Contents | News | Features | Local & Regional...



EDITORIAL 3

NEWS

New Nature After Minerals website goes

live

4

Agricology Open Day

6

New bug recorded in Scotland

8

FEATURES

Bees’ Needs Week 2016

10

BIG Biodiversity Challenge 2016

12

The UK national tree seed project

14

Scottish gardens alive with wildlife after

dark thanks to warm July

18

The Tayside BeeWild initiative

20

LOCAL & REGIONAL

£39,000 for Norfolk heritage sites

22

Freshwater thinking

24

Letting the light into County Down

woodland

26

Norfolk’s Startlet sea anemone

28

New Buckinghamshire countryside

coalition

30

PUBLICATIONS

Wood Wise - Marvellous Mammals

32

EVENTS

RSPB Land Management training courses

32

Scottish Coppice Festival

33

Short courses in ecological survey

techniques and data analysis

33

Please note that the views expressed in

Biodiversity News are the views of the

contributors and do not necessarily reflect

the views of the UK Biodiversity Partnership

or the organisations they represent.



W elcome to the 73rd edition

of Biodiversity News,

This will be my last edition as my

placement finishes at the end of

August. As always, this issue is

filled with excellent articles from

across the UK. A huge thank you

not only to those who have

contributed to this edition, but to all the editions over the past year.

There has been such a range of stories, and it has made my job incredibly enjoyable. I hope these

inspiring stories continue to come in, as they are what make Biodiversity News as successful as it is.

Thank you to everyone who submitted their amazing pictures to our #BNcover competition on twitter. It

was hard to pick a winner, but I am pleased to include Caroline Spinks’ (@Spinkybird) picture of a

beautiful gannet with it’s guga (chick) as the cover of Issue 73. If you look closely, in the background you

can see a Kittiwake adult and juvenile. This photo was taken on the 23rd July 2016 at RSPB Bempton Cliffs

in Yorkshire.

Please go ahead and share this newsletter with anyone you feel may be

enjoy it. You can also follow us on twitter @DefraNature, to keep up to

date on similar stories and news on UK biodiversity.

To submit stories or photos for the

autumn edition, or if you would like to

receive this newsletter via email, please

don’t hesitate to contact me at:

[email protected].

Best wishes,

Emily Broadwell © Jo Butler

From the

Editor © Emily Broadwell

Meadow Brown Butterfly

https://twitter.com/DefraNature




New Nature After Minerals website goes live

Nature After Minerals (NAM) - the RSPB-led minerals restoration partnership programme, with support

from Natural England, the Minerals Products Association (MPA) and the British Aggregates Association

(BAA) – is pleased to announce the unveiling of its new website at www.afterminerals.com.

This new site is faster, more streamlined and replaces the programme’s former website which was

originally established in 2007. It will continue to act as an information hub for all stakeholders with an

interest and active involvement in minerals restoration for a nature conservation end-use.

Following consultation with stakeholders, the site provides a resource to share advice on a range of land

management issues such as priority habitat creation; species protection and strategic minerals planning

and showcases minerals restoration best-practice case study examples for biodiversity gain, ecosystem

services benefits and local community engagement.

With the switch to replace the old NAM website with the newer version, Nigel Symes, Head of the RSPB’s

Business Advice Unit overseeing the Nature After Minerals programme, commented:

“As Nature After Minerals’ 10th

anniversary approaches, it is really interesting to reflect on the scale of

uptake and enthusiasm the quarry sector has for creating great places for nature through restoring its

sites, which has real benefits for species and people, as well as for the natural environment.

“This willingness to do the right thing by nature has knock-on benefits for society - not just in terms of

providing better places for people to live but in helping, for example, to reduce flood risks.

“We have been showcasing this restoration best-practice via the NAM website and sharing it with all who

have a stake in the legacy of minerals winning and this has proved to be a vital tool for providing essential

new habitats. With the improvements to its

functionality and presentation, the new Nature

After Minerals website will provide better

access to essential information and resources,

as well as news and advice.

“We want this information to be as relevant

and up-to-date as possible, so we will

continue work with quarry companies to share

case study examples of their own.”

For further information and to share any news

and best-practice case study examples for

inclusion on the website, please contact Debra

Royal, NAM’s Events & Communications

Officer at [email protected]. © NAM/Restore

http://www.afterminerals.com




Species-focused Nature After Minerals events coming soon

Watch out for details on the NAM website and social media accounts (@NatureAm on Twitter or

Facebook: Nature After Minerals) about a new series of events to be run by the Nature After Minerals

(NAM) programme this coming Autumn and Spring.

Nature After Minerals events offer a Continuing Professional Development (CPD) opportunity for minerals

restoration stakeholders to update their knowledge on restoration options which can help protect all-

nature species through priority habitat creation and management; share best-practice examples through

site visits and afford individuals the opportunity to network with colleagues across different sectors.

This coming programme of NAM events will be focussing on key, priority species which could benefit

from appropriate and sustainable biodiversity-led minerals restoration and the knock-on benefit to other

species and people, with a look at the ecosystem services benefits which also can be derived.

If you would like to be added to NAM’s mailing list to receive direct details about these events, please

contact Debra Royal, NAM’s Events & Communications Officer at [email protected]

© Eleanor Bentall

https://twitter.com/NatureAM




Thirst for knowledge attracts 140 farmers to Agricology’s

first ‘Open Day’

On Tuesday 28th June 2016, nearly 140 farmers, landowners and advisers travelled from as far afield as

Cornwall and Galloway to attend the first Agricology ‘Open Day’ at Daylesford Farm in Gloucestershire.

The day highlighted that access to best practice information is crucial for successful, sustainable

agriculture.

Using Agricology as an information sharing platform, farmers can be helped to address issues such as

animal and plant disease, pest management, soil degradation, environmental damage, rising costs and

dipping yields. Resources are presented to suit a range of business circumstances. The aim of this first on

-farm event was to bring Agricology to life, encourage the exchange of practical information and

experiences from all farming approaches, as well as showcasing examples of the excellent farmer-led

innovation and research currently being hosted on Agricology.

Andrew Burgess, who runs Produce World Group Ltd, a family business in East Anglia and one of 21

expert speakers on the day, outlined the successes of his large-scale vegetable-growing business that

now employs more than 500 people. Andrew gave his view on how organic can successfully meet

conventional agriculture. He said, “The Agricology programme makes such sense to me and I love the

tag line ‘regardless of labels’. Science has always played a strong part in my decision making, whether

that be understanding a pest or disease lifecycle to reduce risk or the efficacy and risk of resorting to an

artificial input. In agriculture we are facing huge challenges, poor returns and political uncertainty and I

am very pleased to support this initiative and stand here as both a LEAF and an organic farmer and to

show that the sensible way forward is to use the best of both.”

