Wildlife Durham: Summer 2023

VISITOR CENTRES

Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve

Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne & Wear, DH4 6PU. Tel: 0191 584 3112

The Meadows Coffee Shop

Angela Watson and Team. Tel: 0191 512 8940

Low Barns Nature Reserve

Witton-le-Wear, Bishop Auckland, County Durham, DL14 0AG. Tel: 01388 488 728

Low Barns Coffee Shop

Angela Watson and Team. Tel: 01388 488 729

Charity number: 501038

Paper: FSC accredited, 100% recycled uncoated Design: Edmundson Design www.edmundsondesign.com

SUMMER ISSUE 2023

There’s a bit of a marine theme in this edition as you could probably tell from the fantastic image on the cover taken by our very own Mandy Bell. The Trust has made significant advances in its terrestrial nature conservation and restoration work over the last few years, but delivering in the marine environment is much more challenging.

On land Durham Wildlife Trust has been able to secure the funds needed to acquire new sites and then manage them to benefit wildlife. It’s not an easy thing to do but as we have demonstrated it is achievable. At sea it’s not as straightforward. For a start you can’t buy areas of ocean and seabed, no matter how much money you have. If you can get approvals to work in a particular area the challenges are only just beginning. Doing anything in or on the water is significantly more difficult than working on land and with that difficulty comes cost.

That said, marine conservation will still be an area of development in the coming years. There will continue to be emphasis on engagement and education as previously, but via the Stronger Shores project the Trust is beginning to dip its toes into practical measures to restore marine habitats. This summer make sure you take the opportunity to dip your toes into the marine world too.

Many thanks to all our corporate members for their ongoing support

Printed by: North Wolds Printers Cover Image: Seal at Crimdon Denemouth by Amanda Bell

Jim Cokill Director

Cuthbert’s Moor on BBC Countryfile

A donation in memory of

Ian Whale

The Trust was delighted to welcome BBC Countryfile to Cuthbert’s Moor Nature Reserve, in May, to tell them all about some innovative bird surveying taking place, in partnership with Durham University. Thanks to funding from the ScottishPower Foundation and The Linder Foundation, the Trust has launched a one-year project focused on the study and restoration of the land. Countryfile came along to understand our plans to use technology in the place of traditional methods, for conservation surveying in a remote location. You can read more about what is happening at Cuthbert’s Moor on page 11.

Hannah’s legacy

Thanks to funding from the Farming in the Protected Landscapes programme, the Trust – through the North Pennines AONB Partnership – has been able to carry out a number of improvements to Hannah’s Meadow Nature Reserve in Teesdale, to make it more accessible and informative to visitors. Mark Dinning, Head of Conservation, said: “Hannah’s Meadow is a wonderful reserve set in rural Teesdale. Many people travel significant distances to visit this traditional hay meadow, and we were keen to make it easier to navigate and share more about the history of the wild space. We have installed new boardwalks on the road down, and path along, to Hannah’s old barn, added fantastic new information signage along with a fun board game in the barn, and visitors can now enjoy a circular walk from Balderhead Reservoir, waymarked with quirky signs featuring Hannah Hauxwell’s portrait. The meadow is cut in late July, but the reserve is worth a visit all year round.”

Find out more: durhamwt.com/visit

The Trust would like to send heartfelt thanks to Jennifer Whale, for the kind donation of £5,000 in memory of her late husband Ian Whale. Reserves Officer, Tim Davis, said: “Ian was a regular visitor to Low Barns Nature Reserve, an active member of the photography club, and, as well as being a keen naturalist and mycologist, Ian was also a very keen fisherman. The money raised from the sale of Ian’s fishing gear has been kindly donated to the Trust, and the team here at Low Barns will ensure it is put to good use conserving this beautiful wild place that Ian enjoyed spending so much time visiting.”

Low Barns boardwalk

Further to the last update on the Low Barns boardwalk, we are pleased to confirm that a contractor has been appointed and materials have been ordered, ready for work to commence in September, as planned.

Low Barns photography group hand over donation in memory of Ian Whale to Reserve Officer, Tim Davis

Hannah’s Meadow

New to the team

My name is Rebecca Clark, the new Cuthbert’s Managing Moors Officer at Durham Wildlife Trust. Managing Moors is a one-year project focused on the restoration and study of Cuthbert’s Moor. I will be recruiting volunteers for citizen science monitoring and habitat restoration work, and overseeing professional surveys that will provide an ecological baseline for the site to inform future management.

Hello! I am Caitlin Elwin and I am the new Volunteer Support Assistant. I have joined the Development Team to provide extra support with recruiting and supporting all of the wonderful people who volunteer for Durham Wildlife Trust. My work will focus on helping new volunteers through the recruitment process, matching potential volunteers to suitable roles, and providing support to our existing volunteers. I am based at Rainton Meadows but plan to get out to lots of events to meet as many new potential volunteers as possible. You can contact me by emailing celwin@durhamwt.co.uk

Hi, I am Ruby Merriman and I have joined the Trust as the new Conservation Volunteer Coordinator. This post is a new role that will develop and manage the more remote volunteering roles within the conservation team – for example reserve rangers and pony wardens – and oversee the conservation traineeship. I am very excited to be here, and have been thoroughly enjoying getting to know the existing team. I will be working hard to develop my role over the coming months so that it can deliver the biggest impact possible to support the Trust’s work. You can get in touch with me by emailing rmerriman@durhamwt.co.uk

Ian Findlay

We are sad to report that Ian Hamilton Findlay, former Durham Wildlife Trust Chair, died on 19th March at the age of 87.

Ian first joined Durham Wildlife Trust in 1977, when he was the Nature Conservancy Council’s officer for Upper Teesdale. His subsequent contribution, both to our knowledge of the natural history of Upper Teesdale, and to the work of the Trust, was outstanding. He was awarded an MBE in 1996 for his nature conservation work.

Ian served several terms as a Trustee between 1995 and 2017. This included a period as Chairman in the mid-2000s, when he played a key part in steering the organisation through difficult times. He also served on the Board of the Trust’s consultancy, Durham Wildlife Services, from 1998 until his death.

Hi there, I’m Blair Watson, the new Stronger Shores Marine Engagement Officer. I can’t wait to get stuck in, working for the Trust on behalf of the North Sea Wildlife Trusts. Stronger Shores is a great project that will inform how restoration of marine habitats and species is undertaken in the future. I’m excited to get started and play my part in restoring marine habitats along the north east coast, and engage people from all walks of life with the incredible marine environment, a real passion of mine, given that I grew up on the coastline, spending most of my days paddling about and exploring the nearby rockpools!

