Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire Magazine - Winter 2021

Wild

Winter 2021

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire

Team Wilder

Let’s create a wilder future together WINNERS AND LOSERS

How climate change impacts the wildlife on our doorstep

GO ON A WINTER WALK

Wrap up warm to explore a nature reserve near you

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Welcome

Outdoor upcycling Recycle your way to a wilder garden

Nature is the answer As we go to press the future of our planet hangs in the balance as COP26 continues. I recently met Alok Sharma, MP for Reading West and President of the climate conference, to express our hopes for a positive outcome. In this issue we explore some of the changes already observed in our region because of climate change and some of the future changes we can expect (see page 10).

There’s very little time left to act. Thriving ecosystems alive with wildlife are incredibly effective stores of carbon, making habitat restoration a big part of the solution. BBOWT already works alongside others in this area, and our role will only increase over the coming years.

What would it take to scale up our response to these threats? The solutions seem obvious: put nature at the heart of all decision making! It’s easier said than done, but why?

Our hamstrung economy dances to the tune of those with most power who are not yet ready to change. But we all have a part to play and doing your bit for wildlife is a really positive step.

Team Wilder is a new drive to get more of us to do more for wildlife.

You can read about it on page 12.

Whatever happens, we know that nature is the most effective and lowest cost way to deal with the threat of climate change. Wildlife-rich environments directly equate to a brighter future for our climate – and us! Our new vision recognises this and calls for more nature, everywhere, and as a member you are directly supporting this work – thank you!

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Hop to it Know your spawn

The heat is on Local impacts of the climate crisis

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Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive

Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon is the membership magazine for Berks, Bucks & Oxon Wildlife Trust Contact 01865 775476, info@bbowt.org.uk Membership 01865 788300, membership@bbowt.org.uk Address The Lodge, 1 Armstrong Road, Littlemore, Oxford OX4 4XT Website www.bbowt.org.uk President Steve Backshall Chair George Levvy Chief Executive Estelle Bailey

Wherever you are in the country your Wildlife Trust is standing up for wildlife and wild places in your area and bringing people closer to nature.

Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon brought to you by Editor Ben Vanheems UK Consultant Editor Tom Hibbert UK Consultant Designer Ben Cook Design Yorkshire Wildlife Trust Design Studio Print CKN Print Cover Luke Massey/2020VISION

Registered Charity Number 204330 Company Registered Number 006800007

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

Get in touch

A large-print version of Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon (text only) is available on request. Call 01865 775476 or email info@bbowt.org.uk Enjoy the extended version of Wild Berks, Bucks & Oxon online at bbowt.org.uk/publications

The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it on your local patch

H e ro n h e roe

PETER LEWIS/NATUREPL.COM

Your wild winter s

As a mem ber you are helpin g to fund esse conserva tion work ntial that protects many tre asured birds suc h as the inimitab le heron.

WINTER SPECTACLE

Courtly love Oh what it is to be in love! Grey herons have quite the courtship ritual and they’re at it earlier than most. The groundwork is laid from December, as the males gather at established heronries to patch up old nests in preparation for the big day. Heronries are usually found up in the treetops and typically contain up to 30 nests, though some are a lot bigger.

Experienced males assume the prime spots, relegating newcomers and younger males to the margins.

Courting is a sight to behold. The male stretches its neck skywards while emitting the occasional yelp. There’s vigorous wing beating involved, zigzagging dives, bowing and bill snapping and, once he’s attracted a female, a lot of mutual preening and twig exchanging. Ahh! SEE THEM THIS WINTER Rack Marsh This unspoilt section of the River Lambourn is a great place to spot all sorts of wetland birds.

Letcombe Valley One of very few chalk streams in Oxfordshire. The shallows are prime hunting ground for herons.

Weston Turville Reservoir The trees surrounding the reservoir offer plenty of nesting opportunities.

The heron’s elaborate courting display is hard to miss. Successful pairs mate on the nest or nearby branches with the female laying a clutch of around four pale bluegreen eggs anytime from February onwards.

Wild

Wild Berkshire, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire Buckinghamshire && Oxfordshire Oxfordshire| Summer | Winter 2021

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YOUR WILD WINTER

Winter wildlife’s warm welcome Simple ways to both admire and help wildlife this winter

Spawn again populations. If you have a pond, include plenty of pond plants to offer hiding places for young tadpoles and to keep the water well oxygenated and free of algae. Do not introduce fish, which really are ruthlessly efficient predators.

FIND THEM THIS WINTER CS Lewis Nature Reserve The pond, a flooded Victorian clay pit, welcomes thousands of frogs to spawn each year.

Upper Ray Meadows Freshwater ponds throughout are home to frogs, toads, as well as newts. Check website for access restrictions.

Build a pond, create a miniature pond, or plant a bog garden: bbowt.org.uk/actions

Cit iz e n scie nti st

LINDA PITKIN/2020VISION

Share your sigh tings of frogs, toad s and other wildlife and help inform effectiv e wildlife conservation.

Get started at tverc.org

Serve up fat-filled meals to keep birds warm throughout the cold months. Here are some energy-dense options.

Suet Available as balls, blocks or in pellet form. Remove the mesh from fat balls to prevent birds getting their feet trapped.

GILLIAN DAY

Amphibians start spawning towards the end of winter – an exciting moment that signals spring is almost here. You can tell who has laid what: frog spawn is laid in generous, jelly-like clumps, while toad spawn forms long strings, often tangled up among pond vegetation.

Ponds can seem overloaded with spawn and it’s very much a case of survival of the fittest. Eggs and tadpoles are an essential part of the food chain, so this annual abundance is only a good thing. Some estimates suggest only around one in 50 eggs ever progresses to adulthood. The rest is lost to harsh weather, predators like grass snakes and hedgehogs, and even cannibalisation by larger tadpoles.

