Wild Life - Winter 2020

Wild Life Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

Winter 2020

BRINGING NATURE TO YOU

Hovering hunters

How we brought the outside in when the safest place to be was behind closed doors

Discover the best of this season’s wildlife

BEYOND THE GATES

A glimpse into our restricted access nature reserves

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Welcome

and underpin our economy and society.

Despite the recent restrictions, we have been busier than ever. We have continued to care for local wild spaces and wildlife and supported people to engage with nature on their doorstep, whilst trying to manage the increased people pressure on some of our sensitive sites. We have also been working flat out, with partners across all sectors, to ensure that nature is at the heart of local and national recovery plans. We have been demonstrating that investment in nature is good for everyone. Harnessing nature’s power can help us to start dealing with some of our most pressing problems – from physical and mental wellbeing, to global heating and pollution as well as opening up opportunities for employment and bringing additional investment through tourism and business. The social and economic case for a green recovery is clear and we will continue to bring forward ‘nature-based solutions’ as part of our Wilder 2030 plan.

Lockdown has shone a brighter light on the problems we all face, but it has also shown us how important nature is, how much people need and value it and how change is possible. We know we can create a stronger, wilder future for our communities and counties. It’s what we all want and it’s what we are fighting for.

Debbie Tann, Chief Executive Follow me on twitter @Debbie_Tann

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Wild Life is the membership magazine for Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Email feedback@hiwwt.org.uk Telephone 01489 774400 Address Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP Registered charity number 201081.

Company limited by guarantee and registered in England and Wales No. 676313.

Website www.hiwwt.org.uk

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CHRIS BUTTON

Firstly I wanted to say a huge thank you for your support over the past few months. This has been an incredibly challenging time for everyone. As an organisation, we have had to adapt and make changes, but we have never lost sight of what we are here to do.

Knowing that we have your backing makes the world of difference.

This time last year, we launched our ambitious ten-year plan for nature’s recovery. Wilder 2030 boldly states ‘2020 will be a critical year, a turning point’. While we had very different expectations of what this year would hold, the statement still holds true.

With the global pandemic driving seismic shifts in our lifestyles, our economy and our society, together with the continuous ringing of alarm bells warning of climate and ecological catastrophe, we really have reached a point of significant change. Whilst not all changes are welcome, there are real opportunities in front of us to create a better, wilder future.

As everyone’s attention turns to recovery and rebuilding, we must seize this chance to reshape our economic and social models so that nature is interwoven into and underpins every aspect – a new model where healthy natural resources, functioning ecosystems and thriving biodiversity are recognised not as standing in the way of economic growth, but as the essential foundations which support

DARIN SMITH

Nature-based solutions for a green recovery

Get in touch

Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is the leading nature conservation charity in the two counties. With your support, we strive to create a wilder future for our local area and make nature part of life, for everyone. ● We manage over 50 nature reserves. ● We are supported by 25,000 members and 1,500 volunteers.

We are part of a UK-wide network of 46 Wildlife Trusts; together we are the nation’s most active and influential nature conservation partnership protecting wildlife in every part of the UK.

Wild Life Magazine Editor Abi Webber, 01489 774400 Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is registered with the UK Fundraising Regulator. We aim to meet the highest standards in the way we fundraise.

You can change your contact preferences at any time by contacting Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust via email: membership@hiwwt.org.uk, telephone: 01489 774400, or write to us at: Beechcroft House, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP. For more information on our privacy policy visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/privacy-notice

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Contents

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4 Your wild winter

Seasonal wildlife and the best places to experience it.

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Beyond the gate Discover what makes our restricted access nature reserves so special.

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Wild news All the latest news from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust.

ADRIEN DAVIES

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Watercress and Winterbournes Our new Landscape Partnership Scheme to restore and celebrate seven chalk streams.

16 Gardening: big gains in small spaces A garden that might seem small to us can be a huge space for wildlife.

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Hidden meadows Marine Biologist Nia Hâf Jones introduces a hidden world beneath the waves.

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Team wilder Stories from inspiring local people who are taking action for wildlife in their communities.

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Best places to see hidden forests Across the UK, hidden forests of lichen are waiting to be discovered.

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Bringing nature to you Find out how we brought the outside in when the safest place to be was behind closed doors.

28 Down to the Coast

As the project comes to an end we explore what was achieved for people and wildlife.

JOE RACKSTRAW

30 My wild life

Environmental artist, Trudi Lloyd Williams, tells us why she feels inspired by the sea.

6 ways to get involved with your local Wildlife Trust Volunteer

Could you donate your skills and time to look after wildlife? Visit our website to find exciting opportunities near you.

Donate to an appeal

From purchasing land to protecting species, exciting projects near you need your support.

Campaigning

You can play a vital role in raising awareness and lobbying on local and national issues.

Local groups

Join one of our network of local groups and help make a difference to nature where you live.

Events

Join us for an online event or activity near you. Our events are organised by knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff and local groups..

Leave a legacy

If you’ve had a lifetime’s pleasure from nature, help ensure its future by leaving us a gift in your Will.

For more information visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/get-involved Wild Life | Winter 2020

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Your wild winter The best of the season’s wildlife and where to enjoy it.

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T h a n k y ou

Thanks to your su pport, we are able to create and maintain habitats for dorm ice and many other vulnerable species. www.hiwwt.org.u k

WINTER SPECTACLE

Dwindling dormice Sleepy, small and undeniably adorable, hazel dormice are settling down for their winter slumber. Having spent the autumn fattening up on berries and nuts, these rotund little rodents are ready to hibernate.

As the chill in the air intensifies, they move to ground level and make a tightly woven round nest, about the size of a tennis ball. Then they climb in and curl up tight, wrapping their furry tails around themselves for warmth.

DANNY GREEN / 2020VISION

Dormice are in steady decline and absent from most parts of the country, but the south of England is home to many of their remaining strongholds. Some of these are on our nature reserves, and our ecology team monitor them closely.

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TERRY WHITTAKER / 2020VISION

YOUR WILD WINTER

Hovering hunters Kestrels are often seen hovering over open fields and farmland, their favourite hunting ground for small mammals like mice and voles. This distinctive behaviour earned them the old country name ‘windhover’.

Kestrels can keep their heads perfectly still while they hover, even in strong winds, helping them to pinpoint their prey by sight.

RUSSELL SAVORY

Kestrel URBAN FIELDCRAFT

Prickly customers Hedgehogs are familiar friends in our parks and gardens, sometimes seen snuffling around our lawns and flowerbeds in search of juicy slugs and snails. Right about now they are going into hibernation, and a great way to help them is to create welcoming areas in which they can spend the winter.

Log and leaf piles are great places for hedgehogs to nest and hibernate. Fallen leaves also make the perfect nesting material, so make sure you don’t clear them all away.

TOM MARSHALL

HOW TO HELP HEDGEHOGS  Check for hidden hedgehogs before

Hedgehog

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lighting bonfires, strimming or mowing the lawn.  Plant netting and household rubbish should be kept above ground level so hedgehogs don’t get tangled up.