Formally trained as a botanist, the breadth of Ian’s knowledge and work on the ecology of Upper Teesdale was exceptional, ranging from monitoring breeding upland raptors, to daily weather recording for decades into his retirement. He was also generous and open in sharing that knowledge. This included recent contributions to the updated Natural History of Upper Teesdale, published in 2018. His insightful chapter on weather and climate is so pertinent in these changing times.

Ian is irreplaceable, and Upper Teesdale will seem incomplete without him. He was a true naturalist, interested in, and knowledgeable about, everything – one of the finest the Durham uplands have ever seen. He will be missed.

Peter Bell

Ruby Merriman

Blair Watson

Rebecca Clark Caitlin Elwin

Member Events

The events listed below are for members and members’ guests only and free to attend unless otherwise stated.

Run Rainton – Rainton Meadows

Saturday, 12th August, 10am

Run for Wildlife! Our 5k Run Rainton Fun Run returns for the fourth year at Rainton Meadows Nature Reserve. Join in for a run/jog/walk or as a spectator – full details and bookings online. (Members and non-members)

New Members Evening – Low Barns

Thursday, 17th August, 6pm

Join Trust staff and volunteers for a guided walk around Low Barns. Find out more about Durham Wildlife Trust, the history of the reserve, and gain an insight into the Trust’s future plans. The walk will begin at 6pm and will involve a 45-60 minute circular route. All members welcome.

New Members Evening – Rainton Meadows

Wednesday, 20th September, 6pm

Join Trust staff and volunteers for a guided walk around Rainton Meadows. Find out more about Durham Wildlife Trust, the history of the reserve, and gain an insight into the Trust’s future plans. The walk will begin at 6pm and will involve a 45-60 minute circular route. Please wear suitable clothing including sturdy footwear. All members welcome.

Annual General Meeting – Online

Monday, 16th October, 6pm

The Annual General Meeting will be held online to provide all members with the opportunity to participate. The formal business of the AGM will be followed by presentations on the Trust’s work and this year we will be celebrating the acquisition of Cuthbert’s Moor in Teesdale.

Autumn in the Dene –

Hawthorn Dene

Saturday, 21st October, 10am

Take a ramble through Hawthorn Dene with our guide to the best of the reserve and its autumnal colour. The ramble will last 1.5-2 hours and includes steep steps in places. Please wear suitable clothing including sturdy footwear.

Early Winter Wading Birds – Shibdon Pond

Saturday, 18th November, 10am

See our Urban Wilding site like never before as you enjoy a short walk of Shibdon Pond, and get time with our guide in the hide, discovering the birds and the habitats of Shibdon Pond. Meeting at the Blaydon Youth and

Low Barns Photography Group Exhibition

There will be an exhibition of wildlife photographs by the Low Barns Photography Group at Low Barns Visitor Centre from Saturday, 26 August to Wednesday, 30 August 2023. Email mail@durhamwt.co.uk for further information.

Please book our events online at www.durhamwt.com/events

John Weramouth ‘Two Stoats’ Low Barns Photo exhibition

A vision for the future

In the spring edition of Wildlife Durham, the Trust was able to share news about the success of the Great North Fen appeal and the acquisition of additional land at Ricknall Carrs. At the same time, negotiations were also underway to purchase other areas of Durham’s historical carrs, and land further up the catchment of the River Skerne.

Those negotiations were successful and Durham Wildlife Trust has been able to acquire a significant parcel of land at Mordon, including sections of Mordon Carrs, together with land in the upper reaches of the Skerne catchment near Trimdon.

As a result the Trust now owns 191 hectares (472 acres) of land at the heart of County Durham’s former carrs, and a further 67 hectares (165 acres) of wetland and former carr land near Bishop Middleham are leased. The land higher up the catchment at Trimdon has added a further 51 hectares (126 acres) to Durham Wildlife Trust’s ownership in the Skerne catchment. So what’s all this land for?

Definitions

Carr: fen woodland or scrub that is typically dominated by alder or willow.

Fen: a low and marshy or frequently flooded area of land.

Marsh: an area of low-lying land which is flooded in wet seasons or at high tide, and typically remains waterlogged at all times.

By Jim Cokill Trust Director

Great North Fen

In previous editions of Wildlife Durham, the Trust shared its vision for a Great North Fen, restoring large areas of wetland habitat across our region, starting with the Durham carrs. The recent acquisitions mean that the Great North Fen is no longer a vision; it can become a reality. Work at Bishop’s Fen and Ricknall Carrs is currently in final pre-delivery stages. Documents are with Durham County Council planners, and contractors have submitted their tender responses in preparation for work to start on the ground in the autumn. That means planning and development work can now get underway in earnest across the hundreds of acres of additional land now under the Trust’s control.

The initial stage is to get the land ready for habitat restoration and, in some areas, that means working with local farmers to harvest the crops that were already sown. Following this summer’s harvest, the areas that were in arable production will probably be allowed to overwinter before being sown with a grassland mix in the spring. This creates the ‘blank canvas’ the Trust can then work on to create the mosaic of habitats that will be Durham’s carrs reborn; the heart of the Great North Fen. It is estimated that the UK has lost 75% of its wetland habitats, so projects with the potential scale of what is now deliverable by Durham Wildlife Trust are particularly significant.

Golden Plover Andrew Parkinson/2020Vision

A Catchment Approach

Wetlands are only part of a healthy and functioning river catchment, and the Trust’s land outside of the central carrs area of the Skerne catchment will also play an important role. Creation of areas of grassland, scrub and woodland will provide habitat for wildlife and enhance connectivity across the landscape. That is important to help nature adapt to a changing climate, and can also directly sequester carbon from the atmosphere. New areas of natural habitat also reduce sediment run-off and pollution entering the river, contributing to better water quality and improved conditions for aquatic wildlife. Natural habitats also reduce the speed and volume of run-off into water courses as vegetation slows the flow by increasing the ‘roughness’ of the surface in comparison to arable land and pasture. The water trapped by vegetation slowly finds its way into rivers and streams, so re-naturalising land in this way can even out flows in river catchments, reducing the peaks and troughs and creating more stable conditions. The more land that can be secured across the catchment, the better the conditions that can be created for wetland habitats along the river corridor. Water quality will be improved, sedimentation rates reduced, and flows managed – benefits that are good for people as well as wildlife.

