Annual Review 2015–16 Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for , and

Foreword by Derek Langslow CBE Our vision: People close to nature, in a land rich in wildlife In October 2016 I step These reflect the breadth of the Trust’s We have always treated supporters’ Our mission is to: down as the Chairman work, the way it works with partners, the information with care, respected donors’ of the Wildlife Trust opportunities it provides its staff and the wishes and have never given or sold their ✔ Conserve local wildlife, by caring for land ourselves and with others for Bedfordshire, support it gives its members and volunteers. data to third parties. In response to the Cambridgeshire and review, we now ask people to opt-in to ✔ Inspire others to take action for wildlife Northamptonshire. I look This document mainly focuses on how we receiving information from us rather than back on my time and feel make a difference for wildlife and people allowing people to opt-out as we had ✔ Inform people, by offering advice and sharing knowledge

Image: by Phil Mynott immensely proud of the – our Delivery and Reaching Out strands. done previously. We are expecting further work we have done to Our Five-year Vision also focuses on regulation in this area that will require make our three counties strengthening the way we work internally further changes to our procedures. Our values: the best that they can be for wildlife. and building the ethos of outreach, engagement and promotion of the Trust’s This year there have also been changes to Variable damselfy by Mark Tyrell We believe: In 2015–16 we took the first steps to achieve work among all our staff and volunteers. charity accounting and reporting regulations our ambitious new five-year vision. Our that means we cannot include as much • That we must focus on all wildlife and whole ecosystems to safeguard the natural aim is that by 2020 our three counties This year has brought challenges in the way financial information as we would like to. environment will be better for wildlife than they were that we contact current and prospective For a copy of our full Annual Report and in 2015. We will achieve this by improving supporters. A Government review of charity Accounts please see: • That everyone has a role to play in restoring nature our nature reserves for wildlife and people regulation followed several episodes of www.wildlifebcn.org/annualreview and ensuring that our work in the wider negative media coverage, brought about • That we should value, respect and listen to our staff, volunteers, members and countryside helps create a thriving Living by a few charities behaving badly in their supporters so they can contribute fully to achieving our vision Landscape. This new plan comprises seven communications with supporters. thematic strands, which will shape and guide • That working in partnership brings more benefits than working alone our work in the period 2015–2020. • That conservation depends on local knowledge and good science

Deliver ching artners ing to Finance People Culture 1: y ea o : P rk g : : 7: • That we achieve more for wildlife by operating in an efficient and business-like manner R u 3 o e 5 6 : t W t 2 Our shared h We will We will engage We will : e 4 values will help r We will ensure become the • That we should operate in an environmentally sustainable way We will create a with people build strong us to work better; the Trust is a Our staff and conservation Living Landscape to enhance the and effective to be efficient financially viable volunteers will organisation that at the heart of local recognition and partnerships that • That working to restore nature should be rewarding for everyone involved and effective and and sustainable excel in their roles people want to communities reputation of the benefit wildlife, the to share best organisation support and to Trust Trust and others practice work for

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Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire

In the we created a new Living Landscapes 140 hectare wetland at Kester’s Docking, north-east of The Wildlife Trust continues to focus on In the Nene Valley we celebrated and in January 2016 work began nine Living Landscape schemes. However, the culmination of our Heritage as part of the development of the Trust’s John Clare Country at Engine Farm where farmland new five-year plan, work in these areas has Lottery Funded work at will be transformed into a 170 been re-categorised. Each Living Landscape Irthlingborough Lakes and hectare area of wetland habitats scheme is now classified within the Meadows which has seen this once following categories colour coded as below and open water. neglected Site of Special Scientific Rockingham Forest Great Fen Growing Interest (SSSI) transformed into a A Living Landscape where the Trust is haven for wildlife and people. New significantly increasing its conservation, islands have been created and education and community activity, resulting Nene Valley in an increase in land area under positive willow and electricity pylons have In the Ouse Valley we are conservation management or restoration, been removed to make the area conducting a trial using mineral and growing strong partnerships. more attractive to breeding and licks for cattle impregnated with overwintering birds, such as skylark, seeds as a means to increase the Maintaining lapwing and wigeon. diversity of wildflowers found in the A Living Landscape where the Trust is Great Ouse Valley maintaining its level of conservation, Cambridgeshire valley’s meadows. West Cambridgeshire Chalk education and community activity with a Hundreds focus on improving the condition of land currently under conservation management and maintaining existing partnerships. Greensand Ridge and Fit Valley