If you want to help frogs and toads thrive, avoid moving spawn from one pond to another, which risks spreading diseases that can wipe out entire

Pecking order

Seed mixes Blends of seeds attract a wider range of birds. Huskfree mixes mean birds like blackbirds that are unable to crack husks can also feed.

Straight seeds Seeds with a high fat content include black sunflower seeds and nyjer seeds, for which you will need a special feeder.

Shop for wildlife Make your Christmas shopping count this year with BBOWT’s new online shop. Browse a range of wildlife-inspired items, including calendars, cards, plus a fantastic range of environmentally-friendly gifts that will bring joy to the recipient and a helping hand to wildlife. All profits go back into funding our work, so the more you shop, the more local wildlife stands to benefit. Take a peek at bbowt.org.uk/shop

FIND THIS

Evergreens like holly stand out in the nakedness of winter. See if you can spot them. Mistletoe can often be found up in the branches of apple, lime, and hawthorn.

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

BUY THIS

Have yourself a very green Christmas with our Scots pine Christmas tree sales at Caversham Court and Wildmoor Heath on Saturday 4 December. Full details at bbowt.org.uk/events

WILD THOUGHTS

Dr Amir Khan @DrAmirKhanGP

@doctoramirkhan

ILLUSTRATION: DAWN COOPER. PROFILE PHOTO: TOM HAUGHTON

A dose of nature I have just come in from the garden, having filled the bird feeders with sunflower hearts, topped up the watering station with fresh water and refilled the bowls the hedgehogs like to eat from with crunchy kitten biscuits. As soon as I come inside, a magnificent male bullfinch plonks itself onto one of the feeders and starts eating the seeds, dropping as many onto the floor as it manages to get into its mouth. Luckily an opportunistic chaffinch is on clean up duty, guzzling any seeds the messy bullfinch drops. It is a lovely scene to watch unfold, calming and beautiful in its simplicity.

Many of you reading this article will be familiar with the feeling of positivity that fills our bodies when we spend time in nature, and as a doctor it is something I am increasingly “prescribing” for my patients. I have to be honest, sometimes I do get incredulous looks when I suggest a “dose” of time spent in green spaces to my patients to help sooth their ailments, either on its own or in conjunction with modern medicine; but for those who heed my advice, I have never had any complaints.

That is because there is scientific evidence that nature is good for us. When we go outdoors and embrace our natural surroundings our bodies produce less of our stress hormone, cortisol, lowering our heart rates and blood pressure. We also produce more of our “happy” brain chemicals, dopamine and serotonin, increasing our sense of calm and wellbeing.

It is relatively easy to spend time outdoors in the summer months when the sun is shining and everything is more inviting, but we can get huge

health benefits from nature as autumn and winter set in too. We need that boost to our mental health that nature gives us more than ever when longer nights set in, but the benefits don’t stop there. Plants and trees naturally produce chemicals called phytoncides that help protect them against damage from bacteria, fungi and insects.

As we spend time in green spaces, we breathe these chemicals in and they can help stimulate our own immune systems to produce more natural “killer” cells, which are vital for fighting off viruses, perfect for winter when respiratory viruses are more common. Nature can also help our brains focus better; by spending time looking at wildlife and plants during our breaks at work, we can give the parts of our brain a rest that are needed for attention and focusing, so when we return to work or a task we need to complete, we will be more productive. Being out in natural light is good for improving sleep — so make the most of those shorter days and get out there!

Sometimes it can feel difficult to go out if the weather isn’t quite right, but it is important to carry our good summer habits into autumn and winter.

For those who do go outdoors regularly, spread the word and encourage your friends and family to do the same, so they too can reap the benefits of our natural world.

Find inspiration to get outdoors and discover wildlife this winter with our selection of seasonal spectacles! wildlifetrusts.org/winter-wildlife

WILD HOUSE CALL

You don’t have to travel far for your dose of nature. Even in built-up areas, there are wild wonders to soothe your soul. Listen for the cheerful chirps of house sparrows in the bushes, or the soft cooing of pigeons perched on buildings.

If you have a garden, we’ve got lots of great tips to help attract even more wildlife at bbowt.org.uk/actions

Dr Amir Khan is an ambassador for The Wildlife Trusts. He is an advocate for Green Prescribing and champions the benefit that being in nature has on health and wellbeing.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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Stay up to date

WILD NEWS Saved: Ludgershall Meadows! black and brown hairstreaks – as well as protected great crested newts and important birds like skylarks, linnets and reed buntings. We will protect existing species, while attracting more wildlife by restoring habitat using techniques such as spreading green hay from neighbouring Leaches Farm.

Much of the land is lowland floodplain meadow, one of the rarest habitats in the country. BBOWT already manages around 10% of what is left, and we will use our expertise to restore and protect even more of his precious habitat.

ANDREW MARSHALL/GO WILD LANDSCAPES

When we asked if you could help us buy Ludgershall Meadows you didn’t disappoint! Thank you to everyone who gave so generously to our recent appeal to save this 31-hectares of hay meadow and pasture. Securing the site now means we can expand our Upper Ray Meadows nature reserve into an even bigger haven for wildlife.

Ludgershall Meadows will strengthen the wildlife value of this area, helping tackle the decline in nature. The meadows already support populations of two of the rarest butterfly species –

New Trustees We are delighted to welcome our new Chair.

George Levvy replaces Joanna Davidson, who is stepping down to pursue other ambitions. We are very grateful to Joanna for her five years of service.

