Wild Magazine - Summer 2022

Discover Wildlife Explore Nature in Essex

The magazine for Essex Wildlife Trust members Issue 119 | summer 2022

Page 56

Fantastic freshwater fish

Wildlife champions 1 in 4 people must take action for nature Page 16

Explore our Nature Discovery Centres this summer Page 44

Page 42

Helping our living seas in the changing climate

MORE

BY APPOINTMENT TO HER MAJESTY QUEEN ELIZABETH II SWAROVSKI OPTIK SUPPLIER OF BINOCULARS

NL PURE ONE WITH NATURE SEE THE UNSEEN

Welcome

Issue 119 | summer 2022

‘Those links between communities and green space have never been stronger’

Welcome

C

onnectivity is at the heart of conservation and it’s integral to so many different aspects of the Trust’s work. To successfully protect wildlife, we must ensure that habitats don’t become isolated islands, resembling pockets of green, scattered amongst the concrete jungle. As ecologists, we know that fragmented habitats are far more susceptible to decline and, therefore, much of our work around the county is focused on not just protecting habitats, but also linking them.

This approach is central to achieving a Wilder Essex and is key to delivering the Nature Recovery Networks which will be the foundations that underpin new environmental legislation, which commits to putting nature’s recovery at the heart of decision making.

After two years of a global pandemic, we are also increasingly aware of just how fundamental our own connectivity with wildlife is. Those links between communities and green space have never been stronger, because connection to wildlife grounds us, it inspires us, and it enriches our lives. People connected to nature are known to live happier and healthier lives and in a world where there is currently so much stress and anxiety, that has to be something worth fighting for.

join the conversation: Essex Wildlife Trust @essexwildlifetrust @EssexWildlife EssexWildlife @essexwildlifetrust Essex Wildlife Trust www.essexwt.org.uk

We need

your

help!

Tell your friends

Your family and friends can keep up to date with the Trust by signing up to receive Wild News straight to their inbox at www.essexwt.org.uk/ wild-news

Dr. Andrew Impey

Adopt a key Essex species

Chief Executive Officer

WILD is the magazine of Essex Wildlife Trust and is published four times a year: Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter.

The Trust is a corporate member of The Wildlife Trusts.

MEET THE WILD TEAM

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the Trustees of Essex Wildlife Trust.

Editor-in-Chief Emily McParland

No. 119 SUMMER 2022 ISSN 2756-0066

We are the county’s leading conservation charity, committed to protecting wildlife and inspiring a lifelong love of nature.

All enquiries to: Essex Wildlife Trust, Abbotts Hall Farm, Great Wigborough, Colchester, Essex, CO5 7RZ

Front cover photo: © John Waters / naturepl.com

T 01621 862960 E enquiries@essexwt.org.uk www.essexwt.org.uk Reg Charity No. 210065 VAT Reg No. 945745977 Company Reg No. 638666 England

Executive Editor Rich Yates Editorial Assistants Bailey Tait, Lauren Cosson & Zoe Kent

We manage nature reserves and discovery parks across the county, providing outstanding outdoor learning and preserving places of wonder.

Art Director Lottie Hall

Founded in 1959 by volunteers, we protect over 100 sites across Essex and are supported by 40,000 members.

Advertising To advertise in WILD magazine contact marketing@essexwt.org.uk

Our climate is in crisis and nature needs our help. Together we can protect the future. Join us.

Printing The DS Group

We are one of the largest trusts that work together throughout the British Isles as The Wildlife Trusts.

Designer Tasha Mound

WILD magazine includes adverts from third-parties. However, services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed

by Essex Wildlife Trust. The income from advertisements goes towards the cost of printing and postage. This means that more of your membership donation goes directly towards conservation. Adverts must conform to the British Code of Advertising Practice.

Copyright © Essex Wildlife Trust 2022.

For as little as £15, adopt one of our key Essex species to support our vital conservation work and help us to protect the wildlife and wild places of Essex. Find out more at www.essexwt.org.uk/ adopt-species

Nature for everyone

Join us and the tens of thousands of people already urging the government to implement a legal right to nature for everyone by signing our petition at wtru.st/natureforeveryone

Leave a gift in your Will

Help to safeguard our county’s wildlife and allow future generations to experience the joys of nature. Contact Rosalyn Leclercq on 01621 862987 or email legacies@essexwt.org.uk We really hope you enjoy receiving your magazine.

If, however, you would prefer to convert to our digital-only Green Membership, please contact the Membership Office on 01621 862964 or by email at members@essexwt.org.uk. We will be delighted to help you manage how we communicate with you.

WILD Summer 2022

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In

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WILD SUMMER 2022

g n i r i p s

eneration g t x e n the

Photo: Penny Dixie

WHAT’S INSIDE

Section title here

6 YOUR WILD ESSEX

The stunning standout photos of the season, taken by our supporters.

8 TRUST NEWS

Updates from throughout the Trust on our work to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature.

16 Taking action

30 Spring wildlife

80% of residents in Essex live within urban areas. It’s here, in our urban environment where people-power can create real change for the better.

in the urban world

gardening

Author Kate Bradbury shares advice on helping garden wildlife thrive this summer.

32 Creating a

wildlife pond

Having a pond in your garden is the best way to help wildlife at home. Follow our guide to making a miniature pond, to attract an abundance of wildlife.

38 The benefits of

24 Under the spotlight:

wildlife photography

Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park

Photographer Alfie Bowen shares a selection of fantastic local photos and explains how wildlife photography has helped him.

First created in the late 1930s, this tranquil expanse of freshwater stretches for over 700 hectares. Home to an abundance of wildlife, learn about the rich history of our Nature Discovery Park, located down the road from Colchester.

46 WHAT’S ON THIS summer

Page 34 Bringing children closer to nature is key to unlocking a better, brighter future for everyone.

Photo: David Tipling/2020VISION

Sea hare photo: Paul Naylor

Sociable swifts are swooping across the skies, while flashing glow-worms line the paths and common seals raise their pups on our shores. We’ve highlighted the top species and spectacles to enjoy, and a number of events and activities to add to your diary.

52 Time Tunnel

We travel back in time to the year 2003 to see what was happening at the Trust.

58 Wildlife Crossword

Test your knowledge of the wonderful wildlife and wild places in Essex.

44 Our living seas

By using nature-based solutions projects, we’re protecting key coastal and marine habitats that will help nature and people become more resilient in the face of our changing climate.

Your Wild Essex

Our Essex wildlife has been showcasing its incredible beauty again this season. From the cute to the cheeky, the unusual to the unsung, our members and supporters have spotted them all. We hope you enjoy this selection of snaps submitted by you over the past few months.

How rude! This fox was in a very playful mood with photographers Ryan Richardson and Lottie Gibbons, @the_zoology_duo.

A beautiful juvenile adder nestled in a mossy bed and enjoying the first rays of sun captured by Mark Didcock, @mjd_wild.

A peacock butterfly enjoying the sunshine amongst the hawthorn blossom in ChadwellSt-Mary, spotted by Rob Lay.

Dub-owl decker! These two little owls were captured causing quite a pile up in Braintree by Adrian Galley.

If you would like to feature in our next edition of WILD, please email your favourite images of Essex’s wildlife and wild places to magazine@essexwt.org.uk or tag Essex Wildlife Trust on social media.

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WILD Summer 2022

Your Wild Essex Purple paradise. This dramatic saltmarsh scene was captured at Colne Point by Mark Draper, @draper_mdphotography.

Hungry, hungry herons. A heron and chicks sharing a tender moment together, spotted by Luke Harrington, @lhmacro.

A perfect pair. An expertly timed photo of greylag geese in flight, taken by Waldo Ferris, @waldoferris.

I’ll take you under my wing. This robin came across all shy in front of photographer Thomas James, @t_j_james82.

Pretty as a picture! This spring blossom perfectly showcases the softer side of nature’s palette, spotted by Shiela Winwright, @mum385.

#essexwildlifetrust WILD SUMMER 2022

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Stories and news from throughout the Trust on our work to protect wildlife and inspire a lifelong love of nature across Essex. Written by our staff, volunteers and members of our Local Groups.

Barn owl photo: Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography

Trust news

Lapwing photo: Peter Hewitt

Wetland wonderland for waders Harry Smith Warden at Blue House Farm

With generous funding from Biffa Award, Blue House Farm is transforming over 40 hectares of land into a wetland wonderland. This will deliver greater breeding opportunities for threatened species, provide habitat connectivity, and ensure climate change resilience through water storage, soil health and carbon sequestration. This reserve is already a sanctuary for birds throughout the year. Ground-nesting waders, such as lapwing and redshank, utilise the vast landscape for breeding during the summer months. Hundreds of dark-bellied brent geese migrate to the reserve in the winter months from Siberia, as the coastal grazing marsh provides the ideal habitat for them to feed and recover strength. With barn owls, short-eared owls and marsh harriers swooping across the vast open fields that Blue House Farm has to offer, it is every bird-lover’s paradise.

By adapting the landscape to create shallow-profiled

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WILD Summer 2022

scrapes alongside removing agricultural drains, what previously would be dried land by the spring and summer months will instead be a wetland haven, retaining water for longer. The elevated water levels will attract thousands of overwintering waders, including golden plover, dunlin, snipe and godwits. Waterfowl such as shoveler, wigeon and teal will also benefit from the improved wetland. We can’t wait to see this reserve’s bird population flourish.

Rachel Maidment, Biffa Award Grants Manager, says: “Biffa Award is delighted to be able to award a grant of £263,874 to create this valuable wetland haven of over 40 hectares for a variety of important species. We can’t wait to see more birds using the site and flourishing following completion of the work.”

Helping hand for heath fritillary butterflies

Heath fritillary photo: Jim Higham

Trust news

Tiffany Rogerson Landscape Conservation Area Officer Essex Wildlife Trust and Butterfly Conservation have been working in partnership at Belfairs Woods to maintain and improve the habitats of the beautiful and nationally-rare heath fritillary butterfly, historically known as the woodman’s follower.

Traditionally, this butterfly followed woodsmen and coppiced woodland as it prefers open, sunny glades where its foodplant (common cow-wheat) is abundant. This project, initially halted by the pandemic, is now back in action. If you wander through Hadleigh Great Wood at Belfairs, you may spot our temporary signage. You will see the areas cleared of saplings, selected stool re-coppicing and bramble and bracken cut back. The aim is to allow common cow-wheat to re-grow. This is a vital food source for caterpillars, and it provides sheltered and warm refuge for the butterfly to perch, mate and lay eggs.

The team are working to encourage the cow-wheat growth in multiple areas of the woodland, in the hopes that this will create a connected network of havens for the butterflies to live in. These butterfly ‘crossroads’ will be achieved by removing some small trees and scrub, to open up this junction – but this is pausing over summer to allow for bird nesting season with no interruptions from us. The Belfairs team will continue to monitor the presence of heath fritillaries as the project continues, with the hopes that the habitat management work will encourage their presence.

