Making Space for Wildlife: Our Strategy to 2019

Making Space for Wildlife Our Strategy to 2019

www.hiwwt.org.uk

Protecting wildlife, inspiring people

Contents Introduction – Chief Executive 3 Nature in Trouble

4

Our Five Year Plan

6

Strategic Highlights

8

Vision, Mission, Objectives

9

Living Landscapes

10

Living Seas

12

Nature Matters

14

Making It Happen

16

Cover photo: Silver-washed fritillary ‘valezina’ © Tony Bates Opposite: Wildflowers at Arreton Down © Chris Archbold Design: www.pelicangraphics.org.uk

2

Putting Nature Back at the Heart of Our Way of Life Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is one of the 47 Trusts that together make up the UK Wildlife Trusts movement. Our mission, to create Living Landscapes and Living Seas across Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, is a concept that aims to deliver landscape-scale conservation at a local level in a way that engages and benefits people.

Wild and natural landscapes sustain us in so many ways. We care passionately about wildlife for both its intrinsic value but also increasingly for the value it provides through ‘ecosystem’ services, offering benefits to our health and wellbeing as well as the economy. Obesity, mental health issues, diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, dementia and loneliness cost the UK economy £180 billion per year. Yet, we know that contact with nature can have far-reaching health benefits, helping to significantly reduce these costs.

We all need nature but it is fading away from our lives. Nature can support us and help combat our most pressing social issues, but not if we continue to misuse and abuse it.

With nature in trouble we must do all we can to reverse this. The economic and social costs of environmental degradation are already significant. Recent studies tell us that climate change could cost the equivalent of losing 5% of GDP each year, now and forever. Evidence has shown that natural habitats can play a major role in mitigating these impacts as well as providing positive benefits. Nature can help solve many of our most pressing social issues but not if we continue to misuse and abuse it.

We aim to reverse the trend of people becoming less connected with nature and through this strategy we will engage more people, inspiring an emotional and intuitive connection with the natural world, so that people and communities are more likely to actively support the need for wildlife’s recovery.

Our members, supporters and funders give generously and through this support and our belief in the value of nature we will achieve our mission of Living Landscapes and Living Seas.

Debbie Tann, Chief Executive

3

Nature in Trouble Why is this happening?

The UK has lost in the region of 44 million breeding birds since the late 1960s Common garden butterfly species have declined by 24%

• Many of our precious wildlife species are in trouble and the habitats that support them are small, isolated and fragmented.

• Development of all kinds has fragmented the landscape and put pressure on natural resources. In the rush for economic growth, planning rules are being further relaxed which is likely to escalate these pressures.

• Intensification of land use driven by consumer demand for cheaper food has left much of the countryside poorer for wildlife.

• The economic climate has meant cuts to public funding which are unlikely to ease for some time. Government bodies have already scaled back on biodiversity work.

60% of all studied species are still declining

97% of species-rich wildflower meadows have been lost

Just 37% of our very best wildlife sites (Sites of Special Scientific Interest) are in good condition

• Evidence has shown that more people than ever before have become disconnected with nature. Not only does this contribute to health and social issues but it pushes nature further from our lives.

To bring nature back into our lives – for all the benefits that this brings – and to help it thrive we need to adopt a landscape-scale approach to its protection, management and restoration. Our strategy relies on strong partnerships to overcome some of the economic and social issues that we face over the next five years for the benefit of wildlife, wildlife habitats and local people.

Rather than being a barrier to progress, Britain’s nature is an economic and security asset with enormous social value

Tony Juniper, Campaigner, writer, sustainability advisor and leading British environmentalist Opposite: CEO Debbie Tann with nature writer Tony Juniper and Area Head of Conservation for Central Rivers and Downs Martin de Retuerto © Steve Page

4

5

Our Five Year Plan Over the next five years, we will deliver positive benefits for wildlife and people across the two counties. We will respond to the threats faced by wildlife by focusing on: • A landscape-scale approach to conservation on land and at sea.

• Inspiring as many people as possible to value nature and take action for wildlife.

Our plan builds on the Trust’s past successes, and recognises how we must evolve to meet the challenges we face now and in the future to be a relevant, effective organisation.

• We will demonstrate the value of nature through managing exemplary nature reserves, protecting wildlife and creating joined-up Living Landscapes.

