Wild Warwickshire Summer 2020

The member magazine for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust | Summer 2020 Celebrating Warwickshire Years THE SUMMER HUM Discover six species of cricket to spot with our handy guide SUPER SEAGRASS Explore the meadows beneath the waves 50 YEARS of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust1 MagazineName |Summer2019

WELCOME 12 To the summer edition of your member magazine One cartoon produced amidst the great flowering of online lockdown humour pictured two bees flying down the street with one remarking ‘have you noticed you see far fewer humans these days?’ – an amusing take on one of the more welcome side effects of the pandemic. Whether it has been deer grazing in city centre parks, the prominence and beauty of blackbird song in gardens or the freshness of new plant life as spring has burst upon us a heightened experience of nature has been a wonderful contrast to the horror and tragedy of Covid-19. Being forced to spend more time either at home or within our communities, with less distraction and disturbance, has given everyone a renewed appreciation for the many ways that the wildlife on our doorstep brings joy and health to our lives. Something I think it is fair to say that many took for granted. As our thoughts turn to recovery the Wildlife Trusts and many, many others are working hard to make sure that the future is built in ways that enhance nature as fundamental to the national and global economy and the well-being of humanity, instead of an unimaginative default return to the business as usual which had driven our natural systems into such deep decline. For Covid-19 has exposed our vulnerability, and the climate and ecological crises have not gone away. We cannot avoid those challenges through lockdowns or solve them through single technical advances such as a vaccine – the only solution to is to bring wildlife back and restore natural systems so that they function properly. Both will require a far greater effort and longer term adjustment than our response to Covid-19. The fact that we can be confident the Trust will be able to play its role in our recovery here in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull is testament to your support – our members, volunteers, supporters and staff. The greatest challenges still lie ahead but your help through the most difficult of times has kept us going and we are truly grateful. Ed Green, Chief Executive iWs ldaiTPletdhhediWisiclcloaeaClrdtlweaeitdtaiiecogtrknou.sehooifurer Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Get in touch Cover: Draycote Wild Warwickshire is the membership Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is the leading WildWarwickshire MagazineTeam Meadows magazine for Warwickshire Wildlife Trust local charity dedicated to conserving, Editor Douglas Nairn Nature Reserve protecting and enhancing your local wildlife. Design Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Design Studio by Stephen Email [email protected] We manage over 65 nature reserves in Consultant Editor: Sophie Stafford Trotter Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. We Consultant Designer: Tina Smith Hobson Telephone 024 7630 2912 are supported by over 24,000 members and Wild Warwickshire magazine was printed by over 500 volunteers. Seacourt Printers on 100% recycled materials at a Address Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, factory powered by 100% renewables, using zero Brandon Lane, Coventry, CV3 3GW facebook.com/WarwickshireWT/ water and chemicals, and generating zero landfill. Seacourt is a Net Positive printer that makes a Website warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk twitter.com/wkwt positive contribution to the environment and society. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is a company instagram.com/warwickshirewt/ limited by guarantee. Registered in England, number 00585247. Registered charity, number 209200. VAT Number 670318740. 2 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

INSIDE... 4 50 Year retrospective 10 The impact of COVID-19 on mental health 11 The impact on wildlife 12 6 places to spot crickets & grasshoppers 14 Seagrass meadows 18 Warwickshire from the sky 20 Caught on camera 22 The Leam & Upper Avon Partnership 23 Membership 24 Wild News 26 Volunteers 27 Legacies 28 Wildlife Gardening 30 Aftermath grazing 31 Woodland management AGM rescheduled Due to the pandemic, our Annual General Meeting this year will now be held on Monday 14th September at 2pm. This is the year we mark our 50 year vital to the mission and vision of the Trust, guidelines on social distancing and anniversary and we’ll be reflecting on and we would like you to be involved. considering options including holding our achievements for local wildlife and Further details will be made available the AGM online. people since 1970 and thanking you for in due course on the website. In the all your support. You, our members, are current circumstances we are monitoring warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/AGM Warwickshire Wildlife Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 3 Trust thanks the players of People’s Postcode Lottery.

50 YEARS of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Here we look back through previous editions of our magazine, picking out some of the highlights over the last 5 decades. With only enough room for 1 image per year this is one of the toughest jobs we’ve ever had in creating the magazine! Before establishing a separate charity in Warwickshire, we were part of a West Midlands Nature Conservation Trust. The first meeting of that organisation was in January 1958 and recorded they were in debt by £39. Thanks to the generosity of the founding members by the end of the first year they reported a £16 surplus. 1971 1973 1975 Formal confirmation Lynn Rushall was Hams Hall Environmental of the Trust. appointed as a part time Studies Centre is opened Admin Officer, the Trust’s by Sir David Attenborough. iTfCWwaDnBhNoMo“aogeiearinArurc1rtmdstwlee9mfualeidem7iirlartcdb1nrelnvhkse.gsydaesetr”htCsthphaoeiAiaa1mAnsToGrrt9GstrnMea7oMeautt0nrbsToNehwvltrfa.eitaaiutthstsfstuTceihothrhowhoereeeua1endwns0l.aWttdiseihnsets first member of staff. 1969 First ever Trust magazine. TF(DJDthroheeaeecrdveeefiilSkdiryghsWntHhoCMuotthtgooooadhrnriirresgmiossoifna,ofcSnaBfuo)lCirrlsimaohutvuoibenlrlnsg,octahrfrayUiWb,mnaaei,rvSrawescSrhiocscoikfhtoytMolhmPouerloamsTesfertaueussmsrtseotrrwere: 1972 1974 1976 GaFERruSdieceywdhcCaraFearritddnpacpWrByheu’eserrnrAoghosfesafWsimsBootraoflovnBmeftiWrrshmgoarimroncvgepehst,taoaemnrN,,,aaatLuMercaetlduisirtcearl Practitioner Brandon Marsh The Trust owns its Draycote with crane. first nature reserve Meadows nature reserve opens. – Clowes Wood. 1970 Original members of the Trust. 4 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 1979 1981 Five graduates Trust gives evidence undertook a survey of at public enquiry to the River Avon funded protect Goldicote by the Manpower Cutting. Services Commission. 1983 Hampton Wood is purchased. 1977 Wildlife Watch, the junior branch of the Trust starts. 1980 1982 1984 Trust moved into its 1st The Trust now has Equipment wanted. In HQ in 1 Northgate Street, 13 nature reserves. a later edition of the Warwick and appoints 1st magazine that year they confirmed that a Conservation Officer. lady from Coventry had donated a caravan! 1978 The Trust starts working with farmers Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 5