(Article continues on the next page)

Marsh Marigold (Kingcup)

Photo: Richard Burkmar

Photo: Neil Wyatt

Great Pond Sedge

Funding the Great North Fen and Re-naturalising the Skerne

The land at Ricknall, announced in the spring, was secured thanks to a traditional fundraising approach, with a significant grant from the Bannister Trust and a public appeal. The latest acquisitions at Mordon and Trimdon were funded from a very different source. Durham Wildlife Trust has been working closely with Natural England, the Government’s adviser for the natural environment in England, to help address the problem of excess nutrients in our rivers.

Of particular concern to Natural England are rivers where there are internationally important designated habitats that are being damaged by the excess nutrients. One example of this is the Tees Estuary, where there is a Special Protection Area (SPA) designated at a European level. The intertidal mudflats and sands and saltmarshes in this area are particularly important for a range of birds, providing important feeding and roosting habitats. Excess nutrient in the river causes algal growth that smothers these habitats and threatens bird populations. Legislation makes it illegal to further exacerbate the problem, so Natural England and Durham Wildlife Trust have been identifying areas of land that can be purchased, where the Trust can take on management and ensure that no fertilisers are applied to the land. This reduces nitrate run-off into the River Skerne, a tributary of the Tees. This scheme is designed to ensure that the situation isn’t made worse, but the ideal situation would be to reduce nutrient levels in the river.

Curlew

Land at Bishop’s Fen

Photo: Terry Whittaker/2020Vision

Thankfully, because the Trust has been able to secure other areas of land in the catchment outside of the scope of the Natural England scheme, a net reduction in nutrient inputs to the river should be achieved, together with other benefits such as reduced pesticide inputs. Acquiring the land is only the first part of the Trust’s efforts to rewild areas of the carrs. Next comes the restoration effort. As the carrs and many sections of the River Skerne are so heavily modified, there needs to be intervention to deliver habitat restoration, which can be an expensive process. Thankfully, another new legal obligation designed to protect the environment can potentially help to fund the restoration effort.

Biodiversity Net Gain will be a requirement of all development from November this year. To secure planning permission, built developments will have to be able to demonstrate 10% Biodiversity Net Gain or BNG. That is calculated by quantifying the biodiversity of a site before a development, and then designing the scheme to deliver a net increase. This should initially be done by preventing losses and enhancing what is already on a site, but where it is accepted that this is not possible, the increase can be delivered off-site. This is not a perfect system and has its flaws, but it is an improvement on what went before, where wildlife was often lost as a result of development.

The off-site biodiversity provision can be provided by a third party in the form of a Biodiversity Credit, and Durham Wildlife Trust will be able to generate and sell Biodiversity Credits from the restoration of habitats across the Skerne. This will provide sufficient funding to restore and manage habitats for a period of 30 years, whereas current funding streams provide income for 10 years at most, usually much fewer.

Funding from nutrient management and biodiversity creation is a new concept that is only beginning to be realised. The systems to quantify the harm done and the required compensation are imperfect, and should always be scrutinised – why should we permit harm to be done in the first place? But, they are a step forward, in that legislation is now seeking to deliver improvement. These funds have the potential to deliver nature restoration at a scale that has not previously been possible, and organisations like Durham Wildlife Trust can use their skills and knowledge to multiply those benefits further.

Wet grassland habitat

Scrape habitat

A busy summer for Naturally Native Exploring seashores with SeaScapes

By Stephen Brend

It isn’t just you or me who enjoy a sunny day. The warmer weather brings out the water voles. They will start breeding from early spring right through until September. As the seasons progress, and more and more litters are born, there will be more water voles about. This is why we are asking our members and volunteers to conduct water vole surveys around where they live. We are trying to survey as many water courses in the North East as possible.

A water vole survey is not a laborious undertaking. Indeed, it shouldn’t be much more difficult than going for a walk along a river bank. You may not see the water voles but, if they are about, you might see their signs: burrows, latrines and feeding stations. Burrows are the most obvious sign but, on their own, they don’t tell us much, as they may be new or old, occupied or unoccupied. That is why we encourage people to look for the other signs as well.

On our website, we have put together a host of helpful resources for anyone who is willing to help us out.

We are recruiting for new water vole survey volunteers. Find out more about what it involves and how you can help – durhamwt.com/water-vole-surveys

By John Hayton Education Projects Officer

The Trust is running a suite of public and educational engagement activities as part of the National Lottery Heritage Funded Seascapes Project.

The project is promoting and facilitating positive public engagement with our shoreline. Education Project Officers Mandy Bell and John Hayton are working with schools and local communities on a range of marine exploration activities. There’s Beach Tots for the under-fours and Shore Safaris for local primary schools, with rockpooling and beachcombing. We even have snorkel taster sessions for schools – giving children a chance to experience life under the water’s surface for the first time.

There are also summer boat trips to complement our citizen science hilltop dolphin watches and shore surveys. Already, volunteers have spotted harbour porpoises, bottlenose dolphins and Atlantic grey seals. Our guided bird walks have been hugely popular at a range of sites between the Tyne and the Tees, and will continue late into the summer and through the autumn.

Meanwhile, the Beach Rangers have been undertaking a range of sessions from beach cleaning and rockpooling to bird and seal surveys. These sessions are part of Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and give attendees a chance to broaden their understanding of the wildlife around our shores.

Naturally Native Project Manager

Naturally Native survey volunteers field trip to Langdon Beck

Photo: M McKeown

Photo: Amanda Bell

Stronger Shores marine engagement Cuthbert’s Moor Managing Moors project

By Mark Dinning Head of Conservation

The Stronger Shores project is collaboration at its best, with leading academics and Wildlife Trusts and other nature conservation non-governmental organisations (NGOs) innovating together. The project will fill the evidence gap so that we have a better understanding of the costs and benefits of restoring kelp, seagrass and native oyster habitats. These habitats can reduce coastal erosion and flood risk, and also sequester carbon from the atmosphere, providing a nature-based solution for the climate and biodiversity crises. The project will provide a mechanism for incorporating these nature-based solutions into future coastline management strategies and work along our coasts.

Hosted by South Tyneside Council, Stronger Shores stretches from the Northumberland/Scottish border down the North Sea coast to Skinningrove in Redcar and Cleveland. It is one of the 25 pioneering projects funded by the Government’s Flood and Coastal Resilience Innovation Programme, which seeks to develop and test ground-breaking interventions to improve resilience to flood and coastal erosion risk.

Stronger Shores brings together the Durham, Northumberland and Tees Valley Wildlife Trusts, to deliver activities that will help bring communities to understand the benefits of marine habitat restoration. These activities are linked to work by the partners on seagrass, kelp and oysters, and will be delivered by a Marine Engagement Officer hosted by Durham Wildlife Trust.

