The buzz of conservation grazing meadows! A toxic cocktail of chemicals in rivers and seas
THYME TO GROW
Top tips for growing a delicious herb garden
Over the past six months, as part of our 60th Anniversary celebrations, members and supporters have been sharing their future hopes for wildlife. Unsurprisingly, we all want to put wildlife decline into reverse, with more space for nature in Nottinghamshire’s countryside and urban areas. With nature in crisis, time to put nature into recovery is fast running out. With a General Election just months away, the next Government must play a pivotal role if the UK is to meet globally agreed targets to ensuring 30% of land and seas is able to support wildlife by 2030. Without a commitment to meeting existing Government nature recovery targets, enforce existing policies and bring forward new policies, nature’s chances of recovery will be slim.
With the election countdown underway, The Wildlife Trusts have set out our priorities for the next Government. The 2023 State of Nature Report illustrated that the UK, already classified as one of the world’s most naturedepleted countries, continues to allow nature to decline. Alongside our sister Wildlife Trusts, we are therefore calling upon all political parties to commit to a plan to finally put this decline into reverse.
Policies must deliver species recovery, deal with water pollution, fund wildlife-friendly farming, enable healthy communities, and tackle climate change. All parties, whatever their hue or persuasion, must stand on a platform which demonstrably has nature’s recovery at its heart.
People across our county clearly care more about the state of our shared natural environment than ever – so politicians need to hear that message loud and clear.
Prospective Parliamentary Candidates (PPCs) are registering their desire to stand for election, to represent residents, including me and you, as an MP. Candidates will be vying for attention before they vie for your vote, so make sure you tell them that nature matters to you.
Download our General Election priorities and share your views on conversations with prospective candidates at wildlifetrusts.org/ general-election-2024-0
Make your voice heard – and complete the Great Big Nature Survey
The Wildlife Trusts have just relaunched this survey to find out what people in the UK really think about nature and how we, as a society, should protect it. Results also help The Wildlife Trusts hold Government to account over its environmental policies and priorities.
Have your say on these important issues by completing the survey today! If you've taken the survey before, don't be shy, take it again! This allows us to see if people's views change over time.
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Once you’ve completed the survey, please share the link with your contacts on social media – the more the merrier! wildlifetrusts. org/great-big-nature-survey
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We can’t do it without your support! Donate via our website donation form. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/donate
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This will help future generations to enjoy nature in Nottinghamshire as you have done. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/leave-legacy
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Explore a new site or revisit a favourite one! nottinghamshirewildlife.org/nature-reserves
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One of the delights of spring that’s easy to spot, given that it is both plentiful and stationary, is blackthorn blossom – on the same tree that provides sloe berries later in the year. Unlike most trees, the blossom of blackthorn appears before the leaves. This quirky feature gives rise to the phrase ‘blackthorn winter’ when early spring hedgerows filled with blossom can look like they have been dusted with a covering of snow. As well as providing a splash of flowers, blackthorn is a vital plant for wildlife throughout the year. Its delicate white flowers provide a source of nectar for insects in early spring when few other species are flowering. Its thorny branches provide added safety for nesting birds and brown hairstreak butterflies often lay their eggs on the fresh shoots in spring. The sloe berries start to appear in August, a favourite food of the Song Thrush. In addition, Blackthorn makes for a great hedgerow which in turn provides meadow boundaries for our conservation grazing livestock.
The history of UK rivers has seen raw sewage, waste chemicals and heavy metals poured into watercourses day in, day out. Great rivers like the Mersey were practically devoid of life, and as recently as the 1950s the River Thames was considered ‘biologically dead’. Today our rivers don’t (usually) resemble putrid open sewers lined with dead fish. Yet many problems remain – poor water quality poses a threat to nature, human health and our economy.
Headlines have exposed sewage spills, but the harm caused to wildlife is little understood. The UK Government’s Environment Act 2021 now requires water companies to monitor impacts and to prevent the most harmful spills. But even when wastewater is treated, the effluent from sewage treatment works may contain industrial chemicals, pharmaceuticals, household cleaning products, illicit drugs and microplastics. It’s also high in polluting nutrients like phosphorus, which fuel algal blooms, depleting oxygen and harming aquatic plants, insects, fish and other species.
Thanks to campaigning by supporters of The Wildlife Trusts and others, the UK Government was recently blocked from weakening water protections in places where nutrients are already harming sensitive rivers and coasts. These rules are known as nutrient neutrality and require developers to offset additional pollution from sewage from new housing. They help to prevent development from harming our most important wildlife sites.