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 1985 1987 1991 Trust buys Ryton Shelley Green Meadow Trust buys Loxley Meadow for Wood for £100,000 prior to translocation. £20,000 thanks to a grant from thanks to grants from the National Heritage Memorial the National Heritage Shelley Green Fund and a membership appeal. Memorial Fund, World Meadow Translocation. Wildlife Fund, Nature Conservation Officer Jeff 1993 Conservancy Council and several Cadbury Lewis & Ron Hill. WarNaCT changes its name Family Trusts. to Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. 1989 Trust members guided walk at Ryton Wood. 1986 1990 1992 Trust moved HQ Our gift shops. Sir David Attenborough to Montague opens Brandon Marsh. Road, Warwick. 1988 Bishop’s Hill protest. 6 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 2000 Leam Valley habitat enhancement. 1996 Trust acquires Wappenbury Wood. 1998 2002 Trust establishes a David Bellamy opening wholly owned subsidiary Parkridge. company Middlemarch 1994 Environmental. Trust hosts a job creation scheme in the recession. 1995 1999 First Education Four years into the HBA Officer employed project and detailed maps of habitats across Warwickshire by the Trust. are forming 1997 Trust education outreach starts. 2001 7 Giving nature a voice with development. Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 2005 2009 Brandon Marsh Nature Reserve Trust awarded £211,512 from celebrates its 50th anniversary. The Natural England & £14,263 from a site has been managed by a dedicated membership appeal to start Sowe group of volunteers which pre-date the formation of the Trust. In this photo they Valley Project. are accepting their Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service several years later. 2003 2007 2011 10,000th Trust Community engagement Launch of the North member. in Coventry. Warwickshire Local Nature Reserves. 2006 2008 Otter & water vole ‘Living Roots’ youth surveys undertaken engagement project across the county. starts. 2004 Protesting against the proposed new airport in Warwickshire. 8 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 2010 Andy Tasker retires as CEO after 22 years working for the Trust.

CELEBRATING 50 YEARS 2015 2017 2019 Trust gives evidence ‘The Environment & Brandon Reach & Piles at HS2 Government Me’ project receives Coppice acquired as an select Committee. £372,304 from Big extension to Brandon Lottery. Marsh. 2013 2016 ‘Help for Hedgehogs’ Trust gives evidence at project starts. 2nd HS2 Government Select Committee. 2012 2014 Phil Fermor, MD of 2020 Middlemarch Environmental, Trust embarks on £2.5million, 5-year Tame hands over a cheque for Gift Warwickshire Wildlife badger vaccination Valley Wetlands scheme Trust celebrates its starts thanks to a grant Aid worth £300,392, to Ed 50th year! programme. Green, CEO of the Trust from HLF. Celebrating Warwickshire Years 2018 9 Dunsmore Living Landscape receives over £1million from NLHF & reintroduces 2 colonies of dormice into woodlands. Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

PANDEMIC COVID-19 The impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing S ocial isolation and loneliness have long been have been eagerly watching reports from Spain and other recognized as contributing to shortened life countries on lockdown, and seeing their feelings change expectancy and poor mental health. In 2015, from panic and frustration to an accepting calm, sliding into Public Health England (PHE) published a paper, a new routine and appreciating the smaller things. Photos of which said; “The quality and quantity of social relationships affect health behaviours, physical and mental health, and Hopefully, when we all return risk of mortality” to some form of normality, So, to be faced with enforced social isolation, which nature will have been given is necessary to protect our health and those of our loved ones, neighbours, colleagues, may well have wider negative a moment in time to reclaim impacts on people’s health. some spaces People already suffering with poor mental health may find this time incredibly challenging, and their feelings will be gorgeous sunsets, baking efforts, walking routes and other exacerbated by a lack of face-to-face services, counselling daily routines have kept people grounded in these strange and group therapies. Older people, who may already be times. Several of our clients have shared daily nature photos isolated, will be unable to go out and just chat with the shop with us, staying connected in any way they can. keepers or café staff they rely on for social contact. Anxiety will likely increase, as the uncertainty and fear around What comes next? COVID-19 becomes all-consuming for some. People with Hopefully, when we all return to some form of normality, autism may find the change or lack of routine extremely nature will have been given a moment in time to reclaim challenging. From the clients The Environment and Me some spaces, reach further into our urban areas, allowed supports, it is clear that after several weeks people are to creep into our quieter streets. Let’s hope it will be ready already beginning to feel the impact of being away from one to greet us and lift our spirits as we re-open our doors, another and from nature. reconnect with each other and hopefully reconnect with nature in a new, more appreciative way. Let’s hope we And yet there have been some positives. The sheer continue to make space and quiet for nature after these volume of online content to help people keep busy, both most challenging of times, because if they have shown us mentally and physically, has been incredible. We have been anything it’s that we need nature. struck by the amount of nature-based content that people were sharing too, and delighted to see the Wildlife Trust movement filling their social media channels with ideas for people, pictures and videos of amazing nature scenes. We 10 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 PHE. Local Action on Health Inequalities: Reducing Social Isolation Across the Lifecourse, 2015

PANDEMIC Could the pandemic lead to green shoots of recovery? As we struggle to contain coronavirus, we are also presented with a golden opportunity to reassess our relationship with the natural world. Our struggles have underlined what really matters, and shown how crucial it is to care for the things we love, including wildlife and wild places. L ockdown saw millions across the UK forced volunteer hours - time when we would ordinarily OLGA GAVRILOVA inside, and as the nation’s high streets remove scrub with tree poppers. Last winter’s adverse were fell silent, countryside paths began to weather had put even more importance on tackling overflow with new users. At the height of the scrub this spring, but we will now need to employ the pandemic, the government reported that road traffic contractors to mechanically remove the scrub later this levels had fallen to levels not seen since 1955, 15 years year, which costs more and is less effective. before this charity was founded. Daily walks became an essential part of many people’s lives, and tens of This enforced pause on normal life has had many thousands more took to their bicycles to keep fit. devastating consequences, but there is still an opportunity to hit reset on the environment. This step-change in human activity, combined with a massive drop in road traffic, created a once- “Two thirds of Britons believe Climate Change to be in-a-generation opportunity for wildlife to fill the as serious as COVID-19, and the majority want climate prioritised in economic recovery. The UK Government This is our opportunity to has highlighted in its 25 Year Environment Plan the need to develop a ‘Nature Recovery Network’ that create a new, sustainable enables us to map and then integrate, at a spacial scale, the need to create bigger, better and more future. We must seize it. joined up areas that allow wildlife to exist everywhere and bring people closer to nature. This is our void. Across the world, animals have been spotted opportunity to create a new, sustainable future. We in unusual places. Wild goats took over the high must seize it.“ Ian Jelley, Director of street in Llandudno and Nubian ibexes strolled along Living Landscapes the promenade in the Israeli seaside town of Eilat. We watched the news in amazement as Venice’s wildlifetrusts.org/ overworked canals cleared to reveal thriving colonies nature-recovery-network of fish. In the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution, this phenomenon has been referred to as ‘the great Wildlife reclaimed the canals anthropause’, whereby a lack of human activity has in Venice during lockdown given both wildlife and wild places the space to breathe. Pollution has dropped with the decrease in road, sea and air traffic, and air quality has improved. However, we have also keenly felt the negative impacts. At the height of the pandemic, the charity was forced to furlough around 75% of our employees and function with a much-reduced staff. Combined with this, funding has been halted across the charity sector and our volunteer groups were unable to meet once mass gatherings were banned. This perfect storm has affected some sites disproportionately. For the past five years, the Trust has worked with our volunteers to manage Tasker’s Meadow by removing hawthorn scrub. Since lockdown began and our work parties stopped, we’ve lost more than 1,000 crucial Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 11

