Supporting Conservation – Page 3 – Hoopoe

Q&A with Matt Larsen-Daw and Alana Scott: Celebrating 70 years of the Mammal Society

The Mammal Society, founded in 1954, is a UK charity formed to support evidence-based mammal conservation in Britain and Ireland. The Mammal Society is involved in promoting and enhancing conservation initiatives working to restore mammals and their habitats, with the overall mission of securing thriving populations of native species.

The Mammal Society will be celebrating their 70th anniversary in 2024, which will be the focus of this year’s annual mammal conference. The conference will focus on the past challenges and successes of mammal conservation, and discuss opportunities for future work.

Matt Larsen-Daw is the CEO of the Mammal Society. Having worked with WWF for some time leading education programmes, Matt is now working with the local mammal groups at the base of the Society’s work. Alana Scott works as communications officer for the Society, with a strong history in conservation biology and ecology. She also has significant achievements in the reintroduction of Water Voles in southern Cornwall.

In anticipation of the upcoming National Mammal Week (22nd – 28th April), we recently had the opportunity to talk with Matt and Alana about the successes of The Mammal Society, their upcoming 70th anniversary and goals for the future.

Small dormouse resting on a branch in front of leaves. — National Mammal Week is an annual event encouraging awareness and conservation of mammals. Image by The Mammal Society.

Firstly, could you give us a brief insight into how The Mammal Society came into existence back in 1954?

Seventy years ago, in 1954, The Mammal Society was formed under the name of The Mammal Society of the British Isles (TMSBI), following a meeting of prominent zoologists, naturalists and the Zoological Society of London. The aim was to link amateurs and professionals in promoting the study of mammals, and by doing so to power conservation of mammals at a time when an alarming decline in the populations of several species was already being observed.

Three years later the society started to deliver on its remit when it published its first book – A Field Guide to British Deer. Perhaps some well-thumbed 1st editions of this vintage text are still sitting on shelves? More likely readers may have one of the beautifully illustrated 4th edition copies of this handbook, published to coincide with another significant anniversary – the 60th year of the British Deer Society – in 2023. The British Deer Society is one of several organisations (including the Bat Conservation Trust and SeaWatch) that started their lives as subgroups within The Mammal Society, until their objectives became sufficiently ambitious and broad in scope to warrant a separate charity. This highlights one of the key roles that The Mammal Society has played over the past seven decades. By acting as a lightning rod for discussion and research around the big issues in mammal science and conservation, the Society has convened experts and enthusiasts to foster collaboration and initiate vital projects at all levels of mammal conservation. From collaborative research projects to species-focused organisations and grassroots local groups, the work of the Society has helped shape the mammal conservation sector we see today.

What do you think has been the key to the enduring success of The Mammal Society?

A key factor in the ongoing success of The Mammal Society is the community of mammal specialists and nature enthusiasts that has formed around it in the form of our members and local groups network. The staff team at the Society has never been big – in fact we are often assumed to be much bigger than we are, due to our vibrant social channels and the large influence we have on policy and practice. Our Council of Trustees, our Committees, and our ever-growing community of local mammal champions are just as important in the achievement of our aims. We are nothing without our members, and we hope that we give plenty back to those who join us in our mission to support and protect British mammals. Members receive our acclaimed seasonal magazine Mammal News, receive substantial discounts on our trainings and events, and have the opportunity to influence the priorities and projects of the Society. Why not join, or gift membership, today?!

At the hub of this thriving community of volunteers and supporters, the staff team arranges forums, events, training, campaigns and research projects that channel the huge energy and expertise in the wider community, while ultimately strengthening and energising that same community.

Our small size has allowed us to be agile and respond to urgent challenges quickly and efficiently – such as the discovery of the non-native Greater White-toothed Shrews in Britain in 2022. It also means our overheads as a charity are low – ensuring that we can put every penny of membership fees and donations to good use in our work to ensure a bright future for mammals.

A group of people smiling in a field with a wheelbarrow. — ARK (Action for the River Kennet) participants of a Harvest Mouse Survey, 2023.

The world has changed a lot in the last 70 years. Have the key purposes and goals of the charity evolved during this time to adapt to this changing world, or have they broadly remained the same?

Conservation science is powerless without first being able to answer the questions ‘what to conserve?’ and ‘where to conserve?’; to do this we need to know, for each species, how large the population is, where it is (and was) distributed, and its status, threats and requirements. This science is exactly what The Mammal Society has been promoting since its inception, seeking to ensure that whatever the approach needed, it is undertaken in the right way – informed by science and data.

This central remit has certainly not changed. However, the role of The Mammal Society in the conservation sector was a hot topic of discussion in the first few decades. In 1963, a resolution was passed at a meeting that the Society should be ‘a scientific body to which those in authority can turn for factual information about mammals and mammal biology’, upon which to base a judgement of the conflicting claims of different champions. To be accepted as such a body, the Society should not itself become involved in any way with […] controversial matters. In other words, The Mammal Society should gather and present scientific facts but not campaign for any particular action to be taken. This perspective shifted within ten years, with members wanting the Society to be prepared to call for action where it was scientifically justified. Nowadays we certainly consider ourselves to have a key role not only in establishing scientific evidence, but also in ensuring it is seen, understood and acted upon to bring positive outcomes for mammals. Communicating the science and advocating for its application are as important as the science itself if we want change.

The other facet of our work that has become more important in recent years is communicating the importance and wonder of mammals to public audiences, in order to build public support for mammal conservation and encourage more engagement with life sciences – especially among younger people and communities currently under-represented in conservation. This objective is part of our remit to strengthen and energise the conservation sector. For example, our annual Mammal Photographer of the Year competition allows us to spotlight photographers who have captured beautiful and surprising images of mammals in the wild and inspire others to share in their wonder and excitement at spotting our elusive wild neighbours going about their everyday lives.