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SEE THIS

Find a gull roost and experience the chaos and noise as the sky fills with birds before they settle down for the night.

DO THIS

Walk through a woodland and keep your eyes peeled for birds of prey – the bare branches make them more visible in the winter than at other times of year.

MIKE READ

SPECIES SPOTLIGHT

Autumn’s berry bounty

Top tips

3 SPECIES TO SPOT Holly As well as being a festive favourite among people, holly berries are an important food source for birds like robins, redwings and fieldfares.

AMY LEWIS

PAUL HOBSON

Blackberries

F

The types of berries you see will depend on what time of year it is, with some

The best places to look for an abundance of berries are woodlands and hedgerows, and you’re likely to find the birds that feast on them too. Thrushes, doves, and smaller species like sparrows and goldfinches all take full advantage of autumn’s berry bounty, and you’ll see them picking their favourites, fattening up for the cold weather.

Ivy Ivy berries contain almost as many calories as Mars bars!

Their high energy content makes them the perfect food for birds fattening up over winter.

CHRIS LAWRENCE

When we think of autumn berries, our thoughts often turn to the blackberry.

But despite its name, the blackberry isn’t a berry at all! The botanical definition of a berry is a fruit produced from the ovary of a single flower, fleshy throughout except for the seeds. Confusingly, this rules out some fruits like raspberries, but includes bananas and pumpkins.

So, unless you’re a botanist, it’s probably easier to stick with the common definition: a small, fleshy fruit found on some plants.

ripening in midsummer and others only making an appearance later in the year.

It seems that birds are conscious of this seasonal availability too, and studies have shown that they choose the berries they eat carefully, to ensure that there is food available throughout the winter. Fruits that go off quickly, like blackberries, are the first to go, and those with longer shelf-lives, like ivy berries, are left alone until other food sources start to run out.

ZSUZSANNA BIRD

rom ruby-red to shining obsidian, berries bring a welcome splash of colour to our muted winter landscapes. They also bring much-needed sustenance to lots of birds and mammals when other food sources are dwindling.

Mistletoe Mistletoe berries are a favourite snack for birds such as blackcaps.

They eat the fat-rich pith and wipe their beaks on tree branches, inadvertently attaching the seeds and making it possible for a new plant to take root.

Visit our website www.hiwwt.org.uk

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OUR RESTRICTED ACCESS RESERVES

Beyond the gate:

A peek into our restricted access nature reserves

Pewit Island

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t the Wildlife Trust, we love nothing more than welcoming people onto our nature reserves to experience fresh air, green spaces and wonderful wildlife. But in some cases it’s important that certain areas are protected from human footfall.

Sometimes this is because a reserve is very small and fragile, and if the land were open to everyone sensitive species would suffer. Other times, it may be that the reserve can only be accessed through privately owned land.

CHRIS LAWRENCE

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that’s rarely seen in Southern England.

The unique mix of specialist plants at the site offers a sweet-smelling, colourful scene that attracts a variety of insects, such as the black darter dragonfly.

Weavers Down Bog Nature Reserve

Liphook, North-East Hampshire In the north of the county lies one of Hampshire’s hidden gems. A gift from Lord Selborne, at just two hectares, this pocket-sized wet heath and mire, surrounded by pine and birch woodland, is part of Woolmer Forest.

The soil at Weavers Down bog is very poor in nutrients and remains wet all year round, making it very difficult for the majority of plants to survive. Due to these conditions the site has a uniquely rich and complex assemblage of flora and fauna, and the plants found here tend to be rare, such as bog asphodel, insect-eating sundews, cross-leaved heather and sphagnum mosses.

The reserve is also one of only a few sites in Hampshire where you can find water-loving wild cranberry; a plant

Weavers Down Bog

Sundew

VICKY NALL

Cranberry

Weavers Down Bog, Pewit Island, Swanpond Copse and Ron Ward’s Meadow are a few of our nature reserves that are not open for public access. But they are just as important for wildlife as bigger reserves such as Blashford Lakes and Newchurch Moors.

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OUR RESTRICTED ACCESS RESERVES

Pewit Island Nature Reserve

A SMALLER RESERVE

Swanpond Copse Nature Reserve

Portchester, South Hampshire One of a few undeveloped areas of Portsmouth Harbour, this wildlife-rich haven is composed of vegetated shingle and saltmarsh habitats. It supports a wide variety of plants including sea lavender and golden samphire.

Pewit Island is a critical component of the Portsmouth Harbour Site of Special Scientific Intere (SSSI), Special Protected Area (SPA) and RAMSAR site. What makes this unique one-hectare island so special is that it is a locally important high tide refuge for wading birds to roost.

While you cannot access this protected nature reserve, so not to disturb the birds, you can view the island from the Portchester coastline, using binoculars to identify the many birds, such as curlew and oystercatcher, that roost there.

VAUGHN MATTHEWS

Sea lavender

This small four-hectare woodland consists of traditional hazel coppice and seminatural ancient woodland. An autumn visit to Swanpond Copse allows time to experience the wonders of the natural world as it transforms into a kaleidoscope of colours and the landscape comes alive with dormice and red squirrels, who appear searching for hazelnuts to eat or store away in the ground.

The Monkton Mead brook, a small stream running through the reserve, hosts a population of small fish such as stickleback and bullhead. These fish provide food for visiting kingfishers, which can be seen darting along the stream or sitting patiently on a low branch over the water.

A coppice and tree thinning regime at the reserve aims to improve the woodland structure for red squirrel and dormice, while also helping flowering plants to thrive by allowing light down to the woodland floor. The site supports a variety of plants including a mass of bluebells, wood anemones, primroses and ragged robin - most notable is the uncommon narrow-leaved lungwort, which thrives in the dappled shade of the ride.

TERRY WHITTAKER / 2020VISION

Curlew

Ryde, Isle of Wight

Swanpond Copse

Wood anemone MARK HAMBLIN / 2020VISION

Ron Ward’s Meadow Nature Reserve This impressive 10-hectare flower-rich grassland was passed on as a legacy to the Trust by Ron Ward. This special place reminds us how a great deal of the countryside would have looked in the early 20th century, when traditional low-intensity farming, such as grazing and hay cutting, took place without the use of chemicals or machinery. The Trust

continues to manage the grassland using these methods, just as Ron Ward did.

The meadow is exceptionally rich in wildflowers, offering a beautiful and undisturbed haven for plants such as dyer’s greenweed, yellow rattle, saw-wort, field scabious and quaking grass, in addition to both and southern marsh and common spotted orchid hybrids.

Although there is no public access, a

Dyer’s greenweed public footpath runs along the northern boundary of the reserve providing excellent views of the meadow.

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LANCASHIRE WILDLIFE TRUST

Tadley, North Hampshire

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WILD NEWS

ÂŁ167,000 Amount awarded from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help us with the impact from Covid-19.

All the latest news from Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust

DAVID PARKYN/ CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

Bringing back our missing species A new era for beavers on the Isle of Wight?