George is currently Chair of Rewilding Britain and brings a wealth of experience from the voluntary sector, most recently as chief executive of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. He will now lead the Board of Trustees and is joined by two other new Trustees: Miles Evans, who has led Thames Water’s communications and stakeholder engagement for the past six years, and Andrew Bennellick, the National Lottery Heritage Fund’s Head of Land and Nature Policy. More on our Trustees at bbowt.org.uk/trustees

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

Dancersend in Buckinghamshire is undergoing new habitat creation, including a wildlife pond, thanks to a generous gift to mark the nature reserve’s 80th anniversary.

The £92,000 grant from the Rothschild Foundation recognises the role of Dancersend as one of the very first reserves in the country.

SARAH MUNDAY

NATURE RESERVES

Birthday bonus

Rotten luck

A rare fungus that looks and smells like rotting flesh has been discovered in a Berkshire garden. More often associated with southern Europe, the red cage fungus is also known as the lattice stinkhorn because of its putrid smell. Previously there were only five accepted sightings of the fungus in the UK.

TONY HAWARD

All the latest local and national news from The Wildlife Trusts

Sign up to our e-newsletter at bbowt.org.uk/ newsletter for all the latest updates.

In the bank

A new partnership between BBOWT and three other Wildlife Trusts – Warwickshire, Cheshire and Surrey – is to benefit from a Government fund to drive private investment in nature and tackle climate change.

The Wildlife Trusts’ Habitat Banking Investment Model will help to compensate for damage caused to natural habitats by large developments.

WILD NEWS

Earlier this autumn the Government announced seven new licences for badger culling across England, including in Berkshire and Oxfordshire. The announcement comes after more than 40,000 people responded to a Government consultation urging it to stop issuing licences and prioritise vaccination to control the spread of bovine TB. BBOWT has been running a successful badger vaccination programme since 2014, inoculating hundreds of badgers in the process. Many of these animals could now be pointlessly killed.

Julia Lofthouse, Mammal Project Manager, is dismayed: “Our results prove vaccination is a much more humane way to tackle bTB than culling, and it’s at least 60 times cheaper per badger. The Government has already said it will stop allowing culling from

Sunflower power

2025. We aren’t asking the Government to change its policy, but to start doing it right now, instead of carrying on with a hugely unpopular, needlessly expensive and inhumane slaughter.”

Learn more at bbowt.org.uk/ badgers-and-bovine-tb

UK HIGHLIGHTS Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

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1 Great news for gulls

ANDREW PARKINSON/2020VISION

SUNFLOWER © MATTHEW ROBERTS, WHITING INSIDE OF JELLYFISH © IAN WATKIN & CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST, SNIPE © ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION

Kill the cull

Gull chicks have fledged at South Walney nature reserve for the first time since 2015, thanks to a new predatorproof fence. Since 2017, no chicks have survived longer than a week, but this summer Cumbria Wildlife Trust recorded over 100 large and healthy chicks of lesser black-backed gulls and herring gulls — a red-listed and declining species. Find out more at wtru.st/Cumbria-gulls

2 Tadpole triumphs Birdfood suppliers, Vine House Farm has generated £2 million to support the conservation work of The Wildlife Trusts, including £130,000 for BBOWT. For the past 14 years, The Wildlife Trusts have been in partnership with the wildlife-friendly farm in Lincolnshire, with a percentage of each purchase of their bird seed going to local Wildlife Trusts and helping wildlife across the UK. This year saw the contribution pass the impressive milestone, with the Covid-19 pandemic prompting more people than ever to purchase food for their garden birds. Vine House Farm grows 400 acres of bird seed crops, including the ever-popular sunflower seeds, as well as being a haven for wildlife in itself, with a thriving population of tree sparrows and other farmland birds. Learn more at bbowt.org.uk/vine-house-farm

Vine House Farm grows over 100 acres of sunflowers

The northern pool frog has been successfully reintroduced to Norfolk Wildlife Trust’s Thompson Common, the last place it was recorded before its extinction in Britain in the 1990s. Since 2015, more than 1,000 pool frog tadpoles have been released on the site, with early indications promising that the frogs will form a self-sustaining population.

Learn more at wtru.st/frogs-return

3 Jelly jeopardy

Cornwall Wildlife Trust supporter Ian Watkins spotted the unusual sight of a whiting trapped inside the bell of a compass jellyfish, whilst on a walk during National Marine Week. Juvenile fish often hide amongst jellyfish tentacles for protection from predators, but are occasionally stung and eaten.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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ADRIAN WALLINGTON

T h a n k s! t o y ou

s offer reserve fe e r u t a n O ur wildli ces for safe spa ooking after e. L to thriv cial places is pe s r these ith you ssible w o only p t. suppor

Greenham and Crookham Commons are a stunning place to be on a cold, crisp day

Breathe in nature’s beauty

ANDY ROUSE/2020VISION

Chilly winter days invite you to pull on the thermals and get out there. Nature’s waiting in all its pared-back beauty

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Greenham and Crookham Commons Postcode RG19 8DB Great for… Wide open spaces Best time to visit All year round Size 444 hectares Map ref SU 499 650 If it’s an overwhelming sense of space and freedom you’re after, how about the largest continuous tract of heathland in Berkshire?

Greenham and Crookham Commons are certainly spacious and, lying on a raised plateau, reward the visitor with commanding views out towards the chalk downlands of Hampshire and back towards the town of Thatcham.

It wasn’t always this peaceful. Often in the headlines, the commons have something of a chequered history. Greenham Common was once a US Air Force base and host to the longest runway in Europe. The storage of

American nuclear missiles here at the height of the Cold War saw mass demonstrations, sparking the Women’s Peace Camp. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the start of this movement, which culminated in the Embrace the Base event, when more than 20,000 women held hands to create a 14-mile human chain around the base.