In 1995, The Mammal Society entered a new phase when it established a network of local groups that could monitor the state of mammals in their area and respond to local issues while playing a key role in contributing to a better national picture of mammal populations. Through this process of evolution, The Mammal Society moved from connecting amateurs to professionals in mammal conservation, to providing anyone concerned about the decline of mammals with ways to get involved and directly help tackle the key issues.

Some of these original groups are still going strong, and others have joined in the nearly 30 years since then. Led by volunteers, these groups provide opportunities for nature-lovers from all walks of life in their community to support citizen science activities that provide essential data and insight to inform mammal research, conservation practice and landscape management policy.

Now we have more than 30 local mammal groups in the network, and their contribution to projects such as the Mammal Atlas, the Harvest Mouse Survey and many other projects cannot be under-estimated – as well as the profound impact many have had on mammal populations locally through their targeted efforts. The Mammal Society have sought to guide and support these groups over the years, but we feel there is much more we could do.

Our new Local Mammal Groups Strategy (reflected in our new Local Groups Handbook) sets out how we intend to invest in growing, strengthening and diversifying the community of local mammal champions that participate in mammal conservation at the grassroots level through the local groups network.

Red squirrel peeking out from behind a Silver Birch tree on the right and directly looking at a Bumblebee flying towards the tree. — The Squirrel and the Bee. Image by Garry Watson, winner of the Mammal Photographer of the Year competition, 2024.

Biodiversity loss and the climate crisis are key issues for everyone involved in conservation at present. What are your main goals for the coming years and decades?

Seventy years on, the challenges that need to be overcome to ensure a bright future for wildlife and people are just as daunting. This means that over the decades to come, our role as convener and mobiliser in the world of mammal conservation will be more important than ever. There is no doubt that reversing the loss of nature will require work from everyone, and the more joined-up those efforts are, the more positive the impact for wildlife and people.

As we move into our eighth decade, we continue to do everything we can to foster collaboration and inclusion in mammal conservation. We aim to bring the scientific insight and expertise of our committees, members, council and staff to strengthen and support any initiatives that can help address the threats faced by our native mammals. As an active member of Wildlife & Countryside Link, we are already adding our voice to those of varied stakeholders across the nature sector to call for urgent action to address issues and redress shortcomings in policy and practice. Via European Mammal Conservation Europe, we have strengthened joint challenges on issues such as the protected status of wolves in the EU. We are active contributors to the RSPB-led UK State of Nature Report, and members of coalitions and steering groups on various species recovery strategies. We continue to engage with government to ensure that policy and priorities are informed by science.

Our commitment to ensuring that everyone understands the importance of mammals, and can play a role in monitoring and protecting mammals, is reflected in our reinvigorated approach to supporting local groups – including an equipment loan scheme, free training for local groups, and an ambitious plan to see at least three new groups in currently under-represented urban areas by 2025. Alongside this our new school programme launches this year, creating opportunities for young people to explore and support mammals, and prioritising schools in areas of deprivation and serving communities under-represented in conservation.

A group of children sat at a school desk dissecting owl pellets. — Owl pellet dissection as part of the new school programme.

Seventy years as a successful charity is an incredible achievement, not to mention the research, support and training you have undertaken and provided during this time. How are you marking and celebrating this important milestone?

We’re spending 2024 looking back, and looking forward. We want to celebrate what’s been achieved over the past 70 years but also to take the opportunity to look at the challenges ahead and how we can all play a role in meeting them.

To help us highlight this significant milestone, talented illustrator Silvie Tonellotto has designed our beautiful 70th anniversary badge, which will feature on communications throughout 2024. You can see more of her work on Instagram (@silvietonelottodesigns).

An illustrated dormouse sat inside the number 70. — The 70th anniversary badge, designed by Silvie Tonellotto.

One of the key things we are focusing on is celebrating the people whose actions are key to ensuring a bright future for mammals, and especially to show the rich diversity of people and variety of roles people can play in supporting mammal conservation. We have therefore marked this 70th year with the launch of a new awards scheme – Mammal Champions. NHBS generously supported the prizes for the 2024 awards, and we’re delighted to have been able to shine a spotlight on some incredible volunteers, campaigners and thought leaders.

National Mammal Week (celebrated in the autumn in previous years, but now moving to a new home in the spring) is 22nd to 28th April 2024. We’ll be celebrating the wonderful individuals shortlisted for Mammal Champions Awards, while also providing loads of opportunities for anyone in Britain and Ireland to find ways to become mammal champions in their own lives and communities.

Learn more and get involved through The Mammal Society website.

Toads in the Roads

It is in the earliest months of the year, when the weather turns milder and deeply saturating rains arrive, that adult toads, frogs and newts begin to emerge from their wintering hibernacula and make their long-standing annual journeys to the waterways in which they breed. It’s an ancient way of life for amphibians and a behaviour that pre-dates humankind by millennia.

Close up of a Toad crossing a loose, stony road at night. — Toad – Oli Haines

Roads are a relatively new addition to the landscape by comparison. A blink of an eye in toad evolution. They frequently bisect the paths that amphibians must navigate in order to reach their ancestral ponds. Being relatively slow-moving, small, and cryptically coloured, amphibians are incredibly vulnerable on tarmac roads. As such, it is estimated that two tons of toads are killed on roads each year in the UK.

This February was one of the warmest and wettest on record in England, and it felt every bit of it. Despite the gloom of early darkness and torrential rain, I was thrilled to sign up and join an enthusiastic local volunteer group of Toad patrollers, deep in the Devon laneways, to learn what work is being done to mitigate our impact on the amphibians currently making these critical journeys.

The Toads on Roads project was spearheaded by the amphibian charity Froglife over twenty years ago. Volunteers that are involved in the project put in considerable effort each year to monitor known and established toad crossings around the country. These are the places where toads gather in their largest numbers and are at significant risk of being run over in their attempts to reach spawning ponds.

