK has more than 25% of the world or appropriate biogeographical population · Species where numbers or range have declined by more than 25% in the last 25 years · In some instances, where the species is found in fewer than 15 ten kilometre square areas in the UK · Species which are listed in the EU Birds or Habitats Directives, the Bern, Bonn or CITES Conventions, or under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Wildlife Order (Northern Ireland) 1995.
2.2 Criteria for selecting national “Priority Species”
· Species, which are globally threatened · Species, which are rapidly declining in the UK, i.e. by more than 50% in the last 25 years.
Note: in some cases, a group of species may be the subject of a single Action Plan – for example: all baleen whales, or all members of a closely related group of fungi.
2.3 Selection of locally important species
- 45 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
· Species not on the national lists which are native to Cardiff and are known or estimated to have declined in the County by more than 50% (either in numbers or abundance) in the last 25 years · Species of very high importance for public understanding and appreciation of Cardiff’s biodiversity. As with the locally important habitats in this category, these species have been chosen by the Cardiff Biodiversity Action Forum, based partly on the results of the 1999-2000 Biodiversity Ballot. · Cardiff Red Data Book species of conservation concern which are known to be under threat.
These criteria are used with the best information available at the time. More records of species and habitats will help in deciding future priorities for Biodiversity Action in Cardiff. The fortunes of many species and habitats are likely to change over time. It will therefore be necessary to review the list of species and habitats as new information is assessed.
Step 3: Wild About Cardiff Action Plans
3.1 Habitat Action Plans
The proposed Wild About Cardiff Habitat Action Plans are:
Woodland# Wet Woodland* Ancient and/or Species-rich Hedgerows* Veteran Trees Parks Gardens# Allotments# School Grounds# Road Verges Wasteground and Wastetips Disused Quarries Calcareous Grassland* Meadows* Unimproved Grasslands Arable Land*
- 46 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Purple moor-grass and rush pasture* River Valleys Fen* Reedbeds* Ponds* Lakes and Reservoirs* Coastal and Floodplain Grazing Marsh* Coastal Saltmarsh* Mudflats* Maritime Cliff and Slope* Reefs (made by the “Honeycomb Worm”, Sabellaria alveolata)* Marine
3.2 Species Action Plans
The proposed Wild About Cardiff Species Action Plans are:
Monkshood Radyr Hawkweed Childing Pink Cornish Moneywort Sea Lavender* (endemic species) Waxcap Fungi**
Great Crested Newt* Snakes and Lizards
Peregrine Grey Partridge* Lapwing* Barn Owl Skylark* Spotted Flycatcher* Linnet* Tree Sparrow*
Badger Hedgehog Brown Hare*
- 47 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Dormouse* Bats** Otter* Water Vole*
Marsh Fritillary* Silver-washed Fritillary Grayling Butterfly Orange-tip Butterfly Bordered Gothic Waved Carpet Stag Beetle Variable Damselfly Grasshoppers and Crickets
3.3 Species Statements (with relevant HAPs in brackets)
The proposed Wild About Cardiff Species Statements are:
Bee Orchid (Wasteground, Calcareous Grassland) Frog Orchid (Calcareous Grassland) Marsh Helleborine (Ponds, Fens) Herb Paris (Woodland) Solomon’s Seal (Woodland) Plants without Chlorophyll (Woodland) Mistletoe (Parks, Gardens, Woodland) Alternate-leaved Golden Saxifrage (Woodland) Meadow Saxifrage (River Valleys, Woodland) Shrubby Sea-blite (Coastal Saltmarsh) Rootless Duckweed (Coastal and Flood Plain Grazing Marsh) Green Earthtongue Fungi*(Calcareous Grassland) Garden Birds# (Gardens, Parks) Reed Bunting* (Reedbeds, Fens and River Valleys) Bullfinch* (Gardens, Parks, Allotments and Woodland) Song Thrush* (Gardens, Parks, Allotments and Woodland) Pied Flycatcher (Woodland) Purple Hairstreak (Woodland) Dragonflies and Damselfly (Ponds) Variable Damselfly (Coastal and Flood Plain Grazing Marsh) Red Ant (Unimproved Grassland)
- 48 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
* = National Priority Species ** = includes several Priority Species # = linked to Cardiff Biodiversity Indicators (see Fact Page 9)
3.4 The first tranche of ten Habitat and Species Action Plans for 2001/2002 are:
Habitat Action Plans Ponds# Purple moor-grass and rush pasture Woodland# Gardens#
Species Action Plans Monkshood Waxcap Fungi** Great Crested Newt* Bats** Water Vole* Silver-washed Fritillary
Other Related Action Plans
Many of the major conservation organisations in the UK are involved with the UK Biodiversity Action Plan targets, usually as “Lead Partners” for a particular habitat or species. The Wildlife Trusts and the Environment Agency for example, are the Lead Partners for the national Otter Action Plan. The RSPB lead on most of the bird Action Plans, and Plantlife lead many of the Action Plans for plant species. However, the UK Biodiversity Action Plan is not the only source of Action Plans. Many organisations have started to devise plans and targets to suit their own, specific conservation aims. The following examples are just a small sample of other Action Plans that link with the UK BAP targets – and hence with local targets too:
