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).

Curry Woods Conservation Trust located in Curry Rivel , Somerset , UK

We will finalise plans for the second phase of tree planting for our new woodland!

Volunteers to help with tree planting welcome.

 

Agenda for the Trustee 2022 meeting to be held in Curry Rivel 

on Friday 14^th January at 7.30pm

 

1.  Apologies for absence

2.  Approval of minutes of previous meeting held on November30th 2021

3.  Matters arising.

4.  Collection of trees 17/18 January 9, 2022

5.  Planting on 19^th January

- attendees

- start time

-equipment

6.  Woodland management plan - CM

7.  Insurance 

8.  Update on finance- AC

9.  AOB

Web site:cwctrust@aol.com

Photo by Chris Chappell. member of Heart of the Levels Group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust

Somerset County Council announcement on climate change!

 

Make a pledge to ‘cut the carbon’ in 2022 

5 January 2022

Somerset County Council is calling on residents to join the county’s fight against climate change by ‘cutting the carbon’ in 2022.

The County Council and the four district councils have all declared a climate emergency and set ambitious goals for Somerset to become a carbon neutral county by 2030.

Now, as a new year begins, Somerset County Council is urging everyone to make their own new year pledge to reduce their carbon footprint for 2022.

Council Leader David Fothergill said: “Many of us kick off the new year with a diet – how about for 2022 we commit to cutting carbon as well as carbs?

“We know that climate change is a big priority for the people of Somerset. We’ve made the pledge to lead from the front – we’ve invested millions of pounds in our council buildings to drastically reduce our own carbon footprint and we’ve also made £1.5m available for community projects in every corner of Somerset. 

“There’s more to do and we can all play our part. Whether it’s making our own homes more energy efficient, recycling more, reducing car travel, shopping locally, growing our own food – let’s make the pledge to make a difference in 2022.” 

Throughout January, Somerset County Council will be premiering a series of short films showcasing communities already doing amazing things to cut the carbon in Somerset. 

Case studies range from the green-minded village of Wedmore to modern thinking from the 850-year-old Wells Cathedral; from community energy in Avalon to growing local veg in Porlock, from retrofitting homes in Bruton to e-scooters in Taunton and the success of the Recycle More programme. 

Cllr David Hall, Somerset County Council’s Cabinet Member for Climate Change, said: “Climate change is one of the biggest challenges facing us today and it can sometimes feel overwhelming. But small steps really do make a difference and we can all be part of the solution.  

“It’s fantastic to see so many communities setting an example right here in Somerset and I’m sure that by showcasing their efforts it will inspire others to step up. If you’re doing something in your home or community, please get in touch – we’d love to share your story too.” 

The first film featuring Wedmore will be premiered on Friday 7 January at 8pm at https://www.facebook.com/events/353230972807272/. Further new films will be aired throughout January every Tuesday and Friday at 8pm at www.facebook.com/SomersetCountyCouncil – or you can find them afterwards on the Climate Emergency webpage. 

Curry Woods Conservation Trust

Extract from the notice for our first AGM.

Curry Woods Conservation Trust.                 

Website: currywoodsconservationtrust.com

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.The Trust will hold its first Annual General meeting on the 7thDecember in the Old School Room starting at 1830. The meeting will be proceeded by a talk about the work of the Re-imagining the Levels Group in tackling the problem of flooding in Somerset by finding areas on the hills above the levels where trees can be planted. This is also the aim of the “Trees for Water” scheme funded by the Somerset Rivers Authority and our Trust has worked “hand in glove” with these two organisations to plant up the Curry Woods area. Much, much more land on the Somerset hills must be used to plant trees if if there is any hope of preventing the levels like West Sedgemoor in our Parish from permanent flooding in future warmer years.So please come along and hear about our efforts to help you combat climate change.There will be a General report on the last eighteen months’ work to buy the land and plant the trees. A financial report will be presented on fund raising and fully examined accounts will be available for scrutiny. These have been submitted to the Charity Commission in their required format. There will be a report on setting up the Charity and the website and how to access the latter. As we are all going to have to change how we are live our lives now that the new warmer world is with us it will be a time to celebrate our Community’s response to combat flooding and increase biodiversity by conserving and improving our great natural assets in Curry Woods.  Funding:  Our participation in the Aviva Community and Climate Change funding programme that I described last month was very fruitful. A week after the programme opened on Crowdfunder we had reached our target and so a “stretch target” was put in place as the fund will be open until the third of December. We also are very grateful for a grant from the Curry Rivel News to help with hedgerow management on the Trust’s land. Once the next round of planting is done we will move on to developing a management plan for the existing woodland, managing our hedges to maximise insect and bird life and marking the boundaries in the wood. The footpath in the wood will also be renovated and information boards built. And finally……Just a reminder that we will have another 400 trees to plant in early December and any help will be much appreciated  For dates and details watch the website  . In the meantime, thanks for all your support in the last year and, at the end of a very warm November, the team at the Trust wish you a Happy Christmas, hopefully with our families this year, and the best of everything you could wish for next year.  