Sharing our shores Bailey Tait Campaigns Officer

We aren’t the only ones who flock to the coast when the weather gets warmer. From the start of spring, little tern, ringed plover and oystercatcher rely on our long stretches of Essex coastline to construct their nests, lay their eggs and raise their chicks – a natural nursery by the sea. Beach-nesting birds have always been an important part of our natural heritage, and we want it to remain this way.

The Share our Shores campaign is a joint effort between Essex Wildlife Trust, the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) and the Essex Marine Police Unit. We are all working together to protect our most threatened beach-nesting birds and their vulnerable, ever-changing habitats. Last year, we reached over 150,000 people with helpful tips on how we can all keep disturbance of these special species to a minimum. Since then, Bird Aware Essex has joined the team and we are looking forward to expanding the project.

You can help too by downloading our free posters and leaflets and sharing them within your local community to raise awareness about how we can all help our beach-nesting birds this summer.

Download our free resources from www.essexwt.org.uk/ share-our-shores.

Safety first at Gunner’s Park Andrew Armstrong

Ranger at Gunners Park & Shoebury Ranges Along with the help of our fantastic volunteers, the team at Gunner’s Park and Shoebury Ranges nature reserve have built a swan enclosure on the lake edge, to create a safe area for swans and other waterfowl.

As we welcome many visitors and dog walkers to this busy site, the designated area will allow the bird species to feel safe and secure – so that everyone can enjoy Gunner’s Park together. The team are also looking to create a wader roosting area, allowing waders to gather at high tide.

The old staircase leading the public to the butterfly transect ION Mute swan photo: Andy Rouse/2020VIS was deteriorating and needed repairing, so the team decided to replace this with a new and improved staircase, providing easier access with the help of a sturdy handrail.

We hope the public can enjoy this new and improved reserve feature on their next visit!

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Trust news

Wonderful

Legacies

Rosalyn Leclercq Legacy Manager Already this year, the Trust has kindly been remembered by 22 wonderful individuals who have sadly passed away. Thanks to the kindness of people like Harold, a devoted member for over 22 years, and Marian, a wildlife-lover and member for 6 years, we can continue our crucial conservation projects, and take strides towards our vision of a Wilder Essex. If you share our vision and wish to leave a legacy for the future of wildlife, please get in contact with our Legacy team (Rosalyn and Lizzy) who would love to hear from you: legacies@essexwt.org.uk or call 01621 862987. Every legacy makes a huge difference to the Trust, and we are hugely grateful to every individual for choosing us.

Fingringhoe Wick photo: Peter Bowden

Preserving pondlands Verity Hales Site Manager

Wild work days Karen Dixon Corporate Coordinator

In 2019, Leeds Beckett University undertook a social return on investment analysis of Wildlife Trust programmes. They found that for every £1 invested, a return of £6.88 was made through targeted programmes. This value was generated from health gains such as improved mental wellbeing. For those attending general wild work days, the value is even higher with a return of £8.50 for every £1 invested.

We facilitate opportunities for businesses and organisations to get involved with our conservation work. Recently, Utilize Plc, Platinum Investors in Wildlife of the Trust, have supported three working groups at Langdon Nature Discovery Park this year. With their help, we undertook tasks such as putting in fences, hedge clearing and scrub clearing. The volunteer teams thoroughly enjoyed the experience while supporting our work and helping the environment.

Not only do businesses and their workforce get to learn about the local conservation work that is happening in their surrounding area and feel immersed in wildlife, but the physical and mental health benefits are also noticeable. Through partnerships like this, conversations about sustainability, conservation and how individuals can benefit from wildlife are able to happen – all while doing your bit for nature! If you would like to sign up your business to become an Investor in Wildlife, please contact Karen on: KarenD@essexwt.org.uk or 07519 119 692, or Grant on GrantM@essexwt.org.uk or 07887 763 678.

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WILD Summer 2022

The volunteers at Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park were busy once again at East Heath, helping to restore the pond habitat. Overgrown willow and birch saplings overshadowed this pond, and if left unchecked, would dry it out completely. To protect this habitat, the team removed the plants to help the pond thrive. Amphibians, water-loving plants and bird species alike will be most grateful to the team for restoring their much-loved habitat.

Similarly, invasive species were being dealt with at Tiptree Heath nature reserve.

Pygmy weed forms a dense surface of rooted weed, damaging the natural pond habitat. To restore this pond, the team worked tirelessly on an 18-hour project to remove this weed to the pond banks, for little hiding newts and larvae to crawl back into the safety of the water, where they belong.

We know how vital pond habitats are to our wildlife, so it is important to keep them healthy, especially as the weather gets warmer.

You can create a DIY pond in your own garden by following our simple steps on page 32.

One of the beaver pools at Spains Hall Estate, March 2022

Trust news

Reserves monitoring programme Stuart Brooker

Lead Reserves Ecologist Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserves provide vital spaces for nature to flourish. To realise their full potential, however, we must maintain or improve habitat conditions and species diversity within them. But how do we know if our management actions are having the desired effect? The reserves monitoring programme has been launched to address this question. With the support of Essex Wildlife Trust staff and volunteers, the recently appointed ecological monitoring team will collect and examine data from a broad set of repeated surveys designed to detect change in the state of our most valued habitats and wildlife. It may be several years before trends become apparent, but the programme has already begun to establish baselines, to which all future survey data will be compared. Over time, the programme will highlight successful management practices and provide triggers for remedial action should management fail, marking a crucial step towards an objective, evidence-based approach to conservation management at Essex Wildlife Trust. Regular reports will update staff on the progress and findings of the monitoring programme, and we are looking forward to sharing the results with our supporters once we know more.

Beaver: Russell Savory

Eager beavers Natalie Singleton River Catchment Officer

Essex Wildlife Trust has been supporting Spains Hall Estate for the past three years since their release of a pair of Eurasian beavers to a secure beaver enclosure.

This once dry woodland, with only a stream running through that would dry up during parts of the year, has been transformed into a complex wetland made up of a series of dams, pools and canals, holding water on site in wet periods and releasing it slowly during dry periods. We saw rapid changes to the habitat in the first couple of years, and we’re now starting to see more gradual changes as the wetland becomes established.

Our team regularly track the changes to this habitat, and our recent visit demonstrated the immense capabilities of these mammals. Beavers are the engineers of the wildlife world and are always hard at work. Now with four kits, it is fantastic to visit this site and see them thriving.

Archie Ruggles-Brise from Spains Hall Estate “We are the proud home of the first beavers to return to Essex for over 400 years. As a working farming estate, we care deeply about our environment, woodlands and the wildlife we provide a home for. Working with Essex Wildlife Trust means we can track the beavers and their management of our site, to demonstrate how effective they are as a nature-based solution.”

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Trust news

Red-breasted merganser photo: Amy Lewis

News from Maldon & South Woodham Ferrers Local Group Anita Sandison Chair of Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers Local Group

Do you have a love for wildlife and want to speak up for nature? Maldon and South Woodham Ferrers Local Group is looking for committee members to enable this group to return in full force. If you are interested and wish to discuss, please contact Anita Sandison on asandison@gmail.com or call 07514 555354.

News from the Brentwood & Billericay Local Group Graham Clegg Chair of Brentwood and Billericay Local Group

Fingringhoe Wick is a perennial favourite for many members, so there was a good turnout for our walk on 9 February. There were no nightingales on offer in February, of course, but we were rewarded with some sunny spring-like weather and many bird sightings. We saw a pair of red-breasted mergansers and a brief sighting of a peregrine falcon. We had some wonderful views of the River Colne with the tide going out. In the afternoon, the group moved on to Abberton Reservoir. John McLaughlin, our walk organiser, recorded a total of 71 bird species on the day.

Maldon Wick nature reserve

Volunteer with Essex Wildlife TrusT Rosie Abbott Volunteering Development Manager We have thousands of dedicated volunteers that help promote the Trust’s vision. In the summer months, volunteers will assist with various surveys across the county. Eyes will be on the ground to monitor reptiles, basking in the sunshine or slinking into a safe haven. Looking upwards, volunteers help to count the butterfly populations fluttering and flittering amongst our wild reserves. Volunteers take to the waters too, recording the essential eelgrass patches dotted along our coastline, as part of the Essex Seagrass Project (more on page 45).

Recently, the Abberton team celebrated our longest-serving volunteer, Pam Warren. For nearly three decades, Pam has dedicated her time to the Trust. Unfortunately, the pandemic forced Pam’s volunteering to cease but it was wonderful to welcome Pam back to our centre, to thank her for all her hard work over the years.

Thanks for our volunteers. If you want to get involved, please visit: www.essexwt.org.uk/ volunteer Eelgrass photo: Paul Naylors

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WILD Summer 2022

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Barn owl Photo: Andrew Mason

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Six-spot burnet on tuffted vetch photo: Guy Edwardes/2020VISION

protection.

Taking action for nature

To achieve our vision of a Wilder Essex, wildlife needs to be able to expand across our landscape.

From rivers to road verges, woodlands to ponds, and gardens to city parks, we need to restore our landscape and connect up our wild places, so the county can be a safe haven for nature.

As our climate changes, creating corridors will not only help bring wildlife back, it will help it become more resilient in the face of climate change.

While only 30% of Essex is considered to be urban, 80% of residents in the county are considered to be ‘urbanites’. It’s here, in our urban environments where local people are taking local action for nature. This people-power within communities is vital to creating real change for the better.

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WILD SUMMER 2022

Taking action for nature

taking

action for nature

Wildlife volunteers photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

WILD SUMMER 2022

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Taking action for nature

green space near every community that we want people to feel confident and capable to engage with. Our reserves are protecting wild places for perpetuity but we know that conservation must spill out from the boundaries of nature reserves, and into our urban landscapes.

The Trust is now working on more community organising programmes to help create long-lasting projects within local spaces. By listening, supporting and empowering local people, together we can connect up our fragmented landscape and transform Essex for the wilder.

Bird box volunteer photo: Evie and Tom Photography

T

he county of Essex is home to over 1.8 million people.

Encouraging positive steps towards wildlife-friendly practices from every person in the county seems a daunting task. However, research has shown that if 1 in 4 people are willing to take action for wildlife, this will reach the tipping point at which taking action becomes the norm within society.

The Trust is thus working towards getting a quarter of Essex’s population to be taking action for wildlife by 2030.

To do this, we need active community members who can help make our county wilder.

To deliver the vision of a Wilder Essex, we’ve created a network of projects and campaigns under our Team Wilder banner. Team Wilder is a people-powered movement which aims to empower and give local people the tools to transform spaces for nature. We recognise each and every individual has different skill sets and knowledge that will help contribute to positive conservation actions.

Community engagement programmes allow the Trust to use our strengths and expertise to inspire individual and collective action. By removing barriers and widening access to nature for all, we can tip the scales back in nature’s favour.

