Wildlife Issue 111 • AUTUMN 2018 Working together for wildlife Creating a Enjoying autumn Together we raised Wilder Britain and winter wildlife £13,000 for our nature reserves Includes UK News & Stories Protecting Wildlife for the Future Welcome Dear member I’m delighted to welcome you to this edition of Wildlife Magazine, which is packed full of material on the wonderful wildlife you can find throughout Avon this autumn and winter. There’s a month-by- month breakdown of what to look out for (pages 22-23) and an introduction to winter wildlife (page 21), as well as the usual round-up of wildlife, walks and wardens in our nature reserves (pages 24-29). These reserves are the bedrock of our JON CRAIG work and we’re enormously grateful for all of the support members have given to the Nature Reserves Fund appeal, which raised over Ian Barrett £13,000 this summer. I hope you’ll be inspired to get out and enjoy Chief Executive Lower Woods (pages 28-29) and our other reserves over coming weeks and months. This edition of our magazine also celebrates our partnerships and the fantastic range of organisations we work with to protect and restore wildlife in our area. We work with the Bristol Naturalists’ Society to track changes in local wildlife (pages 10-11), with the West of England Nature Partnership to ensure wildlife is taken into account in local decision-making (page 7), and with local Bristol organisations such as the fantastic City to Sea, who are leading the way in tackling the problem of marine plastics (pages 8-9). Over the coming year, the Wildlife Trusts will be working with other environmental charities nationally to raise support for strong new wildlife laws through our Campaign for a Wilder Britain (page 6). We can achieve big things if we all work together for wildlife and it’s fantastic to see the range of local businesses and communities getting involved in creating nature-friendly places (pages 14-15). There are ways for all of us to play our part in helping nature recover and as our Wilder Britain campaign takes shape we’ll be bringing you more ideas of how you can get involved and take action where you live. 2017/18 was another busy year for the Trust and you’ll find our annual impact report enclosed with this magazine, setting out what we’ve achieved with your support over the last year. We hope you’ll be able to join us for our Annual Meeting on 14th November to look back at what we’ve achieved and our plans for the year ahead. Details of this event and how to book are on page 4. AUTUMN SUNRISE: CLAIRE DAVEY Your magazine Edited by Kimberley Hudson: Avon Wildlife Trust is your local Trust Office [email protected] wildlife charity working to secure 32 Jacobs Wells Road, Bristol BS8 1DR 0117 917 7270 Layout by Kevin Lester: kevinlester.com a strong future for the natural [email protected] Printed by Action Mailing environment and to inspire avonwildlifetrust.org.uk people to care for it. With the Front cover images: Folly Farm Centre Main photo: Katrina Martin 2020VISION support of over 17,600 members Stowey, Pensford, Bristol BS39 4DW Reed warbler: Chris Gomersall 2020VISION and 535 volunteers, the Trust 01275 331590 Browne’s Folly: Nicole Daw cares for over 30 nature [email protected] reserves, runs educational and follyfarm.org A huge thank you to all contributors. community programmes, advises Feed Bristol Frenchay Park Road, Bristol BS16 1HB Registered charity All uncredited photos © Avon Wildlife Trust landowners, and campaigns 0117 965 7086 no. 280422 The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily on issues that threaten wildlife [email protected] Registered company those of the Editor or the Trustees of Avon Wildlife Trust. habitats. avonwildlifetrust.org.uk/feedbristol no. 1495108 2 Wildlife AUTUMN 2018 AUTUMN 2018 In this issue Wild news Across the UK 4 n Bringing wildlife to the 30 n 22,000 support call to classroom protect our sea life Annual General Meeting 31 n Next job: an Environment notice Act 5 n Festival of Nature 2018 Members and friends City Nature Challenge 32 n In memory of Roy Betts GDPR 33 n Nature Reserves Fund, Feature volunteer thank you 6 n Creating a Wilder Britain 34 n Your wedding, your way at 7 n West of England Nature Folly Farm Partnership 35 n Have a wildlife-themed 8 n The plastics problem festive season Ways into wildlife 10 n A close look at reed Keep in touch! warblers Follow us on social 12 n Trees transformed in media for the latest @avonwt autumn and winter news and events. Please share your wildlife pictures and experiences! You Inspiring people /avonwt 14 n People and wildlife can also subscribe to our monthly newsletter online community engagement through our website to 15 n Wild business hear about our latest news /avonwt and events. 