Natural England,s Green Infrastructure Framework : hope you find it interesting!

GOV.UK

A new post, “How Natural England’s Green Infrastructure Framework can help create better places to live” has just been published on the Natural England blog.  The pandemic showed how important nature is to our health and wellbeing, but also how many people do not have access to high quality green space close to home. The Green Infrastructure Framework released today will help us achieve this … Read the new post:  You’re getting this email because you subscribed to updates from the Natural England blog. Unsubscribe from the Natural England blog.

Wildlife Conservation from the Heart of the Levels in Somerset UK: Holiday photo/ Sulphurous Jewel beetle

Took this photo a couple of ago whilst visiting our daughter who was working in Abu Dhabi and thought it worth revisiting. Selfish reason really.

Wildlife Conservation from the Heart of the Levels in Somerset UK: Holiday photo/ Sulphurous Jewel beetle: http://www.arkive.org/sulphurous-jewel-beetle/julodis-euphratica/ Found this beetle which you can see on this link. In AbuDhabi!  

Curry Woods Conservation Trust- latest news

Hi. It's me in that hole. I've just had my 75th birthday, so what am I doing standing in a hole wearing a swim suit and wellies in October? (UTube video not included here yet) Trying to catch your attention, that's what! Your attention to the effects of climate change, which will be so important, particularly for my children and grandchildren's generation . We can all do our bit to try to alleviate the effects, particularly ones we can already see. I live in Somerset, one of the areas most likely to be severely affected . Our project concerns the Somerset Levels, a large part of the county generally at or below sea level. You probably remember the pictures on the news a few years back when the Levels were flooded and whole communities had to leave their homes. Animals got stranded, roads had to be closed -it was a real disaster. Our local village school has been flooded twice in the recent past. This is predicted to become a more common event from now on due to climate change. Somerset has less tree cover than most counties in England; In the past a lot of the trees have been removed from the hills surrounding the Levels to make room for farmland. Trees hold rainwater and release it slowly over time so replanting trees  above the Levels will help to reduce flooding. Trees also capture and store carbon dioxide and this also combats climate change. Our small local charity was formed when 9 acres of farmland and mature woodland came up for sale on a ridge above the Levels. During 2020, in spite of the pandemic, we raised £60K , mainly from the local community, to buy the land.  Our willing volunteers, including the top two classes from our local school,  have already planted 500 trees and shrubs on the farmland and the local community has enjoyed the wildflower meadow that has developed alongside them. This winter we have obtained another  grant for a further 400 trees and shrubs, with guards and stakes, , to plant later in the season.

The weather was kind to us and our trees this summer as the early rain allowed them to establish their roots and we didn't need to water. Very few trees didn't grow. However, next year may not be so obliging, so for minimal outlay we have constructed a rainwater capture apparatus. We now have 3.5m3 water in large tanks. However, we need a means to get it from the tanks to the trees. Various ideas are being considered, but they will all cost money. Our boundaries in the woodland  are currently not marked, though we have identified where they are from our documents. We need to mark them clearly and to protect saplings growing in the wood from being browsed by deer. As the woodland is on the steep slope to the Levels on the north this will not be easy!

 We have no income other than that obtained by fundraising so that is why we are very much hoping you will support us now!  Thank you for your attention

Latest news from Natural England

 Interesting in light of the pending Climate Conference in Glasgow

A new post, “Rewilding the Marches Mosses – Britain’s third largest raised bog” has just been published on the Natural England blog. 

By Dr. Joan Daniels, MBE, Natural England’s Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project Officer, at Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses National Nature Reserve.  For 30 years, I have been lucky enough to lead Natural England/Natural Resources Wales rewilding of the centre of …

Read the new post: https://naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2021/10/25/rewilding-the-marches-mosses-britains-third-largest-raised-bog/

Somerset local action to cope with Climate Change.

We are getting somewhat overwhelmed by initiatives to cope with Climate Change. About time too you might think. I have been watching the series of programmes on TV called  " Earth Shot" and it took me some time to find out what it was all about. ( https://earthshotprize.org ) I found out eventually that it was an initiative started a year ago to find new ways of responding to all aspects of the damage we are collectively causing to the Earth. The BBC web site is currently giving a good introduction to it I eventually found!

All this made me repeat much of an earlier post about our local situation which is no bad thing!

However this post is just looking at Somerset responses to probably our biggest climate change threat  namely flooding.Where we live is about 50 metres above sea level and there are  predictions of future sea levels which would put us on the new coast line!

This possibility has led to serious efforts to respond. You can see how seriously by visiting the web site set up to focus our local attention to the potential consequences: 

https://www.adaptingthelevels.com/about

I hope you will see why I have gone to the trouble to tell you all about it!