Butterflies and Moths
- 49 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Butterfly Conservation has recently produced a National Action Plan for Wales, which highlights the main conservation priorities for butterfly species, high priority moth species and their habitats. The main conservation priorities identified are:
· Species protection · Computerisation and co-ordination of records · Monitoring
In particular, the following species are identified as being of concern:
High Priority Species (whole of the UK) · Pearl-bordered Fritillary+ · High Brown Fritillary+ · Marsh Fritillary (possibly extinct in Cardiff)
+ = not found in Cardiff
High Priority Species (Wales): · Grizzled skipper+ · Brown hairstreak+ · Small blue+ · Silver-studded blue+ · Large heath+
Medium priority species important in the UK: · Wood white+ · White-letter hairstreak (very rare in Cardiff) · Small pearl-bordered fritillary (very rare in Cardiff)
Medium priority species important in Wales: · Dingy skipper (extinct in Cardiff) · Silver-washed fritillary (rare in Cardiff)
More information is available from Butterfly Conservation: see CONTACTS for details.
Game Habitats
- 50 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
The conservation of semi-natural habitats is vital for many types of game management. In recognition of this the British Association for Shooting and Conservation has recently produced an Action Plan for realising the best potential partnerships between game management and conservation. Entitled “Green Shoots”, the document includes background information on habitat types and management requirements, links with good practice guides, and a list of action points aimed at strengthening the links between shooting and wildlife conservation. Action Plan packs are available from BASC; see CONTACTS for details.
Trunk Roads
The National Assembly for Wales Transport Directorate has commissioned a Biodiversity Action Plan for the Improvement and Management of the Trunk Road Estate – an estate, which includes surprisingly large areas of motorway and trunk road verges, covering hundreds of hectares of grassland and/or scrub. The Consultation Draft of the Plan concludes that more information is needed on the extent of wildlife habitats in trunk road corridors, hence the first actions that will result from the Plan are mostly concerned with survey and research.
Putting It into Practice – How Can Action Plans be Applied?
Some Habitat and Species Action Plans demand little more than a commitment to more research and monitoring of the wildlife in question. From others, however, very clear management requirements can emerge. In this case, the Action Plan targets should provide at least a provisional list of who is going to carry out the actions, and how much it is likely to cost. The CONTACTS section of Wild About Cardiff lists a number of organisations that are involved with practical management and monitoring of wildlife, either directly or as part of wider strategies and schemes. The following examples show how these organisations can lend their conservation management efforts towards the kinds of targets that Biodiversity Action Plans demand:
Case Study: Woodland management Relevant Action Plans: Woodlands, Wet Woodlands and Hedgerows
- 51 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
“The Coed Cymru initiative has been involved for the past 15 years in the process of restoring and bringing back into production the native woodlands of Wales to something like their former glory. This provides real benefit for the landscape, wildlife conservation, tourism, and a multitude of small businesses utilising Welsh hardwood timber throughout Wales.
Management of all private and publicly owned Coed Cymru managed woodlands is on a “continuous cover” basis - that is, the selective thinning of individual or small groups of trees, without resorting to the mass clearance of trees associated with conifer plantations. This form of management allows the woodland to be steadily cropped of timber while promoting the growth of new generations of trees through natural regeneration. This allows wildlife to thrive and become even more diverse and plentiful. Coed Cymru has also been instrumental in stimulating new and revived markets for timber and has itself developed completely new products such as the “Welsh Angle” range of furniture for house, office and gardens. This and the production by several Welsh businesses of genuine Welsh hardwood flooring are providing further incentives for landowners to give long term commitment to the sustainable, ecologically sensitive management of their native woodlands.” Ian Nicholas – Coed Cymru Officer
Case Study: Wildlife-friendly gardening and allotments Relevant Action Plans: Garden Birds, Ponds, Snakes and Lizards, Hedgehog and Bats
“An organic gardener will avoid using slug pellets because some of the creatures that regard slugs as food can also be poisoned. So, besides using 'slug pubs', sharp sand or gravel, and other deterrents, your organic gardener does his best to create the conditions which will encourage the creatures who are on his side: hedgehogs, frogs, toads, slow worms, ground beetles, to name just a few.
