Wild CornwallISSUE 140 WINTER 2019 A WILDER FUTURE Natural solutions to the climate and ecological crisis TAKE A BITE ON THE WILD SIDE From Cornwall's wild land and seas SCYTHING Traditional meadow management revitalises more than our wildlife SEE INSIDE: Why winter your pull out & keep poster for a seas reward CHRISTMAS the brave Give someone a Autumn has been a time of reflection here at Cornwall Wildlife Trust as we prepare for our Annual General Meeting in November present this Christmas! andwelcome gather examples of our work to showcase in our Annual Christmas Gift Membership lastswild the whole year, and Review 2018-19, which highlights the amazing impacts that our staff, volunteers and local groups have achieved for wildlife and they will receive... the wild places of Cornwall. Autumn is also the time to look ahead Three issues of our Trust magazine, Wild Cornwall, which is and discuss the work that we will prioritise next year in our full of feature articles, wildlife and conservation news pursuit of a Wilder Cornwall. plus a handy pull-out diary of events, as well as our Nature Reserves guide. Increasing public acceptance and awareness of the climate and ecological crisis means that more and more people, organisations and businesses are interested in what we do, and they want to Guide to know how they can play their part to support wildlife, to help the Nature Reserves environment and to reduce their carbon footprint. You can read more about how Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s work is positive both for wildlife - and climate change - on page 22. The Environment Bill has now been published and we’re expecting PLACES the second reading in parliament to happen soon, possibly before you read this! There is much to be welcomed in the Bill but all can change as it passes through parliament. We want strong Family Membership is the perfect family protection enshrined in law for our wildlife and wild places, along with positive measures to create more space for nature on land present – they can discover Cornwall's and at sea through a Nature Recovery Network. We will continue wild places and wildlife together. to campaign on this, so keep an eye on our website and sign up for our e-newsletters to keep up to date (at the bottom of our website Our Family Members receive not only homepage www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk). three Wild Cornwall magazines a year, but also a Wildlife Watch pack full of stickers, Christmas will soon be here and your magazine is packed with posters and fun activities, ideas of where to see winter fowl and waders on our Nature plus three issues of Reserves, why wrapping up and visiting our Cornish coasts brings Wildlife Watch magazine. you natural rewards over winter, and a pull-out poster featuring 12 ideas for a Wilder Christmas for all. If you’re starting to think about presents for your family and friends, why not consider gifting membership of Cornwall Wildlife Trust or buying a gift from our website cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/Christmas. Thank you for supporting our important work for the wildlife and wild places of Carolyn Cadman Cornwall. Chief Executive, Join online at Cornwall Carolyn cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/join Wildlife Trust or call (01872) 273939 Contacts: General and volunteer enquiries: [email protected] We have links with many Local Groups you can get involved with – Membership info: they are all listed on our website: [email protected] (01872) 273939 www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/who-we-are/local-groups Wildlife Information Service: (01872) 302250 Marine Strandings Network Hotline: 0345 2012626 Business Support: (01872) 302264 Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Five Acres, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Local & Specialist Groups: Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJ. [email protected] www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk CREATIVE: WWW.LOUJONESDESIGN.COM CREATIVE: Any material intended for If you'd like to include your events for the Cornwall Trust for Nature Registered office: publication should be sent diary, please ask for an Events Form from Conservation Ltd. Trading Five Acres, Allet, Truro, as Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Cornwall TR4 9DJ. to Ella Clark: [email protected] Registered charity number ella.clark@ Events deadline: Spring issue – 7 Feb 2020 for VAT registration 214929. A company limited number 213 2687 26. cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk April to end of August events by guarantee and registered in England. Wild Cornwall and its Cover: Grey seal, Lara Howe envelope use paper from (photography of marine life should be taken at a distance with a zoom lens) Registration number 732511. responsible sources. /CornwallWildlife @CwallWildlife @cornwallwildlifetrust CornwallWildlifeTrust We hope you like your membership magazine, but if you'd prefer not to receive this, please just contact Membership and let them know. Our privacy policy is on our website at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/privacy-policy-and-tc FEATURESIn this issue 12 Life on the rocks 24 Cornwall’s winter seas reward the brave! 