B

eavers are native to the UK and were once an important part in our landscape. We would love to see them once again playing their part in creating a wilder future for our two counties, and have been looking into the possibility of introducing them to the Eastern Yar, at our Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve.

A feasibility study at the site, to establish whether a beaver reintroduction is possible and the habitat is suitable, has now been completed

by Exeter University and Derek Gow Consultancy. The results have been extremely promising, with the team who visited stating that Newchurch Moors is one of the best potential sites for a

NICK UPTON/CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST

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beaver reintroduction that they have seen.

At a time of a biodiversity crisis and climate emergency we have seen the positive role of beaver reintroductions to embedding climate resilience into entire landscapes in North America and Europe. It is really exciting that they could one day also be seen on the Island, helping to restore the stretch of river running through Newchurch Moors to its natural state. Beavers make changes to their habitats, such as digging canal systems, damming water courses and coppicing tree and shrub species, which create diverse wetlands. In turn, these wetlands can bring enormous benefits to other species, such as water voles, otters, water shrews and kingfishers, as well as invertebrates like dragonflies and breeding fish.

In order to secure the future of beavers, we need the government to back them too. This is why we are calling for a national beaver strategy for England, as a part of a green recovery plan.

If you would like see beavers bounce back, show your support at: www.hiwwt.org.uk/beaver-strategy

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NEWS

Together

Snapshot from 2019/2020 Annual Report

we’re stronger Here are some key numbers from our Annual Report 20192020. With your support we can continue to reduce wider pressures on the environment and create more space for wildlife to thrive.

We are pleased to announce that our Annual Report covering the year 2019-20 is now available to view online at: www.hiwwt.org.uk/ annual-report.

The report shows that the Trust had a successful year with an income of £6,350,258, an increase on the previous year’s income of £5,361,802, and features the Trusts most notable achievements from last year: We launched our ambitious Wilder 2030 strategy to provide more space for nature and get more people on nature’s side. This is our response to the nature emergency, and sets us on a clear path for the next decade. Thanks to Trust members, we grew our network of sites through the Eastern Yar Valley on the Isle of Wight with the creation of Newchurch Moors Nature Reserve. We also realised a 20-year dream of securing Deacon Hill Nature Reserve in Winchester, and made a successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Fund to run a pioneering community-led scheme that will restore the headwaters of the Rivers Test and Itchen.

Although the financial year ended with the start of the Covid-19 crisis, we are fortunate that we started the 2020/21 year in a strong position, thanks to our many members and supporters.

The amount received from gifts in Wills allowing us to invest in future conservation priorities

42,594 The number of hours given by our volunteers, equivalent to 6,085 days

Thank

you!

84,691

The number of hectares in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight that are managed by the Trust

PAUL GONELLA / STRONGISLAND

Right: Our 10 year plan to create a wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight - Wilder 2030 - got off to a great start at last year’s conference, when more than 300 people gathered in Winchester to hear from those leading the way towards a wilder future.

£370,998

25,961

The number of members and friends helping us protect wildlife in our two counties

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WILD NEWS

Planning for a wilder future?

Nitrate reduction scheme

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The difference this support from across the sector will make to the Trust’s work is significant and nature will ultimately benefit.

You can find out more about our nitrate reduction scheme at: www.hiwwt.org.uk/ reducing-nitrates-solent

TERRY WHITTAKER /

The problem of nitrates polluting the Solent has become so critical that development in the region was halted until mitigation could be found. Thanks to an innovative scheme to return intensively-farmed land to much more natural, wilder habitats, the Trust is in a position to offer a mitigation solution which will reduce nitrate pollution in our seas further. This scheme is a solution based in nature, and is one of three ways in which the Trust is working to clear our seas of nitrates. As well as working to reduce the impact of development, the Trust has a long history of working successfully with farmers to decrease chemical usage, reducing nitrate run-off into watercourses. We also have strong relationships with water companies and support them with mitigation programmes to ensure our waters remain as clean as possible. Working in partnership with others – including local authorities, the government, farmers and companies – is absolutely vital if we want to ensure the best outcomes for nature.

TIM FERRERO

High levels of nitrogen and phosphorus reaching the Solent is causing eutrophication, resulting in dense mats of green algae covering the mudflats. This stops oxygen reaching animals and forms a barrier to birds which rely on the mud to feed.

Back in late summer, the Government set out its ambition to radically reform the way planning happens in England. Their White Paper, ‘Planning for the future’ proposed sweeping simplifications to the existing system – identifying ‘zones’ for growth and development which could benefit from permission by default. On top of this, decision making at a local level would look very different and depend on more digital and data-driven processes.

With your help, we have made the case to local and national government that now is the time to create a planning system that has nature at its heart and leads to great homes both for people and wildlife.

Collectively the Wildlife Trusts and our supporters have called on Government to move beyond existing protection of our remaining fragments of wild space, towards nature’s recovery, including the creation of a ‘wildbelt’ where nature can expand and thrive. Thank you to all of you who have added your voices and helped us to show just how vital it is that this reform enables us to plan for a much wilder future.

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NEWS

WORKING TOGETHER

ANDREW PARKINSON / 2020VISION

You’re in good company!

Government U-turn on promises to end badger culling The Wildlife Trusts are appalled that the government has given permission for the largest ever badger cull to take place this autumn – bringing the total killed to 35% of UK’s badger population. The move comes despite the government’s promise earlier this year to support badger vaccination and move away from shooting this protected species. The cull will result in the deaths of badgers which have been vaccinated by volunteers in government-funded programmes.

The cull began in 2013 and is expected to continue for a further four years. The

Wildlife Trusts oppose this culling and believe the science used to justify the killing of thousands of badgers every year in the UK is flawed. Evidence shows that bovine tuberculosis is primarily a cattle problem, not a wildlife one. The main route for transmission of the disease in cattle is from other cattle.

Badgers are a valued species in the UK, protected by law. 25% of the European population is found in the UK, so we have an international responsibility to conserve them. Find out more at: www.hiwwt.org.uk/ standing-badgers

Emergency National Lottery funding We are delighted to have been awarded £167,000 from the National Lottery Heritage Fund to help us cope with the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. The funding, made possible by National Lottery players, was awarded through the Heritage Emergency Fund.

Since the pandemic began, we have had to adapt our way of working in order to protect staff, volunteers and visitors. We have also seen additional pressure on our nature reserves, including a sharp increase in litter,

damage and antisocial behaviour.

These factors have made it more difficult for us to protect local wildlife and habitats.

The emergency grant will be invaluable in helping us to cope with these circumstances. It will be used to fund distance working equipment, repairs to nature reserves, site adaptations for visitor safety and staff time for those unable to benefit from the furlough scheme due to the essential nature of their roles.

We wanted to take this opportunity to thank all our corporate partners and members. This year has been tough on all of us and we are delighted that so many businesses have chosen to continue supporting us and sharing our vision of a Wilder Hampshire and Isle of Wight.

