Marten Magic Overseas Barbary Macaques How We’Re Helping Hirola Heroes Britain’S Second Rarest New Protection for Rays Mammal Bounce Back Sungazer Lizards

people’s trust for endangered species WildliSPRINGf 2017 e ISSUE 11

World ISSN 2049-8268 Wildlife World UK PTES’goes 40th ruby anniversary to mark Water voles to the rescue Stag beetle mania Just add adders? Red squirrels on the move

Marten magic Overseas Barbary macaques How we’re helping Hirola heroes Britain’s second rarest New protection for rays mammal bounce back Sungazer lizards

A losing battle? Back to pastures old On the map Why poaching is on the How you can join our Geographic Information increase globally and efforts to restore the Systems: mapping what can be done to help faded glory of Britain’s technology as a game- the animals and people it magnificent wood changing tool for threatens pastures conservation WILDLIFE WORLD

SWEET HAVENS Bringing the Because apple trees grown from seed don’t produce wild back to life fruit with the same Wildlife World is published character as their parents, by People’s Trust for the preservation of varieties Endangered Species relies on grafting. Other traditional orchard Our wildlife is disappearing. Almost management techniques two thirds of species in the UK have also support unique declined in the past 50 years. There’s communities of wildlife not nothing natural or inevitable about this. found anywhere else. This is It can be stopped. And everyone can why the protection and play a part. That’s why People’s Trust restoration of traditional for Endangered Species exists. orchards has such historical, © Henry Johnson cultural and biological Find out more value. www.ptes.org WILDLIFE WORLD

04 PTES people Dormouse breeder John Prince has been invaluable to our dormouse work over 25 years. 05 Frontline

© Steve Garvie and it’s a problem that affects people as well as wildlife. 18 12 06 Conservation news A quick roundup of recent news at home and abroad, and the view from Nelson’s column. In this edi tion 08 40 years of PTES We’re celebrating four decades of hard work and results – and looking forward to many more. 10 Scrapbook We love hearing from friends of PTES, be they researchers or volunteers, so please, tell us your story. 12 Our work with pine martens Our efforts to help these exquisite © Rob Dewing mammals is making a difference in © BMAC 18 16 Scotland, Wales and Ireland. 16 PTES in action Discover how your support is helping threatened species and habitats around the world and in the UK. 22 Insider A closer look at how mapping technology is revolutionising

Editor: Dr Amy-Jane Beer Editorial team: Jill Nelson, Zoe Roden, Nida Al-Fulaij Welcome Art editor: Zoe Roden Illustration: Hayley Cove I’m always startled by how quickly even the dreariest winter passes Print: 4-Print when you spend time outdoors noticing the incremental shifts that Cover image: mark the inexorable progress of the seasons. By April, Nature is iStockphoto.com / Didierphoto straining sinew and fibre to wring every opportunity from the The opinions expressed in this increasing daylight hours – ever resilient, always striving and magazine are not necessarily those of never, ever giving up. People’s Trust for Endangered Species. © Dave Willis It’s a pretty good example to live by, especially for conservationists, and a reminder of how much might be achieved if we tackle each new challenge as a bee, a snow leopard or a water Contact us PTES Wildlife World Magazine vole would – without fear and without knowing how to give in. The challenges are many. 3 Cloisters House But the days are lengthening, the opportunities are beckoning and, for the sake of the 8 Battersea Park Road many species that need our help, we cannot afford to fail.⚫ London SW8 4BG www.ptes.org [email protected] people’s Dr Amy-Jane Beer, Editor 020 7498 4533 trust for twitter.com/AmyJaneBeer facebook.com/ptes.org endangered twitter.com/PTES species

Wildlife World 3 YOUR PTES

PTES PTES PEOPLE LOVES

BRITAIN’S TREASURE ISLANDS Stewart McPherson RRP £29.99 This spectacular treasure trove of a book accompanies the BBC TV series and recounts the wonder of our overseas territories. The author has donated a free copy to every UK secondary school. © Claire Pengelly

John Prince, above centre, has made a huge contribution to our dormouse projects and at 90 years of age still inspires us with his caring and practical approach. PLANET EARTH II fter participating in the first Great Nut Hunt in Book, DVD and BluRay 1993, John became convinced his local wood Last year’s long awaited ‘Attenbuster’ Awas an ideal place for dormice. The experts didn’t disappoint, and we think it took some convincing, but John’s persistence paid off will be worth revisiting for years to and in 1998 Little Linford Wood became home to 41 It’s difficult come in both DVD and book form. reintroduced dormice. They did better than anyone expected, and John has been monitoring their being 90. I dread descendants ever since. to think what it John also breeds dormice for other releases and has a special knack with babies. ‘In 2009 I hand reared will be like when eight babies that had lost their mother. I spent three weeks feeding them every four hours, even taking I get old. them with me when we travelled to visit family, and once warming them gently over a cooker when they got too cold overnight! It’s not always easy though. Recently one of my breeding females died in my wife’s hands trying to give birth to four babies which were FROM MALLARDS TO already dead. That was very upsetting.’ MARTENS So what next? ‘I can’t do much in the wood these Hilary Macmillan days – it’s difficult being 90, I dread to think what it will £25 (from www.vwt.org.uk) be like when I get old. I’ve recently made 30 tubes This book is a celebration of 40 years of which dormice can use for nesting and converted an The Vincent Wildlife Trust. Its pages old golfing trolley to carry nest boxes around the testify to the vision of VWT’s nature- wood. I hope this will help. But the work must loving founder, John Vincent Weir, and continue. There is so much to learn, we can’t sit back.’ ⚫ prove that conservation really does make a difference. Find out more about becoming a volunteer www.ptes.org/volunteer

4 Wildlife World FRONTLINE When will the killing end? Killing wildlife for pseudo-medicine or to flaunt wealth and status is neither ethical or sustainable. But when it comes to poaching, says Nida Al-Fulaij, the distinction between right or wrong is rarely simple.

t’s hard for me to understand anyone who believes rhino horn is that flooding the market would crash prices and make poaching less crucial to a satisfying love life or who thinks horrific killing is an profitable. But poaching has increased exponentially since then and acceptable means of harvesting ivory with which to flaunt many people blame the sale for boosting demand. Others claim that Iwealth or status. But I know mine isn’t the only view. the ban makes matters worse by restricting supply and driving up Undeniably, poaching is getting worse. And for species such as prices, and some suggest that millions made from legalised selling elephants and rhinos, many populations of which are already at of ivory and rhino horn could fund conservation and help wipe out severe risk of extinction, the situation is critical. In 2007, 62 rhinos illegal trade. were killed in Africa for their horns. By 2015 the annual toll had risen In an effort to counter Namibia and Zimbabwe’s request, other to almost 1200 – about 5% of the African elephant states total population. Elephants face proposed that elephants from a similar crisis, with 8% of the South Africa, Namibia, African population being Botswana and Zimbabwe be poached annually. upgraded to Appendix I, Poaching is a global preventing any trade. In the problem, and far from a simple end, both resolutions were