Our nature reserves and Nature Discovery Parks remain free to visit, and with over 100 sites in our care, there is a local

In our spring edition of WILD, we announced the launch of our Urban Wildlife Champions project. We asked individuals and community groups to sign up as champions to create projects within their communities and local areas, with toolkits and guidance from the Trust. We have launched a series of meetings, site visits, training opportunities and webinars to offer support and knowledge on how best to deliver each project. The Trust is working to create a people-powered movement, where communities have the capacity and tools to make the changes they want for wildlife and people.

Over 100 people and groups signed up to the Urban Wildlife Champions project in the first two months. Each individual is going to help inspire hundreds of others to take action for nature. We are very excited to begin working together and we look forward to updating all of our members on the many inspirational projects in future editions of WILD. Many champions are already at work launching and developing projects in their communities. The Wickham Bishops Biodiversity group has already crafted and installed fantastic bird and bat boxes along a popular route within their village. In Leigh-on-Sea, Steve Barrow is leading a group of volunteers on a mission to restore grassland habitat. By reducing mowing regimes, collecting cuttings, raking and seed sowing, they are hoping to create the perfect habitat to support invertebrates. In Brightlingsea, the Greener Gardens Group are supporting residents, businesses and organisations transition to a greener and more wildlife-friendly way of gardening.

Volunteer photo: Penny Dixie

‘ Over 100 people and groups signed up to the Urban Wildlife Champions project in the first two months’

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WILD SUMMER 2022

Taking action for nature

‘ Throughout the summer, the verges and green spaces were left to grow wild and surveyed for wildflowers each month’ In Wivenhoe, a group of dedicated local residents launched an inspirational community project last summer. After noticing the unmown verges in the early stages of lockdown, they marvelled at wonderful wildflowers springing up.

The group took it upon themselves to contact the town council about trialling unmown areas and surveying the results. The town council agreed and in March 2021, the Green Spaces project officially began.

Following the great success of the Green Spaces project, new initiatives were launched this year, including the Wivenhoe Gardening for Nature project in collaboration with Beth Chatto Gardens, which encourages wildlife gardening. Some of the volunteers are producing wildflower books for the children of Wivenhoe and the group have been able to share their experiences and successes with other towns and villages.

Mark Halladay, a member of the Green Spaces project says another 15 sites will be joining the project this year. “This means nearly half of the town’s green spaces will be involved. This year’s sites are more prominent and will test public reaction further.

Biodiversity will increase when we leave the grass unmown – we know that. It is peoples’ reactions that will determine whether we can keep doing it. After that, who knows? We might be able to just let the grass grow and relax!”

Sites were chosen, neighbours were notified, surveying volunteers were recruited, and signs were erected.

Throughout the summer, the verges and green spaces were left to grow wild and surveyed for wildflowers each month.

In total, 141 different wildflowers were identified, up to 30 times more species than when the areas were mown and managed. When asked, 95% of residents approved of the newly rewilded spaces, with many celebrating the blooms on social media. The local community were inspired by the project to let their green spaces grow wild and one lady even reported more bats in her area, putting it down to more insects on the verges. A new resident to the area said “Wivenhoe looks like the countryside – it’s awesome.

So glad I came here.”

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Taking action for nature

Community garden photo: Paul Harris/2020VISION

Join the movement

Register to become an Urban Wildlife Champion on our website at www.essexwt.org.uk/urban-wildlifechampions. You will then receive a welcome pack and toolkit to kickstart your wildlife journey. Visit the webpage to also view the live map of champion’s projects when they’re set up.

The Trust is now extending this work to engage with Essex’s councils. We would like to see every house integrated with bird and bat boxes, road verges should be alive with wildflowers and insects, urban trees should be protected and cared for, and green spaces should be a mosaic of habitats, free of pesticides.

Essex Wildlife Trust’s Wilder Towns, Wilder Villages project launches at the end of June and we will be working with parish councils to create positive change for wildlife in each community. We will be supporting parish councils to take significant and measurable action through meetings with Trust experts, conducting site visits to provide advice and providing free webinars to upskill councils on wildlife-friendly practices.

Volunteer photo: Penny Dixie

Nextdoor Nature

Essex Wildlife Trust is also working with the national Wildlife Trust movement to launch further community projects. The National Lottery Heritage Fund announced a £5 million investment towards all Wildlife Trusts in March, in a ground-breaking initiative to create a huge matrix of community-led rewilding projects – improving the lives of people from some of the most disadvantaged areas across the UK and leaving a lasting legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

In Essex, the Trust’s Nextdoor Nature projects will involve working with communities in Thurrock, Basildon, and Clacton to create micro-projects benefitting both wildlife and people.

Danielle Carbott, Urban Engagement Officer for Essex Wildlife Trust, says “The project funding will help to increase Essex Wildlife Trust’s capacity to deliver community organising across more areas in Essex.

Nextdoor Nature will help us to empower as many people as possible to champion wildlife wherever they live!”

Fox photo: Jamie Hall

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WILD SUMMER 2022

Taking action for nature

The Big Wild Seed Sow

Last year we launched our first Big Wild Seed Sow, with the aim to create many more wildflower blooms in the UK, providing insect-friendly habitat to allow insects to fly, jump, and flutter from wildflower to wildflower across the newly-created corridors in our landscape.

Between August-November we handed out free packets of native wildflowers at our Nature Discovery Centres – allowing anyone to take part in this campaign. Over 2,132 people sowed our carefully selected native wildflower seed mix in their gardens. With your help, over 4,000 square metres of brand-new insect friendly habitat was created.

We asked participants to plot their flower patch on our virtual Big Wild Seed Sow map to see the start of landscape connections. We hope your seeds are currently a colourful and fragrant refuge for insects, providing them with food, shelter, and a place to breed.

All you need to do to ensure they bloom is:

1. Rake 2 metres squared of bare soil 2. Scatter the seeds evenly 3. Lightly tread-in and water as required Wildflower photo: Paul Hobson

Then add your wildflower patch to our virtual map, and watch your garden transform into a haven for insects.

Learn more about this project and view the map on www.essexwt.org.uk/ big-wild-seed-sow

As the seed mix is made from both perennial and annual native wildflower species, you will be surprised by the new flowers emerging for years to come.

This year, we have over double the number of free seed packets available, from any of our Nature Discovery Centres. From Monday 8 August until Sunday 30 October, ask any of our centre staff or volunteers to collect your free seeds.

Thank you to CNH Industrial, one of Essex Wildlife Trust’s corporate Investors in Wildlife, for sponsoring the project.

We’d love to see your Big Wild Seed Sow blooms. Send your picture to wilderfuture@essexwt.org.uk or tag Essex Wildlife Trust on any social media platform.

WILD SUMMER 2022

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Taking action for nature

The Essex BioBlitz Wildflowers are not only vital habitats for insects, studying them can help us learn about how climate change is impacting our natural world. Essex Wildlife Trust and the University of Essex partnered to launch the Essex BioBlitz this spring – a citizen science survey to study the timings of wildflower blooms.

We are aiming to record over 15,000 records across Essex using the free app iNaturalist.

Each submission will help to map the effects of climate change on flowering plants across the county and contribute to scientific research.

To take part in this citizen science survey: download the app iNaturalist, available on both iOS and Android and create your own account.

Take a photo of any wildflower in Essex when it’s in bloom – you don’t need to know what the species is as the app will help you identify the plant. There are no limits to the number of observations you can make, but aim to submit at least five images per week, throughout the summer.

Here are six wildflower species to spot whilst taking part:

Photo: Kieron Huston

Photo: Philip Precey

1. Greater stitchwort

Photo: Philip Precey

2. Ground ivy

Photo: Neil Wyatt

4. Common dog-violet

5. Wood forget-me-not

Photo: Vaughn Matthews

3. Yellow archangel

Photo: Vaughn Matthews

6. Cuckooflower

To find out more visit www.essexwt.org.uk/essex-bioblitz-2022 22 |

WILD SUMMER 2022

Re-Cycle

www.re-cycle.org

your bicycle

We need your used bike!

Our mission is to send recycled bicycles to rural communities in Africa. By donating your used bicycle to Re-Cycle, you will be enabling people to have access to transport and better life prospects in Africa.

For more information about Re-Cycle, bike drop off locations and ways to dontate please contact us:

01206-617865 Web: www.re-cycle.org Phone:

Unit 8 The Grove Estate, Colchester Road, Wormingford, Colchester, Essex CO6 3AJ

Deer and jackdaw photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills Photography

@bicyclecharity

Discover

nature on the go The Wildlife Explorer podcast delves into the secret lives of some of our best-loved wildlife. Featuring experts from across the Trust, special guests, top tips to help wildlife and fun facts.

It’s well worth a listen!

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a five-star rating to help us reach more nature lovers!

Love Essex • Love Wildlife Registered Charity No. 210065

PsJsatc...Did you

Listen to The Wildlife Explorer podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and all other online podcast platforms.

kdaw s kn jus lov ow ta es s

m hin uc yo h as bject s m ag pie s?

Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park

Abberton Reservoir photo: Peter Bowden

Abberton Reservoir

Nature Discovery Park

From wildlife meadows teeming with the flutter and buzz of insects, to the peaceful splashes and swoops of birdlife enjoying the vast expanse of water, Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park is home to thousands of species. Once described as ‘barren’, this award-winning nature reserve now provides habitat for over 40,000 birds each year.

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WILD Summer 2022

Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park

Cormorant photo: Bertie Gregory/2020VISION

What to look out for this summer at Abberton

Reservoir

Tree-nesting cormorants Previously, an exclusive coastal breeder, the cormorant was first found to be nesting in trees at Abberton Reservoir in the 1980s. In recent years, the cormorants have been joined by little egrets, great white egrets and most recently, spoonbill.

Wildflower wonders

Blankets of wildflowers including oxeye daisies, grass vetchling and black medic line the paths, car park and meadows.

Swan lake

Skylark photo: Margaret Holland

Large numbers of swans and ducks flock together as they experience an ‘eclipse plumage’ – the shedding of their feathers.

Billie’s facts ABBERTON RESERVOIR NATURE DISCOVERY PARK

Singing skylarks A lark is a symbol of joy and hope.

Enjoy the song that accompanies sunrise as the skylark’s bright and cheery song rises high into the air.

Size: 24 hectares.

Address: Church Road, Layer-d e-la-Haye, Colchester, CO2 0EU. Access: Open daily from 10am – 5pm, check the website for up-to-date times before visiting . Free, large car park available.

There are numerous different wal ks to the site’s wildlife hides through different habitats and the Brambly Hedge character trail starts at the centre. A wheelch air and electric mobility scooter are available for use at the centre.

Dogs: No dogs are permitted on the reserve, except assistance dogs.

