The impact of humans on our planet is now so large that many scientists are declaring a new phase of history. The old forces of nature…

Source: New ways of thinking about climate change – UN Development Programme – Medium

A new global agreement to protect the seas should be a priority for the government to stop our seas becoming a “sewer”, according to a cross-party group of MPs.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: ‘Stop treating seas as a sewer,’ MPs urge in bid for protection treaty | Environment | The Guardian

Wild coffee species are under threat, with 60% of them facing possible extinction, including Arabica, the original of the world’s most popular form of coffee, researchers say.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Six in 10 wild coffee species endangered by habitat loss | Environment | The Guardian

China’s Longjiang-2 satellite has captured an incredible image featuring both the far side of the Moon and Earth in the background. The data was received by the Netherlands’ Dwingeloo Radio Telescope from an amateur radio transceiver built by a team at China’s Harbin University of Technology.

Source: Chinese satellite captures image showing both Earth and the Moon’s far side: Digital Photography Review

Flounced Rustic Moth: light trap, garden ©Ian Saunders, Stoke Goldington 5 August 2018

Highlights
• Reducing hedgerow trimming frequency benefits macro-moths and shrub/tree-feeders (all moths species combined).

• Abundance of four nationally-declining moth species was higher on hedgerows left untrimmed for at least three years.

• Increasing woodland amount and connectivity may enhance moth abundance and diversity.

• Arable fields adjacent to hedgerows may have a negative impact on hedgerow-dependent moths.

• Moth conservation in farmland requires a multi-scale management approach.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Moth responses to sympathetic hedgerow management in temperate farmland – ScienceDirect

Allotments, weedy corners and fancy gardens are all urban havens for bees and other pollinators, a study has found.

Source: City bees: allotments and gardens can help arrest decline – study | Environment | The Guardian

The Winter Moth is one of the few moth species that is active in its adult stage over the winter months, and it is able to cope with freezing temperatures.  The males and females look very different since the females only have short stubby wings and cannot fly.  To attract a mate, the female will crawl up a tree trunk and give off pheromones.  Great tits and blue tits feed their young on Winter Moth caterpillars and will time their breeding to coincide with the moth’s lifecycle.

Click here for more information.: Winter Moth

Rising temperatures can be charted back to the late 1950s, and the last five years were the five hottest on record

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Our oceans broke heat records in 2018 and the consequences are catastrophic | Environment | The Guardian

Turnstones feeding on discarded chips in Hunstanton – a sign of desperation or just opportunism?

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Why do Turnstones eat chips? | wadertales

Conservationists have rediscovered Romeo’s species in the wild, including a female for him to mate with.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Romeo the lonely frog gets his Juliet thanks to expedition – Discover Wildlife

This brightly coloured small moth is most frequently pink with yellow patches and margins, and a fine purple border. However, almost entirely pink individuals with small yellow spots can occur.

Click here for more information.: Purple-bordered Gold

Wood pasture is characterised by big old trees growing in open pasture-land

Do you own or manage a wood, or advise on woodland management?

This toolkit provides advice on managing woodlands for wildlife, in particular rare and declining species that are dependent on woodland habitats.

Click here for more information.: Woodland Wildlife Toolkit

It felt far too early in the year for an egg hunt – and much too cold to be surveying butterflies. Yet, when it comes to searching for evidence of one of Britain’s most elusive lepidoptera, the timing couldn’t be better.

More than 20 of us gathered on a chilly morning in Belvidere Meadows nature reserve, on the outskirts of Exeter, to take part in a butterfly egg hunt organised by Devon Wildlife Trust. The progeny we were hoping to find were those of the brown hairstreak butterfly (Thecla betulae), a scarce chocolate- and orange-coloured species that is notoriously difficult to spot, as adults generally fly high up among the treetops.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Country diary: in a flutter over a butterfly egg hunt | Environment | The Guardian

There is a first picture that confirms it: a photo of a wolf puppy. It was also confirmed by the Office for Hunting and Fishin, Graubünden, after multiple hunters had spotted three wolf babies.

In early August, it was speculated that the wolves in Calandagebiet had babies. Now, the babies are around four months old. The reason why they were not discovered earlier is because the whole area is very rugged and there are few roads and paths. These are optimal living conditions for the little wolf family.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:

Location: Meet in car park signed off Wollaston-Gt Doddington road, SP 885 634.
Nearest postcode is NN29 7PT.

