Jo Graeser – Page 2 – Hoopoe

Author interview with Ursula Clare Franklin: Mission Penguin

Following the loss of her husband, Ursula Franklin embarked on a mission to see and photograph every species of penguin in their natural habitat. In this breathtaking book, join Ursula on expeditions to some of the most remote places on earth, from the Falklands to Tristan da Cunha and Antipodes Islands, in search of these much-loved birds. Interspersed with stories from Ursula’s adventures, each chapter explores a different species of penguin, detailing their identifying features, the ever-increasing threats they’re facing, and the conservation efforts needed to ensure future generations can experience the wonder of these animals.

Ursula Franklin is a keen wildlife photographer who grew up in Yorkshire, and is now based in Somerset. She developed a keen interest in photography when she was a child and her wonderful husband supported her passion until his sudden death in 2012. As a way to process her grief and heal, alongside her husband’s constant encouragement for her to ‘do something with her photography’, Mission Penguin was born.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Ursula about her expedition, how she thinks we can we work to protect these vital species in the future, her favourite memories throughout this journey and more.

Plus, enter our prize draw to be in with the chance of winning one of four exclusive Mission Penguin prints here.

Having travelled around the world and seen every species of penguin in every habitat, which species surprised you the most and why?

Like many people, I had always associated penguins with snow, so it was amazing to discover that some species breed in forests, others in the desert and one species even at the equator. The species that really surprised me, however, and for a totally different reason, was the Royal Penguin. This species breeds on Macquarie Island, and in the north of the island are the rusted remains of huge digestors which were once used to extract oil firstly from seals and then when they ran out, penguins. Millions of King and Royal Penguins were slaughtered leaving just a few thousand birds when the barbaric practice was finally stopped. Having suffered years of persecution by man, I marvelled at how trusting the birds were. As I sat on the beach, groups of Royal Penguins waddled up to me, inquisitively studying my boot laces, camera bag and equipment. They were so curious and seemed utterly fearless. It was hard to imagine humankind betraying such trust. Luckily, over the last 100 years, their numbers have steadily increased and in 2022 they were finally taken off the list of near-threatened species (IUCN red list). Hopefully they will continue to increase despite the human-induced climate change crisis.

Royal penguins waddling across Sandy Bay, Macquarie Island.

You were lucky enough to witness the full, daily lifecycle of a number of penguin colonies by watching them from dawn until dusk, and I particularly loved the photographs of the Gentoo penguins on Saunders Beach at sunset. What does the typical day in the life of a penguin look like?

A day in the life of a penguin varies hugely depending on the time of year, especially during the breeding season, or when moulting. At other times of year, the birds spend their time foraging in the open ocean. During their annual moult, which usually lasts around 3 weeks, they are no longer waterproof so cannot go into the ocean to feed – instead they must stay on land living solely off their fat reserves. The breeding season is when they spend time on both land and sea. For most species, males and females share incubation of the egg/s and often take it in turns to go foraging to feed the hungry chick/s whilst the other parent stays to protect it/them. With some species, as the chicks get older, they are left in a crèche, or some stay in a burrow, allowing both parents to go to the ocean to collect food for their increasing appetites. The birds often leave at dawn when foraging, and the length of time they are away depends on how far they must swim to find food. For some species, warming ocean temperatures have shifted prey populations further from the colony leading to chick starvation and mass breeding failure. When the parents do return with food, some species engage their older chicks in long food chases before finally stopping to feed them. This is done to build up the strength of the chicks prior to fledging and is hilarious to watch. The adults then stay with their chicks at the colony overnight before the whole process starts again early the next morning.

A Gentoo penguin colony at sunset, Saunders Island, the Falklands.

You travelled around the world and have seen so many different places as a result of this project – what was your favourite memory and why?

This is such a hard question. I could say the very beginning of the mission on the Antarctic Peninsula with the sighting of my first penguin – this was a Chinstrap Penguin and has since become my favourite species, probably because the black strap under their chin makes it look as if they are smiling. Or I could go to the very end of the mission at Snow Hill Island with the Emperor Penguin colony, which was like being on the film set of the movie Happy feet and a very fitting and emotional accomplishment of Mission Penguin.

My favourite travel destination, however, is the Falkland Islands. With fewer than 4000 people, beautiful coastlines and over one million penguins of five species I’m sure you can understand why. My favourite island is Saunders Island and my favourite location there is ‘the neck’. The accommodation is very basic and although small can technically sleep 8 in 4 sets of narrow bunk beds. Incredibly, on my last visit, my friend Hazel and I were the only occupants – apart from the penguins of course! What a joy and privilege to be the only humans sharing their world and a memory that will stay with me forever.

The Neck, Saunders Island, The Falklands.

Having witnessed first-hand the negative effects of both climate change and human activity on penguin colonies, and their respective habitats, how can we work to protect these vital species in the future?

Penguins are key indicator species for the health of our oceans and the effects of global warming. Although there are no penguins naturally occurring in the Northern Hemisphere, our everyday actions here will ultimately filter down to the Southern Hemisphere and affect these animals.

One of the most threatened penguins is the African Penguin, and research suggests that this species could become extinct in the wild by 2035 unless we act now. Whilst we have little influence on African governments regarding marine ‘no-take’ zones, limiting coastal development, (oil refineries etc) can still help. For example, all of us can reduce our use of plastics (especially single use), and switch to renewable energy sources.

For more direct and immediate help we can also sponsor penguin nest boxes. African Penguins naturally lay their eggs in burrows which are dug out of layers of guano (bird poo!) laid down over hundreds of years. In the 1800’s most of this guano was collected and shipped to the UK to be used as fertiliser. As a result, there has been a 99% decline in the population over the last 100 years. As land temperatures continue to rise, penguins now nesting out in the open air are either dying from hyperthermia or abandoning their nests to save themselves, leading to mass breeding failure. Carefully researched and crafted nest-boxes that replicate the conditions of a guano burrow are proving effective – to help visit the Saving Penguins website.

A shortage of suitable nesting sites mean breeding African penguins are exposed to the full heat of the sun often with disastrous consequences.

Photographing every species of penguin is no small feat, especially alongside a full-time job! What were some of the biggest challenges you faced and what did you learn along the way?

When I announced to a friend that I was going to photograph every species of penguin in their natural habitat, I had no idea how many species there were or where they could be found. My research took me to places that I had never even heard of and to say many of them were ‘off the main tourist route’ would be an understatement! Simply getting to the required and often incredibly remote locations was definitely the first challenge. Many of these are also found in the roughest oceans in the world, and I suffer dreadfully from sea sickness. Needless to say, I was often very unwell but even that could not detract from the awe and wonder of these amazing expeditions. Once at the location, sometimes I only managed fleeting glimpses of just a few penguins of that species so not many photographs, but I appreciate how very lucky I was to actually see and photograph every penguin species on the first attempt.

The weather also presented significant challenges (especially the wind), and trying to photograph from a Zodiac (Rigid Inflatable Boat) while being tossed around in large swells was at times nigh on impossible. I also needed to keep my equipment warm in Antarctica and dry in the humidity of the Galápagos. Sunshine, although lovely in itself, also made photographing black and white birds more difficult than normal in terms of achieving correct exposure. I certainly learned to tolerate imperfections but also became a better photographer along the way. I also witnessed firsthand how tenacious and resilient penguins are – characteristics that we can all learn from.

The strong wind blowing the crests of these Moseley’s rockhopper penguins also made photographing them more challenging.