WILD Summer 2022

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Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park

Grey heron photo: Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

W

hen surveys identified the East of England was the driest area in Britain, a dam was constructed in the late 1930s in nearby Layer Brook, and Abberton Reservoir was born. The main freshwater source originally came from the River Stour, but this was later extended in the 1960s to include the rivers Ely and Ouse, providing freshwater supplies from across the county.

Abberton was famously used in World War II, the reservoir was mined to deter invading seaplanes, and was used by the RAF’s No. 617 Squadron (the ‘Dam Busters’) for practice runs for the bombing of the German dams in the Ruhr.

By the 1970s, Abberton’s importance as a wildlife haven became officially recognised. It was designated a Ramsar site, giving it international importance as a sustainable wetland.

As Abberton Reservoir grew into a flourishing habitat for wildlife, a collaboration between Essex Wildlife Trust and the owners of the reservoir, Essex & Suffolk Water ensued.

From 1987, this partnership ensured wildlife protection was at the forefront of any future plans.

The Trust’s original visitor centre was opened in 1990 by naturalist and broadcaster Bill Oddie, allowing people to view the wildlife-friendly waters bordering the Trust’s nature reserve. Recognition for the site continued to grow as Abberton was declared a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and in 1991, a Special Protection Area (SPA).

Essex & Suffolk Water predicted that with rising populations in the surrounding area, the demand for water would rise.

In a £140 million project, the capacity of the reservoir was increased by 58% to 41 billion litres, by adapting the reservoir’s steep concrete border into a gentle sloping shoreline. The scheme, securing water supplies to 1.5 million people in Essex, was completed in 2012. Alongside water security, the works enhanced the reservoir for wildlife, with new vegetation and water levels, attracting more waders and wildfowl to the site.

The original visitor centre and reserve fell within the footprint of the enlarged reservoir, so a new centre and reserve were created. Our Nature Discovery Centre

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WILD Summer 2022

‘ Visitors from all over travel to watch the swooping birds glide across the tranquil reservoir.’ was opened by wildlife presenter Michaela Strachan in 2012.

What was once a modest centre has been transformed, providing accessible wildlife experiences and encouraging nature connectedness. In 2020, the site won the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management’s prestigious NGO Impact Award for its positive impact on nature and society.

Built on one level for easy access, there are also wheelchairs and mobility scooters available for use. The shop offers binoculars and telescopes, books, bird food and feeders, gifts and cards. The Skylark café provides a light bite menu of sandwiches, toasties, paninis, cakes, drinks, snacks and ice cream, all of which can be enjoyed whilst enjoying the views within the centre or from the balcony.

Spectacles to see This accessible site with panoramic views makes nature available to all. Visitors from all over travel to watch the swooping birds glide across the tranquil reservoir. Others enjoy spending time viewing from the café, watching the dabble and squabble of quacking ducks, geese and paddling waders, all coming to rest from their flight.

Abberton’s habitats are constantly evolving, ranging from scrubland, grassland, wetland and woodland. We began planting ‘Wild Wood’ in 2003 and now this emerging habitat sees whitethroat, nightingale and common spotted orchids.

Great views can be experienced from the Layer-de-la-Haye causeway and Layer Breton causeway, famous for seeing tree-nesting cormorants that were first documented in 1981, a behaviour experienced in few locations. In recent decades

Abberton Chafford Reservoir Gorges Nature Discovery Park

Pond dipping photo: Carol Durrell

‘ We offer educational activities and outdoor learning opportunities all year at Abberton.’

Shelduck photo: Derek Moore

the cormorants have been joined by gatherings of heron, little egret, great white egret and spoonbill. Last year saw the first breeding pair of spoonbill in Essex in recent history, with two successful fledglings.

In spring, courtship rituals turn swans into dance partners and by late summer, scenes of a literal swan lake emerge.

Large numbers of swans and ducks moult their feathers as they experience an ‘eclipse plumage’. They replace all their flight feathers, rendering them flightless for a brief period, instead enjoying respite on the reservoir.

This accessible site with panoramic views has three wildlife hides. For keen birders and curious people alike, the hides are great escapes to submerge into Abberton’s wild world and see what wildfowl and waders are there on the day. On your way to the wildlife hides, enjoy the wildflower displays of oxeye daisies, grass vetcling and black medic. Skylarks sing and parachute over the meadows and insects bustle about the blooms. Common lizards bask on the fence posts and log piles, while barn owls hover at dusk.

Activities for children We offer educational activities and outdoor learning opportunities all year at Abberton. Charlotte Wells, the Education and Community Officer at Abberton Reservoir tells us more: “Whether it is a school group, holiday event, or our weekly term-time Nature Tots, getting immersed in nature couldn’t be easier. Every week we splash in water, get creative in the mud kitchen, search for bugs and go ‘wild’ outside. One of our most popular activities is pond dipping.

We have amazing ponds full to the brim with hidden wildlife. From beautifully smooth newts, wriggling phantom midge larvae, to elaborately constructed cased caddis fly larvae. Join our groups and get a glimpse into a fascinating habitat, and meet the creatures within!”

You can also visit our Brambly Hedge themed trail that starts at the centre. Meet seven of the characters from the classic stories around the nature reserve. For £1 you can purchase a map from the Nature Discovery Centre, and find Wilfred and his fellow Brambly Hedge mice including Primrose, Lord Woodmouse and Lady Woodmouse.

Find out more at www.essexwt.org.uk/events.

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adult learning

festival of

g n i n r a e l & skills 4th - 8th july 2022 tasters include: Photography Languages Music

Painting Floristry

Creative Writing

Woodwork Accountancy

Pottery Beauty

Supported Learning

tours of our centres craft s demonstration

Art

Textiles

free s r e t s a t

taster sessions

History Video Editing Wellbeing

art & craft showcase ns competitio

To enrol on free taster sessions, please visit:

aclessex.com/events Events taking place at ACL centres in: Basildon, Brentwood, Chelmsford, Clacton, Colchester, Harlow, Maldon, Rayleigh, Witham & Online Live.

d l i W s y a #30D ature n t s e gg i b s ’ K U The ! k c a b s i e g n e ll cha

Can you do one Random Act of Wildness every day in June?

We believe you can! We’re inviting everyone in Essex to get WILD for your health, wellbeing, for wildlife and for the planet.

The UK’s favourite nature challenge is back for its eighth year and it’s scientifically proven to make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to nature.

Last year, more than 750,000 people took part, from families and couples, to teachers, care homes and workplaces. Join them this year and rekindle that precious connection with the natural world.

Go on a bug hunt, plant some native wildflowers, eat your breakfast outdoors… whatever you choose to do each day, just make sure it’s wild!

Sign up today and download your FREE pack with ideas, activities and inspiration at www.essexwt.org. uk/30-days-wild-2022

om ur Rand h us o y e r a Sh ss wit Wildne using f o s t c a A al medi on soci

d l i W s y a #30D g Essex gin and tag e Trust Wildlif

Love Essex • Love Wildlife Registered Charity No. 210065

Summer wildlife garderning

Summer

Wildlife Gardening The garden in summer is busy, as froglets and toadlets leave the pond for the first time, fledgling birds beg for food, and the whole garden buzzes with life.

In the sky, swallows, house martins and swifts gather insects to feed their young, and at night bats take their place, foraging among the treetops or swooping low over ponds.

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WILD SUMMER 2022

If you haven’t already, leave an area of grass to grow long, particularly around your pond. Long grass provides the perfect shelter for young amphibians and food for the caterpillars of several butterflies, including the ringlet, meadow brown and speckled wood. Here, you’ll also find beetles and bugs, plentiful prey for a variety

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

of species further up the food chain, like hedgehogs. Later in the season, the grasses will seed and you may spot house sparrows stripping them for food. Avoid strimming your grass at all if you can, but if you must, be sure to check for hedgehogs and other wildlife first!

Being more tolerant of naturally occurring plants is also important in a wildlife garden. Anything from dandelions to nettles, dock and chickweed, provide food and shelter for a wide range of species. Let them flourish!

Or at least leave a few around the edges.

It’s also a good time to do an audit of flowering plants in your garden. Fill gaps with flowering annuals such as cosmos

ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

Summer wildlife garderning

and borage, which are magnets for bees and other pollinators. Towards the end of summer, add Verbena bonariensis, rudbeckias and echinaceas for insects still on the wing. You can also sow foxgloves and other biennials now, which will flower next year.

If conditions are dry, it’s a good idea to water insect foodplants so they don’t shrivel up, and ensure flowers continue to bear nectar. Use water from your water butt if you have one, and grey water from baths and washing up bowls if you don’t — avoid using tap water as this is a precious resource. Leaving a dish of mud can help house martins fix and build their nests, and providing water — in a pond, bird bath or other container — will ensure foxes and hedgehogs have something to drink, while

birds can bathe and clean their feathers.

Take advantage of fine weather to construct that log pile you’ve been meaning to build, or start a large, open compost heap where wild things can live.

There are always improvements to make in our gardens, and summer is a fine time to do them. What can you add?

Get more wildlife-friendly gardening tips at wildlifetrusts.org/gardening

WILD SUMMER 2022

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HOW TO HELP WILDLIFE

Your step-by-step guide to making a miniature pond.

This summer is the perfect time to create your own garden pond.

Not only do ponds provide safe places for breeding amphibians like toads and frogs, but they are feeding grounds for some of our favourite garden wildlife. Birds and bats will swoop and flutter overhead to check out your pond, rich in little aquatic insects to feed on. You might also spot hedgehogs and other mammals sniffling and scampering nearby to get a refreshing drink.

What you will need:

Step 1

Space out your plants. Make sure they are just above water level, by adding extra stones if necessary.

Step 2

If your basin is not watertight, add waterproof liners. A layer of stones will be an effective base for your pond.

Step 3

You only need a few pond plants to make this habitat wild. Miniature waterlily, lesser spearwort, starwort and flowering rush are all great options.

Step 5

If you are unable to dig a hole in your garden to make your pond ground level, create a wildlife ramp for easy access.

Add big stones or branches around your pot either at one side or surrounding the whole pot.

WILD Summer 2022

Step 6

Use rainwater to fill up your pond. By adding a few big rocks that are halfsubmerged, you are providing extra resting places for animals to perch on, or an escape route to any accidental fall ins!

If you make your own miniature pond, we’d love to see it, send your pictures to magazine@essexwt.org.uk 32 |

Edwardes/2020VISION

• Washing up bowl/plant pot/disused sink • waterproof liner (if the container is not watertight) • rocks of different sizes • pond plants • rain water

Any empty container can make a great DIY miniature pond. Try and re-use materials you already have or collect unused stones by going on walks.

Step 4

Common frog photo: Guy

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Inspiring a lifelong love of nature

Inspiring a

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WILD SUMMER 2022

ng love of nature

Bringing people close to nature is key to unlocking a better, brighter future for everyone. The Trust’s Wilder Learning and Nature Nursery teams deliver a vast range of educational and outdoor learning programmes, events, and activities throughout the county.