The Wildlife Trusts in the North East will be leading seagrass re-introduction trials. The trials use an innovative new modular system pioneered by other Wildlife Trusts operating along the North Sea coast. The modules, loaded with seagrass seeds from the Wildlife Trusts’ seagrass nursery on the Humber, will be inserted into mud and sand habitats in the intertidal zone at select locations along the North East coast. The sites selected are areas where seagrass was previously recorded and has been lost, or where environmental conditions appear to now be conducive for seagrass introduction.

The Cuthbert’s Moor Managing Moors project, is a one-year project focused on the restoration of Cuthbert’s Moor. Acquired last year, this 121-hectare upland moorland site was previously managed as a grouse moor. Project Officer, Rebecca Clark, will oversee the citizen science programme and also commission surveys and habitat restoration.

Cuthbert’s Moor lies within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and is part of the Teesdale Allotments Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Teesdale Allotments SSSI is of national importance for its breeding bird assemblage. Across the SSSI, the bird community includes lapwing, snipe, redshank, curlew, golden plover, and black grouse, all species which are declining nationally, due to changes in land use, particularly agricultural intensification. In terms of breeding wader densities, the populations in the Teesdale District of Durham are the most significant in the uplands of England.

The nature reserve is covered by a relatively diverse range of upland vegetation types, which include wet acid grassland and mire and heather communities. The Cuthbert’s Moor Managing Moors project aims to determine which species are utilising these habitats and investigate why some species that might be expected to be found are not present.

Baseline habitat and vegetation surveys are being undertaken this year, together with invertebrate and bird surveys. The surveys will make use of standard survey techniques and also new technologies. This includes work with Durham University on acoustic monitoring of birds, which, if successful, will allow repeat bird surveys to be carried out with much less surveyor effort and, therefore, lower cost.

The survey data gathered, and the work of citizen scientist volunteers, will inform the ongoing management of the site and lead to other research opportunities. By generating detailed survey information and closely monitoring how the site changes, Cuthbert’s Moor will inform conversations around upland habitat management and restoration, and the benefits that good stewardship of sites like this brings.

The Managing Moors Project has been made possible by funding from the ScottishPower Foundation and The Linder Foundation.

Linking Together people and wildlife

The Link Together project will connect people and wildlife across Sunderland’s Coalfields area. Activity is picking up pace, with events planned throughout the summer to help local people re-discover the wonderful greenspaces across the area, and help out with planning and delivering habitat improvements on project sites, including:

• Planting a new hedgerow at Copt Hill

• Creating wetland scrapes at Flint Mill

• Removing invasive Himalayan Balsam from Hetton Bogs

• Thinning woodland plantations at Hazard Railway to create glades and woodland-edge habitat

• Creating a wildflower area at Kier Hardie Park

• Creating leaky dams and small meanders in Herrington Burn

Making greenspaces feel more welcoming and accessible will encourage more people to enjoy them, so, new signage, improved footpaths, welcoming gateways and better information are all being considered.

Being out in nature makes people feel better. Just watching the birds, listening to the wind through the trees, or feeling the sun (or rain!) on your face is great for our well-being.

Link Together is encouraging everyone to get outside and enjoy seeing the wildlife close to home. Making the most of local woodlands or parks, and getting involved by taking action for wildlife, like planting a tree, picking up litter or recording the wildlife that is there.

Activity is already starting to happen.

By Anne Gladwin Link Together Project Manager

agladwin@durhamwt.co.uk 0191 584 3112

Activities so far include:

Local residents braved the rain to start to clear away the litter and fly tipping from the greenspace around Herrington Burn. Link Together has been working with the Clean It Green project to see how to address the litter that has built up around Herrington Burn.

Local carers’ group, HOPS (Healing Opportunities Sunderland) joined staff from Durham Wildlife Trust to explore the Old Rectory Park, listening to bird song and naming the trees. Using foraged leaves and foliage, they created beautiful artworks on linen squares, and crafted individual wooden frames. The group found being outside, and getting creative, really enjoyable and relaxing.

Get involved

For more information about the project: durhamwt.com/link-together, and to find out what’s coming up in our programme of events: durhamwt.com/events

Annual General Meeting 2023 Durham Wildlife Trust

The Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held at 6pm on Monday, 16th October, 2023. The AGM will be held online to provide all members with the opportunity to participate.

Full details of how to register for the AGM are available at www.durhamwt.com/agm or alternatively, please call the Trust on 0191 5843112, or write to Durham Wildlife Trust at Rainton Meadows, Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6PU.

Agenda

Introduction by Sarah Lister, Trust Chair

1. Apologies for absence

2. Minutes of the 2022 AGM

3. Adoption of Annual Report and Consolidated Accounts

4. Chair’s remarks

5. Election of members to the Board

6. Confirmation of auditors

Presentations on the Trust’s work

Papers for the AGM, including details of members seeking election to the Board, will be made available at www.durhamwt.com/agm and will be sent to everyone registering to attend. The annual report and accounts are available to all members on the Trust’s website or by contacting the Trust.

The formal business of the AGM will be followed by presentations on the Trust’s work and this year we will be celebrating the acquisition of Cuthbert’s Moor in Teesdale. Formerly managed for grouse shooting, the Trust will be restoring habitats across the site over the coming years. Rebecca Clark, Managing Moors Officer, will provide members with an insight into the wildlife of this special upland site and the Trust’s ongoing monitoring and management.

The AGM and presentations are expected to end at 7.15pm. Members wishing to vote by proxy at the AGM should contact the Trust (on 0191 5843112, or write to Durham Wildlife Trust at Rainton Meadows, Chilton Moor, Houghton-le-Spring, Tyne and Wear, DH4 6PU) to request a proxy voting form. Forms must be returned to the Trust by 6pm on Saturday, 14th October, 2023. Please note: forms being returned by post should be addressed to the Rainton Meadows address above.

Two current members of Council (Vivien Kent and Sarah Lister) have served four years and must stand for re-election or stand down. Members who would like further information on becoming a Trustee by seeking election to the Board, should contact the Trust Director at jcokill@durhamwt.co.uk or call 0191 5843112. Please note: nomination forms for those seeking election to the Board must be received not less than 28 calendar days before the date set for the AGM.

Photo: Marcus Byron

On the wrong track

ore than 100,000 people have signed The Wildlife Trusts’ open letter to the UK Government about HS2, after our latest report into the project highlighted major errors in HS2 Ltd’s calculations – meaning more nature will be lost along the line than was agreed by the Government, and attempts to repair the damage the scheme is causing will be inadequate. The letter urges the Government to oblige HS2 Ltd to accurately recalculate its figures, providing a more realistic picture of the scale of the damage.