Professor Nic Lampkin, from the Organic Research Centre concluded the day by saying, “A lot of the ideas

about alternatives in farming, whether they are shaped by the organic or integrated end, share a huge

amount of common ground. Agroecology is an umbrella term that picks up a lot of these ideas and it is

about using ecology to manage farming systems in a more environmentally sensitive way as well as

making good business sense.”

He continues, “The other critical thing for me is knowledge. If you don’t have knowledge then things don’t

work as well as they should. We have struggled for years to help farmers access good advice and

information.”

Richard Smith, who led the day at Daylesford said, “We are delighted to host this event at Daylesford

today and it is gratifying that there is a rapidly growing band of farmers that are finding Agricology such

an invaluable and comprehensive information resource. I certainly benefited from the day and it was

apparent that those attending all took home some valuable ideas for their own businesses. We hope that



this will be the first of many ‘Open Days’ and we look forward to offering similar events in other parts of

the country in the future.”

Nearly 140 farmers, landowners and advisers travelled from as far afield as Cornwall and Galloway to attend the first Agricology ‘Open

Day’ at Daylesford Farm in Gloucestershire. The day highlighted that access to best practice information is crucial for successful,

sustainable agriculture in the future. Agricology has been set up by three charities; The Daylesford Foundation, the Organic Research

Centre and the GWCT’s Allerton Project demonstration farm in Leicestershire.



New bug recorded for first time in Scotland Discovery made by volunteer at RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes

A new bug has been officially recorded in Scotland for the first time after being discovered by an RSPB

Scotland volunteer at the wildlife charity’s Insh Marshes nature reserve in the Highlands.

Psallus montanus is a species of plantbug, the females of which are black and red in colour, while the

males are a duller black and brown. Bugs are an order of insects generally characterised by having two

pairs of wings and piercing mouthparts (1)

.

Bob Fleetwood has volunteered at Insh Marshes for four years and routinely carries out survey work on

the reserve. He found the female Psallus montanus while collecting and recording beetles and bugs from

a birch tree.

1. The piercing mouthparts of bugs are used to suck plant sap or, in the case of predatory species, the body fluids of other

insects.

© Andy Hay



Bob said: “Of all the bugs I came across that day, this one looked quite distinctive. As I’m still learning, I

wasn’t 100% certain what it was, so I contacted the national recorder for terrestrial bugs, Jim Flanagan,

who positively identified it as a female Psallus montanus.”

“When I got the confirmation back that this was the first official record of this bug in Scotland, of course I

was over the moon! Every day is different when you’re volunteering and this just goes to show that you

don’t have to be an expert to play a part in an exciting discovery like this.”

Other insects which are categorized as bugs include aphids, jumping plant lice, whiteflies, leafhoppers,

planthoppers, flowerbugs, shieldbugs, assassin bugs and stiltbugs.

Pete Moore, Reserve Warden at Insh Marshes, said: “Volunteers are vital to the work of RSPB Scotland and

we wouldn’t be able to achieve the amount we do for conservation without all of their hard work. We’re

delighted for Bob in making this exciting discovery and it’s a brilliant record to add to the growing list of

species we have here at Insh Marshes too.”

Psallus montanus has only been recognised as a British species fairly recently and is similar to Psallus

betuleti, which also occurs on birch.

RSPB Scotland Insh Marshes is a National Nature Reserve near Kingussie in the Highlands. The site is one

of the most important wetlands in Europe, home to bird species such as curlew, snipe, whooper swan,

redshank and lapwing.



Bees’ Needs Week 2016 – Defra and partners created a hive

of pollinator friendly activity

Can you bee-lieve that a bee’s wings beat 190 times a second, and

beetles pollinated the first flowers when the dinosaurs were alive more

than 140 million years ago!

Bees’ Needs week (9 – 17 July) was buzzing with activity as Defra and

its partners including Bumblebee Conservation Trust and The Wildlife

Trusts raised awareness of actions we can all take to help bees and

other pollinators.

Pollinating insects are essential to maintain the exciting variety of plants and wildlife in the UK and play a

vital role in food production: research estimates their value to crops at approximately £600 million due to

improved productivity. Due to changes to the British landscape over the last century, not all pollinators

can find the food and shelter they need.

The National Pollinator Strategy relies on collective action from Government, charities, businesses and

academic institutions to protect our bees and pollinating insects. This year included the first #BeesNeeds

tweetathon which featured Friends of the Earth, Kew Gardens and The Royal Horticultural Society fielding

their experts to answer the public’s pollinator problems. This had a great reception on the Twittersphere

with questions on everything from pollinator-friendly gardening to how many bee species there are at

Kew. It was fantastic to see the amount of different projects people had undertaken, from building bee

hotels in their local communities, to filling their gardens with wildflowers. For example, the Bumblebee

Conservation Trust hosted a Bumblebee Safari at Lytes Cary estate. Everyone was welcome to go along

and learn how to catch and identify different species of bumblebee up close.

During Bees’ Needs Week Defra’s Lord Gardiner of Kimble visited Hertfordshire Local Nature Partnership

pollinator project where he found out what local school children have been doing to create pollinator

gardens in their schools. Defra has provided up to

£20,000 to support Local Nature Partnership pollinator

projects in five areas. The aims of the projects vary from

improving wildlife and recording of pollinators to

creating habitat on a local scale.

Defra’s Permanent Secretary also met apprentice

beekeeper, Hannah Reeves during Bees Needs Week to

find out more about how Defra’s estate is doing its bit

for pollinators. The beehive on Defra’s London office is



just one example of how Defra is encouraging more pollinator

friendly action on its estate. The Defra Group is also

intentionally leaving the green spaces outside its offices to

grow wild to better support our bees and other pollinating

insects.

Since the launch of the National Pollinator Strategy £65,000 has

been awarded through the Landscapes for Wild Pollinators

Initiative to three important projects helping farmers and

landowners create and protect pollinator-friendly habitats.

Many more pollinator initiatives are being driven forward by a

large number of organisations, to find out more about

progress in delivering the National Pollinator Strategy visit the

website at https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bees-needs

-food-and-a-home.

Practical action to protect pollinators

There are five simple steps the British public are urged to take

to help our precious pollinators thrive. Despite public

concern about bee populations, more than half of those asked

say they have not taken any pollinator-friendly actions in the

last year.

Our advice to families, gardeners, farmers, developers, land

owners and local authorities is simple:

1. grow more flowers, shrubs and trees

2. let your garden grow wild

3. cut grass less often

4. don’t disturb insect nests and hibernation spots

5. think carefully about whether to use pesticides

By following these 5 steps we can all help give bees and

pollinators the food and shelter they need to survive.

Pollinators in numbers

1500 species of insects pollinate plants in the UK including bumblebees, honey bees, solitary bees,

hoverflies, wasps, flies, beetles, butterflies and moths.

25 species of bumblebee, 260 species of solitary bee, 1 honey bee species and hundreds of types of

hoverflies, butterflies and moths live in the UK.

70 of the 100 crop species that provide 90% of food worldwide are pollinated by bees.

£600m is the estimated value of insect pollination to crops due to increases in yield and quality of

seeds and fruit.