The fences finally came down in 2000 when the site returned to nature. Where planes once took off, heath now thrives and with it a myriad of butterflies such as the perfectly camouflaged grayling. In summer treasured heathland birds such as the Dartford warbler (pictured left) and nightjar move in, and you might just be lucky enough to catch the rich melody of a nightingale.

For now this vast reserve is laid bare in the stillness of winter. Pick a crisp, frosty day to hunt for one of the more than 500 historical features still hidden away on site. Take to the extensive network of paths to discover the tapestry of woodland to the edge of the commons, or admire the iced-over glaze on one of the many ponds found here.

GO EXPLORE THIS WINTER

BANBURY

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MILTON KEYNES

Take a look around Join our wardens on a virtual guided tour of some of our most inspiring nature reserves, including a visit to Greenham Common during its glorious summer peak. Visit the BBOWT YouTube channel to get started: youtube.com/user/ BBOWildlifeTrust

BUCKINGHAM

BICESTER

AYLESBURY WITNEY THAME

OXFORD

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CHESHAM AMERSHAM

ABINGDON

Discover nature reserves on your doorstep at bbowt.org.uk/reserves

BEACONSFIELD

DIDCOT

SLOUGH WINDSOR READING

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THATCHAM

BRACKNELL

NEWBURY

Postcode MK18 5EY Great for… Migrating wildfowl Best time to visit Winter Size 34 hectares Map ref SP 711 364 A short stroll along a boardwalk takes you to the bird hide with magnificent views out over the reedbeds and across this peaceful reservoir. It may be cold outside ANDREW PARKINSON/2020VISION

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Foxcote Reservoir but sheltered from the icy wind this is the perfect vantage point to admire the comings and goings of overwintering wildfowl.

Rafts of pochard and tufted ducks are joined by the likes of goosander and goldeneye, returned from upland regions for the winter. In early spring the great crested grebes perform their elaborate courtship dance.

Hitchcopse Pit

Postcode OX13 5QF Great for… Mosses and lichens Best time to visit Winter to summer Size 3 hectares Map ref SU 452 995 Once a sand quarry, this tiny reserve is big on wildlife interest, with ponds, heath, scrub, and woodland offering a variety of habitats. It is the sandy floor and ‘cliffs’ that stand out though –

home to solitary bees, wasps and beetles. Winter brings its own charm and an invitation to look closer. Mosses and crustforming lichens coat the sand and boulders, creating a micro world of wonder. See if you can spot the common extinguishermoss, with its protective hoods resembling old-fashioned candle extinguishers, or perhaps the sandhill screw-moss, like a constellation of bright-green stars.

JIM ASHER

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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CLIMATE CRISIS

The heat is on The effects of climate change are already being felt, and it isn’t just melting glaciers and forest fires – wildlife in our region is feeling the heat too. Head of Ecology, Debbie Lewis, shares the findings of her research into locally observed changes.

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Some of the habitats found within our nature reserves are more at risk than others, with aquatic environments like lowland fens and rivers facing the biggest threat.

Yet despite all these risks our reserves should remain good places for wildlife, even if the species found within them is highly likely to change.

We will continue to monitor and assess our reserves, adapting management techniques as necessary to help species that are struggling. This may involve, for example, creating more habitat, or even relocating animals and plants to better sites.

Of course, the hope is we can slow these changes over the coming years, limiting the worst effects of climate change while doing all we can to ensure nature is able to thrive once more.

GUY EDWARDES/2020VISION

he UK’s climate is changing, with hotter, drier summers and wetter, warmer winters. The top 10 warmest years since 1884 have all occurred since 2002, while 2019 saw the highest temperature ever recorded – an astonishing 38.7°C. Climate change is here and it’s already affecting wildlife across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and Oxfordshire. For example, great tits are now laying their eggs an average of 11 days earlier than they did in 1968. BBOWT can’t stop climate change, but by building up a picture of its effects on wildlife we can work out which species and habitats might be most at risk then take steps to protect them.

BBOWT is in a particularly good position to look at the local effects. For almost 20 years the ecology team has run a detailed monitoring program across our nature reserves. This means we are already recording changes in populations that may be linked to the changing climate – impacts such as extreme weather on wildflower meadows and warmer winters on dormice numbers.

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

Summer floods One of the most dramatic climatic events the Trust has recorded the effects of is the floods of summer 2007, which were the worst in the Thames Valley since 1964.

Surveys at Chimney Meadows found that the population of flood-tolerant grasses and sedges soared following the floods, at the expense of less-resilient wild flowers like common knapweed and meadow vetchling (pictured). Although we can’t link any one event to wider climate change, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) predicts that extreme weather like this is likely to increase.

CLIMATE CRISIS

New species Beech dieback

JON HAWKINS SURREY HILLS PHOTOGRAPHY

Beech woodland is common across the Chilterns and the Cotswolds. But beech is sensitive to drought, making it especially vulnerable to the projected changes in rainfall and temperature for our region.

Beech is also at risk from climate change-driven increases in pests and diseases. On some lesssuitable soils on southern-facing slopes, beech is likely to decline or disappear entirely.

Out of sync

AMY LEWIS

Many birds, including blue tits and great tits, feed their chicks largely or entirely on caterpillars, and so hatch their young when there should be plenty around.

Yet numerous studies show plants are coming into leaf earlier, prompting caterpillar numbers to peak sooner. One study, led by researchers from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, working with the University of Oxford, found that while birds can adapt by breeding earlier, they’re not adapting fast enough.