Farming is the sector responsible for the greatest number of waters failing ecological standards. Excess fertiliser, manure, slurry and eroding soil can all deliver harmful doses of nitrogen or phosphorus to our rivers. Pesticides and veterinary medicines add into the mix. This toxic cocktail of chemicals also flows downstream, contaminating our seas. Grants can help farmers to provide sufficient storage capacity for slurry and to manage rainwater from yards and roofs that contributes to runoff. Essential environmental schemes encourage farmers to plant cover crops and riverside ‘buffers’ to prevent soil erosion.
Despite these efforts, collectively these pressures mean our waters are under huge strain. Across the UK, only 36% meet ecological standards and are in good enough condition for wildlife. In England, where pressures are greatest, the figure is just 16%.
Phosphorus pollution is the most common cause of failure, so water companies are required to upgrade numerous treatment works by 2030 to strip out phosphate, and more action will be needed from farming too.
From Dorset to Durham, Wildlife Trusts are finding novel ways to prevent nutrient pollution reaching our waters and creating habitat where nature can thrive. In Wiltshire, a chalk stream with habitat for spawning brown trout and endangered water vole is being protected by a restored wetland where road runoff and nutrient-loaded sediment is now captured from fields before it reaches the River Avon.
In Scotland, Warwickshire, Shropshire and Herefordshire, Wildlife Trusts are creating wetland features in farmland, river valleys and towns that capture water in the landscape, reducing flood risk downstream and stopping sewers from being overwhelmed. In other areas, beavers are doing this work for us. Termed ‘nature-based solutions’, these approaches see nature playing a central role in helping to tackle pollution, whilst also creating spaces where eels, kingfishers, otters and other aquatic life can thrive.
The old adage ‘the solution to pollution is dilution’ only works up to a point. Instead, the priority must be prevention of pollution at source – all UK governments, farmers, water
companies and even the public all have a role to play. But then, when we’ve exhausted all efforts but still have pollution to tackle in our river systems, we know that nature can help.
Ask your local MP what they intend to do about river pollution and whether policies to protect clean rivers are part of their election manifesto. To find out more about our general election priorities visit wildlifetrusts.org/ end-river-pollution
Children have a huge appetite for nature. There’s an enormous world of wonderful wild things for them to discover, if they’re given the opportunity. The right experiences can build a connection to nature that will last a lifetime.
But as children get older, there are more distractions. Interests and hobbies are more likely to be influenced by friends than parents, or by the content they view online. If nature hasn’t fully captured their attention by now, that interest can slip away – though it often resurfaces later in life. So it’s important that we foster that connection to nature from as young an age as possible.
We worry about children’s access to technology being a blocker to spending time outside and connecting with nature. But I think technology can actually play a helpful role in breaking down barriers. As with everything, it’s all about balance. Often we’re out and about in nature, there’s wildlife around us, but we don’t really know what we’re seeing. Putting a name to the things we see or hear can help build an interest, and there are some incredible apps available to help with that, like Merlin Bird ID. You can even use them as a family and learn together.
The way we interact with the world has changed. Computers, apps, social media – they aren’t going away anytime soon. We can embrace them to spark children’s creativity. You can go online and find a tutorial for making pinecone creatures or other wildlife-inspired crafts, or follow role models using their digital platforms to inspire change. We’re seeing a fantastic rise in young nature activists, almost mini celebrities amongst young people. It’s a wonderful thing.
The more our young people care about the environment and nature, the better hope we have for a green and sustainable future. But it’s about far more than that. There’s so much evidence to show that young people who have that connection to nature, who experience nature in their daily lives, are happier and healthier. There are many reasons to encourage children to pursue an interest in nature, and happier children is a big one.
Knowledge of the natural world – and the state it is currently in – can sometimes feel like a burden as well as a blessing. Many of us worry about the future. The climate is changing and we’re seeing huge losses of wildlife. Children are not immune to these fears, and we shouldn’t try to hide the truth from them. But the way we present these facts matters. It’s easy to drown in the negative, but that won’t help to change things.
The most important thing we can do as adults is empower young people to feel like they can actually do something, and that their voice matters. We can help alleviate their climate anxiety by showing them that they can get involved with doing something good for the planet, wherever they live. The best place to start is by setting an example for them to follow, in the way we view nature and the actions we take to help it. If children see the adults around them caring, listening to the concerns, and taking meaningful action to help, it can be a huge inspiration.
Technology can help you connect with wildlife from the comfort of your own home. Check out our webcams wildlwildlifetrusts.org/webcams
For ways to help the young people around you to nurture a connection to nature, visit The Wildlife Trusts’ Wildlife Watch website. You’ll find downloadable wildlife spotter guides, self-guided activities and actions to help wildlife and more.
Get inspired at wildlifewatch.org.uk
Maddie Moate is one of the few familyfocused ‘Edu-tubers’ in the UK and has been creating fun educational science videos for the past eight years, amassing more than 210,000 subscribers and over 56 million views on her own YouTube channel.