6.5kg of ‘Whitehall Honey’ produced by the first yield from Defra’s beehives in 2015.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bees-needs-food-and-a-home.

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bees-needs-food-and-a-home.



BIG Biodiversity Challenge 2016 The BIG Biodiversity Challenge continues to be

recognised as the number one industry initiative for

delivering biodiversity within construction and the built

environment. Since its launch in 2013 the challenge has

grown considerably and attracts organisations from

across a wide range of stakeholder groups. In 2015 the

number of organisations signing up more than doubled

to over 120 and the number of entry submissions rose

from 119 to over 200. This growth has demonstrated an

engagement and understanding of biodiversity across

the industry.

Michael Small, Project Manager, CIRIA says:

“The response to last year’s awards was overwhelmingly positive, with more than double the number of

organisations signing up to take the challenge from the 2014 Awards. These organisations demonstrated

that they are more than happy to share their knowledge and ideas and submit interesting and innovative

entries. The BIG Biodiversity Challenge 2016 promises to bigger and better and we have added new award

categories to reflect the dynamic and changing nature of construction and the wider built environment.”

The 2016 award categories are as follows:

Client Award (Sponsored by Kier)

An enhancement from a client organisation, demonstrating a top

down approach to delivering biodiversity. Organisations may range

from developers to those responsible for the delivery of our energy,

transport and water networks.

Community Engagement Award (Sponsored by Land Securities)

An initiative which demonstrates the importance of engaging with,

and understanding, biodiversity. This includes creating biodiversity

champions in your organisation, or developing programmes that

engage with the local community.

Large Scale Permanent Award (biodiversity enhancement 10ha and above)

An enhancement that will have a long term positive impact on biodiversity after the construction process.

Examples may include infrastructure projects (energy, transport and water), mixed-use development or

restoration of land previously used for other purposes such as mineral extraction.

© London Underground

© Taylor Woodrow BAM Nutall



Medium Scale Permanent Award (biodiversity enhancement 0.25 – 10ha)

An enhancement that will have a long term and positive impact on biodiversity after the construction

process. Examples may include a pocket park, courtyard, tree and wildflower planting.

Small Scale Permanent Award (biodiversity

enhancement 0 – 0.25ha)

An improvement that will be long lasting after the

construction process but is small scale. Examples could

include a bug hotel, bat box, planting a single tree,

small planted areas.

Maintenance & Management Award

An enhancement that demonstrates a long term

commitment to improving biodiversity on-site. This

may include the introduction of enhancement management plans and alternative approaches to

maintenance schedules and planting policies.

Pollinator Award

An enhancement which safeguards and supports pollinators through the creation or protection of suitable

habitat, demonstrates the importance of their contribution to the biodiversity of our environment or

raises awareness of declines in the number, diversity and geographical ranges of pollinators. This award is

inspired by Defra’s National Pollinator Strategy. Examples could include wildflower planting, bee hotel or

on-site pollinator awareness initiative.

Temporary Award (Sponsored by Sir Robert McAlpine)

An enhancement which takes place during the construction phase. Examples may include a

green hording, temporary green wall or community engagement initiative.

The 2016 awards ceremony taking place on

September 15 in a central London venue. There

are also fantastic sponsorship opportunities for

organisations wanting to be involved in this

year’s Awards ceremony. For further

information on the awards, and to be inspired

by last year’s entries, please visit

www.bigchallenge.info.

© Redrow

© Keepmoat

http://www.bigchallenge.info



The UK National Tree Seed Project

At just 13% of the UK landmass, the UK

has one of the lowest rates of woodland

cover in Europe. Most of this cover is

privately owned (though much is

publicly accessible) and there is

relatively little state intervention in the

management of this precious resource.

Nevertheless, UK woodlands are highly

valued as places for recreation and for

the ecosystem goods and services they

provide. There has been recognition of

the need to expand our woodland

cover, and of the value for using native

species to do so. Several challenges lie

in the path of meeting these aspirations.

Our trees and woodlands are at high risk from pests and diseases, and foresters and conservationists are

also struggling to predict and plan for the uncertain impacts of climate change.

In this context the MSBP launched the UK National Tree Seed Project in 2013. This ambitious project seeks

to make ‘genetically-representative’ collections of the UK native woody flora. These collections need to be

made and stored in ways that will make them as useful as possible for studies and activities which are

seeking to overcome the challenges to UK woodlands. In seeking to address this need, the UKNTSP is

stretching MSBP standard practice to new limits!

How to make ‘Genetically Representative’

Collections?

In common with most countries, we don’t know

enough about the population genetics of UK

trees and shrubs to be sure how to achieve

collections which are genetically representative

for the national flora. Luckily the UK Forestry

Commission (our state forestry agency) had

already divided Great Britain into 24

biogeographic areas called ‘native seed zones’

for the purposes of seed collecting and supply.

This gives us a good proxy of likely areas of

genetic diversity. Great Britain also has good species distribution records – though it can be hard to tell

whether records are of native populations or planted ones. We mapped the distribution records across

Cones ready to be processed before going into storage © Kew

© Kew © Kew



the country and overlaid it with our native seed zones map – and thus developed a database of target

collections. We are seeking to collect from every seed zone in which are species naturally occurs. Where

species are found both above and below 300m altitude we will attempt to make a collection from both

altitude zones too.

Developing a list of target collections

is only the start of the job! It is equally

important that the collections made

adequately represent the populations

(or sub-populations) from which they

are made. We struggled with this.

Standard seed banking advice

suggests collecting from at least 50

individuals, well-spaced through the

population. But UK woodland is highly

fragmented meaning often this many

individuals are simply not found in

one woodland. Besides, tree seed

collecting is time consuming and we found a team of 3-5 people can only collect 10-20 trees per day.

Collectors are having to make informed but pragmatic decisions to maximise genetic diversity captured –

often collecting from dispersed sites across the seed zone and/or collecting from a reduced number of

individuals. At the individual tree level it is vital that seed is collected right across the canopy to catch the

progeny from different fathers.

Having worked so hard to capture the

maximum diversity in our sample, we

don’t want to lose access to this once

seeds go into storage. Therefore we

tag and geo-reference individual

mother trees and store their seed

stores separately. This will allow users

of the collections to study traits such

as disease resistance for maternal lines,

as well as at the population level.

We are working with geneticists to

improve this sampling strategy as we

go. Desk studies for all target species

have revealed what is known about their population genetics, and provided species-specific guidance to

their sampling.

Continued on next page...

© Kew

Tagged mother tree © Kew



We are also working with Sean Hoban to model the effectiveness of our collections in capturing the

genetic diversity available in the wild. We also have an additional research component to the project,

seeking to better understand germination and storage of our UK trees and shrubs. The last three years

has been one of intense learning for us. We are keen to share experiences with MSBP colleagues around

the world who are either embarking on a national tree seed collecting project for the first time, or who

have years of experience behind them.