The group I joined have, for a number of years, been protecting an intersection where three roads meet beside a large pond. As we gather in high-vis vests at around half five in the evening, it’s already fully dark. We’re wearing latex-free gloves and bearing large white buckets. The pond is swelling up either side of the road, flooding the tree roots in a muddy soup. The rain falls intermittently and, sure enough, a proud collection of male toads is already eagerly lining the roads awaiting the females.

Toads crossing for 800 metres sign on the side of a road with a grassy verge, wildflowers and long grass. — Toads crossing sign in Stalisfield Road by Pam Fray, via geograph.org.

We walk along the lane counting the toads we find and placing markers near them that are more visible for passing cars than the toads themselves are. It’s not such a busy road, but it is narrow and steeply enclosed between old earthen hedgerows that cars and tractors have clipped away over time, resulting in an overhang that the toads are incapable of climbing. Often, they become trapped along the lane. Where we find them in a predicament, we watch to observe the direction of their travel, and if the cars come, we gently lift the toads off the tarmac and place them in the verge where they appear to be headed.

A few drivers who come by slow down and ask what we’re doing. Many seem intrigued by the response, often vowing to take care as they go on. I’m told this is an improvement. As awareness of toad crossings and the work being done to monitor them increases, people are more understanding, though I’m assured there’s still animosity from some drivers who feel inconvenienced.

During some of the evenings on the patrol we encountered beastly weather; driving rain and flooded roads; and I marvelled at the dedication of the volunteers and their care for the amphibians crossing the roads. I learned that more people are approaching Froglife to get involved and that, due to increased awareness and publicity, the plight of toads is reaching more and more would-be patrollers. There have also been successful cases of temporary road closures to divert traffic during the heights of toad migration in the UK this year.

Close up of two toads, one on the back of another, crossing a gravelly road at night. — Toads – Oli Haines

It’s a complex web of challenges that contribute to amphibian population declines – not just nationally but globally. Land-use intensification threatens our waterways with myriad pollutants and our roads and construction projects fragment vital habitats or obliterate them entirely. It’s heartening that awareness is building. It has been such an inspiration to me to learn there’s a network of enthusiastic and caring volunteers out there in the winter nights, working at limiting the damage to amphibian populations, championing these remarkable and charismatic animals, and building hopeful connections in local communities while doing so.

If you feel call to get involved, visit the Froglife website where you can learn more about local toad crossings. There’s also abundant information on ways that you can make any local green spaces or gardens more amphibian friendly, such as making ponds, allowing wilder patches and encouraging greater invertebrate diversity.

Read our two-part Gardening for Wildlife blog for more information.

The Big Garden Birdwatch: NHBS Staff Results 2024

The RSPB’s 45th Big Garden Birdwatch took place between Friday 26th and Sunday 28th January 2024. This annual event is one of the largest citizen science wildlife surveys in the UK and helps us gain an understanding of how our garden bird populations are changing in abundance and distribution over time. Over half a million people took part in last year’s event, recording a total of 9.1 million birds. House Sparrows took first place, despite a gradual 57% decrease in sightings since the first Birdwatch Count in 1979. They were closely followed by the Blue Tit and Starling.

Although the Big Garden Birdwatch has finished, there is still time to submit your results on the RSPB website by the 18th February, or by post before the 13th February. Even if you didn’t see anything, it still counts!

With birds being faced with an increasing number of challenges each year, it’s more important than ever to make your garden and outdoor space wildlife friendly. This can include installing bird feeders or tables which provide an important food source throughout the winter months when natural food sources are scarce., You can also provide clean, fresh drinking water in shallow containers such as bird baths or saucers, and install nest boxes for breeding in the spring. Also, don’t forget to regularly clean and maintain your feeders and baths as this helps stop the spread of disease. Head over to the RSPB website to find out more about how you can help your garden birds.

A robin stood on top of a wet wooden fencepost. — Robin – Catherine Mitson

Results

As usual, many of our staff took part in this year’s Big Garden Birdwatch from their gardens or local parks across Devon, and we recorded a total of 129 birds and 22 different species. Compared to last years results, there was a 31% increase in sightings, while an additional nine species were spotted in this year’s count. The most sighted bird was the Carrion Crow, closely followed by the Blue Tit and Magpie. In comparison, the county’s top birds were the House Sparrow, Blue Tit and Starling.

Sabine took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

3 Carrion Crow

2 Wood Pigeon

1 Robin

2 Magpie

1 Blackbird

1 Song Thrush

Common Wood Pigeon sat on a small wooden bird feeder house by a Silver Birch tree. — Wood Pigeon – Oli Haines

Oli took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

3 Blackbirds

2 Woodpigeon

3 Jackdaw

2 Blue tits

1 Dunnock

1 Great tit

1 Robin

1 Magpie

1 Goldfinch

Adam took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

2 Blackbirds

6 Blue Tits

1 Chaffinch

2 Great Tits

4 House Sparrow

Photograph of a Dunnock sat on a wooden fencepost in a garden looking up at the sky about to fly off. — Dunnock – Oli Haines

Catherine took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

2 Collared Dove

2 Jackdaw

4 Starling

1 Woodpigeon

Mark took part in the event from his local park and spotted:

5 Parakeets

12 Crows

4 Magpies

10 Herring Gull

Blackbird stood on a branch with trees and blue sky behind it. — Blackbird – Catherine Mitson

Elle took part in the event from her garden and spotted:

2 Blue Tits

1 Dunnock

1 Grey Wagtail

2 Wood Pigeon

1 Magpie

1 Great Tit

Mal took part in the event from her local park and spotted:

3 Carrion Crow

1 Buzzard

Daniel took part in the event from his garden and spotted:

10 Chaffinch

7 Blue Tits

5 Long Tailed Tits

4 House Sparrow

3 Great Tits

2 Goldfinch

1 Coal Tit

1 Blackbird

1 Wren

1 Dunnock

1 Robin

Female Blackbird stood on grass covered in leaves. — Blackbird – Catherine Mitson

We’d also love to hear what you spotted if you took part – let us know in the comments below.