We are also thrilled to welcome new Corporate Member, ERMC Ltd, who joined us in August. In addition to joining us as a Corporate Member they will be supporting our vision through staff training and engagement, as well as working with our in-house consultancy, Arcadian Ecology & Consulting Ltd. In September we teamed up with Lakeside North Harbour in Portsmouth to deliver a brand-new partnership, helping them rewild areas of their business campus and reconnect everyone with the wonderful wildlife they have on site.

September also saw the return of corporate volunteering, with employees from our partners at DP World Southampton joining the Secrets of the Solent team for a beach clean and shoreline species search.

If you would like to find out more about how your company can support us, get in touch with Michelle at corporates@hiwwt.org.uk

Free gardening advice We have launched a new programme to give free gardening advice to local residents in order to help them make more space for nature.

Our Wilder Garden Champions are a group of passionate gardeners who are volunteering their time to provide expert advice to anyone wishing to bring nature back to their home, no matter how big or small their garden is.

Your Wilder Garden Champion will call at a time that suits you both and discuss ways in which you could make space for nature in your garden. A typical consultation will last between 30 and 60 minutes.

Find out more www.hiwwt.org.uk/ wilder-garden-champions-advice

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News in brief

WILD NEWS Reversing the decline of insects Earlier this year The Wildlife Trusts published a new report titled ‘Reversing the Decline of Insects’ which shows how people in every part of society, and wherever they live, can take action to bring back insects.

The publication follows the ‘Insect declines and why they matter’ report, launched last year, which examined mounting evidence that insect populations are close to collapse. It concluded that if insect declines are not halted, terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems will collapse, with profound consequences for human

wellbeing. The Wildlife Trusts are calling on the government to reverse the decline of insects by: ● Setting an ambitious pesticide reduction target that matches or exceeds the EU’s target of reducing the use of (and risk from) chemical pesticides by 50% by 2030 ● Not weakening UK pesticide standards through future trade deals ● Supporting farmers to adopt insectfriendly farming practices Read the full report at: www.hiwwt.org. uk/reversing-decline-insects

Forest school success Earlier this year, our Swanwick Lakes Education Officer, Dawn Preston, became the 13th person in the UK to be endorsed by the Forest School Association, securing her place in a well-respected group of expert practitioners. Forest School is a specialised learning approach that takes place in a natural, woodland environment. Learners take part in hands-on activities designed to boost confidence and self-esteem.

The Trust is passionate about good quality Forest School being available to all, right across the two counties, and delivering our own Forest School training is one way we achieve this.

To find out more about Forest School, visit: www.hiwwt.org.uk/ forest-school

ED MERRITT

NAT LIGHT

Vitacress Farm Excellence We’re delighted to be a partner in the new Vitacress Farm Excellence programme, which will increase the sustainability of their farming techniques across leaf crop, protected growing, and aquaculture. The programme is certified by LEAF Marque, which provides independent assessment of sustainability standards in farmed foods.

We’ve worked with Vitacress and LEAF to undertake ecological surveys, and have developed tailored biodiversity management plans for several farms.

These surveys have revealed the presence of species such as bats, otters, kingfishers and grey wagtails. The programme takes an outcomes-based approach, so environmental improvements will be measured by continued monitoring by both Vitacress staff and our inhouse consultancy, Arcadian Ecology & 14

Consulting Ltd. The programme will also benefit from bespoke reporting by LEAF, who, in addition, will bring their expertise in upskilling farmers to ensure a strong legacy for any improvement made. Our surveys and recommendations will form part of broader conservation plans for each farm, which will ensure that the food grown there meets the LEAF Marque Standard.

We’re proud to work with Vitacress on this programme, which continues a productive working relationship of 15 years. During this time, they have made substantial investments in species and habitat conservation and demonstrated a strong commitment to sustainable farming. This new programme could raise the bar for their industry and protect the natural resources upon which it relies.

New project to control non-native plants Our work to control the spread of invasive plants on the Lower Avon river will recommence this spring thanks to funding from the Environment Agency.

The Lower Avon Non-Native Plant Project will target Japanese knotweed, giant hogweed, parrot’s feather, skunk cabbage and Himalayan balsam. These invasive non-native species can harm the environment, are costly to the economy and can even pose a risk to human health.

Efforts to control non-native plants in the Lower Avon area began in 2010, but were halted in 2015 due to a lack of funding. Now, thanks to the Environment Agency’s support, the Lower Avon Non-Native Plant Project can resume this work and help prevent the issue from escalating further.

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WE NEED YOUR SUPPORT

TERRY WHITTAKER / 2020VISION

FOCUS ON...

Watercress and Winterbournes

W A TE R C R E SS & W I N TE R B O UR N E S

We’re working to protect: The Rivers Test and Itchen are iconic features of the Hampshire landscape, and the chalk streams that feed them are some of its greatest hidden treasures.

These globally scarce environments are home to species like water vole, brown trout and white-clawed crayfish, but face increasing pressure from issues like pollution, loss of habitat, and land management practices.

For the past two years we’ve worked with 15 partner organisations to develop a scheme that will tackle these issues: Watercress and Winterbournes. We were delighted when, in March of this year, the National Lottery Heritage Fund awarded us £1,937,800 to deliver our proposed Landscape Partnership Scheme. This funding will enable us to restore and protect seven Hampshire chalk streams over a five-year period.

Watercress and Winterbournes is highly varied, with activities ranging from repairing historic structures and exploring cultural heritage, to enhancing key habitats and protecting rare species.

Local communities, who were central to shaping the scheme, will also be at the

heart of its delivery: with our training and support they’ll be empowered to safeguard their streams for years to come.

Like many Wildlife Trust initiatives, the scheme’s launch was sadly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. With safety of paramount importance, public activities were paused and the recruitment of staff was put on hold. During this time we beavered away behind the scenes, and in late summer were able to make further progress with safety protocols in place.

Since then we’ve removed invasive non-native species with our brilliant volunteers, and run training sessions on topics like water vole surveying and invertebrate identification. We’ve also begun our first habitat restoration works, including installing a fish pass on the Bourne Rivulet and removing sediment on the River Arle and the Candover Brook.

The new year will see even more activities, including our small grant scheme and our education programme for local young people begin. In the meantime there are lots of ways to get

● Bourne Rivulet ● Candover Brook ● Cheriton Stream ● Pillhill Brook ● River Arle ● Upper Anton ● Upper Test

involved, including signing up for our e-newsletter and attending our online events. If you live along one of the streams, you have even more ways to take part, so please do get in touch.

We’re also seeking people to join us as specialist volunteers – Chalk Stream Champions – in a wide variety of roles.

These could include conducting wildlife surveys, running events, or capturing the scheme’s progress on camera. However you join in, you’ll receive training and support from the partners and our welcoming volunteer community.

For more information visit www.hiwwt.org.uk/Watercress andWinterbournes Wild Life | Winter 2020

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Big gains in

small spaces A garden that might seem small to us can be a huge space for wildlife. Kate Bradbury reveals how you can optimise your space for wildlife.

Home sweet home You don’t need a large garden to hang a bee hotel, only a wall or fence. Erect bird boxes in the eaves for sparrows or swifts, or place a tit box 1-2m from the ground.