Mike Daniels

Head of Land Management

John Muir Trust

The John Muir Trust is a conservation charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places. We

manage some of the finest wild places in Scotland including the summit of Ben Nevis and part of the

Cuillin on Skye. We are delighted to team up with the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in this exciting project

to attempt to collect tree seeds from our various properties around Scotland. This fits in with our science

based approach to land management and our desire to protect and enhance wild land ecosystems

including native woodlands.

Collecting seeds on our properties is particularly challenging due to the nature of the land and the

woodlands we manage. By definition wild land is relatively remote and inaccessible so all of our

collections have to be made on foot and sometimes after a good hike! Scotland’s native woodlands are a

tiny fragment of their former glory – covering only 4% of the land – and they generally consist of

scattered individuals or clumps of trees clinging on in gorges or crags inaccessible to the ceaseless

browsing attention of Scotland’s burgeoning red deer population and millions of free roaming sheep.

After signing up to the project, attending a training course and purchasing all the necessary equipment

our first collection of seeds began in late September when Schiehallion property manager Liz and our

intern, Jen from the USA, collected, dried and sorted more than 10,000 downy birch seeds (Betula

pubescens), followed later in the autumn by a collection of alder seeds. On the Isle of Skye, Ally and Sarah

collected seed from the berries of hawthorns (Crataegus monogyna), rowans (Sorbus aucuparia) and

hollies (Ilex awuifolium) while on Quinag our final collection of the year was made from holly (Ilex

aquifolium) by Romany.

In the autumn we plan to continue our collections. We hope that the project and the information

collected will help raise the profile of our threatened native trees as well as providing useful genetic

information to ensure their survival in the face of the many challenges they face in the future from disease

and climate change. Most of all the John Muir Trust is pleased to do its bit.

Please do get in touch.

Clare Trivedi – UK Conservation Partnerships Co-ordinator

Simon Kallow – UK National Tree Seed Project Officer

Bede West – UK National Tree Seed Project Fieldwork Officer



Andy Karran

Wildlife Sites Officer

Gwent Wildlife Trust

Gwent Wildlife Trust are the leading wildlife conservation charity in Gwent (Wales, U.K.) working for the

wildlife and people of this rich and varied landscape. We are part of the influential UK-wide partnership of

47 Wildlife Trusts. Four UK seed source zones fall within Gwent. It is from three of these that we have

been, and will be, collecting tree seeds between 2015 and 2017.

Gwent is blessed with many great habitats which include plentiful woodlands. Woodland present is a mix

of conifer plantations, secondary broad-leaved woodland but also much ancient semi-natural woodland.

This includes the justifiably famous Wye Valley woodlands in the east and the highest naturally occurring

Beech (Fagus sylvatica) Woodland in the UK on our Silent Valley reserve in the west. Much of the

woodland in the Wye Valley falls within a European protected Special Area of Conservation (SAC) which is

a reflection of its great value with many scarce/rare tree species being present including Small Leaved

Lime (Tilia cordata), Large Leaved Lime (Tilia platyphyllos) and Wild Service Tree (Sorbus torminalis)

together with various other rare whitebeam (Sorbus spp.) species.

We have already collected hawthorn (Crataegus monogyna), elder (Sambucus nigra), downy birch (Betula

pubescens), silver birch (Betula pendula), small leaved lime (Tilia cordata), yew (Taxus baccata) and crab

apple (Malus sylvestris) in 2015. This was a great

experience for both staff and volunteers and got us out in

to some lovely woodlands on some balmy autumn days

as the leaves were changing colour. Getting the seeds

from the trees was challenging but fun, using throwlines,

shaking branches and using telescopic pruners. Collecting

the seeds and fruit was only part of the fun; we then had

to extract the seeds. Elder was messy (just the job for a

seven year old), yew was very sticky and getting the pips

out of a few thousand crab apples was a challenge but

nothing pliers, and when our hands got tired, stamping

couldn’t solve.

During 2016 and 2017 we have further silver birch, downy birch and yew to collect together with large

leaved lime, blackthorn, dogwood, alder, field maple, holly, rowan, wild service tree and wych elm.

We are already looking forward to June when we can get back out into the Wye Valley and collect some

wych elm.

This article previously appeared in Samara, available here: http://

www.kew.org/science-conservation/research-data/publications/

samara

Crataegus monogyna ready to be processed

© Gwent Wildlife Trust

http://www.kew.org/science-conservation/research-data/publications/samara





Scottish gardens alive with wildlife after dark thanks to

warm July

Surge in sightings of nocturnal garden wildlife favourites like owls,

bats and hedgehogs across the country, after warm weather

presents perfect nighttime feeding opportunity.

Warm weather has led to more moth and insect activity - an

ideal supper for many nocturnal garden wildlife species.

RSPB Scotland is encouraging families to discover the secret world

of wildlife on their doorstep this weekend by taking part in their

annual Big Wild Sleepout.

RSPB Scotland wants to bring more young people a step closer to

nature by spending time outside and having fun exploring wildlife.

People who took part in RSPB Scotland’s annual Big Wild Sleepout (29 –

31 July) were in for a busy night of wildlife watching, after the warm July

weather has lead to a surge in sightings of many nocturnal creatures such as owls, bats, moths and

hedgehogs.

For the fourth year running, the conservation charity encouraged families across Scotland to go on a mini-

adventure and discover the secret

world of wildlife on their doorstep, by

taking part in the Sleepout and

camping out in their gardens or other

places.

The warm July weather has led to an

increase in moth and insect activity,

which has meant a rise in sightings of

other nocturnal wildlife out taking

advantage of a good supper.

Ben Andrew, RSPB Scotland Wildlife

Advisor, said: “The UK is home to 2,800

species of moths but like many

nocturnal creatures they are the stuff of mystery – enigmatic species that we rarely see. The warmer

weather has meant species like hedgehogs, badgers, bats and owls are out earlier looking for moths and

other food in gardens and outdoor spaces, providing people with the best opportunity to see them.”

Barn Owl perched in a window

© Andy Hay

European hedgehog, Bedfordshire © Ben Andrew



Thousands of people were expected to have Sleepouts in their gardens this weekend after the RSPB

received a record 30,000 requests for free Big Wild Sleepout packs.

James Harding-Morris, Big Wild Sleepout

organiser, said: “Spending time as a

family in nature is something special,

whether it’s camping out under the stars,

seeing your first hedgehog or building a

den. The Big Wild Sleepout is the perfect

opportunity for children and families to

break free of the norm and spend a night

out in the wild looking for the amazing

animals around us that thrive in the dark.

The Sleepout aims to bring the next

generation of young people a step closer

to nature - spending time outside

learning more about the wildlife that

surrounds them.” For the second year

running Rohan, designer and supplier of outdoor clothing and footwear, is supporting the Big Wild

Sleepout.