Our new report, HS2 double jeopardy, was the result of an almost year-long audit of HS2’s official nature loss calculations. The report revealed a number of errors and causes for concern, including inconsistent mapping and modelling, wild spaces and habitats being undervalued, and huge numbers of trees entirely missing from the calculations.

HS2 Ltd promised that nature would not lose out when much-loved natural areas and important habitats were destroyed to make way for construction of the high-speed rail line. Our report found that HS2 Ltd’s ‘accounting tool’ for

Our open letter called for HS2 to:

Re-map existing habitats along Phases 1 and 2a, correcting mapping errors, applying the correct nature values to habitats, and ensuring no habitats are excluded.

Immediately pause all construction and enabling works and halt the passage of the Phase 2b Hybrid Bill while these latest audit findings are assessed by the Government.

assessing impacts on nature is untested, out of date and fundamentally flawed.

Construction on HS2 has already caused irreparable damage to precious wildlife sites; it’s vital that HS2 Ltd and the Government listen to our concerns and act accordingly. Now is the time to reflect on the failings of the scheme so far and rethink the next steps, to prevent further excessive damage to our natural world. The Government needs to learn from HS2 to ensure that future ‘green’ infrastructure truly can support nature’s recovery rather than exacerbating its loss. Find out more at wildlifetrusts.org/hs2

Recalculate the total impacts to nature, by using an up to date and proven methodology, such as one directly comparable to the government’s current Biodiversity Metric 3.1. If changes to the methodology are made these should be transparent and evidence based. It is critical that HS2 Ltd ensure all data is made publicly available at the point the figures are released to facilitate transparency and enable independent scrutiny.

Change the scheme’s design and delivery to limit the adverse impacts and enhance biodiversity in a way that is commensurate with the scale of the damage i.e. by achieving a minimum 10% biodiversity net gain for replaceable habitats for each phase of the scheme. Once impacts have first been avoided, limited and compensated for, Biodiversity Net Gain is an approach to leave the natural environment in a measurably better state than it was before the development took place by ‘delivering more for nature than is lost’.

Nature reserves along the route of HS2, like Calvert Jubilee in Buckinghamshire, have been destroyed.

Wild Isles on location with Wildlife Trusts

This spring, viewers were captivated by Sir David Attenborough’s latest documentary, Wild Isles. The show celebrated the wildlife of the British Isles, demonstrating to an audience of millions that the UK is home to incredible animals, dramatic battles for survival, and internationally important wild places. Many of the spectacular scenes shown in the documentary were captured on Wildlife Trust nature reserves.

The cameras revealed the incredible lifecycle of the large blue butterfly at Daneway Banks in Gloucestershire, where caterpillars trick ants into accepting them into their nest. At Wiltshire’s Langford Lakes they filmed hobbies hawking for dragonflies,

snatching them from the air with lightning reflexes, whilst at Lackford Lakes in Suffolk they revealed rabbits being hunted by buzzards. Flowers featured strongly as well, from buzzing meadows to the fly-fooling lords-and-ladies, with visits to Avon’s Prior’s Wood and Hutton Woods, Gloucestershire’s Lower Woods, and Wiltshire’s Clattinger Meadows.

Sir David himself travelled to Skomer Island in Pembrokeshire, to marvel at Manx shearwaters and sit amongst the puffins as he reflected on the threats facing our wild isles. The show didn’t shy away from discussing the worrying declines in our wildlife, or the actions that have led to them.

UK HIGHLIGHTS

Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

Birds not birdies

The Scottish Wildlife Trust is part of a coalition of seven environmental organisations fighting to save rare coastal dunes from the construction of a golf course. Proposals to develop Coul Links in East Sutherland threaten irreparable harm to a vital and protected habitat. The proposals come just three years after a previous application was turned down due to the damage it would cause nature. wtru.st/coul-links-proposal

Fungi find

An incredibly rare fungus has been discovered in a survey by Manx Wildlife Trust and the Isle of Man Fungus Group, working with Manx farmers. The butterscotch waxcap, Gliophorus europerplexus, had never been recorded on the island before, with only 70 specimens of the species recorded worldwide.

wtru.st/new-waxcap

Long may they bloom

This year marks the tenth anniversary of Coronation Meadows, a restoration project launched in 2013 to celebrate 60 years since the coronation of Elizabeth II. As part of the project, many Wildlife Trusts provided seeds from their own meadows to create or restore meadows in other parts of their region. Wildlife Trusts

Wildflower meadows are essential habitats for pollinators

Healing nature

also took on custodianship of some of the new meadows, helping wildlife flourish. A new audit has revealed the success of the project, with 101 new wildflower meadows created or restored over the last decade.

Wiltshire Wildlife Trust has launched a new 10-week nature-based-therapy programme for veterans and service leavers living with mental health issues. Wild Transitions will take place at the Trust’s Green Lane Wood nature reserve, providing a space for veterans to connect with nature and learn skills to help them transition into new employment or volunteer roles.

wtru.st/WildTransitions

BUTTERSCOTCH WAXCAP © LIZ CHARTER/ISLE OF MAN FUNGI GROUP; SWETTENHAM MEADOWS © ALISON HITCHENS

Tales from the

The British Lichen Society’s April Windle explores a precious habitat that has long been overlooked by many of us – the British Isles’ very own rainforests…

When you hear the word rainforest, your mind probably wanders to exotic lands thousands of miles overseas, to places such as the Amazon or Borneo, but unbeknown to most people, we have our very own rainforests right here on our doorstep.

Along the western seaboard of the British Isles, we have a network of internationally important woodlands, elegantly termed Atlantic woodlands. These are typically ancient woods, in clean-air situations that are strongly influenced by the oceanic (wet and mild) to hyper-oceanic (very wet and mild) climate. Some of these woods are remnants of the ancient wildwood that started appearing across the landscape after the last ice-age, making them some of the oldest living ecosystems found in the UK.

This series of woodlands, from western Scotland down and through to the south-west of England, is a spectrum of forested habitats, where Atlantic woodlands can be categorised into temperate rainforests and oceanic woodlands. This wooded landscape is of huge global significance and supports an exceptional diversity of wildlife, most notably the lichens, bryophytes, and ferns.

These rainforests are a world unto themselves and have such a mystical and enchanted feel to them. They are dramatic and prehistoric, with twisted and gnarled trees growing amongst the craggy terrain, with rivers that cut through the ancient treescapes and broadleaf canopies locking in humidity as a result of the high rainfall. The age of the forests and the high rainfall has resulted in spectacular habitats which are absolutely teeming with wildlife.

