Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership Newsletter Spring 2014 In this issue: Partners News
Page No.
Frost’s Common Pingo Restoration Making trees work on farms Getting a better start in life The Silver Studded Blue at Blaxhall New provisional atlas for water fleas of the British Isles The South Norfolk and North Suffolk Claylands NCA Suffolk’s GeoCoast Long Melford Railway Walk - LNR and Public Footpath East Anglian Rivers Stag Beetle Distribution in Suffolk Breaking New Ground—a £2.2 m Heritage Lottery Landscape Partnership Scheme Improving impressions at Eye Castle with an iphone app A ‘New and Improved’ River Lark Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership News SBP information
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PARTNERS NEWS Frost’s Common Pingo Restoration Neal Armor-Chelu, Forestry Commission Frost’s Common is a Forestry Commission woodland area, north-west of Great Hockham, studded with over 40 small water bodies. These water bodies are thought to have been created during the end of the last ice age over 10,000 years ago and are referred to as pingos. Water bodies of this age and density are very rare and localised in the UK landscape. The woodland is diverse and mixed, holding pines, oaks, larches, firs, beech, alder, rowan, sycamore, willows, hemlock, elm, box, maples and birch of different ages. There are also several invasive species such as laurel and rhododendron within the understory. Most of the pingos are currently starved of sunlight by the surrounding timber, making the water bodies cold and devoid of water plants and other wildlife. However, some of the pingos 1
hold a wide range of wildlife, including rare and protected species such as great crested newts and the scarce emerald damselfly as well as a nationally important water beetle community, while the woodland is home to locally important butterfly and bird species. A recent survey found 79 species of water beetle in the pingos and a third of these are nationally rare and scarce. This indicates that Frost’s Common is one of the most important sites in the UK for water beetles alone. Conservation work is now almost completed to un-shade and re-connect the pingos, but also taking into account the woodland butterfly interest and the restrictions of working around European Protected Species. All the invasive laurel and rhododendron are being removed. The conservation work is being carried out by Mark Tasker at Wildwood who will be using the felled timber for firewood. They are using a horse drawn forwarding trailer to haul the timber to the trackside. The trailer was built using a grant from Woodfuel East. A successful open day was held in March with over 80 people attending. For further details please contact: Neal Armour-Chelu, Ecologist, Forestry Commission East England Tel: 01842 816019, e-mail: neal.armour-chelu@forestry.gsi.gov.uk
Mark Tasker from Wildwood using a horse drawn forwarding trailer to haul the timber to the trackside.
Making trees work on farms Emma Mayo, Woodland Trust Trees can support productivity on farms - shelterbelts improve crop water regimes by slowing wind speeds and provide habitat for crops and pollinators. Trees protect soils from wind and water erosion, livestock from the elements, and can help prevent fertilisers and pesticides polluting watercourses. The Woodland Trust has been researching the benefits trees bring to farms and are looking for farmers to work in partnership to gather more UK-based evidence. The Woodland Trust will design the planting plans and provide the materials (trees/guards), working with farmers over the years to monitor the results and effectiveness. To find out more about helping explore natural solutions to complex problems like water management, and to discuss potential funding/grants, please contact us on 0845 293 5869 woodlandcreation@woodlandlandtrust.org.uk 2
Getting a Better Start in Life Rodney West The wet grassland marshes that lie adjacent to the estuaries within the Suffolk Coast & Heath AONB are part of a mosaic of habitats that make this landscape so valuable. In these same marshes in springtime the yelping call of the redshank and the ‘peewit’ of the lapwing animate the scene and tell us that they are holding territory during their breeding season.
Lapwing parent with its newly hatched chick. Photo: Paul Sawyer
These two bird species are an intrinsic part of the marshland scene, but they are having a hard time of it. Their breeding range in Suffolk has been reduced to a few sites in these coastal marshes and, in turn, these last remaining outposts have become a focus for predation. The worry is that this concentration of predators might inhibit any future expansion of the bird’s population.