Roger Cann, Managing Director for Rohan, said: “We’re delighted to be involved in this year’s Big Wild

Sleepout again as getting people outdoors, discovering local wildlife and having fun whilst doing so is

something Rohan supports. Whether it's

wrapping up warm with base layers or

waterproofs to keep the rain out, RSPB

Scotland’s novice or experienced

naturalists can kit themselves out for a

night in the wild, whatever the weather.”

RSPB Scotland held an organised Big Wild

Sleepout event at Loch Leven over the

weekend. Families could pitch up at the

charity’s nature reserve on Saturday 30 July

for a night of wild camping under the stars,

while enjoying bat and moth walks,

bushcraft activities and marshmallow

toasting over the fire.

For more information about RSPB Scotland’s Big Wild Sleepout, visit: www.rspb.org.uk/Sleepout

Big Wild Sleepout, sleeping under the stars

© Rahul Thanki

Tawny owl juvenile perched atop splintered trunk of Silver birch

© Andy Hay

http://www.rspb.org.uk/Sleepout



The Tayside BeeWild Initiative Many of the projects being taken forward by the Tayside

Biodiversity Partnership involve local communities contributing

directly to national targets. The Tayside BeeWild Initiative is one

such project. It is exploring ways to safeguard our local

pollinators – from bumblebees to butterflies, and solitary

bees to hoverflies, so that they can play their part in pollinating

our fruit, vegetables and crops. The idea behind the project is that

by involving as many people and organisations as possible we can

share knowledge in how best to manage our greenspace and

gardens for wildlife.

This year's pilot project,

funded by the Angus

Environmental Trust and

jointly led by the Tayside

Biodiversity Partnership and

Volunteer Action Angus, has

involved nine care homes, a

day care centre and a

sheltered housing complex,

all in Angus. Each were able

to choose from a suite

of practical wildlife kits to

suit their surroundings – a

pre-formed plastic pond with

locally-grown pond plants,

wildflower meadow plantings

from local-origin Scottish

seeds, native trees and

Scottish-grown fruit trees,

and flowers suitable for

creating a spring-time biodiversity bank. All participants were given a 'Patios for Wildlife & People' kit

which included bat boxes, a hedgehog hibernation home, bee hotels and bird nest boxes, as well as

wooden plant tubs, all expertly made in the Volunteer Action Angus workshop. The Tayside Biodiversity

Partnership provided a comprehensive Site Biodiversity Action Plan to each property highlighting

potential biodiversity enhancements based on the wildlife kits chosen.

Daisies on the lawn

© C A G Lloyd



There is an important citizen science aspect to the project - each participating property has received good

quality binoculars, a set of Field Study Council identification charts, a book on wildlife gardening and an

information pack. The individual Site Biodiversity Action Plans include a section on opportunities for an

enhanced Activities Programme listing many ongoing practical projects that staff, residents and relatives

can all help with. A regular BeeWild Bulletin will outline a variety of easy national or local wildlife surveys

to take part in so that everyone can contribute to biodiversity targets within the Tayside Biodiversity

Action Plan and the Scottish Government's 2020 Challenge for Biodiversity.

A series of occasional workshops will help Activities staff, relatives and residents alike to continue to enjoy

their improved surroundings – there will be opportunities for everyone involved to ask questions and to

find out more about their local wildlife. The managers of each site have also received a set of Jenny Steel

wildlife books so that they can refer to 'on-the-shelf' expert help for their new ponds or wildflower

plantings. As part of the project, the Partnership's ‘Making Way for Nature' booklet has also been

completely revised and reprinted: this can be downloaded via http://

www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk/2016/07/04/making-way-for-nature/. The booklet will be distributed to

business and industrial parks throughout Tayside, as well as local schools, allotment groups and

community groups who will all be invited to take part in the wider Tayside BeeWild Initiative being rolled

out later in the year.

Bee on allium flower

© C A G Lloyd

http://www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk/2016/07/04/making-way-for-nature/

http://www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk/2016/07/04/making-way-for-nature/



£39,000 for Norfolk heritage sites By John Bark, The Conservation Volunteers

Norfolk’s largest area of ancient woodland and a rare-breed sheep farm are benefiting

from a £39,000 HLF grant to community volunteering charity The Conservation Volunteers

(TCV). TCV will work with local residents to support and improve the sites over two years.

The goal is to attract new volunteers who will be trained to lead a self-sustaining

community group that will continue after the project is complete.

The two locations are within a mile of each other, on the borders of the Broadland and Breckland districts

of Norfolk, about 25km north-west of Norwich. Foxley Wood is a SSSI and NNR owned by Norfolk Wildlife

Trust. It is mentioned in the Domesday Book and parts of the 123 hectare woodland are known to be over

6,000 years old. Wildlife highlights include wild service-tree, the white admiral butterfly and a spectacular

carpet of bluebells which delights hundreds of visitors between mid April and early May.

The Countryside Restoration Trust’s Mayfields Farm

is a 16 hectare smallholding on the outskirts of the

village of Themelthorpe which keeps Norfolk Horn

and Southdowns, ancestors of the Suffolk sheep. Its

activities and facilities promote wildlife-friendly

farming and campaigning for a living, working

countryside.

In its first two months the project is already getting

around 10 volunteers turning out each week,

including many local unemployed people referred

by Dereham Job Centre Plus. Peter worked at an

Army firing range before being made redundant. “I

haven’t done any volunteering before,” he said.

“And as I’m used to the outdoor life, this seemed a

lot better than working in a charity shop.” Fellow

new volunteer Chris also values the therapeutic

effect of being out doing physical work in the sun. “I

worked full-time for 20 years before finding myself

not working due to anxiety and depression,” he said.

“But being able to have the opportunity to do

something I enjoy like this is really helping my

recovery.”

Meeting the rare breeds at Mayfields farm

© Mark Webster, The Conservation Volunteers



In just a few weeks, the volunteers have already

learned new countryside skills including coppicing,

step-building and creating a non-slip surface for a

boardwalk. Kenny McKay of the Countryside

Restoration Trust (CRT) is so pleased with the way

things are going at Mayfields that he is enlisting

the help of TCV at more of CRT’s sites in Essex,

Sussex and Cambridgeshire. “I have been delighted

to see so many new people coming to Mayfields to

help out and enjoy our farm,” he said. “We have not

the resources available to recruit many volunteers

in this rural area, but our partnership with TCV will

enable us to get a lot of jobs done that we would

not have managed otherwise.”

New volunteers are always welcome to help protect and enhance this beautiful and ecologically important

area of rural Norfolk for the benefit of local people, visitors and wildlife. Join in. Feel good.

TCV volunteers will help to manage the Foxley Wood SSSI with its

breath taking display of bluebells.

© David North, Norfolk Wildlife Trust

Taking a break from habitat management at Foxley Wood © Mark Webster, The Conservation Volunteers



Freshwater thinking A new four-year project will boost wildlife in London’s waterways

Water for Wildlife is a new project from London

Wildlife Trust that will focus on freshwater

habitats across the capital. These waterbodies,

and the wildlife species that live in them, will be

monitored and mapped, and practical

conservation work will be undertaken at key sites

across London, enhancing their wildlife value in

line with the London Rivers Action Plan and

national efforts under the EU Water Framework

Directive.