By providing opportunities for children to learn outdoors in a natural environment, they are able to develop their confidence, they’re allowed to be playful and they can learn all about the wild world around them.

lif e lo

E

ssex Wildlife Trust’s vision is to achieve a county rich in wildlife, with people connected to nature. We know the importance of children engaging with the natural world during their formative years, for their wellbeing, development and in creating a love of the natural world.

Inspiring a lifelong love of nature

WILD SUMMER 2022

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Section title Inspiring a lifelong here love of nature

Nature Nursery

Melanie Mewton, Outdoor Nursery Manager Essex Wildlife Trust launched its pioneering outdoor Nature Nursery in October 2021. The gates opened to 29 children and families after a successful two week settling in programme where families spent time on site with their child’s dedicated key person and our highly-skilled nursery team.

Soon enough, children were investigating the site.

In the garden they peered under the log circles for shy invertebrates. They found clusters of white ovule-shaped eggs, nurturing the eggs until they hatched. Who knew slug eggs could be so interesting!

The children were able to distinguish the differences between a millipede and centipede by counting the legs on each body segment. They have drawn beautiful observational drawings of Devil’s coach horse beetles and wonderful winter webs in the autumnal dew.

In the wildflower meadow, the children have been swinging in the hammocks watching the skies above, where we have admired views of red kites, cormorants, kestrels and herons gracefully gliding overhead. The children also notice patterns in nature, from cloud formations to predicting weather patterns.

“ There has been a clear difference between some children in classrooms vs being outside. Some who struggle in the classroom can shine outside – they are confident and practical.

Lunchtimes are a joy; the children listen to the birdsong from the hedges and woodlands, they have become ‘Essex Wildlife Trust’s little twitchers!’, able to differentiate the trills and whistles of blue tits, wrens, robins and blackbirds.

We are looking forward to listening out to the call of the cuckoo echoing through our woodland.

The children have been sowing wildflower seeds to attract bees and butterflies and vegetable seeds with our families in our 12x15ft polytunnel. We are hoping to harvest a bumper crop of vegetables and fruits for the autumn, becoming sustainable to create soups, stews and autumnal fruit teas.

We celebrate that each day is unique and inspiring for the children, developing a sense of awe and wonder in our natural world.

ON

Photo: Ross Hoddinott/2020VISI

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WILD Winter SUMMER2021 2022

Inspiring a lifelong Section love title of nature here

Wild Wellbeing

Ros Day-Williams, Outdoor Learning Officer Funded by the North East Essex Clinical Commissioning Group, Essex Wildlife Trust has been delivering this project aimed at connecting children and young people with outdoor activities, to improve their health and wellbeing. The project also includes families in the child-led activities, based on the Forest School ethos.

Photo: Caroline Fitton

Nature Friendly Schools

Emma Peters, Wilder Learning Lead (South Essex) The Nature Friendly Schools project has supported 20 different schools within disadvantaged communities, building resilience and strengthening their outdoor learning techniques with our expertise and guidance.

Covid-19 only highlighted the obstacles these communities face, especially access to green space. Interventions helped green school grounds: planting trees and creating wildflower meadows, providing wooden planters, tools, and willow-dome classrooms.

We also helped overcome clothing barriers by providing welly boots and waterproofs to children. Sharing our outdoor learning expertise with teaching staff and classes in supported sessions meant staff had the tools and confidence to continue this work independently.

There have undoubtedly been challenges and a lot of hard work along the way, but these only further the success and overall positive impact on the schools we have spent our time with.

After two years, the Nature Friendly Schools project ended in March. This project has shown promise for the future of outdoor learning – the hands-on experiences provided alongside the increase in understanding, appreciation and care for our wildlife, will thrive.

Essex Wildlife Trust has worked collaboratively with Community360, the Emotional Wellbeing and Mental Health Service (EWMHS), Colchester Borough Council, One Colchester and schools in Colchester and Tendring to deliver this fantastic opportunity to children and young people.

The Wild Wellbeing programme has been delivered to 20 schools over the last three years on school grounds and local accessible outdoor spaces. School staff also received free Forest School training provided by the Trust, focusing on understanding the natural environment and how to use it to increase wellbeing, therefore facilitating schools to continue sustainably.

The project has been so well received that many schools and families left asking for more sessions, due to the increased confidence and wellbeing of those young people involved, who gained skills and knowledge in accessing natural outdoor places. The project was extended to reach even more young people and the hope is that further funding will be found to continue this fantastic project.

Tendring Loves Conservation

Judith Metcalfe, Wilder Learning Lead (North Essex) Our Tendring Loves Conservation project is now into its second year. Funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund we are offering opportunities for families and schools to discover and connect with some of their local nature and wildlife. We have been enjoying regular outdoor sessions with toddlers and their families at Great Holland Pits and Wrabness nature reserves, facilitating the discovery of some beautiful local spaces and wildlife.

This project has given us the chance to work with schools across Tendring; with opportunities for school visits to explore and learn about their local wild spaces, improve their school grounds for wildlife and take part in Forest School themed after school clubs.

We have been installing willow fences and structures, planting wildflowers, shrubs and trees, improving ponds and creating minibeast hotels to improve biodiversity in school grounds and provide children and teachers with new natural resources to use outdoors.

“Some children seem much more

engaged outside. When we do pupil voice and ask what children enjoy, the answer always comes back to outdoor learning.”

WILD WILDSUMMER Winter 2022 2021

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How nature helps us

How

nature helps us

“Being out in nature with a camera in my hand became my therapy.”

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lle

From walking the pathways of cobbled coastlines to the tune of the sea birds calling out, to getting lost in ancient woodland, noticing the colourful display of flowers while you hear the rustle of little animals in their hidden wilderness, nature nurtures you. Evidence has shown that spending time in nature alleviates stress and provides a much-needed outlet for many of life’s pressures.

an yE

A

t Essex Wildlife Trust, we are all about helping nature. It is important, however, to consider how nature helps us.

et :B oto Ph

h

Alfie Bowen is a 24-year-old wildlife photographer, author and activist living with autism spectrum disorder in East Anglia. We spoke to Alfie, whose passion for wildlife has not only pathed the way for his career but helped him overcome the obstacles he once faced.

Hi Alfie, thanks for speaking to us today! We’d love to know; how and why did you get into wildlife photography?

I first picked up a camera aged 16 as another way to satisfy my life-long obsession with animals - I had grown tired of reading the same books or re-watching television programmes, so I resorted to my mum’s little Lumix compact camera and began to take photographs. My connection with the camera grew as I faced severe bullying at school; it quickly became an outlet for my pent-up emotions. Being out in nature with a camera in my hand became my therapy and my main source of solace.

We love that idea - nature as therapy. What do you think nature has to offer people?

Nature is our shared home and offers us so much. Get out and explore your local patch and you’ll discover so much beauty, it’ll benefit your mental health, and help keep you active.

Whether it is catching sight of a soaring swift or watching the tinges of ambers and blacks decorating the red admiral butterfly’s delicate wings as it flutters past, noticing nature can bring people great comfort.

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WILD SUMMER 2022

How nature helps us

Why do you think it is important that young people connect with nature?

Young people are the future custodians of planet Earth and the creatures that call it home, and so it is vital that young people foster connections to nature and the natural world so that they take better care of our shared home than previous generations have done. We also find ourselves living in a very noisy and chaotic world; connecting with nature can be the perfect antidote to that. Alongside my photography, I campaign passionately around conservation issues and for the equality and acceptance of those with autism and other disabilities – nature has empowered me, and I hope it does the same for other young people.

What advice would you give someone starting out with their own wildlife photography?

I am often asked for my top tips when it comes to photography, and my first answer is always to photograph what you love, because you’ll always photograph best what you know best - whether that be a certain species, or a specific habitat/location. Go and visit your favourite Trust nature reserve and start there! My second piece of advice is to be patient with yourself and don’t give up, it can take hours out in the field to get the results you are looking for, or many days to improve your photography. Remember: to succeed we must first fail.

“We find ourselves living in a very noisy and chaotic world; connecting with nature can be the perfect antidote to that.”

See more of Alfie’s amazing photographs at his website www.alfiebowen.com or by following him on Instagram @alfiebowen.

WILD SUMMER 2022

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Home and garden gifts for

summer W

rendale Designs are an award-winning publisher of greeting cards, stationery and giftware featuring the characterful artwork of artist Hannah Dale. Amongst a love of the outdoors (and the occasional cup of tea) Wrendale Designs pride themselves on producing high quality design-led products which often feature added extra special little touches.

Inspired by the glorious Lincolnshire countryside, Hannah started to paint hares; loving their expressive faces and wonderful personalities. The company has since won five prestigious Henries awards for their greeting cards (the Oscars of the greeting card industry!) and supplies cards and giftware all over the world.

You can purchase items from this beautiful range at all Essex Wildlife Trust Nature Discovery Centres. Find your nearest centre here: www.essexwt.org.uk/visit/ centres

Love Essex • Love Wildlife 40 |

WILD SUMMER 2022

Registered Charity No. 210065

Play Discover Learn Play Discover Learn Play Discover Learn Play Discover Learn

Happy, healthy and hungry to learn.

Welcome to the Nature Nursery. We offer quality

childcare for 2-5 year-olds based on learning through nature.

June and July

open days available

Set in the grounds of Abbotts Hall Nature Discovery Park near Colchester, where children can enjoy both freedom and security, our outdoor nursery is run by early learning experts at Essex Wildlife Trust, the most experienced provider of outdoor education in the county.

Come along and experience a morning at our outdoor nature nursery.

Take a look at our upcoming open days and book a spot:

www.naturenursery.org.uk

Nature Nursery is part of:

Photos: Eleanor Church / Lark Rise Pictures

Registered Charity Number 210065

Living seas

At this moment in time, our waters, rivers, oceans and marine places are under threat from global and local pressures. Essex Wildlife Trust has been working hard to breathe life back into the declining seas of our coastline. From surveying seagrass meadows swaying in the shallow shores to using managed realignment projects to create important stretches of saltmarsh habitat, read our latest marine updates here.

Saltmarsh sausages

Surveying the saltmarsh ‘sausages’

Our exciting Saltmarsh Restoration Project in partnership with the Environment Agency began in 2018.

Since then, we have been evaluating the success of using the coir roll structures (nicknamed sausages due to their appearance) through a combination of research with the University of Essex, including drone flights, mapping and data analysis.

Several years on, the ‘sausages’ are decorated by an abundance of vegetation and sediment. Both findings are essential because the roots of the growing plants help stabilise the marsh and, importantly, they lock in carbon for hundreds of years. This is a positive step, and although more data is needed to definitively measure success, our initial findings provide a solid baseline to springboard further research, establish future targets and, ultimately, introduce this restoration on a more ambitious scale.

Colne Point photo: Terry Joyce

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WILD SUMMER 2022

Nature-based solution projects are key in our combat against the climate emergency, helping nature and people become more resilient in the face of our changing climate.