one, not least because the status denied. © iStockphoto.com /ColognetoCapeTown of many species varies between Notably, to the anger of countries. Hence, while some many African states, the EU states risk losing elephants voted against relisting, saying altogether, others have growing the action would do nothing to populations. Elephants from address corruption, South Africa, Namibia, enforcement and demand. The Botswana and Zimbabwe are main drivers of poaching are the currently on Appendix II of the greed of crime-lords, demand Convention on International Elephants face a crisis, with 8% from wealthy consumers, and Trade in Endangered Species of the African population being the desperate need of the (CITES), while those in other poachers themselves trying to African states have higher poached annually earn money to support their protection, on Appendix I. The families. Both rangers and debate reached a heated climax poachers are increasingly in the last September, when Namibia and Zimbabwe applied for line of fire. In 2014, 21 poachers were shot dead in India alone. permission to sell their stockpiles of ivory. This has been tried before The situation isn’t benefitting anyone in the areas where – in 2008, 107 tonnes of ivory was sold for $15million in the hope poaching occurs. In fact the only ‘winners’ are those at the end of the supply chain, usually several countries, or even a continent, away. And so work is needed here too. Huge public awareness campaigns How we’re helping: are running across Asia and there are signs these are beginning to PTES is supporting Samya Bassu in India where an increase pay off. Ivory prices have fallen by half in several Chinese cities over in elephant numbers has resulted in deadly conflict for both a two-year period, and the Chinese government has committed to humans and animals. We’re also working with Pranjal banning domestic ivory sales by the end of 2017. There is a long way Bezbarua in Kaziranga National Park, where rhinos have to go. But with our wildlife in crisis, the time to act is now, while recovered from 366 in the 1960s to almost 2,500 in 2015. momentum is growing. ⚫

Nida Al-Fulaij is Grants Manager at PTES. She oversees our grant programmes, which are currently supporting 60 projects worldwide.

Wildlife World 5 CONSERVATION NEWS

Amy-Jane Beer reviews some of the big recent © iStockphoto.com / DamianKuzdak news stories from PTES and the wider field of conservation. You can also always find updates at www.ptes.org

Hedgehog garden to September, Mammals on Roads collects records of flattened fauna, so at least some

Our innovative new Hedgehog © Sokolov Alexey / Shutterstock value comes from their untimely demise. To Street installation has opened at help make it easy, our revamped survey app RHS Harlow Carr show garden in will help passengers record sightings along car journeys—essential evidence of how Harrogate, North Yorkshire. populations are faring in the wider countryside. Details at www.ptes.org/ surveys. ⚫ population released to Knapdale in Argyll in 2009, and a larger one whose appearance RIP Tilikum on the River Tay is more mysterious. Beavers had previously been absent from Britain for The killer whale at the centre of a 400 years. PTES CEO, Jill Nelson, tragic controversy has died in commented ‘What a happy end to the trial captivity at SeaWorld. beaver reintroduction that we’ve been so delighted to support. Our interest in esigned by award-winning designer returning beavers goes back to 2000, and DTracy Foster, the garden was recognising them as part of our natural commissioned by PTES and the British heritage again paves the way for further Hedgehog Preservation Society to inspire reintroductions in Scotland and elsewhere the thousands of people who visit Harlow in the future.’⚫ Carr each year with the limitless opportunities for hedgehog-friendly Survey season © Dr Ingrid Visser gardening. The Harlow Carr installation represents PTES’ long-running citizen science a terrace of three adjoining back gardens, surveys make history while each divided by a different hedgehog- advancing conservation biology. ilikum was captured in Icelandic waters friendly boundary and featuring widely Tin 1983 and lived the rest of his life in contrasting styles: Mediterranean, rustic captivity, first at Sealand of the Pacific in and contemporary. There’s a spectacular dry Canada, then from 1991 at SeaWorld in stone wall inspired by the local vernacular, Orlando. During this time he killed or was with special hedgehog ‘smoots’ implicated in the deaths of two trainers and (passageways) for access. Clever a trespasser who entered his pool at night. interpretation explains various features that He was also the subject of the high profile can be easily introduced to any garden to Andrew© Ben documentary Blackfish, which concluded encourage spiky visitors. that he was suffering from psychosis caused To celebrate the launch of the Hedgehog by his captivity. Street garden we have two family tickets to The cause of Tilikum’s death is thought RHS Garden Harlow Carr to give away. Visit elp is needed please with our Living to be a bacterial lung infection. He was www.ptes.org/win to enter and read full Hwith Mammals survey, which runs until around 36 years old, a ‘good age’ for a details. ⚫ 2nd July recording the wildlife on your captive orca. But potential longevity of wild doorstep. Gardens, recreational areas and individuals is 50–60 years for males and Back for good allotments are important to both people 50–100 years for females. SeaWorld and wildlife, and monitoring our wild announced in March last year that it was Delight at formal decision to allow neighbours tells us about the health of these ending its orca breeding programme and beavers to stay in Scotland. spaces. Taking part is easy and fun – you now says that the 22 other orcas remaining look out for mammals as they fatten up after in its three resorts will be ‘the last generation he Scottish government has granted winter, attract mates and raise their broods, of orcas under human care.’ Tnative species status to the Eurasian pass your records on to us and we do the Public pressure continues to demand beaver, following a successful trial analysis. that these remaining orcas are moved out of reintroduction part-funded by PTES. The You can also record the rare and familiar concrete tanks and into seaside sanctuaries, decision applies to the officially sanctioned mammals seen on our highways. From July but so far SeaWorld has resisted. ⚫

6 Wildlife World CONSERVATION NEWS

Ancient wolf-otter neighbouring Myanmar. The actual Nelson’s column population size is unknown but, like its revealed fictional namesake, the species has a fight 6.2 million year-old fossil unearthed on its hands. ‘Low numbers and the threat in southwestern China dwarfs all from habitat loss, habitat fragmentation Ruby and hunting means they should be modern examples. classified as an endangered species,’ said Dr Turvey. The original Luke Skywalker, actor Mark red year Hamill, took to Twitter so say how proud he was his character’s name was being used.⚫ After 40 years PTES is proud to be at the forefront of Leopard vs. leopard? endangered species

© Mauricio Anton Changing climate may bring a new conservation worldwide. threat to snow leopards as common cousins move in. Past achievements are important to celebrate but, as always, we prefer cientists have described a new fossil looking forward. Our immediate Sspecies of otter, Siamogale melilutra, as priorities include expanding our measuring about two metres long and Conservation Partnerships with the weighing about 50 kg, almost twice as world’s best conservationists and heavy as the world’s largest living otter planning even more internships for species. Digital reconstructions of the skull those starting out on their careers. We’re and jaws indicate it had bite-power more like building on our experience with dormice © Alexander Oehrle that of a badger than modern otters, and to extend our water vole monitoring and enlarged cheek teeth suggest it may have start a similar scheme for harvest mice. fed by crushing hard-shelled molluscs such And we’re creating landscapes for as clams.⚫ dormice, hedgehogs and invertebrates ideo footage from remote camera traps by restoring hedgerows, traditional The new Skywalker Von the Tibetan plateau reveals that orchards and wood pastures. common and snow leopards are using A new species of gibbon from overlapping areas. This is the first time that Tracking the fortunes of wild species southern China has been described this overlap has been observed by scientists, underpins much of our work. The survey in the American Journal of and while it may not be entirely surprising, season approaches. Please take part if Primatology. it has highlighted one of the major issues you can. We want to know about facing snow leopards. As climates warm, mammal sightings and your encounters trees are able to grow higher up on with stag beetles, hedgehogs and water mountainsides. This is likely to benefit voles. And we need help with assessing common leopards, allowing them to thrive the state of orchards and wood pastures. at higher altitudes. Meanwhile snow Your help directly shapes the leopards stand to lose between 30 and 50 conservation priorities of the future, so percent of the open rocky slopes that form please help if you can. All the details are the most important part of their alpine at www.ptes.org/surveys

