Healing Nature & Naturally Native

Healing Nature

by Phill Catton

Phill Catton

Healing Nature Project Manager

Tick, tick, tick. Unbelievably, that’s the sound of the clock already counting down to the end of the Healing Nature project. In many ways, it feels as though we have only just started, but a lot has happened in the last nine months. Three thousand hours of staff and volunteer time has been spent on project sites, carrying out work to improve these important greenspaces for wildlife and people (also raising the profile of the project within local communities), and more than 650 people and 340 school children have been connected to nature through our delivery of events. Meanwhile, the team has grown, with the addition of four trainees who started in July and have been fast-tracked through a comprehensive training programme to give them the skills and certifications necessary to pursue careers in land management and conservation. Between now and the end of March next year, there is a lot planned. We will be planting a hectare of woodland near Lobley Hill; creating 600m of hedgerow on land in Chopwell; and planting thousands of wildflower bulbs in Jarrow. On top of this, there will be scrub clearance for the benefit of grasslands; new fence lines and kissing gates on sites to enable future grazing; and, of course, the ongoing programme of talks and events. There may not be much time left, but there are still many ways to get involved. Drop an email to healingnature@durhamwt.co.uk if you are interested in volunteering with us, or if you would like to be added to the Healing Nature mailing list to get the latest project news and information on events. Stay up to date on the Healing Nature project:

durhamwt.com/healing-nature

Naturally Native

by Kirsty Pollard, Naturally Native Project Manager

With winter now upon us, the Naturally Native Team have hung up their water vole survey forms and shifted their attention to habitat improvements. Results from the 2021 surveys and habitat assessments, along with our survey focus areas for 2022, will be published in the spring, but in the meantime, Durham Wildlife Trust is encouraging some of its younger supporters to get involved in efforts to save the water vole. We know how important it is that future generations understand the importance of the natural environment, and Naturally Native provides an opportunity to do that. Over the summer months, an education specialist has been working with the Trusts to develop a programme of environmental and ecological-themed lessons for secondary school students, which target learning about native wildlife – such as the water vole – and environmental threats, including discussions around invasive species and impacts of climate change and pollution. Currently, we have 20 lessons on offer, all linked to different parts of the curriculum. For those young environmentalists who want to step beyond the classroom, Naturally Native has started a Young Rangers Group for 14 – 18 year-olds. With monthly weekend meetings, there will be a wide range of activities on offer, including making practical improvements to water vole habitat; learning different survey skills for riparian mammals (field signs, use of cameras and understanding how trained conservation dogs can be a useful tool for water vole surveys); as well as animation workshops to develop a water vole awareness campaign. Find out more: durhamwt.com/naturally-native

Our thanks to Project Manager, Kirsty Pollard, who has recently gone on maternity leave. Kelly Hollings (pictured left) has joined the team to cover Kirsty’s leave.