Layer bulbs in pot Layer alliums and crocus in the same pot. Crocuses flower in March, then the alliums will grow and the crocuses die down, creating food for bees for longer in the same pot.

Grow climbing plants Clothe every inch of your space with plants to provide shelter for insects.

You might find night-flying moths resting here during the day!

Feed the birds Hanging feeders of sunflower hearts, mixed seed and fat balls can save the lives of birds in winter and also help in the breeding season.

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ILLUSTRATION BY HANNAH BAILEY, PHOTO © SARAH CUTTLE

Wildlife gardening needn’t just be for those with large gardens. Any space, no matter how small, can be used to create habitats for wildlife. Put together, our gardens take up more land than all of our nature reserves combined. So you might not think your garden has much potential as a wildlife habitat, but taken as part of a much wider network of linked spaces, yours could be one small but vital piece in a vast jigsaw of connected habitats.

Small spaces add up for wildlife because they contribute to ‘wildlife corridors’, which enable wildlife to travel, often between other habitats.

You might have a small garden close to a park. By digging holes beneath your fences on either side you will be creating a corridor for hedgehogs to reach the park, potentially opening up huge new spaces for them (especially if your neighbours do the same). You might grow a few flowering plants on a balcony. These could provide a stepping stone of nectar, enabling butterflies and other insects to travel greater distances in search of a mate. These

corridors are important because they enable wildlife to increase their populations and adapt more easily to climate change. Some species are already shifting in a northerly direction — if there are no corridors or stepping stones to help them on their way, they’ll have less chance of surviving.

You can tailor your garden to meet your needs as much as those of wildlife. No room for a pond? Try a little container pond, instead. Worried trees will grow too big for your space? Consider shrubs such as hazel, guelder rose and spindle. You can grow plants that flower over a long period to provide as much nectar and pollen as possible, such as perennial wallflower, catmint and salvias. Even just letting the grass grow in one patch. Anything you do will make a difference.

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

Gardens of all sizes can help save our struggling insects. Get a free guide to helping insects at home: wildlifetrusts.org/take-action-insects

Add water Container ponds and birdbaths are great for bringing wildlife into small spaces.

Let long grass grow Even the smallest patch of long grass will provide shelter and food for a range of species. You should get wildflowers popping up, too.

Wild highways Hedges shelter wildlife and offer access to your garden, but if you have fences, a hole in, or beneath, them on either side provides a lifeline to mammals and amphibians.

Grow caterpillar food plants Even small gardens have room for a few caterpillar foodplants. Try foxgove, primrose, hops, honeysuckle and red campion, or nettles in larger spaces.

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ALEXANDER MUSTARD

Seagrass meadows are important habitats for many of our marine species, including spiny seahorses.

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HIDDEN MEADOWS

Hidden meadows Marine Biologist Nia Hâf Jones introduces a hidden world beneath the waves, where seahorses roam fields of seagrass.

I

float weightlessly on the surface, swaying back and forth as the gentle waves carry me over the meadow. Fish dart in and out and I notice snakelocks anemones clinging to the thin, bright green leaves, the seagrass seemingly unaffected by their weight. I’m enthralled and my focus softens — there’s something auroral in the way the light dances and the seagrass sways. It occurs to me that I had never really appreciated how lucky I was to live so close to of one of the UK’s greatest habitats.

Underwater meadows

Globally, there are around 60 species of seagrass, though only four are native to the UK and only two of those are considered ‘true’ seagrasses. These incredible species are the only flowering plants in the UK that can live and pollinate in seawater.

They have long, green, ribbon-shaped leaves and can grow in small discrete patches or vast beds spanning hectares. Like other plants, they flower, develop fruit, produce seeds and are anchored by a network of interwoven roots that extract nutrients from the sediment. These traits distinguish them from seaweeds, which are often mistaken for plants, but do not have roots, and instead anchor using a holdfast and take nutrients directly from the water.

For seagrasses to thrive, they need lots of light and shelter from waves and currents. When conditions are right, the beds they form create a fantastic habitat for a host of wildlife. They stabilise and oxygenate the sediment, slowing down water flow and making the area more hospitable for other species. The leaves themselves provide a surface for marine life to live on, such as anemones, hydroids, sea-squirts, sea mats and brown, red and coralline algae. Some of the rarer

‘hangers-on’ include the weird and wonderful stalked jellyfish with their alien-like appearance.

Exploring a seagrass bed, you might spot two of the UK’s rarest and much loved species — the seahorses.

Both short-snouted and long-snouted seahorses are associated with seagrass, where they cling on to the leaves with their prehensile tail to stop themselves from being swept away by the tide. Long-snouted seahorses, also known as spiny seahorses, live amongst the seagrasses, whereas short-snouted seahorses prefer sandy and rocky areas nearby.

There’s something auroral in the way the light dances and the seagrass sways.

Seagrass also provides the perfect nursery for many fish, like pollack, cod, and dab, thanks to the high level of shelter provided by the seagrass itself and an abundance of food available for young fish to eat. Other species, like lobsters, have also been shown to shelter in the sediment during their early life stages and you don’t have to look for long to see signs of burrowing creatures, such as lugworm or sea potato. Hermit crabs, anemones, pipefish, shore crabs, cuttlefish and all sorts of sea-snails also call this diverse habitat home.

It’s easy to see why these rich habitats are sometimes referred to as underwater meadows. Just like their more familiar, terrestrial namesakes, healthy seagrass meadows are a wonderful place to enjoy the diversity of wildlife we have in the UK. Wild Life | Winter 2020

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In numbers

SNAKELOCKS ANENOME, LITTLE CUTTLEFISH © MARKNTHOMASIMAGES.CO.UK, JUVENILE CUCKOO WRASSE © PAUL NAYLOR, HERMIT CRAB © ALEXANDER MUSTARD/2020VISION

more species can be found within a seagrass meadow than on the bare sand next to it.

Estimates show that one hectare of healthy seagrass can support up to

The canary of the sea

Globally, even though seagrass occupies only 0.1% of the seafloor, it accounts for between

of its annual carbon storage.

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Hermit crabs, lobsters, shore crabs and other crustaeceans call seagrass meadows home.

Naturally, the extent and distribution of seagrass changes with seasonal and annual cycles. Physical disturbance in the form of the occasional storm may help keep it healthy and productive, but persistent disturbance and added human pressures have taken their toll. In the 1930s a significant proportion of seagrass in the UK died from a wasting disease, which attacks the leaves and prevents photosynthesis, killing the plant. With added human impact it is estimated that we have lost 92% of our seagrass in the last century.

Researchers have dubbed seagrass beds the canaries of the sea — they reflect the general health of our oceans and human impact is becoming increasingly clear.

The threats are varied. Nutrient run-off is a doublewhammy: whilst toxic to seagrass it also stimulates growth in algae which competes with the seagrass for space and light. Invasive alien species also compete with seagrass and, in many places, it’s a competition they’re winning. Coastal development creates sediment that smothers the beds and damage by anchor chains, moorings, propellers and launching vehicles is also evident where boating activity is prevalent. Even trampling by coast users can be an issue at low tide.