Last year’s British Trust for Ornithology’s annual Garden BirdWatch survey corroborates these findings, with a five per cent drop in blue tit recordings coinciding with an especially warm or early spring.

Recent recordings of new species at our nature reserves may also be linked to a warming climate.

Until very recently, the willow emerald damselfly’s breeding range was restricted to continental Europe, but in the past few years it has been recorded at two reserves in Buckinghamshire. Other newcomers, or species expanding their distribution within the UK, include hobby, cattle egret, little egret, and little bittern. Species like these are expected to shift northwards as mainland Europe warms and its wetlands suffer from drought.

Take action Be part of the solution in the fight against climate change. For ideas on how to get started – from changing what you eat to cutting out peat – visit bbowt.org.uk/actions

Climate winners

JON HAWKINS SURREY HILLS PHOTOGRAPHY

We regularly count dormice found in nest boxes at three of our nature reserves: Chinnor Hill (Oxon), Bowdown Woods (Berks) and Little Linford Wood (Bucks). Counts at each site steadily decreased from 2010 to 2018, reflecting the national trend, with estimates suggesting the range of the dormouse has shrunk by around half over the past century. A possible reason for this decrease is that warmer winters are triggering dormice to emerge from hibernation sooner, when food is scarcer.

TOM MARSHALL

Dormice drop

Climate change isn’t bad for all wildlife. The Dartford warbler is a good example.

Traditionally thought of as a Mediterranean species, this small, vocal songbird is also found across southern Britain, including on Wildmoor Heath. Dartford warbler numbers dived there after a series of colder winters around 2010 but have since recovered, suggesting it could be one of the local ‘winners’ of a warming climate.

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

Be a part of

Team Wilder!

It’s all hands on deck to put nature into recovery. You can be a part of the solution and it’s easier than you think, as Community Engagement Director Liz Shearer explains.

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ature is in trouble. Over recent years we have seen an alarming decline in huge numbers of wildlife species. Some 41% of UK species studied have declined since 1970 and the rate of decline is only speeding up.

Society’s perception of what is normal is shifting from generation to generation too. For example, populations of hedgehogs, which I remember seeing very frequently growing up in the 1980s, have fallen by up to 30% in urban areas and by half in rural areas since the turn of the millennium.

Momentum is building, however, to help halt and reverse the fortunes of wildlife.

Helping nature will be a joint effort. We need to ensure that everyone plays their part. This will include decision-makers, landowners, whole communities and, of course, individuals all doing their bit for nature.

“If just one in four people want to give nature a chance, then we can move mountains!”

Steve Backshall, President, BBOWT We want more nature everywhere and with your help we can tip the scales back in nature’s favour. Evidence tells us that if one in four people takes action for wildlife, it can be enough to change the minds and behaviour of the majority, creating a new normal – and it’s this that drives Team Wilder.

Team Wilder is a community of people such as you taking action for wildlife. You could be doing something in your own home such as planting for pollinators or cutting

Team Wilder

Find out more about joining Team Wilder or add your wild action to the interactive jigsaw map at bbowt.org.uk/ team-wilder

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a hole in your fence so that hedgehogs can more freely move about to feed and mate. You could be part of a local group lobbying your MP for nature’s recovery, or perhaps volunteer to help make your nearest greenspace better

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

for wildlife. If you are a pupil or a teacher, you could help promote ways of improving your school for wildlife. Or as a business owner you could do something to better manage your site with wildlife in mind.

All these examples are part of Team Wilder – welcome on board! Like a giant, wild jigsaw puzzle, if everyone picks up their piece and commits to action, we can create a wilder picture. We would love you to share your actions with us too, by adding your puzzle

If one in four people acts for wildlife, it could influence the majority

PEOPLE & WILDLIFE

Part of the team Emily the fundraising superstar!

Emily Stallwood and her mum attended Nature Tots sessions for three years at our Woolley Firs Environmental Education Centre. Since starting school, Emily has continued to visit Woolley Firs to support events held there during the summer holidays. Emily attends Brownies and recently worked towards a badge that saw her raising money for a charity that means a lot to her. She chose BBOWT and raised £85 by roller skating an incredible 14km, completing 20 laps of her local neighbourhood!

Emily’s experiences at Woolley Firs have ignited a curiosity for wildlife, which we are sure will continue for life.

1 in 4 people

piece to the interactive jigsaw map on our website to highlight the action being taken at a local scale – and what an impact it can have!

Whether you are part of a group or an individual, a school or business, we will continue to create resources and learning opportunities to help you learn more about what you can do for wildlife. All the details you need can be found on the website, but if you need something specific, we’d love to hear from you, as we may be able to help with that too. We want to help as many people as possible to act for wildlife.

The time for action is now. By joining together and acting for nature we can be part of the solution for nature’s recovery. Your action can start by being as big or small as you like. The important thing is that you have added your piece to the jigsaw and are part of Team Wilder!

Chinnor Churches Go Wild!

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

ILLUSTRATIONS AL BOARDMAN

Add your piece to the jigsaw that creates a wilder future on our patch

Chinnor Churches Go Wild! is a group of volunteers from five churches in and around Chinnor, Oxfordshire. BBOWT has worked with the group through our Rough Around the Edges project since 2019, advising on how to better manage the churchyards for wildlife, providing training, and helping with community engagement.

Churchyards offer unique wildlife habitats, and the five churches are no exception. Some have swifts nesting in the belltower, others have patches of wildflowers for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. Areas of rough ground, long grass and compost heaps are perfect for slow worms and grass snakes, and the old trees in each churchyard provide food and shelter for birds, bats and many bugs.