The findings of this project have been brought together to create a ‘Saltmarsh Restoration Project Toolkit’, designed for practitioners and those considering different options for saltmarsh restoration. The Trust will also conduct further research with the University of Essex this summer to continue measuring the project.

Living seas

Managed realignments creating fish nurseries

Seine mullet

This autumn recognises the 20-year anniversary of the managed realignment project being created at Abbotts Hall. The project is not only a flood risk management measure and a boost to carbon capturing habitat, but also an essential underwater habitat for fish. Our recent surveys revealed the habitat is acting as an important fish nursery ground, alongside providing vital corridors for migratory species.

European eel

Saltmarshes provide intertidal areas of refuge and feeding habitats for juvenile fish. The habitat provides cover from predators and fish use the ebb and flow of the tide to remain hidden, without using much energy. Species benefitting include common goby, European eel, sea bass, herring, and thin-lipped grey mullet. Alongside fish, invertebrates like shore crab, comb jelly, brown shrimp and prawn were discovered nestled within the intertidal zone.

Save our seagrass

With the ability to soak up carbon, provide long stretches of grassy green shelter for mystical marine life and be an energy-filled food source for others, seagrass is a marine superhero. Essex’s 350-mile-long coastline has plenty of shallow coastal areas where our most common seagrass species, Dwarf eelgrass (Zostera noltei), can soak up the sun’s rays. Seagrass also helps to filter pollutants in the water and reduce coastal erosion, slowing down the powerful waves that crash upon our coast. r

Sea hare photo: Paul Naylo

Essex Wildlife Trust launched the Essex Seagrass Project last year, to protect and restore seagrass meadows and inform future management in Essex. Part of this project will deliver the Natural England led LIFE Recreational REMEDIES project, which focuses on how sensitive seabed habitats are impacted by recreational activities.

LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES (LIFE18 NAT/ UK/000039) is financially supported by LIFE, a financial instrument of the European Commission. In the Thames and Stour estuaries, the Essex Seagrass Project is kindly supported by The AIM Foundation.

Hermit crab photo: Paul Naylor

The Essex Seagrass Project focuses on current, historic and potential seagrass areas, including off Two Tree Island, St Lawrence and Wrabness. Five ways you can help protect seagrass:

1 2 3

Haverhill Sudbury

Suffolk

Wrabness

Harwich

Colchester

Braintree

Know what it is and why it’s so important Bishops Stortford

Walton-on-the-Naze

Witham

Know where it is

Clacton-on-Sea

Harlow

avoid anchoring in seagrass areas and minimise disturbance from anchoring and mooring.

Chelmsford

Maldon St Lawrence

Epping

Loughton

4 5

avoid trampling and other activities that disturb the seagrass

Brentwood Foulness Island Basildon

Havering

Spread the word

Sea photo: Alexander Mustard/2020VISION

Leigh-on-Sea

Canvey Island Grays

Southend -on-Sea

Seagrass locations Historic and future potential seagrass locations

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SectionDiscovery Nature title hereCentres

Nature Discovery Centres Get closer to nature and learn about the wildlife wonders of Essex at one of our Nature Discovery Centres. With delicious food and drink offers, new wildlife hides and the return of some of our favourite events, there is plenty to explore this summer.

Fingringhoe Wick

Fingringhoe Wick Nature Discovery Park

South Green Road, Fingringhoe, Colchester, CO5 7DN

Summer is the perfect time to get out and about at Fingringhoe, enjoy relaxing walks around the reserve to spot butterflies and dragonflies. June sees the return of some of our events, head out with The Ladybirders, join our Ranger for a Ramble, attend a Butterfly ID walk, or simply relax in one of the many wildlife hides!

Verity Hales, Site Manager.

Abberton Reservoir Broad-bodied chaser photo: Jon Hawkins Surrey Hills Photography

Abberton Reservoir Nature Discovery Park

Church Road, Layer-de-la-Haye, Colchester, CO2 0EU

Here at Abberton our wildflowers are about to be abuzz with insects making the most of this rich food source, whilst dragonflies and damselflies will be seen hunting over the ponds all summer long. For information on our events, please look at the Abberton pages on www.essexwt.org.uk/events or follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/EWTAbberton.

Jo Wray, Site Manager.

Discover your nearest centre www.essexwt.org.uk/visit/centres

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WILD Winter SUMMER2021 2022

Belfairs Cyclists photo: Jon Hawkins - Surrey Hills

Photography

Belfairs Nature Discovery Centre

Eastwood Road North, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 4LR

As we welcome our return to normal at Belfairs, we are pleased to announce two outdoor family events.

On Saturday 25 June, we are pleased to be working with Forward Motion and Southend Borough Council to host a cycling festival and on Saturday 9 July, we play host to Southend Shakespeare Company for the first time in three years. No one who saw their riotous production of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” here will want to miss them! Full details are on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/EWTBelfairs.

Greg Borgartz, Site Manager.

Nature Discovery Section title Centres here

Langdon Nature Discovery Park

Lower Dunton Road, Basildon, SS16 6EJ

Ingrebourne Valley ion

Marsh frog photo: Dale Sutton/2020vis

Visit the new Nature Discovery Centre and wander through ancient woodland, sweeping meadows and beautiful gardens.

Visit the lake, discover the heritage of the Dunton Plotlands and explore the Peter Rabbit Trail. Relax in our restaurant with a drink or bite to eat then indulge in some wildlife-related retail therapy.

Charlotte Goodman, Site Manager.

Ingrebourne Valley Nature Discovery Centre Hornchurch Country Park, Squadrons Approach, Hornchurch, RM12 6TS

As the Ingrebourne Valley settles into the beginnings of summer, we welcome the summer flowers emerging with bursts of vibrant colour and fragrance. Marsh frogs can be heard croaking from the viewing area to the lake, while butterflies and bees are in abundance. Our shop is stocked with blankets, summer hats and traditional outdoor games.

On your visit you will notice a new memorial dedicated to friends and family affected by the Covid pandemic. We have lots of activities for the children over the coming months, visit the Trust’s website for details and bookings. We look forward to seeing you soon!

Kate Tyler, Assistant Centre Manager.

Langdon

The Naze Nature Discovery Centre

Old Hall Lane, Walton-on-the-Naze, CO14 8LE

Thameside photo: Downwell Group

Thameside

Thameside Nature Discovery Park

With summer just around the corner, there is plenty to do at The Naze as our event programme gets back underway.

We have the Kite Festival 30-31 July which will include kite decorating sessions and an impressive display on the headland. We also have walking history, geology and birdwatching tours, beach cleans and history talks.

In between the activities, The Naze always offers a great day out for fossil hunting, birdwatching for summer migrants and walking routes. For full details of upcoming activities visit www.facebook.com/EWTNaze.

Helen Daw, Assistant Centre Manager.

Mucking Wharf Road, Stanford-le-Hope, SS17 0RN

With Thames views from Southend to the City, a visit to the rooftop platform is an absolute must for any visitor. A wide variety of wildlife visits us in summer, from skylarks singing, to wildflowers brimming with pollinators. Visit the wildlife hide for views across the tidal mudflats, watching waders and occasional seals feed and rest in the sheltered water. We have the Thameside Hares Trail as well as seasonal events and activities, and our fabulous adventure playground ensures there is something for all the family.

Jimmy Allan, Site Manager.

The Naze

Thorndon Nature Discovery Centre

Thorndon Park North, The Avenue, Brentwood, CM13 3RZ

Thorndon Gruffalo photo: Carol Durrell

Thorndon has a new Heritage Trail, a guided walk with the choice of either a 3km or 4km walk. New signage has been installed detailing the history of Thorndon.

Leaflets with details of the walk can be collected for free from the Nature Discovery Centre. Trail maps for the famous Gruffalo Trail are available from the centre too. Angela Allgood, Site Manager.

WILD WILDSUMMER Winter 2022 2021

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What’s on this Summer

Summer What’s on this

S

ummer. The blissful season where longer days mean more time for exploration of the natural world around us. Snuggly jumpers are replaced by the freeing feeling of setting off on an adventure in just a t-shirt and shorts, enjoying the warm summer breeze on our faces and watching sunlight dance through trees and sparkle upon waves. Nature is in full swing, busy buzzing, flittering and flying amongst us, taking full advantage of the bountiful food and warmth provided by this magical season.

As we say goodbye to spring and welcome summer, many of us may be planning a holiday at this time of year. However, as Essex is home to over 350 miles of coastline, there is plenty to explore without even having to leave the county. Why not take a trip to the seaside and see who is hiding amongst the rockpools?

Or perhaps, marvel at the sheer size of stag beetles to be found taking flight during this season. Go on a glow worm hunt, spot the swifts who have travelled thousands of miles to spend the summer with us and be awe-inspired by the flashes of blue damselflies racing beside the river.

With so much to see, you might need to go back to work for a rest!

Over the following pages, we highlight some of the species and spectacles you can hope to spot this season. Whether you live in the countryside or in an urban area, wildlife is all around us, just waiting to be discovered when you least expect it.

Discover things to do and spot in

June, July and August >>> 46 |

WILD Summer 2022

What’s on this Summer

Species

Swift

Pa in te d

lady

Painted lady photo: John Bridges

Spectacles

w or

m

Swift photo: Nick Upton

w o l G Dartford Warbler photo: Chris Gommersall/2020VISION

Stag beetles photo: Terry Whittaker2020VISION

Stag beetle WILD Summer 2022

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Summer Events and activities

Events summer

and activities Summer is the perfect season to get outdoors and go wild! Our packed calendar of events gives everyone the opportunity to enjoy the longer, sun-drenched days and try something new. See what’s on where you live.

Regular events for adults, children and families: Adult training courses

From accredited Forest School training to Wild Living courses, there is always something new to discover about the spectacular wildlife on our doorstep. These in-depth sessions are suitable for beginners upwards and cover a range of species, habitats and skills. www.essexwt.org.uk/what-we-do/outdoor-learning

Local group events

Our 12 Local Groups carry out vital fundraising activities and often host events that both members and non-members are welcome to attend. These include guided walks at our nature reserves, talks from guest speakers and plant sales. Local Groups work to raise the profile of the Trust in their communities and are always keen to welcome new members. www.essexwt.org.uk/local-groups

Drop-off days

Get back to nature! At our drop-off days, children can learn bushcraft skills, make shelters, climb trees and use natural materials for crafts. Our specially designed sessions help to build confidence, enhance self-esteem and develop social skills. Suitable for children aged 5-12.

School holiday events

During school holidays, we run seasonal themed activities. From creative crafts to pond dipping, woodland fun to bird box making, there is something for all the family to enjoy.

Nature Tots at Abberton, Belfairs, Langdon

and Ingrebourne. Join our weekly parent and toddler group where young children can explore, play and learn through nature, suitable for ages 18 months to 5 years.