Responsive In the North Chilterns Chalk A Living Landscape where the Trust is we are working with several improving its knowledge and strategy for landowners through our Biffa conservation, education and community Award funded Scrub Off project delivery, capitalising on opportunities for North Chilterns Chalk action, responding to potential threats and to remove scrub from chalk building partnerships to support progress. grassland sites across our Living Landscape area. 4 5 Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Delivery – nature reserves Delivery – wildlife highlights Giraffe by ZSL Whipsnade Dormouse by Anthony Mould • Work has progressed with habitat and • The best year on record for fly orchids at We will enhance our access improvements to the Titchmarsh Hoo Bit with specimens found well away reserve thanks to funding from Biffa from the traditional haunts. nature reserves to make Award, including repairs to damaged them even better for hides, new fencing, new interpretation, • 2015 saw the highest numbers (in recent scrub clearance, laying a hedge and years) of man and musk orchid around wildlife and for people. replacement of owl boxes and tern rafts. Totternhoe nature reserve and surveys in The Wildlife Trust manages 127 nature March 2016 found even more man orchid reserves covering 4,003 hectares (approx. • We worked with the Floodplain Meadows (246 in 2015 and over 300 in 2016). 9,891 acres). Partnership to monitor the spread of meadowsweet at Fancott Woods and Nightingale by Nick Clayton • This year’s survey at Woodwalton Marsh • We opened a new nature reserve at Meadows and cut control plots as a trial, to revealed that numbers of bee, twayblade in , reduce the vigour of meadowsweet, which • Turf stripping trials at Cooper’s Hill • Slow worms moved to Totternhoe from and pyramidal orchid have all increased managed on behalf of the developer, outcompetes other wildflowers. continue to show good results for heather the Luton guided busway are doing and common spotted orchid has now Grosvenor. This 58 hectare (143 acre) regeneration, helping to overcome the well after five years, with lots of healthy been recorded. site includes riverside wet grassland and • Work started on the Veolia funded Moo damage caused by another year of high specimens including many juveniles and recently created meadows. and Mow project at Pegsdon Hills with numbers of heather beetle. pregnant females. • Ely Local Group carried out the annual new and replacement fencing, scrub orchid count at Chettisham Meadow • We established a three-way partnership management and new cattle-handling • The bluebell season was especially busy • The Flit Vale Local Group’s small mammal and counted over 8,800 green-winged which provides branches for the giraffes pens helping with livestock and habitat this year at with good survey at Moor produced good orchids, an amazing number for a meadow and other animals at ZSL Whipsnade Zoo. management. displays to be seen in the north east corner results finding wood mouse, yellow- that is less than one hectare. A contractor has been thinning trees at of the wood. necked mouse, bank vole, common shrew Cottage Bottom Fields, Blow’s Downs, to • Thanks to the help of our wonderful and the first confirmed record of water •  flourished in the spring provide branches to feed the zoo animals. balsam wardens, we are winning the fight • Creation of new ditches and a back shrew for this reserve. with abundant displays of cowslips, against Himalayan balsam in the Flit Vale channel at Stanground Wash keeps more adder’s tongue fern and a green-winged • Godmanchester nature reserve with significantly less balsam upstream water on site to allow breeding birds, such • Working in partnership with Butterfly orchid population recorded as 2,909 enhancements have included the creation from Flitton Moor. as teal, little egret and redshank, to return. Conservation, evidence of Duke of individual spikes. of wader scrapes, erection of a new Burgundy butterflies was found at Sewell bird hide, restoration of hedgerows and • The Trust, and British Trust Cutting. • At , bladderwort improvement of paths. for Ornithology (BTO) produced a new is spreading into areas recently cleared of leaflet providing national management • This year numbers of little egrets seem to invasive water soldier. guidance on best practice scrub have increased with regular sightings at management for nightingales, based on , Pitsford and Titchmarsh. • Variable damselfly was recorded at the methods developed and proved to be The top count of 11 was at Titchmarsh. Irthlingborough Lakes and Meadows. 6 successful at . 7 Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Delivery – beyond our nature reserves Bat punt on the River Cam Halse Copse Meadow wildlife site by Matt Johnson Local Wildlife Sites (LWS – also known as We will work with County Wildlife Sites) form a crucial part of our ecological network. The protection and, others, including where possible, improvement of these sites other landowners and is the most important conservation work we undertake beyond managing nature developers, to protect reserves. We survey sites, engage with wildlife beyond our nature owners and seek to get sites into positive reserves management.

