Annual Review 2011-2012, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

7/29/2019 Annual Review 2011-2012, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust

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Annual Review20112012

Protecting Wildlife or the Future


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A strong ground forceWithoutourteamohardylivestockwecouldnotrestoreandmaintain

therichvarietyowildlieonourgrasslands,heathsandens.Ourgrazingcattle,sheepandponiesaredoinganimportantjobinkeepingsitesopenandingoodcondition.Thisyear,withsupportromWREN,wepurchased30HebrideansheeporourChilternsChalkGrasslandProject.Bynibblingclosetothegroundtheyenablesmalleroweringplantssuchashorseshoevetchtoourish,whichinturnsupportscountlessinsectsincludingthechalkhillbluebuttery.ForourCothillFenProject,withhelpromSITATrust,weboughtDextercowsandCarneddauWelshponiestotacklecoarsegrassesandscrubthatwerechokingtheen.SummergrazingatParsonage

Moorhasalreadycreatedmoreopenwaterandestablishedtherightbreedingconditionsortheinternationallyraresoutherndamsely.

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Acquiring, creating and

managingnature reservesOurcontinuingworktoprotectwildliehavensorpeopletoenjoyIt was one hundred years ago thatCharlesRothschildproposedsaeguardingthebestplacesorwildlieinBritainandoundedtheSocietyorPromotionoNatureReserves,knowntodayastheRoyalSocietyoWildlieTrusts.

Whilewecommemoratedourhistory(severalBBOWTsitesincludingHartslockandCothillFenwereamongthe284placesidentiedin1912),onthegroundwemustlooktotheuturehealthoourreserves.Somuchhasbeenlostinthelast50yearsthatourreservesnowactasreservoirsorgenepoolsoindividualandcommunitiesospecies,whichwillbeessentialtoenabletherestorationohabitatsacrossthewidercountryside.

BBOWTprotectsandactivelymanages79wildlie-richsitesthatcover1,746hectaresinBerkshire,BuckinghamshireandOxordshire.Manyothesesitesrepresentsomeothelastragmentsobygonelandscapesthatoncestretchedacrossthethreecounties.They

includeancientwoodland,grasslandandwetland,aswellashedgerows,riversandstreams.Ourmanagementothesespecialsitescontinuestodemonstratebestpracticeorhabitatmanagementtoencourageotherstodothesame.Ournaturereservesareimportantorpeopletoo.Theyprovideopportunitiestoenjoyandlearnabouttherichvarietyohabitatsthatwereoncewidespreadandawayorpeopletoconnectwithnature.

Healthier ens: These boggy wildernesses are incredibly rare in lowlandEngland, yet support large numbers o specialist plants and insects suchas bladderwort, dragonies and damselies. Through the Cothill FenProject our enland reserves in south Oxon have been restored andenhanced, as a result o grazing, scrub cutting, peat digging and pondcreation. This project was supported by SITA Trust.

Building a bigger picture: With clipboards at the ready our dedicated

volunteers completed 312 habitat and species surveys on 71 o our sites.The data they collect helps to run a health check o our reserves to see

i what we have done on the ground is working and whether we need

to adapt our management. The survey results also help environmentalrecord centres to assess the health o wildlie nationwide.

Shepperlands Farm unveiled: Our newest nature reserve was ormallyunveiled in July 2011 in memory o Len and Marie Goodwin. For thefrst time in years the meadow was cut or hay to encourage the growtho more wildowers, including orchids, musk mallow and cuckooower

(pictured let). Ponies grazed on the heath, while bracken and scrubwere cut back to promote heather to create the ideal conditions orresident reptiles and visiting dragonies.