© Fan Peng-Fai habitat. ⚫ Thank you for all your support for DATES FOR YOUR DIARY: whatever part of our 40 years! ⚫ 20th May 2017 he species is arboreal, and descends to The Secret Life of Dormice the ground so rarely that its Chinese T Join us at our woodland reserve on the Isle of name means ‘Heaven’s movement’. The Wight for a special tour in search of dormice. scientists studying it, including Dr Sam You’ll also learn about our camera traps and Turvey of the Zoological Society of London, help to identify other nocturnal visitors. could not resist giving it another unforgettable name – the Skywalker 9th June 2017 hoolock. Summer on the Somerset Levels The new species differs from other A day exploring the Somerset levels and hoolocks in its distinctive facial markings photographing its amazing wildlife from Jill Nelson is the Chief Executive and its unusual song. The team estimates otters to bitterns. of People’s Trust for Endangered Species. that there are about 200 Skywalker Find out more gibbons in China, and some in www.ptes.org/events

Wildlife World 7 PTES IS 40 Life begins at 40 In August PTES is 40 years old. Jill Nelson has been taking a We’ve invested in over 100 look back at how our past laid the way for the future. projects helping British mammals

In the beginning PTES was set up in 1977. Our first director was Bill Jordan. Right from our early years we were funded through public donations. An early drama in the 1980s was caused by the unexpectedly high cost of chartering a boat to sail to the Faroes to protest against whaling. Among other exploits, we also loaned an aeroplane to the Uganda National Park and purchased a boat to help turtle work in Costa Rica. We supported the return of beavers to Knapdale in Scotland after 400

years’ absence.

Protecting landscapes 2001 Grants and internships After several aborted attempts to buy remote We launch Former Government Chief Scientist Sir Scottish islands, a generous legacy and some Mammals on John Beddington, CMG, FRS, took over the welcome lottery funds allowed us to Roads reins in 1983. A programme of grants for purchase Briddlesford Woods on the Isle of conservationists working worldwide began Wight. This nature reserve contains many to flourish, laying the foundations for much threatened species including red squirrels, of the work we do now. Since then we have hazel dormice and Bechstein’s bats. supported over 350 amazing research 1993 projects worldwide on a dizzying array of We coordinate Over 20 years we’ve transformed the species, and awarded more than 80 the first neglected woodland into a wildlife haven. internships to young conservationists dormouse Over 500 dormouse boxes are monitored setting out on their careers. reintroduction four times a year as part of a national monitoring scheme, and training courses on woodland management are held for land managers on site.

8 Wildlife World PTES IS 40

Priority mammals Invertebrates and orchards The elusiveness of wild mammals in Britain ► In the mid-90s we became species champion for stag beetles leaves them particularly vulnerable to setting up Great Stag Hunts and promoting garden log piles. neglect compared with our rather more Our work with noble chafer beetles, struggling because of the evident bird life. At the turn of the 2015 decline of traditional orchards, led to our extensive orchard millennium we launched Mammals Trust Bonobos in a campaign and purchase of our own orchard in Worcestershire. UK, a special fund to support British national park in DRC mammal work. increased by 30% in ► We assessed the condition of thousands of orchards in England five years once we and Wales and are working with owners to improve them. supplied park ► We launched FruitFinder, listing local fruit varieties. rangers with SMART We’re trying a similar approach with wood pastures and technology to parklands, also great havens for invertebrates. We’ve invested in over 100 combat poaching. projects helping British mammals 2015 Monitoring mammals Our emergency ► PTES surveys revealed the current hedgehog funds help a crisis - numbers are down by a third in a team investigate decade - leading to our extensive campaign the cause of a with the British Hedgehog Preservation mass die off of Society. saiga antelopes ► Through Hedgehog Street over 43,000 in Kazakhstan Hedgehog Champions are making their neighbourhoods hedgehog friendly while We created safe havens for water research projects are studying voles and launched long-term the causes of the decline. national monitoring

Dormice 2012 Involving people ► We’ve managed Evidence of We’ve had many happy experiences interacting with national unsustainable schools, wildlife groups and the public at events large monitoring, seahorse fishing and small. established by Royal in Guinea and ► Thousands of families have gone on Great Nut Holloway, University of Senegal leads to Hunts to find dormouse-nibbled hazelnuts alerting London, since 2000. Now a CITES us to new dormouse populations to protect. over 400 sites are involved. suspension of ► Our gold award-winning Hedgehog Street garden ► We’re linking reintroduced seahorse trade. reached thousands of visitors to RHS Hampton Court dormouse populations by Flower Show. improving and planting hedgerows between Thank you woodland sites. Our reach is wide, it has to be. There aren’t enough hours in the day to do all we want, no matter how dedicated our staff. Thousands of volunteers help us by doing conservation work, recording species, helping in the office and at public 2005 2012 events. Thousands more help by donating and fundraising. Our board of We open our Wildlife trustees is led by Dr Andrew Kitchener. On behalf of Andrew, our other online shop World first trustees and myself, a huge thank you to everyone involved in making all published this possible and such a pleasure to be a part of. ⚫

Photo credit, clockwise from turtle © iStockphoto.com / richcarey, dormouse © iStockphoto.com / KatPaws, water vole © Ian Schofield / Shutterstock.com, hedgehog © iStockphoto.com / UroshPetrovic, Hedgehog Street © PTES, seahorse © iStockphoto.com / ozandogan, red squirrel © iStockphoto.com / GlobalP, intern © Alice Kent, lion cubs © Theodore Mattas / Shutterstock.com, orangutans © Sergey Uryadnikov / Shutterstock.com, beaver © iStockphoto.com / avs_lt Wildlife World 9 PTES NEWS

Scrapbook e love hearing from PTES people, White Ian © Wbe they supporters or grant recipients. Ian in Japan PTES Dormouse Officer Ian White has been Your pictures, reports, emails, web posts and doing his bit for international relations, letters give a great sense of your passion for visiting fellow dormouse biologists on the other side of the world. The Japanese wildlife, so please keep them coming! dormouse differs from our native hazel dormouse in having a dark dorsal stripe and travelling upside-down under branches rather than running along on top of them. But they are just as sleepy and just as cute!

Dear PTES

One of the animals I’ve been tracking with a GPS tag as part of our new giant anteater project in Brazil has given birth during the monitoring study. She’s been seen carrying DorCon16 We were delighted to welcome over 275 citizen scientists and her baby on her tail, where it will spend professional researchers to our second national dormouse most of its first year. The similar colouring conference held at the University of Reading in September. helps the pup blend in so predators can’t

The programme was extended to two full days, the first Pengelly Claire © see it. It also makes the mother look larger focusing on various aspects of dormouse ecology and and less tempting to predators. This result conservation and the second on our National Dormouse bodes well for our technique, which will now Monitoring Programme. be used to monitor anteater movements We love our fantastic fundraisers across the landscape.