The RSPB:

For more information on UK garden birds, identification guides, the 2024 Big Garden Birdwatch, past results and more, please visit the RSPB website.

The Seal Project: Q&A with founder Sarah Greenslade

The Seal Project is an environmental conservation charity based in Brixham, Devon, which monitors, surveys and manages the welfare of seals on and around the South West coast, particularly Torbay and South Hams. Alongside seal conservation, the charity also focuses on engaging, involving and educating the community on the importance of protecting our ocean wildlife through presentations, talks, assemblies in educational settings, workshops and public events. Sarah Greenslade spent many years working as a key member of the British Divers Marine Life Rescue before establishing The Seal Project in January 2019.

Sarah, founder of The Seal Project, took time out of her busy schedule to answer our questions on the amazing work of The Seal Project, the effects of climate change on the local seal population, the importance of raising awareness, and how the current pupping season is going.

What is the Seal Project and where are you based?

The Seal Project is a small conservation charity based in Brixham that monitors the Grey seals in South Devon – mostly around Brixham, but we now also monitor the coast between Dawlish and Prawle Point, including the River Dart. The charity was born out of a need to protect the seals seen locally, many of which are animals we know individually from all around our stretch of coastline.

How did you get into seal conservation?

The story began when I encountered a Common Seal Pup stuck in Brixham’s Shoalstone seawater pool – who do you call at 5.30 in the morning? Myself and my best friend had no idea. The RSPCA don’t wake up that early and we had no clue what to do, but we knew that leaving the pup where it was wasn’t an option as people were walking dogs and the seal was clearly in the wrong place. My partner Lee (now a trustee of The Seal Project) suggested wrapping it up in something and putting it back in the sea. We had no hoodies or coats, so my friends partner was called and he brought down their most luxurious fleecey blanket off their sofa (as you do!) The seal, who had been swimming in the pool, came out and literally stopped at my feet. I scooped up the pup in the blanket as if it was a sleeping child and it never struggled once. We never touched it as we carried it over the rocks to the sea and let it free. As soon as we released it, another seal appeared – knowing what I know now that was most likely its mum – and off they went. The pup had clearly come in on a high tide and got stranded and the mum couldn’t get through the railings. If that was a grey seal it would have been abandoned there and then but Common seals are more devoted mums, and I hope to see this seal as an adult at some point.

After this, I became a Marine Mammal Medic for the British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR), which sends medics to call outs for marine life in distress, mostly seals, dolphins and whales. My first call out was to a ‘speared’ seal which quite literally resembled a tv ariel in the sea. She was eventually sighted locally without the spear attached, however it seems that every seal has some kind of back wound. She, like all seals, has unique identifying marks including their individual fingerprints and fur patterns, in this case a specific ‘W’ shape to the right-hand side of her head. I knew I had a photo showing that she was alive and well, and that resighting along with later identification of an animal known by the Seal Research Trust (Cornwall Seal Group Research Trust), with whom we share all our data, are what first sparked my interest in using photos to identify individual seals. After providing the identification I spent two weeks getting called out to every seal sighting in search of the previously speared individual, and it’s all gone a bit mad since then!

We are at the end of October, which is around the time Seals finish pupping. What has it been like in the Torbay area for pups this year?

I’ll be honest, it has not at all been as expected. Three of our known mums have not been seen for ages, and a first-time mum has been identified as a seal we know which we didn’t expect to be pupping just yet. The strange summer/autumn weather also means people are now using the coastline with their watercraft year-round and paddleboards and kayaks are now easily affordable too, so people are everywhere. Pupping seals who once had the coastline to themselves once September kicked in are now finding they don’t have these spaces to themselves, and as such pups are born or washed up in busy locations. This often results in a call out to BDMLR (as has just happened on the day I’m writing this).

Being based in a tourist area, what challenges do the seals and The Seal Project face?

That’s a good question. Hand feeding is probably our biggest problem. When we first started, our mentor and amazing friend Sue Sayer MBE thought that us starting a Brixham-based project would have a negative response as this is a major fishing port and some believe that seals ‘eat all the fish.’ But bar the odd comment, and a tiny number of incidents involving fishing and tripper boats hand feeding seals, we have experienced very few problems with the commercial operators in Brixham.

As a tourist area another big problem is angling-line entanglements. Our Breakwater is a busy area for novice anglers and they tend to feed the seals in an attempt to make them go away – clearly that doesn’t work. Also, some seals are sadly too habituated and get caught in angling line regularly. With adult seals there is nothing that we can do about this, and they have to be left to themselves until the hooks rust or fall out. Stones are also often thrown at seals to make them go away, and the animals are uncommon at a couple of locations where more ‘commercial’ land angling takes place.

Our biggest challenge is lack of awareness. We spend so much of our time trying to raise awareness and get the message out there which requires help from the local authorities and the tourist boats, but this doesn’t seem to be happening and it’s frustrating for us. We should all be working together, and the amazing local wildlife – including seals – should be respected and appreciated. Without our incredible wildlife many tourist boats would just be ferry services.

What projects or research have you been carrying out or got planned for the future?

We monitor and record all seals, sightings, dates and locations to try to build up a big picture of the seal population around our coastline. We now know many seals well and have been gathering data since 2016/2017. Matching our seals to individuals from Cornwall is difficult as there are very few other locations on the south cost carrying out monitoring in this way. Therefore, unless an image of a seal happens to be shared on social media or passed onto us from a private group, our records are mostly limited to the confines of our study area.

We do however have sightings of seals which have been released in Cornwall or seen in north Cornwall. We would love to be able to find out where else our seals have been seen and to build a better picture of their travels. Given that we do have Cornish seals visiting our area, we’d like to know if they behave differently to the individuals normally resident in Devon; my Cornish surveys show that the seals there are much more skittish than the individuals we see in Brixham, which tend to be relaxed and show little concern around the noise and traffic of this major fishing port. We do also have a couple of students planning research, but as of yet nothing is confirmed. Our data is not in the best shape and every sighting of each seal takes time to document – identifying one seal can take seconds or hours, and as this is all done by eye the catalogue is a minefield to get involved in!