Key highlights


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Bigger,betterand more

joinedupWorkinginpartnershiptocreatelandscapesorwildlieandpeopleWhile nature reserves are successulindeendingwildliewhereitremains,westillneedtorestoreandrebuildthenaturalenvironmentinthewidercountryside,andtobringwildlieintoourtownsandcities.AspartoourLivingLandscapesvision

weaimtocreatebigger,better-managedandmorejoined-upsitesinwhichwildliecanmoveaboutreelyasdescribedinDeras2010LawtonReviewMaking Space or Nature.ThisyearwemadegoodprogresswithourthreeLivingLandscapesprojects:theRayValleyRestorationProjectinpartnershipwithRSPBontheBucks/Oxonborder;WestBerkshireLivingLandscapeSchemeinpartnershipwithWestBerkshireCouncil;andUpperThamesLivingLandscape(centredonChimneyMeadows

naturereserve)inwestOxon.Westrengthenedourpartnershipsacrossthethreeprojectareas,workingcloselywithlocalauthorities,landowners,conservationorganisationsanduniversityresearchunits.AnothercrucialpartoourLiving

Landscapesworkishelpingpeopletoconnectwiththelandscapeswheretheylive.Throughouttheyearwestagedaullprogrammeoeventsandactivitiesorlocalpeople.OneBerkshireresidentwhojoinedusonaLivingLandscapeguidedwalksaid,We have lived in Thatcham or many years butit was a real surprise or us to nd there is somuch wonderul wildlie on our doorstep; we justneeded someone to help us see whats there.

Recreating foodplain meadow: In spring 2012, with support rom

Bifa Award, we completed a three-year project at Gallows Bridge Farm

along the Upper River Ray to restore the precious oodplain meadowand create new wetland habitat. This included an annual hay cut and

the creation o new ponds and scrapes or wading birds such as curlew,

snipe and lapwing. A leaet and interpretation boards are now in place toinspire visitors about the habitats and the wildlie that ourishes there.

Making wildlife our business:Over the last year our largest naturereserve, Chimney Meadows, paid its own way or the frst time. It is o

undamental importance that we can demonstrate to other landowners

the fnancial viability, as well as the wildlie benefts, o our moreextensive, environmentally sensitive approach to land management. To

improve our management o the site, we installed a piped water supply

and purchased agricultural machinery.

Restoring chalk grassland: As a result o last year s restoration workon our Chilterns chalk grassland reserves over 130 small heath butteries

(pictured let) were recorded at Hartslock and a dark green ritillary was

seen laying eggs on the cleared areas at Warburg Nature Reserve. This

year we have made signifcant progress at Dancersend including thepreparation o the ground or the sowing o wildower seed across an

expanse o nine hectares. This project is unded by WREN.

Key highlights


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Heathland rescue in West Berkshire

Richwithhiddenwildlie,lowlandheathlandishometonational

rarities.Yetduringthe20thcenturyBritainlost84%oitsheathsandalongwiththemmanyiconicheathlandspecies.ThisyearaspartotheWestBerkshireLivingLandscapescheme,undedbyGrantScape,SITATrustandBifaAward,werestored13hectaresoheathland:clearingscrub,creatingscrapes,reseedingheatherandthinningtrees.Ourseasonalwardenshelpedtoprotectground-nestingbirdsincludingnightjar(picturedabove).Wealsocareullymonitoredthespecialistwildlie,ocussingontherestorationareas.ToseeandhearanightjaratCrookhamCommonollowingtherestorationworkwastremendouslyrewarding.RogerStace,WBLLprojectocer.

Throughouttheyearwehaveinvolvedlocalpeople,withwalks,talksandaphotographicexhibitionthatisstilltouringlocalvenues.

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Reaching children from towns and cities

InAprilournewenvironmentaleducationcentreatWoolleyFirsinBerkshireopeneditsdoorstolocalchildren.SchoolgroupscameromReadingandSlough,manyowhomreceivedbursaryundingtocoverthecostotheirouting(supportedbyS.F.I.A.EducationalTrustLimitedandTheShanlyFoundation).AtWoolleyFirsweaimtoswitchchildrenontonaturebyusingthelatesttechnologiesthatwillappealtothem.ThankstoPanasonicUKthecentreisequippedwithaninteractivewhiteboard.ThechildrenarealsousingsmartphonesasmobilewildlieidenticationandrecordingdevicesloadedwithWildKeyappswhichprovideasetoquestionsandapicturetohelpnameaparticularspecies.