London’s rivers, streams and canals stretch for

over 700km – equivalent to almost four M25s!

On top of that there are an additional 4,275

hectares of reservoirs, lakes, docks and public

ponds. Wildlife loves water, but not all of these

waterbodies are in great shape.

The Water for Wildlife project will deliver a high-

quality training programme, teaching at least

100 volunteers practical conservation skills and training them to survey and monitor freshwater habitats

and insect species. The Trust will also carry out physical improvement work to strengthen the ecological

health of freshwater habitats across London. The project is funded by Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and

Thames Water and will run until December 2019.

Surveying will focus on dragonflies and damselflies (the Odonata). These dazzling animals are one of the

most attractive groups of freshwater insects, which not only look pretty but also provide a useful indicator

of habitat changes – quickly recolonising restored wetlands and relocating in response to climate change.

The surveys will be undertaken with help from the British Dragonfly Society, London Natural History

Society, and local authorities.

The public can get involved by acting as Dragonfly Detectives and taking part in a citizen science survey

of London’s dragonflies and damselflies. Anyone is invited to visit a waterbody, such as a river or pond, to

look for these stunning insects. Sightings can then be reported via www.wildlondon.org.uk/dragonfly-

detectives. At least 10 dragonfly and damselfly species are known to be common across London, but data

on another 20 species is patchy, with some species relatively new to south-east England.

© Iain Leach

http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/dragonfly-detectives

http://www.wildlondon.org.uk/dragonfly-detectives



The results from the Dragonfly

Detectives survey will allow the Trust and

others to better understand the

distribution of different dragonfly

species across London, and will lead to

the development of a new atlas of

dragonflies and damselflies for London.

Water for Wildlife project manager,

Petra Sovic Davies, said: “Freshwater

habitats play an important role in urban

areas; not only by providing essential

ecosystem services, but greatly

improving our quality of life by

providing places where people can play,

explore and enjoy nature. However, many sites are under ecological stress and in need of sympathetic

management. Water for Wildlife will encourage people to get out there and engage with freshwater sites

through surveys and conservation work, and critically, will help us to enhance London’s waterbodies into

wilder places, benefiting both wildlife and people.

Jenny Dadd, grants manager at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation, said: “We are excited to be supporting

Water for Wildlife, a new project aiming to ‘open up’ urban freshwater habitats and species to the wider

public. This work addresses several of our key environmental aims at Esmée Fairbairn Foundation –

fostering community involvement, ownership and stewardship, and furthering knowledge of vital lesser-

known species. We very much hope it will inspire and empower residents and visitors to discover, enjoy

and play a hands-on role in championing and protecting their local water bodies, now and in the future.”

© Iain Leach

© Iain Leach

© Iain Leach



Letting the light into a County Down woodland

The beautiful Montalto Estate, which nestles just outside Ballynahinch in County Down, is set for a new

lease of life. Over 30 hectares of centuries-

old woodland, part of an extensive estate,

will be restored to resemble their former

glory, thanks to the vision of owners the

Wilson family with a helping hand from the

Woodland Trust.

Ancient woodland is a scarce and precious

resource, covering a mere 0.08 per cent of

the Northern Ireland landscape. It

supports a complex web of species,

including plants, fungi and insects – some

rare and vulnerable. In the 20th century,

however, many of our precious old woods

were felled and replanted with non-native, fast-growing conifers in the post-war drive for timber.

The Woodland Trust’s ambitious UK-wide project, thanks to funding of £1.9 million from the Heritage

Lottery Fund, is offering advice to ancient woodland owners. Now three years into a five-year project, the

charity aims to facilitate the restoration of some 52,000 hectares of damaged ancient woodland.

Michael Topping is the Woodland

Trust’s project officer and said: “Here,

some of the original native woodland,

which dates back to at least the 1800s,

was felled years ago and replanted with

conifers, including dense larch and spruce

plantations. Last year, work got underway

to gradually and sensitively remove the

conifers, and to clear away invasive

species, such as rhododendron and laurel.

“The canopy is being opened to allow

sunlight to filter in and reach the

woodland floor, allowing precious native

species to thrive once more. And it’s so heartening to see scatterings of bluebells and wood sorrel

already making an appearance.”

Montalto Estate © Michael Cooper

Hazel, birch, and bluebells © Michael Cooper



David Wilson, who

manages Montalto,

added: “The work carried

out so far, with help from

the Woodland Trust and

Scottish Woodlands, has

really enhanced the

appearance of the woods

on the Demesne. And

with plans to open the

grounds to the public over

the next few years, the

walking trails through the

woods will certainly add a

truly stunning element to

the visitors’ experience.”

Farmers and landowners in Northern Ireland can now avail of government assistance. Forest Service’s

Woodland Investment Grant offers financial support for the removal of non-native and invasive species.

The Woodland Trust is offering free specialist advice to make the ancient woodland restoration process as

straightforward as possible. The charity has launched a new guide, which is available to download at

www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/restoration. To find out more contact Michael Topping at

[email protected].

David Wilson & Michael Topping © Michael Cooper

Conifer plantation © Michael Cooper

http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/restoration




Norfolk's Starlet Sea Anemone: A brief population update

Introduction

The starlet sea anemone (Nematosella vectensis), a small edwardsiid sea anemone of a white to

transparent hue (Stephenson, 1935), lives burrowed into the soft mud of salt marsh creeks, ditches and

pools. It is a most minute anemone, up to 15mm long, and can have between 9-18 tentacles sticking out,

barely visible, above the mud. It burrows itself into such mud by expanding and contracting its long body

down into the mud, leaving its tiny, sticky tentacles on the surface to catch invertebrates from the

surrounding water (JNCC, 2014).

N. vectensis, more commonly found in North America, has a somewhat

restricted range in the UK. It is found primarily found along the East

Anglian coast but also in Hampshire, Dorset and the Isle of Wight

(Norfolk Wildlife Trust, 1998). It was one of the many species which

were classified as a UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) Priority Species

between 1995 and 1999. This has now been updated and N. vectensis

is a ‘Species of Principal Importance’, under the Natural Environment

and Rural Communities Act 2006 (JNCC, 2015). In addition to this, the

little creature is also listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, is

protected under Schedule 5 of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

and the coastal lagoons in which the starlet sea anemone can be

found are listed in Annex I of the Habitats Directive (JNCC, 2014).

Recent history

In Norfolk, N. vectensis was recorded by Bamber (1997) at half-moon pond, Salthouse broad, and also at

Abrahams Bosom by R.B Williams 1987. The Norfolk BAP for this species describes a wide list of threats

including, loss and damage to habitats caused by pollution, drainage and other activities, fragmentation

of populations, coastal defence works, erosion and natural shingle movements. Nationally the actions

suggested to take place included maintaining current populations at the time, and if feasible to re-

introduce the species to five other locations by 2005. Whilst locally the actions for the species were to

maintain, subject to natural change, the populations at half-moon pond, Salthouse broad and Abrahams

Bosom.