Chinnor Churches Go Wild! works hard to enhance this uniqueness through plant surveys, creating new reptile and amphibian habitat, provision of hedgehog boxes, adjusting mowing regimes and engaging with other local environmental groups. The volunteers have arranged community activities such as moth nights and a dawn chorus walk.

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HOT TOPICS

Voices for nature Your Wildlife Trust works hard to speak up for nature and ensure all decision makers realise the importance of a healthy environment, but as Head of Planning, Policy and Advocacy, Matthew Stanton explains, our impact is so much greater when we act together.

The Government revers ed its decision to allow the use of neon icotinoids.

S PHOTOGRAPHY

Facing threats Threats such as HS2, which we have been campaigning against for years, while

working with other organisations, such as The Woodland Trust, Greenpeace, RSPB and Friends of the Earth to highlight the national and local impacts of the project. We have also supported our local MPs in opposing HS2 and provided evidence in advance of Parliamentary debates.

BBOWT is fortunate to have so many committed members willing to act for nature. For example, when earlier this year the Government announced a neonicotinoid insecticide could be used on certain crops, creating a potentially devastating impact on pollinators, more than 8,000 of you signed a petition protesting the decision. Thankfully the use of neonics did not go ahead.

JON HAWKINS SURREY HILL

A

t BBOWT we are passionate about wildlife, but our passion isn’t simply limited to protecting local nature reserves – it spreads out into the wider countryside, to local authorities, to Westminster and beyond.

Wildlife in our region has never been under so much pressure. With climate change, housing developments, infrastructure, pollution and countless other challenges all threatening our natural environment, we need to be more vocal than ever and relentlessly campaign for a better future and against the threats we face today.

Speaking out The Government’s proposals for the Oxford to Cambridge Arc will shape the environment across our area for generations to come and we are campaigning alongside The Wildlife Trusts and the Beds, Cambs PAUL HARRIS/2020VISION

Pressure from development is significant.

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

HOT TOPICS

and Northants Wildlife Trust against the Government’s current approach, which puts the economy first, regardless of the costs to nature. Our voice is only as strong as our members, and once again you have supported us and fought for nature by responding to the Government’s

imminent, we have been working with Wildlife Trusts from across the country to challenge reforms that make development easier and restoring nature harder. A new Wild Belt designation could help connect habitats and protect nature, but it can only happen with your help.

“BBOWT is fortunate to have so many committed members willing to act for nature.” consultation, demanding a rethink to its approach to the Arc. The unprecedented threats facing our area aren’t limited to new developments and infrastructure. Threats also come from Government policies. With planning reforms

It works!

By working in partnership with others, and with your support, we can and do win improvements for wildlife.

For example, our campaigning on HS2 secured: n Commitment for Green Bridges to be built to help protect wildlife in the Bernwood Forest, including rare Bechstein’s bats. n Tunnel extensions beneath parts of the Chilterns to avoid the destruction of ancient woodlands.

Real impact Since the first lockdown we have seen your support grow significantly and we are hugely grateful. Our number of Wildlife Ambassadors (those of you who commit to writing to your MPs and campaigning with us) has trebled and this activity has real impact. Thank you also to all who attended our webinar on tips for effective lobbying. The knowledge and skills within our membership enables us to influence decision making at every level.

This has been particularly true with the Environment Bill where we have worked with MPs and other NGOs to campaign for amendments that strengthen protections for nature, set ambitious binding targets for nature’s recovery and empower an independent environmental watchdog to hold Government to account. The amendments passed in the Lords, and previous improvements announced by

What you can do today Sign: Show your support for legislation to bring back nature. Sign our petition for a Nature Recovery Network. Follow the links from here: bbowt.org.uk/ wilder-future Write: Tell them nature matters!

Become a Wildlife Ambassador and help wildlife by lobbying your MP and local councillors. Learn about all our current campaigns and look up contact details for your local MP and councillors at: bbowt.org.uk/campaigning-wildlife Share: Get your friends and family involved too. Share your actions on social media and invite others to lend their voice to nature.

Government at a Wildlife Trust event show the impact we can have when we all shout the same message and force Government to listen.

By simply being a member you are helping make a difference and playing your part in the team, but when you send an email, join a march, write a letter or just share a post supporting a campaign, you are enhancing your impact and showing you care enough about nature to act. Thank you!

Support our campaigns and make your voice heard too.

n A promise to address shortfalls in the amount of new habitat created in compensation for areas lost. n Changes to the way information on environmental impacts is presented to MPs before they vote on large projects.

CHRIS DAMANT

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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Upcycle your garden for wildlife Nothing’s more rewarding than upcycling old household items into wildlife habitats, says Kate Bradbury ways to find new uses for forgotten possessions in the loft or shed. What can you use to make a cosy bird box for a blue tit or a refugia for slow worms? Do you have enough old bits of wood to knock up a hedgehog or bat box?

Whatever you choose, make sure you use materials safely and effectively.

For more tips on how to make green spaces wilder, visit: bbowt.org.uk/actions

Tin can bee hotels

Use hessian bags to grow bee-friendly plants

Fix an old tin can to a fence or wall and pack it with dried, hollow plant stems from 1mm to 12mm in diameter, to attract a range of solitary bees and wasps.

Make sure the can overhangs the stems so they don’t get wet.

A teapot bird house An old teapot can make the perfect nest site for a robin or wren. Hang it with the spout facing down, in a sheltered site away from cats and other predators.

Many bee-friendly plants grow well in pots and hessian bags make excellent alternatives that you can pack away in winter. Choose drought-tolerant catmint, and herbs like lavender, oregano and mint.