38 A brighter future for darker skies 40 How you can 14 Six places help wildlife to see this winter wildfowl SEE INSIDE: URGENT your pull out & APPEAL 22 Climate keep poster for a URGENT change 42 Wilder APPEAL Food CHRISTMAS NEWS & UPDATES URGENT 04 Wild Cornwall news 10 Nature Reserves 36 Family fun APPEAL news for everyone with URGENT 06 Wild News UK 18 Cornwall Wildlife Wildlife Watch APPEAL Groups 08 37 Connect with winter this year Melissa Harrison URGENT Nature 46 Diary of events APPEAL Reserves appeal 21 Business Pages - 50 A day in the life... Nancarrow Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a registered charity formed in 1962 by a group Paul Coyne – Hon Treasurer, Chair of Finance & General Purposes Committee of volunteers who were passionate about Cornwall’s natural Stephen Warman – Chair of Council environment and wanted to safeguard it for future generations. Ian Pye – Vice-Chair of Council Trustee Officers are: Steve Crummay – Chair of ERCCIS Advisory Board Dr Nick Tregenza – President Fred Currie – Chair of Nature Reserves Committee Mark Nicholson – Vice President Frank Howie – Chair of Conservation Strategy Committee Daniel Eva – Hon Secretary, Chair of Staff Welfare and Reward Package Dee Reeves – Chair of Marketing and Fundraising Committee and Interim Advisory Committee Chair Five Acres/Two Burrows Working Group WILD CORNWALL NEWS Scything makes a comeback Leatherback turtles for Cornish wildlife in Cornish Waters Local residents from Redruth have Not a mower in sight; A live leatherback turtle was seen by a recently joined forces with staff from a Cormac worker kayaker near Pendennis Point, Falmouth Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall gives scything a try recently – the second confirmed sighting Council to scythe a meadow and in Cornwall this year. These amazing create space for wildlife to flourish. creatures grow up to two metres in The Council's Green Infrastructure for length, and have incredible migrations; Growth team created the meadow in the ones we see are likely to have come the open space at Trenoweth Estate in from breeding areas in the Caribbean or Redruth last year, based on a planting French Guiana. They then head to our design by CEC, the Trust's consultancy. more northern waters during the summer Along with a new pond, orchard trees and to feed on jellyfish, of which Cornwall has hedge maintenance, these features will STUART COLEMAN, CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST had an abundance this year. Turtles can be bring nature back into this urban green very vulnerable in coastal waters because space. Additional pathways, seating and attending expressed their satisfaction – they are difficult to spot for boat users; signage will help residents and visitors to sweaty but smiling! they travel very slowly and bask in the access and enjoy the wilder space. Dr. Helen Fearnley, Making Space for surface waters. If you see a turtle around Nature Project, Cornwall Council said, the Cornish coast, please report to An urban meadow can be a mini- [email protected] wilderness, full of colours and scents, and “It was great that Cornwall Wildlife Trust crawling with critters that use the habitat shared their expertise at a scything to shelter, feed and build nests. Over the workshop, to prepare some newly seeded A perfect Christmas years they become even richer in different meadow areas for winter. Not only did we plant and animal species, as long as they all learn about and the traditional method stocking present are well managed. of meadow management – scything – but in the absence of power tools, we were also For a wildlife enthusiast or talented Before machinery was readily available, able to talk". photographer. David Chapman's new scythes were the tool of choice for meadow book is out, and available from bookstores See Cornwall Council’s Green management. Their long, razor-sharp throughout Cornwall. blades cut quietly and effectively through Infrastructure for Growth information on grass and flower stems. their web page to find your nearest project and see how to get involved. Cornwall Scythes surpass mowers on many levels. Wildlife Trust’s volunteering web page They are not only quiet and fuel-free but gives details of a range of opportunities also give resident creatures a little more and the hands-on groups often carry out time to get out of the way. Using a scythe scything tasks to benefit wildlife. is a meditative experience, a chance to Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and get some fresh air, social interaction and Instagram to see how our volunteers physical exercise. spend their time. The session started with some tuition and soon the scythe newbies were clearing large areas in a single sweep. Those New Penwith Landscape Partnership website is live The Penwith Landscape Partnership has launched its new website.