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www.welshwildlife.org
Conservation Team Report 2016 - 2017
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Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales Conservation Team report 2016-2017
Contents
1. Introduction .................................................................................................................... 4
1.1 Members of the conservation team ......................................................................... 4
1.2 Our assets .............................................................................................................. 8
1.3 Our funders ............................................................................................................. 9
2. Nature Reserves ............................................................................................................ 9
2.1 Introduction to our work on our nature reserves ...................................................... 9
2.2 Habitat management ............................................................................................. 13
2.3 Research .............................................................................................................. 22
2.4 Recording and monitoring ..................................................................................... 23
2.5 Volunteers ............................................................................................................ 28
2.6 Access management ............................................................................................ 35
2.7 Interpretation ......................................................................................................... 39
3. Wider Countryside ....................................................................................................... 40
3.1 Introduction to our wider countryside work ............................................................ 40
3.2 Partnerships.......................................................................................................... 41
3.3 Representation on external committees ................................................................ 43
3.4 Planning ................................................................................................................ 44
3.5 Consultation responses ........................................................................................ 45
3.6 Wider Countryside Projects ................................................................................... 46
3.6.1 Welsh Beaver Project – Carys Solman .......................................................... 46
3.6.2 Landscape Projects to a Living Landscape – Sarah Woodcock and Rob Parry .. ...................................................................................................................... 47
4. Marine Conservation .................................................................................................... 49
4.1 Living Seas consultations - Sarah Perry ........................................................... 49
4.2 Living Seas, outreach & awareness raising – Emma Lowe ................................ 51
5. Campaigns ................................................................................................................... 52
5.1 Badgers and bovine TB ........................................................................................ 52
6. Media and public awareness ........................................................................................ 53
6.1 Media work ........................................................................................................... 53
6.2 Talks and presentations ........................................................................................ 54
6.3 Events ................................................................................................................... 54
6.4 Wildlife queries ..................................................................................................... 57
7. Consultancy and contracts ........................................................................................... 57
7.1 Consultancy .......................................................................................................... 57
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7.2 Contracting ........................................................................................................... 58
8. Education ..................................................................................................................... 60
9. Plans for 2017-18 ......................................................................................................... 61
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1. Introduction This report covers the work delivered by the Conservation Team of the Wildlife Trust of
South and West Wales (WTSWW) during the financial year 2016 - 2017. It covers the full
breadth of work undertaken by the team, including both core funded activities and fixed-term
grant funded projects. It aims to capture and celebrate the ongoing work that is done every
year, and recognise, for example, the huge effort made by the team in simply maintaining
the present condition of our many and glorious nature reserves, as well as the new and
innovative projects. Neither would succeed without the other, but so often, that which is
routine is neglected, when we speak and write about our work. In addition, many of these
projects produce reports of their own, and more detail on any area of work included in this
report is available on request from the member of staff involved. Contact details for all the
team members are available below.
This report is written by all the members of the Conservation Team and their volunteers, and
compiled and edited by Conservation Managers Lizzie Wilberforce, Rob Parry (to April
2017), Carys Solman and Sarah Woodcock (May 2017 onwards).
1.1 Members of the conservation team
This year saw a few changes to our team.
Alexandra Kinsey and Megan Howells, our previous year’s placement students from Cardiff
University, finished their work with WTSWW and returned to their final year of study, with our
grateful thanks for the huge amount of energy, work and passion that they brought to the
Trust. At the start of the new academic year we welcomed Kate Gwynn as our 2016-17
placement, from Aberystwyth University; Kate has been based in Parc Slip for the year.
Seasonal contracts issued during 2016 included the Skomer Assistant Warden (Jason Moss,
returning for a third and final year), Skomer Field Worker (Elisa Miquel Riera, back for her
second season working with seabirds, and staying on to assist with the seal monitoring
contract in October).
At Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (CBMWC), Living Seas Awareness Officer Natalie
Brown moved on to pastures new, and we are delighted to have been joined by her
successor, Emma Lowe, who was already familiar with the Centre’s work having previously
volunteered there herself.
Rebecca Killa, our Carmarthenshire Wildlife Trust Officer, returned from maternity leave in
the new year in 2017, at four days a week. Ceri Evans, who had joined the team as her
maternity cover, has remained with WTSWW, making up the fifth day in our Carmarthenshire
patch and with three additional days in Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot as Reserves
Officer, filling the vacancy left by the departure of James Davies the previous year.
In September 2016 we also welcomed Ben Allen to the red squirrel project as part of a new
UK-wide lottery funded initiative, working with Becky Hulme in mid Wales.
The contact details for each team member are given below.
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Conservation Team Staff April 2016 – March 2017 inclusive
Rob Parry
Conservation Manager [left WTSWW in April 2017]
Lizzie Wilberforce 07970 780553
Conservation Manager [email protected]
Ben Allen 07980 928733
Mid Wales Grey Squirrel Control Officer [email protected]
Lorna Baggett 07812 063444
People and Wildlife Officer [email protected]
Richard Brown 07971 114303
Skokholm Observatory Warden [email protected]
Bee Büche 07971 114302
Skomer Warden [email protected]
Tara Daniels 07855 009622
West Glamorgan’s Wild Woodlands Project Officer [email protected]
Laura Evans 01545 560224
Living Seas Volunteer Co-ordinator [email protected]
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Giselle Eagle 07971 114303
Skokholm Island Warden [email protected]
Ceri Evans 07497 006612
Wildlife Trust Officer, Carmarthenshire, subsequently Reserves Officer (Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath, Port Talbot) [email protected]
Em Foot 07980 932332
Wildlife Trust Officer, Ceredigion [email protected]
Kate Gwynn Aberystwyth University placement
Becky Hulme 07972 201202
Mid Wales Red Squirrel Officer [email protected]
Tim Jones 07811 117140
Wildlife Trust Officer, Bridgend & Vale [email protected]
Rebecca Killa 07970 780558
Wildlife Trust Officer, Carmarthenshire [email protected]
Catherine Lewis 07972 176963
Education Officer [email protected]
Emma Lowe 01545 560224
Living Seas Awareness Officer [email protected]
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Vaughn Matthews 01656 724100
Conservation Officer [email protected]
Jason Moss
Skomer Island Assistant Warden (March-Nov 2016)
Leighton Newman 07530 796150
Skomer Visitor Officer [email protected]
Rose Revera 01656 724100
People and Wildlife Officer [email protected]
Elisa Miquel Riera
Skomer Field Worker and Seal Assistant (April – October 2016)
Sarah Perry 01545 560224
Living Seas Science Officer [email protected]
Carys Solman 07896 798371
Wildlife Trust Officer, Valleys, subsequently Conservation Manager for Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath & Port Talbot (May 2017 onwards) [email protected]
Nia Stephens 07805 467018
Teifi Marshes People & Wildlife Officer [email protected]
Eddie Stubbings 07971 114302
Skomer Warden [email protected]
John Thomas Estates Worker, Teifi Marshes
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Paul Thornton 07966 564372
Senior Wildlife Trust Officer, Swansea Neath and Port Talbot [email protected]
Nathan Walton 07971 114301
Wildlife Trust Officer, Pembrokeshire [email protected]
Sarah Woodcock 07976 464284
Wildlife Sites Officer, subsequently Conservation Manager for Cardiff, Bridgend, Valleys & Vale (May 2017 onwards) [email protected]
1.2 Our assets The assets for which the Conservation Team are responsible altered little during this
financial year, although work is still underway on the renewal of leases on a number of sites,
including three which have not been formally in our portfolio for some years. We formally
relinquished our management of Rhos y Fforest, a very small (0.75 ha) site in north
Ceredigion, which had reached the end of its lease and over which we effectively had no
management control.
We are currently responsible for 89 nature reserves (if our south Gower coast sites are
considered individually), totalling 1734 ha of land. A spreadsheet of our holdings and tenure
details is held by Nigel Ajax-Lewis and all our land is submitted each year to Welsh
Government on a Single Application Form, all our land being registered on their IACS
system (with the exception of common land). The map below shows the distribution of the
reserves (accurate at April 2017).
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1.3 Our funders The Conservation Team continue to benefit from a wide range of external funding sources,
which are critical to our ability to deliver the range and breadth of work that we seek to
achieve. We are particularly indebted to Natural Resources Wales (NRW) for the significant
funding they contribute to a wide range of our conservation activities, but particularly to the
management of our Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). We also receive substantial
funding from the players of the People’s Postcode Lottery, which supports the management
of nature reserves and much of our people engagement work, including at CBMWC.
We were also fortunate to benefit from a number of very generous legacies and individual
and local group donations to the Trust, both restricted and unrestricted, which supported our
conservation work, but which we do not list individually in this report.
We are grateful to the following grant and corporate funders for their support during 2016-
2017. We would also like to extend our thanks to those grant foundations who did not wish to
be named but who have made significant contributions to key projects during the year.
Amphibian & Reptile Conservation The Beryl Thomas Animal Welfare Fund Biffa Award Bridgend County Borough Council Carmarthenshire County Council Castell Howell Celtic Sustainables Ceredigion County Council Cory Environmental Trust in Britain The Co-operative Dale Sailing Dolphin Survey Boat Trips Dow Corning Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water EH Smith Builders Merchants Freshwater Habitats Trust Gower Landscape Partnership The Green Bank Trust The Green House, Llandeilo The Heritage Lottery Fund JNCC Llanharan Community Council
Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council Mike the Biz The National Trust Neath Port Talbot County Borough Council Natural Resources Wales Pembrokeshire Biodiversity Partnership Pembrokeshire Bird Group People’s Postcode Lottery Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council RSPB Scottish Woodlands SITA Trust South Hook LNG South Wales Fire & Rescue Service Tesco Vale of Glamorgan County Borough Council Waterloo Foundation Welsh Government Volunteering in Wales Fund via the WCVA WREN The Wildlife Trusts
2. Nature Reserves
2.1 Introduction to our work on our nature reserves The ongoing management of our nature reserves takes up a significant proportion of the
team’s time. Just maintaining the status quo with regard to conservation condition and public
access is a significant responsibility in terms of investment (both capital and revenue) by the
Trust, and particularly the Conservation Team. The Wildlife Trust movement as a whole is a
significant landowner and one of relatively few conservation charities who specialise in this.
Our management of nature reserves, which vary in significance from local to international
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importance, is a key part of our organisation’s identity in the public eye. The following
sections of the report provide case studies and some facts and figures to give a flavour of
our work on our nature reserves over the last year.
The table below shows the total number of recorded staff and volunteer days involved in
direct on-site management of mainland sites (Skomer and Skokholm are not included),
arranged in descending order. Please note that voluntary wardens’ time is not included in
this table, nor is local group activity (such as the Lavernock and Coed y Bwl groups); these
data reflect only the volunteer time in work parties as reported by Conservation Team staff.
This year the Teifi Marshes takes over from Parc Slip as the mainland reserve receiving the
most management effort.
In 2016-17 there were 1185 reported staff days directly involved in mainland land
management (1290 in ’15-‘16) and 3990 days in total, including volunteers (4192 in 2015-
16). The figures encompass all site-based activities; breakdowns by activity type are detailed
later in the report. Support from volunteers more than triples the investment of management
time we are able to make in the conservation of our land and other priority sites, and the
value of this cannot be overstated.
Nature Reserve or third party site County Direct management- total person days
Teifi Marshes Pembrokeshire 625.5
Parc Slip Glamorgan 486.8
Brynna Woods & Llanharan Marsh Glamorgan 252.5
Third party sites All 185.1
Gelli Hir Glamorgan 180.0
Llyn Fach Glamorgan 151.5
The Dranges Glamorgan 129.0
Pengelli Forest Pembrokeshire 107.3
Coed Garnllwyd Glamorgan 105.8
Taf Fechan Glamorgan 104.5
Cwm Colhuw Glamorgan 102.8
Carmel Carmarthenshire 100.5
Pwll Waun Cynon Glamorgan 90.5
Pembroke Upper Mill Pond Pembrokeshire 82.3
Cadoxton Ponds Glamorgan 80.0
Coed Maidie B Goddard Ceredigion 70.0
Cwm Clettwr Ceredigion 70.0
Coed y Bedw Glamorgan 69.3
West Willamston Pembrokeshire 64.3
Castle Woods Carmarthenshire 60.3
Priors Wood & Meadow Glamorgan 59.1
Cors Ian Ceredigion 57.2
Dowrog Common Pembrokeshire 44.8
Penralltfach Pembrokeshire 41.0
Lavernock Point (excluding local group time) Glamorgan 40.0
Old Warren Hill Ceredigion 39.0
Craig Cilhendre Glamorgan 37.5
Llangloffan Fen Pembrokeshire 34.9
Overton Mere Glamorgan 32.5
Rhos Pil Bach Ceredigion 29.5
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Cwm Ivy & Betty Church Glamorgan 28.1
Caeau Llety Cybi Ceredigion 27.3
Redley Cliff Glamorgan 26.3
Rhos Glyn yr Helyg Ceredigion 25.0
Long Hole Cliff Glamorgan 22.6
Killay Marsh Glamorgan 22.0
Coed Simdde Lwyd Ceredigion 21.0
Peel Wood Glamorgan 20.9
Elizabeth & Rowe Harding Glamorgan 20.6
Coed Barcud Glamorgan 19.2
Poor Mans Wood Carmarthenshire 18.5
Goodwick Moor Pembrokeshire 16.5
Pennar Fawr Ceredigion 16.3
Coed Gawdir Glamorgan 15.1
Ffrwd Farm Mire Carmarthenshire 12.8
Coed Penglanowen Ceredigion 12.5
Rhos Marion Ceredigion 11.5
Rhos Glandenys Ceredigion 10.5
Rhos Cefn Bryn Carmarthenshire 9.0
Y Gweira Glamorgan 9.0
Port Eynon Point Glamorgan 7.5
Penderi Cliffs Ceredigion 7.0
Allt Crug Garn Ceredigion 6.8
Talley Lakes Carmarthenshire 6.5
Melincwrt Falls Glamorgan 6.1
Hambury Wood Glamorgan 5.3
Cors Goch Carmarthenshire 5.0
Rhos Fullbrook Ceredigion 4.6
Deborahs Hole Glamorgan 4.5
Nant Melin Carmarthenshire 4.5
Kilvrough Manor Woods Glamorgan 4.4
Berry Wood Glamorgan 4.3
South Gower Coast (cross-site) Glamorgan 3.8
Baglan Badger Sett Glamorgan 3.3
Westfield Pill Pembrokeshire 3.0
Llannerch Alder Carr Pembrokeshire 2.5
Llanrhidian Hill Glamorgan 2.5
Llyn Eiddwen Ceredigion 2.3
Bolgoed Quarry Glamorgan 2.2
Coed Wern Ddu Carmarthenshire 1.8
Lucas Reserve Glamorgan 1.0
Overton Cliff Glamorgan 1.0
Coed y Bwl (excluding local group time) Glamorgan 0.8
Pant Da Ceredigion 0.5
The Lucas Reserve Glamorgan 0.5
Broad Pool Glamorgan 0.4
Redden Hill Glamorgan 0.3
Roydon's Corner Glamorgan 0.2
Total 3990
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Carmarthenshire
Ceredigion
Glamorgan
Pembrokeshire(mainland)
Skomer andSkokholm
The pie chart to the left shows the
distribution of combined data for staff
and volunteer time dedicated to the
positive management of land (this
time including Skomer and Skokholm)
during the last year, by geographical
area. It shows a reasonably equitable
division of resource between mainland
west Wales and Glamorgan, and the
significant requirements of the
Pembrokeshire islands.