How has climate change impacted the local seal community?

At this time, I can’t say for sure. My biggest concern is the fact that seal pups, born with white fluffy coats to be camouflaged in snow, are increasingly being born in hot September sunshine, and therefore once abandoned they are at a greater risk of dehydration due to being on sunny warm beaches when it should be much cooler. This year, numbers of seals appear to have been increasing unusually slowly as we head towards the winter months, but we’re yet to reach peak winter season to be able to confirm whether numbers will remain low. Our only other concern at this time is for the three mums who we’ve not yet seen pup this year, as they’ve been so predictable for the past few years.

Do you have a success story you’d like to share with us?

‘Easter Bunny’ is one of my favourite seals and can still be seen today resting around the local area. We first encountered him in 2020 as a juvenile seal entangled in industrial strength plastic. He vanished and we feared the worst, however a week later, on Easter Sunday, he was back in the same haul out spot on a girder in the marina, freed from the plastic. At the time of our first sighting, he appeared to have a bunny shape on his right-hand side (alongside a letter ‘A’), but this time the bunny seems to have disappeared with the ‘A’ is clearly visible. He reappeared regularly over the coming years, often seen for a few days and until the last several months always in the same spot, before disappearing for a few days and coming back again. We have seen him elsewhere a number of times, and last winter he was seen socialising with two ‘tagged’ seals (former rescued seals with plastic rear flipper tags for identification), so we look forward to seeing if they return to the area soon too.

You can find out more about The Seal Project and the work they do via their website or by following them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Conservation volunteering with Wild Planet Trust’s Seagrass Project

I recently had the opportunity to witness first hand a team from the Wild Planet Trust working to survey seagrass meadows in the Torbay area. The ‘Save Our Seagrass’ project, which has been going for some years, involves repeated survey work throughout the year to assess the meadows’ health and the diversity of marine life that they support. Having lost over 90% of seagrass meadows around the UK in recent centuries, these surveys provide vital information about the growth or decline of existing meadows, as well as potential impacts from factors such as global warming.

Megan and her team of volunteer divers met with me early on a Saturday morning to travel out into the bay to survey three specific meadows: Fishcombe Cove, Torre Abbey and Breakwater Beach. Each of these meadows carry unique characteristics derived from their locations. Torre Abbey is situated close to the harbour entrance of Torquay and is very shallow during low tides. The Breakwater Beach area is home to local swimmers and tourists.

The third site, Fishcombe Cove, near the fishing town of Brixham, holds a key to solving one of the problems that has contributed to the deterioration of the meadows. There are typically many reasons why a meadow sustains damage and/or gets wiped out, the most obvious being where fishing nets are trawled across the seabed. But more and more these days, casual leisure boat users cause damage by dropping their anchors. When damage occurs, it can take ten years or more to recover, assuming that the conditions are favourable.

An innovative approach to solving this problem has been using the deployment of “no anchor” buoys such as those that are situated in Fishcombe Cove. Designed to allow up to three boats to moor without dropping anchor, these buoys are chained to the seabed and have smaller submerged buoys attached to them which keep the chain from scraping the seabed and damaging the seagrass.

The surveys such as the one I observed use two different methods: a transect and a spiral form, and each dive team is equipped with a float with a GPS unit that stays on the surface and records their location as they move through and around the seagrass meadows. Each diver carries two hours’ worth of oxygen to be able to carry out the surveys at anywhere up to ten meters depth. With underwater cameras they record the general health of the area and any unusual sightings along with expected marine life.

One of the observations from the divers from the surveys that I attended was the extent of life that had grown on the chains for the buoys, along with shoals of Bib (Trisopterus luscus) that were using the seagrass for cover. Around the meadow near Torre Abbey, plenty of additional life was found including Pipefish (Nerophis ophidion), Common Cuttlefish eggs (Sepia officinalis), Hermit Crabs (Pagurus bernhardus), gobies, periwinkles and Sea Slaters (Ligia oceanica).

All the data from the dives will be collated and, following a single additional dive day schedule in October, the team at the Wild Planet Trust will start the process of analysing the collected date from this year, looking at how the meadows have changed in comparison to previous years.

Learn more about the Wild Planet Trust’s ‘Save Our Seagrass’ project on the Wild Planet Trust website, where you can also find out more about their other work and ways to support them.

Conservation Volunteering at Prawle Point with Buglife

The NHBS team are passionate about nature and conservation, and to help them to get involved with local volunteer schemes, NHBS encourages colleagues to apply for up to three paid days each year to volunteer with a conservation project or organisation of their choice. Catherine Mitson, Assistant Editor for British Wildlife and Conservation Land Management, tells us about her time volunteering with Buglife and the bee species she is surveying.

The Long-horned Bee Eucera longicornis truly lives up to its name. The males sport bizarrely long antennae, and this in combination with their large size makes them instantly recognisable. Female Long-horned Bees, however, lack these oversized antennae and are more robust compared to the males, and can sometimes be confused with Anthophora (flower bees) species. Although the Long-horned Bee is a type of solitary bee and each female will dig her own nest hole, they tend to nest in aggregations in a variety of habitats, such as woodland rides and clearings, brownfield sites and coastal meadows. Here, however, we are focused on the south-facing soft cliffs along the South Devon coastline.

Prawle Point SSSI is a fantastic site for invertebrates, including the Long-horned Bee which can be found nesting in the cliff face or foraging on plants such as clovers, Bird’s-foot-trefoil and Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea along the cliff top. What makes Prawle Point even more special is that it is the only site in the UK where the Long-horned Bee’s cuckoo, the Six-banded Nomad Bee Nomada sexfasciata, is known to be found. Like the bird, cuckoo bees lay their eggs in the nest of another bee, the host, and once hatched the larvae will eat the food stores that had been gathered by the host for its own larvae.