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The colour-changing little cuttlefish can sometimes be found in seagrass.

Seagrass meadows are important nurseries for young fish, like these juvenile cuckoo wrasse.

Snakelocks anemones are one of the many species that can be found living on seagrass leaves.

Blue carbon

By losing seagrass we also lose the diversity of species that live there. But there’s even more at stake.

Seagrass beds provide a whole host of essential ecosystem services. They filter pollutants, cycle nutrients, stabilise sediments and reduce coastal erosion. They also absorb huge amounts of carbon and because of this are increasingly recognised in the attempt to tackle the climate crisis and are considered an important natural solution. Seagrass beds sequester carbon — known as ‘blue carbon’ — in two ways: through photosynthesis and by trapping and stabilising particles from the water column.

If undisturbed, carbon can be locked into seagrass sediments for millennia. It is therefore incredibly important that this special habitat is protected.

It is estimated that we have lost 92% of our seagrass in the last century.

Luckily seagrass is resilient and, given the chance, can recover. Whilst habitat management is not easy in the sea it is possible! Seagrass restoration projects are being piloted in the UK, with the help of The Wildlife Trusts. Seeds are being collected from various sites and cultivated, ready for replanting to create new meadows. Other work includes looking at mooring systems that reduce the physical impact of boating and educating people around the importance of seagrass. Whilst these meadows may remain unseen by many, they have a crucial role in bringing about nature’s recovery in the sea. Fortunately, they feature in a number of our Marine Protected Areas, but designation is just the first step — to ensure their long-term future active management is essential before they lose the capacity to recover altogether.

Nia Hâf Jones is the Living Seas Manager for North Wales Wildlife Trust.

One of her favourite snorkel sites is the seagrass beds of Porthdinllaen.

Find out more about our wonderful seagrass habitats in the UK and the projects to save them

www.wildlifetrusts.org/seagrass

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TEAM WILDER

TEAM Welcome to Team Wilder - where local people are coming together and taking action for wildlife.

We love hearing from our members, so if you’re helping wildlife where you live, we want to know about it! Email us at wilder@hiwwt.org.uk or post to Magazine Editor, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust, Vicarage Lane, Curdridge, Hampshire SO32 2DP.

Mandy from Portsmouth

My wilder garden project

MANDY STRAHAN

As part of a project to rewild our urban garden, we built a pond. We didn’t have to wait long for the wildlife to start using it. Before we had even added the plants, the pigeons had moved in for a communal bath. Within a month the plants were looking established, some flowered and we had regular daily visits from all types of birds (drinking and bathing), and our first blue damselfly.

We’ve seen an increase in hoverflies and other small insects, and our cat uses it as his personal giant water bowl!

Mathilde from Portsmouth ALAN PRICE

I feel more connected to nature now Goldfinches helped me to stay positive during lockdown.

I have learnt to recognise their particular song, and my toddler can recognise them outside and in a bird ID book. Now, after lockdown has eased, every time I see a goldfinch in the street (and there are many actually!), it reminds me about the time I spent in the garden, taking the time to observe and learn about this bird.

Being part of Team Wilder also helped me keep positive, looking at beautiful pictures and reading anecdotes and findings that people shared online. I have learnt a lot thanks to this group.

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TEAM WILDER

Curtis from Hayling Island

My plants helped nature and people in need

TRACY JACOBS

I go to a Wilder School in Havant where some of my classmates set up the Pollinator Promise campaign to encourage people to set aside one metre squared of their gardens for pollinators. In lockdown, I didn’t go to school so I couldn’t take action for nature with my class. But I have instead really enjoyed growing my own vegetables. Some of them we bought from seed packs, but most exciting was taking the seeds out of the peppers and tomatoes that mummy had in the fridge and waiting for the green shoots to show! I grew so many – we didn’t know what to do, so at first I sold them in order to get some pocket money, but then I thought of families that might be struggling, so I offered most of what I earnt to a local charity.

Nat from Eastleigh

Making way for pollinators at college

NAT SERGII

I am currently a sixth form student and this year I have been part of our newly created allotment team. In our attempts to get the allotment established and encourage crops to grow, I thought about the importance of pollinators.

I had the idea of creating a wildflower bank that I could use as my extended project qualification which tied in nicely to my geography and environmental science A-Levels. The allotment project leader, Adrian, was extremely enthusiastic about my plans and I immediately began to source wildflower seeds to sow on it. I researched which wildflowers and plants would be best to cultivate to encourage all types of bees to create a successful pollinator corridor. Luckily, just one week before lockdown, I had sown the wildflower seeds, but it wasn’t until several months later that I was able to see the results. When I finally returned to college, the wildflower bank was bursting with colour and teeming with life. It was so much better than I had hoped.

It just goes to show how much doing nothing can help our local wildlife.

Jill from Southampton

JILL DOUBLEDAY

A sign to take action During June, I took part in 30 Days Wild, and for the first time I was able to do something wild every day. Team Wilder was a great source of inspiration for this. In my small front garden, I made log piles to attract more bugs for my local starlings, sparrows, and hedgehogs. A Team Wilder member in Portsmouth shared her craft idea of making windowsill plant pots to shout about Action for Insects.

My windowsills are too narrow, so I came up with the idea of my gate sign, letting passers-by know why I was letting ‘weeds’ grow on the path. A few days later, a delivery driver told me how much he liked it, because people didn’t realise the importance of insects. I hope I can inspire others to let the wild into their gardens – not only for the wildlife, but for the joy it can bring to us too.

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6 places to see Hidden forests

A

WITCHES’ WHISKERS LICHEN © ADRIAN DAVIES/NATURE PL

cross the UK, hidden forests of lichen are waiting to be discovered. They thrive in almost any environment with enough light, from the rocky mosaics of dry stone walls to the gnarled bark of ancient woodlands. Lichens are fascinating things — not one organism, but a symbiotic coupling of one or more fungus species and an alga or cyanobacterium (or occasionally both). They live in harmony, the fungus providing structure and the other organism making food through photosynthesis. They’re often overlooked, but closer inspection reveals a world in miniature, with lichens growing in sprawling shapes like the trunks, branches and leaves of the forests in which many of them grow. It seems as if no two lichens are alike, each patch a work of chaotic art, from moss-green cups to rust-coloured mats. With a searching eye and an open mind, lichens can brighten any walk in the wild.

Usnea florida, a beard-lichen also known as witches’ whiskers, is a declining species found mainly on trees in South West England.

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5

See the spectacle

for yourself

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4

1 2 3

1 Roydon Woods Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust This enchanting ancient woodland is known for its wildflowers, but the lichens draping the ageing trees are just as impressive.

Where: Brockenhurst, SO42 7UF 2 Blashford Lakes Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust This beautiful nature reserve has a rich and fascinating lichen heath, different to an ancient woodland, the lichens here colonised on new ground in the late twentieth century.