Mission Penguin came to fruition as a result of loss and grief, and throughout the book I found it heartwarming to read about the healing effects of your expeditions. How important do you think nature is in healing from grief, and what are the benefits of spending time exploring the natural world?

Nature is indeed an incredible healer. I have lovely memories of my mother taking us out on nature walks when we were young as we didn’t have much money, and nature was all around us and free! I think from that age I learned to appreciate the wonder of nature and delight in simple things, so when grief struck, getting out in nature and reconnecting with life and beauty was essential to my healing. Nature stimulates all of our senses which certainly helped me to feel fully alive even in the context of death. What inescapable joy to hear the birds singing, see the dappled light in a woodland glade, smell the flowers, taste the salty sea air, and hug a tree! Being immersed in the natural world really helps to put things into perspective and to feel part of something much greater than ourselves. In nature I feel fully grounded which gives me an inner peace and the strength to keep going, one step at a time.

Southern rockhopper penguins, Pebble Island, the Falklands.

What’s taking up your time at the moment? Are you working on any other projects or planning any upcoming expeditions that we can hear about?

Following the completion of Mission Penguin I have spent more time delighting in the natural world on my doorstep. In the last couple of years, I have finally taken up gardening, which my husband would have found hysterical having tried to persuade me all our married life! My focus however is gardening with wildlife in mind, and I think we would have had very different definitions of a ‘weed’! I am also rewilding one large area and quickly learned the hard way that rewilding is not the same as letting things go wild! I am still taking lots of nature photographs and readers can see more of my images here.

As well as writing the book, I started giving talks on Mission Penguin to local groups and this quickly expanded to other topics as they keep inviting me back for more. I now have about 6 talks in my repertoire so that is keeping me busy as well as continuing with my singing – another fabulous activity for wellbeing.

King penguins returning from a fishing trip.

I am a firm believer in making the most of every moment. We only have one life, so live it well. Fill it with friends, joy, laughter – and of course, penguins.

Enter our competition to be in with the chance of winning one of four exclusive Mission Penguin prints signed by author Ursula Franklin here – good luck!

Mission Penguin is available from our online bookstore here.

Author Interview with Guy Shrubsole: The Lie of the Land

Brought to you by the Sunday Times bestselling author Guy Shrubsole, The Lie of the Land discusses how a handful of wide-scale landowners are responsible for the destruction and degradation of our vital landscapes, painting a humbling picture of some of the most notable failures of land stewardship in Britain’s recent history. However, Guy also presents a glimmer of hope as he relays the stories of those trying to help nature recover, from small-scale farmers to community groups and individuals. In doing so he gives the public hope that we can all become custodians of the countryside once more.

Author portrait of Guy Shrubsole in a forest. — Photograph by Nick White

Guy Shrubsole is a researcher, writer and environmental campaigner who previously worked as an investigator for Friends of the Earth, and is co-founder of the Right to Roam movement. He was Policy and Campaigns Coordinator at Rewilding Britain for a number of years and has published a number of books including Who Owns England? and The Lost Rainforests of Britain.

We recently had the opportunity to interview Guy about The Lie of the Land, where we discussed what inspired him to write this book, how the privatisation of land has affected its conservation and preservation, what he hopes the reader can learn from his work and more.

Firstly, can you tell us a little bit about what inspired you to write The Lie of the Land?

I’ve been thinking – and campaigning – about the issues in The Lie of the Land for some years. Witnessing moorland being deliberately set ablaze for the purposes of driven grouse shooting was an early spark; as was reading about the landowners who drained the Fens, and the vast wet commons that once dominated Cambridgeshire which teemed with fish, wildfowl and eels. In some ways The Lie of the Land is a natural sequel to my first book, Who Owns England? – taking its analysis that half of England belongs to just 1% of the population and looking at the ecological consequences of this.

Have there been any instances where private land ownership has benefitted the environment and increased its accessibility for the public, and if so, what can be taken from this?

Absolutely, I discuss in the book how there are some brilliant nature-friendly farmers and landowners doing great work – heroes like Isabella Tree and Charlie Burrell with their rewilding work at Knepp, or Jake Fiennes at Holkham, or James Rebanks in the Lake District. But I argue that we can’t simply rely on these few ‘good stewards’ to turn the nature crisis around on their own. We need to call out bad practice (as Fiennes does in his book Land Healer) and make all landowners more accountable to the public for how they’re treating the land. Look at how England’s peat bogs – a vast natural store of carbon and a crucial national asset in the fight against the climate crisis – have been mistreated by the 150 or so estates that own them and set fire to them each October. Look at the institutional investors who own great swathes of the Fens – organisations like the Church Commissioners – and how they continue to profit from what is essentially a ‘carbon bomb’, the wasted peat soils of the fenland losing fertility and carbon with each passing year.

The trouble is, a lot of estates and lobby groups for landowners hide behind the assertion that they are the ‘custodians of the countryside’, who can be trusted to look after it without the need for public oversight or pesky environmental regulations. But as James Rebanks says, “I’m a very proud defender of good farming, but the ‘custodians of the countryside’ argument only washes if we are genuinely doing that – otherwise it’s self-serving nonsense.”

Those Blue Hills by Jim Roberts Gallery. — Those Blue Hills by Jim Roberts Gallery, via flickr.

What do you think needs to be implemented to increase the perceived viability of community land ownership and management, compared to privately owned spaces? And how do you think we can increase the quantity of community land ownership going forward?

We need to give communities the power to take ownership of more land, for starters. That means introducing a Community Right to Buy in England, like the one they’ve had in Scotland for the past twenty years – a set of powers that has led to communities buying up half a million acres of Scotland. I visit one such community buyout in the book, Langholm Moor – a former grouse moor that was bought by the people of Langholm a couple of years ago: they’re now turning it into a nature reserve. No more moorland burning, no more predator persecution: they’re going to re-wet the peat bogs and are allowing birch and rowan to naturally regenerate up the hillsides.

We need to have that opportunity in England, too. And the good news is, the new Labour government announced in its first King’s Speech that it will introduce a Community Right to Buy in England. But we’ll have to campaign hard to make sure it happens, and that landed interests don’t water it down. And we need to unlock our own imaginations, to start to dream bigger about how communities could take control of land and manage it for nature. As the Scottish land reform campaigner Alastair McIntosh has written, community ownership of land “creates a new constellation of possibility.” Let’s reach for the stars.

Les coquelicots by Dmitry Djouce, via flickr.

I particularly enjoyed your last book, The Lost Rainforests of Britain, and it really opened my eyes to the remarkable habitats around us that many people, like myself, never knew existed. Do you think landowners are aware of the importance, in some cases rarity, of the land they own? And how has the privatisation of the UK’s rainforests affected their conservation and preservation?

Thanks! I think an increasing number of landowners and farmers are now aware of temperate rainforests – after writing Lost Rainforests, one of the loveliest messages I got was from a Devon sheep farmer who had discovered the very rare Hazel Gloves fungus growing in an old hazel grove on her farm. And it’s been really encouraging to see such snowballing momentum to bring back Britain’s rainforests since the book was published – like the Wildlife Trusts announcing rainforest restoration projects from Skiddaw in Cumbria to West Muchlarnick in Cornwall, and the Cornish landowner Merlin Hanbury-Tenison doing great work on his farm at Cabilla.

