Living Landscapes

Its always good to start with a great photograph and I think this qualiflies. Photo by John Bebbington showing a Large Elephant Hawke moth on honeysuckle. I include it because its a special image but also as a demonstration of the wildlife that the subject of this post is all about.

Its probably three years since I heard Diana Pound run a session at a Wildlife Trust  AGM. I liked the subject and format and kept in touch with her consultancy by email. Details of a big event next Feb have just been announced and the subject is very topical and very relevant to the world we find ourselves in. I hope that people will  enquire  about this event and I hope someone from Somerset will be able to attend. Living Landscapes are an important part of SWT strategy.

Click here for more details.

and if you want to see what the Somerset Wildlife Trust means by the term Living Landscape, click here

 Here is a brief extract from the flier for the event:

This event champions smarter thinking, co-operation and collaboration to help you achieve more with less across urban and rural landscapes and benefit people, places and wildlife.

Keys to success are effective partnerships, pooled resources, effective communication, good practice stakeholder participation, novel collaborations and social enterprise.

Being a volunteer with the Wildlife Trust is almost a full time job and in another short briefing here are some of the recent activities I find myself involved in.

No sooner had I sent off my comments to my MP and the Gov on the NPPF ( see my earlier post) than I learn about the Neighbourhood Planning Bill  ( which I suppose I had heard about but not taken too seriously). It might be very significant and I've started finding out what its implications might be. I think there is a consultation period now so that could important but what should we say?

I might join the local history society to find our more about the history of the hedges round our village and fields. Some are likely to be hundreds of years old. It important from a wildlife point of view to be able to argue against any move to cut them down.

Attended a meeting of the local Area Groups a couple of weeks ago, which is a good place to find out how other groups are getting on . We can them make our views known to the Trust. We have some differences about how we volunteers would like more support  in trying to get better web site coverage and in making contact with our members. An ongoing discussion. Our Group had thought about having its own web site but that's on hold at present.

This week have had a local group committee meeting with two guests who might join our committee. The meeting as usual ranged over quite a few topics and might have been a little confusing for our guests. Talked about our future programme of events for 2012. More summer site visits to our local reserves perhaps. Tonight we have a talk about the importance of woodlands and how they function. Hope we have a reasonable turnout.

Yesterday spent most of the day at the HQ of the SWT. First in a meeting of the Private and Community Nature Reserves  Network . Its just a way for land owners with a few acres to get help in managing their land for the benefit of wildlife  and to be able to share their experience. with others.There are about 200 members. Discussed two field events next year with a Botany field trip included

Most of us stayed on to sit in on a presentation by the  manager of the local RSPCA rescue and rehabilitation centre. Its about 10 miles from here and I hope to arrange a visit to see their work and facilities. Very impressive.

Lastly a committee member is hoping to find more people to take a few battery hens from local farmers who are banned from keeping chickens in battery conditions from next Jan. A good idea , not wildlife of course and I don't think we could cope with looking after them. The Hen Welfare Trust will tell you more.

That'll do for this week.

PS Don't forget that the IPCC is meeting this week in Kampla between 18th and 19th. We should hear their latest news and views on climate change.

Aspects of nature from the Somerset wetlands

Its definitely raining. We've been longing for rain to keep the garden growing and to encourage the orchids in our meadow for some time now. We hope it will produce a visually exciting spectacle  for visitors. Today I'm spending  time uploading some photos and revising my  "to do" list. Yesterday with the help of the family offering advice and better still some with hard work, we were able to complete the construction of a new small pond in our "wild patch"  and fill it with rain water for the first time. Its about three metres by two and 35 cm deep at one end. We emptied three water butts in doing so but this morning the rain is quickly refilling them. A small ceremony has just taken place in the rain with photographs of us adding some pond weed.