6 species to spot Crickets & grasshoppers foAr Ictniosne ctsIntashceaditncnieogtdcsnslci(nfytwironaeiocrcik,uklliedbuenc-ludtsaaistfiencne)tctgthadtirorseuogenrsrwetai-tonisisants.hhdrosheereruaolgecpsspta/.tptsisTcoeyadrksaey: W e often celebrate the dawn chorus in spring, but there’s another, more subtle symphony that features in the soundtrack of summer. Listen carefully in most wild places and you’re likely to hear the chirping chorus of crickets and grasshoppers. These songs are known as stridulations, made by quickly rubbing two body parts together — a leg against a wing, or one wing against another. There are over 25 species of these spring-legged soloists in the UK, with songs ranging from short scratchy bursts to a continuous high buzz. These unique sounds can help you identify which species are present, especially when using a bat detector to help make the sounds more audible. 12 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

WENDY CARTER 1 Meadow grasshopper Usually green, often with brown wings. Some can be brownish or even vivid pink. Compared to similar species, the lines on the shoulders are almost straight. Their song is given in pulses of scratchy rattles. Where: Widespread across most of the UK. Absent from Northern Ireland and the Isle of Man. This species isn’t fussy and can be found in almost any rough grassland. WENDY CARTER 2 Field grasshopper A brownish grasshopper, though colours vary and they sometimes have a mottled or striped appearance. The underside is distinctly hairy. Another key feature is the strongly indented stripe on each shoulder. The song is a short rasping chirp, repeated at short intervals. Where: Found throughout most of the UK in short, dry patchy grass, including gardens. GARY FARMER 3 Common green grasshopper Another mostly green grasshopper, but unlike other similar species it never shows red or orange on the abdomen. The lines on the shoulder are gently incurved and marked with white or cream. The song lasts 20 seconds or more and sounds like the ticking of a free- wheeling bicycle. Where: Widespread throughout the UK, favouring long grass in damp meadows and woodland rides. WENDY CARTER 4 Mottled grasshopper A small and variable grasshopper, often showing a mix of colours. It’s most easily recognised by the club-tipped antennae. The song is a sequence of short, buzzing “zrrr zrrr” sounds that lasts about 10 seconds. Where: Found throughout much of the UK, in dry open areas with bare ground, such as quarries, heathlands and coastal dunes. FIELD GRASSHOPPER © DAWN MONROSE WENDY CARTER 5 Speckled bush-cricket As the name suggests, this green bush-cricket is covered in tiny black speckles. They look humpbacked and have very short wings. Females can be recognised by the broad, upcurved ovipositor (tube used for laying eggs) on the rear end. Where: Mainly central and southern England and coastal Wales, though also recorded further north. They favour hedges, woodland and gardens. WENDY CARTER 6 Roesel’s bush-cricket A striking insect with a dark brown body, orange legs and a cream ‘u’-shape on the shoulders. Its distinctive song is a monotonous, mechanical noise, like the buzz of overhead powerlines. Where: Most common in southeast England but spreading rapidly north and west and has been recorded in North Yorkshire and on the Welsh coast. Found in damp meadows, scrub and rough grassland. WildMWagaarzwinicekNshamiree || SSuummmmeerr 22002200 1133

ALEXANDER MUSTARD Seagrass meadows are important habitats for many of our marine species, including spiny seahorses. 14 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

Hidden meadows Marine Biologist Nia Hâf Jones introduces a hidden world beneath the waves, where seahorses roam fields of seagrass. I float weightlessly on the surface, swaying mats and brown, red and coralline algae. Some of the back and forth as the gentle waves carry me rarer ‘hangers-on’ include the weird and wonderful over the meadow. Fish dart in and out and I stalked jellyfish with their alien-like appearance. notice snakelocks anemones clinging to the thin, bright green leaves, the seagrass seemingly Exploring a seagrass bed, you might spot two unaffected by their weight. I’m enthralled and my of the UK’s rarest and much loved species — the focus softens — there’s something auroral in the seahorses. Both short-snouted and long-snouted way the light dances and the seagrass sways. It seahorses are associated with seagrass, where they occurs to me that I had never really appreciated cling on to the leaves with their prehensile tail to stop how lucky I was to live so close to of one of the themselves from being swept away by the tide. Long- UK’s greatest habitats. snouted seahorses, also known as spiny seahorses, live amongst the seagrasses, whereas short-snouted Underwater meadows seahorses prefer sandy and rocky areas nearby. Globally, there are around 60 species of seagrass, though only four are native to the UK and only two Seagrass also provides the perfect nursery for of those are considered ‘true’ seagrasses. These many fish, like pollack, cod, and dab, thanks to the incredible species are the only flowering plants in high level of shelter provided by the seagrass itself the UK that can live and pollinate in seawater. They and an abundance of food available for young fish have long, green, ribbon-shaped leaves and can to eat. Other species, like lobsters, have also been grow in small discrete patches or vast beds spanning shown to shelter in the sediment during their early hectares. Like other plants, they flower, develop life stages and you don’t have to look for long to see fruit, produce seeds and are anchored by a network of interwoven roots that extract nutrients from There’s something auroral the sediment. These traits distinguish them from seaweeds, which are often mistaken for plants, but in the way the light dances do not have roots, and instead anchor using a holdfast and take nutrients directly from the water. and the seagrass sways. For seagrasses to thrive, they need lots of light and signs of burrowing creatures, such as lugworm or shelter from waves and currents. When conditions sea potato. Hermit crabs, anemones, pipefish, shore are right, the beds they form create a fantastic habitat crabs, cuttlefish and all sorts of sea-snails also call for a host of wildlife. They stabilise and oxygenate the this diverse habitat home. sediment, slowing down water flow and making the area more hospitable for other species. The leaves It’s easy to see why these rich habitats are themselves provide a surface for marine life to live sometimes referred to as underwater meadows. Just on, such as anemones, hydroids, sea-squirts, sea like their more familiar, terrestrial namesakes, healthy seagrass meadows are a wonderful place to enjoy the diversity of wildlife we have in the UK. Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 15