SUMMER LEYS LOCAL NATURE RESERVE, NORTHANTS
A second visit to one of our favourite sites, with possible passage waders, marsh harrier or great white egret. Five hides. Paths level but some wet or muddy, and a full circuit is two miles.

Walk leader Susan Weatherhead

Time: 10 am to 1 pm

Price: Free event

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

FoLLNR logo

Task Day at Linford Lakes NR

Sunday 3rd March
10.00 – 13.00 hrs
Come and help tidy up the reserve.
Great way to keep fit, work with a friendly group of people.
Refreshments available for helpers.
Some tasks suitable for less active Friends too.

Source: Barn swallows evolved alongside buildings – Discover Wildlife

 

MKNHS members mothing at Linford Lakes NR by Julie Lane9 July2016

Switching off street lights during the night would help moths and other nocturnal pollinators, new research has found.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Turning off street lights at night would help moths scientists say – LocalGov.co.uk – Your authority on UK local government

Wildflower meadows change dramatically from month to month. We capture a whole year of a meadow in Conwy, north Wales, in two minutes, with all the action from cattle grazing to hay cutting and the wildlife that thrives with the flowers.

Click on the play button to watch the video provided by Plantlife

The Marsh Fritillary is threatened, not only in the UK but across Europe, and is therefore the object of much conservation effort.

The wings of this beautiful butterfly are more brightly patterned than those of other fritillaries, with more heavily marked races being found in Scotland and Ireland. The larvae spin conspicuous webs that can easily be recorded in late summer.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Marsh Fritillary

Arthropods, invertebrates including insects that have external skeletons, are declining at an alarming rate. While the tropics harbor the majority of arthropod species, little is known about trends in their abundance. We compared arthropod biomass in Puerto Rico’s Luquillo rainforest with data taken during the 1970s and found that biomass had fallen 10 to 60 times. Our analyses revealed synchronous declines in the lizards, frogs, and birds that eat arthropods. Over the past 30 years, forest temperatures have risen 2.0 °C, and our study indicates that climate warming is the driving force behind the collapse of the forest’s food web. If supported by further research, the impact of climate change on tropical ecosystems may be much greater than currently anticipated.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Climate-driven declines in arthropod abundance restructure a rainforest food web | PNAS

Most of us yearn to catch a glimpse of the glorious Scottish wildcat, yet never do. If we don’t act immediately, we never will. The wildcat is teetering on the edge.

Though revered, wildcats in Scotland have been persecuted for centuries. Add to that habitat fragmentation, and interbreeding with domestic cats, and it is doubtful that their numbers in the wild now reach three figures.

Click here for more information.: RZSS Wildcat Conservation | RZSS

Claim that more intensive farming would allow rewilding of greater areas of countryside

Click here to read the rest of the article.: ‘Land sparing’ on farms could revitalise UK bird populations, study says | Environment | The Guardian

Long strips of bright wildflowers are being planted through crop fields to boost the natural predators of pests and potentially cut pesticide spraying.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Stripes of wildflowers across farm fields could cut pesticide spraying | Environment | The Guardian

Wetlands are home to several specialist species, some even able to survive feeding on plants in standing water.

However, other vegetation is frequently present, sometimes with patches of carr woodland or drier land, which also support a wider diversity of species. Lowland raised bogs and upland blanket bog are home to many species, for example the Large Heath. The Swallowtail is only found in the Norfolk fenland of Britain.

Click here for more information.: Wetlands

The RSPB North Bucks Local Group are leading a field trip to:

Location: Delapre Abbey, Northampton. Meet in car park (free). Follow the A508 London Rd from the A45 southern by-pass towards Northampton centre. The drive (with a small lodge) is on right hand side, ½ mile past Queen Eleanor’s Cross. SP 759 591.
Postcode: NN4 8AW (Google map)

The historic house was just restored by Northampton Borough Council. Nearby are splendid mature trees, Victorian shrubberies, a recent plantation, golf course, paddocks and a lake. Hawfinch and many other woodland birds were present in winter 2017-18. Cafe and toilets usually open. Some paths are too muddy for wheelchairs, wellies advised. Walk leader Chris Coppock.