Unfortunately, not all landowners recognise the importance of the habitats they own – even sometimes when they’ve been officially ‘notified’ of their existence through the land being designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). In the book I tell the story of the landowner who destroyed part of the River Lugg SSSI – and how his example is sadly only one of many instances since the first SSSIs were designated in the 1950s. Ultimately, if we’re to protect our remaining habitats, I think we cannot only rely on voluntary initiatives by enlightened owners, but have to give precious habitats strong legal protections – and make sure our environmental watchdogs, like Natural England, have real teeth.

What do you hope the reader can learn from your book?

I hope that readers get angry about the problems, take inspiration from the suggested solutions, and get out there and campaign for them to become reality!

Mar Lodge Estate by John Knight, via flickr.

The final chapter of your book details your 10-step proposal. At which point during the writing process did you develop these, and how did these recommendations adapt and evolve throughout the researching and writing process of The Lie of the Land?

In all of my books, I aim to set out clear political recommendations – for me the point of writing is not just to interpret the world, but to change it! From the outset I had quite a clear sense that all my recommendations in The Lie of the Land would be about how we can democratise decision-making over land, make landowners more accountable and give all of us a greater say over how land is used. That, to me, seems to be our last, best hope of turning the nature crisis around.

My own feelings of optimism about fixing this mess we’re in were definitely boosted by the conversations I had, and site visits I made in the process of researching the book. There are loads of communities yearning to look after land, loads of river guardian groups blowing the whistle on river pollution, and plenty of examples from other countries – and from our own nation’s history – of how we can protect and restore nature and do a better job than we are currently. But we need some policy changes at a national level to unlock these energies and scale them up. As William Gibson (allegedly) once said, ‘the future is already here – it’s just not very evenly distributed.’

Are you working on any other books or projects that we can hear about?

Steady on – I’ve just written this one! Currently I’m enjoying meeting with lots of people across the country to get the ideas out there – and I am campaigning hard for these policy changes. I also work with the Right to Roam campaign (you can join our mailing list at www.righttoroam.org.uk). But I definitely would like to write more books in the future!

The Lie of the Land is available from our bookstore.

Supplier interview with Unitura

Unitura are experts in nature-inclusive construction and renovation who provide off-the-shelf solutions to projects that require roosting and habitat mitigation. They are involved in the design and manufacture of their own product lines, including bat boxes, bird boxes and insect hotels. They are specialists in green architecture in the form of green roofs or facades and provide bespoke services for nature inclusivity projects.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to the founders of Unitura, Sicco, Robert-Jan and Henk, about the company, their product range, what they hope for the future of the business and more.

Firstly, can you tell us about what inspired the establishment of Unitura?

The founding of Unitura stemmed from our shared interests. Prior to founding Unitura, Sicco and Henk were already engaged in providing ecological advice, while Robert Jan was primarily involved in the building sector. During a casual gathering, we brainstormed and landed on the concept of bat boxes. At that time, there was limited knowledge about such products in the market, presenting us with an intriguing challenge.

We started out quite simply – making and painting bat boxes in a small, rented office in a farmhouse. During the week, we focused on consultancy work and at the weekend we focused on producing bat boxes. We noticed that more was possible than just bat boxes and started to expand our range. It was no longer just about bats, but a complete range of in-field, nature-inclusive building.

How has the idea of nature-inclusive building been received since the company was founded, and how important do you think this is for the future of the planet?

Since our company was founded, the idea of nature-inclusive building has mainly been driven by legislation. However, we are now seeing a shift where it is becoming more of an integral part of construction projects and people are recognising its broader importance. We expect that in the future, it will become a standard component in the construction industry, particularly in the Netherlands where we see nature-inclusive building gaining more traction.

A few years ago, green buildings were rare, but now architects are increasingly incorporating them into their designs. This rapid development in the Netherlands is due to both political and corporate recognition of its urgency. Governments are implementing more regulations and companies are eager to adapt to these changes.

You have a very wide range of products on offer, from nest boxes, insect hotel and seeds, to equipment needed to create live, biodiverse green roofs. Can you tell us a bit more about your bestselling products?

Our best-selling products are the wood-concrete built-in facilities for birds and bats. Our range includes an extensive series of modular bat boxes that can be endlessly expanded and exchanged. This allows you to put together your bat boxes according to your own wishes. These boxes are specifically designed for bats that live in buildings. We also offer various built-in facilities for birds, including swifts and House Sparrows, which can be easily integrated into the masonry.

How did the introduction of the Nature Conservation Act in 2017 affect the design and manufacturing of your products?

The introduction of the Nature Conservation Act in

2017 likely impacted the design and production of our products. Similar legislation already existed in the Netherlands prior to this. At the moment, according to Dutch law, it is mandatory to conduct ecological research on protected species and their habitats before construction activities can commence. As a solution, a Species Management Plan (SMP) is now in place. An SMP outlines the protected species present in an area and the threats they face, whether across the entire municipality, in specific neighbourhoods, or within areas earmarked for significant sustainability or construction activities. It also describes the actions needed to protect, restore, or even increase the population of species.

For our company, this may entail adjusting our designs and manufacturing processes to comply with the regulations set forth in the SMP. For instance, in the insulation industry, our designs must account for specific insulation values to ensure that our product is suitable for use in various construction projects, such as installing nest-boxes in cavity walls.

I think the live, biodiverse roofs and building facades that you create are a fantastic idea and look stunning, however they are sadly quite uncommon here in the UK. Can you talk us through how you create them, why they should be used instead of a flat roof and how they benefit the environment?

Our green roofs offer various benefits, including reducing heat stress, significant water buffering capacity and CO2 reduction – they are also well-suited for renovation, as they are made with cassettes (HDPE units containing pre-cultivated wildflowers and herbs used to make green roofing). Within these cassettes, we use native species that contribute to promoting biodiversity and support local flora and fauna.

The process begins with the manufacturing of cassettes, which are then placed on the roof. These cassettes are produced by specialised nurseries and contain a substrate in which we sow native seeds from our partner organisation, De Bolderik. After approximately 12 weeks, the cassettes are ready to be installed on the roof.

Do you have any new products on the horizon that you can tell us about?

We continuously work on developing new products. We recently launched a new sensor specifically designed for detecting incoming and outgoing bats. With an active lifespan of two years, this sensor enables long-term monitoring. Users can easily view and download the sensor results via the companion app.

What is the hope for the future of Unitura?

Our aim is to broaden our model into a complete supplier of nature-inclusive solutions, integrating green elements such as green facades and green roofs. Moreover, we are firmly committed to expanding our presence in the international market. We are curious what the future will bring us!

Unitura Modular Bat Tubes

This modular bat tube from Unitura is a highly versatile built-in solution for bat mitigation and integration into a wall. Each tube has a single or multiple large crevices with a sloped entrance hole to accommodate bats leaving and entering the site and promote the runoff of water away from the interior of the tube. The tubes come in single, double and triple crevice layers and with/without an entryway. They can be mixed and matched completely depending on the design specification of the build and built as large or as small as needed.

Unitura Tall External Bat Box

This single crevice external bat box from Unitura provides a suitable and durable roost for crevice-dwelling bat species. Made from thermally stable and resilient woodconcrete this bat box can be mounted to any external walls where a roost may be needed. MULTI-MONTI fixings are included and are designed to be used without a Rawl plug. The screw anchor is approved for installation in cracked and uncracked concrete, as well as a whole range of other building materials.