So a project to investigate the subtleties of the predator’s strategies when targeting eggs and chicks has been devised by scientists at the British Trust for Ornithology and local-based volunteers. Two years work is now complete and it is hoped in future phases of the project that a number of non-fatal methods to distract potential predators will be trialled. It will not be possible to deflect the predator permanently from its objective but if some of the devised strategies can create a ‘window of opportunity’ that might last several days or weeks, then that might give the chicks a better chance of survival. Many hundreds of hours of volunteer time in the field is also supported by modern technology, specifically, miniature cameras which monitor round-the-clock nest sites and a weather station to provide vital information on extreme weather events during nest incubation. This will be the third year of the project and more effort will go into trying to monitor the fate of hatched chicks. Support from the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB Sustainable Development Fund, Adnams Charity and Britten-Pears Foundation has allowed us to purchase these pieces of technology and their support has been as invaluable as the cameras, weather station and ibuttons. Stanny Environment Group is a community-based group of volunteers working along the Alde/Ore estuary catchment area. They get involved in general scrub bashing, bridge building etc., but also they have expertise to do detailed studies of other animals like otter and water vole, moths, butterflies, dragonflies and bird ringing. If experts of other taxa are interested in doing some work with us or if anybody would like to get involved, you can find out more by about SEG and some of their wildlife courses by going to: www.stannyfarm.org click field centre or contact Rodney West on fieldcentre@stannyfarm.org.
Friend or Foe? The adult appears comfortable with the brown hare
Foe! The same nest, but the adult has gone. 3
One item of hardware we have been grant-aided now means we can correlate weather conditions to ibutton data, so a weather event (like a downpour), can be separated from a possible predation desertion of a nest.
The Silver-studded Blue at Blaxhall Heath Rob Parker When an attempt to establish a colony of butterflies is made, it is generally accepted that the success rate is not high, and that early results can be good for a couple of years – only to crash in year 3 or 4. If the new colony survives the first 5 years, it is considered to have passed a major hurdle, So it is a joy to announce that the 2007 translocation of Silver-studded Blue is doing exceptionally well in its 6th year. The Suffolk Branch of Butterfly Conservation's obligation was to monitor the health of the colony over a minimum period of 5 years, whilst the Suffolk Wildlife Trust is responsible for the management of the site, both professionally and with the assistance of a team of local volunteers. Over the period since the translocation, the common has been forage harvested in such a way as to create patches of pioneer heather, extending the area of suitable habitat for Plebejus argus. The volunteer work parties have kept the silver birch encroachment under control and have cleared areas of gorse and other scrub. A single-species transect was established in time for the emergence of the 2008 generation, and has just completed its 6th year of monitoring. This too has been organized by the volunteer team, with the results fed back to the County Butterfly Recorder and to the UK Butterfly Monitoring scheme. Transect results have been the prime means of monitoring the health of the colony. The table below provides 4 different elements of results, 3 of them entirely transect derived: 1. A progressively rising single day peak count for each year. 2. The total count for the whole transect season and the closely related (weak) Index. These also both rose progressively, apart from a slight dip in 2012 (a poor season for most species). 3. The number of consecutive transect weeks in which P. argus was recorded. This is a coarse reflection of the total flight period for the season. 4. The expansion of the flight area, firstly within the 8 sections of the transect, and latterly beyond the boundaries of the transect. The most significant expansion has been to a triangle of pioneer heather to the south west of Section 1. On two occasions, singletons have been seen to the south of the B1069 (see map).
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One additional element became available in 2013, through the co-operation of Dr Neil Ravenscroft, a professional ecologist living in Blaxhall. He conducted an independent assessment of the flight areas, walked 3 mini transects and extrapolated the likely population of the entire site to something in the order of 900. This is materially higher than the sum of the peak one-day transect count and the highest off-transect count (160 + 51 = 211), and may be optimistic. It caters for the incomplete detectability of butterflies in the heather habitat not visited by the transect route. Monitoring Silver-studded Blue Population at Blaxhall Common 2007
2008
2009
Highest single-day Count 60 13 16 released Transect Total, Weak Index for Year n/a 41, 57 38, 38
2010
2011
2012
2013
24
45
48
160 [1]
70, 83
155, 164
133, 133
476, 476
6
9
7
6 [1]
Flight period in transect weeks [2] 5 5 Flight Area [3] 2008 close to 3 original release points
2009 some off-transect sightings first single sighting south of the road 2012 plus 51 on pioneer heather in SW close to road 2013.
Independent Assessment of Total Population for entire site [4]
900
Notes [1]
The 2013 season started late and was compressed to 6 transect weeks, with mass emergence pushing peak single day count to 160.