The photo's I'm showing you below were taken during a visit on 29th May to the Avalon Marshes visitor centre in Somerset. The occasion was the Avalon 24hr nature watch. Amazingly 12 hardy watchers received a certificate to confirm that they had indeed watched through the night. Owls and bats and moths at night and otters and various activities during the day.
I took a friend from Buckinghamshire along to see what was going on and we managed to do a quick tour of the Centre itself and three adjacent nature reserves. I think he was impressed by the  peace and tranquility of walks on the reserves and the extent of the organisation going in to the extensive conservation work demonstrated.
The photos are just snaps really of items of interest ( to me at least)

This is an impressive set of wood carvings to symbolise the well known local feature of the Starling display each winter as they come in thousands to roost at night.

I thought this was an odd form of Tufted Vetch ( Vicia cracca) until I got closer and then realised the stem was covered in aphids (I assume) . They were all the same colour as the flowers which were missing. Is that because they were feeding on the plant? There were plenty of plants with flowers which are very attractive.

 Natural England were playing a big part in running the 24 hour event with tractor rides around the nearby reserve.

Goats-beard, sometimes called Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon  (Tragopogon pratensia ) is really impressive growing on the banks of a Rhyne.  ( Somerset name for a  drainage ditch)

Caterpillars in large numbers may not be everyones "cup of tea" but here they show the way they start their lives as moths or butterflies. Can someone tell me which and name them ?

Benches are placed around these very quiet reserves, rarely disturbed by planes or traffic noise. Sitting watching the fish coming to the surface now and again was a very impressive and satisfying experience for my guest and myself.

Photography for wild flowers and plants ( and bugs)

Yesterday's photographic workshop was a great success. The 18 participants where all SWT members I believe, (although that wasn't a condition for attending), and all agreed that it was well organised and a good format for learning something new about taking better photograph's, especially of flowers . I'm hoping to collect a few of the best pictures so we can share them around.
Meanwhile I am showing here some of my efforts. What I learnt above everything else was that I need to learn a great deal more about my Cannon's capabilities so that I can make much more use of them. Thinking hard about the subject and how to position the camera , the depth of focus, the need for a better tripod than my present rather elementary one, and much else. So if you bear that in mind when you view my examples I would be grateful.( I'll add some identification details later and dont forget you can enlarge the photos by clicking on them once or twice)

 

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Summer Programme

If your waiting for the SWT events booklet here are our next two events. The photo shows a group on one of our previous visits to Beer Wood

Sunday 10th April 2pm – 5pm

SPRING FLOWER GUIDED WALK
in Beer Wood followed by afternoon cream tea at
Wishell Meadow, Henley

Grid Ref. ST 440 313 Post code TA10 9AZ
Meet at Turn Hill Grid Ref. ST 414 315
1.45pm for 2pm start
Cost £2.50

This photo shows the flower of Goatsbeard,  ( Tragopogon pratensis). We see a lot of it in our local meadow. This photograph taken by John Bebbington who will be leading the workshop detailed below.

Sunday 1st May 10.00am – 5.00pm

WORKSHOP FOR WILD FLOWER PHOTOGRAPHY
High Ham Village Hall
Post Code TA10 9DE Grid Ref. ST 426 312
Covering the plants, the photograph, the camera and field work in Beer Woods with review in Hall
With John Bebbington FRPS
and Julian Comrie FRPS
Cost £10.00
Booking essential

Badgers. Consultation ends Dec 8th

It was a very interesting and stimulating meeting last night. Aidrian Coward gave a detailed account of the life cycle of a badger and illustrated his talk with excellent photographs and some skulls and other exhibits from his collection which were passed round. It was clear from the audience reaction that badgers have many supporters.
Aidrian ended his talk by informing us about the Government plans for controlling Bovine TB which are currently likely to include the killing of badgers in large numbers, many of whom will be healthy animals. There is so much to know about this subject and Aidrian demonstrated a very detailed knowledge.
Rather than try to recall all that was said including answers to  numerous excellent questions I am giving you a link to the Badger Trust. Click here

 
The Badgers Trust and the Somerset Wildlife Trust are both making similar statements based on an understanding of the scientific work carried out in recent years.

You can read SWT's views on the DEFRA proposals here

And for the sake of completeness here is a link to the relevant DEFRA site, here.
Or use this url:   http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/tb-control-measures/index.htm

Badgers

Need to keep our next public meeting at the top of my Blog.

Just sent a Tweet to help promote the event.   See my Twitter account here


A public meeting on Badgers should be good value for £2.50! Hear the latest news, get answers to your questions. Nov 11,   Somerton 7.30pm.

Adrian Coward, professional ecologist and chair of the Somerset Wildlife Trust Badger Group will be talking about the lives and habitats of badgers.
United Reform Church Hall.West Street, Somerton.

Orchards.

2010 International Year of Biodiversity.

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Butterfly Conservation.    Drink cider and help the Mistletoe Marble moth.

Traditional Orchards.
April 15th. Details on our Diary Blog.
This is the subject of our next public meeting.

Our speaker is the Project Officer for the National Trust. Read more about their project to conserve Orchards. Click here to go to their web site and here.

Their project is funded by  Natural England.  Click here to go to their report on orchards.

The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species is also running a project to find and record England's remaining traditional orchards. Click here to go to their web site.

Butterfly Conservation have been cooperating with the National Trust to survey orchards for moths. The rare Misletoe Marbled Moth ( Celyphia Woodiana) is described here in a report.

The moth is also reported in the web site of "Bird Guides"with a photo and this recommendation to help the conservation of traditional apple orchards.

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"Butterfly Conservation.  Drink cider and help the Mistletoe Marble moth."

Orchards - old and new, Biodiversity, International Year.

In this post I am showing a link to the National Trust web site covering their Orchard restoration project.

This is the subject of our next public meeting.
**************************************************************************
Month: April 2010 Date: 15th……………Tea and Coffee from 7.15,  Start Time: 7.30…pm………… End Time: 9.30 pm

Wildlife in traditional and modern English orchards.

Kate Merry, NT Orchard Project Officer and Alison Slade, Somerset Partnership Biodiversity Officer with the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

Click here to go to National Trust  for more information.

Description of event: An illustrated talk about traditional orchards which are a priority habitat under the UK Government’s Biodiversity Action Plan. The NT is a joint leader with Natural England in a project for their conservation and restoration and to improve our knowledge of their associated wildlife. Kate and Alison will talk about their work and the implications for Biodiversity.

Fee £2.50
Curry Rivel Primary School.

Posted by David at 8:52 PM

Labels: Biodiversity, Orchards

Event reminder

This email has been sent to all local members and friends of Somerset Wildlife Trust by the local Heart of the Levels Area Group.

Link to "Bumblebee Conservation". Click here.

and click here for a John Bebbington photograph on an interesting web site , "Better Photographs" 

Our next public meeting is on Thursday 11th March.

Thur,   March    11^th  7.30 PM   9.30 PM.

Talk  by expert entomologist Mike Edwards.

Bumble Bees , indispensable friend of humans.

Illustrated talk on how these wonderful insects are the guardian of our food supplies and make a vital contribution to the  sustainability of our countryside and garden.

Somerton United Reform Church Hall, West Street, Somerton    Free car park close by.

Venue Suitable for Wheelchair-User/Limited Mobility.

Admission fee:     £2.50    Tea and coffee will be available from 7.15pm at the start of the evening.

We have invited a Young Enterprise Group from Richard Huish College to join us to show their new books for children featuring bees!

The Severn Estuary and Hinkley Point Power Station

The Severn Estuary and Hinkley Point Power Station.

Our public meeting last Thursday ,on a very cold night, was very well received by around 40 members and the presentations by Officers of the Somerset Wildlife Trust were excellent.
Lisa Schneidau talked first about the Severn Estuary  and gave a very clear account of the several options being considered by the UK Government. She explained that Somerset was working with the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts ( RSWT) as well as with other county trusts and groups such as RSPB.The Trusts position is in essence:

•  to oppose 100% the large Cardiff- Weston barrage because it would cause unacceptable damage to the Estuary, and it should be dropped from the list of options.
• The several alternative schemes should be  given more support for development work.
• All development work should be carried out in a transparent manner. The EU Habitats and Birds Directive must be observed.

The national Society ( RSWT) is leading the campaign and more information is available on their web site. Click here
Both speakers were very clear in keeping to the position taken by the Trust. SWT had to be focused on the effect of the proposals on wildlife and could not,  for instance, discuss views about the nature of nuclear power, nor was it possible to simply say that no attempt to  recover energy from the tidal flows should be made.

 
Michelle Osbourne, followed by describing her work to influence  EDF in their consultation phase. This was not easy and it had proved difficult to  deal with a company who had often worked in a very different situation in France and under different planning rules. By using projections of the planned site layout she highlighted areas where allowances for wildlife could be made given a willingness to discuss and agree modifications. The enormous scale of the work proposed and its impact on an area much larger than the basic footprint for the power plant was well made. The likely effect on the estuary due to the much increased cooling water supply required by the power station was shown and described. Despite the fact that this project was being developed under the UK Government's new planning rules it is to be hoped that public opinion will continue to be important and SWT hopes to continue the debate.EDF have a web site with descriptions of the project. Click here.

For both these two projects SWT hopes that all members will give  their support in the ongoing discussions and negotiations for the future of wildlife in a large part of North Somerset.
There was a very good discussion after the talks with questions and answers form the speakers.
Without any hesitation I would recommend all Members of the Trust and anyone else concerned about wildlife in Somerset, to give their full support to Somerset Wildlife Trust where Lisa and Michelle are giving a very balanced and professional approach to these complicated challenges.

WalesOnline - News - Wales News - ‘Dutch barrier shows Severn barrage will harm wildlife’

To read this news report click on the heading below.


WalesOnline - News - Wales News - ‘Dutch barrier shows Severn barrage will harm wildlife’

Severn Estuary and Hinkley Point

Update on our next public meeting.
I'm pleased to report that we now have two key speakers  on Thursday 11th January.
Lisa Schneidau, Conservation Director for Somerset Wildlife Trust will be supported by Michelle Osbourn who is the Planning and Advocacy Officer for the Trust and who amongst other matters has been following the Hinkley Point development. Lisa will talk about the Various schemes under consideration for the Severn Estuary.

On May 6th 2009 Haydn Cullen-Jones MSc., F.N.I gave a talk to the Ross Science Society on the subject:
The Severn Barrage Controversy.
On their web site is this image which gives an intriguing insight into this proposed project.

Welcome to the home page of the Ross Science Society ( Web link here: )

Hinkley Point
For more information on Hinkley Point you can go to the EDF web site. Link here:
While I'm looking at this issue you can also see how the safety side of the project is being dealt with by the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate by going to their web site, link here.

They show this photo of what I assume is the intended site.

Wildlife events

Nobody said it would be easy! 

Mainly because I put off making any enquiries early enough I have ended up working most of last week to  fix up events for our Group summer programme. We always have a deadline to meet to get details in the Trusts event diary and today was it for this summer.

The result is, I hope quite an interesting range of subjects and locations. Including:

• Spring flower walk and talk in a local wood.
• Butterfly walks with Butterfly Conservation. Three sites around our area.
• Moth counts with Somerset Moth Group.Four counts also in a variety of habitats around our area.
• Walk in our local Arable fields reserve, managed to allow wild flowers to thrive in fields also used for arable crops. Quite rare these days.
• Our third Arts and Wildlife Workshop under the guidance of  well known artist Jenny Graham.
• A Bat watch to a reserve to see bat boxes and hopefully some bats.

There may even be one or two extras to add eventually which we will have to show on our Blog or the Trusts web site.

Lets hope for good weather and lots of visitors!

PS You'll be able to see all the details on the Somerset Wildlife Trust web site as soon as they have processed them.

Moths and Butterflies

Possibly the hardest working specialist groups in Somerset are the "Somerset Moth Group" and the associated "Somerset and Bristol Butterfly Conservation Group". I would like to challenge any conservation group to show me a more extensive series of outdoor activities than those shown on the respective web sites, linked below, for 2010.
Please check out this web link and please let me know if anyone can do more for conservation than this!
Here is the Moth Group  link  


To complete the picture here is a link to the Butterfly Conservation web site showing their list of events.  click here

Severn babies in bathwater risk

Severn babies in bathwater risk

Here is a new venture for me!!!

Looking at the RSPB web site for news about the Severn Estuary energy proposals I came across a Blog they run and a post on the subject.

There were all sorts of links on the page including Blogger, and clicking on the symbol comes up with "Blog this" which I did ( bravely) and lo and behold it appears on my own Blog ( I had to sign in with my Google pass word etc).

So if you are still with me, and interested in what the RSPB thinks about flooding the Severn Estuary than click on the link above.  Then don't forget to come to our next public meeting . See previous posts.

Energy recovery from the Severn Estuary, The Severn Barrage and other scheems.

Here are details of our next public meeting. The wildlife which relies on the Severn Estuary makes it a very special place. Slimbridge is part of it. Before we see it seriously damaged we should take the time and trouble to find out what is being proposed.

Thur, Feb, 11th, 2010   Time 7.30 pm till approx 9.30 pm                           

Title of Talk :  Major Energy Projects and Somerset Wildlife

Description of talk: Severn Tidal Power is just one of several major energy projects proposed for Somerset all of which will affect wildlife.

Lisa Schneidau, SWT’s Director of Conservation, will give a presentation concentrating on the potential for energy recovery from the Severn estuary. Lisa will  review the current situation regarding the effect on wildlife, the Trusts response and future plans. The proposed new power station at Hinkley Point will also be covered.  There will be a Q and A session after the interval. Your comments and questions are  welcome.

Meeting Place:  Somerton United Reform Church Hall, West Street, Somerton

Where to Park: Free car park close by.

Is Venue Suitable for Wheelchair-User/Limited Mobility: Yes but not easy.

Admission fee:     £2.50

Bumble Bees

A quick note to give an advance reference to the subject of our public meeting on March 11th
Bumble Bees.

Here is a link to a Blog which has an excellent and informative post on the subject. Click here.
You should find a post dated Sept 27th 2009 all about Bumble bees

I've also just changed to a new editor for the Blog so I'm not entirely sure every thing is working. So will just publish and look at the results!! Well, it didnt work first time because of operator error! This time it will be OK.

British Owls; their natural history and practical conservation

This time last night I was on my way to our planned public meeting. Our speaker was almost certainly on his way from Bristol with a Barn Owl in the back of his car. As always with these meetings we have no way of knowing how many people will turn up, or if anyone except our small committee and our speaker. There are almost always glitches in the arrangements and it is all a bit stressful really but that's because its very important for our purpose of spreading some light on the mostly hidden world of wildlife.
So how did it go? Dealing with the glitches we got under way with an audience of around 65. That might not sound many but it is probably a record for our meetings. Many of them turned out to not be members of the Wildlife Trust. That was a surprise but also a bonus since some of them may join. The speaker was brilliant, the photos shown were excellent and the Barn Owl stole the show.
We manged a short break for tea or coffee, we had a raffle for prizes with an owl theme and there were good questions. Having arrived at the hall at around 7 pm we finally left at 10 pm. Our treasurer was happy because we had made a small surplus and the audience all looked very happy. Job done!
I should write another post with a bit more conservation content but that needs a bit of research.

British Owls; their natural history and practical conservation

We confirm ( on Wed 13.01.10 ) that the School is open and the meeting will take place as advertised.



Dont forget our meeting on British Owls on Thursday 14th at 7.30 pm Huish Episcopy School,Wincanton Rd, Langport. This photograph by Chris Sperring, our speaker for the meeting may well be the one accompaning Chris for the talk!
PS the latest snow is melting fast now.