It has been an amazing 25 years since we launched our corporate partnerships programme, now referred to as our Business Partnerships.
Through partnerships with companies ranging from a local brewery to holiday park companies, we have worked to create a wilder Nottinghamshire for all. Small and large organisations alike have supported us financially or fundraised for us via their staff. In turn, we have provided advice for enhancing wildlife habitats on their sites, engaged staff in conservation tasks during Wild Work Days on our nature reserves and shared resources such as conferencing facilities, like we did last year for our hybrid AGM at Capital One.
Your support is already making a positive difference for nature across Nottinghamshire and is truly appreciated. But did you know that if you’re a UK taxpayer you can enable us to claim Gift Aid on your membership subscription and additional donations – at no extra cost to yourself.
This soon adds up and raises even more funds to protect and restore local wildlife. That’s why we’re asking you today to make sure that, if eligible, you’ve provided us with a Gift Aid declaration.
How does it work?
If you’re a UK taxpayer, the value of your gift to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust can be increased by 25% under the Gift Aid scheme, at no additional cost to you. Using Gift Aid means that for every £1 you give, we can claim an additional 25p from HM Revenue and Customs, helping your gift go even further.
So, if you would like the place you work at to collaborate with us, or know about a company that would, do get in touch. We can chat about different ways businesses can support us and get involved in working together for a wilder Nottinghamshire.
Our Business Partnerships Manager Emily Patrick can be emailed at epatrick@nottswt.co.uk for more information and to discuss opportunities, but in the meantime, have a look at what we already do and who already support us at nottinghamshirewildlife. org/support-us/business-partnerships
Following the restoration of the exploratory well sunk in 2019, a near decade-long fight to prevent ‘fracking’ of shale gas just 120 metres from our Misson Carr Nature Reserve (SSSI) has been won.
Given the scale of investment in and level of government backing for shale exploration, many saw this as a ‘David vs Goliath’ fight we simply couldn’t win. However, the determination of residents and others - plus unstinting expert technical objections from Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust prove that we can win the day.
The fight to save Misson’s wildlife was, at times, bitter. Protesters were arrested after the developer secured injunctions and residents had the threat of fracking on their doorstep hanging over them for far too long.
For years the Trust worked closely with Frack Free Misson, Misson Parish Council, Friends of the Earth and others – and despite the pain and effort - now the spectre of shale gas extraction has finally gone, we can reflect on the power of collaboration.
Look out for more details about this momentous campaigning success on our website and in the next issue of Nottinghamshire Wild Life.
Owls became emblematic of the efforts to safeguard the site’s wildlife with campaigners producing banners and other materials featuring the bird
Gift Aid is reclaimed from the tax you pay in the relevant tax year. If you pay less Income Tax and / or Capital Gains Tax than the amount of Gift Aid claimed on all your donations that tax year, it is your responsibility to pay any difference.
How can I sign up?
Visit our website at nottinghamshirewildlife.org/gift-aid where you can complete a Gift Aid declaration form and can also take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions section for more information.
If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of the form, please contact us at membership@nottswt.co.uk or by phone on 0115 958 8242 and we will be happy to send a form in the post for you to complete and return.
number in this article.
Thank you!
Thank you to all our members. Your support continues to make a difference, helping to create homes for wildlife and beautiful places for people to visit and experience the natural world.
Together we are creating a wilder Nottinghamshire.
Discover how
The Wildlife Trusts are helping wildlife across the UK
After almost completely disappearing from UK seas, bluefin tuna made a comeback in 2023
he creation of the first Highly Protected Marine Areas in English water made 2023 an historic year for marine conservation. This huge milestone was achieved thanks to years of campaigning by The Wildlife Trusts’ sealoving supporters. The new gold-standard of protection will stop all damaging activities such as trawling and will help marine life to recover, benefitting fishers and boosting carbon storing habitats at sea. These special places cover less than half a percent of English seas though, so it’s just the first tiny step towards better protected seas.
Marine areas weren’t the only reason to celebrate last year, with The Wildlife Trusts’ Marine Review 2023 also showing an exciting rise in sightings of apex predators – those at the very top of the food chain – in our seas. One species that created an incredible spectacle off the UK coast this year was
bluefin tuna. Dan Abbott, cinematographer, witnessed a bluefin tuna feeding event in UK waters. He said: “The first indicator that something exciting was about to happen was seeing lots of seabirds – mainly gannets and shearwaters – gathering. As they have an aerial view, seabirds can often be a great indicator of where fish and marine mammals may be below the surface. As the tuna feed, the surface appears like boiling water as these powerful and agile fish speed through the sea.” Atlantic bluefish tuna were once common in UK waters, but overfishing caused numbers to plummet during the 20th century, with the fish all but vanishing from our waters by the 1990s.