Usingphonesalongsidesweepnets,thechildrencanexplorethewonderulnaturalresourcesonsite.Theseincludeatreetrailandwoodland,arablearmland,orchard,hedgerow,pondsandmeadows.

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Inspiring,encouragingand

supportingothers to take actionBringingconservationtolieorlocalpeopleWhen Trust President andTVnaturalistSteveBackshallpresentedprizestojuniormembersattheWildEncounterseventatCollegeLake,herecalledhowhisparentshadencouragedhimasayoungchildtocrawlaroundthegardenlookingorbeetles.The

opportunitytogetclosetowildlie,toeelmillipedesinhishandsandmudoozethroughhistoes,iswhatturnedhimontonature.AtBBOWTwepassionatelybelieveinsparkingchildrensinterestinwildlieromanearlyage.AtSuttonCourtenayEnvironmentalEducationCentreweintroducedNatureTots,atwice-monthlycofeemorningwherepre-schoolchildrenandtheircarerscangetmuddyandhaveuninthewoodlandandmeadow.AtourGrufaloeventinOctober

over450FamilyWatchmemberswereheldspellboundbyauthorandChildrensLaureate,JuliaDonaldson.DuringtheyearweproducednewFamilyFune-bulletinsandhosteddrop-indiscoverydaystogivechildrenandtheiramiliesopportunitiestodiscoverandlearn

aboutlocalwildlie.Duringterm-timeatCollegeLakeandSuttonCourtenaywetaught6,642childrenandmadeoutreachvisitsinthetwocounties,eithertoschoolsorlocalnaturereserves.Oneeight-yearoldchildrecentlywrote:Thank you or letting us come and explorediferent habitats. I had a antastic andinteresting day. The really best thing was themeadow because I liked catching the ants, spidersand earwigs.

Wildlie Encounter winners: Wildlie Watch members o the Trust let

their imaginations run wild in response to our summer competition, with

poems, stories and pictures inspired by visits to BBOWT nature reserves.Winners were delighted to meet Steve Backshall, who spoke about

wildlie with boundless enthusiasm and ew owls over the audience. We

hope that by staging memorable moments like these, the children willdevelop a lielong love o nature.

Family Fun:Our award-winning eco centre at College Lake continuesto attract growing numbers o visitors. This year we welcomed 47,000

people. Many visitors attended our programme o seasonal workshops

and guided walks. Family discovery days remained ever popular, romnest building and pond dipping to mini -beast making and Apple Day.

A team o 120 volunteers made all this possible, managing the reserve,

meeting and greeting, and serving tea and cakes in the ca.

Developing Green Talent: Ater one year o extensive training ourfrst group o trainees (unded by Heritage Lottery Fund) all successully

began careers within the conservation sector. As a DGT trainee I gained

invaluable experience learning on the job and through practical training such

as habitat management, species identifcation and surveying, events andinterview and presentation techniques. I now work or the RSPB at Otmoor as

Assistant Reserve Warden.Owain Hegarty.

Key highlights


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Established in 1959, the Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxordshire Wildlie Trust (BBOWT) is nowthe largest and most infuential voluntary conservation organisation in the region concerned withall aspects of nature conservation. Our vision is to create a region rich in wildlife, appreciated by all.

BBOWT is one o 47 Wildlie Trusts working across the UK, with 820,700 members and 2,300 naturereserves. Together the Wildlie Trusts are the largest UK voluntary organisation dedicated toprotecting wildlie and wild places everywhere on land and at sea.

Contact us:

Registered charity number: 204330

We thank NFU Mutual Oxord Agency or supporting the cost o this publication as part o our wider partnership.

For uther details, please contact 01865 559270 or visit www.numutual.co.uk/oxord

BBOWT, The Lodge, 1 Armstrong Road,Littlemore, Oxord, OX4 4XTTel: 01865 775476Email: [email protected]

Documents

Annual Review 2011-2012, Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust