The Grebe Magazine Spring 2014

Cheshire CheshireGrebeThe Spring/Summer-2014

Elephants

also...The garden moths that might just surprise you

The magazine of Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Going with the flow – can nature help stop flooding?

Wild walks in Cheshire’s Living Landscapes

Off the hoof – grazing with a difference

Cheshire Cheshire

and tigers

@wildlifetrusts

TheWildlifeTrusts

wildlifetrusts

THE GREBE SPRING 2014

Cheshire CheshireGrebeThe Spring/summer-2014

Elephants

also...The garden moths that

might just surprise you

The magazine of Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Going with the flow –

can nature help stop flooding?

Wild walks in Cheshire’s

Living Landscapes

Off the hoof – grazing with

a difference

Cheshire Cheshire

and tigers

On the coverOn the front of this edition of The Grebe, you’ll find the

impressive elephant hawk moth. This vibrant night time

visitor to our gardens is one of thousands of species of

moths – many with colours to rival our butterflies – you

can enjoy with a little nature know-how. Find out about

the amazing moths you could discover in your backyard

and how to get a closer look on page 10.

Picture: Tom Marshall/The Wildlife Trusts

WELCOME

Cheshire Wildlife Trust is the region’s

leading independent conservation

charity and has been working for wildlife

across Cheshire East, Cheshire West and

Chester, Halton, Stockport, Tameside,

Trafford, Warrington and Wirral for over

50 years.

Cheshire Wildlife Trust receives no direct

Government funding and would not

exist without the support of you, our

members. To add your voice to over

12,000 others and show how much you

value Cheshire’s wildlife, give us a call

today or visit our website.

Cheshire Ecological Services

CES is a member of the

Association of Wildlife

Trust Consultancies

(AWTC) and is the

ecological consultancy

arm of Cheshire

Wildlife Trust, with 20 years of industry

experience. All profit revenues generated by CES go directly to supporting the work of Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Who are the Wildlife Trusts?

There are 47 Wildlife Trusts across the UK,

the Isle of Man and Alderney. With over

800,000 members, we are the largest

UK voluntary organisation dedicated

to conserving the full range of the UK’s

habitats and species.

Cheshire Cheshire

People taking action for wildlife

As I write this, the sun is shining

at Bickley Hall Farm and spring

has definitely sprung. Most of

our Hebridean lambs have now

been born, birds are nesting in the

hedgerows and a new generation of

great crested newts fill our ponds.

This spring, though, we’ll have another

arrival to celebrate – our Bickley

Learning Centre is nearing completion

thanks to the generous donations

made by you, our members, and a host

of other funders. If you’d like a sneak

preview at this brand new purpose-

built facility, join us on Open Farm

Sunday on 8 June.

As we look forward to summer, for

many the first few months of 2014

will be memorable for all the wrong

reasons following severe storms

and floods. Here in Cheshire, we

thankfully escaped largely unscathed

with problems like blocked roads

and woodlands scattered with fallen

trees, in stark contrast to the dramatic

scenes elsewhere in the UK. In the

heart of the region, the Cheshire plain

is criss-crossed with rivers whose

floodplains were able to store and slow

down the flow of water into towns and

villages. It’s during extreme weather

that we need to value the services we

get from nature more than ever. Our

Living Landscape schemes are not

only about restoring and reconnecting

nature, but also about ensuring

that nature’s services to society are

protected and valued – including a

chance to limit the impacts of extreme

weather. Find out more on page 26.

I’d also like to take this opportunity

to thank everyone who took time to

fill out our recent survey. We had

a superb response from hundreds

of you, sharing interesting and

enlightening views, and a summary

of the results is on page 16. This

information is vital to shaping our

future work, in particular helping

inform the Trust’s new strategy which

we will share with you later in the

year. We’ll be focusing on how we

create more space for wildlife and

how we inspire more people to value

nature, particularly in local decision

making. The run up to next year’s

general election will be an important

time to influence political pledges and

the Wildlife Trusts are lobbying for a

‘Nature Bill’ that will secure not only

the protection but also the restoration

of nature for future generations.

Finally, a very warm welcome to all

our new members and a big thank

you to those of you who continue to

support your local Wildlife Trust. Our

membership has now topped 13,000

for the first time in our 52-year history,

giving us more resources and influence

to take action for local wildlife than

ever before. I wish you all a long and

enjoyable summer!

Charlotte Harris, Chief Executive

“Living Landscapes are about ensuring nature’s services are protected… giving us a chance to

limit the effects of extreme weather”

Chief ExecutiveCharlotte Harris

SPRING 2014 THE GREBE 1

In this issue

Your MagazineThe next edition of The Grebe magazine will be published in September 2014. We welcome letters, comments, photographs and contributions to The Grebe. Please write to the editor at the address below or email: [email protected]

All contributions including events to be featured in the Events Diary should reach the editor no later than 1 August 2014. Events listings in the Autumn edition will run from October 2014 to January 2015. The views expressed in The Grebe are not necessarily those of Cheshire Wildlife Trust.

Contents © Cheshire Wildlife Trust 2014. No part of this publication shall be reproduced without prior written consent.

Advertising in The Grebe

We invite enquiries for advertising in The Grebe magazine, with various packages available. Please contact the editor for our current rate card or an informal discussion. Allowing advertising in The Grebe lets us cover some of the costs of producing our members magazine, meaning we can spend more on conservation projects.

The Grebe Editor Tom Marshall, Communications Officer

Patron The Duke of Westminster KG DL

President Felicity Goodey CBE DL

Chairman Chris Koral

Chief Executive Charlotte Harris

Designed and Produced by Orchard Corporate Ltd

Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Bickley Hall Farm, Malpas, Cheshire SY14 8EF

Tel: 01948 820728

web: www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

email: [email protected]

Registered Charity No: 214927 A company Limited by Guarantee in England No: 736693

@cheshirewt

Cheshire Wildlife Trust

CheshireWT

Cheshirewildlifetrust

Welcome With our Chief Executive Charlotte Harris

02 UK News The big wildlife issues from around the UK

04 Local News What’s happening on your doorstep plus

badger and bTB update

10 Seeing the light Discover our garden moths this spring

12 Access all areas The UK’s most accessible nature reserves

14 A day in the life… We join Biodiversity Trainee Andy Perry

16 Your Trust, your views Hundreds of you respond to our

supporter survey

18 Marine Protected Areas See our full-size map of the MPAs

announced in 2013

20 Vanishing point A new campaign for our disappearing

grasslands

22 Best foot forward New walks to enjoy in our Living Landscape

24 A good moove for nature Our nature-grazed beef heads to the table

26 Water, water everywhere A fresh approach to tackling flooding

28 Keeping history alive Paul Loughnane on 25 years as a volunteer

10 “Some of our moths are beautiful enough to match their image-conscious cousins the butterflies”

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22“In our Living Landscape, some of the work we’re doing might come as a surprise”

2 THE GREBE SPRING 2014

UK NEWS

AVONA Geoffroy’s bat visited the Trust’s Brown’s Folly reserve near Bath, where 13 of the UK’s 17 species have been recorded. It is only the second UK record for this forest specialist from mainland Europe.wtru.st/GeoffBat

DORSET WTBrownsea Island, owned by The National Trust, has been named Britain’s favourite nature reserve by the BBC Countryfile awards. Dorset WT has leased and managed half of the island as a nature reserve for over 50 years.wtru.st/DorsetNews

CORNWALLAfter a public appeal, and helped by HLF, the Trust has two new reserves in west Penwith: Bostraze near Pendeen and Bartinney near Sennen. The sites are valuable heathland and wetland habitats. wtru.st/Penwith

DERBYSHIREThe Trust and 15 other wildlife groups oppose Derby City Council’s plan to build a cycle track on the city’s first and only bird reserve. Skylark, snipe, stonechat, ring ouzel and wheatear have used the site. wtru.st/CycleTrack

DEVONThe rare golden eye lichen has been found at Andrews Wood, near Kingsbridge. Until recently the lichen was thought to be extinct in the UK, with the last record in Devon dating from 1966 on Start Point. wtru.st/RareLichen

DURHAMNew islands at Shibdon Pond reserve attracted 20-year record numbers of lapwing, golden plover, redshank and snipe. The work was funded by the Durham Biodiversity Partnership.wtru.st/Shibdon

AROUND THE WILDLIFE TRUSTS

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Trusts call for more natural flood defencesFollowing widespread flooding in

December and January, The Wildlife Trusts

are asking the Government to revise its

flood defence strategy.

“Natural defences could provide a key

solution to help prevent flooding in future.

Wilder landscapes act as giant sponges,

absorbing and holding water,” said Paul

Wilkinson, Head of Living Landscapes.

“There are already some excellent

examples of restored landscapes, where,

for example, overgrazing has been reduced

How did the floods affect wildlife?

A bird hide at Norfolk WT’s Cley Marshes

reserve in December

Recent widespread flooding shows the Government must invest in wilder landscapes, say The Wildlife Trusts

The December floods

affected coastal nature

reserves in Yorkshire,

Lincolnshire, Norfolk and

Suffolk. Some of these

are salt marshes that can

withstand coastal flooding.

But many freshwater

habitats were also

inundated with sea water

and the long-term impact

on wildlife is difficult to

predict.

Visitor centres, bird hides,

coastal paths and fences

were damaged during the

floods and our dedicated

staff and volunteers are

still working to repair

visitor facilities and

access routes.

to allow heather and soils to regenerate,

and in the process the risk of flooding

downstream has been alleviated. This

approach should be at the centre of our

adaptation strategy.”

Described by the Environment Agency

as the most serious flood for 60 years,

December’s two-metre tidal surge caused

havoc in Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk

and Suffolk. Further tidal surges in January

affected large parts of the southern and

western coasts of England and Wales.

The Wildlife Trusts are calling on the

Government to rebalance investment

towards solutions which slow down water

and reconnect rivers with their floodplains.

Wildlife Trusts across the UK have been

working on such schemes for years (see

right). Highly cost-effective, natural

schemes also provide benefits such as soil

conservation, improved biodiversity and

carbon storage.

What’s happening here in Cheshire?Although the Cheshire region thankfully has

so far avoided flooding on the scale seen

elsewhere in the UK - with the exception of

storm surges affecting the Wirral coast - we

still have a role to play in the protection of

farmland and properties along our rivers like

the Gowy. To see what we’re doing locally as

part of our Living Landscape scheme, you

can read more on page 26.

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Natural flood defences can take the pressure off

Extreme weather across

the UK last winter has

brought home our

fragility in the face of

the awesome power

of nature, and the real

dangers of disrupting

its balance. It reminds us that society’s

most urgent and important task is to

build our resilience, working with nature

wherever possible, rather than against it.

We all need to come to the best possible

decisions for nature and people. To

be genuinely committed to such

decisions we need many more people

to understand how nature works and to

respect its complexity and fragility. We

need to consign piecemeal erosion of

our natural resources to history – and

learn to live within its limits.

The Wildlife Trusts are on the case. We

are taking thousands of children out

of the classroom so they can ‘get’ how

nature works, why wildlife matters, how

we grow our food and draw our water.

We also take politicians, civil servants

and businesspeople out on site to talk

about this, and meet landowners and

fishermen to advise on wildlife. Some

progressive businesses are widening

their environmental thinking beyond

carbon to whole ecosystems. We need

to encourage more to think like this and

support those that do by helping them

to interpret their impact on nature, just

as a doctor helps us to interpret the

impact of our own lifestyle on our health.

The moral and financial support you

give by being a member of your Trust

is vital. It gives us the chance to inspire

people to recognise nature is our

greatest ally and to demonstrate that

by working with it we can create a

resilient society.

Stephanie Hilborne OBEChief Executive of The Wildlife Trusts

Nature: our greatest ally

There are 47 Wildlife Trusts. With

more than 800,000 members, we are

the largest UK voluntary organisation

dedicated to conserving all the UK’s

habitats and species.

ESSEXWith Epping Forest District Council and the Bat Conservation Trust, the Trust is developing mapping layers to alert councils and planners to potential bat roost sites and important foraging areas. wtru.st/BatPlans

HEREFORDThanks to HLF the Trust and partners Ambios Ltd are developing WildTech, an ambitious digital technology training project to address UK-wide shortfalls in species ID and recording. wtru.st/WildTech

LONDONA new report by the Trust and Greenspace Information for Greater London suggests that protection measures for the city’s wildlife, developed over 30 years, may be failing. wtru.st/LondonNature

MANXIn a project scheduled to last 30 years, the Trust is increasing woodland cover from 20% to 30% in the glens and woodlands between Ramsey and Sulby. wtru.st/RamseyForest

Flood water gathering in Wiltshire Wildlife Trust’s Langford Lakes reserve (left) may have spared

nearby villages. More details on wtru.st/WiltsRiverBlog

FYLDE COASTLANCASHIRE WILDLIFE TRUSTWork by the Trust in February 2013

prevented erosion during the recent

storms. Posts and old Christmas trees

helped to form dunes and allow plants

to grow, strengthening the structures.

In January, other dunes receded by 8–10

metres. But where natural dune formation

had been encouraged, the sands were

held more securely.

ABBOTTS HALL FARMESSEX WILDLIFE TRUSTNow 11 years old, this scheme has led the

way in ‘managed realignment’. The

seawall was removed in several places,

allowing tidal water to recreate traditional

Essex marshes. The natural relief of the

land is now the flood defence. Though

the surge of 2013 was very high it did not

reach the arable areas.

n More examples: wildlifetrusts.org/floods

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Look carefully, the bittern is in there somewhere!


LOCAL NEWS

Otterly fabulousWe were delighted in January, when one of our infra-red cameras

monitoring wildlife on the River Gowy – in our first Living Landscape

scheme – picked up not one, but a family of three wild otters in the

dead of night.

Despite the usual black and white picture, three sets of piercing eyes

shone through as the group of an adult and two smaller cubs made their

way past the lens completely unaware of its presence. Although we’ve

been using similar technology for the last few years to track the fortunes

of otters and water voles – creatures where we typically rely on field

signs like droppings and footprints – this was the first time that we had

recorded three otters together. Amazingly, just a couple of weeks later,

Nigel Markillie from Wynbunbury near Crewe also captured a similar scene

which he sent to the Trust, after many unsuccessful earlier attempts to

capture the rare mammals on film.

The news further confirms the increasing health of our rivers and the

otter’s resurgence across the UK, where it was only confirmed as being

back in every county as recently as 2011. Our own Living Landscape

scheme is benefitting otters, including work undertaken with the

Environment Agency at Hockenhull Platts near Waverton and the

introduction of otter ‘holts’ at other locations in recent years, along with

our exchange with Dutch conservationists sharing otter knowledge in 2012.

SEE IT

You can watch the film for yourself on our YouTube channel at CheshireWT

Bitterns are a big hit at MarburyWe were thrilled once again when at least two bitterns were seen regularly

at our Marbury Reedbed reserve at the eastern end of Budworth Mere in

Marbury Country Park, Northwich, during the winter.

The annual appearance of the birds has made the reserve one of the top

places to go to see these very rare herons in Cheshire, along with the

impressive autumn and winter starling murmurations which can be thousands

strong. We also recently opened the reedbed boardwalk once again for the

summer, which is now settling in nicely to its surroundings and able to give

people an insight into the bittern’s world during the warmer months.

We’re continuing with our habitat improvements to the reserve – which includes

regular reed cutting to benefit the bitterns – thanks to the backing of local

chemicals manufacturer INEOS Enterprises who have been a regular supporter

of our work in Runcorn and Northwich. Other frequent sightings at Marbury

have included water rails, kingfishers and lesser spotted woodpeckers.

FIND OUT MORE cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/our-reserves

Little swift celebrated in Bird Report A visit from an

extremely rare but

confiding little swift

to New Brighton is

just one of many

highlights in the

Cheshire & Wirral

Bird Report 2012,

now available from

the Cheshire &

Wirral Ornithological

Society (CAWOS).

The striking cover

features the usually

elusive water rail,

whilst a further 176

pages are complemented with 74 maps, graphs

and tables, a dozen beautiful illustrations and,

as always, a colour regional centre spread map.

Stunning photographs capturing some of the

highlights of the year top off the report.

GET YOUR COPY

The Bird Report is free to Cheshire and Wirral

Ornithological Society members (ordinary

membership costs £12), otherwise it costs £8 + £2

p&p and copies are available from:

David Cogger, 113 Nantwich Road, Middlewich,

Cheshire, CW10 9HD Tel: 01606 832517

Email: [email protected]

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Common sandpiper (above) and pintail (below) were new visitors to Gowy Meadows in 2013


Gowy almost hits a centuryEarlier this year, local naturalist and bird recorder at our Gowy Meadows

reserve, Steve Holmes, revealed that during 2013 he’d noted almost 100

species at our largest nature reserve.

Even more impressively, around one in ten of those species seen were

new to the 165ha (400 acre) site of grazing meadow and pools near

Ellesmere Port. Amongst 99 different bird species discovered during

2013, birds like the great white egret, pintail and yellow wagtail were just

some of the nine new species recorded for the first time. Heavy rain and

flooding during 2013 are thought to be the reason why a number of new

wading birds like the common sandpiper, little ringed plover and the rarer

wood sandpiper also made an appearance.

The reserve is already a key location for threatened farmland birds like

the snipe and skylark, whilst up to 900 lapwing were recorded during the

Christmas period. The Trust’s Living Landscape Manager Richard Gardner

added that the records show the value of working together with nature

rather than trying to tame it.

Richard said: “What we have at the Gowy is an opportunity to work with

partners like the Environment Agency to let nature take its course during

extreme weather events, instead of forcing the hand of our rivers. At

the same time, managed flood situations can provide exactly the right

habitats for birds that we want to attract like lapwing and snipe.”

FIND OUT MORE cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/our-reserves

Barn owls at BickleyTrust staff had a fantastic surprise in the New Year

when a visit to install nesting boxes for barn owls on

our 200-acre farm brought an unexpected result. Joe

Pimblett and Matt Allmark from our reserves team

were fixing the purpose-built home to a large oak

tree when not one, but two of the ghostly nocturnal

hunters flew out of a natural hole in the trunk of the

very same tree.

Realising the owls may already be considering nesting,

the box was hastily repositioned nearby, and now with

so many options to choose from, we hope the owls

will find the farm to be the perfect ‘location, location,

location’. We’ll report back later in the year on whether

the owls have any house-hunting success!

FIND OUT MORE

cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/bickleyhallfarm

Tales on the riverbank in NantwichFollowing the Trust’s discovery of a healthy

population of water voles on the Shropshire Union

Canal in Nantwich through our Cheshire Water Vole

Project, you can now read Ratty’s story for yourself

at a new information point.

Located in the popular picnic area on the towpath

at Nantwich Marina, the specially-commissioned

oak display was developed in partnership with

waterways managers the Canal & River Trust and

was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It’s

hoped the new display will encourage visitors to

look out for the rare mammals, which can often be

very obliging in the area.

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LOCAL NEWS


Work began in early March on a £120,000 transformation of

one of the traditional cattle barns at our Bickley Hall Farm HQ

into a purpose-built education centre.

The project, which has been supported by the Heritage

Lottery Fund, Garfield Weston Foundation, the Jean Jackson

Charitable Trust, the Meres & Mosses Landscape Partnership,

Urenco and a £25,000 members’ appeal, including a number

of generous major donors, will see new all-weather classrooms,

washroom facilities and a dedicated outdoor play and learning

space developed for the thousands of schoolchildren who

visit the farm each year. Once complete, it’s hoped the centre

will also act as a wider community resource for training and

adult learning.

Additional improvements to the immediate outdoor space

adjacent to the barn which includes the pond, wildflower

meadows and orchard will provide further learning space

and an attractive stop-off for those walking along the

Sandstone Trail.

KEEP UP TO DATE

Follow the progress on Facebook and Twitter

New Bickley learning centre takes shape

Did you know you can raise money for the Trust whilst enjoying

the spring flowers of Cyprus, birdwatching from your houseboat

in the Romanian Danube Delta or enjoying a ‘trip of a lifetime’

in the Galapagos Islands? Wildlife Travel was set up in 1988

with the aim of supporting nature conservation by organising

wildlife holidays in the UK, Europe and worldwide. All profits are

donated to The Wildlife Trusts and the company also works with

local conservation organisations in the countries they visit.

These small group holidays are suitable for individuals, couples

or friends, with destinations as varied as Norfolk, Scotland,

Spain and Costa Rica, Chile and Australia. Flight-free holidays

include the pre-Alpine valleys of the Vercors in France and the

limestone of the Burren in Ireland, or you could enjoy the wildlife

of Yorkshire, guided by staff and volunteers from the Yorkshire

Wildlife Trust.

Wildlife Travel will make a donation if you mention Cheshire

Wildlife Trust on booking, which could be up to £50 per person.

FIND OUT MORE

Contact Wildlife Travel on 01954 713575 or

at www.wildlife-travel.co.uk

Take a holiday, help local wildlife!

Habitat works at Red RocksEarlier this year, the Trust began work on a Natural England-

approved plan to improve coastal dune habitats within our

Red Rocks nature reserve near West Kirby, aiming to reinstate

the ‘favourable’ status of this important Site of Special

Scientific Interest (SSSI) which the Trust now manages. Key

parts of the project already completed include the creation

of new breeding pools for natterjack toads – a rare amphibian

found nowhere else in Cheshire & Wirral. Further habitat

works such as sand dune regeneration will continue later in

the year after the bird nesting season has finished.

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Wildlife art on showWhere else will you find snow leopards, song thrushes and spider monkeys

in the same room? At the National Exhibition of Wildlife Art (NEWA), which

rolls into town again this July and August – as always, based at the Gordale

Garden Centre on the Wirral. This year sees the exhibition’s coming of age

– its 21st year! Always eagerly anticipated by keen collectors, the garden

centre will play host to one of the widest selections of world-class wildlife

art and sculpture to purchase under one roof.

This year also sees the British Wildlife in Art Award, a prestigious new prize

– themed ‘British wildlife in the environment’ for 2014 – with winners to

be chosen by an independent panel of judges. As is the case every year, a

proportion of the proceeds from the exhibition sales are donated to local

and international charities, including the Wildlife Trusts.

GET INVOLVED

Friday 18 July to Sunday 3 August. View and buy online www.newa-uk.com

Work led by the Trust and the Forestry Commission

to restore Delamere Forest’s nationally important

mosses is well underway.

So far, 13 hectares of habitat – that’s around a dozen

football pitches – have been improved by our team of

volunteers, and another 35ha by contractors across

three different peat ‘basins’. At just one location,

Piersons – a stunning man-made mere – the south

bank has been cleared of birch scrub which had

grown up since the felling of the conifer trees a few

years ago. The aim of this clearance is to encourage

the smaller heather and bilberry plants, hidden

beneath the scrub, to thrive across the bank. This

in turn will hopefully attract species such the green

hairstreak butterfly.

Norley Moss, an area already covered in heather and

bilberry, as well as the county rarity bog myrtle, has

also had a facelift, with some of its scrub regrowth

being removed. By taking down this scrub we hope to

allow the heathland to thrive across the whole of this

site, and become a vital nectar source for our native

bee populations – many of which are in steep decline.

A group of volunteers from the Petty Pool Trust

have also begun to clear the edge of Finney’s Moss,

allowing the fen habitat here to thrive – a potential

future habitat for the nationally rare white-face darter

dragonfly, which the Trust is reintroducing.

Contractors have also been working hard for the

project, with areas cleared on the edges of Great

Blakemere and Linmere Moss. These clearings will

bring more light to smothered bog species already on

these sites, such as sphagnum moss and royal fern, a

regional rarity.

The Delamere Lost Mosses Project has been

supported by WREN, The Forestry Commission,

Natural England and Cheshire West & Chester Council.

GET INVOLVED

If you would be interested in volunteering for

the project please contact Katie Piercy at

[email protected].

Delamere update

Open gardensThis year we’re inviting people to

share their little bit of Cheshire

& Wirral to fundraise for the

Trust by joining in with our ‘open

gardens’ day.

Whether you have palatial patch

or a wildlife-friendly backyard for

bees and butterflies, if you think

people would love to see how

you’re making a difference for

nature then get in touch. Holding

your open garden couldn’t be

simpler, and we can support you

by helping with publicity and

fundraising ideas to make the

very most out of your day.

GET INVOLVED

Contact Tracey Gibson on

01948 820728 or

[email protected]

LOCAL NEWS


Generous legacy from Cecil SharmanWe would like to extend our sincere thanks to the family of the late Mr Cecil Sharman,

who recently left a generous legacy of almost £3,500 to the Trust. Cecil’s son Frank said

his father was a member of the Trust for many years and a ‘keen supporter of all of your

activities’, including supporting the setting up of our Hunter’s Wood nature reserve near

Frodsham. A resident of Grappenhall near Warrington from the 1940s, Cecil and wife

June regularly walked the footpaths of the local parishes with their Welsh collie, Heidi.

A love of the Cheshire countryside continued with moves to Stockton Heath, High Legh

and finally Chester. Trees remained a constant fascination for Cecil, and his ashes are

scattered with June’s at the Woodland Trust’s Park Moss Wood at Arley.

Legacies are an invaluable way of supporting the Trust’s work for wildlife, now and for

the future. For a private and informal conversation about leaving a legacy to the Trust,

call Charlotte Harris on 01948 820728 or email Charlotte on [email protected]

Give a gift with a differenceWe’ve recently re-launched a range of animal adoption packs, exclusively designed for

Cheshire Wildlife Trust, and the ideal gift for someone who seemingly has everything!

From our tiniest wildlife in the shape of the dormouse, to our half-tonne heroes the

longhorns, each delightfully presented gift pack tells you all you need to know about the

wildlife you’ll be supporting – there’s even a cuddly toy too! For younger nature-lovers

there’s special stickers and crafts as well. You can already choose from a badger, otter,

dormouse and longhorn, and we hope to expand on the range throughout this year.

FIND OUT MORE

www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Delamere’s dragonsLast year, the Trust began the first phase in a new project to reintroduce a once iconic

dragonfly back into the pools of Delamere Forest – the white-faced darter. We’re

delighted to announce that thanks to the Heritage Lottery Fund, the scheme will now

continue for a further three years, allowing us to translocate mature larvae from Natural

England donor sites at Fenns & Whixall Moss and Chartley Moss into Delamere Forest.

Our aim for the project is to develop a self-sustaining population of white-faced darters

in the region once again, potentially for the first time since around 2003. The work has

been backed up by a range of habitat improvements led by the Forestry Commission,

including improving light levels around important dragonfly pools, and the Trust-led

Delamere’s Lost Mosses project, which is restoring mossland habitats.

GET INVOLVED

If you’d like to get involved as a volunteer with the project and help with

surveying and monitoring work and other tasks, contact Dr Vicky Nall on

[email protected] or 01948 820728.In memory of Jim McHarry (1933-2014)The Trust was saddened to hear of the

death of Jim McHarry at the beginning

of March. Jim, along with his wife Jane,

moved from Carlisle to Knutsford in 1972

and, being outdoor people, immediately

made the most of the Cheshire

countryside. A lecture by Wildlife Trusts’

vice president Sir David Attenborough

inspired Jim and Jane to join their local

Cheshire Wildlife Trust, and they went

on to form the Knutsford Natural History

Group – which ran for two decades –

along with Jim later taking the reigns as

chair of the Trust’s Wilmslow Local Group.

During the 1990s, Jim took on the job

of Trust treasurer, a role he kept for

five years until an expanding million

pound-plus balance sheet meant Jim

preferred to take a back seat as he, in his

own words, ‘didn’t do computers’! Jim

continued to explore the countryside

both at home and abroad right up until

this year, and remained a familiar face

in the Knutsford community, from the

Tatton Singers to Cycle Knutsford.

DA

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Minister halts cull expansion and proposes ‘edge area’ badger vaccination

As we went to print in early April, Environment Minister Owen

Paterson confirmed that original plans for an expansion of up to 10

new cull zones in 2014 would be dropped. Mr Paterson also went

on to propose that vaccination be ultilised as tool for tackling bTB

in what are known as ‘edge areas’ on the outlying parts of the

current spread of bTB in cattle herds. Cheshire, although currently

experiencing a year-on-year increase in TB cases in cattle, is

considered to be within the edge area at present. We would now

like to see the government re-invest the resources proposed for

the original cull zone expansion into areas such as Cheshire, where

we believe there is an opportunity to create a bTB ‘firewall’ within

the badger population by expanding vaccination in the region.

We and all Wildlife Trusts however, remain opposed to culling in

any area and we were disappointed to see that the independent

assessment process undertaken during the 2013 cull trials in

Somerset and Gloucestershire will not continue, raising ongoing

concerns over the effectiveness and humaneness of the cull process.

ELL

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UK cattle TB infection figures revised down

Official cull report highlights missed targets

Cheshire roadkill badger TB survey launched

Badgers and TB - update

Roadkill study to look at Cheshire TB strains

During February, the Trust joined with other members of the

Cheshire TB Eradication Group, including the NFU and AHVLA, to

help launch a new study of roadkill badgers in Cheshire, the first

of its kind for around a decade.

Carcases will be taken to the University of Liverpool Leahurst

veterinary campus where they will be assessed for signs of TB.

The study aims to give an indication of where bTB may be present

geographically within the Cheshire badger population, and how

many animals are potentially affected. A further key element of

the project will be to help differentiate between strains of the

disease within the region, to give a potential handle on where

badgers may be playing a role in the spread of TB.

It’s hoped the study will help to guide local strategy on how to

tackle bTB in the region, which is currently classed as an ‘edge

area’ within bTB spread in the UK, although the disease is now

prevalent across large areas in the south of the county.

STOP PRESS

Defra backs down on infection rate figures

In February, Environment Secretary Owen Paterson announced

that Defra figures on Bovine Tuberculosis (bTB) livestock infection

rates across the country had been ‘overstated’ since at least 2011,

due to a computer error. The official correct figures eventually

showed a drop of 3.4% in TB infection rates in UK cattle herds for

2012–13, in stark contrast to the Minister’s earlier claims of an 18%

rise. In Wales, a combination of vaccination and strict movement

controls resulted in a reduction in bTB infection rates of more

than 24% in the same period.

High costs and missed cull targets revealed

Although the independent report into the Somerset and

Gloucestershire badger cull trial had yet to be published as we

went to print, charity Care for Wildlife released figures in January

suggesting that the programme has resulted in costs in excess of

£4,000 for each badger shot. Official figures on policing have already

been published at more than £2m, or around £1,300 per badger.

In February, a leaked copy of the final Independent Evaluation

Panel (IEP) report seen by the BBC on the cull trials set up

by government highlighted missed targets across both the

effectiveness and the humaneness of the culling process, stating

that ‘the number of badgers killed fell well short of the target

deemed necessary’.

The national badger sett survey was also released in January,

noting an increase of around 100% in badger clans in the last 25

years. There are now an estimated 71,600 badger clans in England

and Wales, up by 27,000 to 40,000 since the mid-1980s, with

the biggest change seen in England. Numbers in Wales remained

relatively consistent. The report’s authors, however, were keen to

stress that sett numbers did not necessarily indicate an increase in

individual badger numbers. The Wildlife Trusts have also said that

the figures demonstrate the UK badger population beginning to

rebalance in light of the greater protection brought in around 30

years ago, and is not an unexpected increase in numbers.

the number of badgers killed fell well short of the target deemed necessaryIEP


DISCOVER

Finding moths

Almost all moths fly at night,

and the majority of these are

attracted to artificial lights.

No one fully understands why

they do this, but it does make

it much easier for us to study

them. There are several types

of dedicated ‘moth traps’

available which use a light to

attract moths, which are then

held within a box below until

they can be examined. The trap

is usually filled with cardboard

egg boxes – as these have a

rough surface the moths can

hold on to – with lots of dark

corners they can hide in as well. The catch can be inspected during the night itself or the

following morning, with all the moths then being released alive.

Commercial moth traps are ideal for serious moth enthusiasts, but they are expensive –

up to £300 for a top quality model. Happily, it’s just as easy to attract plenty of moths

without using complicated equipment. One of the easiest ways is to leave an outside

light on and drape a white sheet against a lit wall or fence. An old rope soaked in

molasses or red wine will also find them dropping in for a meal. The best times to check

for moths are the first two hours of darkness, before you go to bed and very early in

the morning.

Another option is to leave a light on in a room with the windows open – bathrooms are

good as there is generally less clutter for moths to hide amongst. Don’t forget to look

outside for moths on the glass and surrounding wall as well. Low energy light bulbs

generally are just as good at attracting moths as conventional light bulbs.

Some moths are active almost all year round, but you will get the biggest numbers

between April and September. A warm, windless night is best, as few moths fly when it

is very cold, very wet or windy.

Moths really don’t have the best reputation. It could be their wardrobe dining

habits, that fascination for the bedside lamp when you’re trying to finish

that chapter in your book, or flying into you when you head into the kitchen

for a midnight snack. Add to this that they mostly come out at night and

aren’t usually brightly coloured, and they’re almost persona non grata. Until

recently, too, there were few good field guides to even help you identify them.

Yet examined closely with a little time and patience, some of our moths are

stunningly beautiful with an attire to match even their most image-conscious

cousins the butterflies.

Fly by nightWith their almost limitless colours, butterflies are among our best-loved

wildlife, yet their close relatives the moths remain largely creatures of

mystery. Sue Tatman dusts off the moth trap this spring to see if there’s

more than meets the eye with these underrated insects.

EVENTS

TOM

MA

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TOM

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National Moth Night is 3 - 5 July 2014,

with events across the country.

Visit www.mothnight.info for further

information


Identifying moths

Avoid touching your moths; their wings are extremely delicate,

easily damaged and critical to their survival. The wings themselves

are covered with tiny scales, which are easily dislodged; indeed

older specimens can look very bald and tatty.

It’s a really good idea to take photos of your moths, especially if

you have a camera with a close-up or ‘macro’ setting. Most moths

can be identified from a good photograph. Taking photos also

means you can take your time working out what you’ve caught,

and even send the photos to an expert to look at, long after the

moths themselves have flown away.

What have I seen?

www.ukmoths.org.uk is great if you think you know what you’ve

seen, whilst www.ispotnature.org lets you post photos for other

people to identify. Finally www.mothscount.org has lots of useful

information about moths and how to see them, including pictures

of the most common species you are likely to see.

How are our moths doing?

We know far less about moths than we do about day-flying

insects such as butterflies and bumblebees, but we believe many

species are in decline. This means any records of moths are

valuable – including those from your back garden. To be of use

a record needs four bits of information: the species, the name of

the person who saw it, the place it was seen (an address or an OS

grid reference) and the date. Additional information such as the

numbers seen, or a photo, is also useful. You can really do your bit

by submitting your sightings to the Cheshire biological records

centre at www.record-lrc.co.uk

Attracting moths into your garden

Ordinary domestic gardens can be home to a surprising numbers

of moths – over 100 species in some gardens. A few changes to

your garden can make it a paradise for moths, as well as other

invertebrates. Here are our top tips:

1. Long grasses, shrubs, trees and climbing plants all provide

places for moths to rest during the day.

2. Moths and their caterpillars also use fallen leaves, old stems

and other plant debris to hide in, and as places to spend the

winter. If you can, delay cutting back old plants until the spring,

rather than the autumn. If you want to keep your garden

looking tidy, try leaving some old plant material behind the

back of borders or in other places out of sight.

3. Moth caterpillars feed on a wide variety of native plants, many

of which we consider weeds, so let a part of the garden go

wild. Many caterpillars feed on native grasses, and native trees

and shrubs are also food plants – hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel,

privet and willow are all good choices.

4. Pesticides and herbicides can kill moths or harm the plants on

which their caterpillars depend for food. Reducing the use of

these chemicals will benefit a wide range of wildlife as well as

moths.

5. Adult moths will take nectar from a wide range of flowers,

including many garden varieties. They particularly like night-

scented plants such as summer-flowering jasmine, honeysuckle,

evening primrose, sweet rocket and night-scented stock.

In some very special years, the UK is visited by good numbers

of hummingbird hawk-moths. These fat-bodied, day-flying

moths from the continent patrol garden flowers in search of

nectar, hovering whilst they feed – leading to their name. Their

size, grey body, black and white-tipped abdomen and orange

wings are largely unmistakable.

Top 5 moths to look out for

One of many tiny insects

collectively known as ‘micro

moths’, close examination

is needed to appreciate its

beauty – the adult in less

than 1cm long, smaller than

your little fingernail.

One of the largest and most

brightly marked moths, and

a frequent garden visitor.

The hairy caterpillar, known

as a ‘woolly bear’ is also a

regular find.

All the hawk-moths are

large, spectacular insects;

the poplar hawk-moth is the

most common in gardens,

although you may also see

others.

Barred fruit tree tortrix Garden tiger Poplar hawk-moth

Relatively common, this

moth is easily recognised

by the metallic sheen which

gives it its name.

Burnished brass

The markings on many

moths are actually

marvellous camouflage.

At rest the buff-tip looks

remarkably like a broken

silver birch twig.

Buff-tip

I’VE SEEN A HUMMINGBIRD, HAVEN’T I?

VIC

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GREAT DAYS OUT

Surrey Wildlife Trust’s tramper buggy. Hants

and Lincs WTs hire out similar vehicles

Bystock Pools in Devon. Boardwalks are a great way for everyone to get really close to wetland wildlife

Accessible reservesTen great

Limited mobility needn’t mean missing out on nature. Here are ten reserves with excellent wheelchair access

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1 Bystock Pools Devon WT

Only a part is wheelchair-accessible – but it’s a really beautiful part, with lots of dragonflies and damselflies in summer. The boardwalk allows access for all around the beautiful freshwater pool where the air is filled with dragonflies in summer. Trees line the way, providing shelter from the sun for visitors and a place for birds to nest. devonwildlifetrust.orgWhere is it? Four miles N of Exmouth. Grid SY 030 849, OS Explorer 115. Postcode EX8 5EE.

2 Joe’s Pond Durham WT

An old coal pit pond at its best in May and June, with records of more than 140 breeding birds. The north end boardwalk for wheelchairs and pushchairs has just been renewed, and there are disabled toilets at Rainton Meadows visitor centre next door. durhamwt.co.uk Where is it? A mile SW of Houghton-le-Spring. Look for Rainton Meadows visitor centre. Grid NZ 328 487, OS Explorer 308. Regular buses.

3 Thurrock Thameside Nature Park Essex WT

Built on a former landfill site, the park is particularly good for seeing and hearing skylarks and also important for invertebrates and reptiles. The views over the Thames Estuary, where there are thousands of wading

birds in winter, are spectacular. There are many easy-access paths, one hide and a superb visitor centre. Wheelchairs can even reach the roof by a spiral route around the outside. essexwt.org.ukWhere is it? 2 miles S of Stanford-le-Hope. Grid TQ 696 806, OS Explorer 175. Postcode SS17 0RN.

4 Testwood Lakes Hants & IOW WT

Winner of the New Forest ‘Access for all’ award, this grassland, wet woodland and lakeside reserve has surfaced paths, accessible hides, all-terrain wheelchairs and one tramper buggy for hire. There’s also a wheelchair-friendly sensory garden. hiwwt.org.ukWhere is it? 1.5 miles from Totton, Southampton. OS Explorer OL22. Buses to Testwood Crescent. Postcode SO40 3WX.

5 London Centre for Wildlife Gardening

London WT

An inspiring garden reserve on the site of an old council depot. The reserve does a great deal of work with local communities, including projects to improve the self-confidence and wellbeing of socially isolated older people. It’s accessible but please call first on 020 7252 9186. wildlondon.org.ukWhere is it? 28 Marsden Road, SE15 4EE. Grid TQ 338 755, OS Explorer 161.

6 Attenborough Nature Reserve Nottinghamshire WT

A huge complex of former gravel pits and islands, most of it wheelchair-accessible, including three hides. The award-winning Nature Centre has displays, a shop and café. nottinghamshirewildlife.orgWhere is it? Off A6005. Grid SK 515 339, OS Explorer 245. Postcode NG9 6DY.

7 Wigg Island Visitor Centre Cheshire Wildlife Trust

The Trust manages the accessible centre here which has refreshments and displays to view during the summer, whilst the wider community park has accessible paths taking you to viewing screens which overlook the adjacent Mersey estuary. Check beforehand for opening times. cheshirewildlifetrust.org.ukWhere is it? North of Runcorn, across the Manchester Ship Canal. Take the A533 Bridgewater Expressway in Runcorn and follow the brown signs onto Astmoor Road.


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Before you goEven the smoothest path or boardwalk can be rendered impassable by floods or a fallen tree, so it’s a good idea to check with the local Wildlife Trust.

FIND MORE SITES LIKE THESE AT WILDLIFETRUSTS.ORG/ACCESSIBLERESERVES

8 Brockholes Lancashire WT

This multi award-winning floating visitor ‘village’ which opened in 2012, gives accessible views across wetlands while you shop, enjoy your lunch or learn more about local wildlife. Two additional accessible nature trails allow those who are feeling adventurous to explore more of the reserve. Where is it? Just east of Preston off J31 of the M6, on the A59, follow the brown Wildlife Trust tourist signs. PR5 0AG.

9 Whisby Nature Park Lincs WT

120ha (300 acres) of marshy wetland. Visitor centre, parking (£2) and wheelchair-friendly facilities, including a lift to the lower floor exhibition, and six bird hides. Thorpe, Coot and Grebe lakes have wheelchair-friendly paths, and mobility scooters can be hired for £2 (free to members). To book, ring 01522 688868. lincstrust.org.uk

Where is it? W of Lincoln relief road A46. OS Explorer 121, Grid SK 911 661.

10 The Welsh Wildlife Centre WT of South and West Wales

This wildlife gem on the banks of the Teifi river at Cilgerran has full disabled access: parking, toilets, a lift and an easy, wheelchair-accessible path around the site. There are frequent guided tours and activities, and a newly planted willow maze. You may see water buffalo and otters in the marsh and, in spring and summer, ospreys overhead. welshwildlife.orgWhere is it? Cilgerran, Pembrokeshire. OS Explorer 145. Postcode SA43 2TB.

7


What is a Biodiversity Trainee?

Having an environmental qualification may tick the first box

on an application form, or help you through the shortlisting

process for that crucial first job, but how do you meet all the

other criteria? Volunteering has traditionally been the answer

but has the downside that supporting yourself financially can

be extremely challenging. In addition, organisations taking

volunteers are generally charities operating on limited budgets

themselves.

Since 2011, help has been at hand, however, from the Heritage

Lottery Fund, which enables organisations to take on promising

trainees wanting to develop conservation skills. Applicants

are typically graduates who develop over a year’s traineeship

through an Individual Learning Plan. Be it experience with a

chainsaw or teaching children about wildlife, it is down to each

trainee to find opportunities they need and contribute to the

work of the organisation. And yes, it really is paid!

My background…I first realised my true career passion thanks to the British Trust

for Conservation Volunteers (now TCV) whom I initially joined

on Sundays improving local green spaces. I went on to study

conservation at university, earning my keep as a residential

volunteer on a National Trust estate before eventually feeling

ready to tackle my first job in conservation. I ideally wanted

a role on a nature reserve, but I still lacked the surveying and

monitoring skills these posts required. Fortunately, I discovered

the trainee posts with Chester Zoo and the Wildlife Trust. Being

able to tailor the traineeship towards the skills I needed, and

the wealth of opportunities available from the various partner

organisations, made it an opportunity too good to miss.

On the record…I was delighted to be offered a place on the traineeship

in May 2013 along with fellow candidates Laura, Claire

and Kerry. I spent the first block of the placement with

Record – the local biological record centre for Cheshire.

This was an invaluable opportunity for developing

our skills with Geographical Information Systems

(GIS) which we put to use digitising Phase 1 Habitat

Assessments (a first-stage overview of the wildlife

habitats found on a site) for Local Wildlife Sites and

assisting with other queries that came in to the record

centre. We also got our boots dirty tree planting at a

new nature reserve being developed by Chester Zoo,

and got hands-on with great creasted newt surveys.

A day in the life... Andy Perry, Biodiversity TraineeFor the past three years, the Trust has welcomed Skills For The Future trainees each year, as part of a Heritage Lottery-funded project in partnership with Chester Zoo and the Cheshire Region Biological Records Centre. Andy Perry from the 2013/14 team tells us more about what the year-long placement involves.

Small mammal surveying

DAY IN THE LIFE

Talking about water voles


Back in black…Learning how biological records are collected and stored, and what the data can tell us, formed an important part of my placement with Record, especially around the rare black poplar. This stunning tree (Populus nigra subsp. betulifolia) is one of our largest and rarest native trees and could potentially be extinct in the UK within 30 years. This decline has largely been attributed to a loss of its natural lowland floodplain habitat through drainage, cross-pollination with introduced specimens, and a curious result of its dioecious nature (male and female catkins being on separate trees) in that 90% of remaining British trees are male. Cheshire, however, bucks this trend with many of the county’s 300-plus specimens being female. Chester Zoo has been striving to save this valuable species through a local Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP), recording, monitoring and planting trees around the county. During the traineeship, we have helped with importing detailed information on the location, sex and condition of Cheshire’s black poplars onto RODIS, the wildlife information database for the region. These records have already proved useful as we were able to plot trees that had not previously been genetically tested and plan a route for collecting new samples. Putting the information to the test, we located some of these trees in the field and took cuttings of several

trees which have since been sent off for genetic analysis and will hopefully contribute to the conservation programme.

Delving into the dragon’s den…The period of my placement with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust saw me in the field lending a hand on the white-faced darter dragonfly reintroduction project, badger vaccination programme and various species and habitat surveys. The trainees also teamed up to plan and deliver a wildlife recording day with the zoo and a Living Seas themed event to mark National Marine Week, held at Leasowe Lighthouse on the Wirral. My final stint at the zoo saw me working with the Discovery & Learning team on the recently opened BUGS! Exhibition

The future…The year-long scheme is certainly an intense period of training, but I have enjoyed every day and am heartened to hear that last year’s trainees both went on to secure jobs within the industry – one for an ecology consultancy, the other with a Wildlife Trust. My learning plan already has plenty of boxes checked off, which hopefully means ticking more boxes on future application forms!

A day in the life... Andy Perry, Biodiversity Trainee

Applications for the 2014/15 season have now closed, but if you are interested in becoming a biodiversity trainee or would like more information on the project generally please contact Sarah Bennett on [email protected]

FIND OUT MORE

Isle of Man cabbage conservation on the Wirral

Helping with the white-faced

darter reintroduction

LOTTERY FUNDED

SUPPORTER SURVEY

About the survey

Although we’re lucky enough to meet hundreds of Trust

supporters and members every year at our events, there are

still more than 13,000 of you across Cheshire and Wirral, and

sometimes even further afield! As your local Wildlife Trust acting

as a voice for nature and representing you, our supporters, it’s

important we understand the issues and concerns that mean the

most to you.

Choose the top three areas of our

work you consider most important:

To make more space for nature, the

Trust should:

How important is it that your Wildlife Trust

campaigns to get the best deal for wildlife

on these issues?

This year, we were delighted to receive more than 400 responses to

the survey, both from the form included in the New Year edition of

The Grebe, and those who filled out the survey online. This represents

almost a two-fold increase since our last survey undertaken in 2012. Our

congratulations also go to Mr Brian Williams who was picked out of the

hat of our survey responses and enjoyed two free tickets to see Iolo

Williams in March – and even got the chance to meet the man himself!

Your Wildlife Trust, your viewsIn the January edition of The Grebe, we asked for your views on Cheshire Wildlife Trust and where you think we should be focusing our work in the future. We had a fantastic response to the survey, and the results, along with your comments, will now inform our thinking around a new strategy for the Trust, which we hope to share in The Grebe magazine later this year.

1

2

3

Looking after nature reserves

Saving threatened local wildlife

60%

66%

52% 39%

78% of you strongly agreed

we should work with

landowners where there is

potential benefit for wildlife

of you agreed we

should increase the

size or number of

our nature reserves

of you strongly agreed we

should work with developers

and businesses where there is

potential benefit for wildlife

of you agreed we

should acquire

suitable land where

we can create new

wildlife habitats

of you disagreed we should only

acquire land which is currently of

high wildlife value

78% of you said local council plans on development and the

environment were very important

78%

68% of you said it was very important we campaigned on

agricultural policy

68%

63% of you said direct species protection was very important

63%

58%

47%

52% of you said it was important we campaigned on transport

and infrastructure

52%

60% of you said marine conservation was very important

60%


60% Influencing planning/development

and political decision making

As the questions in the survey had the option to provide

multiple answers, here we’ve shown the most popular

choices from our results, showing the percentage of you

that chose each option.

WHAT THE NUMBERS MEAN

How can your Trust help you do

your bit for wildlife?

How do you think we should

improve our presence in the region?

In which ways should we work with

people and communities?

What do you see as being the greatest

threat to wildlife in your area?

Below are the top three answers and how many votes each received.

Your Wildlife Trust, your views4

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By creating a purpose-built visitor centre to share nature with the public

By acquiring one or more large flagship nature reserves

By working in partnership to create a presence at other non-Trust locations

By working with groups and communities, and being active in local green spaces

Provide advice and ideas online

Offer a wide range of wildlife products to buy from the Trust

Help you connect with other wildlife Trust members in your area

Hold ‘how to’ workshops sharing expertise on how to do more for wildlife

43%

41%

74%

81%

Nature-based training and work experience

Improve health and wellbeing through nature-based activities

Encourage a wider range of people to access nature reserves and green space

Deliver activities targeted at helping minority groups to access nature

35%

76%

20%

76%

34 %

64%

81%

40%

5 Your viewsCheshire has been massively over-

developed in the last 25 years and this has

had huge consequences for wildlife…we

must try and protect it as much as possible

Mrs Sharples, Warrington

I would like to see much more contact

between the big conservation groups…

together we are stronger!

Mr Abercrombie, Macclesfield

The Trust has the commitment, energy

and knowledge to inspire us to make this

a better place for future generations

Mrs Lomax

There’s not enough going on in Chester…

please set up a local group for people in

the area

Mrs Mulligan, Chester

Economic considerations nearly always

trump wildlife…most people have little

affinity with nature

Mr Carter, Chester

Our wildlife needs all the help it can get,

and you provide it

Mrs Stark

Your magazine is always a good read

Mrs Kingston, Warrington


Development(housing/roads etc)

16232 29

Agricultural practices

General ignorance/lack of knowledge

FIND OUT MORE

To see the full results, visit cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/yourviews

51%

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HABITATS

Going, going, gone?Cheshire cheese is known around the world, but this famous export would be nothing without

the pasture the region’s cattle need to graze on. These same grasslands are also a haven for rare

wildlife, which is why their ongoing disappearance is the focus of a new Wildlife Trusts campaign,

as Dr Rachel Giles reports.

Between 1997-2010, sites home

to species-rich grassland in

Cheshire fell by almost a third

Lowland Cheshire’s warm, wet summers and mild winters are

perfectly suited to growing grass. Where grass grows fast,

cattle produce a lot of milk, so by the 12th century Cheshire had

become one of the main dairy regions of England. Five hundred

years later and Cheshire cheese was considered the best in

England - its pleasing taste attributed to the high quality of the

grass and fodder in the county.

Although still made in Cheshire, the cheese we now enjoy is

very different. The red and white Shorthorn cattle of old have

long been replaced with the familiar black and white Holstein

– Friesians. The grass and fodder, which was considered so

remarkable, would be unrecognisable to those first cheeemakers.

Today, dairy cattle in the region are largely fed on rye grass, often

in the form of silage and their diets supplemented with soya or

cereal based cattle pellets. Just 70 years ago, cattle were largely

being grazed on permanent pastures that probably contained

at least four species of grass and an array of herbs such as red

clover, birds-foot trefoil, field woodrush and black knapweed.

This was traditional pastoral farming, a process which relied

on natural processes to build soil fertility. Areas of permanent

pasture tended to be located on clay or other land difficult to

plough. The lighter soils produced cereal and winter fodder

crops in rotation with a year or more laid to grass which returned

nutrients to the soil. It was a self-sustaining, pastoral ecosystem.

Sadly, these traditional farming practices which lasted almost a

millennia, disappeared in less than a generation with the advent

of industrialised farming, chemical fertilisers and sprays. The

pace of change was only increased by government-funded farm

subsidies rewarding intensification. Traditional pastoral farming

became no match for the levels of milk production attained by

planting monocultures of fast-growing ryegrass stimulated by

large quantities of fertilisers.

L M

AID

EN

24-spot ladybird Skylark Lapwing Quaking grass Yellow wagtail

5


Vanishing point

Cheshire may be able to produce more milk nowadays, but

this has come at a very high price to our countryside. The

species-rich pastures and hay meadows that our parents and

grandparents knew, now cling on in a few relict areas largely

confined to the hilly far east of the region. For a while some

remnants also persisted on steep inaccessible stream banks

in lowland Cheshire, but many of these have now scrubbed

over with bramble, gorse and hawthorn as modern dairy

cattle don’t like rough grazing.

The result is that traditional pastoral ecosystems have

virtually gone from lowland Cheshire along with their

wildflowers and slow-growing grasses. Disappearing fast

are the species these ecosystems supported, from beetles

and butterflies, to grasshoppers and millipedes. Whilst these

smaller residents of our grasslands are easily overlooked,

we become acutely aware when the impact hits those

species that rely on this varied insect menu like yellow

wagtails, lapwings and skylarks – the iconic species of our

rural landscape.

But we can’t blame farmers for these losses. At the end of the

day, every farm is a business needing to turn a profit like any

other enterprise. We also need to understand that we can’t

turn the clock back to a bygone era whilst we have a growing

population that needs feeding. That’s why the Wildlife Trusts

want to see farmers supported for doing their do their bit for

the environment, however small. Unfortunately, this support

is currently unfocussed and inadequate, which may be why

uncompetitive traditional family farms are still going out

of business and areas of species-rich and semi-improved

grasslands are still being lost.

Improve existing laws and policies and effectively

enforce them –

Environmental Impact Assessment (Agriculture)

Regulations strengthened and grasslands given better

protection through planning policy.

Support wildlife-rich grasslands on farmland –

Farmers should be fully rewarded for managing important

grasslands (e.g. through farmland conservation schemes)

and attach stronger requirements for protection to the

direct payments farmers receive for managing land.

Award statutory protection to more grassland sites

that deserve it -

Species-rich grassland sites that qualify should become

protected SSSIs (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) as

quickly as possible.

Set up a national grassland inventory –

A new national inventory of important grasslands in

England (similar to that for ancient woodland) should be

established with sustained monitoring of sites in the future.

Restore more wildlife-rich grasslands –

Grassland restoration projects delivered in partnership with

landowners by local Wildlife Trusts, Plantlife and others

should be encouraged and sustained.

Going, going, gone?

You can also help by signing the e-petition aimed at

Environment Secretary, Owen Paterson at wildlifetrusts.org

This is an important opportunity to influence the

government, please support our campaign.

GIVE YOUR SUPPORT

WILDLIFE UNDER THREAT IN OUR DISAPPEARING GRASSLANDS

The Wildlife Trusts Vanishing Grasslands campaign

Between 1997 – 2010 in Cheshire alone, sites home to species-rich

grasslands fell by almost a third. This worrying picture is being

reflected across the country which is why we’re now asking the

government to think about the following key changes:

The Wildlife Trusts are calling for a full review of existing

protection for environmentally important grasslands and

asking the Government to:

1

2

3

4


WILD WALKS

If you ask people ‘what does Cheshire Wildlife Trust do?’ you’ll

most likely get a range of answers depending on that person’s

experiences with the Trust. Whether it’s commenting on a planning

application that could be a bad deal for local wildlife, organising an

event for families over the summer or maintaining our network of

nature reserves, the work we do can often seem high profile.

However, if you were walking through the countryside and noticed

a hedgerow had been coppiced and replanted to provide a

wildlife super-highway, or that a farmer’s field had been restored

for lapwings and snipe by having shallow ditches dug into it, you

might not expect this to be the work of the Trust. With our first

Living Landscape project now well underway in the River Gowy

corridor, some of the work we’re doing may just come as a surprise.

Now though, thanks to a new series of self-guided walks, you can

get into the heart of our Living Landscape and see our work for

yourself at first hand.

There are currently two walks to enjoy, with another one in the

pipeline, guiding you through some of the work we’ve been busy

with over the past two years as part of the Gowy Connect project.

Both are user-friendly circular walks, each of which takes in different

areas of the project. On the way you can get close to a variety of

habitats including newly restored hedgerows, floodplain grazing

meadow and wet woodland to name a few, and with a chance spot

some of the wildlife winners from our Living Landscape scheme,

including, if you’re very lucky, water voles(below) and even otters.

With two walks completed work has now begun on a third walk which

explores a different area of the project. The third walk will be a little

longer and will include one of our nature reserves on the Gowy which

is a hotspot for dragonflies. Look out for the third walk becoming

available on the Living Walks part of the CWT website, where you can

download all the walk route maps along with walk instructions which

give you a flavour of what you can see along the way.

Inside a Living Landscape – wild walksAcross Cheshire, we’re standing on the edge

of our nature reserves and looking out into

the wider countryside, exploring the best

ways to link up the habitat jigsaw. But what’s

really going on inside a Living Landscape?

Ben Gregory takes us on a new range of walks

designed to help us discover just that.

Walk 1 - Plemstall and Mickle Trafford

Walk 2 - Tiverton

Walk one starts and ends in Plemstall near to the village of

Mickle Trafford and highlights work across two farms within

the Gowy Connect project. With a total length of 3.3 miles

on flat land, in most weathers it will be suitable for a good

range of abilities and age groups. Following the route notes

which accompany the map, you’ll be able to spot some of the

hedgerow restoration work we’ve been doing, including one

hedgerow which has examples of three different hedgerow

restoration techniques in one length.

You may also be able to see the puffing chimneys of our

charcoal kiln in the gardens of The Conservation Volunteers’

Trafford Mill, which makes good use of the wood that has

been harvested through the project; turning it into locally

produced, sustainable charcoal. Combine this with a chance

to seek out some of the birds we’ve recorded on the route,

including yellowhammer, whitethroat and reed bunting, and

you’ve got a great way to while away an afternoon out in the

Cheshire countryside.

Walk two starts and ends a little further upstream at the

Shady Oak public house in Tiverton. This walk totalling 3.6

miles gets you right in amongst our Living Landscape. With

stunning views of both Beeston and Peckforton castles and a

section of the walk along the Shropshire Union canal, you can

explore the ‘mosaic’ of habitats that make this area so special.

There are meadows being restored with our own ‘living

lawnmowers’, half-tonne longhorn cattle, grazing peacefully

alongside the river bordered by ancient species-rich

hedgerows which provide fantastic habitat for birds such

as bullfinch, redwing and fieldfare, all of which have been

recorded on the route.

On this trail you’ll also walk along the river Gowy itself where

if you’re very lucky you may see water voles and otters, which

we know are active on this section thanks to infra-red, night-

vision camera footage that has been recorded over the past

couple of years.

All Living Walks are on public footpaths some of which cross

private land. Please stick to the footpath and adhere to

the Countryside Code which is available to download from

Natural England’s website www.naturalengland.org.uk

DON’T FORGET

TOM

MA

RS

HA

LL


Inside a Living Landscape – wild walks

There are Wild Walks you can enjoy across Living Landscapes

throughout the UK.

Visit www.wild-walks.org to find out more and share your

own wildlife sightings!

WILD WALKS

MIK

E S

NE

LLE

RIC

HA

RD

BO

WLE

RTO

M M

AR

SH

ALL

TOM

MA

RS

HA

LL

Our Gowy & Mersey

Washlands Living Landscape

scheme and Gowy Connect

project are supported by the

Environment Agency, WREN

and United Utilities.

To download the map and guided trail visit

cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/livingwalks

To download the map and guided trail visit

cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/livingwalks

Charcoal burning at

Mickle Trafford Banded demoiselle

LonghornFieldfare

CONSERVATION GRAZING


In August 2012, the Trust embarked on an exciting new project – aiming to bring high-quality, nature-grazed beef and lamb from our conservation grazing herds to local communities across Cheshire. The Trust’s Joe Pimblett updates us.

From fieldto fork

From the Trust’s base at Bickley Hall Farm, we manage an impressive 500-

head of livestock; including 250 Hebridean and Shropshire sheep, Dexter

cattle, and one of the largest native English longhorn herds in the country.

These hardy, traditional breeds are also known as our ‘living lawnmowers’ and

form the basis of our conservation grazing programme working to maintain

and enhance wildlife habitats across Cheshire, from our largest nature reserve

to some of our smallest.

The Wild About Conservation Meat (WACM) project, funded by the

Big Lottery through the Local Food initiative, has been supported by a

Development Officer, Heather Hulse, and myself as project assistant, allowing

us to get stuck into securing a route to market for our meat and working with

local butchers and restaurants to get our produce on the table.

The principle aim of the project has been to secure a long-term, sustainable

income for the conservation grazing scheme that already underpins a great

deal of the Trust’s work, not least in managing around a dozen of our nature

reserves, many of which are also in our flagship Living Landscape scheme.

Spring last year saw the start of an exciting marketing campaign with the

project team hitting the road and attending countless food fairs, agricultural

shows and open days across the county. We had a simple yet bold aspiration:

to get the Trust’s conservation-grazed beef and lamb onto the dinner plates

of Cheshire’s residents.

In the year since we have already made great progress, with five butchers

and restaurants with our meat on the menu or in the window, along with

sales to an expanding retail market, with ‘beef boxes’ and half lambs proving

particularly popular.

TOM

MA

RS

HA

LL


The next generation

Our educational programme also kicked off in the autumn of 2012,

with 10 primary schools visiting our Wigg Island visitor centre in

Runcorn to both come face-to-face with the source of our meat

– a half-tonne longhorn – and also to get valuable healthy eating

cooking skills with the lean, high in Omega 3 beef, through simple

recipes. This first phase of the scheme focused around the Halton

and Warrington districts and enabled us to take Bill, our Longhorn

bull, into the heart of the urban community. An unexpected and

unusual distraction for passers-by, Bill remains a striking but

friendly physical presence and a reminder of where our food

comes from.

As the project progressed we realised that in order for the children

to really get to grips with the full story, a visit to a farm setting

would be hugely beneficial. To support this, local farmer and

enthusiastic conservationist, Rosie Lee, kindly offered her farm and

facilities for us to use. The morning walks around Rosie’s wildlife-

friendly farm went on to prove a big hit with the youngsters.

Following this the children had the opportunity to make their own

conservation-grazed beef burgers using our mince. These were

later cooked on the BBQ for the children’s lunch.

In total, more than 400 children from a dozen different schools

have been involved in the project over the past year.

Case study: Phillip Arden, Bosley

As we began to establish a reliable market for the Trust’s beef

and lamb, the project could then enter the next phase, which

was to create links with local farmers who could also benefit.

In January last year the ‘Meat Producer Scheme’ was trialled to

facilitate this.

“The market research we have completed as part of the project

has been made possible by the grant funding. Many farmers

simply don’t have the spare time to undertake this and as a

result may not be fully aware of the demand for their produce,”

says Joe.

Local beef farmer Phillip Arden has been supplying the WACM

market with his exceptional quality beef for over a year. Phillip

and his wife Janet farm a suckler herd of 80 Aberdeen Angus

cattle on the foothills of the Cloud in Bosley.

The couple’s farm is a flagship for environmental stewardship

with the local wildlife really benefitting from both the scheme

and Phillip’s genuine passion for sustainable farming. The

cattle are grazed outdoors during the spring and summer and

are finished on a grass-based diet year round. Well-managed

cattle grazing on their farm has contributed to the farm’s

mosaic of wildflower - rich pasture and semi-natural woodland

alongside the more commercially managed land that produces

the winter fodder.

“Beef farmers need various outlets for their meat and working

with the Trust’s conservation meat project has been great

for getting my beef sold locally here in Cheshire. Some

of my smaller cattle do not meet the increasingly difficult

specifications of the commercial market but have proved very

popular with the Trust’s butchers and restaurants,” says Phillip.

On a shelf near you!

Despite its original 18-month trial period, far from winding up the

project we’ll now be applying everything we’ve learned into a

new venture: products from reserves. Heather will now be stepping

into the role of Development Officer working to establish a retail

market for even more exciting Cheshire Wildlife Trust products.

Some of the items we expect to go on sale this year are eco-

friendly charcoal, timber and Hebridean wool, so watch this space!

If you would like further information on these products please

contact Heather Hulse at [email protected] or keep an

eye on the shop pages of our website.

to fork

Keeping an eye on our half-tonne heroesA side project arising from the WACM initiative was the

recruitment of a volunteer group to help keep an eye on

our livestock while they are grazing the reserves. Volunteers

are actively helping support our grazing programme by

reducing the Trust’s costs associated with checking the

livestock. If you would like further information on this please

contact Joe Pimblett at [email protected]

Coming face-to-face with the

longhorns is an important

experience for the children

A group of youg chefs get

ready to make healthy burgers

from our nature-grazed beef

GET INVOLVED

SC

OT

T P

ET

RE

K


FLOODING 2014

For weeks at the beginning of 2014, large parts of Britain’s south

west, Thames Valley and Midlands lay underwater, at the mercy

of a relentless period of low pressure weather systems that saw

river records broken and groundwater levels at their highest for

a century.

From the rural Somerset Levels to the outskirts of London and the

centre of Worcester, several feet of floodwater brought misery to

thousands and generated an often heated political debate that

pitched ministers against government environment departments

operating on recently reduced budgets. However, as the issue of

relief funding and on-the-ground support took centre stage in the

media, the wider science behind what led to the floods was often

overlooked.

Have we added to the problem?

Since World War II, our agricultural landscape has radically

altered. Fewer hedgerows, degraded habitats and more intensive

farming mean our countryside is less able to store water now

than 100 years ago. Historically, natural ‘sponges’ in the landscape

like peat bogs, reedbeds, broadleaved woodlands, wetlands and

species-rich grasslands would have made an effective difference

to the level and intensity of water hitting our river systems.

Flooding - is it time to stop twisting nature’s arm?Earlier this year, the UK witnessed unprecedented

weather and associated flooding that hasn’t been

seen for decades. As a political storm to rival those

that caused the widespread damage continues,

should we be looking at nature for the solution,

rather than battling against it?

In many places, a greater volume of water is now reaching the

floodplain more quickly because of the loss of these natural

habitats as efficient agricultural drainage systems have been

constructed over many years. In some areas, farming practices

can also lead to vast quantities of soil being washed off the land

into watercourses and the sea. Although dredging rose high on

the political agenda in Somerset, it remains just one part of the

wider issue of how we manage run-off and flow capacity.

Perhaps surprisingly, the issue of flooding in our urban areas

can owe more to what happens further upstream, long before

high streets and road networks fall victim to rising waters. Those

upland ‘sponges’ like peat bogs can do much to help those living

further down the river – all the more reason to ensure these

habitats are maintained in the healthiest possible condition.

Another well-publicised impact that has exacerbated urban

flooding is the development of our floodplains. This increased

coverage of impermeable surfaces over areas that would

traditionally be ‘sacrificial’ during flood events means that large

volumes of water that would have otherwise been stored before

being allowed to flow into the river at a reduced pace are now

entering the system almost immediately. Even small changes like

the loss of gardens in favour of driveways as car ownership has

increased have also had a cumulative effect.

Letting nature takes its course

Reinstating the original river course

In partnership with the Environment Agency, at our Hockenhull

Platts nature reserve near Waverton an overspill sluice allows water

from the River Gowy to flow into newly created wetlands during

times of flood that follow the original, more meandering course of

the river. In doing so, a proportion of water can be stored in this

rural location away from properties and farmland, and in turn helps

to introduce fresh water into the wetlands which act as feeding

and refuge areas for otters and water voles, along with breeding

amphibians and dragonflies during the summer months.

The south and south west experienced some

of the worst flooding for decades earlier this year

AD

RIA

N W

ALM

SLE

Y


Flooding - is it time to stop twisting nature’s arm?

Ecosystem Services – nature’s own processes that we rely

on for our everyday needs and wellbeing; such as water, soils,

nutrients and species we need like pollinators for our food.

Groundwater – water sitting in aquifers and other

underground natural stores. When this reaches full capacity

and ground is saturated, new rainfall has nowhere else to go.

Floodplain – typically large, flat areas adjacent to rivers.

Often very fertile as a result of silt and nutrients previously

deposited there by overspilled floodwaters.

Run-off – the process of water leaving hard surfaces or

saturated soft surfaces and entering into rivers, ditches and

streams either directly or via drains.

Green roofs – grass, succulents or wildflowers are grown in

place of standard roof coverings, helping to both store and

slow down the speed at which run-off enters drainage systems.

Peat bog – found both in uplands and sometimes lowland

areas, these are habitats dominated by sphagnum, a plant

capable of storing many times its dry weight in water.

A Living Landscape – the Wildlife Trusts’ strategy for

landscape-scale management of our countryside, putting

traditional methods of looking after land next to natural

corridors like rivers at the heart of creating space for nature.

JARGON BUSTER

Nature’s flood defences

At our largest nature reserve, the 165-hectare Gowy Meadows

near Ellesmere Port, floodplain grazing marshes are managed in

partnership with Essar (formerly Shell) for a wide range of farmland

birds. In times of flood, these marshes can be allowed to accept

large quantities of water to limit the effects on industry to the north

including the Stanlow Refinery. This periodical flooding allows

water into scrapes and wetlands that host hundreds of wildflowl

over winter, and birds like snipe and lapwing during the summer.

The Wildlife Trusts’ 5 point plan to tackling flood management

1. Fix our broken ecosystems

We need to restore our natural habitat ‘sponges’ across the whole

landscape to make them more robust and able to retain water and

reduce surface run-off. This could be achieved by making payments

to farmers linked to measures that will protect these valuable

habitats. National strategies must also move away from a focus on

dredging and unsustainable land drainage.

2. Take an integrated approach

Current flood-risk management is too fragmented and too heavily

focussed on the old ways of managing the problem, which can

have negative impacts elsewhere. The restoration of nature must

be at the heart of this approach if it is to work. The authorities and

agencies responsible for managing flood and coastal erosion risks

should prioritise natural and sustainable solutions in rural and urban

areas, and along our coasts.

3. Stop development on floodplains

Planning policy must rigorously prevail against urban floodplain

development. Where local authorities see no alternative, priority

must be given to minimising impact through techniques like

sustainable urban drainage systems (SUD), green roofs and

integrating nature reserves as flood alleviation.

4. Give flood agencies the resources needed

Positive action can only be achieved by funding appropriate

levels of resources and staffing within the Environment Agency

and Natural England. The Treasury needs to recognise that the

economic benefits provided by these government agencies working

at their full potential far outweigh the enormous costs of flood

damage, severe drought and the hidden costs of species decline.

5. We can all do our bit

Create a green roof, whether on our home or on top of the garden

shed – planted roofs help to slow the flow of water run-off in bad

weather and help stop flooding. Consider reverting paved areas of

your garden back to greenspace or creating wetland habitats in

your garden – whether it’s a pond or beautiful bog garden, these

habitats all help absorb water and are wonderful for wildlife.

See a Living Landscape in action at our nature reserves along the

River Gowy. Find out more at www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk


VOLUNTEERING

What was your first reaction when the

letter announcing your British Empire

Medal dropped through the door?

I was absolutely amazed. It was tinged

with some embarrassment too as I couldn’t

think why I should be picked as I know so

many others who have inspired me who

I would have expected to be given the

award before me. Without the support and

camaraderie of fellow volunteers I would

be a voice in the wilderness and probably

have long given up by now.

It’s absolutely amazing that work with

billhook and scythe to improve habitats

for wildlife and people in Wirral has been

recognised, especially the great success

of one small part of the Empire, New Ferry

Butterfly Park!

I’ve learned a lot from those who have

inspired me and shared their knowledge,

including John Magee who introduced me

to hedge laying, Mel Roberts, the founder

of New Ferry Butterfly Park, who had a

dream which is now flourishing, and Jack

Dunning who taught me about hedge

laying Cheshire style. I hope I’m still laying

hedges like he is at 86. Hilary Ash remains

a font of botanical knowledge and a great

person to bounce ideas off.

Can you remember your first ever

connection with nature?

One of my earliest memories was the

intense blue of a bluebell carpet at

Eastham Country Park on the banks of

the Mersey. Forty years later and I am

involved in recreating this experience on a

smaller scale at New Ferry Butterfly Park

and on a larger scale at Thornton Wood.

This blue sea of flowers is a truly British

phenomenon.

You’ve been volunteering regularly now

for more than 25 years. What is it about

the experience that still gets you out of

bed and grabbing your billhook on even

the coldest, wettest days?

Quite simply you have to. You cannot let

other volunteers down. The list of events

has to be a cast-iron currency so cannot

be devalued by a ‘no show’. With our

programme being spread over a dozen

sites, sometimes it is the only time that

season we are visiting. On days when

some volunteers have wanted to cancel,

you can still go to the meeting point and

there will be other tenacious volunteers

raring to go. Often the worst days

weather-wise turn out to be great days in

the field.

Being part of a volunteer team is a

very different experience than going

to work, too. There’s often a rush in the

morning heading to the equipment store,

remembering everything and getting the

broad array of tools, brew kit, kindling and

baked potatoes ready. When you get up

and go to work in an office, your gear for

the day is already there waiting for you!

It can be stressful, but once the event’s

got going you can relax and know it is all

going well and all worth it.

Looking after nature takes patience and

is all about the long game. Cutting a

meadow or coppicing trees brings a small

initial gain. It’s only when these practices

are repeated over time that the positive

effects for wildlife become apparent.

You’ve spent hundreds of hours at the

New Ferry Butterfly Park, are butterflies

at the top of your wildlife list?

Butterflies are certainly top of my list

– they are a flagship, the icing on the

cake of a healthy flower-rich grassland.

Each butterfly tells a different story; high

Paul Loughnane from our Wirral Local Group (Wirral Wildlife) has been volunteering for wildlife for more

than a quarter of a century, and his dedication was recognised with a British Empire Medal (BEM) in the

Queen’s New Year honours. We caught up with Paul as the news sank in.

‘I hope I’m still hedge laying at 86!’

looking after nature takes patience and is all about the long game

Scything as a seasonal cutting technique

for wildflower grasslands is just one rural

skill Paul is keeping alive on the Wirral


‘I hope I’m still hedge laying at 86!’

something to see, even after 20 years.

Recently I spied mistletoe growing on a

hawthorn for the first time at the park,

above one of the paths. Being just five

minute’s walk from where I live, even the

dullest of winter days can be freshened up

with a walk round. New Ferry is an urban

area but in the park, with the enclosing

hedgerows, gentle rumble of Merseyrail

trains sauntering by and the peal of the

bells of Christ Church at Port Sunlight on

Sundays, you could be in the deepest rural

countryside.

You have the keys to No. 10 for the day

– what’s the first item for change on the

agenda?

I don’t envy anyone in number 10, but one

item I would want to put on the ‘to do’ list

would be the control of bovine TB and

where the nation is heading in tackling

the disease. We should be supportive of

farmers whose cattle have TB, help their

biosecurity and take up the vaccination

challenge which the Cheshire Wildlife Trust

has pioneered for badgers. In my view,

a cull would be a waste of public money

as it doesn’t really work and may spread

disease by perturbation.

It’s a bizarre situation that it’s a criminal

offence to disturb a badger sett, yet in

other areas government programmes are

eliminating them! What is really required

is a bovine TB vaccine for cattle which can

be distinguished from naturally occurring

TB infection.

What would be your top tip for someone

wanting to encourage wildlife in their

backyard for the first time?

Plant a lavender bush. It’s a fragrant

perennial which attracts bumblebees

and butterflies. It’s low maintenance, just

requiring an end of season haircut. Just

cut back to green wood as older brown

wood stems do not re-sprout.

You can find out more about New Ferry

Butterfly Park on our website at

www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk and

the work of our Wirral Local Group at

www.wirralwildlife.org.uk

The Lord Lieutenant of Merseyside will

be the guest of honour on the park’s

open day, Sunday May 4th, when Dame

Lorna Muirhead DBE will also unveil a

new accolade for the site.

INFORMATION

After a quarter of a century,

New Ferry Butterfly Park

remains Paul’s favourite spot

numbers of common blues reflect a great

yellow carpet of bird’s-foot trefoil, while the

presence of fritillaries completes the picture

of an ancient woodland with open rides

and delicate and diminutive purple violets.

Butterflies are the icing on the cake of a healthy, flower-rich grassland

Butterflies at the park have been recorded

intensely for 12 years now so it is one of

our yardsticks to how the conservation

work is progressing. I always eagerly await

Barry Shaw’s annual report of Cheshire

butterflies to see how the populations at

the park are faring compared with other

sites in Cheshire. The annual fluctuation

in numbers of butterflies still remains

something of a mystery, but the figures

provide an early warning on what species

need special attention.

You’re a big advocate of countryside skills

like hedge laying. Do you still prefer to use

the traditional tools of the trade instead of

the latest technology?

Chainsaws have their place. They can take

the heavy slog off some projects, but they

are exclusive and limited to those who

are trained and can be easily overused.

Following a chainsaw operator moving

through a woodland at speed can be

disheartening for volunteers as almost

insurmountable piles of brash build up

faster than even the most enthusiastic team

can clear them. Somehow the constant

buzz of a chainsaw or strimmer seems to

take away from the natural sounds around

you too, and conversation and banter

amongst the team can be easily lost –

along with birdsong in the trees above.

When hedge laying, the stools and

pleachers (the remaining parts of the tree

left to generate new growth) always shine

better when cut with a traditional axe. I think

it’s important to build confidence in the use

of hand tools, and it’s amazing what can be

tackled with them. There’s something very

satisfying about using an axe or billhook

and the clean, finished, cut wood which is as

smooth as if cut with a plane.

Another downside to chainsaws creeping

into events like local hedging matches is

that hedges chosen can become bigger

and it can close the door for novices.

Chainsaw training and all the necessary

safety gear will leave you little change

out of £1,500. There is something slightly

magical about your own hand tools, like

your own Excalibur, but it’s the skills

behind the cutter that really count.

Hedge laying is almost like going into

battle with all that armoury, with the

prize being a well-laid living fence with

both utility and beauty. Scythes, when

you know how to handle them, are faster

than strimmers and come without the

noise, expense and carbon footprint, and

everyone can have a go.

There’s something slightly magical about having hand tools… like your own Excalibur

Do you have a favourite spot for getting

close to nature?

The Butterfly Park has to be my favourite

place. It is the site I am most familiar with

and I have been involved with it since its

creation. I am there so often and enjoy

watching changes, plus there’s always

Wildlife Trust Binoculars

Bring nature closer - with the Wildlife Trusts’ new range of binoculars.

Every time you purchase Opticron Oregon Wildlife Trust binoculars, you’ll be helping to protect the wildlife right before your eyes.

Oregon DLS28x21

Oregon 4 LE WP8x32

Oregon 4 LE WP 8/10x42

Oregon 4 LE WP 10x50

New for 2014, the Wildlife Trust range of binoculars includes a compact 8x21 and four full-size models suitable for use by children and adults for all types of wildlife watching.

Prices start from £29.95

To celebrate the launch of the Wildlife Trust range of binoculars with Opticron, you’ll receive free postage with any binocular order made on the Cheshire Wildlife Trust website throughout May 2014. www.cheshirewildlifetrust.org.uk You can also order by calling the Trust on 01948 820728.

The full range of Opticron equipment can be tried, tested and purchased at good optical retailers nationwide. www.opticron.co.uk

Follow Cheshire Wildlife Trust on Facebook and Twitter for information on optics days near you this summer.

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The Grebe Magazine Spring 2014

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