• Our Anglian Water funded Water for by Glyn Reed There are over 1,600 Local Wildlife Sites Wildlife work saw the restoration of across our three counties. The Trust counts another 2.5 km of the Hoffer Brook chalk the numbers of sites we survey each year, stream near Harston, Cambridgeshire. the numbers of landowners we actively engage with and the numbers of sites • Water vole surveys of Ransonmoor where we have helped to bring about and Curf Fen drainage districts in positive management. We also measure the Cambridgeshire show that between 70% overall percentage of Local Wildlife Sites in and 80% of the ditches have water voles. positive management.

• Another successful year of bat punts This year two new lowland meadow Local with 555 people enjoying a trip down the Wildlife Sites covering 12ha were discovered River Cam. in . The Scrub Off project cleared scrub from two calcareous • The Trust has appeared at the Cambridge grassland Local Wildlife Sites in Finedon City Local Plan Examination in Public, and Kings Cliffe, Northamptonshire. Both to present our objections to housing sites are disused railways and work has allocations on the south-eastern edge increased areas of species rich grassland of Cambridge that could affect Cherry • The Trust continues to work with Prologis • The Trust contributed to the production including plants such as field scabious Hinton Chalk Pits and nature and its ecologists to progress the habitat of Supplementary Planning Advice related and wild liquorice benefitting a range of reserves, as well as directly threaten creation scheme at Lilbourne Meadows to the Nene Valley Special Protection species such as marbled white butterflies. other County Wildlife Sites and the as part of the extension to the Daventry Area (SPA) and also the production of a Through Coronation Meadows funding, the Cambridgeshire Chalk Living Landscape. International Rail Freight Terminal. mitigation strategy for public pressure Trust worked with Cambridge City Council on the SPA that new housing in the area to enhance New Bit County Wildlife Site, 8 may bring. opposite the Cambridge Botanic Gardens. 9 Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Delivery – research and monitoring Reaching out – education and community

The Trust’s new Monitoring and Research woodpecker at both and The Trust continues to host and support • The number of Wildlife Watch groups has Nene Valley Team is building on the success of the . Hayley Wood also had the three Local Biological Record Centres We will engage with remained at 20 this year but the number • In the Nene Valley, our Living Nene project, Ecology Groups programme. It also ensures spotted flycatcher, as did Stoke Wood covering each county: of children attending has increased for supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, the Trust’s monitoring work feeds into, and End Quarter. The 10th Ecology Groups people to enhance the the second year in a row to 1,694 (1,576 came to an end in August. informs, the conservation management Conference took place at Cambourne • The Bedfordshire Recording Monitoring in 2014–15). Cambourne Wildlife Watch of our nature reserves, and is better Village College and was a great success Centre (BRMC) obtained funding from the recognition and reputation claimed the top prize of ‘Best Watch Group’ • We received 500 responses to our survey communicated to a wider audience. The with over 100 people attending. National Biodiversity Network (NBN) Trust of the Trust in the national RSWT Watch group of the about the Wildlife Trust’s vision for the Nene team has launched an email newsletter, to digitise historical records of molluscs The education and community team engaged Year competition. Wetlands and our Rushden Lakes Visitor Local Wildlife In Depth, complementing The Ecology Groups led public bat walks and Orthoptera. with 19,802 people during 2015–16. This is Centre that is due to open its doors in 2017. our magazine Local Wildlife, and new for International Bat Night, promoting the a slight increase on the 2014–15 figures of • The Trust has 14 Local Groups who play monitoring and research pages and a Trust and demonstrating how we carry out • The Cambridge and 19,536. The number of people engaged in active roles locally in raising awareness Ouse Valley blog have been created on the website, surveying and monitoring, with more than Environmental Records Centre (CPERC) community activities continues to increase about wildlife and the Wildlife Trust. This • We were supported by the Heritage Lottery along with a Facebook group created for 100 people taking part. Ten Year Anniversary Event was year on year in line with reaching out year Local Groups raised £16,232 (£16,149 Fund to deliver a suite of education and volunteers and staff to share information. celebrated on Saturday 2nd May at objectives (7,430 in 2013/14, 7,931 in 2014/15, in 2014–15). community activities at Godmanchester Bat transects monitored the rare barbastelle Madingley Hall. 8,074 in 2015/16). nature reserve in the Ouse Valley. The team has increased our links with bat, with multiple records in Gamlingay The Great Fen The project finished in October 2015. universities and research organisations. Wood and Waresley and Gransden Woods, • The NBRC’s WILDside project secured • The Trust worked in partnership with Nene • In October the Great Fen team organised It attracted more than 40 volunteers who Students from Anglia Ruskin University have and a record at Southwick Wood. £70,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund Park Trust, Buglife and Froglife to plan the excavation of a World War II Spitfire have enthusiastically given their time to carried out projects on dormouse and bird to provide a boost for wildlife recording and deliver the first Peterborough Wildlife near Holme Fen. The media and community make the site the wonderful place it is now. populations using historical data. The team The Trust recorded the highest number of activities, with a range of surveys to Festival at Ferry Meadows Country Park. interest in the event was among the also provides in-house drone photography live dormice in 10 years (11) and nests (15) engage people in recording. The final event attracted over 1,400 people. strongest in the Trust’s recent history. North Chilterns Chalk to monitor large scale habitat change, from a June nest box check at Brampton The new Great Fen archaeology group • Education and community activity on the scrub control and wetland management. A Wood, and for the first time a dormouse supported the excavation, there were tours North Chilterns Chalk continues to establish new rapid grassland assessment method was found in a hedge outside the reserve. of the excavation for more than 200 local connections with the local community and has been trialled at more than 20 reserves In Northamptonshire, more dormice Rapid Grassland Assessment people, and 383 people visited the Spitfire support management of the urban fringe across the three counties. were found in one day at Souther Wood, themed Great Fen Discovery Day nature reserves. part of Fermyn Woods, just north of our at Holmewood Hall. Wildlife Trust Ecology Group volunteers Titchmarsh reserve, than have been found Wildlife Training Workshops

have carried out monitoring of mammals, in the last 10 years. by Esther Clarke • The Great Fen – where you can see the Wildlife Training Workshops are available birds, plants and invertebrates, contributing Milky Way on a clear night – was designated free to all our active volunteers. Our training over 5,700 hours as part of 174 monitoring Silver-washed fritillaries had continued as a Dark Sky Discovery programme remains among the most projects across 65 reserves. These have success on many sites, including Brampton Site by the Science and Technologies comprehensive and highly regarded in included more than 45 breeding bird Wood and Old Sulehay, and 142 species of Facilities Council – only the third in the the country. In the last financial year, transects covering reserves in all three water beetle, bug and dragonfly/damselfly East of England. 43 workshops were programmed with counties which identified lesser spotted were recorded over 15 reserves. 632 places offered.