[2]
Simplified to transect weeks; when earlier or later sightings arose these extended the flight period, but are ignored here for consistency.
[3]
Off-transect sightings varied from year to year. In 2013, the 51 counted off transect were present a week before the peak count of 160.
[4]
See Ravenscroft, N., 2013 for method used for population assessment on 14th July 2013.
It is clear from the table that the establishment attempt got off to a very satisfactory start and this has been reported to the Joint Committee for the Conservation of British Insects. The two donor sites at Minsmere and Hollesley have also been monitored, and show no evidence of damage following the donation.The receiving site has passed the fragile three to five-year danger zone, and the results for 2013 look re-assuring by every measure. However, there is no cause for complacency; regular habitat management remains a key requirement if this colony is to continue to thrive. Fortunately the motivation of everyone involved remains strong.
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New Provisional Atlas of Water Fleas of the British Isles Adrian Chalkley The Cladocera Interest Group revised the British list of Water Fleas in 2012. The updated list contains 92 species, although 4 of these are classified as Species inquirenda (species of doubtful identity requiring further investigation). The Group has now produced distribution maps for 86 of these water flea species on their website, which incidentally includes all species recorded in Suffolk. The maps have been made using modern records sent in by members as well as archive data and literature records together with those from the National Biodiversity Network.
browser window as a Gif file or can be downloaded as a WMF file which can be scaled at full resolution using Word or other Office software for publication use. As new data comes in the maps will be updated and it will be possible to see when each update was made.
The latest Cladocera Newsletter, number 5, is also on the website and can be read on screen using the ISSUU digital publishing platform or downloaded as a pdf, as indeed can the previous 4. The updated British Species List can also be downloaded from the website which contains a great deal of information on Cladocera, as well as hints on identification, digital photo Rather than produce a printed atlas, which would micrography and an on line recording scheme. quickly be out of date, the maps are hosted on the Any naturalists in Suffolk who are interested in water Cladocera Interest Group website at fleas are welcome to join the group. Membership is www.cladocera.org.uk All maps are all available in two free, just email your request to formats. They can be viewed on screen in a pop up adrian.chalkley@cladocera.org.uk
Distribution maps for the rare Polyphemus pediculus (left) and the more common Simocephalus vetalus (right). 6
The South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands NCA Natural England Natural England has now revised the full set of profiles for England’s 159 National Character Areas (NCAs). The project has involved many partners who have helped to shape and inform the work over the last 3 to 4 years, leading up to the publication of the new profiles. This hard work has been recognised both internally within Natural England and externally by many partners and organisations including the Landscape Institute who highly commended the project in the Landscape Policy and Research Category of the prestigious Landscape Institute Awards back in 2013. NCA boundaries follow natural lines in the landscape, which means they provide a useful spatial framework to use when making decisions about the natural environment. Understanding landscape character alongside ecological processes at this scale can help in deciding how we safeguard and enhance the natural environment. The purposes of NCAs profiles are to Provide information of the natural and cultural features that shape landscapes. Identify opportunities to enhance the distinctive qualities of landscapes. Enable people and organisations based within particular landscapes to work collaboratively for the best interests of the natural environment. Create awareness of the greater benefits associated with planning conservation initiatives at a landscape scale.