• We will work with others to encourage them to take positive action for nature. This includes the public, decision makers and landowners.

• We will provide advice, information and evidence, together with opportunities for inspiring hands-on engagement and develop effective partnerships to facilitate this.

• The Trust will step up to the challenge to champion wildlife, to show how connections with nature improve our lives, and to deliver real improvements to our local wildlife and wild places.

Bluebells © Alex Cruickshank

6

I believe that the Wildlife Trust’s vision for Living Landscapes and Living Seas is the modern approach to nature conservation we need. But we must also realise and appreciate the true value of nature to our lives in order to make a true difference to its recovery and our own future. We have to stand up and be counted and so I for one will be doing my bit to support Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust achieve this mission.

Chris Packha m

Adult Common Buzzard Š Elliott Neep/elliottneep.com

7

Strategic Highlights

Barn Owl Š David Foker

8

Our Vision is that our landscapes, both rural and urban, and our seas, are rich in wildlife and valued by everyone Our Mission is to create Living Landscapes and secure Living Seas

Strategic Objectives

CHAMPION:

DEMONSTRATE:

INSPIRE:

EVIDENCE:

Stand up for wildlife, advocate the importance of reversing biodiversity declines and promote nature’s role in supporting a sustainable economy and people’s wellbeing.

Demonstrate our mission through managing and restoring habitats, rebuilding biodiversity and showcasing the role of functioning ecological networks on land and at sea.

Inspire, educate and engage individuals, communities and decision makers about the value of the natural world to encourage a lifelong love of nature and a lifelong active connection with the Trust.

Use evidence from sound science and research to further ecological understanding and demonstrate the needs, benefits and outcomes of conservation.

9

Living Landscapes

Trust Estate Living Landscape Area

...are functioning wildlife-rich landscapes that provide resilience and connectivity for nature and ecosystem services for people Through our Living Landscapes programme we will protect and enhance our best wildlife sites and seek opportunities to create a joined-up ecological network. Our strategy has four elements and targets the most important areas as shown on the map: Better: we will manage existing wildlife sites in the best way possible so that the species and habitats within them can thrive.

Bigger: we will seek to extend the size of existing wildlife sites to improve resilience and allow species and habitats to move into new areas.

More: we will target the acquisition of new sites for habitat restoration, species recovery and connectivity.

Joined: we will encourage the land in-between to be managed in wildlife-friendly ways to support wildlife movement between sites and reduce the effects of fragmentation.

Map reproduced by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (Ordnance Survey licence no: 100015632) with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown Copyright 2015. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. British Crown and MarineFind Ltd. All rights reserved.

10

Within 20 years we want to see: • Core areas of wildlife-rich habitat, such as designated sites, nature reserves and priority habitats in excellent condition for wildlife, providing centres from which wildlife will spread as the landscape is reconnected.

• Linkages between core areas; not just narrow corridors, but large stepping stones improving connectivity and effectively turning a landscape of isolated patches of natural habitat into one large area or network.

• Permeability across the whole landscape with land between core areas more suitable for wildlife movement.

• Natural habitats functioning and providing ecosystem services such as flood risk management, cleaner water and pollination.

• Land and water policies recognising the value of Living Landscapes and facilitating sustainable management.

• People valuing and benefiting from a more resilient, connected and wildlife-rich landscape.

Sydmonton from Ladle Hill © Tony Matthews

11

Living Seas ...are seas in which wildlife thrives, from the depths of the ocean to the coastal shallows Through our Living Seas programme we will help marine wildlife recover and thrive. We will campaign for a network of protected areas at sea that supports marine biodiversity and sustainable economic activities, including fishing and tourism. We will inspire others to learn to value the marine ecosystem and the benefits of healthy seas to people’s lives.

We will deliver • Inspiring and informative education and engagement for all ages, to help people appreciate and value marine wildlife and the habitats found in our seas.

• Partnership projects with sea users and others to support the recovery of marine habitats and species.

• Research and evidence to support the case for improved protection and to help demonstrate the value of our seas for wildlife and people.

Existing Marine Protection Areas Special Protection Area, Special Area of Conservation or Ramsar site Recommended Marine Conservation Zones Tranche 2 rMCZ sites rMCZ sites - possible Tranche 3

Map reproduced by Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust (Ordnance Survey licence no: 100015632) with the permission of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, Crown Copyright 2015. Unauthorised reproduction infringes Copyright and may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings. British Crown and MarineFind Ltd. All rights reserved.