Where: Ringwood, BH24 3PJ 3 Eaglehead and Bloodstone Copses Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust These two connected reserves form a splendid ancient woodland, and are home to a few locally rare spring head lichens such as wet red lichen.

Where: Isle of Wight, PO36 0NT 4 Keyhaven Marshes Nature Reserve, Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust Travel from the reserve down to Hurst Spit, one of the best maritime rock sites in Hampshire, to see an assemblage of lichens that can be found on hard rock coasts.

Where: Lymington, SO41 0TP 5 Roundton Hill, Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust Once the site of an Iron Age hillfort, this impressive landscape supports almost 200 species of lichen. Look for them on the shady underhangs of volcanic rock outcrops.

Where: Church Stoke, SY15 6EL 6 Isles of Scilly, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust One of the best places for lichens in the UK. The granite cairns of Peninnis Head offer a good selection, with a backdrop of spectacular sea views. The islands are also home to rare species like gilt-edged lichen.

Did you discover any lichen?

We’d love to know how your search went.

Please tweet us your best photos of the lichens that take your liking! @hantsiwwildlife

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BRINGING NATURE TO YOU

Bringing nature to you How we brought the outside in when the safest place to be was behind closed doors.

Learning online

In ordinary circumstances, we offer a varied range of learning and volunteering opportunities. Usually this would entail getting together at a local nature reserve, but when this hasn’t been possible, we have taken our courses online.

Through video calls and digital presentations, we have hosted a range of online courses, including wildflower identification, which proved very popular, and attendees left feeling enthused and keen to learn more.

While homeschooling became a firm (and unfamiliar) fixture in many people’s lives, our outdoor learning online meet-ups have been well received.

These sessions have given participants an open platform on which to share ideas and experiences for outdoor lessons, as well as inspiration for creating enriching outdoor spaces.

O

n March 23, we watched on as the Prime Minister addressed the nation, plunging the UK into lock-down. The instruction was simple: ‘you must stay at home’.

As a member of the Wildlife Trust, you will know that encouraging people to get together and experience their local wildlife is a big part of what we do. So, when we couldn’t welcome people onto our nature reserves, host events or visit local communities, we had to think outside the box.

Deacon Hill

● Visit the website for a list of new online

courses www.hiwwt.org.uk/events

Oil beetle

CARMEN GREEN

Windows into the wild

We know how beneficial nature can be for our wellbeing, so when the safest place to be was behind closed doors, we had to find a different way for people to experience local wildlife. To this end, we created virtual guided tours around some of our nature reserves – online windows into the wild.

Our Reserves Officers took viewers on online explorations through Newchurch Moors, Broughton Down and our newest nature reserve, Deacon Hill. These videos showcased the wonderful wildlife these sites have to offer, with expert commentary from the people who know them best. ● You can see all our virtual guided tours at www.youtube.com/HIOWWT

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BRINGING NATURE TO YOU

Colours, cards, and creative cooking

With everyone cooped up indoors, we wanted to share some simple, fun activities for families to do at home. We’ve shared how to make wildlife-themed top-trump cards, how to create a colour palette with natural materials, and how to make ‘bredgehogs’ – you guessed it – edible hedgehogs made of bread! ● Sign up to our e-newsletter to receive regular ideas and activities

you can do at home www.hiwwt.org.uk/newsletter

Diving into digital

JOLYON CHESW

ORTH

While many people were unable to visit the seaside, Secrets of the Solent Community Engagement Officer, Emily Stroud, launched a series of online discovery sessions to bridge the gap.

With the help of her two cats, Sheldon and Raj, Emily created a sequence of videos, each one showcasing a species found in our local waters. Starting with the common whelk, Emily introduced viewers to the weird and wonderful secrets of the Solent, so even while the beach was off-limits, local marine-life was a click and a scroll away.

Whelk

● Follow Emily’s online discovery sessions at

www.youtube.com/HIOWWT

Jay

MARK HAMBLIN / 2020VISION

Species spotlights

A twenty-minute stroll is much more enjoyable if you can identify the species you see and learning more about wildlife can help you feel closer to it, especially when getting outside isn’t an option. So, we created a video series ‘Bringing nature to you’ where Education Officer, Susan Simmonds, put a spotlight on some of our local plants and animals.

We’ve featured dandelions, primroses and jays, as well as oil beetles, butterflies and other seasonal species. Susan brings them to life on screen, talking through all the things that make them special, their place in the ecosystem and where you are most likely to find them. ● Watch Susan’s ‘Bringing nature to you’ series at www.youtube.com/HIOWWT

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NATURE CONNECTIONS

Inspiring the Island with

Down to the Coast The eastern Isle of Wight is home to many natural wonders. Its wetlands provide a haven for kingfishers, water voles, Cetti’s warblers, and water-loving plants like marsh cinquefoil. Its shores feature valuable habitats like saltmarshes and saline lagoons, which support a huge range of marine wildlife and coastal birds. Its woodlands shelter dormice, red squirrels, and specialist plants like the native bluebell.

Sadly, this diversity and richness is under pressure from human activity.

Alterations to the Eastern Yar River have reduced the number and health of wetlands, the coasts are increasingly busy but are under-valued, and the woodlands are often not managed for the benefit of wildlife. Overall, the relationship between local people and their environment has been weakened.

From 2016 to 2020 we were a key partner

Wetland Restoration The Eastern Yar is the longest river on the Island, rising from chalk downs near Niton and joining the sea at Bembridge.

Over the years the addition of steep-sided channels, concrete weirs, and other infrastructure has altered its natural course and detached it from its floodplain. This has resulted in the loss of precious wetland areas for wildlife.

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in Down to the Coast, a project that sought to address these issues.

With support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, a partnership of organisations enhanced the eastern Island through a range of projects – we were honoured to lead three of these.

Wetland Restoration expanded habitat diversity in the Eastern Yar valley, Wildbeach connected local children with coastal environments, and Woodland

Jamie Marsh, Senior Reserves Manager

The Wetland Restoration project established an interconnected series of wetlands across the river valley and beyond, the core of which is an eightkilometre stretch between Bembridge and Alverstone. We made improvements to our Sandown Meadows Nature Reserve, including adding scrapes and introducing conservation grazing.

We also purchased and restored 10 hectares of degraded pasture to create a new wetland – Morton Marsh Nature Reserve. In addition to improving our own land, we delivered restoration works at important sites like Bohemia Bog and Alverstone Marshes. We worked with landowners to restore reed beds, re-meander watercourses, and add fish

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NATURE CONNECTIONS

Wildbeach Kelly Wetherick, Wildbeach Officer

First cohort of Woodland Apprentices

Woodland Apprentices Verity Foster, Woodland Apprentice

Apprentices restored large areas of woodland while giving eight local young people the skills to pursue careers in conservation.

As Down to the Coast closes, we explore what these projects achieved for people and wildlife in this vibrant part of the Island. We would like to thank all the partners, volunteers, and communities who made the project possible – we couldn’t have done it without you.

passes to bridges and weirs. We also enhanced habitats and added wildlife walking routes at the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary.

With the help of our partners, and the volunteers who gave 3,350 hours of their time, we were able to make great strides towards returning this river valley to its former glory.