The South Norfolk and High Suffolk Claylands NCA occupies a large area of central East Anglia stretching from just below Norwich in the north down to the River Gipping in the south. The profile for this area was published at the end of March. It is available to view and download from the Natural England website > All of the 159 NCA profiles including, those for the Brecks, South Suffolk and North Essex Clayland and the Suffolk Coast and Heaths can be accessed on Natural England’s website >
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Suffolk’s GeoCoast Caroline Markham, GeoSuffolk
Every year in the autumn the Geologists’ Association holds its Festival of Geology at University College London. There are field trips, lectures (Sir Iain Stewart was keynote speaker this year) and, on the Saturday, an exhibition which is open to the public. GeoSuffolk has run a stand at the exhibition for many years now, and in November 2013 we showcased Suffolk’s Geocoast with a display which focused on the geology of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths AONB. Public access in our AONB is exceptional with about a quarter of the area under public or voluntary sector ownership – plus all of the beaches of course! The soft rocks of the Suffolk coast show a general northwards dip and thus the oldest, the London Clay, is exposed along the estuaries to the south with the younger Norwich Crag gravels forming Dunwich cliffs in the north of the AONB. So there is always something different to see – in the dramatic and ever-changing exposures in the coastal cliffs and also the crag pits on the heaths which “can open up from apparent solid flat ground in quite an astonishing way.” (Ann Ainsworth) The GeoSuffolk stand highlighted some of the 40 notified geological sites in the AONB. There are 21 SSSIs and 19 County Geodiversity Sites (CGS) / Regionally Important Geodiversity Sites (RIGS) - many of the SSSIs and all of the CGS/RIGS have public access. Harkstead Cliff CGS and Nacton Cliff CGS were used to illustrate the London Clay, and Butley Forest Pit CGS and Newbourne Great Pit CGS showcased the Red Crag. Suffolk’s unique Coralline Crag was highlighted using Richmond Farm Pit SSSI (thus is in Orford and can only be viewed from the road) and also Thorpe Ness CGS with its eroded blocks of Coralline Crag from offshore exposures. The cliffs at Dunwich Heath RIGS and Westleton Heath Pit CGS exemplified the Norwich Crag gravels, whilst Thorpeness Cliff CGS was used to show the most southerly exposure of glacial till on the coast. The stand was popular with visitors. Those Westleton Heath pit from north London and Essex recognised the London Clay areas and visitors to Southwold and Lowestoft were familiar with the Dunwich posters – a starting point for viewing the rest of the display. Much interest was shown in the scrapbooks of GeoSuffolk archive material from the Felixstowe and Dunwich areas and, for potential geo-tourists, GeoSuffolk’s Dunwich and London Clay leaflets (funded by the SCH AONB Community and Conservation Fund) were available to take away, plus offprints of the gazetteer from Earth Heritage Suffolk. The GeoSuffolk web site www.geosuffolk.co.uk has information on all of the geosites mentioned here plus the leaflets and gazetteer. References A Ainsworth, Suffolk Geology: first impressions, A Celebration of Suffolk Geology 2012, Ed. R G Dixon. R G Dixon and C Markham, Dunwich, the geology of Suffolk’s lost city, GeoSuffolk leaflet 2005. R G Dixon, GeoSuffolk looks at the London Clay, GeoSuffolk leaflet 2013. 8
Long Melford Railway Walk - Local Nature Reserve and Public Footpath Carole Michette The old railway track was taken over in 2012 by Long Melford Parish Council from Suffolk County Council who had managed the site for over forty years. It is managed for Long Melford Parish Council by Long Melford Open Spaces, with advice from Suffolk Wildlife Trust (SWT). It is approximately 1.25 miles in length. Over the last few years, the odd Slow-Worm and Lizard have been seen, but in 2013 there was only one record of each. So we took some action to enhance the habitat. Under the direction of George Millins, a local reptile/ wildlife expert, six small areas were selected and these sites cleared to allow light in and reduce the shade. We also created habitat piles with branches from coppiced trees. Refuge mats were laid down prior to this work, but only one Slow-Worm and one Lizard were found. This clearance work has finished now. The work really paid off with the discovery of two pairs of Slow-Worms under the mats on 25th March. The mats are checked regularly and on 4th April, six single Slow-Worms were uncovered (three young and three adults). In the same week, two pairs of Lizards were found sharing a mat with the Slow-Worms.
Habitat pile created on Long Melford Railway Walk
After looking for these reptiles all last summer with no results, we can now guarantee some will be found on every inspection we make. This proves that with the right management and habitat, these animals are still present for us to enjoy. Every possible effort will be made to ensure the reptile population on the Melford Walk returns to what it was 10 to 20 years ago. The Railway Walk habitat is also valuable for other wildlife. Chiffchaffs are seen and heard in at least six locations; the first one was heard calling this year on 10th March. Whitethroat are also seen, as are Skylarks flying over the adjacent fields. In the winter months, we see Jays, Magpies and Pheasants and we see Song Thrushes all year round.