Humpback and fin whales, which were once more common around our coasts, also showed promising signs of recovery in 2023. Humpback whales were seen off Burhou, a small island northwest of Alderney (part of
Basic rules that help protect hedgerows and rivers on or surrounding farmland expired on 31st December 2023, with nothing to replace them – putting wildlife in our countryside at greater risk of harm.
These rules, known as ‘cross compliance’ had to be followed by farmers if they wanted to receive rural farm payments from UK Government between 2005 and 2023. To qualify, farmers were not permitted to farm up to the edge of rivers, so as to help prevent soil and farm pollution from being washed into the water. There were also rules about when hedgerows could be cut so that breeding farmland birds were protected at the most important times of year. Legislation has now been passed to ensure farmers do not
cut hedgerows in the bird breeding season between 1st March and 31st August.
Following the UK’s exit from the European Union, the UK Government announced that this rule would cease to exist at the end of 2023, but that it would be replaced by new UK rules. However, no new rules are in place, and the Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) has not confirmed whether these protections for nature will be maintained. Meanwhile, nature on farms is in limbo, with nesting birds in danger and our already struggling rivers and streams at risk of increased pollution.
The Wildlife Trusts have joined forces with National Trust and RSPB to urge the UK Government to uphold
the Channel Islands) and off Cornwall. There were also increased sightings of Northern fin whales, the second largest mammal in the world. Meanwhile it was a bumper year for Risso’s dolphins, with 156 sightings in 2023, compared to 45 in 2022! Reports of ‘superpod’ feeding frenzies were reported, with common dolphins and fin whales joining in. It wasn’t all good news however, as in contrast to these wins, the global pandemic of avian flu has sadly continued to devastate UK seabirds. While there are signs that some birds are showing immunity, vast numbers have been lost.
Discover more about our 2023 marine review here wildlifetrusts.org/news/ marine-review
protections for nature while providing much better support for farmers. We would like to see farmers paid to take a ‘whole farm’ approach to naturefriendly farming through better designed payment schemes and access to quality independent advice on the best actions that can be taken on their farms. Find out more at wtru.st/hedgerows
With a general election expected in 2024, The Wildlife Trusts have been investigating how much nature matters to our supporters and the general public, and whether the nature policies set out by political parties will influence how they vote.
We carried out two nationwide surveys, which revealed that environmental charities are
supported by a large and politically diverse range of people – with voters feeling similarly connected to nature, regardless of where they identify on the left to right wing spectrum.
Results from Wildlife Trust supporters indicated that 61% would vote based on environmental policies and a further 32% are considering doing the same. Of all those
The Great Scottish Squirrel Survey had more participants than previous years, with just under 2,000 red and grey squirrel sightings across the country. Every record helps Scottish Wildlife Trust to understand population distributions and take targeted action to protect red squirrels. Sightings of both species can be reported all year-round. wtru.st/squirrel-sightings
Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is set to bring the UK's fastest declining mammal, water voles, back from the brink. Half a million pounds from Natural England’s Species Recovery Programme will create vital wetland habitat and restore 50km of rivers to increase water vole numbers. wtru.st/notts-water-vole
One of our most bizarre and beautiful rare birds, the curlew, is to get £230k worth of home improvements at Berkshire, Buckinghamshire & Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust (BBOWT) Gallows Bridge Farm nature reserve. New pools, security cameras and anti-predator fencing will help to create new bespoke habitat for this endangered species. wtru.st/curlew-habitat
surveyed (including non-supporters), only 7% didn’t believe that nature loss or climate change were a serious threat to humanity.
The upcoming general election will be vital for our natural world, and these results suggest that voters are calling on all political parties to make bold plans to restore nature, tackle water pollution and halt climate change.
With the flush of spring flowers in our woodlands well underway and the dawn chorus starting to build, the signs of spring are there for all to behold.
In the next few weeks once lambing at 1 Idle Valley Nature Reserve has concluded, lambs will be moved to parts of the reserve that benefit from early grazing. New members of what is affectionately known as our ‘Flying Flock’ will also arrive at other sites where early grazing will enhance the grassland habitat –including the Mons Pool area at 2 Besthorpe Nature Reserve, 3 Annesley Woodhouse Quarry and 4 Rainworth Heath
2024 will mark the 25th Anniversary of the establishment of our nature focussed grazing programme – when we purchased a small herd of Hebridean sheep and employed our first Shepherd. We’ve learned a lot about conservation grazing in the years since and we now have a mix of animals including a high proportion of cattle – giving us the flexibility to improve habitats including wet grassland, heathland and, of course, traditional hay meadows. For a more personal perspective on our grazing programme, check out the feature on Agnes Kiemel our Conservation Grazing Officer on page 15. Speaking of Mons Pool, 2024 will also see us mark the 25th Anniversary of acquiring the lease of our 2 Besthorpe Nature Reserve in the Trent Vale.