In numbers SNAKELOCKS ANENOME, LITTLE CUTTLEFISH © MARKNTHOMASIMAGES.CO.UK, JUVENILE CUCKOO WRASSE © PAUL NAYLOR, HERMIT CRAB © ALEXANDER MUSTARD/2020VISION more species can be found within a seagrass meadow than on the bare sand next to it. Estimates show that one hectare of healthy seagrass can support up to The canary of the sea Naturally, the extent and distribution of seagrass changes with seasonal and annual cycles. Physical disturbance in the form of the occasional storm may help keep it healthy and productive, but persistent disturbance and added human pressures have taken It is estimated that we have lost 92% of our seagrass in the last century. Hermit crabs, lobsters, their toll. In the 1930s a significant proportion of shore crabs and other seagrass in the UK died from a wasting disease , crustaeceans call seagrass which attacks the leaves and prevents photosynthesis, meadows home. killing the plant. With added human impact it is estimated that we have lost 92% of our seagrass in Globally, even though seagrass the last century. Researchers have dubbed seagrass occupies only 0.1% of the seafloor, beds the canaries of the sea — they reflect the it accounts for between general health of our oceans and human impact is becoming increasingly clear. of its annual The threats are varied. Nutrient run-off is carbon storage. a double-whammy: whilst toxic to seagrass it also stimulates growth in algae which competes with the seagrass for space and light. Invasive alien species also compete with seagrass and, in many places, it’s 16 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

The colour-changing little cuttlefish can sometimes be found in seagrass. Snakelocks anemones are one PAUL NAYLOR WWW.MARINEPHOTO.CO.UK of the many species that can be found living on seagrass leaves. a competition they’re winning. Coastal development The colour-changing little cuttlefish Nia Hâf Jones creates sediment that smothers the beds and can som Seagrass meadows are is the Living Seas damage by anchor chains, moorings, propellers and important nurseries for young fish, Manager for North launching vehicles is also evident where boating like these juvenile cuckoo wrasse. Wales Wildlife activity is prevalent. Even trampling by coast users etimes be found in seagrass. Trust. One of her can be an issue at low tide. favourite snorkel projects are being piloted in the UK, with the help of sites is the Blue carbon The Wildlife Trusts. Seeds are being collected from seagrass beds By losing seagrass we also lose the diversity of various sites and cultivated, ready for replanting to of Porthdinllaen. species that live there. But there’s even more at stake. create new meadows. Other work includes looking at Seagrass beds provide a whole host of essential mooring systems that reduce the physical impact of ecosystem services. They filter pollutants, cycle boating and educating people around the importance nutrients, stabilise sediments and reduce coastal of seagrass. Whilst these meadows may remain erosion. They also absorb huge amounts of carbon unseen by many, they have a crucial role in bringing and because of this are increasingly recognised in the about nature’s recovery in the sea. Fortunately, they attempt to tackle the climate crisis and are considered feature in a number of our Marine Protected Areas, an important natural solution. Seagrass beds sequester but designation is just the first step — to ensure their carbon — known as ‘blue carbon’ — in two ways: long-term future active management is essential through photosynthesis and by trapping and stabilising before they lose the capacity to recover altogether. particles from the water column. If undisturbed, carbon can be locked into seagrass sediments for millennia. Find out more about our wonderful seagrass It is therefore incredibly important that this special habitats in the UK and the projects to save habitat is protected. them wildlifetrusts.org/seagrass Luckily seagrass is resilient and given the chance can recover. Whilst habitat management is not easy in the sea it is possible! Seagrass restoration Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 17

LIVING LANDSCAPES Warwickshire from the sky How advances in technology are allowing us to better understand the lie of the land. 18 Wild Warwickshire | Suprminmge2r0220020

LIVING LANDSCAPES T he Habitat Biodiversity Audit (HBA) the team have utilised the latest technology to team have been surveying wildlife help increase the accuracy of their work even habitat and designating Local more. Until recently, the major challenge has Wildlife Sites for over 20 years. The been accurate, cost-effective mapping of large project is one of the longest running in the UK urban areas of open green space, including and has produced an unrivalled dataset with parks, gardens, woodlands and playing fields. comprehensive up-to-date information and Recent government policy has allowed local the ability to demonstrate land use change for authorities and government bodies with their habitats over time. partners to have free access to sub-metre This work has recently gained national satellite imagery using the Space for Smarter attention with the Government’s 25 Year Government Programme (SSGP). Environment Plan, which sets out an Aerial satellite imagery shows extremely high-resolution details, enabling The use of satellite imagery more accurate assessment such as determining between whether a potentially allows us to set woodland is deciduous or evergreen, a baseline for the environment plantation or semi-natural. Any uncertainties are easily identified and verified on the ground by a site intention to create Nature Recovery Networks visit. Working with satellite imagery processing throughout the UK. The new Environment Act experts Spottitt Ltd, we have acquired and will enshrine in law the need to accurately map processed 1,500 square kilometres - the largest and prioritise the increased connectivity of sub-metre satellite derived habitat classification wildlife habitat across the UK. in the UK. The use of satellite imagery potentially allows us to set a baseline for the Mapping the West Midlands environment in the county and monitor change Here in Warwickshire, we are well placed to every three to five years. embrace this approach as the HBA team have Historically, the HBA has covered about created an extensive data set to enable the 20% of Warwickshire every year. A rolling creation of Nature Recovery Networks, based programme of surveys means that no data is on the evidence gathered. We have already more than five years old, which is significantly started with this work, recently partnering with better than the rest of the UK. However, a range of organisations to produce a map there is room for improvement and the for the West Midlands Combined Authority. latest advances in satellite technology could The map shows core ecological areas and the empower us to undertake complete reviews of habitat that links them, as well as highlighting the county on an annual basis. We could also opportunities to create or enhance habitat more accurately reflect the wildlife habitats in for the benefit of wildlife. This approach can urban areas, recognising the existing wildlife also help inform decision making for housing value and opportunities for enhancement in development, and feed into strategies for towns and cities across our area. We hope that access to greenspace for health and wellbeing. this ground breaking work will help to inform Building on the pedigree of the HBA project, UK wide use of this approach. Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 19

TRAILCAM FROM SCOTLAND: THE BIG PICTURE/NATUREPL Revealing the hidden wildlife on our nature reserves Gordon Buchanan The power of trail cams WOLF © GORDON BUCHANAN, WILDCAT © ELLIOT SMITH With the use of trail cams, In the early days of my zoologists and conservationists and have Gordon has got up close and career, as I wiled away continued to use them to this day. They personal with many wild species. many hours waiting for wildlife to show have given me views of creatures that up I would have this nagging desire. More would have been impossible to see in of a wish than a desire, given that what any other way. Giant otters and jaguars in I longed for was impossible. I wanted to South America, snow leopards and tigers be invisible. With invisibility my job would living at high altitude in the Himalayas. be so much easier. I could get closer Red pandas, wolves, leopards and illusive to animals to observe their behaviour. Scottish wildcats and pine martens closer Filming wildlife would be much less time to home. consuming and much more revealing. Although technology has marched on a The worlds of startling pace over the past three decades secretive, seldom — I think invisibility is going to be beyond seen animals have even the most talented tech boffins. But in been opened up many ways camera traps are the next best to us in startling thing when it comes to wildlife watching. and exiting ways. They never tire, get cold, fall asleep or have I now wile away families that they need to get back to! moments in nature I first used camera traps with real with another wish… success back in 2007. I realised I just wish immediately their value for filmmakers, I had more camera traps! 20 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