Unitura External Swift Box

This external single-cavity swift box has been designed as a long-lasting nest box for swifts. Constructed from woodconcrete this swift box has a sloping roof to provide drainage and prevent dirt streaks from forming on the external wall. These boxes come with all the required fixings and an instruction card for easy assembly.

Soffit and Fascia Swift Box

These under-eaves swift nest boxes are a subtle and attractive way of providing swifts roosting opportunities in your eaves and soffits while remaining durable and secure for both the home and birds. The roost is made of both a wooden concrete entrance stone and an FSC plywood box, with ideally only the entrance stone being exposed to the elements, improving the durability and longevity of the box. The box is designed to be mounted in multiple directions depending on the angle of mounting and the shape and angle of the soffit/fascia.

Unitura Little Owl Box

Designed to provide a secure nesting solution for Little Owls, whilst excluding unwanted species, this nestbox has an entryway vestibule to help discourage Stone Martens, a large open nesting space with a removable roof and drainage/ventilation holes in the base.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 3rd June

Wildlife

Ambitious project in south-west Wales aiming to restore one of the world’s most important habitats is getting underway. Two species of seagrass, Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Dwarf Eelgrass (Zostera noltii) are being grown in ponds fed with seawater pumped in from the nearby Carmarthen Bay, and over the past two years alone this project has processed 1.5 million seeds. These have subsequently grown tens of thousands of plants that are now being reinstated in the wild to help restore the UK’s underwater seagrass meadows, 90% of which have vanished in the past 30 years alone.

Photo taken with a camera lens half under water and half above water showing a thick seagrass forest. — Seagrass near body of water during daytime by Benjamin L Jones via unsplash.

Thriving Ecuador bird tourism is incentivising farmers to turn their agricultural land into nature reserves. Ecuador is home to over 1,600 species of bird, almost double the number found across the whole of Europe. As the country’s birding tourism grows, increasing numbers of farmers are turning their agricultural land into nature reserves to help preserve their stunning local wildlife. This is not only benefiting nature, but also the country’s economy as wildlife tourism offers a much more profitable livelihood than farming, resulting in some farmers expanding their land’s potential further than any traditional farming model would have provided.

Critically endangered Devils Hole Pupfish population reaches a 25 year high. This rare species lives in the smallest known desert habitat of any vertebrate and is only found in the upper areas of a single limestone cave in the Mojave Desert, Nevada, where the whole population resides on a single shallow rock shelf. They have evolved to be able to withstand harsh desert conditions, including very high water temperatures and extremely low oxygen levels. In 2013, their population fell to just 35 individuals, but careful conservation efforts over the past 11 years have offered hope for this rare species as their population has now reached a 25-year record high of 191 fish.

Environment

The North Atlantic is set to be hit by more than double the normal number of hurricanes this season, warns NOAA. Researchers have suggested that this is predominantly due to high sea surface temperatures as a result of the upcoming transition between El Niño and La Niña which helps these storms grow more easily. Although there is no evidence showing that climate change is a contributing factor, it is likely to exacerbate the severity of these weather patterns. Contrastingly, NOAA have predicted a below-normal hurricane season for the central Pacific region where El Niño and La Niña work in opposition.

Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti aerial photograph. — Hurricane Matthew hits Haiti by NASA Goddard Space Flight Center’s photostream, via flickr.

Purbeck Heath begins its transformation into an ancient savannah habitat to help precious species thrive. The National Trust’s lead ecologist for Purbeck, David Brown, explained that the project hopes to use domestic grazers such as wild cattle, pigs, ponies and deer to mimic their wild ancestors and shape the 1,370 hectares of open grassland in Dorset into a dynamic, complex and biodiverse ecosystem. Purbeck Heath is already one of the most diverse areas in the UK, and this project will aid the recovery of rare and threatened species such as Purbeck Mason Wasps, Heath Tiger Beetles and Sand Lizards.

Climate

Increased ocean temperatures are undercutting the Thwaites Glacier and causing glacial melt from below. This glacier is currently losing 75 billion tons of ice per year, accounting for nearly half the total ice lost from Antarctica per annum. Scientists have revealed that an estimated 150 million kilowatts of thermal power are injected into the ice with each undercutting intrusion, which could melt 20 meters of ice off the bottom of the glacier each year. Recent simulation to assess the effects saltwater invasion may have on retreat rates has revealed it could double the overall rate of ice loss for some glaciers.

Thwaites Glacier photograph showing the edge of the glacial shelf with some small icebergs floating along the side of it. — 22-01-21 04 Thwaites Glacier by Felton Davis, via flickr.

New research reveals the catastrophic effects of extreme heat, deoxygenation and acidification in the oceans due to fossil fuels and deforestation. In the top 300 meters of affected oceans, these compounded events are lasting three times longer and are six times more intense than in the 1960s. A fifth of the world’s ocean surface is susceptible to all three of these stresses at once, which has been further exacerbated in recent decades as extreme weather conditions have become more intense. Scientists warn that the extra CO₂ absorbed by the oceans has increased the temperature and acidity of seawater, is dissolving the shells of sea creatures and starving the ocean of oxygen. This series of events is comparable to those experienced at the end of the Permian period 252 million years ago when the planet experienced the largest known extinction event in its history.

Author interview with Richard Mabey: The Accidental Garden

In The Accidental Garden, author Richard Mabey takes the reader on a journey through his own garden in Norfolk and explores the possibility of nature becoming humankind’s equal partner. He watches as his ‘accidental’ garden becomes its own director and reorganises itself in its own way, with ants sowing cowslips in their own patterns, roses serendipitously sprouting amid gravel, moorhens nesting in trees and other fascinating interactions.

Richard Mabey has authored 30 books since becoming a full-time writer in 1974, a number of which have won awards, including the East Anglia Book Award, National Book Award and Whitbread Biography Award. He sat on the UK’s Nature Conservancy Council in the 1980s, has been awarded two Leverhulme Fellowships and three honorary doctorates, and became a Fellow in the Royal Society of Literature in 2011.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Richard about his most recent book, where we discussed his approach to garden ‘by’ wildlife and the challenges he faced, the extent to which nature can thrive itself when human involvement is minimised, projects that are currently occupying his time and more.

Can you tell us what inspired you to write The Accidental Garden?

I’ve been meditating on many of the book’s themes for a long while – the paradox of our seeming new respect for nature co-existing with an obstinate reluctance to relinquish control; our obsession with tree-planting, as if trees have lost the ability to reproduce themselves; the lust for tidiness over vitality. What sparked the book – and set it in the theatre of our own garden – was a Dark Bush-cricket singing at midnight from the hollyhocks on that hottest-ever day in July 2022. It sounded like an anthem of hope.

Dark Bush Cricket sat on a leaf poised to jump. — Dark Bush Cricket (Pholidoptera griseoaptera) by Dean Morely, via flickr.

You mentioned in the first chapter that you try to garden ‘by’ wildlife as much as for it. Have you faced any challenges while using this approach, and what tips would you give to someone who wants to try and garden by the wildlife and biodiversity found in their own patch?

The Accidental Garden isn’t an advice manual. It’s a hesitant, personal account of what happened when we opened the gate to what I call ’parallel development’ in our space. We do what humans do in gardens, and allow other organisms to do what they want. Allow them to become subjects rather than objects, and effectively become fellow gardeners. So I left the bramble patch be, instead of digging it up to plant some runtish nursery-forced oakling. Result: Field Maple and Hazel saplings growing through its protective thorniness. I kick bare patches in the grass and see what self-seeds. Broomrapes, Heartsease and Bee Orchids have been among the surprise settlers. If you’re prepared to junk judgemental labels like weeds and pests there are very few challenges from this approach.