RAINFOREST © STEVE NICHOLS, NATUREPL

Lichen the location

What truly defines these rainforests (alongside the rain of course), are the lichens, bryophytes and ferns that make these woodlands so special. When you walk into these woods, the first thing that you notice is every available surface is covered in life. The rocks are carpeted in mosses and the trees cloaked in lichens. Many of the species found here are as rare, if not rarer than the habitat in which they grow. Lichens and bryophytes are fantastic indicators of temperate rainforest, because they have a distinct geographic shift from east to west as a result of the wet and mild climatic conditions. This isn’t necessarily witnessed with other groups such as flowering plants, trees, or animals.

Lichens are among the most bewildering lifeforms on the planet. Despite their plant-like appearance, lichens sit within the biological kingdom Fungi, where genetic studies show that fungi are more closely related to humans

than they are to plants. Within our rainforests, lichens can be encountered as mosaics of hieroglyphics on the ancient hazel stems, or as rich, leafy tapestries covering the twisted oak trunks. This lichen diversity is complemented by a medley of plant life. The rocks and trees are laden with a luxuriance of mosses and liverworts (collectively referred to as bryophytes) and ferns. Bryophytes are non-vascular plants, meaning they lack “true” roots and a vascular system. The bryophyte diversity in temperate rainforests is claimed to rival that found in the cloud forests of their tropical counterparts.

Lichens and bryophytes are a beautiful and important component of these wooded ecosystems, where species, communities and climatic conditions bridge our British and Irish rainforests with other temperate rainforest habitats across the globe. It is these bespoke bioclimatic features that make our rainforests... rainforests.

A rainforest resurgence

Temperate rainforest and oceanic woodlands more widely are an extraordinary aspect of our British and Irish countryside, and they are right here on our doorstep waiting to be explored. These woodlands are habitats of great conservation value, yet are subject to a variety of threats, ranging from habitat loss and degradation to tree pests and diseases, inappropriate management, and climate change to name a few. Over the years, there have been concerted efforts from various individuals and conservation organisations to raise the public profile and ensure the conservation of these globally significant woodlands.

The British Lichen Society (BLS) has a long history of working with charitable and government organisations, using the collective of expertise to generate evidence-bases that underpin management and decision-making. Collecting biological information is at the heart of the Society, with a national lichen database of over two million records and over a thousand survey reports listed on our literature inventory, many offering appropriate management

Lichens are a symbiotic organism composed of a fungus and a photosynthetic partner (algae and/or cyanobacteria)

Tumbling kittens (Hypotrachyna taylorensis), a lichen of acid, leached bark in high rainfall situations

advice. A significant proportion of this data has been generated in these western woodlands of Britain and Ireland.

In February 2023, the Wildlife Trust announced their exciting and ambitious 100-year project to restore and expand temperate rainforests along the western seaboard of Britain and Ireland. The BLS would like to thank The Wildlife Trusts for taking lead on this important initiative and looks forward to collaborating with the Trusts in driving forward these important works.

Restoring Britain’s Rainforests in partnership with Aviva

The Wildlife Trusts care for a network of Atlantic rainforest nature reserves. These beautiful sites, from the Dart Valley in Devon to Pengelli Woods in Pembrokeshire, or Shian Wood near Oban, Scotland, are incredibly important for wildlife, but also for people. We know that the simple enjoyment of wonderful greenspace is more than just fun – it has a medical value, reducing stress and increasing exercise, in turn reducing cost to the NHS. This is an ecosystem service of immense value. Another valuable ecosystem service is carbon, and that’s where The Wildlife Trusts’ new rainforest programme comes in.

Aviva are on a journey to net zero that they hope to achieve in the 2040s. They are making great strides to reduce their direct emissions, but also want to reduce their indirect emissions within their investment portfolio. They have strong plans but struggle to identify the last part of the journey –the technical solutions are not quite in place. For this, they aim to insure themselves by investing in a nature-based way to suck carbon out of the atmosphere and put it back into nature over the next few decades, counter-balancing any remaining indirect emissions in the 2040s. By donating funds to The Wildlife Trusts to establish new Atlantic rainforest nature reserves in the 2020s, Aviva is investing in both climate solutions and the many other benefits of nature reserves.

This represents a rachet up of ambition for The Wildlife Trusts as we focus on the intensifying climate and nature emergency before us. We know our marginal soil farmers are going to struggle as agricultural subsidies reduce and new trading relationships allow importation of lamb and beef that is cheaper to produce elsewhere. Planting new rainforests might be part of the answer as we seek a just transition for farming on the western fringe. If meat production is no longer economic, agro-forestry (very low intensity grazing producing conservation grade meat) tied to nature tourism and carbon payments might provide a better prospect for the next generation of farmers.

April Windle is a naturalist with a particular interest in lichens, especially those occupying the temperate rainforest habitats of Britain and Ireland. She also Chairs the Education & Promotions Committee for the British Lichen Society. @aprilwindle @aprilwindle.nature

By working with partners – farmers and other nature conservation bodies, especially Plantlife and the Woodland Trust in this case, we can create a grand alliance to restore the lost rainforests of the west. This April, we announced the first two sites to benefit from this programme. Creg y Cowin on the Isle of Man will see over 70 acres planted with native tree species, with around 20 acres allowed to regenerate naturally. Manx Wildlife Trust anticipates the return of redstarts and other oakwood birds, whilst the rainforest will also increase water purity for a nearby reservoir and help with flood prevention. At Bryn Ifan in Gwynedd, North Wales Wildlife Trust aims to establish over 100 acres of rainforest, through a mix of sympathetic native planting and natural regeneration.

Find out more about this special habitat at wildlifetrusts.org/rainforest

Temperate rainforests are the perfect habitat for many species, including treecreepers

Delicate, vibrant, enchanting: these might not be words you normally associate with slugs, but sea slugs have no respect for normal. There are several groups that you may come across on UK shores and even the most familiar looking of these, the sea hares, are quirky. These plump brown slugs have tall ear-like rhinophores (scent-sensitive tentacles) and a hidden shell. They lay a tangle of eggs that resemble pink spaghetti and produce a ‘smoke-screen’ of violet ink if disturbed. The solar powered sea slug, on the other hand, belongs to the sap-suckers group. It eats seaweed, retaining the photosynthesising parts – the chloroplasts – in its body, where they supplement the slug’s diet with sugars, like a built-in snack bar.