CAUGHT ON CAMERA The WildlifeTrust for South & West Wales Alderney WildlifeTrust Shropshire WildlifeTrust RED SQUIRREL © WTSWW, BEAVER © KENT WILDLIFE TRUST, PINE MARTEN © SHROPSHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST. WATER RAILS © ALDERNEY WILDLIFE TRUST The Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership Alderney have been using trail cams to Camera traps have been an essential was set up in 2002 after sporadic sightings record water rails around their ponds. tool in helping Shropshire Wildlife and records. Before camera traps, red The cameras were used to show how Trust’s Stuart Edmunds prove the squirrels were extremely hard to detect in accurate an acoustic method was at presence of pine martens in the county, mid Wales. They’re in fairly low numbers, counting the birds with the aim of finding where they were presumed extinct for and live almost exclusively in forestry how many overwinter in Alderney. They decades. Although there were reported plantations with very little human activity. found 34 rails using the acoustic method, sightings as far back as the 1960s, Camera traps have been a revolution in this which was many more than expected they were impossible to verify until project, allowing uninhabited areas for red and cameras confirmed these numbers. Stuart began using camera traps. The squirrels to be surveyed in a non-invasive The trail cams have also revealed some first Shropshire pine marten appeared way with minimal disturbance. Cameras interesting insights into the life of a water on camera in July 2015, in woodland are set up where chewed pine and spruce rail, including a courting pair on Valentine’s previously deemed unsuitable habitat cones are found to see if it was a red or Day and autumn footage of young birds for the evasive mammals. Pine martens grey squirrel. stretching, hopping and getting ready are usually betrayed by their scat, but for big migration flights. It is fairly unusual camera traps have now recorded them to observe this behaviour as the rails are inhabiting several woodlands across so secretive. south Shropshire, despite no scat being found. Camera traps can also be Trail cams have made Trail cams have given us a used by bait stations, where martens monitoring red squirrels glimpse into the lives of the are encouraged to give a clear view of in Wales much easier. elusive water rail. their chest “bib” pattern, which is an essential way of telling individuals apart. Without camera traps, we wouldn’t have realised there are pine martens living across the wider landscape at all. They are now a key tool in monitoring the population and distribution of martens in Shropshire and beyond. Kent Wildlife Trust and observed the interesting interaction Pine martens have made a Kent have been using trail cameras between a young beaver and a large comeback in Shropshire. at Ham Fen for the past few years to adult when they met nose to nose in enable them to view the activities of the stream — the adult made a huge tail Behind the reintroduced beavers, an animal that is splash and disappeared under water! wild scenes crepuscular — mostly active at dawn and As well as providing some very dusk. The footage has allowed them to interesting and entertaining viewing, See more photos and watch the construction of a dam, observe the images and videos obtained from footage from trail cams the beaver coppicing trees and feeding the trail cameras are helping Kent Wildlife and webcams across the on the branches, and revealed a little Trust build a better picture of the activity UK and find out how to of the interactions between individuals. of these elusive animals and understand set up your own. They’ve watched adults grooming each more about the group dynamics at other, seen a family group stripping bark Ham Fen. wildlifetrusts.org/ from branches on the bank of the stream caught-on-camera Kent have been watching their reintroduced beavers build a dam! Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 21

AGRICULTURE The Leam & Upper Avon Partnership Our Catchment Advisor, Peter Bowman discusses his river work with Severn Trent. T his Partnership is part of a can decimate newly sown River Leam at Birdingbury wider commitment by Severn crops in autumn, and whilst Trent to work with Wildlife Metaldehyde remains legal and from September to late spring 2020. Trusts across the region to effective, it is both expensive This would have previously caused achieve common objectives of healthy and energy intensive to exceedances, with chemicals travelling rivers and a healthy environment. remove it from water. Severn from fields into watercourses. However, Trent’s Farm to Tap scheme the scheme helped water quality to meet Severn Trent has identified specific encourages farmers to look UK and EU standards and Severn Trent catchments where pro-active working at alternative slug control rewarded farmers for keeping the Leam with landowners can have clear, methods such as different free of Metaldeyhyde. measurable impacts on water quality pellets, rolling seed beds and the use of in our streams and rivers. The Leam diverse crop rotations. Another of the company’s schemes is catchment is one such priority area, Severn Trent Environmental Protection as water is extracted from the river at My colleague, Marion Perrett-Pearson, Scheme (STEPS), open to landowners Eathorpe to feed Draycote Water. and I, have encouraged and enabled within priority catchments. It offers around 340 farms in the Leam catchment different ways to improve water quality, Metaldeyhyde (a pesticide used in to sign up to Farm to Tap. Last year’s wet such as six metre margins along certain slug pellets) has been an issue autumn meant ditches ran continuously watercourses, GPS precision-farming in the Leam for many years. Slugs equipment, complete sprayer filling and wash-down facilities. “Working with the Wildlife Trusts helps us to improve the environment for our This year saw some exciting new communities, arresting the decline of options for STEPS, focused on biodiversity biodiversity and enhancing nature, whilst improvements that allow Wildlife Trust improving operational resilience, efficiency partners to use their knowledge and and sustainability for our customers.” experience to develop exciting on-farm projects. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Dr. Jodie Rettino, Severn Trent, Catchment and Biodiversity Lead worked with almost 60 farms on STEPS projects, from pond restoration and MARION PERRETT-PEARSON Peter hosting a Severn Trent creation, feeding farmland birds through Catchment Team training day the winter, to the creation of reed beds and wildflower meadows. On one farm alone, almost 14 hectares of wildflower meadow have been created. Meadows are able to support an incredible wealth of wildlife right along the food chain, from plants themselves though foraging butterflies to the Red Kites that follow the mower. With a bit of luck and good weather they can also make excellent feed for farm livestock! 22 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