The Six-banded Nomad Bee is arguably the UK’s rarest bee, and relies on a healthy, viable population of its host. Sadly, due to the loss of flower-rich grassland, the Long-horned Bee has declined dramatically; once found in most southern English counties, its range is now restricted to the south coast of England and Wales with a few scattered inland sites. But a new project is hoping to turn the tide for the Long-horned Bee, the Six-banded Nomad Bee and many other rare invertebrates along the South Devon coast.

Life on the Edge

Life on the Edge, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, is an exciting new partnership with South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Buglife, National Trust, Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust, and the South West Coast Path Association. Focused on the South Devon coast between Berry Head and Wembury, Life on the Edge is aiming to restore viable populations of some the UK’s rarest invertebrates, including the Six-Banded Nomad Bee, by expanding and reconnecting the vital coastal habitats on which these species depend. There are 30 invertebrate species that this project will support, such as the Moon Spider, Great Green Bush-cricket, Mediterranean Oil Beetle and the Devon Red-legged Robberfly, but of course, by improving and expanding the habitats used by these species, a plethora of wildlife will benefit.

Great Green Bush-cricket. Catherine Mitson

Buglife will be working alongside its project partners to create opportunities for local communities, landowners, parish councils and schools to get involved via volunteer days, habitat management and creation workshops, wildlife gardening and species monitoring. The project is currently in its development phase and is focused on public consultation and species and habitat monitoring – this work will help to secure funding for the next phase of the project.

NHBS conservation volunteering day

My role as a volunteer is to undertake surveys throughout the flight season of both the Long-horned Bee and its cuckoo between May and July and record the number of individuals seen along this stretch of coast, with a particular focus on known nest aggregation sites and the coastal path between Gara Rock and Mattiscombe Sands. The survey consists of slowly walking along the coastal path, stopping to count Long-horned Bees when I see them. I record the number of males and females, the location/grid reference, and any extra information that may be useful, such as the plants that they are feeding on.

It was wonderful to see so many Long-horned Bees foraging along the cliff top throughout the day. As mentioned above, they tend to favour plants such as Bird’s-foot-trefoil, clovers, Narrow-leaved Everlasting-pea, brambles and Kidney Vetch, and there are sections of the coastal path where these can be found in abundance. Unfortunately, these plentiful patches are in short supply, and Buglife hopes to identify the key areas for habitat enhancement to support the population of Long-horned Bees, which will in turn benefit the Six-banded Nomad Bee.

The Long-horned Bee forages on plants such as Bird’s-foot-trefoil. Catherine Mitson

The highlight of the day was watching one nest aggregation in particular, a site that we have become quite familiar with over the years. It is always a bustling hub of activity and is primarily where the Six-banded Nomad Bee has been recorded in the past. Female Long-horned Bees were repeatedly flitting in and out of the nest entrance holes, with the occasional male patrolling the nest entrances in search of a mate. Sadly, I did not see the Six-banded Nomad Bees this time but was pleased to count a total of 75 Long-horned Bee sightings throughout the day.

I have been involved in monitoring this site since 2017 and so it was wonderful to have the support of NHBS to spend some time at Prawle Point to contribute to this year’s records. It is vital that monitoring along this stretch of coastline continues, especially as our records of the Six-banded Nomad Bee are so few. To find out more about Buglife, the conservation projects they are currently involved in and how you can get involved, visit www.buglife.org.uk.

References

Saunders, P. 2018. Conservation of the Long-horned Bee in Cornwall. British Wildlife 29: 321–327.

Falk, S. & Lewington, R. 2018. Field Guide to the Bees of Great Britian and Ireland. Bloomsbury, London.

An interview with Derek Gow: Bringing Back the Beaver

Derek Gow has written an inspirational and often riotously funny firsthand account of how the movement to rewild the British landscape with beavers has arguably become the single most dramatic and subversive nature conservation act of the modern era.

Derek has taken time to answer a few questions about his new book and the role beavers can have in restoring nature.

Could you tell us a little about your background and where the motivation for this book comes from?

I was born in Dundee in a council house. My grandfather’s generation had been farmers but my parents were not. I have always had a huge interest in nature which developed as I grew older. In time I began a career in farming and while aspects of this life were appealing, I became less enamoured with the impact of farming on the natural world and the savage repercussions of its consequence. I read all Gerald Durrell’s books when small, attended his field course on Jersey in 2000 and from that point on, initially as a manger for several wildlife centres focused on native wildlife and then ultimately, on my own farm, began to pioneer opportunities for wildlife restoration.

You have a clear affection for beavers; will a more emotive dialogue help spread the idea of restoring nature to a broader base, or do you think the science will win hearts and minds?

I think it’s a combination of both. You need science to back a case for their sentient restoration on the back of all the credible good they do, but you also need people to feel emotionally linked. They are the most wonderful of creature’s – creators of landscapes which are brim-full of life. They are caring for their offspring and while savagely territorial with other beavers, are commonly as individuals, largely benign. We did appalling things to them in the past and in effort to forge a better future I see no harm in explaining to people just how critical it is that we consider other species as individuals of worth and importance with characters as well.

There are so many organisations involved; some still going, some now inoperative: DEFRA, IUCN, SNH, EN, NCC, CLA etc. How do you manage to reach a consensus across all those organisations, and do you think the voice for restoring nature needs streamlining?

Yes it needs streamlining, but we need to be much bolder and much less deferential. In the commercial world if individuals or organisations perform poorly then they are dismissed or they disappear as entities. In nature conservation we are way too good at ignoring duffers and making excuses for their mistakes. This situation however uncomfortable is simply no good and at a time of ecological crisis potentially fatal. We must be bullish in our approach to progress while still retaining what reasonable allies there are. The pace of restoration should be swift rather than slow. There is no reason whatsoever for delay.

The activities of beavers such as: felling trees and potentially flooding arable land sound quite alarming to a lot of people. How are those issues addressed when proposing to reintroduce beavers?