Plant saucer bird bath Fill an old plant pot saucer with water to make a bird bath. Stand it on old bricks to raise it off the ground or leave it low to provide water for hedgehogs. Add a stone to help bees escape if they get stuck.

Grow plants in saucepans Drill holes in old saucepans and other kitchen containers to make plant pots. They’re perfect for salad crops like lettuce and radish, plus herbs like chives and parsley.

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Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

Old sink pond A Belfast sink or old baby bath make attractive miniature container ponds, or sink a full-sized bath into the ground for a bigger pond. Pile up logs or stones to make sure wildlife can get in and out safely.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATY FROST

U

pcycling is a fantastic way to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill, while saving you money. Who needs to buy expensive plant pots when there are old saucepans, wellington boots or even basins and toilets that can be used instead? Or how about making a pond from your old bath or kitchen sink?

There are no limits to what you can do with old, broken and unused items. Use your imagination to find creative

It is currently estimated there are some 48,250ha of saltmarsh in the United Kingdom — that’s just under 70,000 football pitches!

T

SALTMARSH FROM ABOVE © TERRY WHITTAKER/2020VISION

he Reverend Sabine BaringGould’s melodrama, Mehalah: a Story of the Salt Marshes, is a cautionary tale of estuarine life where the heroine’s fate is bound up in a maze of creeks and back channels.

The novel celebrates the marshes, ‘A more desolate region can scarce be conceived, and yet it is not without beauty’. My childhood memories are those of Mahalah’s marshes, which surround Mersea Island, off the Essex coast. The reek of silty ooze never really leaves you, nor do the reflections on engulfing tides or the astonishing concentration of life in so superficially barren a place.

Saltmarsh habitats can be found wherever plants are soaked in brine.

As an island nation we tend to think of saltmarshes as coastal habitats, but that is not always the case — Worcestershire Wildlife Trust care for a saltmarsh near landlocked Droitwich Spa, where avocet chicks feed amongst the saline turf and pools. For all lovers of wildflowers, wherever you live, there will be a kerb-side near to you where a suite of salty species has followed the spread of council gritters.

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Shaped by cattle Like most of our country’s habitats, the ecosystems of saltmarshes co-evolved with large wild mammals. Aurochs, the native wild cattle of Europe, were last known on our saltmarshes some three and a half thousand years ago, by which time domesticated cows were well established as their successors. The most diverse saltmarshes for birds, plants and invertebrates are those with a high structural diversity, which is created by extensive cattle grazing. To the eye, high structural diversity means a patchy landscape of flowery creek sides with lawns of shorter turf; it’s a tough world to live in, where few things thrive, but many survive.

Such tensions are integral to biologically diverse places.

Before the advent of industrial farming our saltmarshes were some of the most important pastures in the rural economy.

Not only do tidal marshes get a twice-daily dose of silty fertility, but their saltiness also suppresses the disorders of livestock that abound in freshwater wetlands. For at least two thousand years, our ancestors tried to tame this wild abundance by building seawalls, so creating the vast brackish grazing marshes of our southern estuaries.

The Gwent and Somerset Levels of the Severn estuary retain some of our richest

Grazing cattle create diverse marshes

Saltmarshes are being lost at a rate of c.100ha a year, mostly to sea level rise

CATTLE, SALTMARSH FLATS, SEA THRIFT © CLIVE CHATTERS

The reek of silty ooze never really leaves you, nor the astonishing concentration of life in so superficially barren a place marshes, including those cared for by the Gwent Wildlife Trust that have recently been reprieved from a realignment of the M4 motorway. Unfortunately, the natural wealth of our saltmarshes is overlooked by some people who mistakenly regarded them as worthless places that are just waiting to be built on.

The very best marshes are where there is a gradient from hyper-saline brine pools, crystalising under the summer sun, to channels with full strength seawater that grade upstream to a point where the smallest pinch of salt is barely detectable.

These complete transitions can be found around sea lochs and sheltered bays in the north-west, but they are exceptionally rare in the south where those coastal landscapes have become fragmented.

One such site can be found upstream of

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Southampton Docks where the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust manage the Lower Test marshes. Surveys of the saltier parts of these marshes show their restless character, moving around the floodplain and migrating upstream as sea levels rise in response to climate change.

An ever-changing landscape Long experience shows us that manipulating saltmarshes comes at a cost.

Saltmarshes are naturally dynamic; over generations they shift across the landscape with the ebb and flow of the tide. As conservationists we have no status quo to conserve, we have to embrace change because we cannot stop it. Attempts to fix a saltmarsh to the spot, as a nature reserve, or somewhere that’s been built on, create long term liabilities, not only to maintain

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

the sea walls but also to cope with the enhanced flood risk that this brings. We can delay responding to these natural processes, but each deferral means that when change comes, it is all the greater.

Essex Wildlife Trust has led the way in realigning seawalls so that there are new marshes that meet the needs of today. We now have confidence that the wildlife of saltmarshes is eminently capable of moving into fresh sediments when the opportunity is offered. At the same time, the revived marsh becomes a nursery ground for the local fishery, a buffer against storm surges and the thick organic sediments sequester carbon at a rate that exceeds most tree plantings. Once rejuvenated, healthy saltmarshes offer us a way to address the crisis of climate change.

Wildlife havens Saltmarshes, and particularly the abundant birdlife they support, inspired the establishment of the nature conservation movement in Britain. It was the opportunity to acquire the marshes at Cley on the north Norfolk

THE RESTLESS WORLD OF SALTMARSHES

There are 44 different plant communities recognised from British saltmarshes

generations, local people have treasured what makes their patch special — be that the super-diversity of beetles in a brackish creek or a picotee strand of thrift along the tideline. Collectively the Wildlife Trusts have taken responsibility for an astonishing assortment of habitats that we lump into the clumsy category of saltmarsh. Our nature reserves help us to appreciate the importance of local distinctiveness in this superficially desolate but unquestionably beautiful landscape.