In keeping with this action plan the Norfolk Wildlife Trust and Natural England informally reviewed the

status of N. vectensis in 2011 before carrying out an experimental translocation project at Cley Nature

Reserve (pers comms. Ally Evans). The review highlighted a debate at the time which concerned the

origins of the anemone. Some believed that the species was a non-native species brought over from

across the pond whilst others thought it may be a relic from the last ice age. Either way, it was decided

that continued conservation efforts were appropriate and the translocation began. The translocation had

varying success but regardless the work showed that in 2011 there was a total of eight lagoons at Cley

reserve with the starlet sea anemone present.

Figure 1: N. vectensis. © Toby Abrehart



Norfolk sightings

Since the translocation work described there has been no projects around the coast which have N.

vectensis at their heart in such a way. However, the coastal habitats which are their homes have been

much studied providing us with some knowledge of their current condition. One of the main concerns

around Norfolk’s current population of N. vectensis is their vulnerability to coastal change. Luckily, just

prior to the storm surge in 2013 the Cley marsh lagoons were surveyed and the population of the starlet

sea anemone can be mapped from information taken from that report (Natural England; IECS, 2014).

To the right we can see in red

the distribution of the

population at the time of the

review in 2011, and in amber we

can see the population as it was

in the summer of 2013. There is

a slight reduction in range, due

to the loss of half-moon pond

to natural change, but

otherwise between 2011-2013

N. vectensis remained spread

across Arnold’s Marsh,

Salthouse Marshes and into the

pools at the foot of

Gramborough Hill. As it takes time for coastal areas to recover from such large events as the storm surge

in 2013, it’s a good idea to wait a while before re-surveying the area but already sightings of N. vectensis

have been seen at either end of Cley (in green). The remaining coastal lagoons within the Wash and North

Norfolk Coast EMS; those at Snettisham, Abraham’s Bosom, Salt’s Hole and Broadwater are being

surveyed this autumn. Information gleaned from this can then be used to update the status of the

remainder of the N. vectensis populations in Norfolk.

The future

N. vectensis is known to have a tolerance for a wide range of salinities and temperatures so it can be fairly

robust to sudden changes if needed. Here in the UK we think of the starlet sea anemone as a lagoonal

specialist, limited to that environment, but populations in America are described as generalists found in

saltmarsh and shallow estuarine habitats (Tarrant, et al., 2015). Additionally, work in Suffolk has shown

that the species is can be found in pools, ditches and mudflats in saltmarshes and estuaries (Abrehart, et

al., 2013). Being comfortable in a wider range of habitats and conditions is a good skill for the anemone

to have as it allows it to be more resilient to coastal change in the future. It also opens up possible

transport routes around a mosaic of coastal sites which can be exploited. I have heard many theories

about its movement, one of which was that it travels on the feet of birds! but it is much more likely that

they are transported through their preferred method of swimming around.

Continued on next page...



Bearing this in mind, the sightings at either end of Cley are a good sign because if there are sufficient

transport routes N. vectensis could be able to continue using the remainder of the coastal habitats around

it.

References

Bamber, R., 1997. Assessment of saline lagoons within special areas of conservation, s.l.: English

Nature. JNCC, 2014.

MCZ features: JNCC. [Online]

Available at: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5673

[Accessed 7 October 2015].

JNCC, 2015. UK BAP priority species: JNCC. [Online]

Available at: http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5717

[Accessed 7 October 2015].

Natural England; IECS, 2014. North Norfolk lagoons: biotope composition monitoring, s.l.: Natural

England.

Norfolk Wildlife Trust, 1998. Norfolk Biodiversity Action Plan.

Stephenson, 1935. Nematostella vectensis,

Tarrant, A. M. et al., 2015. Current directions and future perspectives from the third Nematostella

research conference. Zoology, pp. 135-140.

Abrehart T.R and Jackson R,L 2013, An NVC of the Alde-Ore Estuary SSSI, Suffolk. An ecological

survey including floral and fauna observations undertaken for Natural England by Abrehart Ecology.

Buckinghamshire’s birds, bees and butterflies boosted by

new countryside coalition

A Buckinghamshire farm is among 42 progressive arable farms across the UK championing sustainable

farming – as part of a new partnership to enhance the natural environment and support farming

communities. George Morris of Manor Farm, Hoggeston, between Aylesbury and Winslow, is proud to be

in the Jordans Farm Partnership, a unique new collaboration involving The Wildlife Trusts, Linking

Environment And Farming (LEAF) and Jordans.

The aim of the Jordans Farm Partnership is to

promote sustainable farming practices and address

rural development issues through The Prince’s

Countryside Fund. Manor Farm in Hoggeston is a

family-run mixed farm growing oats for breakfast

cereal brand Jordans. George is the third generation

of his family at Manor Farm, which he runs with his

wife Elaine, daughter Caroline and son Alex.

Hereford cattle at Manor Farm, Hoggeston, one of the 42 Jordans Farm Partnership farms across the UK making space for wildlife.

© Ric Mellis

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5673

http://jncc.defra.gov.uk/page-5717



They’ve sown wildflower margins around

the arable fields to attract butterflies and

other insects, which in turn feed bats.

‘Bumblebird’ plants are sown annually to

provide shelter and food for insects, birds

and small mammals in the winter and

early spring, and pollen and nectar during

the summer. Several kilometres of

hedgerows planted in the last three years

give additional shelter and food sources

for birds, small mammals and insects.

Among the wildlife benefitting from these

sustainable farming practices are brown

hares and farmland birds: skylarks,

yellowhammers, tree sparrows and lesser

whitethroats, all species that have in the

past been in decline due to the intensification of farming.

The business, which is known locally as Morris of Hoggeston, throws open the doors five times a year for

Farmhouse Breakfast weekends when hundreds of people visit, enjoy tractor and trailer rides around the

farm and a full English farmhouse breakfast with sausages, bacon and eggs from the farm’s own

Gloucester Old Spot pigs and flock of hens. Schoolchildren visit from London, Oxford and local schools in

North Marston and Cheddington to enjoy a day out on the farm learning about where their food comes

from and how the Morris family looks after wildlife.

Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive of the Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust welcomed the new Jordans Farm

Partnership: “Farmers are the custodians of 75% of our countryside and The Wildlife Trusts have a long

history of working with farmers to help find ways to maximise the wildlife habitats on their land.

“We are delighted to be working with the Jordans Farm Partnership and their farmers. New areas of wild

flowers, hedges and nest boxes make a big difference to pollinating insects, small mammals and wild

birds as they navigate their way through our landscape. In this way the partnership will not only help

wildlife to adapt to the pressures of a changing climate, but it will help bring wildlife back into people’s

lives.”