22:50 by Marie-Lou Wechsler, via flickr.

There seems to be evidence that, if left to fend for itself, nature can thrive and colonise without human involvement, as seen along the Dorset coast in the 1800s. What do you think humankind can learn from this going forward?

I’m continually amazed that we find nature’s ability to thrive and adapt surprising. How else could the planet have supported an abundance of life for billions of years before humans arrived on the scene? The natural world has never lost that enterprise and agility. Our reluctance to take advantage of this, to capitalise on adaptive solutions to environmental change, is a typically arrogant stance by our species, still stuck in its ‘dominion over’ mode, and our loss, as well as the natural world’s.

As you mentioned in one of your chapters, many people relish how non-native plant species can transport you to other places, while they also play a key role in garden biodiversity and over time can become at home in the UK, as seen with Snowdrops and Horse Chestnut. How do you think we can nurture the inevitable introduction of new species without this disadvantaging native plants?

The only visiting species we have any trouble with is Ground Elder, and otherwise our patch is developing into a resilient fusion garden. Native plants and animals form new communities with benign settlers. I’m writing this in May just feet from a large and dazzling patch of self-sown flowers that have established themselves in the gravel round the house, including Red Campion, Green Alkanet, Lamb’s Lettuce, Red Valerian, Hedgerow Cranesbill, Ox-eye Daisies. My interest is in the vitality and autonomy of this community (and its insect life – Hummingbird Hawk-moths are the stars!). But in terms of pure visual attractiveness it would match any herbaceous border. I’m also pleased by the way Turkey Oaks are regenerating in and beyond our patch of treeland, growing alongside the Wild Cherries and Ashes, and proving more resistant to deer browsing than English Oaks. Of course, many newcomers cause trouble away from their home ground. But in an environment that is being damaged so much by climate change, we need new species to keep a biologically rich tapestry of life here, in case our traditional species have trouble coping. ‘Nativeness’ has always had strict time limits, at both ends.

Horse Chestnut seeds on a tree. — Horse Chestnut – Aesculus hippocastanum by Judy Gallagher, via flickr.

What was the most interesting finding that you came across while undertaking this journey with your own garden?

I think learning about eliasomes, the little parcels of fat on the ends of many seeds that are ants’ rewards for acting as beasts of burden. (They ferry the seeds to their hills and feed the fat globules to their grubs.) Our red ants’ hills are now like living standing stones and I like to think they are responsible for Cowslips now carpeting most of our grassland.

What do you hope the reader can learn from The Accidental Garden?

I’ve been astonished by the inventiveness of our fellow beings when allowed a little leeway to do their own thing. When we drop our paternalistic attitude, our belief that we know best what should live where. Gardens are often compared to theatres, with the gardener as writer, director, set designer rolled into one. Can’t they also be open stages where uninvited, unsupervised species and ancient processes of colonisation and decay can improvise their own landscapes? In the 20 years we’ve been here one half of our plot has transformed itself into a kind of common, with patches of treeland and open grass, and a total of over 150 wild plant species arrived largely of their own accord. A garden is only in the smallest sense a microcosm and metaphor for the planet. But in it it’s possible to glimpse larger lessons about neighbourliness and cooperation, and the fact that the natural world is not intrinsically a victim, in need of constant intensive care.

What are you occupying your time with at the moment? Do you have any other books in progress that we can hear about?

At my age I should be put out to grass. But I can’t stop thinking and scribbling. I’ve just finished an expanded new edition of my 1993 book on the cultural history of Nightingales, Whistling in the Dark, out next year. And I’m dogged by a fancy of tracing the wild thread in the art of nature (always my second subject) from the cave paintings in Derbyshire to Andy Goldsworthy’s spring-flower-enclosing snowballs. But maybe I should just be content to use my walking stick (my Instrument of Minimum Intervention) to scratch more patches in the grass.

The Accidental Garden is available to pre-order from our bookstore.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 20th May

Climate crisis

Unusual spring weather is affecting bird migrations. The Wood Warbler, Redstart and Pied Flycatcher migrate from sub-Saharan Africa to British oak woods every spring and depend on Oak Moth caterpillars to feed their young. In recent years, these caterpillars had already emerged and were pupating by the time the birds arrived, resulting in their chicks starving. This year, however, they are facing a new issue: as spring has been so wet and cold, many birds have not reached Britain yet, while those that have are having to search for food in cool weather and have not begun nesting. These shifts in long-term weather patterns are likely to continue to cause migration issues going forward due to their unpredictability.

Pied flycatcher stood on the ground amongst small plants and grass. — Pied Flycatcher by hedera.baltica, via flickr.

The final Venezuelan glacier has been downgraded to an ‘ice field’ following large-scale glacial melt. This follows the loss of at least six other glaciers across the country in the last century due to an increase in global temperatures. In March 2024, researchers revealed that the Humboldt glacier had shrunk from 450 hectares to just two hectares. More recent observations show that, in the last two months it has reduced in size further to the area of just two football pitches. The latest projections suggest that between 20–80% of glaciers worldwide will be lost by 2100 as a result of climate change, with some of this loss already inevitable despite attempts to combat climate breakdown.

Environment

New record of Asian Hornet sightings threatens native pollination species. While Asian Hornets aren’t yet established in the UK, recent flooding and warm temperatures are increasing the risk of this species spreading across the country. Defra has warned that early detection and irradiation is the key to saving our native pollinator species who are known to feed on Honeybees. Since 2016, there have been 108 sightings of Asian Hornets, 56 of which were recorded last year alone. A further eight have been reported in the UK so far this year. Kent is on the front-line of the battle against this species with many of the UK sightings recorded in this county.

Close up photo of an Asian hornet stood on some moss on a branch. — Asian hornet by Gilles San Martin, via flickr.

Pioneering project that makes eco-friendly concrete from crushed shells may be the answer to extreme flooding. A team at the University of Central Lancashire has developed an innovative, sustainable, permeable concrete made from recycled crushed scallop and whelk shells that would otherwise go to landfill when discarded by fishmongers. Trials are being undertaken in Blackpool to assess its effectiveness in gardens, footpaths and car parks, and early results are very positive.

Over 8,000 hectares of land ‘left to nature’ to increase biodiversity. This restoration project, run by Forestry England and supported by both Forest Holidays and the Government, will be implemented in four areas across the UK: Castle Neroche, Somerset; Kielder Forest, Northumberland; Newtondale, North Yorkshire and Purbeck, Dorset. The project aims to minimise human involvement, allowing nature to shape these forest landscapes itself. Andrew Stinger, The Head of Environment at Forestry England, stated that, although the team is uncertain how these areas will evolve once human activity is reduced, they are confident they will become more biodiverse with the help of reintroduction initiatives, aid flood mitigation, improve air quality, and restore soil health.

Science

Sea Otter coming up from under the water holding a crab. — Sea Otter by Bureau of Land Management California, via flickr.

