Chair’s Report Alison Mclean

Chair’s Report

- Alison Mclean

This is my fi rst introduction to this excellent publication as the new Chair of Herefordshire Wildlife Trust. I took over from Brian Hurrell earlier this year aft er his six year tenure as Chair amid a total of ten years as a trustee. I want to pay tribute to Brian’s tremendous contribution to the work of the Trust. He has provided calm stability in some turbulent times as well as a wise and consistent focus on achieving the best outcomes for wildlife in our county. In this year we have also said goodbye to our valued CEO Helen Stace (to a very busy retirement!). There is not room here to list Helen’s many achievements. However, I just want to say that as a knowledgeable and committ ed conservationist and as a passionate advocate for the natural world, Helen has been an inspiration to members, staff and volunteers as well as an accomplished and thoughtful leader of the trust for four years. She will be greatly missed.

In her place I am really pleased to say that we have recruited Jamie Audsley, who comes to us from the RSPB and started in post at the beginning of August. He has already got to grips with starting a refresh of our strategy to ensure we are ready for the challenges and opportunities ahead; and to make sure that we are doing all we can to contribute to the national Wildlife Trust goals of having 30 percent of land managed for nature by 2030 and one in four people taking action for nature too. You will no doubt be all hearing more from Jamie in the near future!

As well as saying goodbye to Brian Hurrell, three more Trustees come to the end of their terms of offi ce this year, including Peter Garner (editor of The Flycatcher), Will Bullough (woodland expert and dedicated naturalist) and Pete Ford (our former Treasurer). We thank them all for their tremendous contribution to the work of the Board over many years and their uncompromising commitment to the general work of the Trust. We look forward to their remaining fi rm friends of the Trust in the years ahead. I want to pick out just a few of the achievements of the Trust in the last year. You can read more about what we have been up to more comprehensively in the Annual Report which is available on our website.

We were gift ed a new nature reserve – Weobley Wildlife Meadows – and the local community have been greatly involved helping with many improvements, including planting an orchard and improving the sward.

Orchard being planted at Weobley Wildlife Meadows (c) Lewis Goldwater

Norton Wood Orchard (c) HWT

We purchased Norton Wood Orchard with the support of the Mumford Trust. This reserve includes remnants of several small orchards and fi ve ice age ponds! Wildfl ower seed and green hay harvested from various sites have been strewn at Oak Tree Farm, Common Hill and Litt ley Coppice. At Bodenham Lake we installed a new easy access hide and the new island att racted nesting birds including ringed plover and an oystercatcher. Last year 590 volunteers donated 1,460 hours to supporting wildlife. With new recruits we now have 57 reserve wardens. We have resumed our programme of walks and talks, public events and children’s activities. And we have launched Team Wilder, building stronger connections between local community groups taking action for nature. Our membership now stands at over 6,700 members – the highest ever! And for much of this year we have been the fastest growing Wildlife Trust in the country in terms of membership. Look ahead, there are many challenges – particularly the state of our rivers, the continuing under-resourcing of environmental agencies and the threat of further de-regulation of environmental controls. However, there are also many opportunities. Under the new agricultural system, the transition to paying farmers for public goods will itself stimulate new markets for water, carbon, nutrients and biodiversity. The threat to the natural world sometimes feels overwhelming, but wherever I go I hear people’s care, concern and commitment to action. What could be more powerful? I hope you enjoy this latest edition of The Flycatcher.