Local wildlife sightings.

We encourage local residents to let us know of wildlife sightings.

We have been told that in the last few days Nightingales have been heard and seen in the area surrounding East Field!

Two reports are for sightings of the Painted Lady butterfly.

Pyramidal Orchids are fairly common in gardens and fields in the village and these are now showing where mowing in lawns is watched closely. Probably flowering in June.

We would like to encourage more gardeners to look out for them before the mower gets too close!

Bumble bees are very busy too. Identification is needed.

We are lucky that our local farmer keeps wide wild margins round his fields which must help wildlife a great deal.

We hope to receive more sightings over the next few weeks.

 

"Curry Woods Conservation Trust." A community initiative to create a new woodland ! Curry Rivel, Somerset

                        Friday June 3rd (Bank Holiday for the Queen's Platinum Jubilee)

You will be familiar with the Burton Pynsent monument, situated above the village and looking over the Somerset Levels to the west- but probably not the view from the top as the monument is only opened occasionally, under supervision, as it is potentially dangerous for people to climb it alone. Tim Schroder, of Burton House, has very kindly agreed to open it on June 3rd this year, the weekend of the Queen's Jubilee celebrations, with the request that people taking advantage of this chance of an exciting climb make a donation to the CWCT at the time. The monument will be open from 1 to 6pm on 3rd June and we hope to see you there! Peter's blog for May tells you more about the story of the monument.

Peters Blog link for more information.

As we slowly get our Heart of the Levels Group back to life after what seems like a life time with no parties to help us!! You might find this post of interest?

See more at: https://mailchi.mp/11beba108d4c/ahead-of-cop26-help-us-to-map-natures-recovery-742322?e=78a7d4ba50

Hi David,  Take part in the UK's biggest nature challenge 🌳🦔 Every June, hundreds of thousands of people take part in 30 Days Wild - our popular annual event when we challenge everyone to complete a wild activity every day for a whole month! You might be having breakfast with the birds on Monday, baking hedgehog cupcakes on Tuesday, and meditating outdoors on Wednesday. Posted by Nicky Williams for the Wildlife Trusts: Find out more about the projects, watch our wonderful short films, and find out how you can be a part of Nextdoor Nature. Be a part of Nextdoor Nature Thank you so much for your continued support, Nikki Williams Director: Campaigning and Communities The Wildlife Trusts

New announcement affecting my local wildlife trust.

National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949

Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981

Declaration of National Nature Reserve

Districts of Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and Mendip

County of Somerset

Notice is hereby given that:

In pursuance of section 19(1) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 and section 35(1) of the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and all other powers enabling them in that behalf Natural England has, by the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve No.01 Declaration made on the 4th day of May 2022, declared that the Bridgwater Bay, Ham Wall, Huntspill River, Shapwick Heath, Somerset Levels and Westhay Moor National Nature Reserves are extended and collectively are to be known henceforth as the Somerset Wetlands National Nature Reserve.

In accordance with section 19(3) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (as amended), and all other powers enabling them in that behalf, Natural England has declared that the land having a total area of 78.15 hectares or thereabouts shown cross-hatched and shaded yellow on the map no.7 attached to the said Declaration, situated in the Districts of Mendip and Sedgemoor in the County of Somerset, (which land was included in the Ham Wall No.01 Declaration made by The Nature Conservancy Council for England on the 19th day of July 1995) has ceased to be held by Natural England and is now held and managed as a nature reserve by the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

The extension land having a total area of 2274.16 hectares or thereabouts shown single hatched or cross hatched and shaded yellow on the maps attached to the said Declaration, situated in the Districts of Somerset West and Taunton, South Somerset, Sedgemoor and Mendip in the County of Somerset, has been acquired and is held by Natural England or is held by the Environment Agency, Hawk and Owl Trust, National Trust, Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Somerset Wildlife Trust, and Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, bodies approved by Natural England to hold and manage National Nature Reserves.

The said land now having a total area of 6138.92 hectares or thereabouts is being managed as a nature reserve, and Natural England is satisfied that the land is of national importance.

And in accordance with section 19(3) of the National Parks and Access to the Countryside Act 1949 (as amended), and all other powers enabling them in that behalf, Natural England has declared that the land having a total area of 1.24 hectares or thereabouts shown cross-hatched and un-shaded on the map no.7 attached to the said Declaration, situated in the District of Mendip in the County of Somerset, (which land was included in the Shapwick Heath National Nature Reserve No.05 Declaration made by English Nature on the 29th day of September 2006) has ceased to be held and managed by Natural England as a nature reserve.

The declaration and associated maps may be viewed on Natural England’s website at: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-nature-reserves-formal-notice-of-new-or-extended-sites

Rachel Williams, Area Manager for Wessex,
on behalf of Natural England.

Natural England Blog post. Catch up!

Greener farming advice during the agricultural transition period

Posted by: Rob Cooke, Posted on: 2 February 2022 - Categories: Farming

I’m fortunate to be the Director of the Greener Farming and Fisheries Programme in Natural England. There’s a wide remit under the greener farming umbrella but one area that I want to focus on here is Natural England’s role in delivering advice to farmers and landowners for nature’s recovery.

January 2021 saw the start of the seven-year transition away from EU rules and the end of the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The Government has set out how Basic Payment Scheme direct payments will be phased out over the period to 2027-28 and delinked from the need to farm in 2024. Evidence shows that agricultural businesses rely heavily on these payments to remain profitable. Instead of these direct payments, incentives will be introduced to encourage more environmentally friendly practices based on public money for public goods.

Farming activity covers 70% of England’s land - all our natural and semi-natural habitat (at least 2m hectares including 39% of Sites of Scientific Interest) is either managed or affected by the way it is farmed. In turn, this directly links to the quality of our landscapes, the health of our ecosystems and the benefits they bring to society.

As part of the biggest change to English agricultural policy in decades, by 2024, Defra will have fully introduced three new environmental land management schemes that will be open for applications:

• the Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI)
• Local Nature Recovery (LNR)
• Landscape Recovery (LR).