10 Spitfire excavation by Matthew Roberts 11

Annual Review 2014–15 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Our Trustees People and Culture Volunteers at Wilson’s Pits by Pete Johnstone President The Council of Trustees Chairman of Conservation, Baroness Young of Old Scone Education & Community Chairman of Council Committee Our staff and volunteers Vice Presidents Dr Derek Langslow Mr Stewart Lane Mr Michael Allen will excel in their roles Prof David Bellamy Vice Chairman Mr Martin Baker The Trust benefits from the contributions Sir Charles Chadwyck-Healey, Bt. Sir Graham Fry Dr Jenna Bishop of more than 1,000 volunteeers, who are Sir Hugh Duberly Ms Linda Doughty essential to all aspects of our Trust’s work. Dr Norman Moore (died 21 October 2015) Honorary Treasurer Mr Tony Juniper (retired 10 Oct 2015) Our nature reserve wardens and volunteers Mr Ioan Thomas Ms Karen Silcock Cllr Bill Parker (retired 10 Oct 2015) help to manage our nature reserves and Sir John Robinson, Bt. (retired 10 Oct 2015) to greet and help visitors. Mid-week Honorary Secretary Mr Paul Solon work parties and corporate work teams Ms Fiona Chesterton Prof William Stephens tackle conservation management tasks on Dr Ed Turner (appointed 10 Oct 2015) reserves. Watch leaders provide exciting Dr Matt Walpole activities for younger members. Local Group volunteers organise a diverse and fascinating range of talks, walks and events. Ecology Group volunteers monitor our Wildlife Guardians Tribute to a Vice President nature reserves, office volunteers help with Our Wildlife Guardians scheme, which was simplified in 2015, It is with sadness that we record the death of a huge range of tasks, and Trustees provide continues to be strongly supported and has seen some growth in Dr Norman Moore, on 21 October 2015. Norman governance and support to the staff. the number of Wildlife Guardians. Wildlife Guardian subscriptions was one of the leading conservationists in provided circa £42,000, showing a retention rate of 96%, with post-war Britain, perhaps best known for 45 Guardians at the end of 2015–16 and an increase of nine his pioneering research, carried out at Research people (25%). Station in (now Cambridgeshire), on DDT and other pesticides, demonstrating their impacts on birds of prey. By joining as a Wildlife Guardian you can help us to plan for the He was chief scientific advisor to the then Nature Conservancy future, knowing that the funds we need to make a difference are in Council, wrote the Guidelines for the selection of SSSIs, and was place. You will help create thriving habitats for wildlife. And you will instrumental in founding the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group. help protect some of our rarest and most beautiful species of plants, insects, birds and animals. As an ecologist, Norman played an international role in dragonfly conservation, and also had a lifelong involvement There are three levels of Guardianship, starting with Attenborough at with NNR. Norman lived in Cambridgeshire £600 per annum. As a Guardian you will receive exclusive benefits, for most of his life, and was a strong advocate of the Trust’s 12 including project updates, tours, visits and event invitations. Great Fen vision. 13 Annual Review 2015–16 The Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Partners