Slow-Worm found on Long Melford Railway Walk
In March, SWT kindly donated an Owl box, along with bat boxes which we are hoping will soon be occupied. Small nest boxes have also been put up. Badgers set up home some 20 years ago and, with patience, can be watched just after dusk. Foxes and Muntjac also use the area. This year has been good for bumblebees and butterflies. We have seen numerous Small Tortoiseshell, Comma, Peacock and Brimstone. After bee orchids were found last summer on the small Roman Way meadow, we decided to manage the meadow to encourage wild flowers. The flora is currently being monitored, but it should be noted that Danewort is present. Melford residents are proud of the diversity this local nature reserve now offers. 9
East Anglian Rivers Archie Ruggles-Brice Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust & East Suffolk Catchment Partnership East Anglian rivers are a great resource for leisure – walkers, photographers, anglers and canoeists to name a few – and for wildlife. They are also essential water sources for drinking and for agriculture. But our rivers are not always as healthy as they should be, so we have set ourselves a mission to improve them and to educate people in how important this is. Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust (ESRT) are a newly formed organisation with a practical emphasis on projects with our broad aims being: • the protection and environmental improvement of watercourses, ground waters and impoundments in Essex and Suffolk, including estuarine and coastal areas as shown on the map (see below). • the advancement of the education of the public and of stakeholder organisations in the understanding of river catchment management, and the need for the conservation and improvement of aquatic environments. Throughout ESRT’S work a fundamental requirement will be effective consultation and co-operation with a wide range of individuals and organisations, including landowners, Local Authorities, Water Companies, the Environment Agency, and bodies with specific responsibilities for the environment, such as Natural England. We have already delivered a project to install an eel damper to allow juvenile eels (elvers) to pass more easily through the tidal flap gate on the Dunwich River at Walberswick (Suffolk). This work has been funded by Defra and the national Rivers Trust.
Tidal flap gate on the Dunwich River at Walberswick
In addition we are delighted to be the catchment hosts for the major new 'Catchment Based Approach' initiative which seeks to pull together all existing and future demands on our rivers in East Suffolk. Formed in December 2013, the East Suffolk Catchments Partnership covers the river catchments of the Gipping, Deben, Alde, Thorpeness Hundred, Yox, Blyth and Lothingland Hundred and will work towards producing plans for each river catchment and then tackling the issues within them through collaborative projects. The current partnership comprises over 30 individuals and 10 organisations covering interests from Angling to Business, Agriculture to Flooding. This work is being supported with initial funding from Defra and the Environment Agency. If you would like to know more about the work of the Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust or join the East Suffolk Catchment Partnership as it develops please contact Archie Ruggles-Brise on info@essexsuffolkriverstrust.org.
Map of the area covered by Essex and Suffolk Rivers Trust 10
Stag Beetle Distribution in Suffolk - 2014 records please Colin Hawes - Lead partner for the conservation of the stag beetle in Suffolk Please report your 2014 stag beetle sightings to Colin Hawes and to the Suffolk Biological Records Centre (SBRC). Data collected will be used to produce an up-to-date map of stag beetle distribution in the county. Stag beetles will emerge in warm weather from mid-May onwards, males first, about a week before females. Both sexes are crepuscular (active at dusk) and can be seen on warm evenings, when males will be flying in search of females. Females usually remain on the ground and release sex pheromones to attract the males. The life of an individual beetle is short, lasting around four weeks, and by August almost all stag beetles will be dead. Eggs laid underground hatch into larvae, which continue the life cycle.