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WILD Summer 2022

Summer Events and activities

Dates for your diary Thursday 16 June 7pm

Bumblebee photo: Tom Marshall.

Wild Living Courses: Introduction to Bee ID Saturday 11 June Get up close and personal with the UK’s favourite pollinators by attending our practical introductory course on bees in Essex. You will learn key bee facts, how to identify some of the common species found, and how to use surveying equipment out in the field. Course available at two sites: Willow Park Fields, Lee Chapel Lane, SS16 5PW - 10am-12pm. £15.

Chafford Gorges Nature Discovery Park, Grays - 1:30-3:30pm. £15.

020VISION.

Birch woodland photo: Ben Hall/2

Forest Bathing & Natural Mindfulness Practices

Have fun and test your knowledge!

Submit a team of up to 6 people or turn up and join a team on the night. Prizes to be won and a raffle. Bring your own drinks and snacks. Booking is essential. £5 per person payable on the night. Hythe Community Centre (the Colne Room) 1, Ventura Drive, Colchester, CO1 2FG. Contact Peter Cattermole pjcatte@gmail.com 07963 080 335.

Green London Talk Thursday 16 June 8-10pm

Brentwood and Billericay Local Group will be joined by Alison Woollard, an official City of London guide, who will take you for a walk on the wilder side of our capital city.

Shenfield Parish Hall, 60 Hutton Road, Shenfield CM15 8LB. £3.

Thorndon Forest Fun for Neurodiverse Children Saturday 18 June 10am-12pm

Join us in the woods for our regular Forest Fun for Neurodiverse children (Autism, ADHD, Dyspraxia, Dyslexia, OCD, Anxiety, etc.). Learn bushcraft skills, create natural arts and crafts, and enjoy a nature walk.

Activities take place in a quieter area of the park, where there are fewer dogs and less foot traffic.

Thorndon Nature Discovery Centre, Brentwood. £7 (limited free places available).

Sunday 19 June 10am-4pm

Come along and enjoy our nature trails, wellness in nature activities, pond dipping, bug hunting, arts and crafts and Dads and kids shelter building activities. We will also be showcasing the work of the BDDA and offering information on local work and support groups.

Proceeds from the day will go to our groups and our monthly dementia carers club. Hanningfield Nature Discovery Centre, Billericay.

Literacy outdoors Thursday 30 June 10am-3pm

Use nature and the outdoors to inspire you to get creative.

Consider how literacy for all ages can be taught outside, practise different techniques, create resources to take back with you and share knowledge and ideas amongst the group. Langdon Nature Discovery Centre, Basildon. £45.

Castle Point AGM Monday 25 July 8pm

Sunday 12 June 10am-3pm

Join us for a day of forest bathing and mindfulness in nature, learning activities and practices that can be adapted for all ages in any green space. This course is aimed at educators and Forest School leaders looking to bring these practices to their own setting. Abbotts Hall Farm, Great Wigborough. £45.

Community open day in support of Billericay & District Dementia Alliance (BDDA)

Girl reading photo: Emma_Bradshawl.

Colchester Big Summer Quiz

Den building photo: Adrian Clarke.

Hear about local news in the Castle Point area as well as an appeal for new committee members to join the group. Refreshments will be served. St Michael’s Church Community Room, St Michael’s Road, Daws Heath, Benfleet, SS7 2UW. Contact Chairman John Turner prior to attending at johnpoundwood@outlook.com.

Discover many more events, find details and book online through our website, www.essexwt.org.uk/events.

Background photo: Matthew Roberts

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Summer species to spot

Summer

Species to spot Stag beetle photo: Terry whittaker/ 2020VISION

Oystercatcher photo: Mike Snelle

Swift photo: Stefan Johansson

Devils-bit scabious

Oystercatcher

Swift

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Common seal

Emperor dragonfly

Glow worm

Water vole photo: Tom Marshal

Birds-foot trefoil photo: Chris Lawrence

Badger photo: Bertie Gregory/20202VISION

Glow worm photo: John Tyler

Bee orchid photo: Dawn Monrose

Stag beetle

Emperor dragonfly photo: Mike Snelle

Hobby photo: Andy Morffew

Bee orchid

Common seal photo: Danny Green/2020VISION

Hobby Devils-bit scabious photo: Amy Lewis

We’ve created a handy checklist to cut out and keep, featuring some of the flora and fauna you can hope to spot in Essex this summer. Challenge your friends and see how many you can tick off the list whilst enjoying the longer days summer has to offer.

Water vole

Birds-foot trefoil

Badger

WILD Summer 2022

Summer species to spot Find new or familiar Essex Wildlife Trust nature reserves to explore on our website at www.essexwt.org.uk/visit/ nature-reserves.

Cinnabar moths are often mistaken for butterflies due to their bright red and black wing patterns.

arr

June

Cinnabar moth pho

to: Richard Burkm

This month, look up to spot sociable swifts swooping in the skies, choosing to spend the summer with us after their long journey from Africa. Night-time reveals flying creatures of a different kind; common pipistrelle bats are so tiny they can fit into a matchbox, however, they can still munch through up to 3,000 insects a night. Keep an eye out for them at dusk or head over to our live bat webcam to watch their fascinating lives up close. June is also the best month to spot the vibrant yellowgreen light of a female glow worm after dark. These secretive creatures have a very short window to find a mate and can often be found near railway embankments or woodland rides.

When morning arrives, wander alongside wildflowers such as devil’s-bit scabious and birds foot trefoil whilst keeping an eye out for badger cubs who may emerge during the daytime.

An adult water vole will consume approximately 80% of its own bodyweight every day, munching on a variety of plant species in the summer, and roots, bark, berries and other food stored in underground caches during the winter.

July

August August is the perfect month to spend some time at the coast, exploring rockpools and hunting for fossils. If you’re lucky, you might spot common seals with their pups. Despite the name, common seals are in fact less common than grey seals in the UK, and amazingly, pups are able to swim from just a few hours old. Oystercatchers, ringed plovers, avocets and lapwings can also be found along the shoreline, hunting for a tasty morsel. Inland, visit our Tiptree Heath nature reserve which is the only place in Essex where you can see all three native heather species in bloom, offering swathes of purple and lilac flowers which are a haven for pollinators and grasshoppers.

Water vole: Terry Whittaker/2020VISION

July brings even warmer weather, so providing a water source in your garden is essential for helping a huge range of wildlife thrive. Painted lady butterflies love the minerals and salts found in slightly muddy water and can often be seen in large numbers, having migrated from their European and African wintering grounds. Witness flashes of blue, red and green as dragonflies and damselflies dance along riverbanks, and keep an ear out for the distinctive ‘plop’ of a water vole as juveniles establish new territories.

Listen out for the low hum of a metallic green rose chafer beetle, whose jewel-like body seems too large for flight and duck to avoid colliding with a clumsy stag beetle on the hunt for a mate. Their impressive jaws might look fearsome, but they are completely harmless to humans.

Our Tiptree Heath nature reserve is the only place in Essex where you will find all three heather species growing together, and the largest area of lowland heathland in the county.

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Time Tunnel

We travel back to...

2003 ...to give you a glimpse of our past and see what was happening at the Trust.

Essex Wildlife Trust’s Spring/Summer 2003 newspaper-style publication wrote about the importance of wildlife recordings.

What was happening globally in 2003: • The World Health Organisation (WHO) declared SARS a threat to global health on March 12. On July 5, WHO announced that the transmission of SARS from person to person had ceased.

• The London Congestion Charge scheme was introduced to lower air and noise pollution, reduce traffic on busy roads and raise funds for London’s transport system.

• The highest temperature ever recorded in the UK was documented in Kent at 38.5C. • The world population reached 6.38 billion while the population of the United Kingdom was 59.6 million.

A brief history of species recording in the British Isles Here in Britain we look to John Ray (1627-1705) as the father of the scientific investigation of our flora and fauna. Ray was distinctly aware of the need to document where species occurred, both habitat and location. In 1724 he drew upon the local knowledge of others to gather available national information on the occurrence of species.

Species distribution in the British Isles have been summarised using sub-divisions of administrative counties, known as ‘vice-counties’ devised by Watson (1859, 1873-4).

The Watsonian Vice-counties system was based on 152 divisions for the whole of the British Isles. The first Flora of Essex was written by George Gibson in 1862. This remained the standard reference work for Essex botany for a century until Stanley Jermyn published his flora in 1974.

The display of information on the distribution of species changed in 1951 when the Botanical Society of the British Isles decided to use the expertise of its members to collect information on the distribution of vascular plants in the British Isles and to map the data using ordnance survey 10km squares of the British National Grid as the basic recording and mapping unit. The 10km x 10km division gives approximately 3,500 divisions. A six figure Grid Reference is accurate to within 100 metres on the ground.

After nearly a decade of the resultant Atlas of the British Flora (1962) provided a model on which most subsequent species distribution surveys have been based.

Cowslips - Guy Edwardes/2020VISION

How much information should I record?

In its simplest form a record is the species, location, when it was recorded and the recorder’s name. Other details are obviously more valuable such as numbers, form (such as adult, breeding) and technique used to record the species.

The habitat description, status of site, and any obvious threats may be worth noting in case remedial action can be taken.

At a slightly higher level detailed grid reference and accurate place names provide a level of detail essential for the protection of habitat and species. Collecting information on habitat is important for advancing the knowledge of habitat preferences particularly where this information is poorly understood for a certain species.

If the relative abundance of each species is studied in conjunction with the distribution given on the maps, a more reliable indication of the status of that particular species is given. In addition, notes on the absence of a known species can be equally important.

Wildlife recording has come on leaps and bounds in recent decades, with new technology available for ecologists, and in many cases the palm of your hand on a smart phone. Join in with collecting species records of flowering wildflowers for Essex Wildlife Trust and the University of Essex by taking part in the Essex BioBlitz. Read more about this project on page 22.

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WILD SUMMER 2022

Win for

Wildlife Play your local lottery to protect the future for wildlife and win cash prizes.

From £1 a week, you have a 1 in 50 chance to win a prize each week, with a top prize of £25,000. It could be you - sign up to the Essex Lottery and help keep Essex wild.

win a head turning

House sparrow photo: Fergus Gill/2020VISION

£25,000! www.essexwt.org.uk/wildlife-lottery Players must be 16 or over and located in the UK. The Essex Lottery is set up to support community projects in the local area.

By supporting Essex Wildlife Trust, 50% of your ticket will be used to fund the work of the Trust and 10% will help other good causes in Essex.

Always play responsibly. For more information on responsible gambling, please visit www.begambleaware.org.

The Essex Lottery is promoted by Essex County Council, a Local Authority Lottery licensed by the gambling commission. (Gambling Commission Account No: 49258)

Love Essex • Love Wildlife Registered Charity No. 210065

UK news

UK NEWS

BUILDING BIRD BOXES © BRONI LLOYD-EDWARDS

UK UPDATE

ground-breaking new Wildlife Trusts initiative is bringing communities together to rewild their neighbourhoods.