Simple. We published a management handbook in 2016 which you chaps help sell and promote. Beavers are a very well understood species in both continental Europe and North America all we need to do is co-opt the sensible programmes of management and understanding which have been applied there to here, stop gibbering and making up excuses and move on. There is nothing they do which we can’t counteract if we wish to do so. A wider programme of education to promote better understanding is an essential first step.

Beavers seem to be a benchmark to define our future relationship with wild creatures. Does your campaign stop at beavers, or would you like to see other ‘lost’ species reintroduced to Britain?

I think that lynx should be restored with reasonable haste if living space which is suitably large with an adequate abundance of prey sufficient to maintain a viable population exists. I think wildcats must be restored in England and in Wales. Other candidates would be species like the great bustard, wild boar, golden, white tailed eagles and common crane; in a wider range, the burbot, black stork/more whites, vultures and many other amphibians, reptiles and insects. I think a dialogue should begin about learning to relive with the wolf now. If we want to have future forests which the deer can’t destroy we will need this predator very much.

Does Brexit and the eventual demise of the Common Agricultural Policy offer any hope for a more nature sensitive approach to farming in the UK?

Yes it does. We can do it our way now but we must recognise that very much good has come from the EU habitats directive and that our way should seek to exceed and surmount this legislation and not just become a tawdry box ticking exercise in excuse manufacturing and prevarication.

With beavers now established in Devon on the River Otter, how do you see that project developing in the next five years?

The beaver population there will expand for sure to number many 100’s over time. Many other rivers should become the focus of further reintroductions as a result of the excellent field work and research carried out on the Otter by a broad range of partnership bodies. The project and its results demonstrate quite graphically that beavers are entirely tolerable in a modern cultural English landscape with a degree of low level intervention and that their engineering activities enable an abundance of other wildlife to flourish.

Have you any projects you are currently involved in, or planning that you can tell us about?

Together with a range of other organisations I am working to form a wood cat project which will culminate in the reintroduction of the wildcat in Devon. The old English name was the wood cat and those of us involved think therefore that this is a more appropriate escutcheon. Next year I will be releasing white storks on my farm and rewilding over 150 acres of land which I own. In March 2021 I will complete work on a new book for Chelsea Green titled The Hunt for the Iron Wolf which will detail the history of this species in the UK.

Bringing Back the Beaver: The Story of One Man’s Quest to Rewild Britain’s Waterways
By: Derek Gow
Paperback | January 2022

Derek Gow’s inspirational first-hand account of beaver reintroduction across England and Scotland.

Derek Gow is a farmer and nature conservationist. Born in Dundee in 1965, he left school when he was 17 and worked in agriculture for five years. Inspired by the writing of Gerald Durrell, all of whose books he has read – thoroughly – he jumped at the chance to manage a European wildlife park in central Scotland in the late 1990s before moving on to develop two nature centres in England. He now lives with his children, Maysie and Kyle, on a 300-acre farm on the Devon/Cornwall border which he is in the process of rewilding. Derek has played a significant role in the reintroduction of the Eurasian beaver, the water vole and the white stork in England. He is currently working on a reintroduction project for the wildcat.

Browse more books about this keystone species

Red Sixty Seven: A Collection of Words and Art Inspired by Britain’s Most Vulnerable Birds

Red Sixty Seven features our most vulnerable bird species, beautifully illustrated by some amazing wildlife artists. All of the publishers profits from the sale of this book will be donated to BTO and RSPB to further their work on red listed birds.

Contributors include Chris Packham, Ann Cleeves, David Lindo, and Patrick Barkham.

This book should not exist.

In an ideal world this book, and the official Red List of the most vulnerable birds in the UK it is based on, would not be needed. But the world is far from ideal and our bird populations are declining at an alarming rate. In the past few years alone the once widespread Wryneck has ceased breeding in the UK altogether and has dropped off the list completely. Which species will be next?

Editor, Kit Jewitt has taken some time to answer a few questions about the Red Sixty Seven book project and the list itself.

Of all the birds on the Red List which do you think is most vulnerable?

If I had to choose one, it would be the Hen Harrier. Not only do they have to deal with all of the natural challenges they face, they also have to contend with persecution from criminals within the grouse shooting industry, which evidence now suggests is the main cause of their decline in numbers. The fact that 72% of tagged Hen Harriers are confirmed or considered likely to have been illegally killed is a national disgrace. However, in terms of the recent rate of decline I would also suggest Turtle Dove is a species of highest concern.

Many people will be surprised to see herring gull on the list, could you expand on how this seemingly ubiquitous bird has made the list?

Herring Gull populations in coastal areas have dropped by over 50% in my lifetime. This is largely due to the lack of food at coastal sites, with overfishing of UK coastal waters and warming seas caused by climate change likely to be the main reasons for the reduced amount of food available to gulls and other seabirds. They are adaptable, intelligent birds though, so moving to inland areas, or areas where humans create waste for them to eat has been a way for some populations to survive.

Have any birds managed to move away from the Red List to Amber over the last year or so, and which birds are the most recent additions?

Nineteen species were added to the red list for the first time when it was last updated in 2015, and one species, Merlin, moved back onto the list. Breeding seabirds, such as Puffin, Kittiwake and Shag are now included, and with the additions of species such as Woodcock, Nightingale and Pied Flycatcher there are now more woodland birds on the list than any other habitat. Two species, Bittern and Nightjar, have moved from the red to amber lists thanks to the creation and management of suitable habitat, stimulated by species action plans.

We know how we as individuals can help garden birds, but the list contains a high proportion of iconic water birds. How can we as individuals help preserve the many waders and ducks that are on the list?