CASE STUDY - Enhancements to the old stables at Cors Ian, Ceredigion
Over the last year or so we’ve been doing a lot of work around the old stable block at Cors Ian nature reserve in Ceredigion. It was rapidly deteriorating and had an old asbestos roof that had seen better days. The area around the stables was very overgrown and there was lots of rubbish including a car and a dilapidated caravan. The entrance and parking area was very muddy and easy to get stuck in! (The rest of the reserve is lovely!) It was decided to spend some of the Megan
Jones Legacy money improving the area and making it more accessible for those less able to enjoy the rest of the reserve but also better for wildlife. After checking for bats and out of bird breeding season, contractors were brought in to remove the asbestos roof, the caravan and all the rubbish that had accumulated over the years, both inside and around the stables. Volunteers then dismantled the two end sections of the stable block, salvaged any good wood, burnt any that was rotten, and used the good stuff to repair the remaining three stables, each of which will have a different use. The walls of the stable are double thickness with a cavity between the inner and outer layers- great for hidden bird nests. Many existing openings have been retained and new holes and hidden shelves have been created to provide places for this. Great Tits and Blue Tits have already used it this year and possibly a Wren. Treecreepers have nested in the stable walls in the past and we hope they will again. Contractors have fitted a new roof. Volunteers also removed some trees to allow light in, and cleared the drainage ditch and concrete “exercise ring” of vegetation. Two concrete pens were cleared out to provide platforms for views across the reserve in the future. One of the remaining stables has access through
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large (and small) openings for birds and other creatures It has a log pile in it and shelves have been added for Swallows and other birds to nest on- one has been used by Swallows, and Swallows and House Martins have been circling and swooping low over the stables. In contrast, the window and door of the right-hand stable have been covered and a large nest box constructed inside in the hope that it will attract Tawny Owls or Barn Owls. There is an opening in the end wall for them to get in. Although they haven’t used the box this year young Tawny Owls have been seen in the trees nearby. The third, central section has no windows and will hopefully become a roosting space for bats. The temperature inside is being monitored over the summer before deciding on how best to partition it to provide suitable, bat-friendly conditions. This work will be done in the autumn. The parking area has been resurfaced and paths to the stables area and viewing platforms created. Improvements are currently on hold until after the breeding season but will continue in the autumn. It is still unclear what the area around the stables will finally be like but there will perhaps be a bench and interpretation panel and plants that attract butterflies and moths.
Em Foot
2.2 Habitat management This section describes the nature of our habitat management on WTSWW reserves and on
third party owned land, including through our wider countryside projects. There are no very
significant changes in the distribution of time, and those that do appear generally reflect the
focus of particular funded projects, for example the increase in the management of open
water reflects funding from The Co-op for Pembroke Upper Mill Pond. The increase in site
visits, maintenance and health and safety (H&S) partly reflects improved reporting.
Activity Staff days (‘16-’17) Staff days (‘15-’16)
Control invasive non-native species 303 275
Scrub control 133 136
Mowing/cutting open habitats 106 77
Site visits, maintenance, H&S 91 61
Coppicing woodland 64 99
Thinning woodland 47 115
Fencing 34 32
Managing ponds, ditches etc 31 16
Installing other infrastructure 31 15
Grazing (arranging, supporting) 30 19
Hedge-laying 18 5
Removing waste materials 15 38
Species based interventions 8 18
Installing nest & bat boxes 5 13
Sowing 4 1
Planting woodland 3 1
Seed collection 0 5
Such habitat management regularly brings together the best elements of WTSWW’s work-
managing nature reserves, working with partners such as NRW, and engaging with
volunteers. As such it is best represented by a number of case studies from the year.
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CASE STUDY: Llyn Fach nature reserve, Rhigos Mountain Llyn Fach nature reserve, on the border of Neath Port Talbot and Rhondda Cynon Taff Local Authority boundaries, is a relatively new addition to our reserves list. WTSWW (then Glamorgan Wildlife Trust) had the lease from 1968 until the late 1990s when it wasn’t renewed but we have recently taken over management of the site again thanks to funding from Biffaward. Llyn Fach is owned by NRW and is part of the Craig y Llyn SSSI and consists of the southernmost montane lake in the British Isles. The lake is overlooked by steep cliffs and scree and is surrounded by a mosaic of marshy grassland, bog and heathland along with a 5 ha area of clearfell forestry to the east which is slowly developing a similar mosaic of natural habitats. The site is home to habitats and species that are amongst the rarest in south and west Wales and offer a completely new range of habitat types for the WTSWW estate, particularly in Glamorgan.
The lake is approximately 3 ha in area and is nutrient-poor and unpolluted and supports the most southerly UK population of Water Lobelia (Lobelia dortmana) and the regionally rare Floating-leaved Bur-reed (Sparganium angustifolium) as well as Palmate Newts, Common Frog, Common Toad and a range of dragonflies and damselflies. Otters regularly use the lake and Coot, Little Grebe and Grey Heron are the most frequent wildfowl recorded. Other birds that use the lake include migrating martins and Swallows and the occasional Hobby while Ospreys have also been seen in the vicinity. Water Voles were recently recorded amongst the Purple Moor-grass (Molinia caerulea) on the southern edge of the lake and this represents one of the last known populations of the species in Glamorgan.
The cliffs, outcrops and ledges above the lake are largely north-east facing and remain shaded for much of the day; many are kept wet by numerous streams and seepages. The rocky outcrops provide excellent habitat for rare montane species such as Wilson’s Filmy Fern (Hymenophylum wilsonii), Fir Clubmoss (Huperzia selago) and other scarce species such as Cowberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea) and Beech Fern (Phegopteris connectilis) as well as important plant communities such as Great Wood-rush (Luzula sylvatica) - Bilberry (Vaccinium myrtillus) tall herb community. The Bilberry and frequent Rowan trees provide plentiful food for birds such as Ring Ouzel and Fieldfare. The cliffs and ledges are also used by various birds of prey including Buzzards, Kestrel and the occasional Peregrine Falcon. The Coed Mogannwg Way runs along the top of the cliffs and offers superb views of the reserve and the surrounding landscape. Access elsewhere is difficult due to the Pen y Cymoedd windfarm development nearby so this is currently the best way to see the site.
The large area of clearfell to the east of the lake hosts a rich mosaic of acid and marshy grassland, dry heath and willow scrub, with many flushes, springs and streams and deep hummocks of sphagnum. It is also strewn with dead wood from the forestry operations, which provide habitat for numerous fungi, lichens, mosses and invertebrates as well as providing a large area of undisturbed habitat for a variety of birds such as Nightjar, Cuckoo, Snipe and Whinchat, along with small mammals and amphibians.
The north-western edge of the lake borders a large area of mature forestry which is outside the boundary of the reserve but Crossbill and other woodland species nest and feed within it, with hunting Goshawk and Sparrowhawk frequently in evidence and there are records of nesting Honey Buzzard in the close vicinity.
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In 2015 funding was secured from Biffaward which allowed WTSWW to begin managing the site. The main activities that the Trust has been undertaking include removing the conifers that are found in various densities within the reserve itself, especially high on the cliffs and in the marshy grassland around the lake and streams. There were also occasional rhododendron plants which have been removed and areas of willow which are not being allowed to spread too far and shade out the sensitive habitats present. Some patches of willow are being kept however, to provide shelter and nesting habitat for birds. These are to be managed on rotation to mimic the activity of large herbivores, though we will also be looking at the practicalities of introducing grazing in the future as this is the best way to manage the grassland areas on a long-term basis. It will however require the installation of fencing and the use of hardy breeds which could cope with the conditions and low-quality grazing. Himalayan Balsam is not currently found on the reserve but it is nearby and we are monitoring for its presence and will remove it if it is detected as it would establish itself quickly in the wet habitats here. The other main activities are surveys and monitoring to assess the effectiveness of management activities and to ensure that the species and habitats that the reserve is most important for are flourishing as well as to increase our knowledge of what is present there.
A big thank you must go out to Biffaward for funding the work that has been going on there for the last couple of years as well as to the hard-working volunteers, without whom we simply wouldn’t be able to achieve anything like as much as we have so far.
Vaughn Matthews
CASE STUDY: Delivering work at Castle Woods through the Glastir Woodland Management (GWM) scheme We continued our woodland management at South Lodge Woods Llandeilo this year. The GWM is a five year scheme funded by the Welsh Government and the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development. Our management is part funded by GWM. This year at least six cubic metres of tree were felled, this brings light to the woodland floor , improves the age structure of the wood and we can be selective to which trees stay, so we can chose our future
veteran trees. As the photograph (right) shows, there is a gap in the canopy where light reaches the woodland floor, the felled tree is in the foreground almost obscured by the woodland ground fauna. This was the second year of the five year scheme. Each year a section of woodland is thinned, the felled trees are then left in situ to add to the dead wood on the woodland floor. We planted 30 native trees including Oak, Wild Cherry and Hazel in the gaps in the canopy, we used trees from a local community nursery.
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We also put up bird, bat and Tawny Owl boxes. We made the boxes on a volunteer work party day from larch that had been grown, felled and milled locally. We made the boxes at the end
of March, put them up in April and by May a third of them were being used by Blue Tits, Great Tits and a couple of boxes had Pied Flycatchers. A section of collapsed wall was rebuilt using traditional techniques by a local stone mason.
Ceri Evans
CASE STUDY: An update from Carmel NNR, Carmarthenshire
Carmel National Nature Reserve (NNR) comprises a mosaic of habitats, including unimproved and semi-improved grassland (both neutral and calcareous), marshy grassland, and broadleaf woodland with quarries. There is a distinct patchwork pattern of woodland blocks with intervening grassland rides, and surrounding this grassland-woodland mosaic are a number of unimproved and semi-improved hay meadows. With such a variety of habitats and features there is definitely plenty to keep us busy. One of the most important jobs on the reserve is the conservation grazing, and this is carried out by a mix of cattle and ponies that complement the different habitats. The cattle are put on the unimproved neutral and calcareous grassland, whilst we use ponies on our bog and where the terrain is more challenging. Our
cattle grazier also takes a hay cut from the semi improved fields and aftermath grazes the fields to help in their restoration. This year we started working with a new grazier with Shetland ponies to graze an area that has, in recent years, been under-managed. We hope the ponies will help us restore what was once a heathy ridge, which is currently struggling under massive bramble encroachment. Since we took over management of the site in 2013, we have summer grazed a section of bog that has previously been neglected. NRW, who monitored the bog in 2016 have reported a marked improvement in the quality of the vegetation, with a reduction in rank Molinia, since grazing was reinstated. Chalara (Ash Dieback) is starting to make its presence known at Carmel. With an upper canopy largely made up of Ash trees this fungal disease is likely to have a big impact. Many of the young Ash saplings are in the process of dying, or have already succumbed to the disease, whilst many of the mature trees are exhibiting signs of dieback and leaf loss. We continue to closely monitor the situation, and have doubled the amount of hazardous tree assessment carried out, being especially mindful of trees next to roads and paths. This year the Carmarthenshire volunteer group has been out controlling a number of invasive species. We have cut back and cleared brambles from footpaths, woodland glades and the quarry floor, scythed and raked Soft Rush from the species rich grassland, rolled Bracken in the woodland rides, pulled Ragwort in the hay meadows, and cleared Birch and
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Willow scrub off the bog. A large section of hedge was also laid. We aim to lay some each winter and have throughout the site hedges in different stages of maturity. We monitor for Dormice annually, and this year we were delighted with the discovery of a Dormouse-nibbled nut within one of our woodland blocks. We are trying to gain a greater understanding of how Dormice might be using the woodland habitat at Carmel. This year we have further tweaked the monitoring with the aim to customise it specifically to Carmel. The usual quota of gate fixing and fence repairing has also been undertaken.
Although briefly summarised into a few lines this work has taken 37 volunteer days to complete. I can’t conceivably imagine managing a reserve like Carmel without the help of volunteers. Their level of input and attention helps contribute and enhance the wonderful habitats previously described. Whatever their motivations are Carmarthenshire wildlife is better for these individuals making it out whatever the weather.
Rebecca Killa
CASE STUDY: The Open Water Habitat Project, Pembrokeshire Four reserves in Pembrokeshire benefited from funding for open water creation and enhancement works during the winter of 2016-17. Dowrog Common, Llangloffan Fen, Pembroke Upper Mill Pond and Teifi Marshes nature reserves were fortunate to receive just over £7000 from the Freshwater Habitats Trust, Pembrokeshire Nature Partnership and Natural Resources Wales.
Left: New scrape at Llangloffan Fen These projects involved the use of contractor machinery to extend and de-silt areas of open water, clear channels and create new scrapes. Part of the work on Dowrog Common involved clearing a section of a historic leat of silt and vegetation to promote better flows of water through the site whilst enhancing habitats for freshwater invertebrate and amphibian species. In future years, additional sections will be cleared with the aim to completely reopen the waterway.
At Llangloffan Fen two new scrapes were created to promote the establishment of rare aquatic plant species such as Pillwort and Three-lobed Water-crowfoot. The main pond with the bird hide was also extended, pushing back encroaching vegetation and promoting open areas of water for waders and other bird life. Work at Pembroke Upper Mill Pond involved digging out vegetation and silted banks from impinging on the main pond whilst also preventing the spread of invasive species such as Himalayan Balsam. At Teifi Marshes the ‘Mallard’ pool was extended and an island created to provide better nesting opportunities for waders, offering protection from a variety of predators.
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WTSWW continues to work closely with the organisations above who offered funding. Although larger sources of funding are increasingly harder to obtain, smaller pots of money seem more readily available and when matched with other pots, still enable us to deliver real solid projects with positive outcomes for wildlife.
Above left: pond extension at Pembroke Upper Mill Pond. Above right: improvements to Mallard Pool at Teifi Marshes. Left: leat clearance on Dowrog Common.
Nathan Walton
CASE STUDY: Winning the fight against Rhododendon at Coed Gawdir
Looking up at a wall of 10’ high “rhodi” and clambering through a jungle of thick contorted limbs to find only yet more rhodi; it is understandable why WTSWW haven’t previously had time or overwhelming drive to deal with this uninviting corner of land. Although the site is only a third of an acre and the rhododendron covering 0.16 acres of land (the rest being pond), that still means approximately 148,701 cubic metres of rhodi!
However help was at hand, as in September 2015 WREN’s West Glamorgan’s Wild Woodlands Project started. The project is funded by WREN, a not for profit business that awards grants to community projects from funds donated by FCC Environment to the Landfill Communities Fund. The Wild Woodlands project allowed us to fund 17
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staff days so far and oversee 38 volunteer days, a total of 55 person days to deal with the enormous task. Singlemindedness and dedication is now winning the day as all the plants have been cut, burnt, chipped, or the few remaining piled high with minimal ground coverage. Bird nesting boxes have been put up to replace lost habitat and surveys are being undertaken to monitor the return of undergrowth in the woodland. Already exciting promises are peeking through: Bilberry, Yellow Pimpernel and a pair of Mandarin.