Study reveals that female Sea Otters are using tools to help preserve their teeth. Researcher Chris Law documented the moment that a female Sea Otter used a rock anvil to open the shell of its next meal, a type of behaviour which has previously been witnessed in very few animals. Further investigation revealed that, when there’s a decline in their preferred food, female Sea Otters have evolved to use tools to allow them to overcome their weaker biting ability when compared to their male counterparts, which allows them to consume alternative, larger prey without damaging their teeth.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 6th May

Environment

Half the world’s estuaries have been altered by humans, with 20% of estuary loss occurring in the past 35 years alone as a result of urban or agricultural land expansions. Ninety percent of this has occurred in rapidly developing Asian countries, whereas very little estuary loss has been noted in higher income countries within the same period. This is because waterway alterations in these higher income countries were made many decades prior during their own urban development stages. With much of the world now trying to undo this damage and rewild urbanised areas, countries are now investing in programmes to return these areas to wild mudflats and salt marshes which will increase climate resilience, replenish aquatic populations, reduce flood risk and aid nature’s recovery.

An aerial view of Dawlish estuary on a sunny day with boats on the water and the tide partially in. — An aerial view of a large body of water by Nick Russill, via unsplash.

The introduction of new diseases via open import systems are destroying EU trees and crops, with outbreaks on the rise once again. This comes after a mutation of one of the major killers of Olive trees in Italy, Xylella fastidiosa, was detected in America and is now wiping out US vineyards alongside its Italian counterparts. New data has revealed that an average of 70 foreign plant diseases were introduced to the EU between 2015–2020, despite legislation being enforced to prevent their spread in 2016, and scientists are holding open systems accountable. According to international protocols, only 2% of imported plants travelling through open systems are inspected for the presence of diseases, meaning that an alarming number of plant pests may be brought into the EU undetected. Although some pathogens are harmless in areas where ecosystems have evolved alongside them, they can be deadly when introduced to a new area. As global temperatures continue to rise, the problem is only likely to get worse.

Conservation

A UK study has proven that wilder gardens boost butterfly population numbers, with long, uncut grass likely to almost double butterfly abundance. This research, co-authored by the head of science at Butterfly Conservation, recorded a 93% increase in butterflies in gardens within farmed landscapes who did not cut their lawns, while gardens in urban areas noted an 18% rise in population numbers. These wilder habitats attract species whose caterpillars live and feed on the grass, provide greater quantities of nectar that are necessary for butterfly survival, and create important breeding habitats, which subsequently increases population numbers. The study advises that long grass should be left until late September or early October before cutting as some species require longer grass nearly all year round.

Close up of two holly blue butterflies perched on the end of a plant in the sunshine. — Holly blue butterflies by Nikk, via flickr, (image rotated).

Music featuring the sounds of nature earn royalties that will be donated to environmental causes. This new initiative, launched by the Museum for the United Nations, will recognise nature as an official artist on major music streaming platforms. A share of the royalties earnt when these songs are played will be donated to environmental causes and initiatives who are working hard to protect nature for the future. Nature itself will also have its own artist page on Spotify which will showcase ambient recordings of nature’s sounds, with 70% of the profits from these tracks funding conservation programmes.

The south coast’s only breeding Osprey pair have laid a fourth egg. These birds became the first nesting Ospreys on the south coast for 180 years after their reintroduction seven years ago. They returned to Poole Harbour in late March after their migration to West Africa and laid their first egg on the 15th April 2024. As female Ospreys usually only lay 3 eggs due to the challenges of feeding 4 young, researchers were surprised to find a fourth, but due to the exceptional job the pair did while caring for 3 chicks in 2023 they have high hopes for success this season.

Osprey mid flight holding a fish in its claws. — Osprey by texaus1, via flickr.

Discovery

Common Eastern Bumblebee queens have adapted so they can survive underwater for up to a week during hibernation, which is thought to be responsible for the species’ continual population stability, despite a third of all other bumblebee species currently in decline. This study was conducted as a result of water leaking into containers housing hibernating queens; results revealed that over 80% of the bees survived when submerged for up to seven days. Scientists noted that these findings are unusual as most overwintering insects cannot cope when submerged in water. However, it is hoped that this flood tolerance will help the species continue to thrive in the wild.

Common Eastern Bumblebee collecting nectar on a yellow flowers. — Common Eastern Bumblebee by Judy Gallagher, via flickr.

The largest snake that ever lived has been discovered in Western India, measuring up to 15m long and weighing a tonne. The fossil of the Vasuki indicus snake was discovered in a mine in western India and included 27 vertebrae, a few of which remained in the correct anatomical position. Scientists concluded that it would have lived in marshy swamps around 66m years ago during the Cenozoic era and, due to its size, it would have been a slow-moving ambush predator who attacked its prey through constriction.

This Week in Biodiversity News – 15th April

Environment

The UK’s first national assessment of earthworms has revealed that their populations decrease by 2% annually, and overall earthworm population numbers have fallen by a third over the past 25 years. This study, conducted by an ecologist at the British Ornithology Trust (BTO), also concluded that the largest decline in this species has been observed in broadleaf woodland ecosystems. This may now be having detrimental effects on other species, such as woodland birds, who have seen a subsequent population decline of 37% since 1970. Barnes’ study concludes that, if these results are found elsewhere, the long-term decline of this keystone species could affect our ability to grow crops, as worms aid the growth of 140m tonnes of food a year. It may also have catastrophic effects on soil health, ecosystem structure, function, and above-ground wildlife.

Earthworm diving into the soil between some blades of grass with leaves on the floor. — 20060131 earthworm dives by schizoform, via flickr.

Global rainforest deforestation continues at a rate of ten football pitches per minute. Despite widespread efforts to minimise deforestation across the Brazilian and Colombian Amazon, new data has revealed that 37,000 sq km was still removed from previously undisturbed rainforests in 2023. Large increases were noted in Bolivia, Laos and Nicaragua, which has now offset the positive progress made by other countries in the reduction of deforestation. Experts have warned that governments are unlikely to meet their climate and biodiversity commitments due to the continuation of mass deforestation, with many going against the COP28 agreement to halt and reverse the loss and degradation of forests in the next six years. This puts the 2030 zero-deforestation target even further out of reach.

New research has revealed that national parks are failing to tackle the biodiversity crisis, despite these important areas covering 10% of England and 20% of Wales. Due to lack of government funding, the direct grant set aside for national parks has been cut by 40% since 2010, resulting in poor peatland condition, no change in woodland biodiversity in a 5-year period, and a significant decline in river and lake health. Aside from a lack of funding, national parks are not restoring nature as only 13.7% of the land is publicly owned, with the remaining 86.3% privately owned and often intensely farmed. Campaign for National Parks is calling for a new deal that ensures the government sets a clear mission to increase nature protection and restoration in the UK’s national parks, and subsequently double core national park grants to reinstate this vital funding to its 2010 level.

Dartmoor landscape with cloudy sky but sun shining on the grass, with the moors in the background and a tor stone in the foreground. — Dartmoor by dreamgenie, via flickr.

Discovery and reintroduction

One of the world’s most elusive moles has been sighted in Australia. The Northern Marsupial Mole, or Kakarratul, lives in one of the most remote parts of Australia and is only sighted a few times each decade. Due to their rarity, authorities are still unsure of their population size and these creatures remain a mystery to most of the world. However, the Kanyirninpa Jukurrpa Martu rangers discovered the rare, blind Northern Marsupial while working in the Great Sandy Desert, making this the second species sighting in six months.

Progress has been made in the first ever shark translocation project, which aims to reintroduce Zebra Sharks to the Raja Ampat archipelago in Indonesia after the species was declared functionally extinct due to overfishing and habitat degradation. This is the first initiative attempting to translocate shark eggs from an aquarium to a hatchery before releasing them into the wild. Two sharks have recently hatched on the island of Kri and will be kept in tanks until they are strong enough to be released into the wild. The project aims to release 500 Zebra Sharks by 2032 in the hope of creating a genetically diverse breeding population that will aid long-term species recovery. If successful, this rewilding project will set a strong example of how to re-establish endangered species populations in marine ecosystems and would be a breakthrough for future conservation efforts.