"A pond is a sure fire help in this direction as all those creatures will find the conditions that they like in or near a pond. It can become the centre of a most attractive wildlife garden – or a valuable focal point in one corner. Don’t worry about it becoming a jungle... Just select the right flowers and plants, and besides being attractive in its own right it will
- 52 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
also attract birds, butterflies and bees.” Barry Webb, Cardiff Organic Gardeners
Case Study: Background research Relevant Action Plans: Hedgerows, all Farmland habitats
The National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department (NAWAD). The Department undertakes work concerning: Rural Economy, Land Use Planning, Milk Hygiene, Environmental Protection, Environmental Schemes and Wildlife Management. Most of these work areas have an impact on, or input into, biodiversity conservation.
With its large Geographical Information System, NAWAD holds extensive data relating to conservation designations, agri-environment schemes and socio-economics. These may all be important data to consider when producing Local Biodiversity Action Plans. Because NAWAD also has an input into the National Biodiversity Groups and Action Plans, this helps with consistency.” Jan Martin, NAWAD Wales Biodiversity Co-ordinator
Case Study: Local biodiversity recording Relevant Action Plans: all Species Action Plans
“An unexpected find at an unglamorous site proved to be a first for Wales recently. In August 1999, members of the Cardiff Naturalist’s Society surveyed land enclosed by the Coryton M4 Interchange on the outskirts of Cardiff to assess its biodiversity. In its flowery grassland they found a colony of insects not previously recorded in Wales. Long- winged Coneheads – small, green bush-crickets that appreciate warm, grassy habitats – have spread from the south coast of England in the 1990s as a result of our gradually warming climate. It is local records such as this one that enable local Action Plans to be assessed in the context of wider environmental factors.” Linda Nottage, Cardiff Naturalists Society
- 53 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
HELP PAGES
The Wild About Cardiff Help Pages are aimed at making it easier to find out more about biodiversity and how to get involved with wildlife conservation.
The Contacts list gives details of some of the national and local organisations mentioned in the Wild About Cardiff FACTPAGES, and the References section indicates where some of the FACTPAGE information has come from, and where you might be able to find out more about biodiversity issues. Biodiversity organisations often produce useful literature, so there are many links between the two sections. Where there is an obvious link, cross-references are included to both the Contacts section and to the References section.
Contacts
For all queries about this Wild About Cardiff FactFile, or information on local contacts for Cardiff, please contact the Ecologist at:
Cardiff County Council Sustainability and Countryside Group Strategic Planning Offices County Hall Atlantic Wharf CARDIFF CF10 4UW 029 2087 3227 [email protected]
Local Contacts
BTCV Cymru South East Wales Field Office Wales Conservation Centre Forest farm Road Whichurch, CARDIFF CF4 7JH
- 54 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Black Environment Network C/o Community Design service The Maltings East Tyndall Street CARDIFF CF1 5EA
British Association for Shooting and Conservation Wales and West The Station house Caersws Powys SY17 5HH
Butterfly Conservation Mr Richard Smith 28, Llanmaes Road Llantilltyd Fawr Vale of Glamorgan CF6 9XJ
Caerphilly Mountain Countryside Service Taff Gorge Countryside Centre Heol Y Fforest Tongwynlais CARDIFF CF4 7JR
Cardiff Allotment Holders Association Mr. Graham Willis 42, Taymuir Road Tremorfa CARDIFF CF24 2QN
- 55 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Cardiff County Council Advisory Service for Education Schools Service County Hall Atlantic Wharf CARDIFF CF10 4UW
Cardiff County Council Highways & Parks – Parks Operational Service Wedal Road CARDIFF CF14 3QX
Cardiff Conservation Volunteers Ms Anne Jones 71 Canada Road Gabalfa CARDIFF CF14 3BX