The Morris family from the left are Caroline (with sheepdog Tess), Alex (seated), Elaine and George Morris beside one of the ‘wildlife larder’ hedgerows planted

to attract butterflies and other insects, farmland birds and small mammals. © Ric Mellis



RSPB Land Management Training Courses 2016

Details of this year’s RSPB Land Management Training courses are available on the RSPB website here:

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/advice/training/habitattraining.aspx. By the time this issue

of Biodiversity News is published, many of the courses will have already taken place. However, there are

two courses in November which readers may be

interested in:

An introduction to wet grassland

16 November – RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire

Advanced lowland wet grassland – managing wet

grasslands into the future

17 November – RSPB Otmoor, Oxfordshire

To book a place on either of these courses or to make

enquiries about receiving details of such training events in the future, please

contact [email protected] or telephone 01767 693308,

quoting ref: NAM 02

Wood wise - marvellous mammals Mammals are our closest living relatives and we share similar

traits...

From bats and beavers to pine martens and polecats., this issue explores

the marvellous world of the mammals that call the UK woodland their

home.

To read past and current issues of Wood Wise please just follow this

link. If you would like to subscribe to future Wood Wise issues, please

email [email protected].

http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/conservation/advice/training/habitattraining.aspx


http://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/publications/search/?type=100007808




Short courses in ecological survey techniques and data

analysis

Postgraduate Certificate in Ecological Survey Techniques (starting September 2017)

Taught part-time, normally over one year, the Postgraduate Certificate in

Ecological Survey Techniques provides the knowledge, understanding

and skills needed to conduct effective ecological field surveys for a range

of key taxa and to analyse field survey data with confidence.

The PGCert offers an effective blend of face-to-face, online and

experiential learning, which ensures that specialist training can fit

alongside busy work schedules and commitments.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/pgcertest

Field Techniques for Surveying Vegetation (21 September – 26 October 2016)

This 5 week part-time online course enables students to gain the

knowledge and skills necessary to conduct effective vegetation surveys

and to choose the correct sampling strategies. Taught by Dr Jocelyne

Hughes, the course offers expert practical training for conservationists

working in a diversity of habitats and biomes.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/vegetation

Scottish Coppice Festival

The very first Scottish Coppice Festival is being planned between 11th March and 2nd April 2017.

The Scottish Crannog Centre will be holding a Coppice Craft Fair (19th March tbc) and there will be a

series of site visits to a number of different coppice woodlands in Angus, Fife and Perthshire. A seminar is

being planned to discuss coppice products marketing, how to engage volunteers and the way forward in

coppice management for biodiversity. Other events (yet to be confirmed) will take place elsewhere in

Scotland. Check the www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk "What's On" page for further details and confirmed

dates.

Festival Partners include the Tayside Biodiversity Partnership, Reforesting Scotland, the Scottish Crannog

Centre and Angus Council.

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/pgcertest

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/pgcertest

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/vegetation

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/vegetation

http://www.taysidebiodiversity.co.uk



Data Analysis in Ecology: Statistics for Ecologists and Field Biologists (2 November – 7 December

2016 / 22 February – 03 May 2017)

This tutor-led ecological statistics course provides a thorough

introduction to the key statistical principles and methods used by

ecologists and field biologists. It will appeal to a variety of practitioners

in environmental science and management who want to improve their

ability to display ecological data, and to use descriptive and inferential

statistics to analyse the results from field surveys. The course

introduces students to the use of the following software: QED statistics and R.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dataanalysis

Multivariate Ecological Statistics (7 – 10 November 2016)

This four-day training workshop in Multivariate Statistics (theory and

practice) provides an integrated programme of statistical approaches

for research in ecology, field biology, environmental science and

management. The sessions provide an essential learning for those

needing a skillset of statistical approaches required for research, or

professional and industry-based projects. Delegates will be introduced

to skills in experimental design, sampling strategies and data analysis that are essential to the setting up

and evaluation of field experiments, landscape scale studies, research into ecosystem services and

processes, and assessing the impacts of environmental change or management on biodiversity.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mes

Field Techniques for Surveying Mammals & Reptiles (11 January – 15 February 2017)

This 5 week part-time online course is designed to equip students with

the skills, techniques and know-how necessary to undertake surveys of

mammal and reptile populations or individuals with confidence. The

course aims to enable students to make their own spatial and temporal

observations and recordings of mammals and reptiles, and will explore

how to design appropriate sampling strategies and protocols. It is ideal

for professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and

rangers, research and postgraduate students, and volunteers that are

seeking flexible study combined with expert training.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mammals

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/dataanalysis



http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mes

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mes

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mammals

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/mammals



Field Techniques for Surveying Birds (15 February – 22 March 2017)

This 5 week part-time online course provides the expertise and essential

know-how needed by the skilled practitioner in bird conservation and

ecology. It is ideal for professional ecological consultants, environmental

managers and rangers, research and postgraduate students, and

volunteers that are seeking flexible study combined with expert

training. Field Techniques for Surveying Birds aims to create a rich

workshop experience by encouraging direct student and tutor

interaction and discussion in an online setting.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/birds

Field Techniques for Surveying Fish & Amphibians (22 March – 26 April)

This 5 week part-time online course provides in-depth training in fish

and amphibian surveying and sampling from initial considerations

through to methods and techniques, sampling strategies and

reporting. It is ideal for professional ecological consultants,

environmental managers and rangers, research and postgraduate

students, and volunteers that are seeking flexible study combined with

expert training. Field Techniques for Surveying Fish and Amphibians

aims to create a rich workshop experience by encouraging direct

student and tutor interaction and discussion in an online setting.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/fish

Field Techniques for Surveying Invertebrates (26 April – 31 May 2017)

This 5 week part-time online course offers expert-led training in invertebrate surveying techniques from

planning and preparations through to sampling strategies, surveying

methods and reporting. Topics covered include interception and

responsive trapping techniques, identification and taxonomic

considerations, habitat description and evaluation, managing

specimens, and analysing and interpreting data. It is ideal for

professional ecological consultants, environmental managers and

rangers, research and postgraduate students, and volunteers that are

seeking flexible study combined with expert training. Field Techniques

for Surveying Invertebrates aims to create a rich workshop experience by encouraging direct student and

tutor interaction and discussion in an online setting.

Full details and to apply: www.conted.ox.ac.uk/invertebrates

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/birds

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/birds

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/fish

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/fish

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/invertebrates

http://www.conted.ox.ac.uk/invertebrates



A huge thank you to everyone who tagged their photos with #BNcover to enter our “summer” themed

competition on Twitter.

We plan to run further photo competitions in the future so make sure you

follow @DefraNature to find out more.

You can also enter by emailing your photos to [email protected].

@greatemancipato

© Iain Leach @Spinkybird

@ReySincJackie

@ReySincJackie

@greatemancipato @Spinkybird

@SuffolkNature

https://twitter.com/DefraNature?lang=en-gb

https://twitter.com/DefraNature?lang=en-gb


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