Whilst 25 years might seem a long time ago to many, its actually 50 years since initial talks were held about setting up a nature reserve at Holme Pierrepont – where we now care for the wonderfully diverse 5 Skylarks Nature Reserve – which we were able to massively extend and transform thanks to generous support for our appeal back in 2014. It is also 50 years since we rented 6 Foxcovert Plantation, near Calverton, for an initial fiveyear period – before purchasing the site some 21 years later in 1996.
Whilst it makes the logistics of travelling between our flagship reserves quite tricky, we are, in many respects, lucky to have major flagship sites at opposite ends of the county – ensuring huge numbers of people can access amazing wetlands on their doorsteps.
Our vision for 7 Attenborough Nature Reserve to be a site that sparks and supports people’s connection with nature is a step closer with the appointment of consultants to help us deliver our Attenborough for All consultation and we hope many members will participate to help us shape the future of this much-loved site.
At 1 Idle Valley Nature Reserve , the planned release of water voles to create a new ark site to help stimulate recovery of the species across the wider 1 Idle Valley Nature Reserve
If you’ve ever fancied getting to know this spectacular wetland landscape, why not join one of our ‘Adventure Walks’ – details of events at Idle Valley, and our other wonderful reserves can be found at nottinghamshirewildlife.org/events
is another example of our vision for the site to support the reintroduction of lost species and acts as a beacon as we seek to restore 30% of land for nature across the UK by 2030.
On a less positive note, our tree safety surveys have shown that Ash trees on many of our nature reserves are affected by Ash dieback disease. Caused by a fungus Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, the disease blocks water transport leading to lesions in the bark, leaf loss, dieback of the crown and eventual death of the tree.
Trees across the UK could be lost to the disease with a cost to the UK of £7 billion by 2030. Even though we’re still learning about the impacts, and the challenge is significant, we are fighting back – keeping a close eye on the health of trees in all our woods and working to balance health and safety considerations whilst seeking to retain ash where it is safe to do so. Allowing nature this space can provide the opportunity for any retained, and potentially tolerant ash, to naturally regenerate or for affected ash tree to provide deadwood habitats for wildlife.
For more details on how we’re turning this challenge into an opportunity to build resilience in our woodlands visit nottinghamshirewildlife.org/ ash-dieback
The State of Nature report is perhaps the most comprehensive account of the status of wildlife in the UK. It is produced by a partnership led by the RSPB, consisting of scientists, data analysts, nature conservation experts and communicators from across more than 60 organisations – including The Wildlife Trusts. The aim is to use the best available data from the last 50 years to better understand and share information on the status and trends of habitats and species across the UK (and the Crown Dependencies and Overseas Territories). As well as presenting data and stats, the report also tries to explain the reasons behind the numbers. The findings are widely used to demonstrate the need for greater action for wildlife and to help focus efforts.
The first State of Nature report was published in 2013 and then again in 2016 and 2019. Unfortunately, the latest report – launched in September 2023 – shows that wildlife across the UK is continuing to decline.
The UK continues to be one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world
But it isn’t all bad news. We know the reasons for the declines. We know that conservation actions work. We know what needs to be done.
Fewer and farther between
Nearly one in six species is at risk of extinction in the UK.
That is one of the headline statistics from the report. However, when you drill down into the detail behind this alarming statement, the numbers are even more stark for some species. For example, 31% percent of amphibians and reptiles (i.e. one in three) and 26% of terrestrial mammals (equating to one in four) are at risk of extinction across the UK.
Abundance is a measure of the number of a single species. Across the UK, the overall abundance of all the species studied has declined on average by 19% since 1970. However, a single number for all species masks some worrying long-term trends. The average abundance of moths has declined by 31% since 1970 and the rate of decline has not slowed. At sea, grey seal numbers have increased as they recover from historic hunting pressures but the numbers of 13 species of seabird have fallen by an average of 24% since 1986.
The numbers of common breeding birds has declined by 14% whilst farmland birds have suffered particularly strong declines in abundance of on average 58%. Whereas rare or colonising bird species have shown a strong increase over the long-term to 2020. This increase is due to some species recovering from very low population numbers – so it looks like a big increase – and the arrival of colonising species as a result of climate change.
Where species are found across the UK (known as distribution) is also changing. Since 1970, 54% of flowering plants have decreased in distribution across Great Britain. Invertebrates, such as insects and spiders, have been found, on average, in 13% fewer places now than in 1970. For those species that are important for pollination and crop pest control, the declines in abundance are even greater.
The report also considers habitat condition. Of the habitats important for wildlife, just one in seven of those assessed were in good condition and, worryingly, just 7% of woodlands and 25% of peatlands were assessed to be in a good state. None of the seafloor around the UK was found to be in good condition, mainly due to damage caused by fishing gear.