Many projects being conducted by BTO, RSPB WWT and others help waders, seabirds and ducks, so fundraising for these is vitally important. My main motivation behind the Red Sixty Seven project was to do something to help these declining birds, by spreading the word and raising money for conservationists on the ground. By highlighting the red list far and wide, more people will care and will then hopefully start their own fundraising for BTO’s Operation Wader or Curlew appeal, or WWTs Black-tailed Godwits appeal, or whichever scheme chimes with them. I can’t run marathons or undertake extreme endurance like my friend Jonny Rankin, who has raised over £19,000 for Turtle Doves, so I had to think of a different way of fundraising!

Farmland bird species also make up a large part of the list. Can you see any hope for securing the future of our most rapidly declining farmland species?

The change in farming and land management practices over the last 40 years, including the use of pesticides and changes in crops grown have ultimately reduced the amount of appropriate habitat, and food sources for our farmland birds. Post Brexit, there is an opportunity for the government to make changes to policy to help our farmland wildlife. I just hope they take full advantage of it.

We love the idea of using the power of beautiful words and paintings to deliver a conservation message. Do you think that engaging the reader emotionally can result in more concrete conservation actions being taken?

I hope so! As well as raising funds for crucial work to help red-listed species, I hope Red Sixty Seven brings the list and the plight of these birds to a wider audience, inspiring other people to take action themselves, whatever that might be. The artwork and stories within the book bring home the message in a very accessible way, and you are left under no illusion that we must do something. There is a poignant sting in the tale at the end of the book; an ‘In Memoriam’ section devoted to the birds we have lost as breeding species in recent years. This book is a call-to-arms.

All of the publisher’s profits from the sale of this book will be donated to BTO and RSPB to further their work on red listed birds.

Red Sixty Seven: A Collection of Words and Art Inspired by Britain’s Most Vulnerable Birds
Hardback, published February 2020 £19.99

Red Sixty Seven is 67 love letters to our most vulnerable species, each beautifully illustrated by some of the best wildlife artists around.

Supporting Conservation: National Museum of Brazil

On 2nd September last year, a terrible fire destroyed the National Museum of Brazil in Rio de Janeiro. Alongside the vast collection of irreplaceable natural history specimens, the fire also destroyed books and equipment used by the Museum’s researchers for ecological research and wildlife conservation.

Thankfully as museum curator, Débora Pires, wrote shortly after the incident: “The brains did not burn; we are working with a positive agenda!”

NHBS were approached by our former director Alan Martin, who provided a list of products which the malacology, arachnology, entomology and lepidoptera departments needed to get back on their feet. Alan, now secretary of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest Trust (BART) has close links with many researchers at the museum.

Following this, we decided to coordinate an effort to provide the items that are most critical to their research. We contacted suppliers asking them to contribute and we agreed to supply our own manufactured products, and cover shipping costs of all donated items.

The response from suppliers was fantastic, as the majority were happy to donate all, or most of the items requested. We would like to give huge thanks those who have donated so far: Elsevier, BIOTOPE Parthenope, Brunel Microscopes Ltd, BugDorm, CABI Publishing, Harvard University Press, the Royal Museum for Central Africa, Watkins & Doncaster and finally EntoSphinx. So far, we have received just over £2,000 worth of items, with more to follow.

A selection of items that are being sent in the first shipment.

“I’m really sorry to hear such devastating news. This is truly awful and it’s good to see you are providing such great support to them. We would be happy to send out the [requested] book gratis.” – Linda Jackson, Elsevier

Are you a supplier, publisher or manufacturer and would like to donate books or equipment to this worthy cause? Please contact ruddin@nhbs.com

Visit our Supporting Conservation page for more ways NHBS help wildlife, ecology and conservation across the world.

Oxford University Press: Publisher of the Month

Oxford University Press are NHBS’s Publisher of the Month for February 2019.

Founded in the mid-17th Century, Oxford University Press (OUP) have published some of the most influential environmental books. Nearly 400 years later, OUP continue to release important works as the largest university press in the world. Their diverse repertoire consists of The Selfish Gene, Conservation Drones, Birds in an Ancient World and many more.

Oxford University Press and Natural History Publishing

OUP’s biology and natural history lists can be traced back to the early twentieth century, when a series of classic academic texts from scientific luminaries such as John Haldane and Julian Huxley firmly established OUP as a science publisher. Its reputation grew with classic titles including Richard Dawkins’ The Selfish Gene.

OUP’s current book list covers a whole host of biology topics from a variety of ecosystems and across the entire taxonomic spectrum, from viruses to humans. It has a particular strength in the fields of evolutionary biology and animal biology and a growing presence in the fields of ecology, epidemiology, biostatistics, conservation biology, aquatic biology and plant science.

Great prices on recent bestselling professional and academic titles

Until 31st march, get great prices on selected bestselling professional and academic titles from OUP.

Oxford University Press, highlights from 2018 and forthcoming in 2019

2018 was a great year with titles including: Birds in the Ancient World, illustrating the many different roles birds played in culture; Skeletons: The Frame of Life, diving into how the tiniest seed shrimp through to the gigantic dinosaurs evolved; Conservation Drones, looking at the use of drones in mapping and monitoring biodiversity; an excellent introduction to the many solutions organisms have evolved to see their world, with Eyes to See and a fascinating account on how ancient DNA is rewriting most of what we thought we knew about human history with Who We Are and How We Got Here.

2019 looks just as exciting, with the following titles due soon:

Carnivorous Plants, paperback due Feb 2019

Browse all Oxford University Press titles

Special Offers on Oxford University Press titles in Backlist Bargains

Discover the numerous OUP titles in our biggest sale of the year – Backlist Bargains, where you can discover great prices on everything from field guides and good reads to monographs and other academic titles.

The Gratis Books Scheme

One of the most rewarding OUP-NHBS collaborations has been in the form of the Gratis Books Scheme. Since 1999, with support and assistance from the British Ecological Society, this scheme has been sending free copies of books to conservationists in developing countries who would otherwise be unable to obtain them.

There are currently two books available in the Gratis Book Scheme, both from OUP. They are Freshwater Ecology and Conservation and Social Science Theory for Environmental Sustainability.