Time: 10 am to 1 pm

Price: Free event

See the RSPB North Bucks Local Group website for more information

MKNHS is not responsible for the content of external Internet sites. You should check details of any events listed on external sites with the organisers.

This interactive guide is a resource for anyone who wants to identify one of the 50 or so species of coniferous trees that can be found growing in a naturalised state in Britain or to learn about the features that can be used to identify them. The tools are currently optimised for large-screen formats. We are working on a suite of tools for small screens, e.g. mobile phones, for later in 2018.

Click here for more information.: FSC Conifer Identikit

Cases confirmed in Dorset and Essex with public urged to report sick or dead animals

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Deadly rabbit virus threatens UK brown hare population | Environment | The Guardian

Impressive new study shows that gardens and especially allotments support high pollinator diversity.

Click here for more information.

The Indonesian island has already banned plastic bags and straws, and now plans a $10 tourist tax to help clean up its beaches

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Bali plans tourist tax to tackle plastic pollution | Travel | The Guardian

Wild Justice logo

Wild Justice is a new organisation which launches today. Its founders are Chris Packham, Ruth Tingay and myself.

Wild Justice has been set up to fight for wildlife.  Threatened species can’t take legal cases in their own names but, with your help, we will stand up for wildlife using the legal system and seek changes to existing laws.

We will be taking court cases to benefit threatened wildlife.  Our first legal challenge is already in progress – our solicitors have sent, today, a letter to a public body – and we’ll soon be able to tell you all about it.

Visit our website (www.wildjustice.org.uk) and find out more about us, and sign up there for our newsletter so that you can keep in touch. [Note: it works in the usual way; 1. You subscribe, 2. you get an email asking you to confirm your subscription (please check spam box) and 3. after confirming you get another message or are sent back to the website.  Wild Justice already has over 1000 subscribers to its newsletter and we’d like you to join too.  If you do, you may see a strange error message after you click ‘confirm’.  We know about this and are trying to fix it but if you get the error message you are definitely subscribed. Sorry about that – technology eh?].

Chris Packham said ‘Wild. Justice.  Because the wild needs justice more than ever before. The pressures wrought upon our wildlife have reached a crisis point and this is an essential response. The message is clear . . . if you are breaking the law, if the law is weak, if the law is flawed – we are coming for you. Peacefully, democratically and legally. Our simple premise is to work with the laws we’ve got to seek real justice for our wildlife, to reform, refine or renew those laws we have to ensure that justice can be properly realised. Our wildlife has been abused, has been suffering, exploited or destroyed by criminals for too long. Well, no longer. Wild Justice will at last be the voice of those victims and it will be heard . . . and justice will be served. ‘.

Mark Avery said ‘Wild Justice will take on public bodies to get a better deal for wildlife.  It’s a shame that we have to do this but we have little confidence that statutory bodies are fulfilling their functions properly. We aim to hold their feet to the fire in court. I’m reminded of what the great American environmental campaigner, Ansel Adams said ‘It is horrifying that we have to fight our own government to save the environment’.’.

Ruth Tingay said ‘I know many people who despair about what’s happening to our wildlife but who also feel powerless to help, typically because access to justice can be prohibitively expensive and a daunting arena. Wild Justice provides an opportunity for ordinary citizens to fight back on behalf of wildlife, collectively helping us to challenge poor decisions or flawed policies that threaten to harm our wildlife. With so many potential cases, the difficulty for us will be to decide which ones to take on first’.

Here’s the link to our website again  www.wildjustice.org.uk.

I can also tell you that we are receiving lots of donations – that’s very kind and very important.  We will crowd-fund for particular projects but we also have running costs (web design and building, setting up the organisation, some travel, our accountants etc) so donations that aren’t specifically targetted at projects are very helpful. Wild Justice is a not-for-profit company – none of us will be earning anything from it.

This is Mark Avery’s newsletter so I am not going to keep telling you about Wild Justice here even though it is, even now, very important to me.  Subscribe to the Wild Justice newsletter, through the Wild Justice website so Wild justice can keep you informed.