Country Landowners Association Napier House Spilman Streeet CAMARTHEN SA31 1JY
Cardiff Naturalists Society Miss Margaret Leishman 47, Heol Hir Llanishen CARDIFF CF14 5AA
Cardiff Organic Gardeners Mr. Barry Webb 3, Coed-y-Llyn Cyncoed CARDIFF CF2 6HR
- 56 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Cardiff Permaculture Group Ms Michelle Fitzsimmons 1, Matthews Terrace Dinas Powys Cardiff CF54 4LL
Cardiff Sustainability Education Network Mrs Cassy Healey Strategic Planning and Countryside Group Cardiff County Council County Hall Atlantic Wharf CF10 4UW
Cardiff University Green Group c/o UWCC Union Park Place CARDIFF CF1 3PN
Coed Cymru Vale of Glamorgan Borough Council Dock Office, Barry Dock Barry Vale of Glamorgan CF63 4RT
Environment Wales Enterprise House 127 Bute Street Cardiff CF10 5LE
Farmers Union of Wales 5 Westgate Cowbridge Vale of Glamorgan CF71 7AQ
- 57 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Flat Holm Project The Pierhead Barry Docks Barry CF62 5QS
Forestry Commission Cantref Court Brecon Road Abergavenny Gwent NP7 7AZ
Friends Groups c/o Bernadette Sheppard Cardiff County Council Highways and Parks – Parks Operational Service Wedal Road CARDIFF CF14 3QX
Friends of the Earth Cymru 33, Castle Arcade Balcony CARDIFF
Glamorgan Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group Park Farm St. Donats Llanilltyd Fawr Vale of Glamorgan CF61 1ZB
Glamorgan Moth Recording Group C/o Micheal Powell 87, Coed Glas Road Llanishen CARDIFF CF14 5EL [email protected]
- 58 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Glamorgan Wildlife Trust The Glamorgan Nature Centre Fountain Road Tondu BRIDGEND CF32 0EH
National Federation of Women’s Institutes Wales Office 19 Cathedral Road CARDIFF CF1 9LJ
Park Watch Mrs A Olney 20 Greenfield Avenue Canton CARDIFF CF1 9PT
RSPB – Cardiff Group Mrs Maragret Read (MBE) 121, Lavernock Road Penath Vale of Glamorgan CF64 3QG
RSPB Cymru 2nd floor, Sutherland House Castlebridge Cowbridge Road East CARDIFF CF1 9AB www.rspb.org.uk
Wildlife Trust Wales 16 White Swan Court Monmouth NP25 3NY
- 59 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Useful National Contacts:
The Biodiversity Action Plan Secretariat Room 902D Tollgate House Houlton Street BRISTOL BS2 9DJ 0117 987 6276 [email protected] www.jncc.gov.uk/ukbg
Part of the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and based at the DETR in Bristol, this office is responsible for distributing UK Biodiversity Action Plan information, Local Biodiversity Action Plan guidelines and other central biodiversity information. Copy for the Biodiversity Action Plan newsletter “Biodiversity News” is sent to this office.
Countryside Council for Wales South Wales Area Office 4 Castleton Court Fortran Road St Mellons, CARDIFF CF3 0LT Tel: 029 2077 2400 www.ccw.gov.uk
Team Leader Customer Services Environment Agency Wales, Abacus House, St Mellons Business Park, St Mellons, CARDIFF CF3 OEY 02920770088 www.environment-agency.wales.gov.uk
- 60 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
Food, Farming & Development Division 6 CP2, 3rd Floor National Assembly for Wales Agriculture Department Cathays Park CARDIFF CF10 3NQ
National Museums and Galleries of Wales Cathays Park CARDIFF CF1 3NP
Plantlife 21, Elizabeth Street LONDON SW1W 9RP
UK Round Table on Sustainable Development Fifth Floor Romney House Tufton Street LONDON SW1P 3RA 020 7944 4964 [email protected] www.open.gov.uk/roundtbl/hometb.htm
A group of people from a wide range of backgrounds, established in 1995 with the aim of encouraging discussion on major sustainable development issues including biodiversity and sustainability indicators. The Round Table has a range of sub-groups and produces regular Reports. Advises government, but not necessarily endorsed by government.
- 61 - WILD ABOUT CARDIFF CARDIFF’S LOCAL BIODIVERSITY ACTION PLAN
References
Title Date Available from: Action for Wildlife 1995 Countryside Council for Wales Biodiversity Challenge 1994 RSPB Biodiversity – the UK Action Plan 1994 Stationery Officer (HMSO) Cardiff Countryside Strategy 1998 Cardiff County Council
Cardiff Nature Conservation Strategy 1995 Cardiff County Council
- 62 -