Male stag beetle. Photo: N. Sherman
Records can be sent by email to Colin Hawes: c.hawes@homecall.co.uk or hawescolin@gmail.com or to the link on the Suffolk Naturalists’ Society website: www.sns.org.uk Records can be sent to the SBRC via www.sbrc.org.uk
'Breaking New Ground' a new £2.2M Heritage Lottery Landscape Partnership scheme for The Brecks Communities, schools and the landscape of the Brecks will be benefitting from a series of new and exciting landscape and heritage conservation projects thanks to a £1.5M grant from the Heritage Lottery. Suffolk County Council and the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership Board are delighted to announce that the Heritage Lottery Fund has confirmed the award of £1.46M towards a £2.2M scheme to deliver a host of exciting projects in a core area of the Brecks. Lisa Chambers, BNG Chairman and Deputy Leader of Suffolk County Council said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this Lottery funding for the Breaking New Ground Scheme and are very much looking forward to working with our partners and communities in the Brecks. As a result of this award, the partnership will be able to carry out a great number of exciting projects for the benefit of Brecks landscape, heritage and communities. This is excellent news for the Brecks and Suffolk as a whole.” Among the 37 individual projects in the 3-year scheme will be the restoration of the Pump House at Brandon Country Park by West Suffolk College Students, and its development as a volunteer centre for the Brecks. Norfolk and Suffolk Wildlife Trusts will be working with schools to promote the importance of the Brecks habitats and skills to manage these habitats for the future. The Breckland Society and the UEA will be carrying out extensive new research and landscape heritage interpretation projects and there will be extensive new access opportunities created that will allow more people to enjoy this fascinating area. The Scheme will also create new skills training opportunities in landscape and built heritage conservation as well as running arts courses. The main priorities of the Breaking New Ground Landscape Partnership are connecting communities with the landscape through the conservation and restoration of the natural and built heritage features that make the Brecks landscape so distinctive. The new working partnerships, enthusiasm and momentum generated by the scheme will provide a legacy for the scheme and ensure that the benefits will continue to be enjoyed into the future. Find out more > 11
Improving impressions at Eye Castle with a smartphone app Tim Dafforn, Mid Suffolk District Council Arriving through the gates at Eye Castle you find yourself in a small green space. In front of you is a Norman motte and to your left a section of 12th century curtain walling. In the past a typical response might have been “It’s very small, isn’t it?” Our task was to change this. Funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage and the Rural Development Programme for England, a one-year project helped restore the castle’s structures and improve the visitor experience. A castle connected The small town of Eye has grown up around the castle – many roads follow the shape of the former outer bailey. However, you could visit the shops and cafes without knowing there is a castle at all. We wanted to restore the link between castle and town and engaged the community in this objective. A Friends group was established and involved in all aspects of the project, bringing skills including expert knowledge, photography, video making, teaching and research skills along with practical conservation experience. Eye i To help to connect the site to the town and to highlight the former size and importance of the castle, we decided to develop a smartphone app to innovatively reveal the route of the former outer bailey and bring alive the history of the site. Working with Bronze Software Labs Ltd, the app encourages users to explore using a timeline, maps, and interactive challenges. You can scroll through map layers of the site from different periods of time. At present this is only available on i-Phones and i-Pads. Search for Eye Castle in the App store and have a look. New beginnings… The end of the project is the start of things to come. The Friends Group will be directly involved in the future management of the site and local schools are already using the castle more regularly. We hope visitors and local people will now be able to discover and explore this wonderful site in the middle of Eye. To find out more, email countryside@midsuffolk.gov.uk, tel: 01449 724 639/640
A “New and Improved” River Lark Environment Agency What makes us proud
Working with our local partners we have improved and restored a mile of the River Lark, an important Chalk Stream in Suffolk between Bury St Edmunds and Mildenhall. The river restoration will benefit fisheries, ecology and biodiversity. We have done this by improving the hydromorphological features of a river, historically modified for navigation and flood defence.
Detail of what makes this special
A mile of the River Lark – a significant of length of any river - has been restored by careful reprofiling and recycling of gravel material from the river itself to produce 21 new features including deep pools, riffles, an island and glides with no need to import material. Flows have been improved, gravels cleaned, and if you walk along the river bank, you can now actually hear the flowing!
Sharing our learning
Members of the public were invited to visit the river and see our improvements on World’s River Day (29 September 2013). We are also offering an invitation to the local MP Matthew Hancock (West Suffolk) to visit the site with us to learn more about the river, and the improvement we are making to other local rivers. We would also like to use the river as a demonstration site to enable Agency staff to learn about river restoration techniques and how quickly river ecology can improve following restoration.