The largest group of sea slugs, the nudibranchs, are the strangest and most visually stunning of all. With dozens of species to be found in our rock pools and shallow seas, they have become my delight and obsession.

Heather Buttivant is a Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteer, proud ‘nudi’ fanatic and author of the award-winning blog, cornishrockpools.com

She has published two books: Rock Pool and Beach Explorer.

Sea slugs add a spectacular splash of colour to our rockpools.

Gills and frills

Nudibranchs, or ‘nudis’, as they are affectionately known by their evergrowing fan club, are shell-less sea slugs. Their name comes from the Latin, nudus branchia, meaning ‘naked gill’. Nudibranchs are a flamboyant bunch, so they turn their gills into stylish accessories.

One of our most common rocky shore nudibranchs, the sea lemon (Doris pseudoargus), is a case in point. When underwater, this bumpy yellow animal unfurls a glamorous, feathery circle of honey-yellow gills on its back. Other nudibranchs, like the bright purple Edmundsella pedata, have spiky projections called ‘cerata’, providing a large surface area through which they breathe in oxygen.

Tiny Doto spp. slugs win my prize for the craziest body shape. Their white cerata, shaped like towering jelly moulds adorned with cherry-red spots, are so high that they wobble precariously. Their heads sport two

tall rhinophores sheathed in a wide dish, as though they are trying to detect alien radio signals.

Amphorina spp. slugs inflate and deflate their cerata, Facelina spp. have ringed rhinophores like unicorn horns, while Polycera spp. slugs’ heads are fringed with colourful tentacles. Anything goes when you’re a nudibranch.

You are what you eat

If you are used to peaceable garden slugs, it can be unsettling to discover that nudibranchs are devout carnivores. While each species has a preferred diet, between them they eat sponges, barnacles, hydroids, anemones, bryozoans, sea squirts and more.

Some nudibranchs change colour. The sea lemon, for instance, turns into a ‘sea orange’ after eating orange sponges. Great grey sea slugs (Aeolidia spp.) dive in headfirst to feed among the treacherous stinging tentacles of anemones, their pale grey bodies and cerata often turning bright pink as they eat. Inside their cerata, great grey slugs retain the anemone’s stinging cells, which fire toxic harpoons at any predator that tries to bite them. Other slugs, like Geitodoris planata, have acid glands that burn attackers.

Most incredible of all are the Calma slugs. The vivid blue and yellow Calma glaucoides feeds on clingfish eggs, while its relation, Calma gobioophaga has

cerata the shape of goby eggs, allowing it to evade the male goby’s efforts to guard its brood. The fish eggs are so efficiently digested that Calma slugs have no anus and never poo.

Slug safari

For the best chance of finding sea slugs, join an organised event or Shoresearch survey, where experts will be on hand to help you discover more. Look for pale spirals of sea slug spawn on rocks and favourite foods, but even the brightest slugs can be well camouflaged. If possible, place your nudibranch in water and watch it magically puff up. Be gentle as sea slugs are delicate. Always put the nudibranch back where it came from, leave everything as you found it and watch the tides.

Finding your first nudibranch is like discovering a sparkling gem. Their exquisite colours and eye-catching shapes make them true treasures of the rock pools.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: AEOLIDIA PAPILLOSA © ALEX HYDE, NATUREPL; FACELINA AURICULATA © ALEX MUSTARD/ 2020VISION; POLYCERA QUADRILENATA © ALEX MUSTARD, NATUREPL

Wild thoughts

From beyond the brink

Reintroduction is a hot topic in conservation. It’s essentially bringing a species back to an area from which it has been lost. In my opinion, reintroduction should be a last resort. We should be working hard to hold on to what we’ve got without letting it get to that stage. We should have a government doing an awful lot more to stop wildlife from being lost, and to help threatened species recover.

But our wildlife is in a sorry state. It’s been said many times that we are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world – when I look around now and think about what we’ve lost since I was a young lad walking the fields of mid Wales, I can believe it. Curlews, lapwings, yellowhammers, linnets; pools full of frogs, toads, and newts –so many have now disappeared. It’s not too late to save these species, but for others, last resorts are all we have left.

Where species have gone extinct from an area because of human activity, I think reintroducing them is very much justified. Especially so when species have a hugely positive impact on the environment, bringing benefits for a whole host of other plants and animals. Take beavers, for example. They create and maintain incredible wetland habitats, providing ideal conditions for many species, from water plants to amphibians to fish. This habitat creation is more important than ever as hot, dry summers become more frequent.

Thanks to reintroductions, there are now wild beavers back in Scotland, with a few in England too. But Wales is lagging behind. Beavers are back in Wales, but legally only

in enclosures. I was privileged enough to be there when they arrived. It was an amazing feeling to be a small part of this event, but imagine how much better it would be to see them in the wild.

I’ve been quite shocked at the opposition to reintroducing beavers. I think a lot of it comes from a lack of understanding of beaver behaviour, and how many benefits they bring. Yes, there may be one or two areas of conflict, but there are plenty of measures to mitigate this. It’s already been done successfully in countries across Europe, where people now live happily alongside beavers. Any mention of reintroducing lynx raises even more opposition in some places, but I also think there’s a place for lynx in the UK. We have big problems with overgrazing as a result of high deer populations, and lynx could help with that. I’d be very interested to see them return and what effect they would have.

I’m obviously concerned about wildlife across the whole of the UK, but as a Welshman what I would really love to see is the reintroduction of both beavers and golden eagles to Wales. We had an escaped golden eagle set up home here for over 10 years and it had a fantastic reception from the local community, including farmers. Some were overawed by the beauty and the sheer size of her. It would be fantastic to see golden eagles back in Wales for good.

Find out all about Wildlife Trust reintroduction projects:

wildlifetrusts.org/reintroductions

TRIED AND TRUSTED

The Wildlife Trusts have been invovled in many successful reintroduction projects across the UK, including the return of beavers. We’ve also helped bring back water voles, pine martens, dragonflies, and butterflies to parts of the UK from which they’ve been lost.

Iolo Williams is a Welsh ornithologist, conservationist, and popular wildlife presenter, known for programmes including BBC’s Springwatch and Wild Wales. He has been supportive of the Wildlife Trusts for a long time and in 2021 took on the role of vice president of The Wildlife Trusts.

@IoloWilliams2

dragonflies & damselflies 6 places to see

ragonflies and damselflies are some of our most enchanting insects. They’re large, often colourful, and have a fascinating, flickering flight. They dart above the water, starting and stopping like little clockwork toys as they hunt or patrol their territory. Both dragonflies and damselflies belong to an order of insects called Odonata, which means ‘toothed jaw’ – named for their serrated mandibles. Damselflies are generally slender, with their eyes on either side of the head, never touching. Dragonflies are usually bigger, bulkier and have much larger eyes that normally touch each other.