Staff and pupils of Meadowfield Primary School, Leeds, held a Best regards Dress-Down Day and raised a fantastic £112.65. At Brookmead Arnaud Desbiez School, Leighton Buzzard, pupils raised £155.89 which was topped up by £15 from their PTA. And elsewhere in Leighton Buzzard, St George’s Lower School donated £59.50 towards our House a Dormouse campaign. Thank you all so much! /PTES Favourites from Twitter @morss_alex: My fave 2016 wildlife moment. Lola, 8, thrilled by a wild #dormouse. Youngest #NDMP volunteer?

Six-year-old Archie Allen held a sponsored draw-athon and raised a Ann-Marie Ison has also been busy brilliant £103.50 for his efforts. Here’s his selling her limited edition lino prints whale. Wonderful! and donated £287.50 from the proceeds. Thank you! Search for AnnMarieIson on www.etsy.com to browse her range.

10 Wildlife World Meet the team PTES is run by 17 dedicated members of staff, guided by a board of trustees. Sophie and Hana are members of our Fundraising team.

Sophie Rodger Supporter Recruitment Specialist

I started my career in marketing straight out of college, plunging myself into a Digital Marketing Apprenticeship at Nuffield Hospitals. After a few years

© Dave Cooper Dave © I moved on to charity marketing, firstly working at the RSPCA and then making the move to PTES. I’m passionate about animals and have always wanted to help and protect them– my Labradoodle Sasha Berlin hedgehog conference always keeps me very grounded and exhausted! My role involves Hedgehog experts and enthusiasts from all over developing campaigns to recruit new supporters and keep them fully Europe gathered in Berlin in November. PTES involved in our work. The possibilities are endless and I am very excited to Hedgehog Officer Henry Johnson gave a talk about be a part of what feels less like a great team at PTES, and more like a family. improving garden connectivity in both established neighbourhoods and new developments – a key challenge for hedgehog conservation in the UK. Hana Goodman Supporter Care Administrator After completing a degree in marine biology, my career took an unexpected but welcome turn into charity fundraising. I worked for several other environmental charities before joining PTES in 2016. As Supporter Care Administrator, my role is varied, with no two days the same. I offer help and advice to our supporters, write our monthly e-news, process incoming donations and support the wider fundraising team. The nature of the role means that I not only get to combine my passion for the natural world with fundraising, I also can work with like-minded people and speak to our wonderful supporters, who are as enthusiastic about everything PTES stands for as I am.

Showing off its long tongue! Bonus science Wildlife biologists are an imaginative bunch. It didn’t take long for Stuart Newson of the British Trust for

© iStockphoto.com / scubaluna Ornithology to realise that the bat Blending in perfectly detectors he’s been using as part of a on mum’s back PTES-funded study in Norfolk could also be used for other high frequency animal sounds. He’s just published a paper using the same technology to identify crickets,

like the speckled bush cricket (left) by © Jason Woolgar Jason © their unique calls. UK mammals /ptes.org Every year PTES supports scientific investigations that aim to unlock the critical information and make conservation of priority mammals in the UK Favourites from Facebook more effective. We’re delighted to announce our latest projects:

‘I have just been looking at the website for your £15,854 to Dr Eleanor Kean, Cardiff University, to develop a way wonderful organisation www.ptes.org and recommend to estimate otter abundance by simple analysis of otter spraints. that everyone does the same and see if there is any way any of you can help to raise funds.’ Tina Bricknell-Webb £15,018 to Dr Marie Louis, University of St Andrews, to assess population links between bottle-nosed dolphins in the UK’s new Marine Protected Areas. ‘Set up a lovely hedgehog home on a site at the University of £3,190 to Graham Pettigrew to test thermal imaging and other techniques Leicester near a long intact for surveying the impacts of mountain hare culling on grouse moors.

hedgerow. A perfect foraging £17,900 to Dr Catherine O’Reilly, Waterford Institute of Technology, to route, we hope! Something determine a sustainable number of pine martens that can be taken from a robust for monitoring hedgehog donor population for translocation. activity in the future.’ Saadia Khan

Wildlife World 11 OUR WORK WITH PINE MARTENS

The magic of martens Conservation fieldwork takes many forms, and the rewards aren’t always immediately obvious. But for the scientists working on our three pine marten projects, there’s no doubt – their work is making a difference to an exceptionally charismatic mammal. © iStockphoto / Ocs_12

12 Wildlife World OUR WORK WITH PINE MARTENS

A challenging week on the RIGHT: The erect, triangular ears of pine martens are an important identifying feature, often trail of Scottish pine noticable in fleeting glimpses thanks to the pale margins, which stand out, even in poor light. martens made a lasting BELOW: Marten scats are highly variable, but often contain recognisable remains of insect impression on Hilary exoskeletons, fruit stones and fur. The sweet Macmillan of The Vincent smell is a helpful clue to identity. AlasdairSargent / iStockphoto.com ©

Wildlife Trust. marten population to Wales, using animals translocated from Scotland. I’m surveying t’s day seven of my quest, and I’m very early in spring, so that we can make wondering how much more rain is conservative estimates of numbers at each Ineeded before I can use the word site, before litters of young skew the figures. Diluvian. The Scottish Highlands is my The scats will be genetically analysed for backdrop, and I’m sniffing poo. their individual ‘fingerprint’, and to provide I’ve read that the aroma of pine marten an estimate of the local population size. We scat is akin to that of Parma violets. I’ve need to know there are plenty before we never been a big fan of Parma violets, so I think of moving any animals to Wales. am relieved that the substance I’m holding Support from Forestry Commission between two lolly sticks smells more like – Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage has