Watch this space for news of other river improvements in Norfolk and Suffolk 12
SUFFOLK BIODIVERSITY PARTNERSHIP NEWS Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership - Moving Forward SBP has continued to evolve over the past year and recent changes to the governance of SBP have ensured that today we are more closely aligned with Suffolk Biological Records Centre (SBRC). This gives us a clearly defined role and a more secure future. We are able to add value to the professional services provided by SBRC by assisting planning departments, schools, communities and other partners in their work with Priority Species and Habitats (Suffolk Biodiversity Action Plan). For example, we now publish a dedicated Planners Newsletter to help increase knowledge about biodiversity issues and thus support planners in their work. We have also organised workshops based on the new British Standard for Biodiversity. There have always been strong links between SBRC and the Biodiversity Partnership as SBP staff have been located within SBRC since the formation of the Partnership in 1999. These links provide a sound support structure and an ideal base from which to provide practical advice and information about Priority Species and Habitats. The main change is that there is no longer a specific SBP steering group as SBP has been incorporated within the Biological Records Centre. SBRC has itself developed a new Governing Board which comprises members from the local authorities, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, RSPB, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society and Essex & Suffolk Water. The minutes of the first meeting in March 2014 can be found on the SBRC website > To find out about our new services, what’s happened to the UK and Suffolk BAPs and how we can help you, please visit our website at www.suffolkbiodiversity.org/ Ecological and Planning Consultants’ Workshop Delivering the British Standard for biodiversity and development - Managing risks and expectations Suffolk and Norfolk Biodiversity Partnerships joined forces on 26th February to organise a workshop specifically for ecological and planning consultants (including architects) on the new British Standard for Biodiversity (BS42020). BS42020 aims to ensure a minimum standard of ecological information and this workshop aimed to help the audience understand the appropriateness of ecological data submitted with planning applications. The presentations and Questions and Answers can be found on the NBP website >. A big Thank You to South Norfolk District Council for hosting this event. Planners’ update - A brief newsletter on current issues in biodiversity and development Issue 2 published March 2014 available SBP Planners’ Page > Contents: Workshop - Delivering the British Standard for Biodiversity & development; Report on Ecological Competency and capacity in LPAs, Brownfield hub launched, New licensing process to be extended to cover bats and dormice, Natural England link to SBP's guidance on bats and small turbines.
SBP Project fund Set up to support species surveys, habitat work and community and school projects (Thank you to our funders Essex & Suffolk Water, the Environment Agency and the Broads Authority ) Projects supported 2013-2014 Purchase of bat detectors for loan to volunteer surveyors (Suffolk Bat Group) Survey of Segmentina nitida in the Waveney Valley (Broads Authority, Abrehart Ecology) East Suffolk schools House Sparrow Project (Partners: Waveney Bird Club, HMP Hollesley Bay) Ipswich Wildlife Audit - Phase I habitat surveys (extended) of County Wildlife Sites (Partners: IBC,
Suffolk Wildlife Trust 13
Encouraging species recorders for the future SBP collaborated with Suffolk Naturalists’ Society (SNS) to organise a highly successful conference on 15th February. The wide ranging programme included birds, fish, biological recording techniques, bats, camera trapping for mammals and stag beetles with expert and entertaining speakers from the British Trust for Ornithology, CEFAS, The Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, SNS and the Zoological Society of London. Further details on SNS website > Thank you to Wherstead Park for friendly and efficient hosting of the event.
"I thought it was one of the best run and high tech conferences I have ever been to!"
Tom August, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
Please note Funding Opportunitieshas been transferred to our website. Please visit SBP News / Funding > Local / National News & What’s On - see accompanying Update or visit our website > If you’d like to share information on how your organisation is benefiting biodiversity in Suffolk, please send your article to Gen Broad, Suffolk Biodiversity Officer (tel: 01473 264308, Mobile: 078948 85337, email: gen.broad@suffolk.gov.uk ).
Publication dates The newsletter and updates are published in Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Deadline for Summer 2014 newsletter articles: Friday 29th August 2014.
Thank you to our readers for supporting this newsletter - all feedback is welcome! SBP INFORMATION SBP is a partnership comprised of conservation organisations, statutory bodies, local authorities, businesses, notfor-profit organisations and community groups working together throughout Suffolk to protect biodiversity. To find out more about SBP’s new focus and the Suffolk Biodiversity Action Plan visit www.suffolkbiodiversity.org
Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership Babergh District Council, Center Parcs–Elveden, Environment Agency, Suffolk FWAG, Essex & Suffolk Water, Forestry Commission, Forest Heath District Council, Ipswich Borough Council, Mid Suffolk District Council, National Trust, Natural England, RSPB, St. Edmundsbury Borough Council, Suffolk Biological Records Centre, Suffolk Naturalists’ Society, Suffolk Wildlife Trust, Suffolk Coastal District Council, Suffolk County Council, Waveney District Council. 14