Saltmarsh is one of our ‘super hero’ habitats when it comes to helping combat climate change. Find out more about this habitat and others that need protecting and restoring to reduce carbon emissions and adapt to change:

wildlifetrusts.org/emergency

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OYSTERCATCHER © FERGUS GILL/2020VISION, PROFILE © CATHERINE CHATTERS

Clive Chatters has worked for the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust since the 1980s.

He has written a celebration of Britain’s saltmarshes: Saltmarsh, No.5 in the British Wildlife Collection, published in 2017

by Bloomsbury.

coast that led to the foundation of the first Wildlife Trust in 1926. The guaranteed seasonal spectacle of migrating birds has enthused our movement to protect some of our largest nature reserves, from the sheltered Montrose Basin in Angus to the Rockcliffe marshes where Cumbria’s Solway coast meets the borderlands of Scotland.

Flocks from all over the northern hemisphere head to winter on our sediment shores, brent geese from Siberia, oystercatchers from Norway, knot from the Arctic and teal from the Baltic. The great journeys taken by estuarine birds are worthwhile because here on the wet western limits of Europe they find a winter refuge, free from the deep freeze of their breeding grounds.

The Wildlife Trusts have a particular role to play in safeguarding the diversity and wonder of saltmarshes. For

HOUSE SPIDER © STEPHEN DALTON NATURE PL

Several species of spider thrive in houses

I

’ve always loved bugs, from the ants in my garden to the huge rhinocerous beetles that wander our woodlands. Concerned by their alarming signs of decline, I’ve tried to share my love and encourage everyone to do what they can to help save them.

We can all benefit — humans and bugs alike — by rebugging our lives and homes; starting with how we think and view bugs, to how we eat, garden, what we buy and even how we talk about them.

Wildlife is all around us: it’s not just out in the countryside, in woodlands or other remote wild places. It’s in our towns, our gardens and even our homes! Here I explore — and celebrate — some of the tiniest housemates that have moved in with us, either permanently or just for a short stay (and that you might not even know about)…

Vicki Hird has been working on environment, food and farming issues for over 25 years. She explores more insect stories in her new book, Rebugging the Planet: The Remarkable Things that Insects (and Other Invertebrates) Do — And Why We Need to Love Them More

Wild Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire | Winter 2021

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16/09/2021 09:38:38

Sharing your space

Eight-legged lodgers

Your home and garden can be wonderful places, and not just for you. Thousands of creatures, visible and hidden share these spaces with you. From the fly catching spiders sheltering in the corners of your bedroom, to the worms wriggling through your garden soil, the teeny pollinating wasps in your window box, and the cavity-nesting tree bumblebees tucked into a gap in your eaves. Not only do these creatures live peacefully and often unnoticed around you, but they also contribute much to your life. They are gardeners that help your flowers flourish, farmers that lend a hand with your home-grown veg, and bouncers that get rid of other less welcome house guests.

Do you shudder with fear when you see a spider? It’s worth giving that reaction a rethink, as these wonderfully diverse and useful creatures are very unlikely to harm you. You are a far bigger threat to them and if you can resist the urge to hurt them, that’s a great start. Your home and garden provide cosy spaces for these handy housemates.

Spiders make great neighbours as they munch through huge volumes each year including ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, aphids, flies, and even fleas. They are food too for your garden birds. Welcome the spiders with open arms (even if it is at arm’s length)!

Nooks for nature

The hidden underworld

The cracks and crevices around our houses are hugely important for our bugs. They serve as everything from a nesting place for bees and wasps, to a lurking space for others. One species that may move in is a centipede. Centipedes, whilst harmless to us, use their huge jaws to feast on other bugs you won’t want around like silverfish, carpet beetle larvae, and cockroaches.

They will hide in cracks around your house, in drains and damp, dark spaces. If you spot a centipede scurrying from its hiding place, take a close look as they are fascinating to watch.

Your garden soil is home to many more critters than worms.

The soil, in which we grow most of our food, is created largely by the guts and jaws of worms, mites, springtails, termites, beetles and many more. If you can imagine the soil as a cooking recipe, the bugs basically do all the cutting, grating, mashing, grinding and, given their role in moving fungus and microbes about, they ensure fermentation happens too. They also help draw down air, water and nutrients; your flowers, grass and spuds would not grow without the huge array of hardworking hidden beasts beneath your feet.

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IMAGES CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: TREE BUMBLEBEE © KIM TAYLOR NATURE PL; CELLAR SPIDER © VAUGHN MATTHEWS; GLOBULAR SPRINGTAIL, CENTIPEDE © ALEX HYDE NATURE PL

REBUGGING OUR HOMES

16/09/2021 09:38:47

Our Impact 2016-21 This year marked the end of our 2016-21 strategic plan ‘Be part of nature’s recovery’. Despite the challenges of Covid-19, we continued to make good progress towards the targets of the plan and have achieved so much over the last five years:

Our 86 nature reserves now cover 2,667 hectares

4 education centres, visitor 2 centres & environmental 1 centre

volunteer sessions in the last five years

schoolchildren inspired Launched Future Nature (Wildlife Trust Consultancy) Limited and Land Advice Service

or 13% of our region reached through our wider countryside work

memberships support our work

118,000

45,000

76,000 hectares –

27,435

625

landowners advised

6 Living

Landscape schemes

46,000 people took

direct action for wildlife or had new access to nature, thanks to our community work

Thank you for helping our work – your support is truly appreciated!