it’s difficult to explain – just more like pine been key in our efforts to help the pine Macmillan Hilary © marten. It is musky and sweet. marten south of the border. Things are now The sweetness tends to escalate looking much brighter in Wales where the seasonally with a diet heavy on ripe fruit, cont’d over but now it’s early March and I’m looking for signs of more carnivorous meals – fur, feathers or the delicate bones of field voles. What’s on the marten menu? The day before, a fellow scatologist had come across a dropping full of chewing With PTES funding Josh Twining is gum. Pine martens are nothing if not discovering the surprising dining opportunistic. habits of pine martens in Northern Ireland. I need all my field skills here; fox poo can wrong-foot the best of us but I’m nderstanding exactly what pine martens are eating is essential for positive, this one is pine marten. It’s slightly evaluating their habitat requirements and their role in an ecosystem. Their smaller than a cat dropping, almost black, Uvaried diet means they compete with other predators such as foxes, stoats cylindrical and curled. Martens have a and birds of prey, regulate prey populations, dispose of carrion and even help to curious custom of hip-wiggling while disperse seeds. But because getting close enough to wild pine martens to see what scatting, and the droppings vary in shape they are feeding on is pretty much impossible, we’re reliant on indirect observations as a result. In fact if you collect enough, you – analysis of gut-content or scat. may end up with a complete set of the In my first year of surveying I collected almost a thousand scats, and analysis of their letters of the alphabet. contents suggests that while the diet of pine martens in Great Britain and mainland Woodland paths or tracks are a Europe is dominated by mice and voles, Northern Irish martens rely much more on fruit, favourite toilet location. Territorial marking in particular rowan berries, blackberries, haws and bilberries. Invertebrates form the makes finding scats relatively easy in areas next most significant choice, mostly beetles and bees. The latter may be taken when where martens are abundant. Where martens raid nests for honey. Small mammals are also taken, but as voles are absent they’re scarce you have no chance: until the from Ireland, martens here focus mainly on pygmy shrews and wood mice. They recent reinforcement of the Welsh pine sometimes also take both red and grey squirrels, rabbits and hares, and scavenge the marten population with martens from remains of large mammals such as red deer and sheep. Scotland, only a couple of scats had been The data I’ve accumulated so far only provide a snapshot of the total picture and we recorded there in 20 years. If you have no know that scat analyses tend neighbours, why mark territory? I’m to over-estimate the pleased with this one: it’s fresh so should importance of small items give a good DNA result. I seal it in a plastic such as invertebrates and fruit bag and move on, battling to refold the but, even so, the results are map and wondering why transects are showing the importance of always on the fold. considering the needs of each I’m in this strikingly beautiful part of population in its own right. ⚫ Scotland as part of The Vincent Wildlife

© Josh Twining LEFT: Laborious scat surveying is a Trust’s Pine Marten Recovery Project, of recurring theme in pine marten which PTES is a major partner. It is an research, but at least the search areas are beautiful. ambitious project to restore a viable pine

Wildlife World 13 OUR WORK WITH PINE MARTENS

LEFT: Needle-sharp grappling hook claws are key to the pine marten’s enviable climbing skill making nests and squirrel dreys easy targets. RIGHT: The translocated pine martens wear

© iStockphoto / forestc transmitter collars so that their whereabouts can be monitored after they leave the soft release cages. They are supplied with extra food to help them as they familiarise themselves with new hunting and foraging opportunities.

Scottish martens are doing well, radio- is unmistakable. It is achingly beautiful. It is tracked daily by committed VWT staff and dead. I pick up the animal, still warm, from local volunteers who seem oblivious to the the middle of the road and place it on the unsociable hours and even more verge with a vague notion that it may serve unsociable weather. We have relocated 39 as a warning to other martens tempted to animals over two years, and according to cross this busy route north. A pointless my expert (but cautious) colleagues there gesture, I know. is an ‘acceptable probability’ that this I’m relieved the dead animal is male – it’s number should result in a self-sustaining unbearable to think of it being a mother marten population in Wales. about to give birth. The next path I’m To play a small part in this landmark supposed to walk no longer exists. With GPS venture is a privilege. Yes, the weather has in hand, I plough through a dense cover of been awful, but young conifers. there’s a real sense of ‘Despite their name, Despite their name, place in this Scottish pine martens are not forest: the pine martens are not particularly fond of remoteness, the pines, and right sheer beauty of the particularly fond of now, neither am I. mountains, often pines, and right now, Martens will use stark but always plantations if there inviting, and the neither am I’ is a well-stocked richness of the larder, but like to wildlife. I daydream of VWT opening an make their dens in tree holes – and you don’t office in Fort William. find many of those in trunks the width of a Today as every day, I’m hoping for more telegraph pole. Old growth woodland with than just droppings. To actually see a mature trees and tree cavities is far more marten would make my week. The path appealing. I decide that this transect is a lost seems little-used and barely passable and cause and call it a day. I’m realising too late that my new high- My last task is to post all the scats I’ve Top : © Nick Upton Right:James A Moore performance jacket isn’t up to the job. I’d collected so far. I stand in the Post Office have been better off in my old thornproof queue hoping the lady behind the counter Barbour. And then I see in the distance that does not ask me what’s in the envelope, or chestnut fur setting off a flamboyant worse, why it smells. As a precaution, to apricot bib, and the characteristic mask any odour seeping from the package, heartshaped face that gives such an I open a pack of Parma Violets purchased in endearing quality to this masterful killer. It a shop down the road and eat one. ⚫

14 Wildlife World OUR WORK WITH PINE MARTENS

Squirrels and pine martens Ecologists Johnny Birks and John Martin are assessing the complex relationships between pine martens and squirrels in Galloway Forest.

Foresters and conservationists in Britain and Ireland are doubly interested in pine martens because of their apparent role in suppressing grey squirrels, which benefits both red squirrels and timber growers. Southern Scotland is one of the ‘battle zones’ where invading greys are threatening the reds with competition and squirrelpox virus. So, as part of our long-running study of pine martens in Galloway Forest for Forest Enterprise Scotland (FES), we’re developing a pine marten monitoring programme in an area of the forest designated as the Fleet Basin Red Squirrel Stronghold. Fact File Our study, jointly funded by PTES and FES, uses non-invasive SPECIES NAME methods to estimate pine Martes martes marten numbers, and we have installed 50 marten den boxes COMMON NAME as a habitat improvement Pine marten measure. We’ve also spent DISTINGUISHING FEATURES many hours searching for fresh Cat-sized weasel with prominent pine marten scats and servicing triangular ears, rich brown fur and a 100 hair tubes designed to gather a conspicuous creamy, yellow or orange few marten hairs in return for a free snack. The scats and hairs are sent bib. Tail slightly brushy. to our geneticist collaborators at the Waterford Institute of Technology, who are

able to determine the unique genetic identity of each pine marten. HABITS Our best estimate of 18 pine martens suggests a relatively low density Secretive, largely nocturnal and population in the stronghold area, and we hope to increase this through habitat crepuscular, lives alone except mothers improvements. We’re encouraged by the 62% occupancy rate of the new den with young. Climbs superbly well. boxes, and we look forward to future monitoring to see whether pine martens LIFE HISTORY have increased. ⚫ Up to five young born after a seven- month gestation; weaned at three months, independent at eight months, may live 18 years but usually much less. HABITAT & DISTRIBUTION

Wooded and rocky ground, British Top: © iStockphoto.com / Solstizia Left: Johnnie Birks population mainly restricted to Scotland. CONSERVATION STATUS LEFT: The two Johnnies Listed as Least Concern by IUCN but (Birks and Martin) weigh intense persecution drove the population a pine marten kit in in Great Britain close to extinction. their Fleet Basin study area. Johnny Birks has Recovery in Scotland has not yet been worked on the species replicated elsewhere in the species’ for over 20 years. former range.