Financial support has come from many As at March 2016 our corporate members STANDARD We would also like to thank the following The Greensand Trust quarters, and we are particularly grateful were: Acorn House Veterinary Surgery, An Norvys, who have supported the Trust financially Heritage Lottery Fund We will build strong and for all the monies received from in Athene Communications, Barnwell Trailers, and with help in kind: Huntingdonshire District Council memoriam giving, and to those people who PLATINUM British Racing Drivers’ Club, Cambridge The Alan Evans Memorial Trust IBC Charity Fund effective partnerships that generously remembered us with a gift in Belfry Hotel, Cambridge Econometrics Ltd, Ampthill Town Council Little Paxton Scarecrow Festival Committee their will. Legacies have made a substantial The Biodiversity Consultancy, Cambridge Regional College, Cambridge The Banister Charitable Trust Luton Borough Council benefit wildlife, the Trust contribution to the work of the Trust in Cambridge Building Society Water Company, Canoe2, Cemex, Centrica The Barbara Price Charitable Trust The M S Staples Charitable Trust a nd others recent years and we are always very grateful (Peterborough Power Station), Cranfield Bedfordshire Rural Communities Charity The Maud Elkington Charitable Trust when someone remembers us in their will. GOLD University, Creative Tops, Downing College The Benham Charitable Settlement The Mitchell Trust The success of the Trust comes primarily We are doing more work to encourage more Cambridge, GreenAir Cars, Hellidon Lakes The Mr and Mrs M G M Bevan Charitable Middle Level Commissioners from our supporters. The financial and supporters to remember us in this way. We Hewitsons, Prologis UK Ltd, Golf & Spa Hotel, Highgate House, JB Trust Natural England time contributions from supporters are the were the grateful beneficiary of a significant UK Power Networks Shropshire & Sons, The Jordans & Ryvita Biffa Award North Northamptonshire Joint Planning Unit lifeblood of the Trust and it is largely their legacy this year of £30,000, left to us in the Company Ltd, Lockhart Garrett Ltd, Butterfly Conservation Peterborough City Council generosity that has enabled us to undertake will of Mrs Audrey Linzell. This year we also SILVER The Marshall Group of Companies, Mott The Cambridge Chrysalis Trust The Raven Charitable Trust much of the Trust’s essential conservation received legacies from: Miss Bridget Smith, MacDonald, Moulton College Ltd, Perkins Council The Red Tile Wind Farm Trust work during the year. Increasing the Mrs Marian Couchman, Miss Anne Bradbury, Anglian Water Ltd, Arqiva Ltd, Central Group Ltd, Richard Buxton Environmental The Chapman Charitable Trust The Richard Radcliffe Charitable Trust supporter base and membership will Mrs Joy Simpson, Mr Graham Soden and Mrs England Co-operative, NFU Mutual & Public Law, Rotary Club of St Neots St Chilterns Conservation Board Regional Park continue to be a key priority as this will Gillian Bradley. Cambridge, Orton Hall Hotel and Spa, Mary’s, RPS Group, RWE Generation UK, The Christopher H R Reeves Charitable Trust River Restoration Centre have a direct effect on our capacity to do PalmerSport, Scott Bader, Scudamore’s Spendlove Contracting, Vine House Farm, The Clark Bradbury Charitable Trust The Robin and Henrietta Woods Charitable more for nature conservation. Without the Membership is very important to the Trust Punting Company, Unilever Research Weetabix, Wellcome Trust, Whittlebury Park Council Trust (1976) support and co-operation of a huge number because we are only as strong as our Colworth LLP, Willowbrook Construction The Desborough Community Development RSPB of people, we would have achieved little supporters, who also give us credibility Trust Sandy Town Council during the year. The support of members, and influence. At the end of March 2016 We also received additional support St Mary’s Charity BRONZE The Douglas Compton James Charitable corporate members, sponsors, charitable the Trust had 35,893 members which was from:Anglian Water, Arjuna Wholefoods, Trust Tarmac trusts, government organisations at all levels a 1.3% net decrease from the previous year Alpro Soya, Building Services Design, ARM Holdings, BGL Group, British and Council Environment The Thriplow Charitable Trust and our professional advisers has been vital, although great efforts were made to retain Cambridge Steiner School, Cambridge Irish Association of Zoos and Aquariums, Agency University of as has the remarkably dedicated work of our existing supporters. Members provide the University Press, Center Parcs Woburn Caterpillar Foundation, Canoe2, Center Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Veolia Environmental Trust volunteers and staff. Trust’s largest single source of income Forest, Colpac Ltd, David Ball Group, Parcs, Creative Tops, CSR, Dobbies, Council Viridor Credits with £960,436 income and £253,322 Gift Gardenworks Tree Surgery, Granta Park, Kier Godmanchester Photographic Society The Friends of Paxton Pits Whittlesey Town Council Aid in 2015/16. Corporate membership Homes, KierWSP, Lafarge Tarmac, Method, The Frederick and Phyllis Cann Charitable The Wild Flower Society subscriptions provided £45,574 showing a Roem Ltd, Wesley Coe Trust Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust 7.5% increase. Forestry Commission The Wixamtree Trust Gamlingay Community Turbine Tithe Fund WREN Community Action Fund 14 15

Trust information Family at Trumpington Meadows by Fiona Gilsenan Registered and principal address: The Manor House Broad Street Great Cambourne Cambridge CB23 6DH

Company number 2534145

Registered Charity number 1000412

Cover image: Duke of Burgundy by Jim Higham