State of Nature reports on species changes since about 1970 when monitoring and data collection became more widespread and systematic. Before that, the UK had already experienced significant nature loss because of wildlife persecution and the way land use has changed.
Historically, the main drivers of decline have been habitat loss, development and the intensive way we manage our land and harvest our seas. These effects continue but are now being exacerbated by the impact of climate change and extreme weather events.
26% of terrestrial mammals are at risk of extinction across the UK.
Species recovery and habitat restoration projects make a difference. Improving habitat is good for nature and for people but it also helps to mitigate and adapt to the impacts of climate change. For many years, The Wildlife Trusts and a multitude of other organisations have been working tirelessly to restore the natural environment. We know what we are doing makes a difference but when pitted against increasing and external pressures, wildlife has continued to decline.
The State of Nature report sets out how effective targeted conservation effort has helped. For example, habitat management work has helped to stabilise populations of the Duke of Burgundy butterfly in the North York Moors and, nationally, the threat level for the butterfly has been changed from endangered to vulnerable. Skylark numbers are still falling but more positive trends have been seen where certain agrienvironment grants aimed at naturefriendly farming have been adopted.
In Scotland, targeted agri-environment action has supported corncrake numbers with increases from fewer than 500 males in 1993 to nearly 1,300 in 2014.
Protected areas – such as nature reserves – make a difference too. For example, State of Nature reports on research that has shown that protected areas had almost double the number of rare invertebrates compared to unprotected areas. Protected areas also help species that need to move because of climate change. In the
future, the species found on protected areas may change but their importance for nature will remain.
The Wildlife Trusts will continue to lead the way in large-scale, ambitious nature recovery projects, such as restoring temperate rainforests across the west of the British Isles and many river restoration projects across the UK, where beavers have been released. There are also things we need governments to do such as properly fund nature-friendly farming schemes and more tightly regulate the water industry to halt the pollution of our rivers. The UK Government has also committed to protect and effectively manage at least 30% of land and sea by 2030 through the Global Biodiversity Framework (agreed in December 2022). Responsibility for the environment is devolved meaning each country of the UK will develop their own way of reaching 30% by 2030. An essential component though will need to be about making a significant difference to nature’s recovery with greater action and implementation as a matter of urgency.
Katherine Hawkins relishes being outside – hiking, camping, exploring. It was seeing and understanding the world around her that led to her working to secure nature’s recovery for us all.
On average, 31% of reptiles, including common lizards, are at risk of extinction in the UK.
We are in a nature and climate crisis, but like CPR we know that landscape-scale conservation can jump start damaged natural ecosystems and save the precious lives of our beautiful native species. Find out more here: wtru.st/bringing-wildlife-back
In our last issue of Nottinghamshire Wild Life, we highlighted our ambition to create a Wilder Nottinghamshire Network to connect, share ideas and celebrate success to inspire others to act. We’re delighted with the response so far and the network is already 40 groups strong – with members the length and breadth of the county involved in everything from caring for local wildlife areas to running issuebased campaigns.
As we address the challenges facing nature and climate, we recognise that we can’t do everything on our own. If you are part of a group taking action on your patch, make sure they plot their activity on the network map to connect with others and show how many people are already committed to a Wilder Nottinghamshire. Groups can also follow the Wilder Nottinghamshire group on Facebook (facebook.com/ groups/wildernottinghamshire) and sign up for our Wilder email newsletter on our website.
Map your community group actions
Map your individual action
Once you’ve accepted that you can’t solve every problem on your own, it is vital to choose the right partners to make things happen. One of the strengths of Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust over the past six decades has been our willingness and ability to collaborate and work in partnership to get things done.
Great examples of successful partnership delivery include Nextdoor Nature where we’ve teamed up with Wildlife Trusts across the UK and the National Lottery Heritage Fund to support grass roots action in inner city locations including Nottingham. Nextdoor Nature has helped us build new links with communities across the City and find effective ways we can support and facilitate local action. Whilst the funding for the programme will soon come to an end, the partnerships and connections formed, local sites and projects that have benefited and the experience we have gained will serve as a potent legacy.
Similarly, the Miner to Major Landscape Partnership Scheme in the heart of Sherwood Forest, where we’ve worked alongside partners including Nottinghamshire County Council, Newark & Sherwood District Council, Sherwood Forest Trust and Inspire for the past five years, has helped support a range of nature, heritage and community engagement projects with a view to building, skills, connections and capacity to sustain a range of community-focused initiatives into the future.
In the heart of Sherwood Forest, we are also delivering a hugely ambitious programme of measures to improve the water environment of three rivers within the Idle Catchment, as we act as Catchment Hosts. The Three Rivers Project covers Rainworth Water, Vicar
Water and the Bevercotes Beck and seeks to address a range of issues, including longterm problems with low flow, water quality, invasive non-native species and barriers to fish passage.