12

Within 20 years we want to see: • The marine environment being sustainably managed and well-regulated.

• Marine Protected Areas covering at least 25% of our seas.

• Marine habitats and species increasing in range and numbers and marine ecosystems functioning.

• Sustainable fishing and other maritime pursuits contributing to the stewardship of our seas.

• People valuing and understanding the importance of our seas’ wildlife.

Thongweed, snakelock and ballan © Paul Naylor

13

Nature Matters ...connecting more people with nature will improve wellbeing and lead to action for its recovery We will inspire people to value and take action to protect and enhance the natural world, by demonstrating the importance of nature for people. A healthy natural environment is the foundation for everything that is of value to people – food, water, shelter, flood prevention, health, happiness and creative inspiration. It’s the source of our prosperity and our wellbeing and we are fundamentally reliant upon it.

Study after study shows time spent outside in nature increases the happiness, health and wellbeing in people of all ages, which could help reduce the £105 billion cost of mental health in England.

Our aim is for more people, communities and organisations to be inspired, motivated and empowered to take action to bring about nature’s recovery. Our education and engagement work will help children and young adults to value and feel connected to the natural world through creating positive learning experiences that they carry with them through their lives.

We will demonstrate that nature matters to all our lives.

Finding treasures on Hayling Island beach © Polly Whyte

14

We need to inspire more people about the beauty and relevance of the natural world so that they value it, understand their relationship with it and take action to protect and restore it.

Swanwick Butterfly trail Š Deryn Hawkins

15

Making It Happen Champion

Our work in practice:

We will lead a vision for nature’s recovery by championing our vision for Living Landscapes and Living Seas. We will build a strong evidence base to promote the value of nature and the benefits it provides to our economy, health and wellbeing.

Standing up for wildlife

We will build effective external relationships to inspire and influence policy and opinion formers in farming, planning, development, energy, transport and marine management.

Protecting our estate

We will support experienced, knowledgeable staff to champion wildlife’s recovery and engage with decision makers; we will develop effective marketing plans to engage with stakeholders and communicate our vision.

As part of the UK-wide network of Wildlife Trusts we will use our combined influence to lobby for the protection of wildlife and investment in its recovery. We have campaigned on a number of issues including the designation of a coherent network of Marine Conservation Zones to protect the most sensitive areas of our seas.

Our planning team will continue to defend the Trust’s estate from the damaging effects of development through our relationships with local authorities and developers. We will continue to invest in evidence to influence planning decisions and protect our most delicate and important sites for nature.

Protecting our chalk streams Britain has about 90% of the world’s chalk rivers and some of the best are in Hampshire. The Trust will continue to work with a range of partners and landowners to reduce the threats of overabstraction, pollution and urbanisation.

Fundraising and marketing We will continue to develop our fundraising and marketing to support our conservation work.

We will inspire more people to engage with the Trust and support local wildlife. We will work closely with businesses, donors and funders to support our larger and most urgent projects.

16

Winnall Moors Š Deryn Hawkins

17

Demonstrate

Our work in practice:

Our plan for wildlife’s recovery must be based on sound ecological principles: bigger, better, more joined-up habitats.

Caring for wild places

We will acquire and manage land of importance for wildlife to demonstrate this mission.

We aim to deliver outstanding habitat restoration and species recovery projects and showcase the benefits of our work. We will manage our estate to benefit wildlife.

We will draw on our knowledge to provide high quality advice services to others.

We manage 48 nature reserves, protecting habitats such as lakes, wildflower meadows, woodland, heathland, marshes and wetland. Our nature reserves are places of national and international importance for wildlife and provide high quality habitat that helps connect and reinforce wildlife in the wider landscape as part of our Living Landscapes strategy. They also provide a place for people to enjoy nature, learn more about its importance and develop a deeper appreciation of it.

Land advice We will continue to work with landowners to provide advice and assistance to help them manage their land with wildlife in mind – and contribute to our vision of a joined-up Living Landscape.