Wildlife World 15 PTES IN ACTION

Power to

the beetles Jones Peter © PTES has been working to monitor and protect stag beetles for 20 years. 2016 saw the launch of a new European initiative drawing on our wealth of experience in citizen science and wildlife monitoring. Laura Bower reports. ur Great Stag Hunt provides precious recruited to survey transects from Spain to data about where stag beetles are in Poland. We hope that many people will be Othe UK and engages thousands of inspired to take part. ⚫ people. But what it can’t do is tell us about whole population numbers. So we funded researchers in Belgium to set up the Great Stag Hunt 2016 European Stag Beetle Monitoring Network We had an amazing response to our survey last to encourage stag beetle monitoring right year, with over 6000 people reporting 8252 beetles across their European range. Using a and 597 larvae. Not all of them turned out to be standard approach between countries and stag beetles; we had some interesting records of years we’ll be able to assess the species’ red dor beetles, rose chafers and violet ground beetles, list status. which will be shared with the National Biodiversity A new website, stagbeetlemonitoring.org Network. You can record stag beetles or larvae © Zoe Roden will share the data and raise awareness of throughout the year at www.ptes.org/gsh ⚫ the threats to stags. Volunteers are being

We caught up for a chat with bestselling author, beetle fan and PTES supporter M.G. Leonard

Your first book, Beetle Boy is a two sets of wings! If we are to improve our relationship with massive success. What’s it about? nature (as I believe passionately we must), we need children to © David Myers It’s the story of 13-year-old Darkus learn about the nature on their doorstep. Beetles are a perfect Cuttle’s efforts to find his father with introduction. the help of an army of intelligent beetles. Thirty If you could be a beetle which would you be and why? species of beetle appear in the story, all represented accurately, Maybe an Australian rainbow stag beetle. It looks a lot like a thanks to a lot of research and an entomologist proofreader! British stag beetle, but its exoskeleton shimmers with colour. It’s Darkus is a fantastic name! How did you come up with it? strong, powerful and pretty, and it lives in adult form for up to 18 I heard it on the radio, listening to Darcus Howe. I didn’t know months, while a British stag beetle only lasts about six weeks. then it should be spelled with a ‘c’. I loved the suggestion of depth, darkness and introspection. And Darkus Cuttle sounds a The second book in the trilogy, Beetle Queen, is out in April. bit like ‘Dark Scuttle’, which feels suitably beetly. Can you give us a hint what happens next? We learn that villain Lucretia Cutter has a ghastly plan, which What’s your favourite beetle? Darkus, Virginia and Bertolt are determined to stop. It’s a Each species is remarkable and delightful. Right now I’m writing heart-stopping adventure with a strong ecological theme. the final instalment of the Beetle Trilogy and I’m excited about pond-dwelling whirligigs and the Australian Christmas beetle. What made you team up with PTES? If I had to pick a favourite, it would be a rhinoceros beetle, like Knowledge empowers people to make a positive Darkus’s best friend Baxter. change, not just for beetles, but hedgehogs, dormice and all wildlife. I see your outreach and Why do beetles matter? education work as essential. If I can open readers’ They are the most remarkable, beautiful and populous type of eyes to the wonders of the natural world, and creature on Earth, and the unsung heroes of the planet, with so gently direct them towards one of the PTES’s many skills and talents. It’s strange that we know so little about great projects, that will be a great partnership! ⚫ them. Before my beetle adventures, I didn’t even know they had

16 Wildlife World PTES IN ACTION

Turning the tide The pioneering efforts of Trees for Life (TFL) to restore and connect Scotland’s native pinewoods have created a golden opportunity to put red squirrels back where they belong. We decided to help.

ed squirrels have lived in Britain LEFT: Red squirrels since the last Ice Age, and were once The team aims to are delighting local Rabundant. But Neolithic farmers translocate 350 squirrels people again. began clearing forests, and the process BELOW: The translocated continued for about 4000 years. By the to ten locations squirrels come from 18th century, Scottish red squirrels were at thriving populations the brink of extinction. They were saved elsewhere in © Peter Carins fragmented pockets. TFL was established to Scotland. by the introduction of animals from repair some of the gaps, and they are now Scandinavia and, ironically, from England. hoping to fill these restored forests with Extensive replanting in Scotland in the native squirrels. They are talking to 19th century also helped bolster numbers, landowners and carrying out habitat but the respite was short-lived – the huge assessments to make sure each site is demand for domestic timber resulting suitable, and have begun translocating from two world wars, combined with the healthy microchipped squirrels from other introduction and spread of American grey areas. The first cohorts of squirrels have squirrels, placed the population under settled well. They are already feeding pressure again. naturally and locals have reported lots of Scotland’s native pinewoods are a key sightings. The site will continue to be closely © Trees for Life stronghold for red squirrels, but these monitored. The TFL team aims to important habitats now cover a mere 1% of translocate 350 squirrels to ten locations their former area, almost all in highly over the next three years. ⚫ Nature steeped in history The historic landscapes of Britain’s wood pastures and parklands have stories to tell – but we risk losing them. Megan Gimber invites you to help survey a unique habitat. ood pastures often originate from medieval hunting forests. The splendid veteran trees they frequently contain are among the oldest living things in Britain, Wproviding a direct link with bygone landscapes. Both the trees and the surrounding pasture-land teem with life, including many rare and threatened species such as lesser spotted woodpeckers, pearl-bordered fritillary butterflies and violet click beetles. These special places have only recently been recognised as distinct and precious places. Previously they were often mistaken for degraded woodland, and consequently overlooked and understudied. Despite its value for wildlife, we don’t really know how much wood pasture is left, or what condition it’s in. A provisional record of wood pasture and parkland was created by Natural England using mainly historical maps and aerial photography. But this doesn’t show the extent to which these sites remain intact or what condition they’re in. We’re going to find out. We’ve devised a simple survey technique to test the condition of wood pastures. Starting in Suffolk, we’re asking volunteers to visit wood pastures to test the survey and help us improve it until it’s suitable to roll out across the country. ⚫

A walk in the park If you live in Suffolk and would like to survey a wood pasture site near you, or if you own some wood pasture, please contact [email protected].

Wildlife World 17 PTES IN ACTION

Monkey business North Africa’s only native monkey, the Barbary macaque, is in crisis. In Morocco, your donations to PTES are helping curb illegal exploitation and campaign for better protection.

arbary macaques are the only Our Moroccan partners, Barbary macaque species living naturally Macaque Awareness and Conservation Boutside Asia, and the only African (BMAC), are using PTES funding to primate to occur north of the Sahara. They campaign against illegal exploitation. They are attractive and highly social. For also run an education programme helping example, unusually for monkeys, both local people to value the forest and the parents play an equal role in caring for macaques that live there. Dr Sian Waters of their young. Sadly, these appealing traits

BMAC says working with schools is © BMAC lead to cruel and unsustainable particularly rewarding. ‘The children play a exploitation by the pet trade and the use of game in which they pretend to be animals macaques as photography props in tourist and think what happens as a forester cuts areas such as the markets of Marrakesh. ABOVE: BMAC is down the trees. It’s good fun, but they working to inspire Meanwhile, across their range, habitat is quickly understand the point. They tell us future generations of being destroyed and fragmented. As a they would be sorry to lose the macaques conservationists. result numbers have plummeted by and that they won’t cut down trees when LEFT: Cute to look at, around 50 percent in just three generations but Barbary macaques they are grown up. One little girl told me belong in the wild. and there are now fewer than 10,000 that she wanted to work with us one day to individuals remaining in the wild. help the macaques and the forest.’ ⚫ Herders for hirola With your help, the Hirola Conservation Programme in endangered Kenya is working to save the world’s rarest antelope.