These rivers currently do not meet Water Framework Directive objectives and addressing these problems was identified as a high priority for Severn Trent. When looking for a partner to deliver this exciting project, which includes complex engineering works to modify and realign river channels, the company reached out to Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust because of our long and fruitful partnership which, in recent years, has seen the reintroduction of beavers at Idle Valley and the expansion of our farmer advice work. Whilst this is the first time we’ve been commissioned to deliver such an ambitious project on third party land, the dedicated project team has also been able to draw on the expertise of EMEC Ecology – our wholly owned subsidiary - which has a wealth of experience delivering multi-partner projects on sites across the UK.
We are excited to announce that our largescale Natural Flood Management (NFM) scheme designed to reduce flooding impacts
in the Worksop, Shireoaks and Rhodesia areas of North Nottinghamshire has been given the green light by the Government as part of a £25million investment in 40 projects nationwide. The programme recognises the benefits of partnership – with charities and councils collaborating with landowners to develop and deliver schemes.
Having long championed the NFM approach, we are delighted that our proposal to work with farmers and other landowners to develop features including ponds, bunds, leaky barriers, wetland habitat and tree planting to help slow and store water along the catchment can now move forward.
Hopefully, the scale of this latest investment will go a long way to ensuring that natural techniques become commonplace as we seek to tackle the increasing frequency and severity of flooding. By embracing natural solutions, we can make our landscape and our towns and cities much more climate resilient whilst putting nature into recovery.
We look forward to bringing you more details of this exciting new project in the summer issue of Nottinghamshire Wild Life.
Herbs have been used around the world for their medicinal and edible qualities for millennia, estimated at 60,000 years ago!
In the 6th century St Benedict drew up plans for how the monastic community should be laid out, which of course included a garden. This had to contain everything to sustain the life of the monks, and whilst the kitchen garden provided the food, the physic garden would contain all of the medicinal herbs. Those were the medicines in those days!
Not only are herbs great for us, but they also attract wildlife to gardens. Most people think of herbs for seasoning food, which of course they are excellent at doing. So, when I’m asked, ‘which herbs should I grow?’, Invariably I reply, ‘the ones you like to eat’! And that’s the best place to start, as many herbs are better when they are repeatedly picked or cut, as they shoot new leaves, which are more flavoursome and potent than older leaves.
Herbs can be grown very easily in small spaces, indoors in a pot on a windowsill, or outside in a window box, and adding more than one will widen your culinary additions. But do make sure the chosen plants like the same soil, water and light conditions.
An expert herb grower, Jekka McVicar, mainly grows her herbs in raised beds, easier on the back when gardening, but also means she can control the soil conditions and can contain those herbs that like to spread. If you only have a border but want to grow something like lemon balm that will quickly spread everywhere, put it in a large bottomless pot that will restrict the roots.
Herbs are a gateway plant to get people, especially children, gardening as they are easy to grow. And alongside this they attract bees, butterflies, moths, birds and other beneficial insects into the garden, so it’s win win. There’s not much else I like better than to take a hot cup of water into the garden and pick my own tea!
Arit Anderson is a garden designer, writer, podcaster and presenter for Gardeners World. She is also a trustee for the National Garden Scheme, Patron for Tuppeny Barn and Cultivate London, and an Ambassador for the RHS.
Coronation Gardens for Food & Nature
For information and advice on growing delicious herbs and wildlife-friendly fruit and vegetables in your garden, visit mycoronationgarden.org
Copes with most soils and dappled shade and is a magnet to many pollinators. Borage flowers look super impressive captured in ice and served in drinks.
Thrives in sun and well-drained soil and flowers throughout the summer, making this a popular herb with pollinators. With so many varieties to choose from, they’re great for cooking.
Spreads easily so it is best to keep it in a container. Renowned for attracting bees and I grow this for making herbal tea.
A moist but well drained soil will keep chives happy, who in turn when flowering will keep many of our bees happy. The flowers are edible and look decorative in salads.
Otherwise called oregano, it’s a fantastic plant. Best in welldrained soil, bees and butterflies love it and it’s great for flavouring Mediterranean dishes!
Keep in light well drained sandy soil. Great for hoverflies and ladybirds and once they go to seed, birds can feed on them from autumn. One of my favourites.
Thrives in most soils, it’s so easy to grow and its flowers attracts bees, moths, butterflies and other pollinators. A hardworking herb that lifts salads, sauces and drinks! Loves to spread out – so contain in a pot if you don’t want a garden full.