Zebra Shark swimming in the sea over a rocky seabed with fish swimming above it. — Zebra Shark by Daniel Sasse, via wikimediacommons.

Climate crisis

A record hot March leads to fears of faster rates of climate change. Last month was the hottest March on record, reaching 1.68°C warmer than in pre-industrial times. This marks the tenth record breaking monthly temperature in a row, and scientists are concerned that they may not temporarily fall, as expected, after the El Niño period due to the warm weather experienced at the end of 2023. Researchers are now trying to ascertain whether the changes in El Niño are a phase shift or just an anomaly in long-term climate trends. Although they are unsure how conditions in the Pacific Ocean will evolve over the coming months, current predictions suggest it could be replaced by a full La Niña cooling phase.

This week in Biodiversity News – 1st April

Conservation

Increasing shortages of early season food threatens bumblebee populations. A new study published by the Universities of Oxford and Exeter has revealed that pollinator-friendly plant species are now flowering up to a month too late to aid bee conservation, resulting in low colony survival rates and reduced queen production. The reduction in pollen and nectar availability during the March to June period, which is critical during the early stages of colony formation, can have catastrophic effects on colony populations, with research suggesting that a two week gap in pollen supply reduces the production of daughter queen bees by up to 87%. To combat this decline, it is recommended that existing hedgerows should be populated with early blooming species such as Ground Ivy, cherry, and Hawthorn, which would increase colony success rates from 35% to 100%.

Photograph of a bumblebee flying towards a yellow flower. — Bumblebee by James Johnstone, via flickr.

A pioneering translocation project aimed at saving a rare species of fungus in now underway in Cumbria. The Willow Glove fungus is a critically endangered species that can now only be found in two woodlands in Scotland, with the majority of it living on a single fallen tree. Scientists have recently removed sections of dead wood that the fungus is living on and relocated it to three receptor sites in an attempt to prevent the species’ impending extinction. The fungus is being transported to protected sites of special scientific interest where the fungus was last recorded before it became extinct in England 50 years ago. Host trees have been selected due to their plentiful supply of willow glue, a parasite that the Willow Glove depends on for survival. The success of this relocation technique will be monitored by volunteers from Cumbria Fungi Group for the next five years.

RHS Rosemoor aims to rediscover lost, native apple varieties to help the fruit survive climate breakdown. This spring, horticulturalists are searching for lost varieties of apple trees that used to be abundant in ancient orchards, with the goal of discovering the genetic traits of those species that are still thriving today. The University of Bristol and Sandford Orchards will each receive the genotypes of apple species that have been deemed important from across England and plan to investigate the rare ‘survivor varieties’ that have not been propagated, collected or recorded before. The hope is that their genetic code can be preserved for future use in an attempt to safeguard biodiversity and boost the UK apple industry’s resilience to climate change, particularly for those species that are native to this country. This project will play a vital role in the sustainability of the UK’s commercial orchards, 80% of which have been lost since 1900.

Closeup image of Apples hanging off a tree in an orchard. — Apple Orchard by Sue Thompson, via flickr.

Discovery

A newly discovered orchid species boasts the longest nectar spur of any known plant relative to its flower size. The Solenangis impraedicta, found in the forest canopies of central Madagascar, is the first orchid discovered since 1965 that has made extreme adaptations to allow only a certain species to access its nectar and facilitate pollination. Its hyper-long nectar spur, measuring 33cm, makes it the longest of any known plant when compared to its small flower size of only 2cm, and researchers suggest it may only be accessible to the Long-tongued Hawkmoth. The significance of this discovery has been noted due to the similarities between this species and Darwin’s Orchid (Angraecum sesquipedale), which is also native to Madagascar. Darwin speculated that only a moth with an exceptionally long proboscis could reach the nectar, while Alfred Russel Wallace further built on this in his predication that a hawkmoth would be the only species able to do so. Finding this rare orchid highlights the urgency of conservation measures in Madagascar that are necessary to combat the rapid rate of deforestation occurring on the island.

Hummingbird Hawkmoth in flight while feeding off a purple flower. — Hummingbird Hawkmoth by Peter Stenzel, via flickr.

An ancient species of river dolphin has been discovered in the Peruvian Amazon. A team of palaeontologists have found a giant fossilised skull on the shores of the Napo River that belonged to the largest-known species of river dolphin in history. This colossal creature, measuring 3-3.5 metres in length, is not related to the native Amazon River (Pink) Dolphins, but rather the South Asia river dolphins who are found 10,000km away. Researchers suggest that the dolphins’ ancestors originally lived in the ocean but ventured into the abundant freshwater ecosystems of the proto-Amazonia, before becoming extinct when new habitats emerged and their prey vanished.

Environment

The earliest-ever sighting of the Asian Hornet suggests they may now be established in the UK. The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) has recently confirmed that an Asian Hornet was sighted and captured on the 11th March in Kent – one month earlier than the first hornet sighting of last year. Once hornets are established, it’s almost impossible to get rid of them, and with Asian Hornet numbers having skyrocketed in the UK in 2023, scientist are concerned that they are now overwintering in the UK. This may have detrimental effects on wild pollinators emerging from hibernation, particularly Britain’s bee populations which play a key role in agricultural pollination.

Author Q&A with Jeremy Biggs & Penny Williams: Ponds, Pools and Puddles

Ponds, pools and puddles are a common sight in our landscape and play a very important part in sustaining wildlife. In Volume 148 of the New Naturalist Series, the authors provide a comprehensive survey of the variety of plants and animal life for which they are a habitat, and discusses the way in which they are used, their importance, and compares their major variations in life cycles. Ponds, Pools and Puddles makes an invaluable contribution to raising awareness of these popular, yet frequently underrated freshwater habitats and gives them the attention they rightly deserve.

Jeremy Biggs and Penny Williams work for Freshwater Habitats Trust, a wildlife conservation charity focused on reversing the decline in freshwater biodiversity. They have been involved in numerous research projects, publications and conferences on the ecology and management of ponds and other freshwater habitats.

We recently had the opportunity to talk to Jeremy and Penny about how they became interested in ponds, whether they think technological advances will play an important role in future pond research and more.

Jeremy Biggs wearing wellies on the side of a large pond looking at something he has caught in a net on a sunny day with clear, blue skies. — Jeremy Biggs

Can you tell us how you both became interested in ponds and pond life?

P: I had a wonderful early experience at primary school: we had a trip to a local pond in Southborough, Kent and caught a Three-spined Stickleback. The teacher brought a couple back to a classroom tank and I watched in amazement as the beautiful azure blue and orange male made a nest and fanned the eggs with his tail.

J: I was interested in wildlife from my teens, particularly birds, but it was at university (Royal Holloway, University of London) that my interest in freshwater was awakened. Crucial for me was an inspirational teacher – the late Dr Nan Duncan – who ran one of the best courses there was on freshwater biology.

I found your definition of a pond interesting as there appears to be so many ways of deciding what constitutes a pond. Can you talk us through the process that you went through to decide on the parameters for your definition?