n 1970 there were about 13,000 hirola either poor habitat quality or predation living in the wild. Now there are fewer pressure, but not both at the same time. Ithan 500, and until very recently all of So habitat restoration is key to their them were living outside protected areas. recovery. HCP has teamed up with the The Hirola Conservation Programme (HCP), Rainforest Trust to establish two new set up with funding from PTES and others, protected areas and a further five-year is tackling the crisis in several ways. Perhaps project is testing methods for most visible are the 22 scouts, trained and grassland restoration benefitting not deployed across the hirola’s range. Their only hirola but a wide range of other patrols are helping to reduce poaching and grassland specialist species. gathering important ecological data. This Meanwhile, all important outreach data is supplemented with records from work continues to engage local Somali pastoralists participating in a people, including the launch of a The hirola is the most endangered scheme called Herders for Hirola, in which ‘Hirola Day’ on 12th August, which antelope in the world they record sightings of hirola they have will now be an annual event,

while out tending their livestock and report involving communities and © Steve Garvie Steve mortalities and poaching using a special schools. ⚫ hotline. The results of this improved population monitoring reveal that hirola can cope with

18 Wildlife World PTES IN ACTION

Protecting the devil Devil rays, like their sister species, the mantas, are fished in huge numbers for their gill plates, which are used in some traditional medicines. The trade is unsustainable, and devil rays around the world have declined sharply. PhD student Jane Hosegood is working on the problem.

he good news is that all nine species LEFT: All species of © Guy Stevens, Jane Hosegood, Danny Copeland of devil ray (Mobula species) are devil ray are now listed under CITES. now listed alongside mantas on T RIGHT: The lab in Appendix II of the Convention on Bangor University International Trade in Endangered Species where Jane’s work is (CITES), meaning trade is now regulated to being carried out. prevent their decline. I was lucky enough BELOW RIGHT: The Manta Trust team to attend the CITES meeting and it was hoping the CITES vote great to see 4000 people, mostly goes their way. government officials from all over the world, discussing such important issues. tissue from individuals of known origin and Many of them referred to the difficulty law sequencing short fragments of the DNA that enforcement authorities experience in they contain. This allows us to build up a identifying which ray species traded gill picture of the genetic signatures of each plates come from, and that is where my species and population, with which we can work, supported by PTES, comes in. I’m compare samples from an unknown developing a genetic tool that can quickly, individual or part. I am currently analysing easily and cheaply identify a wildlife the genetic data I’ve been sequencing and product to species level. feeling proud and inspired to be making a Essentially what we are doing is taking difference in this way.⚫ A brighter future for sungazers Great progress is being made in our efforts to protect one of the world’s most threatened and unusual lizards.

harismatic sungazer lizards are medicines and the pet trade, means these highland grasslands and the formal endemic to the grasslands of South lizards are in desperate need of help. protection of these areas also protects lots CAfrica, where they dig shallow Sungazers need protecting in the pockets of other species too. burrows that are easily destroyed of wild habitat that remain, and those The team is busy, increasing the area of by careless agricultural pockets need to be both managed and land under protection and ensuring that all practices. This, along with expanded. captive facilities are registered. Ecological

© habitat fragmentation PTES has supported the Sungazer research is shedding light on dispersal Dennis W. Donohue / Shutterstock and illegal collecting for Conservation Project for several years, behaviour, habitat use and aiding the traditional seeing it develop into one of the largest population estimates which are vital for reptile conservation projects in Africa. The developing a conservation action plan for progress made by Ian Little and his sungazers. The SCP is also engaging local team at the Endangered Wildlife communities and the wider public to raise Trust is far reaching. awareness about this unique reptile and Sungazers are reduce demand for sungazers in traditional flagships for medicine and as pets. ⚫

Wildlife World 19 PTES IN ACTION

endangered Just add

adders © John Wothington- Hill PTES is helping John Worthington-Hill of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust conduct a feasibility study into restoring these wonderful reptiles. dders are a key component of British years, suggests that adders are indeed biodiversity, but they’re declining extinct in the county. Aseverely. They’ve already been lost John has reviewed previous attempts to from Nottinghamshire and Warwickshire, translocate adders in Britain and used a and are facing extinction in several other computer simulation to assess what is likely counties. Before matters get any worse, to influence the success of a reintroduction Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is proposing project. The model takes account of factors John checks the site each

a recovery programme with the aim of such as behavioural responses to Hill Wothington- John © restoring a viable adder population to the translocation, the suitability and extent of morning for signs of adders county. habitat, and rates of juvenile mortality and The last known population of adders in female reproduction. The results suggest Nottinghamshire centred on a few isolated that a relatively large number of adult adders clearings in a plantation area of Sherwood (over 70) would be required, but that such a Forest, but these sites were lost as scrub project could be a success. encroached. Despite John’s careful survey in John concludes that there is a clear case the surrounding area he found no sign of for adder reintroduction to Nottinghamshire, adders. This, together with previous surveys a project that could then serve as a case and a lack of reliable sightings for over 10 study for adder conservation elsewhere. ⚫ Bats at the frontiers of science We’re funding The Vincent Wildlife Trust (VWT) to trial what could be the population monitoring techniques of the future.

ationally scarce Bechstein’s bats individuals from other populations. Using are tricky to study using Inbreeding within small tiny quantities of DNA isolated from bat Nconventional bat detectors. Their populations of any animal is droppings we will identify the calls are very similar to those of other ‘microsatellite’ sequences that serve as closely related species, such as Natterer’s a risk, but bat breeding species signatures and can also identify and brown long-eared bats. This makes it behaviour is complex individuals. This will allow ecologists to hard to assess population numbers or gain an indication of how many animals trends or to enact effective protection for are using each roost, without the need for the bats and their forest homes. potentially stressful interventions such as Henry Schofield and colleagues at trapping or handling. All that will be VWT are investigating the potential of required is a sample of the droppings, molecular tools to monitor Bechstein’s and these can be collected by day with no bats more accurately and provide disturbance or disruption to the animals’ insights into how different populations night-time routine. might interact, in particular with respect We will also investigate whether it’s to breeding. Inbreeding is a potential risk possible to gauge a bat’s age from the within small populations of any animal, length of part of their DNA. This would © Patrick Wright but bat breeding behaviour is complex bypass the need for labour intensive long- and it could be that Bechstein’s bats keep term ringing and recapture studies. ⚫ their gene pool healthy by breeding with

20 Wildlife World PTES IN ACTION

And there’s more! We don’t have room to tell you about every project, but your donations have also been supporting...