A sunny spot on well-drained soil is best. Bees and butterflies can’t keep away! I had my first lavender scone on the Isle of Wight and it was delicious!
pring is a time of great change in the wild world. As the days grow brighter and warmer, millions of birds are on the move. They leave their winter refuges and race back to their breeding grounds, driven by the urge to find a mate and raise some chicks.
Cuckoos, ospreys, warblers and many more birds are returning to the UK from the warmer regions of southern Europe or Africa. They don’t all arrive at once; each species has its own schedule. Sand martins and wheatears begin arriving in March, but quails and nightjars are stragglers, appearing as late as May.
On some spring days, you can see migration in action, with flocks of birds flying overhead on their way to their summer home. Birdwatchers call this visible migration, or vismig for short. But flying is hard work, so keep an eye out for migrants stopping off to spend a few hours refuelling before continuing their journey. Here are six of our best nature reserves for experiencing spring migration.
An incredible site to visit on the wild coast of Anglesey, with its unique, shingle ridge. Cemlyn welcomes a wide range of wading birds and between May and July is host to nesting colonies of Sandwich, common and Arctic terns.
2 Red Rocks Nature Reserve, Cheshire Wildlife Trust
On the edge of the Dee Estuary, this nature reserve is an excellent coastal spot for birdwatching with sand dunes, reed beds and marsh attracting regular spring migrants like reed buntings, sand martins and wheatears.
Where: Hoylake, CH47 1HN
3 Spurn National Nature Reserve, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
One of the best sites in the UK for visible migration, with thousands of birds passing overhead. The adjacent Humber Estuary is of international importance for its vast numbers of wildfowl and wading birds passing through.
Where: Hull, HU12 0UH
4 Christopher Cadbury Wetland Reserve, Worcestershire Wildlife Trust
Worcestershire’s premier bird-watching nature reserve, Upton Warren attracts birds throughout the year. It is home to the UK’s first inland breeding avocets and attracts lots of wading birds while on passage as a vital stop over.
Where: Wychbold, B61 7ER
5 Walthamstow Wetlands, London Wildlife Trust
An internationally important site for migrating birds, Walthamstow Wetlands is excellent for an urban vismig. Just 15 minutes from central London, you will find a unique city oasis to connect with the magical world of migrating birds.
Where: Walthamstow, N17 9NH
6 Rye Harbour Nature Reserve, oystercatcher and dunlin feed along the shore
Agnes Kiemel, the Trusts’ Conservation Grazing Livestock Officer shares her wild life story with us. Agnes has seen how the nature focused grazing of our nature reserves and other sites in Nottinghamshire has led to great habitat for wildlife with over 20 years at Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust!
All of my working life has revolved around the care and wellbeing of livestock, and I can’t think of anything else I would rather do. I am originally from the Netherlands, and it was there during my college years where I studied agriculture and animal care and received my veterinary nursing qualification.
From the age of 21 I worked as a traditional shepherd on conservation grazing projects throughout the Netherlands. My day would involve walking the sheep onto vast areas of heathlands and guide them onto the areas that needed grazing. I would stay with them all the time they were out, this really was traditional shepherding, the way that shepherds had worked for hundreds of years. All this time spent out in nature developed my passion for wildlife. I was forever keen to learn and understand more about the environments I would spend my days in.
time now I have also been responsible for the care of two breeds of cattle, Lincoln Reds and the wonderful Old English Longhorn. The enigmatic Longhorns are particularly good for a wilder type of grazing and more like the ancient wild cattle that roamed the land for thousands of years. They perform natural coppicing in our woodlands.
It is very rewarding to see the impact of the grazing on our reserves, especially on our traditional hay meadows at Ashton’s, West Burton and Besthorpe. Ashton’s Meadow is particularly beautiful in the spring and summer when hundreds of cowslips and green-winged orchids flower followed a little later by pyramidal orchids, knapweed and oxeye daisies. It really is a feast for the eyes.
I particularly love and treasure sitting in the meadows watching and photographing the butterflies, moths, damsel flies and a variety of other buzzing insects. Such a special time.
Did you spot any migrators?
We’d love to know how your search went. Please tweet us your best photos! @wildlifetrusts
I moved to the UK in 2003 to manage Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust’s ‘flying flock’ of Hebridean sheep. The sheep were called the ‘flying flock’ because we would take them in a trailer to reserves throughout the county, quite a contrast to walking them there. In 2008 Herdwick sheep from the Lake District, a breed I love and immortalised by Beatrix Potter, joined the black Hebrideans. For some
Towards the end of the summer I help with the hay cut at several locations. The bales help to provide winter food for our livestock.
After haymaking our sheep graze these meadows, this enables the meadows to be in the best condition for the next year’s flower season.
Be inspired and create your own Wild Life story. Have a look at our campaign online and to read more stories from Nottinghamshire and across the country. nottinghamshirewildlife.org/my-wild-life
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