MEMBERSHIP Thank you These are worrying times for us all, but one thing remains the same – nature still needs our help. We want to say a huge thank you for your ongoing support. It is only with dedicated members like you that we are able to continue our vital work for wildlife. If you would like to help further, there are three simple steps you can take to support us and help the wildlife we all love. 1 Tell us your email address 2 Update your Gift Aid 3 Upgrade your membership Emails enable us to keep declaration Increasing your regular in touch with updates on your Adding Gift Aid to your membership donation by even a small amount membership and other exciting news doesn’t cost you a penny but gives makes a considerable difference to from across the Trust. So, if we us an extra 25p per £1 from your our work. Any extra contributions haven’t got it already, please let us donations! This will greatly help our will help us secure a future for know your email address by emailing future conservation work, not just on threatened local wildlife mhneUolalinppttuttgrlthererhecawaeodbsovTian5eurc0grulkdypsfiotrnperpetaoaurlslty [email protected] our nature reserves but across the and continue to deliver trailblazing projects (You can unsubscribe at any time. We will wilder landscape to connect nature across Warwickshire, process, protect and store your data in Coventry and Solihull. accordance with our privacy policy, which you can and help wildlife recover. view at warwickshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/policy) (You must be a UK tax payer to make a Gift Aid declaration) Contact us at [email protected] or call us on 024 7630 8972 so we can guide you through the next steps. We would be extremely grateful for any extra support you can give us. Thank you. Keeping it in the family MARION PERRETT-PEARSONpond dipping, den building and lots of 3. Upgrade your membership other fun, muddy activities. The kids alIlnacgreassbinagckyotourBrreagnudloanr dMoanrasthioans We recently caught up with Michael loved the Wildlife Watch subscription so bsyoeovneansawsemcaallna. mIf oyuonutwmoaukledsliake Tombs, who has been a member of the much that we paid for all three to have it ctoonsshidaererayboleurdieffxepreerniecnecteooofubrewinogrka. Any Trust for 13 years. Michael and his wife and they still read it in their teens. emxteramcboenrt,rpibleuatisoenscownitlal chteulpsuosnsecure a live in Binley and, during lockdown, have fumtuerme [email protected] w.uikldlife and been able to visit Claybrookes Marsh, Personally, I love photography, and continue to deliver trailblazing projects Brandon Wood and Brandon Reach. will snap anything that moves, but I’m across Warwickshire, Coventry and That’s been a source of great comfort to definitely more comfortable capturing Solihull. them during these troubling times. wildlife than people. Visiting the reserves is a form of relaxation in retirement, Contact us at [email protected]. ‘We’ve lived in Coventry for over 30 where we get the chance to enjoy nature uk or call us on 0247 630 8972 so we can years, and my wife always says there’s and chat to like-minded people, and guide you through the next steps. We no countryside near us, so I like trying to I’ve also really enjoyed attending the would be extremely grateful for any extra gently prove her wrong by going walking member’s only events.’ support you can give us. Thank you. together around your nature reserves! When the grandchildren were younger, Dedicated members from different my wife and I took them to Brandon generations, like Michael and his family, Marsh a lot, getting them involved in are the lifeblood of our charity and we look forward to welcoming members of Wild Warwickshire | Spring 2020 23

UK NEWS UK UPDATE At The Wildlife Trusts, we want to see 30 percent of our land and sea being Leading managed for nature’s recovery by 2030. the change That’s the bare minimum needed to restore nature in abundance to the UK and CRAIG BENNETT © THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS, COMMON BLIUE ON KNAPWEED © JON HAWKINS I was delighted to start in the role little too much on the identification, to start getting our ecosystems working of Chief Executive of The Wildlife categorisation and conservation of rare properly again; capturing carbon, pollinating Trusts this spring (even if it was in species and habitats, and not enough on crops, storing water, rejuvenating soils and rather odd circumstances given the the abundance of nature everywhere, cleaning our rivers. Covid-19 lockdown). and the preservation and restoration of ecosystem processes. We want to work with farmers and other I’ve long seen The Wildlife Trusts as the land managers to create a Nature Recovery most powerful movement for nature in Don’t get me wrong; we owe a huge Network, using field margins, river valleys, the UK. Made up of 46 individual Wildlife debt of gratitude to the conservation hedgerows, roadside verges, railway Trusts, ranging from those covering urban pioneers that identified the first nature cuttings and back gardens to protect, areas, to county Wildlife Trusts, groups of reserves and protected these sites for connect and restore nature across our counties, the devolved nations and finally future generations. But we all know that countryside, and into our towns and cities. island Trusts — we are embedded into the nature conservation is no longer enough; heart of our communities. we now need to put nature into recovery. And we want a comprehensive package of policy measures put in place to help Together, we care for over 2,300 nature Much as we like to imagine we live in a this happen. That includes improvements reserves ranging from Camley Street green and pleasant land, the truth is that needed to the Agriculture Bill, the Natural Park right by London’s Kings the UK is currently one of the most nature Fisheries Bill and the Environment Bill (all Cross station, to the spectacular Skomer depleted countries in the world. of which are going through parliament and Skokholm islands off the coast of in the next few weeks and months) but Pembrokeshire. In total, we directly I’m 48 years old and the science is also better use of planning policy to make manage or provide management advice on clear; in my lifetime 41 per cent of wildlife sure new developments help nature’s 332,697 hectares (822,112 acres) of land species in UK have suffered strong or recovery, rather than speed its decline. for nature. We all play our part — but it’s moderate decreases in abundance. worth mentioning that this collective effort Species that were once common have Our vision is one where nature is in full, amounts to even more land cared for than become rare and with that the role or healthy abundance all around us; skies by the National Trust! function they are performing in our filled with birds, snowstorms of butterflies ecosystems has also declined. and moths, armies of invertebrates, vast But what matters to me most is that expanses of wetland and wild landscapes, our federated structure means that the We’ve all experienced it. As a five and seas teeming with life. majority of this is close to where people year old, if I left my bedroom light on at live; over 60 per cent of the UK population night with the window open it would be And our vision is also one where there’s live within three miles of a Wildlife Trust swarming with moths 30 minutes later. a positive relationship between humanity nature reserve. And it’s clear that, during Now, I’d be lucky to see one. Similarly, and nature, rather than constantly the Covid-19 lockdown, millions of people when we went on family holidays behaving as if we are almost enemies. have come to a new realisation of just how and drove up the A1 for five hours, important local nature is to them. the windscreen would be covered in This won’t happen squashed insects by the time we arrived overnight, but it could I sometimes wonder if, over the last at our holiday destination. Now, there happen over the next 100 years or so, the nature conservation might be one or two. decade if all of us, movement in the UK has focussed a people, politicians and business leaders put our minds to it. And if it does happen, it will be thanks — in a very large part — to your support as one of The Wildlife Trusts’ 850,000 members. Craig Bennett Chief Executive, The Wildlife Trusts @craigbennett3 24 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