16 n My Wild Community What’s on 17 n Events 20 n Volunteer work days recycle Nature reserves When you have finished reading this 21 n Enjoying nature in winter magazine, why not pass it on to a friend or take it to a local doctors’ waiting 22 n What to watch in wildlife room? When the magazine is finished 24 n Around the reserves with, please recycle it. Wildlife magazine 26 n A walk with the warden is printed on 100% 28 n Seasonal stroll: Lower recycled paper using vegetable Woods oil-based inks. October The gossamers wander at their own will. Harebell and snowdrop, at their season due, At heavier steps than birds’ the squirrels And gorse that has no time not to be gay. The green elm with the one great bough of scold. But if this be not happiness, – who knows? gold The rich scene has grown fresh again and Some day I shall think this a happy day, Lets leaves into the grass slip, one by one, – new And this mood by the name of melancholy The short hill grass, the mushrooms small As Spring and to the touch is not more cool milk-white, Shall no more blackened and obscured be. Than it is warm to the gaze; and now I Harebell and scabious and tormentil, might That blackberry and gorse, in dew and sun, As happy be as earth is beautiful, Edward Thomas Bow down to; and the wind travels too light Were I some other or with earth could turn 1878-1917 To shake the fallen birch leaves from the fern; In alternation of violet and rose, AUTUMN 2018 Wildlife 3 WILD NEWS Spawn to be wild Bringing wildlife to the classroom LUCY HELLIER Classrooms across our region hosted some mysterious are and the threats they face in the UK, such as pollution, wildlife visitors during the summer term, with children habitat loss and dams. They also took action to protect eels getting close to one of nature’s most elusive and enigmatic by creating videos, writing to supermarkets about plastic wild animals – the European eel. As part of our Spawn to pollution, and some even met their local MP.” be Wild partnership project with Bristol Water, we installed After looking after their tanks of eels, the children visited tanks of elvers (young eels) into classrooms in five schools Blagdon Lake to release them, with each child carefully and helped 270 children understand the incredible lifecycle letting their eel swim into the lake to prepare for the next of this critically endangered species – which travels 5,000 part of its lifecycle. It was clear the children gained a huge miles on its migration route from the Sargasso Sea to our amount from their eel experience, with a group of rivers. Year 5 girls declaring, “Before the eels came to our class, “The children cared for the elvers every day in their we thought they’d be a disgrace. But when they settled in classroom,” said Avon Wildlife Trust Learning Development we felt our hearts warm up to them.” Manager, Lucy Hellier. “With the support of us and their Thank you to Bristol Water for their funding teachers, the pupils learnt about how special these animals support on this valuable project. Come to Members,the AGMvolunteers Notice of Annual General Meeting and friends of Avon Wildlife Trust are Avon Wildlife Trust’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held on welcome. Wednesday 14 November from 5.30pm at The Station, Silver Street, Bristol, BS1 2AG – with the formal AGM beginning at 6pm. Members are invited to the formal business from 6pm. We Notes: Under the Companies Act 2006 the serving Auditors, Messrs will host an event with refreshments and a chance to meet Hollingdale Pooley, are deemed re-appointed and continue in office. AWT staff and trustees after the AGM business is concluded. The Trust’s Annual Review along with full Audited Accounts and Trustees’ Annual Report will be available on the website 28 days before the event The formal AGM meeting is for the following purposes: and are also available on request from [email protected]. Members are entitled to appoint a proxy to attend, speak and vote at 1. To receive the Annual Report of the Board of Trustees the meeting on their behalf. A proxy need not be a Member. To be valid, and Audited Annual Accounts, together with the Auditors’ a proxy appointment form must be received by the Trust not less than 48 report, for the year ended 31 March 2018. hours before the time of the meeting.