Nextdoor Nature will give people the skills, tools, and opportunity to take action for nature in the places where they live and work. The initiative was made possible by a £5 million investment from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, to leave a lasting natural legacy in honour of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

Nextdoor Nature will provide solutions to two of the most important issues that The Wildlife Trusts are working to address: the urgent need to create more space for nature, with a goal to restore 30% of land and sea for nature by 2030; and the need to make nature a part of everyone’s daily life. We know that spending time in nature can bring huge benefits to our health and wellbeing, but we don’t all have the same level of access to green or wild spaces.

Research shows that 85% of people in nature-deprived areas say more natural spaces would improve their quality of life.

The importance of this was reinforced by the pandemic, which demonstrated how vital it is to have access to nature in your local area. Nextoor Nature will bring a

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WILD SUMMER 2022

wild touch to the places that need it most, improving the lives of people from some of the most disadvantaged areas across the UK. This could include establishing wild habitats and green corridors in areas of economic and nature deprivation, rewilding school grounds, or naturalising highly urbanised or unused areas. Most importantly, through Nextdoor Nature, it will be local communities that decide on what happens and drive the change in their neighbourhood.

The initiative will bring huge benefits for nature, too. One of the big problems facing our wildlife is fragmentation — wild places are isolated and disconnected, preventing plants and animals from moving freely across the landscape. By creating green corridors and wild patches in urbanised areas, we can reconnect our wild networks, creating pit-stops for pollinators, buffets for birds and bats, and highways for hedgehogs.

Liz Bonnin, President of The Wildlife Trusts, says: “We humans are key to solving the climate crisis and restoring our natural heritage. The UK is one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, but Nextdoor Nature is working to set that right, putting local communities at the heart of helping our wild places to

recover, and making sure that no matter where we live, we can be part of this crucial endeavour.”

Learn more about this inspiring new project at wildlifetrusts.org/nextdoor-nature

Examples of communities that The Wildlife Trusts will work alongside include: Young people from minority ethnic communities, young people with disabilities and those who live in socio-economically disadvantaged areas of London Aspiring leaders in Scotland, who will have the opportunity to develop the skills needed to inspire and support their local communities to take action for nature Communities in Derby where language barriers (71 languages are spoken) and residential segregation have created some of the most socially isolated areas in the Midlands

UK news

UK HIGHLIGHTS UK UPDATE

Full marks for new school subject This April, the UK Government announced the introduction of a new GCSE in natural history. From 2025, secondary school students in England will have the opportunity to study the natural world, developing an in-depth knowledge of wildlife and wider ecosystems, as well as real-life experience of nature. The GCSE will teach transferable skills in observation, identification, classification and data gathering, and how to apply this knowledge to real world issues.

The announcement follows years of campaigning to make nature part of the curriculum, led by naturalist and writer Mary Colwell.

Providing young people with the knowledge to protect the planet is

essential for the future of the natural world, as is inspiring a connection to nature. The new natural history GCSE is a great first step, but this journey needs to start sooner and involve all pupils in the UK, regardless of the subjects they study.

We want to see children given opportunities to spend at least an hour a day learning outside, and for nature and climate education to be embedded across all subjects and at all levels.

This message has been championed by thousands of young people through the Our Bright Future programme, who want greater opportunities to learn in, and about, nature.

Read our full response to the new GCSE at wtru.st/new-GCSE

Discover how The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK

Raptor real estate A pair of peregrine falcons have nested for the first time on St Albans Cathedral, thanks to a nesting tray provided by the Wilder St Albans project — a collaboration between Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust and St Albans City and District Council. The St Albans pair is one of only five pairs breeding in Hertfordshire. wtru.st/st-albans-nest

Surrey Wildlife Trust has trained more than 100 volunteers to help hedgerows flourish across Surrey’s North Downs, giving hope to the iconic hazel dormice.

Even small gaps in a hedgerow can be a barrier to dormice, isolating populations.

The new volunteer task force is surveying, laying and planting hedgerows to help dormice populations expand. wtru.st/dormice-hope

Sky-high ambitions Wild About Gardens, an annual joint initiative between The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society, is setting its sights sky-high as we go wild about our high-flying birds. This year, the focus is on swifts, swallows and martins — summer visitors that have suffered some serious declines. Plummeting insect populations and loss of nesting sites

Scuttled cuttle have contributed to swifts and house martins joining the UK’s red list, marking them as birds in dire need of help. The campaign is calling on the public to help by nurturing insect-friendly gardens and adding nest boxes to homes.

Find out more at wildaboutgardens.org.uk

A rare pink cuttlefish was found on a Cornish beach, following late winter storms. This small species is more commonly seen in the Mediterranean, with only sporadic records from southern Britain. The discovery was made by Cornwall Wildlife Trust volunteers and recorded in the Trust’s Marine Strandings Network. wtru.st/pink-cuttlefish

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SWIFT © NICK UPTON; PINK CUTTLEFISH © LUCY LUCK, CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

Hope for hazel dormice

Freshwater fish

here’s a whole world of wildlife hidden beneath the surface of our streams, rivers and lakes. It’s often out of sight and out of mind, but spend a while watching a still section of water and you could catch a glimpse of a whole host of fish. Perhaps a pike lurking in a shadowy stretch, poised to pounce on passing prey, or a raft of roach roaming near the surface. Here are six fantastic freshwater fish to look out for...

Name: Chub Scientific name: Squalius cephalus Size: Up to 60cm

UNDERWATER LAKE © GRAHAM EATON NATUREPL.COM. ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATY FROST

This thick-set fish inspired the word chubby, possibly aided by its eclectic appetite. They’re known to eat anything from plant debris and invertebrates to smaller fish and frogs. The large mouth is a key identification feature! Chub favour rivers and streams as they need flowing water to breed, but can sometimes be found in lakes.

Name: European eel Scientific name: Anguilla anguilla Size: Can be over 100cm Eels have an extraordinary lifestyle, much of which remains a mystery. They breed in the sea, then their tiny larvae drift for two or three years on Gulf Stream currents to European and North African shores. Some remain in coastal waters whilst others migrate upstream into freshwater habitats, maturing and living long lives until spawning urges drive them to migrate back to sea. Although now critically endangered, eels can be found in almost any watery place, and can even wriggle across land in wet conditions.

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Freshwater fish

This fearsome fish has a distinctive look, with a long, stretched-out green body splashed with yellowish markings. The fins are set far back on the body, perfect for a sudden burst of speed as they dash towards their prey — like a torpedo with teeth. Pike like to lurk amongst underwater plants, darting from their hiding place to ambush other fish, frogs, small mammals and even birds. They can be found in many canals, rivers, reservoirs and lakes.

Name: Pike Scientific name: Esox lucius Size: Up to 150cm

Name: Perch Scientific name: Perca fluviatilis Size: Up to 60cm This green-tinged fish has the dark stripes of a tiger and an appetite to match. They’re piscivorous predators that regularly feast on other fish, as well as invertebrates. Smaller perch are often found in schools close to the bank. They are one of our most widespread fish and can be found in almost any freshwater habitat.

The silvery, redeyed roach is one of the UK’s most common fish and can be found in almost any waterway. They can form large shoals, sometimes seen close to the surface but often lower down. To separate it from the similar looking rudd, look at the dorsal fin on its back: in the roach, this is level with the pelvic fin below the body; the rudd’s dorsal fin is set further back.

Name: Roach Scientific name: Rutilus rutilus Size: Up to 50cm

Name: Brown trout Scientific name: Salmo trutta Size: Usually up to 80cm This adaptable fish can be found in waters across the UK, from Cornish rivers to Scottish lochs. Some brown trout live out their whole life in freshwater, whilst others known as ‘sea trout’ spawn in freshwater but migrate to coastal seas to grow. They eat a varied diet, including insects, crustaceans, and small fish.

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Wildlife quiz time Answers from Spring 2022: Across: Down 6. Cinnabar 1. Seagrass 7. Nuthatch 2. Jasmine 9. Vixen 3. Nightingale 10. Oxlip 4. Snowdrop 11. Bat 5. Orange 12. Tadpole 8. Vole

How is your general knowledge on the wildlife and wild places of our country? Test yourself with our nature crossword.

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Billie’s

Wildlife Crossword

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Clues down 1

Which incredible bird spends its entire life on the wing, only ever landing to nest? (5)

2

What is the name of the UK’s only venomous snake? (5)

3

Which marine species found off the Essex coast is able to change colour to match their environment? (10)

8 What is the collective name for a group of crows? (6) 9 What is a male duck called? (5) 10 Which bird known for its song can be spotted rising up to 300m almost vertically from farmland, grassland and saltmarshes before descending? (7)

4 Which black and white mammal resides in a sett? (6) 6 Which wildflower is traditionally associated with Remembrance Day? (5) 7 Which species of rodent is famous for building dams? (6) 8 Which species of jellyfish shares its name with a celestial body? ________ jellyfish (4)

The answers will be revealed in our Autumn 2022 edition of WILD 58 |

WILD Summer 2022

Otters have the densest fur of any mammal – as many as a million hairs per square inch in places.

Otter photo: Chris Gomersall/2020VISION

Distinguishing bobbles

The biggest distinguishing feature between moths and butterflies is that butterflies always have ‘bobbles’ on the end of their antennae whereas moths never do, instead having tapered or feathered ends.

A

3

5 Which of our nature reserves is the only place in Essex where you will find all three native heather species growing together? (7,5)

We thought you otter know...

Brown argus butterfly photo: Vaughn Matthews

Clues Across Which species of butterfly is so named due to its resemblance to a commonly used punctuation mark? (5)

Wildlife fun facts...

Seal of approval

Despite numbers dropping to only 500 in the early 20th century, it is estimated that there are now more than 120,000 grey seals in Britain, representing 40% of the world’s population.

Grey seal photo: Danny Green/2020VISION

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What’s the score for

Essex Wildlife Trust’s Virtual AGM Saturday 22 October 2022 In 2021, we saw some impressive feats of nature in Essex. From the first pair of breeding spoonbills in Essex in recent history at Abberton Reservoir, to the return of adders at Chafford Gorges.

But the headlines for nature have been less encouraging – the approval of neonicotinoids use by the government for a second year poses a real threat to pollinators, and the stark warnings from the latest IPCC report highlight the need for immediate action.

This is the theme for this year’s Annual General Meeting: What’s the Score for Nature?

We will explore how some of our key species and habitats are doing in Essex and the challenges nature is facing, in the context of increasing climate and ecological pressures, and how the work that you so generously support has allowed us to make a difference to wildlife in Essex.

Write the date in your diary – Saturday 22 October, 11am to 1pm.

We will hear from some key speakers and give you the opportunity to have your say on the state of nature in Essex, followed by the formal proceedings of the AGM.

Find out more:

www.essexwt.org.uk/agm Love Essex • Love Wildlife Registered Charity No. 210065