Our research team is analysing spraints © Erni / Shutterstock.com© Erni collected by Somerset Otter Group volunteers to assess otter numbers, sex, and age. We’ll use their work to produce guidelines for wider application of the techniques. ⚫ Water voles BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS

to the rescue? © Marie Louis PTES intern Deon Roos is uncovering an important link We are looking at the efficacy of new between recovering water vole populations and Special Areas of Conservation in ecosystem health. maintaining connectivity between dolphin communities and the species’ ater voles have had a hard time in saturated soils, allow air to penetrate below capacity to adapt to environmental the UK in recent decades. Their ground, drying and oxygenating the soil, variation. Then we’ll investigate whether Wnumbers plummeted from the and creating better conditions for nitrogen- differences between different SACs have 1970s onwards, mainly due to the spread of fixing microbes. led to local adaptations. ⚫ American mink. Happily, Scotland retained a Using Xavier’s fantastic long-term few stronghold areas, especially in the dataset, I’ve been able to compare levels of MOUNTAIN HARES Highlands and following work to eradicate soil nitrogen with records of water vole mink, water voles have begun reclaiming occupancy, and what has emerged is that much of their former range. Professor Xavier areas where water voles have been present Lambin of the University of Aberdeen has for more than three years have more usable been studying one such strongholds in nitrogen. This in turn allows a wider variety © Carl Bedson Assynt for 20 years. of plants to survive and prosper. With help from PTES, I’m investigating My results clearly suggest that water how water voles might influence their voles help improve their habitat, but the environment. The Highland study area is a bigger implication lies in areas that have lost We’re funding two new hare projects. The tough one for wildlife and researchers alike; their water voles. How much have these first is focussing on the ecology and bogs, peat hags, adverse weather and local extinctions of water voles cost population structure of an isolated hordes of midges make fieldwork difficult. environments in terms of lost plant population living in the Peak District. The But more importantly, for plants at least, the diversity? My research would suggest quite second trials the use of thermal imaging environment is nitrogen-poor, limiting a lot, at least in areas where usable nitrogen for population counts. We’re also growth. Part of the problem with nitrogen is is limited. Thankfully, with continuing investigating the effect of culling and that it requires the action of soil microbes to efforts to remove American mink resulting will test the theory that grouse moor convert it into a form that plants can use. in further spread of water voles, this management (predator control and Enter the water vole. Water voles are nitrogen-boosting effect may soon be heather burn) creates a favourable burrowers, and their burrows, dug into the commonplace across the UK once more. ⚫ environment for mountain hares. ⚫

Wildlife World 21 INSIDE CONSERVATION SCIENCE

Julia Migne volunteered her time and expertise to help PTES map historical orchards to The improve our understanding of Insider’s where orchards might remain. Guide to... Mapping and GIS most animals do, and GIS techniques are What and why? increasingly used to assess species’ It’s often said that information is power, and there’s no more effective means of composition remotely, using aerial photos conveying geographic information than a good map. Geographical Information or even satellite images. This can save a Systems (GIS) are technological tools that help us record and analyse geographical great deal of time and money but isn’t a data. They produce highly interactive maps with a huge range of practical uses, not complete substitute for fieldwork, which is least in conservation. For example, a GIS programme can be used to combine and still essential for surveying small, scarce or visualise wildlife data from several different sources to help us understand where cryptic species. action is most needed. The systems are incredibly powerful and can be used to comprehend data on a global as well as a local scale. Each mapping project is different but here are some of the common steps: Step 2 – Reviewing existing GIS data Step 1 – Defining efore heading to the field, it’s essential to Breview the GIS information that already the project exists about the area. Many countries and efore starting any GIS project, you organisations share vast amounts of GIS Bhave to clearly define the scale and data, from topographic information to type of information that will be handled. wildlife surveys. This might range from local mapping of Using GIS software, different datasets the distribution of a plant species in a can then be added as independent ‘layers’ to garden or a forest to an international effort create an overview map with as many to plot the long-distance migration routes details as necessary. This composite map used by animals fitted with GPS trackers. highlights what data still need to be Wildlife biologists generate several GIS software turns collected and can be invaluable in guiding multiple sets of data types of mapping data. While GPS devices into a useful visual researchers in the field. are great for following movements and resource. migrations, they are expensive and logistically tricky, and would be overkill if GPS units are available as held all you needed was to produce a species held devices, but distribution map. GIS is also used to plan can also be built into and organise more traditional elements of tags that transmit location coordinates fieldwork, such as plotting survey Eureka_89 / iStockphoto.com © and other transects that best represent a certain information. habitat or deciding where nest boxes or camera traps are most likely to be effective. Mapping vegetation is slightly different. Plants (or organisms like fungi and lichens) don’t move about the way

22 Wildlife World INSIDE CONSERVATION SCIENCE

Step 3 – Out in Step 5 – Interpreting the field the data t’s now time to go out to the field. Armed nce all the data have been collected Iwith a handheld GPS unit and a recording Oand attached to GPS coordinates, they sheet, researchers or volunteers begin are imported into a GIS programme and gathering data. The task may be to collect appear as points, lines, or shapes called

new information or to update existing tdub_video / iStockphoto.com © polygons. The polygons demarcate or records. Urbanisation and human outline areas such as fields, nature reserves development, and even some natural or certain habitats. Different information events, can rapidly render existing maps can be combined on one map to check obsolete, so regular updates are as possible correlations. For example, a layer Fieldwork is still an important as new studies. important part of indicating the presence of pine martens GPS devices record the exact data collection, but could be mapped with a layer showing the coordinates of each location visited, down much of the analysis evolution of forest cover to see if the two will be done on a to the precise position of fruit trees in an computer. variables are linked. orchard. The recorder usually fills in a GIS software is also used to calculate survey form with details such as the attributes such as individual home ranges, presence, abundance or absence of species’ distributions or population particular species. The more information densities, to track trends or even predict and details recorded, the easier it is to the outcome of different theoretical analyse and interpret the results. scenarios using computer modelling. ⚫ Step 4 – Using citizen science © PTES PTES runs several olunteers make an increasingly volunteer Vimportant contribution to conservation monitoring schemes mapping. For some PTES surveys, and citizen science surveys, the results volunteers are given a map of their study of which are area and asked to gather specific interpreted using information about the wildlife or vegetation GIS software. present in the region. For other surveys the volunteer decides where they will go to gather records. Some surveys are based on active In practice monitoring. For example our National Dormouse Monitoring Programme requires Using historical volunteers to first install nest tubes or boxes in their study area, providing a means to maps to find old record the presence or absence of these orchards otherwise elusive mammals on future visits. Using citizen science on a large scale PTES is currently using historical data to

makes data collection affordable, even enhance our mapping of traditional across an entire country. Even though orchards. County maps dating back as far PTES © having different sites assessed by different as the 1840s are being scoured for Coloured lines indicate areas volunteers brings a certain level of orchard marks, which look like the club with shared characteristics subjectivity, it still gives a good overall symbol on a playing card. The picture of habitat conditions and species information is recorded and analysed distribution. using specialist GIS software. Once all the historical orchards of a county are marked, we replace the historical maps with recent aerial photographs and add the orchard polygons as a layer on top. Next, we zoom in to check the areas where the old orchards used to be. If trees are still present, we mark them on our interactive inventory map. Thus we can efficiently identify potential orchard remnants and send volunteers to confirm the situation. These remnants of long-forgotten orchards are often prime targets for restoration, and some contain wonderful surprises, such as scarce species of wildlife or lost varieties of fruit. ⚫

Even in areas where elephants don’t encounter poachers, they all too often come into conflict with people scratching a living from the land alongside them. We’re mapping the vegetation cover and landscape features of elephant territories in India and Indonesia. The results will establish corridors of land through conflict areas so that elephants can traverse safely. Your support is vital. Thank you.

people’s trust for endangered species