JACK RACKSTRAW

Morton Marsh Nature Reserve

For me, being a Woodland Apprentice was a springboard into a career in conservation. The invaluable skills and knowledge I gained by working with experts in woodland crafts, habitat management, and British wildlife have inspired me to continue in this field.

Working in such a diverse range of habitats on the Isle of Wight taught me so much about the different habitats around us and how to improve them.

I now work for Guildford Borough Council as part of their countryside team. We manage 53 sites of varying size and type, including wetlands, ponds, woodlands, and chalk downs. More than ever, the general public have an interest in what is going on around them, but I feel prepared and at ease when explaining the importance of countryside management – this has come from fantastic training by the Wildlife Trust.

Without the apprenticeship I would likely have finished university but been unable to find a job. I would have needed to volunteer for a couple of years before anyone looked at employing me.

Instead I’m two years into my career and thankful every day for all that I experienced during the apprenticeship it completely changed my life.

Connecting with nature is vitally important for children, as it plants the seeds for them to go through life caring for the natural world. For children living on an island, it is just as important for them to gain respect, understanding and affinity for the beach as a place to encounter wildlife. Wildbeach created opportunities for this by taking a holistic approach to learning in a coastal setting.

We ran sessions for local children who were under five, home educated, or identified as having additional needs.

We would prepare several activities, from rockpooling and seaweed safaris to digging for treasure and making shells necklaces. But nothing was prescriptive – the children chose the activities they wanted to do and were encouraged to explore independently.

The benefits of being outside are now well documented, and I witnessed them in real time. In particular, Wildbeach gave children who struggle in a classroom environment a way to really flourish and feel at ease. I will never forget the looks on the faces of our most memorable participants as they had their first encounters with nature. Through these experiences, they began to overcome their challenges and take new skills back into the classroom and beyond.

Shoreline crafts at a Wildbeach session.

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MY WILD LIFE

Trudi Lloyd Williams Trudi is an environmental artist who is collaborating with us for our project Secrets of the Solent. She tells us about her creative journey, her passion for windsurfing, and why she feels inspired by the sea.

I have always gravitated towards water – I think it has a magnetic pull on me. This caused great anxiety for my parents when I was younger, as I couldn’t swim until I was eight but often fell prey to watery hazards. Most memorably, at the age of four I fell off a busy pier in Ibiza and was kept afloat by the skirt of my dress, which encircled me like a rubber ring.

Luckily a man dived in and saved me!

In my twenties I was living in Cardiff and decided to try my hand at windsurfing. I loved it, and went out whenever I had the chance, but hadn’t a 30

clue about the winds, waves, and currents.

Moving to the South Coast enabled me to windsurf in Christchurch Bay, where every day was different and I could further observe the marine environment. The ocean became my plaything, but also my muse.

Getting into the racing side of windsurfing took me around the UK and abroad, from lakes and inland reservoirs to estuaries and the open sea. Not only was I improving my skills, I was also gaining a lot of knowledge about our waterways and the pressures they face. Some of this was from first-hand experience: I would often

get ill after being immersed all weekend, and began to realise that the water was polluted.

A seismic shift happened in 2003, when I completed my Master’s degree in public art and design for the environment. My final project was an installation on the River Lavant, a winterbourne that had violently flooded Chichester three years before. I studied this volatile river from its source to its estuary, learning about extraction, canalisation, sewage management, flooding, and pollution by phosphates and plastics.

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OUR WILDLIFE CHAMPIONS

Since 2008 I have been focused on raising awareness about marine plastic pollution through sculpture and community work.

People used to think this was bizarre, but now they better understand that our waterways can’t cope with what we throw at them, or in them! Most recently I spent time in the Ionian Islands as part of an international environmental art project called Lefkaxit, which addressed plastic pollution in coastal wetlands.

Following this passion has also allowed me to team up with environmental groups and organisations here at home. In 2014 I worked with Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust on a project of my creation, Jellytastic. This saw me sculpt jellyfish from plastic bottles, which were displayed in exhibitions along the South Coast.

The project engaged more than 20,000 people, including local schools and residents, in the issue of marine plastics.

Millings Chandelier by Trudi Lloyd Williams, New Forest National Park.

This initiative, like so many things, was on pause for much of the year due to Covid-19. With my local swimming pool closed too, I once again took to immersing myself in the sea. I felt the caress of the silty water even with a swimsuit, hat and goggles, and as I swam, the waves adorned me with earrings of drifting seaweed. Even now, in 2020, I am still trying to get in tune with my muse’s watery ways.

“Everywhere I go, I see the way we casually mistreat water bodies while also expecting them to provide for us.”

I use my art to draw people’s attention through a sensory experience; to engage them in difficult issues without alienating them. If you feel passionate about nature and wildlife, my advice is to find your own way to care for it.

Your passion matters - it will influence others, and together we will make change happen to protect the natural world we love.

Marine plastic litter

TRUDI LLOYD WILLIAMS

I am currently collaborating with the Wildlife Trust again, this time on an initiative called Spiny Seahorses and Ripping Yarns, which is part of their marine project Secrets of the Solent. I have been working with local people to collect plastic litter from our shores and transform it into something productive: a sculpture that intertwines the fragile world of the seahorse with the folklore of the sea shanty.

Seagrass meadows, and the seahorses that call them home, are among the greatest treasures of our waters. Both are precious, and both are threatened by our dependency on single-use plastics. The thrilling stories, or ‘ripping yarns’, of sailors’ shanties capture a time when we lived in harmony with the sea. Unless we change our ways, species like the spiny seahorse could be just a story to future generations.

TRUDI LLOYD WILLIAMS

That project was the start of my new creative path: art installations floating on, suspended above, or sitting adjacent to waterways. Since then I have worked on chalk rivers, man-made canals, inshore waters, salt marshes, wetlands, and the open sea. My explorations have not only taken me across the UK, but also to Greece and even the United Arab Emirates.

Everywhere I go, I see the way we casually mistreat water bodies while also expecting them to provide for us.

● We’re delighted to be collaborating with Trudi again – her commitment to raising awareness about environmental issues is truly inspiring. You can explore her previous work at www.trudilloydwilliams.co.uk You can also learn more about Spiny Seahorses and Ripping Yarns, including insights into Trudi’s research and creative process, at www.hiwwt.org.uk/ SecretsoftheSolent/RippingYarns

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Do something amazing for local wildlife

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Our new nature reserves, Newchurch Moors on the Isle of Wight and Deacon Hill near Winchester, were bought with the help of money left to the Trust as gifts in Wills. Each and every year money left in this way helps us to manage and improve our landscapes for wildlife.

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Leave a gift in your Will

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Do you have a vision of a wilder Hampshire and Island, where missing species return and thrive and where communities benefit from a flourishing natural world?

If so, once loved ones have been taken care of, could you do something amazing and leave a gift to local wildlife in your Will?

Find out more at www.hiwwt.org.uk/leave-gift-in-will SHORT EARED OWL - JEREMY ROBBINS

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