Land management We will continue to manage our estate to the highest possible standard, using traditional land management techniques such as grazing. Grazing is essential to keep our special wildlife habitats in peak condition from heathland and chalk grassland to fens and marshes. We now have an established grazing herd on our own farm, which acts as a hub of activities for the Trust. Our aim is to demonstrate best practice in managing cattle while maximising the biodiversity value of our sites as part of a holistic approach to managing land for wildlife and the local economy.

River restoration We will continue to deliver habitat restoration such as that carried out at Winnall Moors nature reserve. This project demonstrates that working with nature helps wildlife and local communities.

The improvements to the water meadows to increase their flood storage capacity helped prevent major flooding in the city of Winchester in 2014 and will continue to reduce flow levels of the River Itchen as an ongoing flood defence system. The restoration of this wetland habitat and appropriate management has also led to a boom in water vole numbers.

18

Water Vole Š Elliott Neep/elliottneep.com

19

Children having fun learning about rivers Š Jim Day

20

Inspire

Our work in practice:

We will develop and deliver education and engagement programmes to inspire and sustain a lifelong love of and connection to nature and the Trust.

Connecting people with nature

We will focus on the prime stages and ages of learning, tell compelling stories, provide opportunities for direct experience and deliver repeat engagement vital to our long-term success.

We will train and manage volunteers and staff to deliver excellent education programmes at high quality education centres.

We will support volunteer groups to run engaging events and build opportunities to inspire and involve people in all conservation projects and programmes.

We will continue to deliver high quality education for school children across the two counties.

Our Forest School programme provides opportunities for child-led interactive learning outdoors; to inspire a lifelong love and appreciation of the personal benefits nature brings to their development, health and wellbeing. In partnership with the NHS, our Woodland Therapy project on the Isle of Wight aims to complement mainstream mental health provision with client-led activities in natural surroundings. Designed to build self-confidence, self-esteem and independence, participants develop skills which will help transform their lives and ensure a longer-term integration into community activities.

Valued volunteers The Trust relies upon an extremely valuable team of over 900 expert and enthusiastic volunteers who work on our reserves, carry out practical conservation tasks, support the running of our education activities, run our local groups, assist in the office with administrative tasks and take part in surveys. Without these individuals giving their free time, the Trust would not be able to achieve as much for conservation.

21

Evidence

Our work in practice:

We will survey and monitor our estate and projects to collect, manage and analyse data that will further our ecological knowledge, and evaluate the social and economic benefit of what we do.

Ecological surveys

We will provide evidence that supports all areas of the Trust’s work to demonstrate our impact and influence others.

We will invest in our ecological skills to enhance our reputation as a science-based organisation, work in partnership to share data and knowledge and secure resources to improve and utilise skills within the Trust.

22

We monitor rare and more common wildlife both on our estate and on private land. Through a recent project in north-west Hampshire we discovered several new populations of the rare willow tit and the declining Duke of Burgundy butterfly. We counted 50,000 chalkhill blue butterflies on an Isle of Wight reserve, and we have observed lapwings returning to nest on sites for the first time in decades.

We have collated extensive data on the status and distribution of seagrass beds in our seas; this information has been vital in making the case for Marine Conservation Zones and we will continue to monitor their health.

We will develop our ecological services using the skills and experience of the team, including the development of consultancy services for third parties. The recent establishment of a new laboratory facility in the Trust means we can carry out a greater range of ecological assessments.

You’ve read our plans, now we would like to hear from you We can only achieve our goals by working together, if you would like to be involved we would love to hear from you: Supporters: our individual supporters and members are the lifeblood of our organisation, and help us to achieve so much of our work. To find out more visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/how-you-can-help or call 01489 774400 Corporate supporters: we work with local businesses to invest in projects that benefit communities and their local environment. By working with the Trust and supporting our work you can demonstrate that your company cares for nature. To find out more contact our Fundraising Officer on 01489 774412 Volunteers: our volunteers provide a vital service and without them so many areas of work would not be able to function. If you would like to make a difference in your spare time you can find out more at www.hiwwt.org.uk/volunteer

Sanderling Š Elliott Neep/elliottneep.com

23

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire, SO32 2DP 01489 774400 feedback@hiwwt.org.uk www.hiwwt.org.uk Charity no. 201081 Company Limited by Guarantee & Registered in England and Wales No.676313

Starlings at Blashford Lakes Š Martin King