You can find them on all kinds of wetlands, from garden ponds to canals, chalk streams to bogs – and sometimes far from any water. They’re best looked for on still, sunny days in spring and summer, when they’re warm enough to fly. Here are six of our favourite nature reserves for spotting them…

See the spectacle for yourself

1 Foulshaw Moss, Cumbria Wildlife Trust

This stunning wetland has been restored for wildlife over recent decades and is now home to many dragonflies and damselflies. You could see emerald damselflies, emperor dragonflies, or even the rare white-faced darter – they were reintroduced in 2010 and are now thriving.

Where: Near Witherslack, LA11 6SN

2 Carlton Marshes, Suffolk Wildlife Trust

This nature reserve is a mosaic of marshes, meadows, pools, and scrub. An impressive 28 species of dragonfly have been recorded here, more than anywhere else in the UK. This includes the Norfolk hawker – a dazzling dragonfly with emerald eyes.

Where: Lowestoft, NR33 8HU

3 Amwell, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust

One of the best places in the region to see dragonflies and damselflies, with 21 breeding species, including red-eyed damselflies. The dragonfly trail features a boardwalk for close encounters with these enchanting insects.

Where: Ware, SG12 9SS

4 Magor Marsh, Gwent Wildlife Trust

This beautiful area of fenland in the Gwent Levels is ideal for dragonflies and damselflies, including four-spotted chasers and hairy dragonflies. It’s also home to banded demoiselles and ruddy darters, who share the waterways with water voles. Where: Magor, NP26 3DN

5 Higher Hyde Heath, Dorset Wildlife Trust

Exploring the ponds, woodland, and heathland can reward with a variety of species, including downy emeralds and golden-ringed dragonflies – females of which are the longest dragonfly in the UK.

Where: Wareham, BH20 7NY

6 Windmill Farm, Cornwall Wildlife Trust

The ponds of this scenic nature reserve are great for dragonflies and damselflies, including red-veined darters, migrants from continental Europe. Windmill Farm also has a good reputation for attracting rarer migrant visitors, like the lesser emperor.

Where: The Lizard, TR12 7LH

Did you spot any dragons or damsels?

We’d love to know how your search went. Please tweet us your best photos! @wildlifetrusts

HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

Gourmet Gardening for wildlife

Grow a garden full of food that both you and your wild neighbours can enjoy.

Traditionally, fruit and veg growers view wildlife as something that should be prevented from eating the food we grow for ourselves. We net berries to protect them from birds, remove ‘cabbage white’ caterpillars from our brassicas. We lay traps for things like earwigs and expose soil grubs so that birds might feast on them before they can do any damage. Some growers haven’t got the memo about insect declines and still use harmful bug sprays.

But what if we learned to share, or even deliberately planted crops that could be used by us and wildlife? I realise I may be in the minority here, but one of my favourite things about growing food is sharing it. I’m happy to share my soft fruit with the birds – my cherry trees produce more than I would know what to do with, and there are enough blackberries, raspberries and tayberries to go around. I laugh at the caterpillars eating my brassicas and I always leave some to flower, along with some ‘spare’

parsnips and onions, so there’s food for pollinators in spring. If I cut only half of my herbs such as mint, oregano, chives and thyme, I can encourage flowers to grow for bees and butterflies, and if I avoid cutting back the mildewed leaves of my courgettes I provide food for 22-spot ladybirds.

There is a line between providing food for wildlife and having your crop destroyed, and only you can decide where that line sits. For me, there’s not really a line. I’m happy for other species to enjoy the food I grow and I go out of my way to provide a little bit more for them. I may have a reduced crop, but I never lose a crop – one of the great things about gardening for wildlife is knowing the ecosystem will take care of itself. This means there’s always something for everyone.

Get more tips for helping nature at home from wildlifetrusts.org/gardening

Kate Bradbury is passionate about wildlife-friendly gardening and the author of Wildlife Gardening for Everyone and Everything in association with The Wildlife Trusts.

Brassicas

Varieties like broccoli and kale will flower after harvesting, providing food for early spring mining bees. Many varieties can be sown or planted out in summer – plant in rich soil and firm well.

Courgettes

Buy ready-grown plants and plant into rich soil in early summer, and keep well watered. 22-spot ladybirds are very polite, leaving the fruit for you and eating only the leaf mildew.

Oregano

Plant from spring to autumn in pots or the ground. Leave some unharvested so it flowers for butterflies and bees.

Raspberries

Buy canes in spring or autumn and plant in rich, moist soil. The blackbirds will leave you some, I promise!

Broad beans

Avoid removing aphids and you’ll provide food not just for them but for the ladybirds, lacewings and hoverfly larva that eat them. Sow direct in autumn or spring. Stake taller varieties.

Rosemary

Flowering in spring, rosemary provides nectar and pollen for queen bumblebees. Plant at any time of year in moist but well-drained soil.

Carrots

Sow direct in pots or the ground from spring to late summer. Leave some to flower for pollinators.

Nasturtiums

Sow from spring to summer for a crop of fiery leaves and sweet flowers. Leave a crop for ‘cabbage white’ butterflies to feast on – you can move caterpillars from brassicas onto nasturtium leaves to protect them.

Highlights for 2022-23

£6m secured

It was another record year for Durham Wildlife Trust, with the charity securing more than £6million to support its work.

50 reserves

Durham Wildlife Trust met its challenging 50@50 target and secured more new land for nature. At 31st March, 2023, the Trust had 50 nature reserves and a land holding of 1095 hectares.

Projects delivered

Discover Brightwater, Healing Nature, Naturally Native, and Seascapes continued to be delivered throughout the year. Significant new funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund was secured for Link Together, the Trust’s first major project focusing on health and well-being, and nature restoration.

Nature Based Solutions

Durham Wildlife Trust secured land to support the achievement of Nutrient Neutrality in the Tees catchment – the first scheme delivered as part of Natural England’s national scheme.

Membership donations up

The average annual subscriptions from new memberships increased by 5% and the average gift overall increased by 2%.

Environmental Performance

The Trust continued to focus on improving its own environmental performance and latest available figures showed carbon emissions of 253 tonnes of CO2 equivalent for 2021/22. That’s a 30% reduction in emissions per employee. Solar PV was also installed at Rainton Meadows Visitor Centre in February 2023, which will further reduce emissions.