P: After working on ponds for a couple of years it became clear that we needed an easy-to-use definition, particularly to deal with the inevitable question: is it a pond or a lake? It also had to include temporary ponds, which were hardly recognised in the UK at the time. So, at Freshwater Habitats Trust we went for an area-based definition because that’s easy to measure. We set 2 ha as the pond/lake cut off, as this seemed to best capture the difference between the two. The ‘wet for at least four months of the year’ is included as this is roughly the time needed for ponds to develop a wetland plant community. That means that you should be able go to a basin that’s wet or dry at any time of year and tell if it is a pond. In practice, the lower limit is a little flexible: we use 1m² to include tiny pools and garden ponds, but for practical reasons use 25m² for national counts of ponds where it’s impractical to count every little countryside puddle.

Penny Williams carrying an inflatable kayak by a pond on a sunny day with blue skies. — Penny Williams

It’s clear that the first national pond survey paved the way for gaining a more in-depth understanding of pond classifications, species, ecological preferences and more. What do you think the next step is in gaining an even greater understanding of ponds, and do you think modern, technological research methods will play a big part in this?

P: Current policy, legislation and general awareness of the importance of ponds now lags way behind our knowledge of pond ecology – so although there is still an enormous amount more to find out about pond biology, I think the greatest need is for knowledge that shows the importance and value of ponds for protecting freshwater biodiversity. For example, we need evidence about how high-quality pond creation and restoration can be used, at a landscape scale, to maintain healthy freshwater metapopulations, prevent extinctions and enable the spread of species that may be increasingly isolated by pollution and climate change. This is a real focus for Freshwater Habitats Trust, where we’ve been championing the importance of small waterbodies – and ponds in particular – for more than three decades.

Modern technology will undoubtedly play a part in this: DNA, and eDNA in particular, may be a game changer, although we are some way off from using it for the purpose that I would love: routine monitoring of all waterbodies (rather than just rivers) to get a real understanding of what is happening to freshwater biodiversity in our landscapes and how we can best address that.

New technologies are always exciting but, to be honest, I think the main thing we need at the moment is publicity, publicity, publicity. Widespread knowledge and appreciation at all levels of how wonderful these little waterbodies are.

J: More than a particular technological solution, what we really need is funding for ‘National Pond Survey 2’, led from a conservation perspective and, as we’ve been doing for the last 30 years, generating and testing the ideas that Ponds, Pools and Puddles summarises. There’s so much to learn here: are ponds still declining in quality? What’s the effect of pond management? How do ponds, lakes, streams, wetlands and rivers interact? What about the microbiota which we know next to nothing about (that is something eDNA will help with)? How is climate change affecting ponds?

It was fascinating to learn that there is a much greater variety of species found in ponds in comparison to river communities. How important do you think ponds are in the recovery of nationally scarce or Red Data Book species?

J: The very wide variety of nationally scarce and Red Data Book species found in ponds means that ponds are absolutely vital for the recovery of these species. The special virtue of ponds is that, with their small catchment, we can still find large numbers of very high-quality ponds in the landscape, or create new, near pristine, clean water ponds in areas protected from pollution. This is all much more difficult for streams, rivers and many lakes with their much bigger catchments. There’s no doubt that creating and restoring networks of clean water ponds could put many of our Red Listed freshwater species on an upward trajectory. Indeed, this is one of the aims of Freshwater Habitats Trust’s vision to build the Freshwater Network: to reverse the decline in freshwater biodiversity. This will see us creating a network of wilder, wetter, cleaner, more connected freshwater habitats, and ponds play a big part in this concept.

Delta Pond in Eugene, Oregon surrounded by trees, plants and flowers on the shoreline. — Delta Pond in Eugene, Oregon by Rick Obst, via flickr.

To what extent do you expect climate change to affect the ecological formation and chemical makeup of natural ponds in the future?

P: The effects of climate change on ponds are undoubtedly going to be complex, varied, unexpected and unpredictable. For example, in the Water Friendly Farming project, where we’ve been monitoring the same ponds for over a decade, a clear (but not predicted) result is that shallow ponds are being rapidly encroached by marginal wetland vegetation in dry years, and this vegetation persists so that open water is being lost. However, the effect differs: where ponds are grazed this has been beneficial, sometimes enabling uncommon plants like Orange Foxtail (Alopecurus aequalis) to spread to lovely new poached drawdown zones. In other cases, it has been sad to see little ponds with water buttercups be replaced by just wetland grasses like Sweet-grasses (Glyceria spp) and Creeping Bent (Agrostis stolonifera).

J: Climate change is going to have a big impact, but the effects are going to very difficult to predict. Ponds are so varied, it’s inevitable that their responses will be too. It’s possible to make sweeping generalisations (pollution impacts get worse, many temporary ponds disappear) but there’s a good chance these will wrong. It’ll be crucial to have a good set of observations of what is actually happening to ponds. In the meantime, the priority should be to use ponds to put as much clean water as we can back into the landscape.

What is the most interesting finding that you have come across while researching ponds, pools and puddles?

P: For me it’s undoubtedly been the opportunity to riff on my geological background and delve into the ancient natural processes that shaped ponds in the past – and which still has so much to teach us about ponds (and other freshwaters) today. For example, I love the fact that almost all of today’s wetland plants evolved in landscapes that had already been shaped by grazing and poaching processes for over 200 million years – no wonder many wetland plants benefit from grazing and the presence of muddy ground! And, at a time when many people (including scientists and policymakers) still undervalue ponds as man-made artificial features, some of world’s best-preserved evidence of early life in terrestrial landscapes (the Devonian Rhynie cherts in Scotland which are c400 my) reveal an environment that is full of ponds with the fairy shrimps and tadpole shrimps swimming amongst stoneworts.

J: For me, it’s been the chance to bring together so much information that we simply haven’t had a chance to publish anywhere else. With the amount of time it takes to publish research, we are extremely selective about what we write up in papers. Only the most important results ever make it into print. It’s also allowed us to look at groups we don’t work on so much ourselves (such as the microalgae) and see how these reinforce many of the ideas about ponds from the more obvious bigger plants and animals. It’s also nice to get into the book the truth that many of our biggest and most famous wetlands, like the Coto Donana in Spain, are actually massive pond complexes comprised of over 3,000 temporary ponds!

Pennington Flash Pond through the Trees. — Pennington Flash Pond through the Trees by Ronald Saunders, via flickr.

Are either of you working on any other projects that we can hear about?

J: Freshwater Habitats Trust is really busy at the moment! Amongst other things we are:

– Launching the Freshwater Network: this is our plan to restore freshwater biodiversity taking account of freshwaters, including the critically important small (standing and flowing) that make up most of the water environment but have been largely overlooked for 100 years.

– Developing the network in key regions to protect and restore freshwater biodiversity in some of our most important freshwater landscapes like the New Forest, The Brecks, in the catchment of the R. Thames and in the Yorkshire Lowlands.

– Working with colleagues in Europe and South America looking at pond biodiversity, ecosystem services and climate change as part of the EU Horizon 2020 PONDERFUL project.

– Beginning research on the value of pond buffer zones in a project for Natural England and assessing the role that eDNA can play.

– Creating thousands of new ponds with Amphibian and Reptile Conservation as part of the Newt Conservation Partnership – created for Great Crested Newts but with much wider benefits for wildlife and, critically, monitoring the effects so we can tell whether it’s really making a difference.

– Continuing catchment research which looks at all of the water environment. Fortunately more and more people are realising that in every landscape, small waters are a lifeblood.

– and so many others….

Ponds, Pools and Puddles is available to order from our online bookstore here.