NEWS UK UPDATE UK HIGHLIGHTS Tuning into wildlife during tough times Discover how The Wildlife Trusts The Wildlife Trusts created a range of sounds of a dawn chorus on a sunny brought wildlife 1 3 online nature activities to encourage April morning. to homes 2 everyone to tune in to wildlife at home across the UK throughout the Covid-19 lockdown — and There was a clear demand for new to help people find solace in nature during ways to experience nature from home, 1 Birdsong bonanza tough times. with more people than ever tuning into our wildlife webcams — a 2,000 per cent Cheshire Wildlife Trust shared Wildlife Trusts across the UK provided increase on this time last year. daily recordings of birdsong in the new ways of helping us feel more run up to International Dawn Chorus connected to the wider world and each From the reactions and messages Day on the 3rd of May. In total they other, via their online and social channels. received on social media, it was apparent introduced the songs and calls of Wildlife experts who are usually found that people were treasuring the wildlife 30 different species, helping people leading school visits, events or talking they found close to home. For example, enjoy this fantastic spring spectacle to visitors on reserves turned to leading hundreds of people got in touch to tell us wherever they were. wildlife-spotting tours through their when they spotted their first butterflies, gardens, blogging about the life cycle or to share new visitors to their gardens. of oil beetles or sharing heart-warming These are joyful moments that people hold dear during difficult times. GOLDEN PLOVER ON MOORLAND © ANDREW PARKINSON/2020VISION, SKOMER PUFFIN © LYNNE NEWTON Natural solutions to the climate crisis 2 Skomer Live The climate crisis continues to be one of as allowing our wildlife to recover. By With Skomer island closed to the most pressing concerns in modern restoring precious habitats like seagrass visitors, The Wildife Trust of South times, linked inextricably with the meadows, saltmarshes, wetlands, and West Wales brought all the action ecological crisis faced by our wildlife.The woodlands and peatlands, we can repair and excitement of island life to us. Wildlife Trusts are working to emphasise the natural processes that store carbon Live webcams filled our days with natural solutions, which are essential and create more space for nature. puffins, whilst the island team joined to fighting the climate crisis, as well wildlifetrusts.org/climate-emergency up with presenters Iolo Williams and Lizzie Daly to provide weekly round- ups of the seabird season so far. wildlifetrusts.org/wtsww-videos 3 Wildlife TV Essex Wildlife Trust introduced a packed schedule of digital content, bringing Essex’s wonderful wildlife and wild activities straight to people’s homes. Videos included wildlife safaris, top tips for wildlife gardening, and even some mystery and drama with the Mammal Detective. essexwt.org.uk/news/WildlifeTV Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 25

WITH YOUR SUPPORT At the time of writing all of our volunteering opportunities are currently paused, but we can’t wait to welcome you all back with open arms, and we’re looking to the future with the introduction of Young Adult Ambassadors. Volunteering on hold but with big plans W ith over 500 active Young Adult Ambassador project. Over the awareness in others about the natural world volunteers, volunteering next two years we are looking to recruit and the work of the Trust. This might be is key to everything we people aged between 18 and 35 years old through social media posts, delivering talks, do here at Warwickshire as ambassadors for the Trust, who then campaigning, speaking with MPs, or any Wildlife Trust. Each role contributes receive a range of free training. We send number of different avenues. to protecting and enhancing wildlife, out a baseline questionnaire and a training natural habitats and geology throughout questionnaire to those that have signed up, If you’re interested, Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. asking about their interests and what they please contact the team on Volunteers work in many different would like to learn, so that we can shape [email protected] roles, helping us to deliver a wide the training programme to each individual. range of environmental services. It is no exaggeration to say that we simply The training is broad and may include would not be able to function without our topics such as wildlife surveying, practical incredible army of volunteers! habitat management, the use of social media to influence and the importance of In light of COVID-19, the Trust had storytelling among many others. Through to take the difficult decision to stop our the programme, the ambassadors get the volunteering sessions. We did this to chance to meet other young adults with contribute to the national effort to increase shared interests and some of our older social distancing, and in order to follow volunteers who will share their personal governmental advice. More than anything, experiences of protecting local wildlife and the current climate means that the Trust’s wild places. approach to volunteering has had to be flexible as we adapt to every twist and turn. Our ambassadors will gain knowledge of conservation and At the start of 2020 we launched our the skillset to raise LOUISE BARRACK 26 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

LEGACIES Legacies Remembering Warwickshire Wildlife Trust in your will is a powerful way to protect local wildlife and wild places for future generations and create a lasting impact. The Trust recently received an extremely generous legacy from Christine Kitchen, amounting to £150,512.77. C hristine and her husband, experience and enjoy – just as you have. Partnership with John, were traditional mixed To find out more, visit our website and McClure Solicitors farmers, and when they retired read our case studies. they moved to a smaller, 50 We know there is a lot of acre plot called Ivy House Farm in Meriden, Find out more about legacies at doom and gloom currently with just outside of Coventry. Upon arrival, COVID-19, but we have some they planted a small area of woodland and warwickshirewildlife trust. good news. Warwickshire Wildlife a substantial amount of hedgerow.They org.uk/legacy Trust are working with McClure were also keen advocates of traditional Solicitors to assist with your farming practices. Estate Planning needs – Wills, Will Reviews, Powers of Attorney The couple welcomed a large variety of & Trusts. birds to the feeders in their garden and in her will, Christine insisted the birds in McClure have switched all face-to- the farmyard and garden be fed after her face appointments to telephone or death until the farm was sold. Her brother video appointments. If you wish to John told us ‘Christine was obviously keen have your appointment as a video to support your charity. She was not long appointment we will be able to widowed when she contracted motor conduct these via a choice of either neurone disease and died soon after at 66. Skype, WhatsApp or Zoom. Around She was passionate about animals until the 75% of those currently making end, even emailing about farm business appointments with McClure Solicitors until the day before she died.’ agree to a video call. Times are changing and technology is helping. A legacy like Christine’s is an invaluable gift to our charity; one that will ensure Making sure that your estate we can continue to keep wildlife and planning is in order remains an wild places safe for future generations to important issue, perhaps more so than ever. To arrange your GILLIAN DAY appointment contact McClure Solicitors on 0800 852 1999 or email [email protected] Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 27

Get your garden peat free From making our own compost to thinking before we buy, Kate Bradbury reveals how we can help protect peatlands from our gardens. Leaf mould Leaf mould is an exceptional material, made from leaves that have been left to break down on their own. The easiest way to make it is to fill old compost bags or bin bags with wet autumn leaves, add a few holes to the bag and leave behind your shed. Compost heap Tree choice Start a compost heap or fill a bin with a Leaves of ash, beech, birch, mix of ‘green’ leafy material, food waste cherry, elm, hornbeam, lime, (excluding cooked waste, meat and dairy oak, poplar and willow will break products) and ‘brown’ woody material down and be ready to use in a such as twigs and cardboard. year. Leaves of hawthorn, maple, Avoid adding large amounts of green magnolia, sycamore and horse material, like lawnmower clippings, as chestnut take longer to break this can make the compost sludgy. Check down (up to three years). regularly to ensure it’s breaking down. Wild haven Compost mounds are great for wildlife. Rotting waste is a buffet for many invertebrates, which themselves attract predators like beetles, newts and shrews. Grass snakes lay eggs in compost heaps and toads will use them for hibernation sites. 28 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