During the first month of #MyMothYear, my field trips have focused on understanding the varying ways in which moths spend the winter months. Heralds, for example, hibernate. Vapourer moths see out the cold as eggs, whereas the nationally threatened Lunar Yellow Underwing spends January as a caterpillar, wiggling in the open air by night. After a fascinating afternoon picking the brains of Butterfly Conservation moth specialists Mark Parsons and Phil Sterling, Mark offered to take me out to see a couple of other stages in the moth life cycle. On the famous Dorset landmark of Portland Bill, Mark cracked open teasels and carline thistles to show me moth caterpillars burrowed within, plucked various leaves to focus my eyes on leaf-miner moth tracks and caterpillars, pointed out the tents of Browntail moth caterpillars and…

Click here to read the rest of the article.

The pace of ice loss has increased four-fold since 2003 as enormous glaciers are depositing ever larger chunks of ice into the Atlantic ocean, where it melts, causing sea levels to rise

Source: Greenland’s ice melting faster than scientists previously thought – study | World news | The Guardian

Gardeners and garden designers like to use the shapes and forms of plants to give structure and texture to their planting, so that it is visually interesting throughout the year. However there is another important aspect to the three dimensional structure of garden plants, which is the help it can provide to wildlife.

When it comes to the value that garden plants can offer for wildlife, most attention is usually focused on plants for pollinators and berry-bearing shrubs for birds. However, plants can also create a complex physical infrastructure that influences much of a garden’s environmental diversity and increases the ability of the garden to support lots of biodiversity. We shouldn’t underestimate the importance of this ‘architecture’ and it guide your choice in gardening for wildlife.

Here are some of the principal ways in which plant structure influences garden diversity. Note that in all of these examples, the question of whether a plant is native or not is probably irrelevant.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plants for structure

HONG KONG — Officials in Hong Kong said on Friday that they had intercepted a shipment of nine tons of scales from pangolins, the largest seizure the city has ever made of products from one of the most frequently trafficked mammals in the world. A thousand elephant tusks were in the same shipment, officials said.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: 9 Tons of Pangolin Scales Are Seized in Hong Kong – The New York Times

A fleet of five vessels will reportedly leave for the country’s coastal waters on 1 July

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Japan to resume commercial whaling one day after leaving the IWC | World news | The Guardian

RSPB Minsmere in Suffolk is one of our star reserves, with more than 5,600 species. However, there are proposals to build a new nuclear power plant – Sizewell C – right next door.

Click here for more information.

You can take anybody to see ‘nature’s greatest mimic’ – whether they are into flowers or not – because it’s full of wow factor. The bee orchid looks like a bee to attract pollinators, but in Britain they are self-pollinating so the deception is not required. The fact that the plant is also so rare and unusual adds to its appeal.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Alan Titchmarsh discusses why he loves bee orchids – Discover Wildlife

Click here to view tree bud identification charts.

Fifty farmers have come together to manage a sizeable stretch of Lough Neagh’s shore for the benefit of wildlife.

They have signed up to a conservation scheme that pays them hundreds of pounds per hectare for conservation work.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Farmers paid to conserve curlew habitat – BBC News

Britain’s 20 most endangered species have been identified for the first time by a host of wildlife and woodland charities, as Natural England has launched a campaign to bring them back from the brink of extinction.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Britain’s most endangered species identified for first time as Natural England launches ‘Back from the Brink’ campaign

Sir David Attenborough

Sir David Attenborough has warned that “the Garden of Eden is no more”, as he urged political and business leaders from around the world to make a renewed push to tackle climate change before the damage is irreparable.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: David Attenborough tells Davos: ‘The Garden of Eden is no more’ | Television & radio | The Guardian

A crucial but threatened habitat has been revitalised following decades of decline after conservationists decided to run a five-tonne tractor over it.

The unusual action was part of a wider effort to save the marsh clubmoss, an endangered plant that evolved 400 million years ago and forms a vital component of damp heathlands.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Endangered UK plants brought back from brink by driving tractor over them | The Independent

House sparrows ©Harry Appleyard, RSPB Ouse Washes 12 January 2019

Natural England and Natural Resources Wales have given the go-ahead for species such as Eurasian Curlew, Eurasian Skylark and House Sparrow to be shot.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Licences granted to kill multiple Red-listed species – BirdGuides

Click here to see forthcoming events for the North Chilterns Chalk section of the Wildlife Trust BCN.

Sphagnum is probably the most underrated plant on Earth. This humble little moss makes up the bulk of our peat bogs and holds up to 20 times its weight in water. That makes boglands huge sponges that store water, slowing its flow and helping prevent flooding downstream.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plantwatch: is sphagnum the most underrated plant on Earth? | Science | The Guardian

The @FSCBioLinks Identikit has recently been developed so that ID resources can be used on mobile devices in the field – even where an internet connection is not available….

…publishing mobile-first implementations of our resources Harvestman of Britain and Ireland and The Conifers of Britain . Other people have already taken advantages of the new features to publish mobile resources, including Nia Howells who has created a mobile-first multi-access key for British Froghoppers

Click here for more information.

National NestBox Week is an established part of the ornithological calendar. Running for a week from 14 February each year, National Nest Box Week provides a welcome focus on nesting birds and encourages everyone to put up nest boxes in their local area in order to support the conservation of our breeding birds. National Nest Box Week was established and developed by BTO and Britain’s leading birdcare specialist Jacobi Jayne. It takes place at a time when tradition has it that small birds pair up ahead of the breeding season

Click here for more information.: National Nest Box Week | BTO – British Trust for Ornithology

Conservationists have released Galápagos land iguanas to Santiago Island as part of the effort to restore the island’s ecological health.

Conservationists have released Galápagos land iguanas to Santiago Island as part of the effort to restore the island’s ecological health.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Iguanas reintroduced to Galápagos island after an absence of 180 years – Discover Wildlife

Greater Spearwort: first flowers of year, garden pond Stoke Goldington ©Ian Saunders 29 May 2018

Identifying private gardens in the U.K. as key sites of environmental engagement, we look at how a longer-term online citizen science programme facilitated the development of new and personal attachments of nature. These were visible through new or renewed interest in wildlife-friendly gardening practices and attitudinal shifts in a large proportion of its participants. Qualitative and quantitative data, collected via interviews, focus groups, surveys and logging of user behaviours, revealed that cultivating a fascination with species identification was key to both ‘helping nature’ and wider learning, with the programme creating a space where scientific and non-scientific knowledge could co-exist and reinforce one another.

Source: From citizen science to citizen action: analysing the potential for a digital platform to cultivate attachments to nature

I thought I’d share a video of the Cryptic Wood White courtship, with the male on the left (note the white tips to the undersides of his antennae, and always-closed wings that distinguishes him from a Wood White).

The industrialisation of agriculture has radically transformed the way most of our food is produced. By making large-scale production possible, it has led to more food being available at lower prices throughout the world. However, we are increasingly seeing the negative side of this chemically intensive system of food production. Today, 2,000 pesticides with 500 chemical substances are being used in Europe. However, data on how such substances affect soil quality is incomplete and fragmented, and fails to clearly reflect their overall impact on soil systems and human health.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Pesticides found in more than 80% of tested European soils

Click here to read the views of a UK Farmer

The population of monarch butterflies wintering in central Mexico is up 144% over last year, according to new research.

The data was cheered but scientists quickly warned that it does not mean the butterflies that migrate from Canada and the United States are out of danger.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Monarch butterfly population wintering in Mexico increases 144% | Environment | The Guardian

Green-winged Orchid ©Harry Appleyard, Tattenhoe, 30 May 2018

In this journal article, Dr Amy Hinsley et al. provide the first overview of commercial orchid trade globally and highlight the main types that involve wild-collected plants.

Click here for more information.

Clifden Nonpareil moth ©Gordon Redford, Newport Pagnell 16 September 2018

Species-level moth trends from the @Rothamsted_RIS light-trap network now available for view at their new website.

Click here for more information.

The long-extinct woolly mammoth could gain protected status in an unprecedented attempt to save the African elephant from the global ivory trade.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Extinct mammoths could be given protected status in bid to save elephants | Environment | The Guardian

Tuesday 19 February 2019 – 13-14.00

Rose Pritchard – Monetary national capital assessment in the private sector

‘Businesses have numerous impacts and dependencies upon natural capital which are not captured in normal financial accounting. Much natural capital is freely available, and businesses impact and dependencies on natural capital are therefore not captured in financial accounts. Valuing natural capital in monetary terms makes the invisible visible, and therefore theoretically motivates more sustainable practices.

Monetary valuation of natural capital has only recently begun to gain momentum in the private sector. This synthesis report recognises this trend and aims to provide an accessible overview of the current status of private sector natural capital assessment and to identify key needs for research in this rapidly evolving area.’  Webinar registration

Building a pond in your garden is one of the best things you can do to help – and attract – wildlife. Water is essential for frogs and toads – they wouldn’t be able to breed without it. But a garden pond will attract a myriad of other creatures too.

Peer into any pond and you will soon see what I mean. Pond skaters skim the surface and water boatmen use their long, oar-like legs to propel themselves along. The larvae of damselflies and dragonflies can be seen darting around – and in summer the adult insects, with their beautiful iridescent colours of red, blue and green, hover near the water.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Wildlife ponds | Little Green Space

Street lighting operating all night can alter the natural pollination of a common wildflower, a study involving Butterfly Conservation (BC) has revealed.The research, published in the journal Ecosphere, found that…

Click here to for more information:

Butterfly Conservation
TheConversation
Science Daily

Click here to read the RSPB newsletter February 2019.

Winter is a very different prospect for a Green Sandpiper that spends the non-breeding season in England, rather than Spain, Portugal or countries in northern Africa. Are British winterers living life ‘on the edge’ and how do they cope? One way is to defend resources within clearly-defined territories.

Source: Winter territories of Green Sandpipers | wadertales

In winter 2017-18 some young Ash trees were felled at Holtspur Bottom Butterfly Conservation reserve, to open up and restore an area to chalk grassland. Logs from this felling were stacked. Last weekend we returned to clear another area, and had to move some of the logs from the previous winter.

n the intervening year rather a lot of beautiful patterns had been sculpted onto the logs, the handiwork of the Ash Bark Beetle Hylesinus varius…

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Holtspur Bottom’s boring beetles – Kitenet

Brown Hare ©Steve Brightwell, Stoke Goldington 24 June 2018

Rebecca is working on the public perception of wildlife crime at the University of Derby. Would you spend a few moments helping out by completing the attached questionnaire?

Source: Public perception of wildlife crime

This is not a wildflower meadow, but a colourful mix of cornfield annuals © Jonathan Billinger [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Perhaps the most frequent enquiry we get at Plantlife is, “How do I grow a wildflower meadow?” This is almost always immediately followed by, “I tried it once and it looked fantastic in the first year, but then it looked rubbish”.

What could be more disappointing and dispiriting? Who’d want to carry on growing wildflowers after that sort of experience?

The problem is that much of the seed sold to grow a “wildflower meadow” is not meadow seed at all. It’s something entirely different.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Are you sure your meadow is a meadow? | The Wildflower Garden

For Northamptonshire’s butterflies 2018 has been a memorable year for many reasons. Not only did we have two national projects in the county but it was also an exceptional season for many of our butterflies. When I first became interested in the serious study of butterflies I’d often hear stories of huge groundings of Purple Hairstreaks, explosive Black Hairstreak years and numerous rare aberrations and colour forms which at the time such spectacles seemed to be confined to the history books so to witness many of these events first hand in 2018 made the year an extraordinary one to say the least.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Being a committed wildlife gardener means compromising a little on the tidiness of your garden to protect the overwintering sites of insects and other creatures.

Hopefully in the autumn you left some of the seedheads on your border perennials such as Hemp Agrimony Eupatorium cannabinum, Globe Thistle Echinops spp. and Sea Holly Eryngium spp. along with biennials such as Honesty Lunaria annua and Teasel Dipascus fullonum. You might have discovered how beautiful they can look when covered in frost.

Click on the link to read the rest of the article: Butterfly Conservation – Dig It – February tips from the Secret Gardener

Nitrogen in the air is one of the greatest threats to our wild plants, lichens and fungi, yet few people have even heard about it. Plantlife’s new report We need to talk about Nitrogen raises the alarm about its devastating impacts.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: We need to talk about Nitrogen…

Wednesday 13 February 2019 – 13-14.00

Jess Davies – Soil natural capital valuation in agri-food businesses

‘Soils are a key natural asset in agri-food supply chains. Yet their valuation is often overlooked as few ecosystems services flow directly from soils to goods, or human benefits. This synthesis report considered what a natural capital approach to soil could offer businesses, existing approaches, and key gaps to implementing this in practice.’  Webinar registration

Scientist Brad Lister returned to Puerto Rican rainforest after 35 years to find 98% of ground insects had vanished

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Insect collapse: ‘We are destroying our life support systems’ | Environment | The Guardian

Seawater temperature is rising faster than predicted, which is likely to worsen extreme weather events around the world

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Warming oceans likely to raise sea levels 30cm by end of century – study | Environment | The Guardian

Brimstone nectaring on Sainfoin, Pitstone Quarry, 28 May 2017

Here are 2019’s earliest sightings of resident and common migrant butterflies, as reported to Butterfly Conservation…

Click here for more information.: First butterfly sightings 2019

The construction of novel compound tools through assemblage of otherwise non-functional elements involves anticipation of the affordances of the tools to be built. Except for few observations in captive great apes, compound tool construction is unknown outside humans, and tool innovation appears late in human ontogeny. We report that habitually tool-using New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) can combine objects to construct novel compound tools.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Compound tool construction by New Caledonian crows | Scientific Reports

Over the course of 2019, Butterfly Conservation (BC) are taking part in an initiative to help make the UK a more wildlife-friendly place. The Year of Green Action(YOGA)  is part of the Government’s 25 year environment plan and is attempting to connect people all around the UK with nature. The YOGA will show …

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Year of Green Action

And they react to the buzzing of pollinators by sweetening their nectar.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plants Use Flowers to Hear the Buzz of Animals – The Atlantic

Hazel Grouse

There is a UK Parliamentary petition to support a proper independent study to find out if driven grouse shooting is of economic benefit to Britain’s uplands.

Click here for more information.

New maps produced provide powerful tools to help the RSPB advocate for better protection for seabirds at sea. The innovative project analysed tracking data to identify the areas at sea used most by kittiwakes, guillemots, razorbills and shags in UK and some Irish waters, helpingidentifyy sensitive areas at sea to inform marine planning and highlight key areas for protection.

Peak District National Park – image credit: Thinkstock

Nearly 70 years after National Parks and AONBs were first established, a new review will ensure designated landscapes are fit for the future.

Click on the link for more information: National Parks review launched – GOV.UK

Click here to view the Bedfordshire Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire Wildlife Trust newsletter for January 2019.

The team from the hit podcast No Such Thing As A Fish have collected the best animal stories from this year, including a new species of ant with an exploding head, and the world’s first retirement home for celebrity whales.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: 10 of the craziest animal stories from 2018 – Discover Wildlife

Off-the-shelf wildflower mixes provide an instant hit of pollen, nectar and seed. But to keep the wild in wildflower, we need a different approach.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Plantlife :: Keeping the “wild” in wildflower

Developers scale back housing building plans at Britain’s best site for nightingales.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Kent nightingale habitat gets a welcome reprieve – Discover Wildlife

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) — A moose wandered into a hospital building in Alaska’s largest city and chowed down on some plants in the lobby as workers watched the massive animal in awe.

Click here to read the rest of the article.

Villagers call wildlife rescue team after a female leopard was discovered in their well.

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Leopard rescued from well in India – with pictures – Discover Wildlife

The RSPB is concerned that their Minsmere reserve could be under threat from a new nuclear power station.

The Sizewell Estate, on the southern boundary of Minsmere, is where EDF plan to build a new nuclear power station, Sizewell C. This could be catastrophic for wildlife. The building work may increase erosion, upsetting the delicate balance of the reserve. It could affect the water levels in Minsmere’s ditches, impacting its rare wetland wildlife, which includes bitterns, otters and ducks. Once the construction is in progress, it may increase levels of noise and light pollution. Rare marsh harriers, breeding ducks and geese and wading birds are very sensitive to this. The effects will be long-term.

Click here for more information.: Love Minsmere – tell EDF what you think

Thursday 6 February 2019, 13:00 – 14:00

Richard Payne – Natural capital trade-offs in afforested peatlands

‘Large areas of Britain’s peatlands were planted with non-native conifers in the twentieth century. Forest expansion onto peat was promoted to secure domestic timber supply and encourage employment in rural areas, but proved controversial and was ultimately halted. As trees reach harvesting age there are important questions about what should be done with these areas next, with principal options including continued forestry and restoration to open habitats. Change in different forms of natural capital is key to this decision-making.’ Webinar registration

Winning images from the year’s national and international wildlife photography competitions

Click here to read the rest of the article.: The best of 2018 wildlife photography awards – in pictures | Environment | The Guardian

FoLLNR logo

Task Team Sunday at Linford Lakes NR

10:00- 13:00hrs

Come and help tidy up the reserve!

Time for tea and a chat too.

Healthy exercise in the fresh air, all good fun!

Wednesday 5 February 2019 – 12.30-13.30

Clare Lawson & Emma Rothero – The Natural Capital of Floodplains

‘ Over the past eighty years there has been a widespread transformation of floodplains from a naturally functioning landscape to a highly modified one, allowing the expansion of intensive agriculture and urban development to occur within the floodplain. Floodplains naturally support a wide range of habitats including species-rich meadows, wet woodland and fens. While these threatened habitats still remain within floodplains, their extent is much reduced.

In a world of public money for public goods, floodplains have the capability of delivering a broad range of ecosystem goods and services. Many of these goods and services result from the interface between terrestrial and freshwater ecosystems and the complex relationships between hydrological, physical, biogeochemical and ecological processes and are therefore not obtainable from other landscapes. It is already accepted that species-rich habitats have a vital role to play in the conservation of our natural and social heritage. However, they may provide a wider range of ecosystem service benefits in floodplains when compared to more intensive land-use types.

This webinar will discuss the benefits delivered by floodplains. Using species-rich floodplain meadows as a case study, we will demonstrate that floodplains can sustain productive agriculture in addition to delivering these benefits. We will also explore the potential benefit gain from expanding species-rich habitats within floodplains.’ Webinar Registration

Butterfly Conservation SOuth West Scotland have produced an Identification guide and suggested site guides for Glasgow, Dumfries & Galloway and Ayrshire, Falkirk & Lanarkshire, Stirlingshire, and Argyll.

Click here for more information.

Young Wildlife Photographers UK is an exciting project unveiling wildlife and nature photography and stories to a broader audience. Social networking is our tool to expose young talent and the next generation of British wildlife photographers.

This project isn’t just about photography but also to show that young people are still keen to be in touch with nature and are eager to conserve and protect it.

The project aims to reveal compelling and striking photography of the natural world in the eyes of young people, to share inspirational stories and powerful images that uncover nature or address a strong conservation issue.

Click here for more information.: British winter wildlife in pictures – Discover Wildlife

An Introduction to Wild Boar in the Forest of Dean

To form an opinion on anything you need to be armed with the facts….

….. here is a short introduction to wild boar, and some information about this special species that inhabits the Forest of Dean, and UK. we will go into more detail in other pages on this website.

The wild boar (Sus scrofa) is a true native species to Britain.

Historically they were a favourite festive meat for Royals, because of this, and as a result of hunting, they became extinct across Britain during the 13th century…

Click here for more information.: The Boaring Truth – Home

Managing pests biologically requires an integrated approach, including improving our knowledge of pest life cycles & integrating habitat to encourage their enemies. This session will share experience & practical tips from science & practice to help us look to design pest resilient farming systems for the future.
Speaker: Richard Pywell, Centre for Ecology & Hydrology

Click on the play button to watch the video

Psychedelic fungi may still be in bloom on New Year’s Day due to climate change

Click here to read the rest of the article.: Late frost gives UK magic mushroom hunters an extra high | Science | The Guardian

Thursday 24 January 2019 – 13:00 – 14.00

Rachel Stubbington – The Natural Capital of Temporary Rivers

‘Temporary rivers are natural ecosystems that can sometimes lose all surface water. In the UK, they range from the ‘winterbourne’ reaches of our celebrated chalk rivers to headwater streams in remote uplands. Although valued during flowing phases for their biodiversity and provision of recreational opportunities, many people see dry channels as symbols of ecological degradation, which overlooks the value of natural temporary streams: dynamic ecosystems that support high biodiversity including aquatic and terrestrial species during wet and dry phases, respectively. In this webinar, Rachel Stubbington – lead author of The Natural Capital of Temporary Rivers – will explore these ecosystems’ natural assets and link these to ecosystem services that people value, such as flood protection, water supply, and pollution control. By suggesting metrics that enable progress towards service provision goals to be tracked, Rachel and her colleagues’ research could enable future valuations of service provision and inform management strategies that maintain and enhance these dynamic ecosystems and the species and services they support.’  Webinar Registration

Conservationists used floating cages from Scottish salmon farms to rear and release Madagascar pochards

Click here to read the rest of the article.: From Scotland to Madagascar with love: safe havens for world’s rarest duck | Environment | The Guardian