Unfortunately rhodi being the tenacious plant it is, persistent visits will still need to take place to deal with reoccurring regrowth and seedlings from existing seedbank and new in blown seeds from neighbouring properties. Once we have completely killed off the cut mature plants though, it will simply be a weeding exercise. Bring on the kneepads!
Tara Daniels
CASE STUDY: Habitat Management at Brynna Woods & Llanharan Marsh
Coppice management has taken place in one of seven woodland compartments (35 x 35 m area), within the nature reserve. These areas consist of mainly Hazel and Ash trees, predominantly of a similar size and age, with a high canopy, over-shading and little understory. Coppicing is a traditional method of woodland management, which takes advantage of the fact that many trees generate new growth from their stump or roots if cut down. In a coppiced wood, which is called a copse, young
tree stems are repeatedly cut down to near ground level. Hazel coppice is particularly good for Dormice. The coppiced regrowth provides aerial walkways of interlinking branches, with the added benefit of the establishment of climbing and scrambling plants, such as Honeysuckle and Bramble. All of these plants offer food sources for the Dormice through their fruits or nuts, as well as providing the structural habitat necessary for these arboreal creatures. Many other species, such as butterflies and birds are also favourably impacted by coppicing. All cut wood was stacked to create habitat piles within the woodland and coppiced areas. This provides additional benefits to Dormice, and a multitude of different invertebrates, whilst also providing a refuge and hunting ground for small mammals, reptiles and amphibians, and shelter for over-wintering and hibernating wildlife. In total seven coupes have been identified and a rotation of 13 years have been put in place. This equates to one coup being coppiced every other year (commencing 2017). Thank you to all the volunteers that have helped with the work at Brynna woods.
Tim Jones
CASE STUDY: Lapwing conservation at Parc Slip It never ceases to amaze me how much it is possible to achieve when we have the help of our fantastic volunteers who give up their own time to carry out conservation work.
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Through the winter and early spring our Lapwing Champion volunteers undertook a variety of tasks to improve the Lapwing habitat at Parc Slip. The biggest task was to clear an area of woodland on the western boundary of the Lapwing field. Lapwings nest on the ground, where their eggs and chicks are quite vulnerable, and although both are camouflaged, Lapwings have to watch for danger from both the ground and the sky. Lapwings therefore choose habitat which will allow them to have a clear field of view when sitting on the nest. They like short grassland, and will avoid nesting in the vicinity of trees because of their use as hunting perches by predators. It is for this reason that we cut down an area of trees and scrub from the perimeter of the field, where previous studies on Lapwing at Parc Slip had identified perching predators. It was tough work, involving working outdoors on some very cold mornings, in muddy conditions, and often struggling with tangles of bramble and prickly gorse. Despite this, the Lapwing Champions pushed on and have helped us to make this habitat better for breeding Lapwings.
Lapwings will also nest on river shingle and coal spoil habitat, choosing banks or mounds with good visibility. We therefore decided to create some cockleshell ‘shorelines’ in our scrapes field and had contractors deliver a large load of local cockleshells to the field, where they were laid along the edge of one of the scrapes. With the help of the Lapwing Champions we were also able to create a mound of cockleshells to make a raised nesting spot for Lapwings or Little Ringed Plover. The creation of this involved shovelling the shells into sacks and wheelbarrows at the
entrance of the field where they had been delivered and carrying them by hand across the field to the mound of earth that we wanted to cover. It was very hard work and it couldn’t have been done without our volunteers! This year we were also very pleased to be able to provide an artificial island, or raft, on the Northern Wetlands for Lapwings to use as a safe nesting space. With the generous donations of our supporters, and a donation in memory of Colin Miles who was passionate about wildlife, we were able to have the raft built and put in place before the Lapwings arrived on site.
Over the past 3 years over 600 volunteer hours have gone into the Lapwing recovery project, which has been supported by players of the People’s Postcode Lottery. We are so pleased with what we have achieved this year and are currently monitoring the progress of the Lapwings that are using the habitat at Parc Slip to help inform our conservation efforts for winter 2017.
Lorna Baggett
CASE STUDY: Pembroke Upper Mill Pond Nature Reserve’s ‘Heart of Pembroke’ Co-op Project
In 2015 The Co-operative's Food businesses donated their 5p bag levy to support wildlife projects across Wales. The six Wildlife Trusts in Wales are using these funds to save our most endangered wildlife and wild places for future generations to enjoy.
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Over the past two years, WTSWW has been fortunate to receive just over £50,000 worth of funding through this scheme to help complete major ground works at one our wetland nature reserves at Pembroke Upper Mill Pond.
This five ha reserve consists of pond with developing reedbed, fen and carr and adjoining woodland. The vegetation represents a transition from estuarine to freshwater conditions. Lesser duckweed and horned pondweed occur in the open water, whilst estuarine species include sea club rush and sea arrow grass. Birds are varied due to the change in habitats across the site, and include species such as Kingfisher, Little Grebe, Heron, Cettis Warbler and Bittern. Grass Snake, Slow Worm, Water Shrew and Otter are also found on the reserve.
Over the last decade the reserve has dried up considerably due to poor flows of water through the reedbed resulting in scrubby and invasive species encroaching onto valuable reedbed habitat and ditches blocked through the build-up of silt.
WTSWW employed the services of Aquaclear Water Management services who utilised their amphibious ‘Truxor’ vehicles to clear ditches and block channels to force water back into the reedbed. They also cleared and pumped silt from edge areas of the main pond so as to prevent the spread of reed into the open water habitat, an important site for wading birds such as Little Grebe and Heron. Water levels have already risen considerably and fresh reed is growing once more. With higher water levels, other species such as the Kingfisher, Otter, Frogs and Toads and species of dragon and damselfly will benefit considerably.
Otters regularly use the site and the rest of the Mill Ponds complex. Funding has also allowed for the installation of two artificial Otter holts on the reserve, both of which have activity and are in use.
Volunteers from WTSWW and local residents also spent time clearing areas of Willow and Alder from the reedbed, controlling further spread and enhancing reedbed and open water habitats. Further work will continue to manage Alder and Willow during winter months and water levels will be monitored throughout the year.
WTSWW has worked closely with Communities First representatives and engaged with a number of different groups throughout the project. Forty individuals and two schools were involved with practical work and a number of walks and talks were also given.
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A community notice board along with the development of an outdoor classroom and viewing platform are other projects the grant has provided for.
WTSWW is grateful for the support the Co-op has given to this project.
Nathan Walton
2.3 Research The conservation movement as a whole has been criticised in the past for its failure to
engage in and learn from current research and latest knowledge. At WTSWW we work hard
to address this issue, by building relationships with universities in our area of operation,
supporting many students to work with us during their studies, and trialling new techniques
and reporting the outcomes of our own work wherever we can. We have been fortunate to
benefit from strong partnerships with many academic institutions, particularly Cardiff,
Swansea and Aberystwyth Universities, and UK-wide institutions through their involvement
in the Pembrokeshire Islands.
Consequently, WTSWW undertakes and supports a wide array of research projects,
particularly on its nature reserves. Much more detail on this topic can be found in the
WTSWW Research Report 2016, however by way of example, we incorporate below one
fantastic example of a new and innovative idea being developed by our Skokholm wardens
Richard Brown and Giselle Eagle.
CASE STUDY: The Skokholm Storm Petrel Study Wall
Storm Petrels are notoriously difficult to study. Their nest sites, often accessed through a tiny
crevice amongst fragile piles of rock, make it difficult to accurately monitor what the birds are
up to. Each year a small number of petrels are found occupying sites on Skokholm into
which we can safely see, allowing us to tentatively calculate a productivity figure, however
the sample size is far from ideal. With monies donated by Peter and Rosemary Royle
(collected at the Pembrokeshire Orphean Warbler twitch in 2013) and with further materials
generously given by John Parker of E.H. Smith Builders Merchants, in 2016 we constructed
a Storm Petrel study wall. Inspired by the designs of artificial Sand Martin banks, the dream
was to create a wall containing 100 individual nest chambers. It was important that the wall
was in-keeping with those elsewhere on the Island, indeed the old walls have been occupied
by large numbers of petrels in the past (but suitable nest sites are slowly disappearing as
they fill with soil and vegetation). Each nest chamber would have an access hatch for
monitoring chicks and a small access point for accessories such as sound recording
equipment or an endoscope (which could then be used without disturbing the adults). The
concrete prototypes have been developed on the Island over the past two years and Howard
Driver came up with an incredibly elegant design for re-useable wooden moulds from which
to cast the boxes (held together by wooden brackets and wedges). Howard made enough
kits so that six boxes could be constructed at any one time.
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Along with our long-term
volunteers, we spent much of our
spare time carrying materials into
the Quarry, making the concrete
nest chambers and constructing
the wall. It took around three
hours to make a full set of six.
Once all of the boxes were in
place, another volunteer, Emyr
Roberts, spent hours facing it with
Old-red Sandstone in the Herring-
bone style traditionally used on the Island. Vicky Taylor then lined each of the boxes with a
sand and soil mixture along with some Storm Petrel feathers (collected from corpses taken
by owls) to make them smell more natural. Howard then came back to construct the
backdoors. The finished wall, named the ‘Petrel Station’ by a guest, looks fantastic. This, as
far as we know, is the first purpose built Storm Petrel wall but, like all firsts, we do not know if
it will actually work! The hope is that the wall is investigated by prospecting petrels in 2017,
although it may be a few years before it is occupied by breeding birds. We would like to take
this opportunity to thank everybody involved in creating the Petrel Station; those that funded
it, those that helped carry everything to the Island and down into the Quarry, those that
constructed it and the guests that regularly came down to offer encouragement and
enthusiasm.
Richard Brown
2.4 Recording and monitoring A key part of any site’s management is the recording and monitoring of its conservation
features, allowing us to assess whether or not they are in favourable condition, and allowing
us to complete the feedback loop and adjust our management of the sites and our advocacy
work accordingly. Around 615 person days were recorded in this area of work during 2016-
2017 on mainland sites alone. It should be noted that many more days again are delivered
on the Pembrokeshire islands and at CBMWC; these are intensive monitoring hubs and are
not included in the breakdown below. At CBMWC alone an additional 655 person days
were spent on marine monitoring. On Skomer the Fieldworker contributes an additional 100
person days of staff time dedicated fully to seabird monitoring, with a large proportion of the
wardens’ and volunteers’ time on both island additionally dedicated to this most critical role.
Many additional unrecorded days are also undertaken by mainland volunteers, who report
results to us but whose investment of time is not currently well captured.
The table below summarises staff effort (and the volunteer effort recorded in direct support
of these staff days; many independent volunteer days are not currently capture) on survey
and monitoring on our mainland sites, both on our own nature reserves and on private land.
Survey or monitoring activity Staff days Volunteer days
Water Vole 48 13
Red Squirrel 25 68
Moths (trapping) 33 20
Dormouse 17 59
Birds (various field monitoring, nest boxes, ringing) 15 97
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Marsh Fritillary 10 24
Mink 8 15
Reptiles 7 11
Vegetation (habitat monitoring) 7 1
Bats 7 2
Bioblitz (all species on site) 6 13
Freshwater invertebrates 5 7
Lapwing 5 11
Brown Hairstreak 3 32
Chalara (Ash dieback disease) 2 0
Bryophytes and lower plants 2 1
Butterflies (transects) 2 3
Goldilocks aster (South Gower Coast) 2 0
Otter 2 4
Invertebrates 2 2
Spiked Speedwell (South Gower Coast) 2 0
Deer 1 4
Riverfly (Teifi Marshes) 1 3
INNS (plants including Cotoneaster, Rhododendron) 1 0
Dragonflies 1 0
Grass Vetchling 1 1
Great Crested Newt 1 0
Greater Butterfly Orchid 1 1
Willow Blister 1 7
Toothwort 1 0
Badger 1 0
Bee Orchid 1 1
Maidenhair Fern 1 1
Marsh Mallow 1 1
Phytophthora disease 1 0
Autumn Gentian 1 2
CASE STUDY: Exotic moth discovered at Castle Woods If you go down to the woods today it’s possible you might get a big surprise…whilst walking in Castle Woods in early April I spotted a tiny micro-moth which looked vaguely familiar but there was also something not quite right about it… I took a photograph and posted it on the very active and informative Carmarthenshire moth blog where it was soon identified as Pachyrhabda steropodes. This is a member of the Stathmopodidae family, of which there is one native species (Stathmopoda pedella – see picture below) which itself has been seen at only a few places in Wales, including at Parc Slip in 2014 thanks to Paul Parsons enthusiastic searching! As you can see from both pictures below, members of the family have a very distinctive way of holding their legs. P. steropodes however is an Australasian species which has only been recorded at two places in the UK before. Firstly, Jon Baker, a previous county moth recorder for Carmarthenshire, spotted one at Aberglasney gardens near Llandeilo in 2005. A colony was subsequently found at Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens in Dorset in 2010 and then Chris Manley found them again at Aberglasney in 2014. It is thought that in both locations the moth would have been brought in with exotic ferns upon which their larvae feed.
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The sighting at Castle Woods could be significant in that it was seen near Llandyfeisant Church which is at the end of the woods furthest from Aberglasney and therefore suggests that it is likely to have switched to feeding on native ferns. It was thought likely that the species would end up becoming distributed more widely but this is the first piece of evidence of that possible spread taking place and is worth looking for in the mid-Tywi Valley area (it is said to be on the wing in April and May). It’s not thought that this is likely to become a problem at this stage but it is further evidence of how easily non-native species can be spread around the world – in fact, similar has happened with two species of non-native Psychoides moths which were imported with exotic ferns decades ago and are now
widespread in Britain on native ferns. Left: Pachyrhabda steropodes, right: Stathmopoda pedella
Postscript: since writing this article, local naturalist Ian Morgan has been out searching suitable places and has found them elsewhere in Llandeilo and Gelli Aur, mainly on Male Ferns (Dryopteris felix-mas). If anyone does go out searching then please note what species of fern they were associated with if known.
Vaughn Matthews
CASE STUDY: Oystercatcher productivity on Skomer Island During my time on Skomer Island (Spring 2016) I’ve had the opportunity to conduct a study on the islands Oystercatcher population. My background has primarily involved waders and cannon netting, so this opportunity to assess the productivity on Skomer’s most prolific (and noisy!) wader was an obvious choice for me. Oystercatchers, in common with other waders, are precocial, which means the young are relatively mobile and mature almost immediately after hatching. This poses a monitoring issue; because the chicks are so readily active it is difficult to ascertain which chick belongs to which brood. Also there can be gaps in the data, where three eggs were one day; the next visit can easily be met with an empty nest and well-hidden chicks.
Left: typical clutch of three well-camouflaged Oystercatcher eggs Methods Beginning in early to mid May I watched for pairs forming territories. This initial stage was mainly attained incidentally as I walked around the island. The piercing trill of the Oystercatcher often made studying them extremely irritating, but it is very useful in determining where a territory or a nest
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may lie! It was through Oystercatchers various techniques to move my attention away from the location of their nest that, ironically, made finding their nest more straightforward. The Broken Wing Display is one of their favourites. I regularly monitored twelve nests around the island, recording the number of eggs initially and any changes as they occurred. I checked to see if the eggs were warm and also took note of adult behaviour. As previously mentioned it was difficult to assess the outcome of the clutch, as they are a precocial species. If the nest was empty, with eggshells or within the dates of hatching, the adults agitated behaviour again proved to be a solid indicator that although I couldn’t see the chicks they were still present.
Rarely did my nest record fall neatly on ‘Fledged’ for most chicks (‘Fledged’ here meaning ‘able to fly’); rather I usually ended with an empty nest accompanied by agitated adults. This is still valuable information in determining presence and survival of chicks. There were a few chicks I could determine as fledged as they were spaced far enough away from other nests to avoid confusion. Left: a chick a week or so shy of fledging
Results
The overall mean productivity (given as the total number of ‘Fledged’ chicks per nest across all sites) is 0.67 (table below). ‘Fledged’ refers to chicks within the study seen flying while ‘Yes’ in the Chicks Hatched column refers to where individual chicks could not be seen to be counted but vocal/agitated adults indicated presence of chicks. There may have been more chicks which hatched and wandered more widely, making them too difficult to follow to ‘Fledging’, meaning that 0.67 is a minimum. The most recent productivity figure I could find for Skomer’s Oystercatcher population was 2006 with a productivity of 0.94. As shown in the graph below there has been a decrease in Oystercatcher numbers from the late 1980’s through until the early 2000’s. This year’s total population was 66 pairs.
Nest number Eggs Laid
Eggs lost
Chicks hatched Fledged
Individual Nest Productivity
Percentage eggs hatched
1 - SH 3
Yes 7- SH 3
Yes
2- CK 3
3 2 0.66 1
3- HS 4 1 3 2 0.5 0.75
4- GS 3 3
1
5- BH 2
Yes 6- BH 3
Yes
8- WCK 3
3 1 0.3 1
9- MM 3
3 1 0.3 1
10- WS 3
2
0.75
11- LOWL 3 1 Yes 12- SP 3
3 2 0.66 1
Productivity
0.67 ‘Fledged’ chicks per pair
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Historic numbers of nesting pairs of Oystercatcher on Skomer since 1986:
Jane Taylor (Long Term Volunteer)
CASE STUDY: A day in the life of a Skomer fieldworker What does a fieldworker on Skomer Island do all day during the summer? Well, let’s just say it involves many hours sitting alone on cliff’s edge looking down a telescope to monitor whether a seabird has laid an egg, a chick has hatched and, later in the season, whether the chick fledges. Watching the changing seabird breeding activities over the course of a season is an amazing experience. It gives insight into the vulnerability of seabirds and the importance of long-term monitoring, especially as the pressure from climate change and commercial fisheries increases. Being the fieldworker on Skomer means that I do this type of monitoring every day for Razorbills and Guillemots, fortnightly for Kittiwakes and Fulmars, and every few weeks for Great Black-backed Gulls. This work keeps me busy from the middle of April to the middle of
August. I spend the first three weeks of June participating in the seabird counts by using the windows of ideal weather conditions to count all the Razorbills on High Cliff, South Stream and The Wick, and also four Guillemots plots at The Wick. In late July, I inspect Great Black-backed Gull nests to see what they have been eating over the season. Living on the island also provides plenty of opportunities to help out other researchers and get my hands dirty in other ways, such as checking shearwater burrows for incubating birds.
One downfall of living on Skomer island is the unpredictability of the weather. Some days, the fog and rain come from nowhere and I am forced to spend the day indoors. I use this time to enter data, catch up on emails, and contact my family on the mainland to let them know how I am going. It can also involve spending many hours over hot drinks discussing various topics with others living and working on the island and our chats usually end up exploring the topics of birds or research ideas! Working on Skomer means that each day I wake to the sound of gulls, have my morning
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014
Number of nesting pairs
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coffee from a thermos while surrounded by Puffins at the Wick, and fall asleep to the haunting sound of Shearwater calls. But in reality there are no two days on Skomer that are exactly the same.
Julie Riordan (2017 Skomer Fieldworker)
CASE STUDY: Dormouse Thermal Imaging Project
Through a kind legacy donation of one of our WTSWW members along with some match funding from NRW, WTSWW was able to purchase a thermal imaging scope (Guide IR510P). This piece of equipment was essential in kickstarting a new monitoring project in Pengelli Forest nature reserve.
The Dormouse is a species that the Trust has been surveying for since 1990. At present, there are 100 Dormouse boxes that are checked during summer months boxes and all data recorded is sent to PTES’s National Dormouse Monitoring Programme (NDMP). Although there are a good number of boxes within the reserve, there is very little activity within them. In 2014 there were concerns that Dormouse numbers were dropping quickly due to little evidence of them in the boxes. We do know that they are still on the reserve through signs of chewed hazel nuts. A visit from the Vincent Wildlife Trust settled our minds somewhat as it was felt that the habitat itself was so good that there may be little need for the animals to use the boxes. Although it was pleasing to know that habitat management regimes for this species are working and showing good results, we are still keen to know of Dormouse numbers.
It would be impossible to record every Dormouse yet with the thermal imaging scope, we now have a method of looking at undergrowth, bramble thickets and the canopies of hazel stands to see if we can spot these animals through their heat source. The scope can be used during the day provided it is not too hot and sunny as the vegetation tends to also radiate heat. Therefore, the best time to look for this species is on overcast days or at night when temperatures are lower and their body heat will be better to pick up on the scope. They tend to also be much more active at night. When and if identified, they will be caught, weighed and sexed adding valuable data to the NDMP.
Scoping will start in the summer of 2017 and night time visits will be made to reserve through the season. It will be interesting to see what results we find.
Nathan Walton
2.5 Volunteers Total volunteer hours donated to the Conservation Team can be difficult to record, as some
input is on a more casual basis and full paper records are not kept in all cases.
However, during 2016-2017, we estimate that our team engaged with around 600
volunteers and many more on a more casual (short term) basis. This includes ‘hotspots’ of
activity include the Pembrokeshire Islands, CBMWC, flagship reserves such as Parc Slip
and Teifi Marshes, and groups associated with the Wildlife Trust Officers. An estimated total
of 536 new volunteers were engaged with during the year. A total of 737 individual
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volunteer workparty dates were led by Conservation Team staff (slightly down on the
previous year). These figures do not include the additional, significant amount of work
delivered by WTSWW’s local volunteer groups, particularly at Lavernock and Coed y Bwl.
We estimate the volunteer contribution directly to our team to be 6804 person days during
the year 2016-2017. This is an increase on the figure of 6366 from 2015-16 (the second
consecutive rise, and despite the fall in reserve workparty days). It cannot be over-stated
how important this contribution is to our ongoing conservation work; much of what we do,
particularly in the routine but critical maintenance of our nature reserves and recording,
could not be done without this volunteer contribution. In capacity terms, it effectively doubles
our team in terms of number of worked days.
The four case studies below reflect the diversity of volunteer involvement. One is authored
by one of our seasonal, long term volunteer placements on Skomer.
CASE STUDY: Volunteering at Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (CBMWC) relies on the generous help and support of Living Seas Volunteers in order to carry out much of our research and awareness raising work. Volunteers played a vital role in establishing CBMWC and continue to make a difference to the work of CBMWC, allowing us to reach goals and improve year after year. CBMWC offers volunteering opportunities to both those living locally to New Quay and people from
across the UK and worldwide who wish to get involved with our work. Our local volunteers commit to a few hours a week, all year round. Whereas, our seasonal volunteers join us from March-November and volunteer full time in order to gain work experience or as part of university placements. From April 2016 to March 2017, 58 (27 local and 31 seasonal) volunteers donated over 15,300 volunteer hours to CBMWC. Living Seas Volunteers assisted with a range of activities including land and boat based marine mammal surveys, data entry, running our busy visitor centre, assisting with educational events and activities and conducting beach cleans (collecting over 40,000 pieces of litter). In February 2017 the CBMWC recived national recognition for its Living Seas Volunteer Programme having achieved the Investing in Volunteers (IiV) Award . The highly sought after award is the UK’s quality standard for volunteer management. The award demonstrates that CBMWC provides an outstanding volunteer experience with a number of our volunteers being interviewed as part of the assessment. It also helps to recognise the amazing work of our dedicated volunteers, without whom we would not be able to achieve our
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marine conservation aims. Volunteers have been integral to CBMWC over its 20 year history with over 550 dedicated individuals donating their time to contribute towards marine conservation through conducting marine megafauna research and raising awaress of the local marine wildlife and habitats through the CBMWC visitor centre and public enegagement events. David Martin, Local Volunteer at CBMWC since October 2015 says “I’m delighted that the effort of the staff is recognised by achieving this award because CBMWC is a great place to volunteer!” The CBMWC will continue to provide training, support and an overall outstanding experience to its volunteers. We hope that through achieving the award more members of the local community will join the growing volunteer team to help with our marine conservation efforts in the south and west Wales area.
Laura Evans.
CASE STUDY: The digitisation of the Skokholm bird logs
We live in a digital age. An era of human history defined by the use of computer technology to simplify, record and back-up our day to day lives. Keeping records is an age-old concept and as technology continues to advance, even early digital media is at risk of being lost through obsolete methods. When Ronald Lockley first arrived to the shores of Skokholm in 1927 the word ‘digital’ was meaningless and as he began to realise the importance of the Island not just as a refuelling point for tired migrants but as a breeding site for a huge number of seabirds he began to log his observations with pen on paper. In 1933, when the first ever Bird Observatory in the UK was opened on Skokholm, naturalists and academics flocked to the Island to be a part of this pioneering study and records were being amassed on a daily basis. Thus the daily bird log was born. At the end of a long day of observing and recording, folk would meet in the Farmhouse and above the hiss of oil burning lamps and the crackle of an open driftwood fire, a daily roll call of birds was made. As the Bird Observatory network continued to grow around the UK so too did the tradition of Bird Log all of which existed in the medium of penned records on paper sheets. Skokholm had managed to keep the daily census going throughout the first incarnation of the Bird Observatory and even when accreditation was lost in 1976, wardening continued and so too did the daily recording of breeding and passage birds. Thus with the exception of the war years, the Skokholm library held complete records dating from 1927 to 2006. Between all of the Bird Observatories an estimated 800 years of paper log data has been amassed over the decades; data that is both unusable and incredibly vulnerable. There is now a big push to get Bird Observatories to digitise their old logs and, as part of the Skokholm Archives project funded by Environment Wales, in 2014 the digitisation of Skokholm Bird Log was begun. Run entirely by volunteers, between 2014 and 2016 a team led by Phil Blatcher fully digitised the records from the most recent paper log in 2006 back to the first in 1927. This was no easy task as it involved being able to interpret obscure codes and notes written in various qualities of handwriting. Ensuring the accuracy of the inputted data is essential and during 2015 and 2016, a team led by Mike Archer checked and corrected all of the inputted data for human error. By the end of 2016 the Skokholm Bird Log, in its entirety from 1927 to present was finally in a totally searchable, digital format. The dataset has been passed to the British Trust for Ornithology for inclusion into their BirdTrack project, an online database recording the movements and distribution of birds throughout Britain and Ireland. But what are we to do with such a vast dataset? Does it actually have any relevance to our work today? The Skokholm log, spanning such a huge period of the 20th and 21st Centuries will provide one of the best indications yet of changes in numbers of
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birds and phenology. Every single day information is added to this valuable dataset; dates of arrival, departure and breeding. And whilst a comparison between trends in the 1950s and the present day will not be able to guide conservation management on the Island, it will become a very powerful tool of increasing importance for environmental lobbying.
Above: occurrence of Blackcap on Skokholm from 1928 to the present day Giselle Eagle
CASE STUDY: Studying Skomer Voles The Skomer Vole (Myodes glareolus skomerensis) is a subspecies of Bank Vole found only on Skomer Island. It is one of four small mammal species found on the island, the others being Long-tailed Field Mouse (Apodemus sylvaticus), Pygmy and Common Shrew (Sorex minutus, Sorex araneus). The Short-eared Owl has nested on Skomer for many years. It is commonly seen in spring and summer when hunting to feed young. Analysis of pellets in 2014 suggest that the Skomer Vole makes up a large amount of the Short-eared Owl’s diet (37%). In 2016 trapping of the Skomer Vole was carried out, following Dr Tim Healing’s methodology. This mark and recapture population study has been carried out for over 40 years on the same sites. Two trapping sites were used, the first with a high density of voles, containing tall bracken, called grid C. The second with a low density of voles, containing patches of open ground and short bracken called grid E. At each site a grid of 60 x 60 m was made with points 10 m apart, each point had two traps, giving 72 traps per site. Longworth traps with shrew escape holes were used. All traps had bedding and sufficient food in them, both to tempt the animals into the traps and keep them warm and comfortable overnight. The traps were opened in the evening, then checked and closed in the morning for a total of five nights at each site. Once trapped, the voles were sexed, weighed and marked (fur clipped), their breeding condition was also noted, they were then released. The numbers of pairs and fledged young of the Short-eared Owls were found by looking
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through old systematic lists of the island. However, there are some gaps in the data which could be due to the difficulty of finding the owl nests themselves. The number of Skomer Voles has been taken from Dr Tim Healing’s previous studies.
Above: Number of the Skomer Vole known to be alive in between 2000-2016. No data collected in 2003. The graph above shows that there is a large variation in the number of voles found. This could be due to a lot of different factors including weather and predator abundance. It also shows that the voles favour habitat with tall and dense Bracken (Grid C).
Above: a graph to compare the difference between the numbers of Skomer Voles found in grid C and the number of Short-eared Owl pairs. The numbers of voles from the dense bracken site (grid C) was used as this seems like the most likely habitat for the Short-eared Owl to use for hunting, due to the high density of voles. There is little correlation between the number of Short-eared Owl pairs and fledglings and the number of Skomer Voles as shown by the graphs above and below.
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Minimum Numbers of the Skomer Vole known to be alive on 2 60x60meter sites, August 2000-2016
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The number of Skomer voles found in Grid C compaired with the Number of pairs of short eared owls between 2000-2016
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Above: A graph to compare the number of Short-eared Owl fledglings and the number of Skomer Voles found. 2008 saw a very high number of voles, this was followed, in 2009 by a large number of successfully breeding Short-eared Owls. A similar pattern was observed again in 2015 and 2016 (high number of fledged young). The annual vole study is conducted in August after the Short-eared Owls have finished breeding. The small number of voles found in years of good numbers of breeding Short-eared Owls could be explained by the timing of the vole study. Diet studies show that the Short-eared Owls must feed on the main land too, Badger, Rat and Field Vole remains have all been found in pellets. This could be longer trips that the Owls are taking to feed themselves rather than their young. It is difficult to determine if the Short-eared Owls have a large effect on the population of the Skomer Vole, or if other factors including weather and food availability influence their population. With thanks to all of my volunteer helpers, Island staff and Dr Tim Healing.
Alice Brooke (Long-term Volunteer)
CASE STUDY: Engaging with Volunteers in Red Squirrel Conservation
The Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project has been running since 2014, and is run by WTSWW on behalf of the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership (MWRSP). The aim of the project is to protect and expand the Red Squirrel population in mid Wales, one of only three remaining populations of Red Squirrels in Wales. The population of Red Squirrels are present in the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Focal Site (MWRSFS), a designation awarded to the Tywi forest area in 2009 by Welsh Government. The main work of the project in engaging with volunteers is in controlling grey squirrel
numbers in the buffer zone surrounding the MWRSFS.
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The number of Skomer voles found in grid C compaired with the number of Short Eared Owl fledglings between 2000-2016.
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Controlling Grey Squirrel numbers is central to the conservation of the Red Squirrel population as, if Grey Squirrels were to enter the MWRSFS in any numbers it would be catastrophic for the Red Squirrel population due to the Grey’s ability to out-breed and out compete them for food. Also, Squirrelpox virus (SPV), which is carried by Grey Squirrels is fatal to Reds, and an outbreak of this disease would have a devastating effect on such a small population. Due to the large area of the buffer zone, and the fact that there are only two part-time staff members working in the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Project, a Grey Squirrel Control Officer (MWGSCO) having been appointed in September 2016 to work with the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Officer (MWRSO), the project is heavily dependent upon volunteers to carry out the vast majority of Grey Squirrel control work. This is achieved through a Trap Loan Scheme (TLS) set up in 2014, and now being supported by the MWGSCO. The TLS works through recruiting land owners within the buffer zone, and supplying them with equipment and training to trap and dispatch Grey Squirrels. The work carried out by volunteers as part of the Mid Wales Red Squirrel project, and the way in which these volunteers are engaged differs from much work with volunteers in conservation, as our volunteers usually work alone on their own land rather than in groups at a specific location lead by a staff member. This leads to certain issues unique to this method of volunteer engagement. One of the biggest challenges faced currently is encouraging volunteers to remain engaged in the project, and continuing to actively trap Grey Squirrels when the numbers of Grey Squirrels seen and trapped within the project area has fallen significantly during the three years the project has been running. One method that is found to be effective in maintaining this engagement is to explain to volunteers that a decrease in Grey Squirrel numbers is a very positive sign, and that it is almost certainly in a large part due to their efforts in Grey Squirrel control that we have seen this decline in numbers. However, there are still Grey Squirrels present, and even if they are not being seen regularly, continuing to trap will help ensure numbers to not start to increase again. To spread this message to our volunteers presents a challenge in its own right, as our active volunteer base is large (between 60 and 80 people) and spread over a very large geographic area. The TLS is run by a network of local area volunteer coordinators, who are themselves members of the Scheme, and additionally volunteer to act as local hubs for holding trapping supplies and oversee the trapping volunteers in each area. These area coordinators are also the first point of call for any trapping volunteers seeking additional support and are responsible for contacting all volunteers in their areas on a quarterly basis to collect their trapping data, information on numbers of Grey Squirrels trapped during the period and volunteer time spent on the project. It is to these key volunteers that we initially turn to spread the message about the importance of continuing to trap.
Maintaining the engagement and commitment of these core area volunteers is something that is of great importance to the project, and we hold gatherings and events for them throughout the year. During the past year, with an additional staff member in the MWGSCO engagement with core volunteers has been able to increase, and one key event has been that we have been able to take three of these volunteers to a national conference and event on Red Squirrel conservation in Belfast. This was the Red Squirrels United (RSU) Knowledge Fair held in March 2017. Of many topics related to Red Squirrel conservation
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discussed there it was very interesting to see how other Red Squirrel conservation groups and organisations address the issues of volunteer engagement, and how the methodologies we use in the MWRSP differ from those used elsewhere. Those of our volunteers who were able to attend this event found the opportunity to meet other volunteers working in similar work in other parts of the country very useful and informative.
Ben Allen
2.6 Access management After habitat management, the creation and maintenance of public access to our nature
reserves is the most significant time and financial commitment that the Conservation Team
makes in terms of management of our nature reserves.
Providing good public access is essential to the delivery of our remit to inspire and engage.
However, this requires the access to be safe and appropriate, and also where possible to be
accompanied by such interpretative material as is necessary and desirable to help visitors
make the most of their visit and take our conservation message away with them.
The table below shows the number of staff days spent working on areas associated with
public access (through the leading of volunteer work parties). Staff time spent on dangerous
tree surveys and remedial work has fallen slightly (last year’s figure was elevated by winter
storms) but still remains a major commitment, and the staff time has been supplemented by
significant contractor tree work on our reserves.
Access work Number of staff days Previous year
Clear of vegetation 108 134
Maintain/repair infrastructure 41 46
Install new infrastructure 43 35
Resurface 5 3
Clearing litter 25 15
Tree safety work 33 42
Clearing dog mess 6 3
Legal issues 5 5
Total 264 283
It is worth noting that again a high number (25) of staff days were spent simply clearing litter
from nature reserves, and this was backed up by a further 52 days of volunteer time- that’s
77 days of people’s time that could have been better used for conservation work. A total
equivalent of six staff days were also spent clearing up dog mess (something we do not
generally ask reserve volunteers to do), and this is definitely an under-representation, as it is
not always recorded. Also, many staff outside the Conservation Team play a key role in Parc
Slip’s weekly ‘poo patrols’. Public access remains a priority for us, but the commitment in
cleaning up after visitors remains significant.
In total, 1062 staff and volunteer person days were spent creating and managing visitor
access infrastructure to our nature reserves. This figure is focussed on physical access
infrastructure, but of course on the Pembrokeshire Islands, many extra days are spent in
supervising and informing safe and informative visitor access in addition to this total.
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This year we have chosen three case studies that reflect the diversity of direct and
partnership effort that Conservation Team staff face in providing public access to wild
places.
CASE STUDY: Community Engagement at Brynna Woods and Llanharan Marsh Brynna Woods and Llanharan Marsh is a nature reserve situated between several villages, at the point where the borders of the Welsh counties of Rhondda Cynon Taf and Bridgend meet. Since taking on management of the nature reserve one of our objectives has been to support local communities in using the reserve as a place for recreation and education, and to increase the community’s awareness of the nature reserve.
To meet this objective, and with support from Llanharan Community Council, WTSWW has put on an annual programme of wildlife events open to the public, as well as running guided walks for community groups, special interest groups and brownies. This programme has included several educational walks and talks such as butterfly walks, bird walks, bat walks, a dawn chorus walk and a guided walk about the history of the reserve.
We have also included several opportunities for people to get involved in carrying out some wildlife surveys on the reserve. At our moth mornings visitors have joined us to take a look at the wonderful variety of moth species that we have been catching on the reserve using a light trap set at night. During an Otter survey this year we were able to identify a spraint (Otter poo) when walking along the river banks looking for signs of Otter presence. We have also invited people to join us to and become actively involved in wildlife and nature conservation activities such as nut hunting and shelter building, and building bird boxes for national nest box week. Volunteers have regularly helped us with practical conservation tasks such as removing invasive non-native Himalayan Balsam from the reserve, and controlling the bracken that swamps the wildflower meadows. We have also recently joined forces with a local community group to tackle the litter on and around the reserve. This year there were 220 attendees at our events at Brynna Woods and Llanharan Marsh, and as the word spreads about the nature reserve, we hope that more local people will take time to visit this wild space and enjoy the wildlife on the reserve.
Lorna Baggett
CASE STUDY: Changing public access at Betty Church & Cwm Ivy woods, Gower We all know that the behaviour of our neighbours can have a direct impact on what it is like to live next door, some neighbours are good and others maybe not so. The same thoughts can be applied to nature reserves, what our neighbours do, or do not do can directly affect what we need to do to maintain our reserves in good condition for wildlife and people. At Betty Church & Cwm Ivy Woods our neighbours let the tide come flooding in!
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The story begins in 2014 on the other side of the fence. The northern boundary of our reserve is with National Trust’s Cwm Ivy marsh, here a mediaeval seawall had kept the tide at bay for over 400 years and the Wales Coast Path followed a route along the top of the wall. Repeated heavy rainfalls and storm events meant the condition of the wall deteriorated, and the flood defence failed in August 2014 and the tide flooded the freshwater marsh. Changes on our neighbours’ side of the fence happened quickly, visually not pleasing, some said, as the farmland grasses and trees died but others countered this with excitement as the land began to convert naturally to salt marsh. As tidal pools began to establish and Osprey were sighted feeding over the nearby Burry inlet National Trust responded by installing a nesting platform and bird hide. So, how did any of this affect WTSWWs land? Thankfully not too drastically, the limestone ash woodland, which is on a steep escarpment, has been unaffected so habitat changes have not occurred. A small area of land at the foot of the slope where the woodland boundary jutted out into the marsh is flooded on the highest tides. We have not had the chance to record any species changes through the reserve but it is thought the salt marsh in its current developmental phase is probably beneficial to a number of bird and animal species and particularly good for foraging bats. The most drastic effect has been on visitor numbers passing through our reserve and therefore our access management and decision making processes. The Wales Coast Path passed along the top of the breached seawall and was soon unpassable. The City & County of Swansea diverted the path along the public right of way through Betty Church & Cwm Ivy Woods, the old path had records of 30,000+ users per year, now they were diverted through our reserve. We resisted proposals to widen or surface the path; this is a nature reserve with a certain character we did not want to lose. The National Trust has installed a bird hide accessed from our reserve which is a great benefit to our reserve users. We have however had to increase the frequency of maintenance visits and tree hazard assessments.
But with increased visitor numbers come increased opportunities perhaps? This is something we need to make management decisions about for the long term. The changes have caused us to bias our focus towards this reserve in the short term – work such as hazard tree remedial work, eradication of Three Cornered Garlic (which can be spread by seed on foot wear) and the removal of a stand of Bamboo which had been long overdue. We now see more visitors using the upper entrance to the nature reserve, they use the path to the grassy glade where a commanding view of the developing saltmarsh can be seen. This path and the lower Coast Path are not linked; the spring flowers display really well in this section of the reserve, with Bluebells, Snowdrops, native Daffodils and orchids. A mix of ages of trees along with open areas and bramble scrub patches under the powerlines means many species of birds can be seen.
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Are these opportunities to exploit? Should we improve access? Link the paths? Engage with more people? Through spring and summer 2016 we had a visitor’s comments book out on site. Repeated comments such as "fabulous peaceful place- leave it as an undiscovered place of solitude" and "beautiful peaceful place, shame path petered out" along with information about where visitors were from and whether they were passing through or visiting our reserve especially, will help us as land managers attempt to make the right decisions to sympathetically improve access to benefit people whilst not impacting negatively on habitats. Visitor numbers to North Gower and the Llanmadoc area are increasing year on year so we need to be planning for long term resilience and perhaps be maximising our public engagement in the area. It will take time to react to the changes next door. The process has begun over the last year but in order to get it right it is better that we take our time. Our adaptation can be undertaken slowly unlike on the other side of the fence where the situation can change with the tide.
Paul Thornton
CASE STUDY: Managing coasts for wildlife … and most of all people
Many years ago, before I ever had an inkling that I was going to be Warden of Skomer Island, I participated in a FSC course called “Managing Coasts for Wildlife”. I really enjoyed the course but I realised quickly that there actually wasn’t much one needed to do in order to manage coastal habitats for wildlife: they usually look after themselves very well. However, the one thing that does need managing is people. On Skomer we are faced daily with the difficult task of keeping everyone including the wildlife happy. Often the interests of the different stakeholders are quite divergent: the boatmen want to run on schedule but the guests like to take their time; the overnight guests want the island quiet and just to themselves but the day visitors want to enjoy the wildlife too; the scientists want to do research but the wardens are concerned about potential impacts; the wildlife wants to breed undisturbed but the photographers want to get up
close and intimate; children want to roam and explore but the Manx Shearwaters don’t want their burrows collapsed… With 16,103 day trippers 1,189 overnight guests, 36 researchers and six film-makers visiting Skomer in 2016, trying to keep track of everyone sometimes feels a bit like herding cats. Luckily we, the wardens, receive enormous amount of help from our 145 weekly volunteers, five Long-term Volunteers and other WTSWW staff especially the team at the Visitor Centre, Lockley Lodge. Furthermore we maintain very good relationships with the NRW staff of the Marine Conservation Zone, and Dale Sailing. So when anything goes wrong there are always lots of helping hands to put it right again.
© S Brooks
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In order to keep the boat afloat we also have strict rules in place and adhere to a stringent routine, for example biosecurity regulations stipulate that all luggage coming ashore has to be sealed and we give intro talks to all of our guests. Visitors often struggle to understand why we can’t make allowances or do favours. One of our aims is to treat everyone fairly and equally. Moreover the cumulative effect of bending the rules might have negative impacts on the wildlife and other visitors. We love to have lots of people visiting and our goal is to enthuse our guests so they leave
Skomer caring a little bit more about nature. We aim to inspire people to live greener, more sustainable lifestyles which will benefit themselves and the rest of us. At the same time we have to protect the island’s wildlife from too much disturbance as Skomer is one of the most important nature reserves in Europe and worldwide (the 600,000 Manx Shearwaters which breed here will confirm this). So it is a balancing act of letting as many people as possible enjoy Skomer Island and safeguarding the wildlife at the same time – sometimes it’s a bit like walking a tightrope.
Bee Büche
2.7 Interpretation
Maintaining and delivering new interpretative material for our nature reserves and visitor
centres is an ongoing area of work for our Conservation Team, usually dependent upon staff
securing external funds such as grants. Here are two examples of the wide suite of work
delivered by the team this year.
CASE STUDY: Parc Slip Heritage & History trail
Next time you visit Parc Slip why not follow the new Heritage & History learning trail, which highlights the mining heritage of the site and local area. There are now a series of sculptures along the trail route to show how the mine returned to nature. The trail uses the existing pathways of the reserve, alongside meadows, woodlands and open landscapes, as well as using the existing species interpretation panels.
Left: miner and son sculpture. Photo by kind permission of Mike Griffiths.
The project was developed to increase learning about the area’s industrial heritage and to also help develop an understanding of how a colliery can be returned to nature, through natural resource management.
The trail has both a short and long route available, to suit any age and ability. Along the trail school groups and families can use the learning resources, trail packs and reserve leaflets, available from the visitor centre, to learn more about the biodiversity and heritage of the
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reserve.
Learners can read a map, follow clues, answer nature quiz questions and even read about what a child worker’s first day down the mine might have felt like.
The project was supported via a grant from Bridgend OLW group (Outdoor Learning Wales NRW).
Catherine Lewis
CASE STUDY: New bird hides at the Teifi Marshes
Teifi Marshes reserve’s location, right on the edge of Cardigan town and on the main cycle route between Cardigan and Cilgerran means that it attracts a wide variety of people. This is great as it give the Trust a chance to engage with people who may not visit some of our more remote or less accessible nature reserves and means the reserve gets a huge number of visitors. However it also means that the reserve sometimes suffers from misuse.
The bird hides on the nature reserve had suffered from vandalism for a number of years and one hide was sadly burnt down in 2015. With match funding from the Green Bank Trust, enough funds were raised to replace two of the hides. Green Future Building – leading suppliers of specialist conservation products designed and built the new hides with the help of WTSWW staff and volunteers. The hides, which are situated on the main cycle track between Cardigan and Cilgerran have been built from fire-retardant materials and are designed to be much more robust and vandal resistant than a basic wooden bird hide. Following concerns about antisocial graffiti in the new hide interiors, local graffiti artist Lloyd The Graffiti was called in to work with local secondary school children to decorate the walls with wildlife graffiti. A huge thank you to all our members and supporters who donated to the appeal that made this possible, as well as the Green Bank Trust.
Nia Stephens
3. Wider Countryside
3.1 Introduction to our wider countryside work Most of the work detailed so far has related to conservation delivery on our own land
holdings. We also deliver a great deal of work each year by working in partnership, and
delivering species or habitat focussed projects at a wider landscape scale. Some of this work
is described below.
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3.2 Partnerships Much of our wider countryside work is dependent upon working in partnership with
government agencies, the private sector, and other conservation charities. This extends our
reach and influence and can also lead to increased ability to access funding, knowledge and
skills. Two excellent examples of active partnership delivery in the last year are given below.
CASE STUDY- A Plan to Help Mid Wales' Red Squirrels
The future is looking a little brighter for Red Squirrels in Wales. On a sunny Monday in May a group of conservationists, foresters and volunteers came together for the launch of the first Habitat Management Plan for Red Squirrels in mid Wales. The Plan is a collaboration between WTSWW, private forestry companies, and NRW, and aims to help the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership (MWRSP) in achieving its purpose of maintaining and enhancing the red squirrel population and its habitat in mid Wales.
The Plan is based on the premise that good forest design can maintain and improve the habitat that is available for Red Squirrels and limit the potential for Grey Squirrel incursions. To safeguard the Red Squirrel population a balance needs to be maintained between ensuring sufficient feeding habitat for Red Squirrels without encouraging Grey Squirrels. Patches of good feeding habitat are needed within a wider matrix of lower quality habitat; forest connectivity needs to be maintained between these Key Areas throughout the felling cycles to enable Red Squirrels to move between patches of feeding habitat.
The creation of this forest management plan is a significant step forward in the effort to save Red Squirrels in Wales. The mid Wales forests are home to one of only three significant populations of Red Squirrels remaining in Wales. Current threats to Red Squirrel habitat include the large size, and location of clear-fell coupes and the failure to retain and replant key tree species. Forest fragmentation and habitat isolation not only reduces the total area of suitable habitat but, as Red Squirrels are reluctant to cross open ground, also reduces the ability of Red Squirrels to use the available habitat, and can lead to local population extinctions. Larch felling as a reaction to Phytophthora ramorum disease has been and will be a factor leading to further felling in the Mid
Wales Red Squirrel Focal Site. Another impending issue is the proposed programme of open peat restoration which could be a considerable threat to the future of Red Squirrels in mid Wales.
With the pressure building on the forests of mid Wales, there is no better time for stakeholders to come together to develop a plan for retaining and enhancing Red Squirrel habitat. The five year Management Plan consists of a series of individual site plans, all of which are accompanied by notes on future management and suitability for Red Squirrels. The Plan demonstrates that if certain principles are followed, the conservation of Red Squirrels can go hand-in-hand with a commercial enterprise. The forest industry is often seen as posing a threat to native wildlife. However, the main reason that Red Squirrels have been able to persist in the forests of mid Wales is due to the
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composition of plantation forestry making the area relatively unsuitable for Grey Squirrels. Without the large forestry plantations in and around the Tywi valley, the colonisation of non-native Grey Squirrels in mid Wales would have heralded the demise of the Red Squirrel, as is the case in most of Britain. Although the non-native forests in mid Wales were not planted with the aim of conserving Red Squirrels, the creation of habitat suitable for Red Squirrels has been a fortunate by-product of this process. The Plan could not have been produced without the support and cooperation of all the forest managers involved, as well as the many hours work that volunteers have contributed in creating the mapping for all 34 of the sites.
The MWRSP aims to develop the Mid Wales Red Squirrel Focal Site as an example of best practice for integrating commercial timber objectives with biodiversity objectives. Foresters and conservationists have come together to create a plan that works for everyone; if we can build on this first step we can be hopeful for the future of our Red Squirrels.
Becky Hulme
CASE STUDY: Placement students: Kate Gwynn, Aberystwyth University I am studying an Ecology degree at Aberystwyth University and deferred my third year when given the opportunity to become the student field assistant for the WTSWW. I have been based at Parc Slip Nature Reserve since September 2016. Having always lived in South Wales, with Cwm Colhuw on my doorstep, I have volunteered with the WTSWW before. Previously, I have been involved in reserves maintenance and this was my chance to experience the wider working environment within The Trust.
This placement has provided me with many opportunities for practical experiences to develop a work based skill set, complementing my degree and my growing theoretical understanding. The Conservation Team quickly made use of the spare pair of hands and I found myself on a variety of reserves as a fully integrated staff member. Every day was different but equally enjoyable and challenging. Tasks followed the seasons, providing variation throughout the year. I attended meetings, helped run events across South Wales, led volunteer work parties, took part in surveys and species monitoring, aided with clearing scrub, brambles and reeds, I attended courses and received first aid training. I even went to Skomer Island to participate in the Manx Shearwater Census. Whilst at Parc Slip I conducted a study as part of the Lapwing Recovery Project. This involved making 150 artificial Lapwing eggs and laying them in 50 nest formations around the Lapwing field (see 2016 Research Report). This study gave me a chance to become fully acquainted with Parc Slip, its wildlife and to provide research which would benefit The Trust in future conservation efforts (hopefully!).
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For me, this placement year has confirmed that I want to pursue a career in practical conservation. No amount of splinters, rain or wet feet has put me off! At WTSWW I valued being surrounded by like-minded people committed to a collective goal: protecting wildlife for the future. I have thoroughly enjoyed myself this year and am grateful to all the staff who gave their time and expertise, allowing me to get the most out of this placement. Although I don’t want to leave the WTSWW, I have some incredible memories and plenty of wildlife firsts ticked off my list. I am eager to return to Aberystwyth, achieve my degree and get back into the world of conservation work - this time to stay. Thank you for having me WTSWW!
Kate Gwynn
3.3 Representation on external committees The Conservation Team represents WTSWW and the Wildlife Trusts in Wales on a number
of local and national committees, and staff share their individual expertise on a wide range of
external committees across our patch. This increases our networking opportunities,
improves our partnership working, allows us to increase our reach through advocacy and
lobbying, and helps us stay up to date with the latest developments in the wider policy world.
The list below is not exhaustive but gives a flavour of the variety of panels, committees and
partnership in which our staff were represented during 2016-17:
Bridgend Biodiversity Partnership Caerphilly Biodiversity Partnership Carmarthenshire Biodiversity Partnership Ceredigion Nature Partnership Coed Lleol Dowrog Grazing Association Dyfed Archaeological Trust members Healthy Hillsides Partnership Llais y Goedwig Mary Gillham Project Steering Group Merthyr Tydfil Biodiversity Partnership Mid Wales Red Squirrel Partnership Mynydd Mawr Steering Group Neath Port Talbot Biodiversity Partnership Pembrokeshire Biodiversity Partnership Pembrokeshire Coastal Forum Pembroke Millponds Action Group RCT Biodiversity Partnership
Skomer MCZ Advisory Committee Swansea Biodiversity Partnership Upper Ely Marsh Fritillary Steering Group Vale of Glamorgan Biodiversity Partnership Wales Mammal Biodiversity Action Forum Wales Squirrel Forum WBP Grassland & Heathland Ecosystem Group WBP Invasive Non-native Species Group WBP Species Expert Group Welsh Beaver Project Steering Group Wildlife Trusts Wales Producer Group WTW Evidence & Knowledge Group WTW Living Seas Group WTW Wider Countryside Group
WWBIC Board of Directors
WTSWW staff are also engaged in a number of internal or affiliated groups, such as Local Group committees, the Islands Conservation Advisory Committee, Pembrokeshire Bird group and many more.
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CASE STUDY- Coed Lleol / Actif Woods I sit on the Steering Group for Coed Lleol (the Welsh part of Small Woods) to represent the Welsh Wildlife Trusts. Our role is to guide the direction of their work and projects. Currently other members include Natural Resources Wales, National Exercise Referral Scheme, Woodland Trust, Let’s Walk Cymru, Come Outside! (NRW), Public Health Wales, Llais Y Goedwig, Tir Coed, Mind Your Heart and Age Cymru. Coed Lleol aims to ‘reconnect people and woodlands in Wales’. Previous projects have been ‘Local Woods’ which ran a number of public and community woodland events and the establishment of Llais y Goedwig, a support network for community woodland groups, which now stands independently as “the voice of community woodland groups in Wales”. Since 2010 they have been developing their Actif Woods project. This project promotes getting people out into woodlands for health benefits- physical, mental and social. Activities vary from woodland skills and crafts, to walking or even green gyms. The project partners health and social care organisations with woodland leaders, and provides training and support to develop cross-sector skills and services for people with a wide range of health conditions. Currently they are expanding this project throughout Wales- including Anglesey, Aberystwyth, Wrexham, Treherbert and Neath Port Talbot.
Although Coed Lleol is working solely on this project at the moment the Steering Group is involved in looking at the future direction of the organisation and possible other projects.
Em Foot
3.4 Planning Influencing local planning decisions, either through individual site casework or through
responding to consultations on strategic documents, is a significant route through which
WTSWW can influence the fate of wildlife in the wider countryside of south west Wales.
At present, WTSWW does not have the capacity to systematically review planning lists.
However, we do engage in large, strategic individual developments such as the Swansea
Bay Tidal Lagoon, or large wind farms. We also respond to local applications flagged up by
members and concerned members of the public.
CASE STUDY- Poultry Units in Carmarthenshire
In recent years we have seen a proliferation of poultry rearing units in Wales. This has particularly affected Powys to date, but we are now seeing an increase in planning applications for these types of development in Carmarthenshire, which is a real concern to WTSWW. Some of these units house over 40,000 birds and as well as the impact on the development footprint itself, the amount of manure produced is a major concern: how is it stored, where does it go, how does it affect local water courses, and what happens to the
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ammonia it releases into the atmosphere?
With such developments, WTSWW has particular concerns where there is any proximity to a watercourse or protected site, especially any site with lichen, fungal or non-vascular plant interest. Large amounts of nutrients have the potential to leach from chicken muck into local waterbodies, and ammonia that is released can be devastating to local lichen populations. Huge volumes of nutrient-rich dust can be released into the air (32,000 hens may produce 9 tonnes of dust a year). In our view the cumulative impact of multiple developments of this type is also inadequately addressed in the planning system across Wales.
Over the last year WTSWW has objected to two planning applications for such developments, on environmental grounds, and in one of these cases worked closely with the local community who are actively campaigning against the development.
Lizzie Wilberforce
3.5 Consultation responses
Directly as WTSWW and also through contributions to responses led by Wales Environment
Link (WEL) and Wildlife Trusts Wales (WTW), Conservation Team staff input into a number
of consultation responses during 2016-2017. This is a key mechanism by which we can
influence future policy and legislation in favour of the environment. Consultations in which
we engaged included (but are not limited to):
Local air quality and noise management in Wales
A refreshed TB eradication programme
Consultation on the EIA (Agriculture) regulations
Nitrate vulnerable zones
Agriculture in Wales post-Brexit
Forestry and woodland policy in Wales
EIA (forestry) technical consultation
Informing the development of a Natural Resources Policy
CASE STUDY: Informing the Natural Resources Policy for Wales
Under the Environment (Wales) Act 2016, Welsh Ministers are required to publish a statutory Natural Resources Policy, to form ‘a key part of the delivery of the sustainable management of natural resources’ by setting out the most significant risks, priorities and opportunities in Wales. It was intended that this include what should be done in relation to biodiversity and climate change. It should also be keeping with the principles and ways of working laid out in the new Well-being of Future Generations Act and Environment Act. Clearly, to inform this process was a priority for the Welsh Wildlife Trusts with regard to shaping the future of wildlife in Wales.
In November 2016, Welsh Government launched a consultation to inform the policy’s development. Wildlife Trusts Wales responded on behalf of the six Trusts in Wales, and WTSWW was able to contribute to that response.
In our response we noted that ecosystems in Wales have undergone significant degradation resulting in negative impacts on biological diversity. The recent State of Nature report stated that none of Wales’ ecosystems are resilient, and this means their capacity to provide the
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ecosystem services and benefits sought by Welsh Government are severely reduced. We called not only for sustainable policies but for ecologically restorative policies to achieve this.
We expressed significant concerns, including that the proposals did not currently meet the requirements of the Environment Act, and did not set out enough specific policies to be meaningful. We also felt that the intrinsic value of species and habitats were not sufficiently recognised and that the approach was too utilitarian. There was also an absence of consideration of marine issues.
Engaging with large and strategic consultations of this kind is time intensive, but we are fortunate that we are able to contribute to the pooling of the collective expertise held by the Trusts across Wales, and make as strong a representation on behalf of our local wildlife as we possibly can. There will be much to do in the coming years with the forthcoming changes to government arising from devolution and Brexit.
Lizzie Wilberforce
3.6 Wider Countryside Projects This section details the results of just some of the larger wider countryside projects which we
have delivered during the year. Each of these projects has received significant external
funding, and often employed dedicated Conservation Team staff time in their delivery. These
projects are exemplars of our impact and reach, beyond the boundaries of our nature
reserves, and exemplify delivery of landscape scale conservation, often taking an ecosystem
approach.
3.6.1 Welsh Beaver Project – Carys Solman
In the spring of 2017 WTSWW, WTW and the Bevis Trust submitted a joint licence
application to NRW, for a wild release of Beavers onto a river catchment in Carmarthenshire.
This followed an unsuccessful application in 2015, a lot of hard work in the meantime, and
the appointment of a dedicated Welsh Beaver Project Officer by WTW.
The licence application sets out the plans for animal health and welfare, timings and
locations of releases, the suitability of the proposed catchment’s habitats, and the predicted
movement and impacts of the Beaver families. It also sets out a long-term plan for
monitoring and management of the wild
population, including mitigation of any conflict
they come into with surrounding landowners.
These negative effects are predicted to be
minimal and manageable, based upon the
experience of other Beaver reintroductions, the
characteristics of the proposed catchment, and
the supportiveness of many local landowners.
Left: promoting beavers at RHS Cardiff
Efforts over the last year have concentrated upon raising awareness of the tremendously
valuable effects that Beavers will exert upon our riparian and wetland habitats, the
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associated biodiversity gains, and the positive experiences of Scotland and many other
European countries which have already reinstated this invaluable native species.
With thriving populations in Scotland and England, the re-colonisation of Wales by wild
Beavers is inevitable in the not too distant future. With this in mind, it is hoped that NRW will
agree to a controlled and well-planned release in Wales in 2017, so that that the return of the
Welsh beaver can be received by a well-prepared partnership of conservation organisations,
statutory bodies, and landowners, and so that we can make the most of this excellent
opportunity to study the spread of the species and its interaction with other wildlife.
3.6.2 Landscape Projects to a Living Landscape – Sarah Woodcock and Rob Parry
The Healthy Hillsides Partnership continued
through 2016/17, following from its initial
priority mapping exercise, with four key sites
selected for pilot management. The South
Wales Fire & Rescue Service (SWFRS) put in
place strategic fire breaks using controlled
burns as part of their internal wildlife control
training programme. WTSWW contacted Kate
Mobbs Morgan at Rowan Working Horses
and we identified accessible slopes owned by
Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council
(RCT CBC) for bracken bruising. Kate was
joined by the Dartmoor Horse Loggers and they did a fantastic job of working their way
through the bracken and received a very positive response from people within the local
communities. It is early days as repeating the bruising in 2017 will be essential to having an
impact on the swathes of bracken however initial signs are hopeful. The next stage will be to
secure capital funding to install the infrastructure required for conservation grazing – not an
easy task at this scale but a strong partnership approach gives us the best chance of
achieving our goal.
With this in mind we were particularly happy to
see the Healthy Hillsides Project Partnership win
the 2016 Sustain Wales Award for ‘Sustainable
Public Service”. This was in recognition of the
strong partnership approach taken, coordinated
by WTSWW, between the
SWFRS, NRW, RCTCBC and
others to instate conservation
land management for public
benefit in the Rhondda
valleys.
The partnership includes Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC, NRW, WTSWW, South Wales Fire and
Rescue Service, Welsh Government, Public Health Wales, South Wales Police, Butterfly
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Conservation, PONT and neighbouring CBCs Neath Port Talbot, Merthyr Tydfil and
Caerphilly.
South of the Rhondda WTSWW continue to campaign for the Upper Ely Marsh Fritillary
meta-population. As can be seen from the distribution maps (SEWBReC 2016) the Marsh
Fritillary has suffered a significant contraction in numbers and geographical distribution over
the last 10 years.
Currently, the butterfly is confined to breeding in just two fields in the north of the Rhos
Tonyrefail SSSI. The existing population at Rhos Tonyrefail fluctuates annually but has not
(since at least 2005) expanded out from its northern stronghold (two larval webs discovered
at Llantwit Fardre Marsh are being monitored). The land management issues, problems and
structure at Rhos Tonyrefail SSSI has meant that populations have not been able to build up
sufficiently to spill out and re-occupy central and southern parts of the SSSI.
The Upper Ely Marsh Fritillary Population Recovery Project aims to intervene now to
increase the population size and distribution of the species to reduce the risk of population
collapse, whilst retaining the genetic diversity of the existing local population. We are
currently waiting to hear back from NRW National Permitting Team on our licence
application for a captive breeding and release programme. The intention would be to release
Marsh Fritillary into the southern part of the area where real habitat connectivity (and
reconnection) is now achievable, with important Sites, such as Llantrisant Common, Pant
Marsh, Llanharan Marsh, Llantwit Fardre Marsh and Cwm Fields in increasingly good habitat
condition for Marsh Fritillary butterflies. Also, and significantly, major opportunities exist to
manage, restore and develop connectivity between these key sites
Population reinforcement is not the answer on its own, and does not replace the imperative
for habitat restoration and increasing landscape habitat connectivity. It is a complementary
strategy which aims to secure the integrity of the existing population, enabling it to colonise
suitable habitat in the landscape. Habitat restoration work by the wider partnership remains
crucial to maintain a landscape able to support a fully functioning and sustainable Marsh
Fritillary Upper Ely meta-population.
What makes a Living Landscape? The cluster of landscape-scale projects that we are
involved in within the South Wales Valleys Coalfield is not a coincidence. The legacy of
industry has resulted in wildlife rich brownfield sites and grasslands that have not suffered
the agricultural intensification seen elsewhere. As large tracts of this landscape are publicly
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owned and managed there is huge potential for ecological enhancement and restoration. We
are looking forward to developing our Living Landscape vision over the coming year.
4. Marine Conservation
WTSWW’s Living Seas work, through the dedicated staff and volunteer team based at
CBWMC in New Quay, continues to go from strength to strength. Research, survey and
monitoring projects continue, and the work is supported by many very dedicated volunteers.
This year also saw the celebration of the 20th anniversary of the Centre itself.
The large volume of research work undertaken by the Living Seas team is reported in the
WTSWW Research Report 2016, available on the WTSWW website.
4.1 Living Seas consultations - Sarah Perry Over the past year our Living Seas team have responded to various Welsh Government
marine consultations including the following:
Proposed Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for Harbour Porpoises and
proposed new and extended Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for seabirds,
Scallop fishing in Cardigan Bay; New management measures,
Marine licence application to deposit crushed whelk shells at New Quay,
Inquiry into the management of Marine Protected Areas in Wales
Marine Protected Areas (MPAs)
In Wales sites put forward for designation included:
Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) for harbour porpoises:
o North Anglesey Marine / Gogledd Môn Forol possible SAC
o West Wales Marine / Gorllewin Cymru Forol possible SAC
o Bristol Channel Approaches / Dynesfeydd Môr Hafren possible SAC (partly in
English and offshore waters)
Special Protection Areas (SPAs) for seabirds:
o Anglesey Terns / Morwenoliaid Ynys Môn potential SPA
o Northern Cardigan Bay / Gogledd Bae Ceredigion potential SPA
o Skomer, Skokholm and the seas off Pembrokeshire / Sgomer, Sgogwm a
moroedd Penfro potential SPA
Much of the data used to determine the sites were provided by NGOs such as WTSWW and
the data collected by our Living Seas team at CBMWC. Regular data collection is essential
in order to monitor the status of our marine life and to ensure the sites are fit for purpose.
Funding to support this data collection as well as awareness raising is vital in order for us to
be able to continue this valuable work.
The historical data collected by staff and volunteers based at the CBMWC contributed to the
identification of the proposed SAC’s for harbour porpoises, in particular the area known as
West Wales Marine SAC (see map below). This proposed SAC encompasses a large part of
Cardigan Bay and overlaps with the Cardigan Bay SAC, designated primarily for the
Bottlenose Dolphins that inhabit Cardigan Bay throughout the year. Working in partnership
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with local ecotourism business, Dolphin Survey Boat Trips (DSBT), the Living Seas team at
CBMWC collect data on the marine megafauna in Cardigan Bay through boat surveys and
from land based vantage points around New Quay, data which already helps to monitor the
Bottlenose Dolphin population and to inform the management of the existing Cardigan Bay
SAC.
The network of sites we hope will offer
greater protection for a range of iconic Welsh
species, they will make a contribution to the
conservation of some of our most iconic
species. The new sites are designed to
protect internationally important species such
as harbour porpoises and seabirds including
terns, Manx Shearwater and Puffins. The
map to the left shows proposed Harbour
Porpoise Special Areas of Conservations
(SACs) and existing SAC’s in Cardigan Bay
and Carmarthen Bay.
The five UK Harbour Porpoise SACs were
given Ministerial clearance and were
submitted to the European Commission for
consideration for designation.
The WTSWW Living Seas Team and the
other Wildlife Trusts in Wales continue to
raise concerns over resourcing for the
management of the marine environment, for
the designation and effective enforcement of marine protected areas in Wales.
Scallop fishing in Cardigan Bay; new management measures
In early 2016 the Welsh Government launched a consultation on the proposed new
management measures for the scallop fishing in Cardigan Bay, the Living Seas team
provided information for the response submitted on behalf of all the Trusts in Wales as well
as submitting our own response. Over 5500 responses were submitted to the Welsh
Government many of which included strong views on scallop fishing in Cardigan Bay and
objected to the principle of dredging for scallops as well as some supporting the proposed
management measures. Following the consultation the Welsh Government initiated an
independent, scientific peer review of the two-year programme of research undertaken by
Bangor University in collaboration with the fishing industry, the review concluded that the
evidence and conclusions drawn by the study were robust and of high scientific merit. Welsh
Government liaison with stakeholders is ongoing through a Scallop Fishery Task and Finish
Group and the final decisions have yet to be released. Concerns over the lack of
consideration of the wider social and environmental considerations in Cardigan Bay remain.
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4.2 Living Seas, outreach & awareness raising – Emma Lowe As Living Seas Awareness Officer for WTSWW, it is my role to plan, organise and execute
any elements of engagement in relation to our marine conservation work on behalf of the
Trust. Living Seas aims to restore our marine habitats through advocacy, awareness and
research and my role is centred around relaying these messages to the public to encourage
increased awareness of conservation and restoration of our marine environment.
We run inspiring events and activities from CBMWC throughout school holidays, which are
aimed at families with children, aged 6-11, covering a range of marine-inspired topics. Our
highly popular “Mini marine biologists” event involves giving children a taste of the work
carried out by scientists, using quadrats to survey the shore, making biological drawings,
and observing rocky shore species under microscopes.
Another favourite and previously well-attended event is “Dolphin Detective”, which opens up
the world of dolphins to attendees by explaining their various behaviours and living habits,
before conducting a mini survey from New Quay harbour wall.
Other events include Marine Mammal Madness, Seashore Safari, Marine Monday,
Strandline Searching, Litter Warriors and more, all inspiring people to become involved with
marine wildlife and to help protect it.
We also work with specific groups such as brownies, guides and colleges. This can involve
running a range of activities such as rock pool rambles, marine mammal surveys looking out
for seals, dolphins, porpoises and seabirds, or mini talks and activities discussing various
marine wildlife. Schools are also a large part of my work, visiting our centre for activities and
talks. I am also invited into schools to carry out activities and discuss marine life with them.
On behalf of the trust I also carry out sessions for adult groups such as Women’s Institute
and Friendship Groups, introducing adults to the magnificent wildlife of Cardigan Bay. These
sessions run year-round and are a great way to relay information regarding our marine
conservation and research work.
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We also work with other organisations such as Surfers Against Sewage and Keep Wales
Tidy to deliver marine conservation messages through public beach cleans and talks. These
organised events and other external events and activities also enable us to interact with the
public on a regular basis.
These varied specific engagement opportunities combined enabled the
Living Seas team to engage with over 6,063 individuals from March
2016 – March 2017. We are grateful to the players of the People’s
Postcode Lottery for funding this role.
5. Campaigns
WTSWW, along with many Wildlife Trusts, runs high profile campaigns on conservation
issues that are pressing either nationally or sometimes locally within their patch. Here we
describe our work towards one campaign that has remained high profile in the last year.
5.1 Badgers and bovine TB
The issue of badgers and bovine TB has remained high profile in the last year, with the
progress and expansion of culls in England, and the policy of badger vaccination in Wales
facing challenges as a result of the global shortage of vaccine cutting short delivery
programmes.
In the last year the majority of our involvement has been on advocacy, and trying to
influence government policy. In late 2016 Welsh Government published a consultation on a
‘refreshed approach to bovine TB’. The consultation built on the work achieved in Wales in
recent years, through cattle controls, biosecurity and badger vaccination. This work in
Wales, with no badgers culled so far, has led us to a current situation where nationally, we
have a fall in open incidents since 2012. It has been widely quoted that the numbers of cattle
slaughtered have increased, and this is the case, but it largely reflects increased testing and
the use of a more sensitive testing method, meaning that more TB positive cattle are being
found and removed from the national herd- an important part of disease eradication, rather
than a sign of disease spread.
This most recent consultation sought opinion on new measures, which included
regionalisation of TB management and status, and a number of new measures on cattle
testing, which the Welsh Wildlife Trusts have broadly welcomed. It examined the potential
benefits of risk-based trading of cattle, and applying different approaches to cattle
management in areas where there is a lot of TB, such as Pembrokeshire, and areas where
there is not, such as north Wales.
However, the consultation also made mention of taking measures to break the link between
bovine TB in cattle and in wildlife. No details were given about what this would actually mean
on the ground, but we learned through meetings with Welsh Government that they were
considering a range of options to do this, including where necessary cage trapping and
humanely killing infected badgers. They describe this as a new approach and is not a repeat
of the reactive culling previously used in England, and restricted to those breakdowns where
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investigations indicate badger infection is believed to be a key driver of the disease
persisting.
WTSWW and WTW have engaged with Welsh Government through the development of their
thinking and planning over the last year, and have been able to attend meetings where the
changes in policy were discussed. Overall, we believe that the positive trends in TB over the
last five years means that extreme caution needs to be exercised before implementing
changes to the current policy that are un-tested, or carry risk. We were also particularly
worried that a return to any local culling would encourage illegal farm-level culling elsewhere
in Wales, with no risk control or licence in place.
For these reasons, we continue to object to the proposed localised badger control measures
that have been described. We know from the £50m Randomised Badger Culling Trial
(RBCT) that reactive, local badger culling has the greatest potential to significantly worsen
bovine TB in the surrounding area. Despite the statement that the proposals are different to
the RBCT reactive culling, we do not believe that the known risks can be adequately
controlled, and in fact, the more you do to attempt to control them, the closer you get to
vaccination-only strategy for badgers anyway. We are concerned that the proposal therefore
carries the possibility of making the disease picture significantly worse, and that badgers will
be culled for no benefit, as decisions are made in a highly charged and politicised context.
The Assembly’s Climate Change, Environment and Rural
Affairs Committee (CCERA) held an enquiry in 2016 into
bovine TB (to which WTSWW’s Lizzie Wilberforce and
Wildlife Trusts Wales’ James Byrne gave oral evidence at the
Assembly). In its report, the Committee recommended that if
this work went ahead, it should be scientifically monitored and
reviewed, and either adapted or stopped if it is shown not to
be effective. We believe that this is essential, and that the
results should be made public. We will continue to review all
the evidence available around TB control and will stand up for
badgers against policies and proposals that are not supported
by evidence. This area is likely to remain a priority for us for
some years to come.
6. Media and public awareness All of the Conservation Team are involved in media work to varying degrees during the year,
working in partnership with other staff teams to deliver our message.
6.1 Media work Figures from the Conservation Team staff show that they participated in six radio interviews,
seven television appearances, as well as contributing to a great many local newspaper and
magazine articles, and writing their own blogs and newsletters. This area is reported more
fully by the marketing and communications department. However, it remains an important
part of the Conservation Team’s remit.
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6.2 Talks and presentations During the last year, members of the conservation team delivered 75 talks, reaching an
estimated total audience of 1943 individuals. This is the same number of talks that were
delivered during the previous year.
6.3 Events Conservation Team staff again ran a very large number of public walks and rambles during
2015-16. A total of 148 walks were recorded, led by staff, with an estimated total of 1587
attendees, almost exactly the same number as the previous year. The majority of these
events occurred on our nature reserves. A total of 11 training days were also run or
organised by Conservation Team staff, training up 117 individuals; these totals are mainly
comprised of the formal training programme offered by Parc Slip.
Conservation Team staff recorded an additional 119 staff-led community events that they
had organised (reaching 1795 people), an increase on the 66 events of the previous year.
CBMWC ran a further 29 marine-themed events, reaching 1000 people. A further nineteen
events were attended by staff, events that were organised by partners. Events held in
partnership can include, for example, attendance at large national shows such as the RHS
show in Cardiff and the British Birdwatching Fair (Rutland), the latter reaching over 20,000
people and engaging a critical audience for our Pembrokeshire islands. County shows and
small local events are also an important component of our engagement work.
CASE STUDY: Unknown Wales conference 2016
Since the year 2000 the WTSWW and the National Museum of Wales have been organising ‘Unknown Wales’, a day of celebrating lesser known wildlife through a series of talks to showcase the variety of wildlife found in Wales. On Saturday 8th October 2016 the sixth annual Unknown Wales took place and was our most well attended, with over 200 people joining us to learn about a variety of wildlife, from Limpets to Pine Martens.
The day kicked off with a brilliant talk from Kelvin Jones, BTO Cymru's engagement officer, who told us what the gardens of Wales have shown us over the past 20 years about our bird populations. John Archer-Thomson then introduced us to his fascinating research on Limpets and their response to the Sea Empress oil spill in Pembrokeshire. After a short break, Lynne Boddy from Cardiff University gave an enlightening talk
on the importance of fungi for the function of planet Earth, highlighting the vital roles of fungi in the environment. Rob Parry, conservation manager at WTSWW, then gave a presentation on a proposed project to reinforce the Upper Ely population of Marsh Fritillary butterflies. Unfortunately the project has been unable to proceed because the application for a licence to carry out the work was denied, but Rob explained why the project is crucial for the Marsh Fritillary in Wales, and why he believes that urgent action is now needed. After lunch, Jenny MacPherson from the Vincent Wildlife Trust gave a talk on the Pine Marten recovery project in Wales and showed us some lovely footage of Pine Martens exploring their new homes!
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We then had a double act, with Mike Wilson and Liam Olds, both from the National Museum Wales, telling us about their work surveying the invertebrates of coal tips around South Wales. Our keynote speaker for the day was Mike Benton from the University of Bristol, talking about Dracoraptor, the new dinosaur found in South Wales, and what it has taught us about the early establishment of the Dinosaurs.
Thanks to all the speakers for a brilliant day of engaging presentations, and to everyone who has helped make Unknown Wales possible. We hope to continue Unknown Wales into the future, and to keep it as a free event so that everyone is able to learn about the wildlife and conservation work in Wales that doesn’t always get the recognition it deserves. We look forward to seeing you at Unknown Wales 2017.
Lorna Baggett
CASE STUDY: Manx Shearwater Week
In 2014, the Skomer team started to run “Shearwater Week”: ten days of activities all centred around the largest Manx Shearwater colony on earth. The main aims of the event are to:
inspire people about this unfamiliar bid species
showcase the amazing wildlife still present in the traditionally quieter visitor period of the year
and as such, boost visitor numbers in the hostel and increase revenue in August/September
Shearwater Week is a collaboration between WTSWW and Oxford Navigation Group (OxNav) from Oxford University. Skomer has an estimated 316,000 breeding pairs of Manx Shearwaters which are present on the island from March – September. Although there are this many birds, visitors to the island do not normally see shearwaters as they return to Skomer under the cover of darkness; an overnight stay is essential!
Guests during Shearwater Week have the opportunity to get involved with up to date science and to get hands on by helping to weigh the chicks. The gathered data forms part of OxNav’s long-term Manx Shearwater study. Guests are also invited to an evening talk by OxNav on their recent work and findings from over ten years of studying Skomer’s birds. The final event of the two night stay is a night time walk to see fledgling Shearwaters take their first flight out to sea. An unforgettable experience. Over the three years that Shearwater Week has been running, we have actively engaged over 200 guests in science and nature and hope to continue doing so in future years. We have had amazing positive feedback and some guests return year after year for another dose of Shearwater Week. Visitors are thrilled to be able to take part in an ongoing study and are astounded that they are allowed to handle the chicks.
Shearwater Week has become an integral part of the Skomer year and special thanks go to OxNav, for making Shearwater Week possible and to The Friends of Skokholm and Skomer, who provide volunteers to help out with all the activities.
Leighton Newman
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CASE STUDY: My Wild Cardiff
We are very fortunate in Cardiff that our capital city is home to lots of exciting and sometimes even rare wildlife. Hazel Dormice, Great Crested Newts, waxcap fungi and many more, all of which would be the pride of any nature reserve are flourishing in our wild city. In 2017, with the generous support of the players of People’s Postcode Lottery (PPL), we have the opportunity to work with a number of communities within Cardiff to provide outdoor learning opportunities for the benefit of both people and wildlife in the city. The project, named ‘My Wild Cardiff’, started in January and immediately began engaging with people in Cardiff. There are four elements to the project, My Wild Garden, My Wild Allotment, My Wild Neighbourhood and My Wild School. As part of My Wild Garden, we will be creating a ‘pop-up’ wildlife garden, which will be on show for two weeks in the summer, allowing people to visit and talk to our staff and volunteers about features for wildlife, as well as inspiring them to have a go themselves. Alongside this, we are designing and producing an education pack which will provide a structure for creating and maintaining a wildlife garden on a month by month basis. My Wild Neighbourhood focuses on particular neighbourhoods in Cardiff which are of value for wildlife and aims to educate the residents about how they can help the wildlife in their area. The first neighbourhood to engage with was in the area around Allensbank Road in the Heath area of Cardiff, due to the populations of Great Crested Newt in the area. An introductory pack was dropped off at 300 different houses in the area which included an introductory letter, an educational fact sheet about newts and a short garden survey to complete and return to WTSWW. The pack also included an invitation to a ‘Ponds at Night’ event in nearby Heath Park on Friday 28th April, held in conjunction with the Cardiff Park Rangers. This event focussed on educating people about the ecology of newts and the habitats they require. 7 local residents came along to this event.
Left: Otters in the City event in Bute Park, in conjunction with Cardiff University Otter Project and Cardiff University student societies. The next neighbourhood is the Canton and Pontcanna area, which will focus on improving habitat for different bee species. Alongside these events, we have
also run an ‘Otters in the City’ event, given talks at the RHS show and to local groups about wildlife gardening and we have attended external events such as ‘Wildlife Watch Week’ at
Pugh’s Garden Centre and a ‘Growing Together’ event at Cardiff Library. The project will run until December 2017- look out for the final round up in next year’s Conservation Team Report.
Rose Revera
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6.4 Wildlife queries Responding to queries about wildlife from WTSWW members and members of the public is
an important area of work, facilitating others to become more interested and to do their bit for
wildlife. Although difficult to record accurately, we believe members of the Conservation
Team responded to around one thousand such queries over the year. We also engaged with
other landowners seeking advice; we estimate that we worked on 1201.28 ha across 66
sites in third party ownership during the year.
7. Consultancy and contracts
7.1 Consultancy A number of members of the Conservation Team also operate an ecological consultancy for
WTSWW. This work holds its own budget and is not reported in detail here. However, the
consultancy work is delivered by core staff and returns significant income which is re-
invested in our conservation work. Through the consultancy we also operate the seasonal
programme of professional training days based at Parc Slip which delivers against our
charitable objectives as well as raising income for WTSWW.
CASE STUDY: On the hunt for Squirrels and Water Voles in the Tywi Forest As mentioned in last year’s Conservation Team report, WTSWW has been monitoring Water Voles in the Tywi Forest for NRW since 2012. In that time we have greatly increased the known distribution of the species in the region. In 2016 we continued to survey successfully in this area but also on a separate contract in early 2017 surveyed new sites, more widely spaced, to hopefully increase further the known distribution and highlight other important areas for this declining species. Another contract in the Tywi Forest involved surveying blocks of woodland with the hope of finding signs of Red Squirrels. This part of mid-Wales is one of 3 key areas for the species in Wales and our Red Squirrel Officer, Becky, carries out a lot of work in this region. The map below shows just how successful these surveys were, with Water Voles found at 27 new sites. The aim of the surveys wasn’t to assess the population size of Water Voles in these new areas, as it was really the wrong time of year, but merely to establish their
presence. Therefore suitable-looking sites were surveyed only until positive signs of Water Vole presence were found (droppings or latrines). Hopefully, later in 2017 we will resurvey some of these sites as well as revisiting some of the ones where we were unable to establish their presence. Left: Water Vole signs found in 2016 (•) and 2017 (•)
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Mid-summer is a more reliable time to survey for Water Voles as they tend to leave more visible signs (latrines as territory markers during their breeding season). Finding Water Voles over this much wider area means that they will hopefully be taken into account by NRW when considering management; allowing the species to continue to build up a stronghold in the uplands of mid-Wales. The Red Squirrel surveys were carried
out in blocks of forestry where there had been historical records of the species but none in recent years. The methodology differed from Water Vole surveying in that we were putting out bait stations (image below right) with remote cameras trained on them – these would be triggered if visited by squirrels of either type (or indeed anything else). Unfortunately only one Red Squirrel was detected (see image above left) in the limited time of the surveys – this doesn’t mean that they aren’t more widespread than this however and further surveys will hopefully be undertaken in the summer. On the plus side, Grey Squirrels were only detected at one of the sites and that was one of the outliers so it doesn’t mean that they have managed to find their way into the main Red Squirrel area. Other species recorded on the cameras
were Woodmice, Foxes, deer and a selection of birds (mainly Great Tits, Chaffinches and Robins). Thanks very much to Miriam, our dedicated volunteer, who helped out with both Water Vole and Red Squirrel surveys.
Vaughn Matthews
7.2 Contracting
The Conservation Team regularly carries out contracting work to bring in an income to
support the work on WTSWW reserves. Using the skills within the team along with our tools
and equipment by delivering appropriate contracts we can have a beneficial impact on the
wider environment. These vary from footpath maintenance in Glamorgan to mitigation and
compensation work funded through the planning process, and positive conservation
initiatives contracted by partner organisations or sympathetic landowners. The team delivers
a variety of such work across the entire WTSWW area. In this last year we were fortunate to
be able to act as contractor to Natural Resources Wales to deliver habitat management on
some under-managed SSSIs. This work is described as part of the case study below.
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CASE STUDY: Contract Land Management Over the last year WTSWW has carried out contract work at a number of sites, helping other organisations to deliver essential habitat restoration and management work around South Wales.
In March 2017 an impressive congregation of staff and volunteers descended on fields overlooking the A4093 near Tonyrefail, to clear dense rush, bramble and Molinia from Marsh Fritillary habitat. The work was contracted by NRW, and the site is part of the extensive Rhos Tonyrefail SSSI: a network of marshy grassland habitats in an increasingly developed area, in a landscape of vital importance to the survival of the Marsh Fritillary population in Wales. The team spent the day cutting and raking in the vegetation, to promote growth of Devil’s-bit Scabious and other species, and to improve access for grazing animals. This work complements the ongoing work of WTSWW to
secure the future of Marsh Fritillary in South Wales through habitat management, working with landowners, and a population reinforcement project. NRW also contracted the Trust to carry out two days of habitat management at a SSSI in Barry, where tall and coarse grasses had become dominant and bramble had encroached onto one of the fields after a long period of inadequate grazing. A cut and collect was needed to promote recovery of its diverse calcicolous vegetation, and management of the overgrown access points was needed to aid future management. Staff and volunteers and a gang of keen students from Pencoed College spent the day cutting back, carefully avoiding the profusion of mature anthills concealed within the vegetation. The Trust then returned a couple of weeks later, with volunteers from National Rail, to rake in and collect the cuttings. The Trust was also contracted by Rhondda Cynon Taff CBC to carry out vegetation clearance at a small and shrinking fragment of calcareous grassland in a quarry at Llanharry. The quarry and woodland had become surrounded by development and its small grassland
habitat was becoming densely scrubbed over. The Trust spent two days on the site, and with the help of volunteers cleared a large area of grassland on the quarry floor.
Carys Solman
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8. Education
Education work undertaken by the Conservation Team occurs largely through our input to
events and school visits to our flagship nature reserves. The greatest part was delivered
through our partnership with Dow Corning, who fund our Education Officer, Catherine Lewis.
The Education programme over 2016/17 continued to include:
Visits to the reserves by schools and community groups for Outdoor Learning
Participation in school Eco Clubs
Schools grounds advice and improvements to encourage wildlife as an aid to learning
Wildlife Watch Group – included planting, invasive species control and orchid seed collecting
Wildlife Awareness Events
Pollinators Projects
During the year, we estimate that WTSWW conservation staff made 31 visits to schools with a reach of around 930 individuals, and a further 10 visits to other educational organisations, with a further reach of around 200 individuals. We also estimate that 1002 people were engaged through school, college or other group visits to our reserves or visitor centres, including Forest Schools.
CASE STUDY: Barry backs fledgling “twitchers”! Youngsters from the Palmerston Primary School in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, will have an even better opportunity to enjoy watching wild birds up close thanks to support from the Wildlife Trust and Dow Corning, which has enabled creation of purpose built willow screen. The screen – constructed on site by a local willow weaver with the help of the children – will give students chance to watch birds visiting a feeding station previously donated by Dow as part of an ongoing programme with the school’s Eco Club, run by Wildlife Trust Education Officer (Dow Corning) Catherine Lewis. Dow donated the feeding station to the Palmerston School Eco Club some time ago, on the understanding that they would need to take responsibility for feeding the birds all year round, as well as cleaning the feeders. They’ve risen to the challenge by making note books from recycled paper which they sell at school events to raise funds for bird food. The children even make their own suet balls as part of the regular eco sessions our Education Officers runs with them, and they have also raised enough money to add a
separate water station too. Now, the children can enjoy the fruits of their labour thanks to the beautiful willow screen, funded by Dow and created alongside specialist local weaver Out to Learn Willow.
The school has really got behind the bird project and it’s great to see the children becoming more and more interested in the wildlife that surrounds them. This latest development will hopefully inspire them to maintain that interest for years to come.
Catherine Lewis
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9. Plans for 2017-18 The departure of Rob Parry, Conservation Manager for the eastern part of WTSWW’s patch, at the very end of this reporting period, will impact the structure and function of the team in the coming year. Carys Solman has become Conservation Manager for the central area (Carmarthenshire, Swansea, Neath and Port Talbot) with Lizzie Wilberforce now operating in Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire (including the islands and CBMWC). Sarah Woodcock has taken on responsibility for the Cardiff, Bridgend, Valleys and Vale area. The new ideas and approaches Carys and Sarah will bring to the team will be shaping our thinking as we go forward through the year and will inform our new initiatives and plans. Funding continues to be a pressure point, with further reductions likely in the funding available to conservation through traditional government sources, and changes to the management and availability of landfill tax funds. Seeking further funding to continue our core work will be a priority for the coming year. We also anticipate that the following twelve months will bring conclusions to a number of areas of work that have been, in some cases, many years in the making. We hope to complete the leasing process on several sites, and we anticipate hearing back the result of our NRW licence application to release Beavers into the wild in Wales. As major governmental changes progress- including whatever form the Brexit process manifest itself in, in Wales- there will inevitably be a lot of work to be done to stand up for wildlife in that process. It remains a sad reality that when funding is short, the environment is often one of the first activities to suffer, despite the clear and strong arguments that it is a false economy. It will be up to us to ensure that our wildlife has a strong voice.
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Published by The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales The Nature Centre
Fountain Road Tondu
Bridgend CF32 0EH 01656 724100
[email protected] May 2017