P eat forms when dead vegetation falls into In 2010 the Government announced it was to Kate Bradbury waterlogged soil and doesn’t fully rot away. phase out the use of peat in horticulture over a is passionate about It’s found in wetland habitats, such as peat 10-year period, to 2020. Sadly we have missed this wildlife-friendly bogs and moors, and grows at a rate of target and peat-based composts remain the most gardening and the just 1mm per year. These slow-growing ‘peatlands’ popular choice in garden centres. You can buy peat- author of Wildlife are incredibly diverse habitats, home to rare bog plants free compost if you know where to look. Made from Gardening for and mosses, invertebrates like dragonflies and beetles, a variety of materials including coir, composted food and birds such as golden plovers and curlews. They’re waste, bracken and sheep’s wool, peat-free compost Everyone and not just a fantastic wildlife habitat — peatlands store isn’t always the cheapest option and few garden masses of carbon; over three billion tonnes are stored centres have a wide range to choose from. Some Everything in in British peatbogs alone. garden centres don’t stock peat-free composts at all. association with The Wildlife Trusts. Tragically, despite its incredible value, peat is also However, it’s important to persevere. If your local widely used as an ingredient in potting composts. garden centre doesn’t sell peat-free compost online, ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE Lightweight, water retentive and low in nutrients, some suppliers offer a discount for bulk orders — peat has long been regarded as the best growing why not group together with neighbours and save medium for a number of growing situations. It’s highly money? However you do it, always make sure you likely that, unless you actively sought out peat-free buy peat-free compost. Peat-based materials simply compost, you will have unwittingly bought compost aren’t worth losing our wildlife, and our planet over. containing peat. This is dug out of peat bogs in the UK, Ireland and eastern Europe, damaging these Gardens of all sizes are an essential part of a wild habitats while releasing carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Nature Recovery Network. For more tips visit wildlifetrusts.org/nature-recovery-network Leaf piles Make sure to leave some leaves for your garden wildlife throughout the year. A leaf pile can shelter moths over winter and provide nesting material for hedgehogs in summer. Pot plant background check Peat-free potting mix Many potted plants are grown in peat You can make your own peat- compost. Check the labels and ask your free compost easily, using one garden centre to make sure the plants part garden soil, one part leaf you’re buying weren’t grown in peat- mould and one part sieved based compost. garden compost. For mixes requiring lower nutrients (for example if you’re using it to 29 sow seeds), use one part garden soil, one part leaf mould and one part horticultural sand. Wild Warwickshire | Spring 2020

CONSERVATION GRAZING Grazing on a sunny afternoon How sheep and cows are doing their part to help Warwickshire’s wildflower meadows I t’s late summer in Warwickshire, and silently an even level, cattle wrap chunks of grass around their munching their way around Trust meadows, tongue pulling out clumps: the result is a mix of short flocks of sheep and herds of cattle can be vegetation, tussocks and bare earth. This variation in found seemingly going about their business. sward height not only improves structural diversity, In fact, they are actually making a very important which is great for invertebrates but also provides an contribution to the management of our meadows opportunity for wildflower seeds to exploit bare patches through a process known as aftermath grazing. The of earth before being trodden into the ground by the reserves team likes to think of them as their less- animals’ hooves. demanding colleagues. Once the grass growing period comes to a stop So how does it work? The Trust leaves meadows around November, the livestock will have done their to grow throughout spring and summer to encourage job for the year and will be moved off the meadows the growth of wildflowers. As the season progresses with the cycle beginning again the following spring. and the flowers go to seed and drop, the meadows So, if you’re passing a wildflower meadow and you are then cut and the cuttings removed to discourage see animals grazing, do please say thank you, as they nutrients from re-entering the soil, as wildflowers help us to conserve some of our rarest and declining prefer nutrient-poor soil. habitat. If you’re with a dog, please also observe sensible countryside practice and keep your dog on a Just as we manage our lawns at home, the lead, as their mere presence can be enough to cause meadows will once again begin to grow and whilst stress to both sheep and cattle; particularly those with many wildflowers will have been and gone, the lambs or calves. grasses will return. It is at this point our four-legged colleagues make their appearance and in doing so, Sheep at Radway Meadows keep the vegetation to a level which prevents coarse grasses and scrub taking a hold; thereby maintaining the conditions necessary for the following year’s wildflower display. The Trust works with local farmers who provide the animals for this vital work. The story doesn’t stop there Did you know that the way different animals graze also plays a part? Whilst sheep tightly nibble the grass to EDDY ASBERY English Longhorn cattle PETE THORNE at Draycote Meadows 30 Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020

RESERVES Getting closer to your woodlands How you can discover and become more involved with your local woodlands F rom the birdsong being belted out from the woodlands are found. Bubbenhall Wood and Meadow, NICK FELEDZIAK treetops to the insects darting between Ryton Wood and Wappenbury Wood are all within walking wildflowers in the open spaces, woodlands distance of each other and offer a large choice of routes to really come alive at this time of year. At the suit all visitors. Trust we manage over 15 urban and rural woodland nature reserves across the county, each one distinctively different Volunteer in character and composition. For those willing to take We encourage communities to care for and look after the the plunge, there are plenty of ways to explore your local wild places in their areas so that they exist for wildlife woodlands and get closer with the nature found there. and enjoyment in the long term. There are a huge variety of tasks that require local community support. Volunteer Woodland management rangers patrol our woods and keep us aware of issues, In the spring edition of Wild Warwickshire, we laid out volunteer wildlife surveyors monitor the response of our plans for managing the large woodlands owned or wildlife to our management, and practical volunteer groups managed by the Trust, with the aim of making each site carry out sensitive management of habitats and pathways. better protected, more resilient to change, and more We also have volunteers making the most from wood sustainably managed. That work is ongoing, and now we generated from management; turning it into charcoal, bean want to invite you to visit the woodlands, in a time when poles, bowls, and more. The great thing is that no previous access to green space is so important. experience is needed and you learn as you go from those around you. At the time of writing, COVID-19 has put a Visit temporary stop to our volunteering, and it is hard to predict As a member of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, you have if we will be back up and running as you read this, but exclusive access to all of our woodlands. There are please do get in touch to register an interest with us plenty to choose from in our reserves guide and on our either way. interactive website map. If you are stuck for choice, a good starting point would be the Dunsmore Living Landscape, exploredunsmore.org where Warwickshire’s highest concentration of ancient Pearl bordered fritillary Wild Warwickshire | Summer 2020 31 butterfly on bugle at Ryton Wood.

Celebrating Thank You Warwickshire Years We want to say a huge thank you to all of our members for your continued support during these testing times for everyone. Over 24,000 of you support Warwickshire Wildlife Trust to preserve and protect local wildlife and wild places, and we couldn’t do it without your help. Your membership enables us to look after wildlife and wild places in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull. We appreciate your patience as we’ve worked behind the scenes to get Brandon Marsh and Parkridge Visitor Centres and nature reserves safely open again, and the team looks forward to seeing you all again very soon. We will continue to work hard to protect wildlife and bring you closer to nature. Photo David Goldsmith. View from Carlton Hide, Brandon Marsh