Essex Biodiversity Project

The European Commission has launched a web-based consultation to gather input from a wide range of stakeholders on policy options for the European Union's post-2010 EU biodiversity strategy. Opinions are sought from citizens, stakeholders, public administrations, business and civil society on issues including the shortcomings of the existing biodiversity policy, the new approach that the Commission is proposing, farming and biodiversity, the economics of biodiversity, and biodiversity governance inside and outside the EU. The results will feed into the new strategy which is under development. The consultation runs until 22 October 2010.

In March 2010, the Council of the European Union agreed on a post-2010 vision and an ambitious new 2020 target for biodiversity to replace the expiring 2010 target. The new target aims to "halt the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services in the EU by 2020, restore them in so far as feasible, while stepping up the EU contribution to averting global biodiversity loss".

This survey is intended to canvas opinions about the various policy options available to fine-tune the new strategy, and the steps needed to ensure that it achieves the desired results. The survey asks in particular about areas where current EU legislation is perceived as inadequate or in need of strengthening, and about options for improving the integration of biodiversity policy into other areas.

The consultation can be filled in at

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/consultations/biodecline.htm

Ahead of the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity, (COP10) in Nagoya in October 2010, the Natural History Museum plans to launch a project called The Big Nature Debate to get the public talking about biodiversity and the world around them.  The debate will be a platform for information, opinion and discussion about biodiversity.  The IYB-UK secretariat is supporting the debate alongside IYB-UK partners The Zoological Society of London and the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew.

The project is planned to go live on 14th September with a news release being issued to the media, and the public will be encouraged to visit www.nhm.ac.uk/bignaturedebate where they will be able to quiz biodiversity experts, debate issues in forums, get updates with the latest biodiversity news through the Museum’s Facebook page or by following the Museum on Twitter.  The site will host thought-provoking blogs from biodiversity experts and other key thinkers on subjects such as’ what the world might look like in 2050’ or ‘has biodiversity loss reached a crisis point’.  IYB-UK will be supporting the debate using Twitter, Facebook and the partnership’s website www.biodiversityislife.net which already has a new section devoted specifically to Nagoya/COP10, as well as seeking to place some articles in the media.

There is also the opportunity to pose questions to a panel of scientists ahead of a live streamed debate on 7 October 2010.  The chair is still to be confirmed but the panel of experts include Professor Jon Hutton, Director of the World Conservation Monitoring Centre (UNEP-WCMC), Professor Robert Watson, Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) Paul Smith, Director Millennium Seed Bank - Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Dr Chris Lyal, Research Entomologist, Natural History Museum, Jonathan Baillie, Conservation Programmes Director for the Zoological Society of London.

The Association of Local Government Ecologists (ALGE) have launched a new on-line toolkit of advice about biodiversity.

The toolkit aims to help the planning community contribute to the conservation, enhancement and sustainable use of biodiversity and geodiversity.
The toolkit is still under development, but the pilot is intended to help users appreciate its potential and to understand the basic structure from the content already prepared - and to get a feel for how useful it will be in their day-to-day work. It has been designed to provide a one-stop interactive shop for:
• finding relevant legislation, policy, guidance and good practice
• highlighting potential development impacts
• providing access to information on how to manage such impacts in a way that benefits biodiversity and geodiversity conservation.
The toolkit has two main parts:
• A traditional web site where users will be able to find information relevant for each of the four countries in the United Kingdom.
• An Interactive Landscape – this provides animated scenarios to describe various aspects of biodiversity and geodivesity conservation within different types of development.
The Interactive Landscape also shows visually most of the habitats in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan and a wide range of geodiversity features.
And the pilot includes one of the most innovative approaches found in the Toolkit; this includes an animated farmstead that shows what issues should be considered for ‘Barn Conversions’ and how biodiversity conservation can be built into such a scenario.
The pilot will run from August 9 until the first week of September and includes a questionnaire which should take about ten minutes to complete. It also includes some tasks to help discover how user-friendly the toolkit is to navigate around. ALGE are seeking feedback on this and other aspects of the toolkit.

Access the toolkit pilot here.
www.biodiversityplanningtoolkit.com

Please find below our exciting programme of Bat Events planned for 2010. Come and find out more about these fascinating creatures of the night on guided walks, colony counts, talks and much more. Everybody is welcome to attend these events, but please note that some events require advance booking and some events may request a donation. At most events a number of bat detectors will be provided to be shared between the group. For your own comfort and safety please bring along a torch and wear suitable clothing and footwear. In the event of heavy rain or strong winds the event will be cancelled. Contact event leader for further information.

Promenade Park Bats Walk in Maldon for Maldon District Council 3rd September 7.15 pm – 9.15pm

Join Martin Pugh for a guided walk detecting the bats and moths of the park. Please meet in the car park at Promenade Park in Maldon, by the information point building next to the public toilets. Contact is Martin on 07738040457 – no need to book.

Bat Evening Essex Wildlife Trust Langdon Visitor Centre Saturday 4th September 8pm – 10.00 pm

The evening will start with a short talk looking at the bats that can be found on the reserve and then we will be going out on to the reserve with bat detectors. Leader Frank Last. Please contact the centre direct to book your place. £6 donation pp. Not suitable for under 14 year olds

Langdon Nature Reserve, Lower Dunton Road, Basildon, SS16 6EB Tel 01628 419103

Bat Evening Friday 10 September - Wivenhoe Woods

Take a walk with bat experts from Essex Bat Group through the woods, using bat detectors to find out what species are living there.

Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied.

Cost: £3 donation.

Event time: 7pm – 9pm (approximate finish time). Meet: TM 035 223 Rosabelle Avenue car park. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Bat talk and walk RSPB Discovery Zone, Wat Tyler Country Park 
Saturday 11 September 7 – 9 pm

Come along and discover the secret world of bats with our resident bat enthusiast. Booking essential: call 01268 498627.

Bat Evening Friday 17 September - Lexden Park

Take a walk with bat experts from Essex Bat Group through the Park, using bat detectors and find out what species are living there. Normally exceptional views of bats are gained over the lake. Countryside Ranger 01206 853588 Booking: Essential. Suitable for all ages. Children must be accompanied. Cost: £3 donation per. Event time: 6.45pm – 9pm (approximate finish time). Meet: TL 971 250 Car park off Church Lane. Walk Leader; Robin Cottrill

Friday 17th September. Bat Transect Survey of Norsey Wood, Billericay, Essex. Meet 6.30 pm at The Visitor Centre.

Directions: http://www.norseywood.org.uk/wood/route-to-wood.htm

FREE EVENT

An evening bat survey of Norsey Wood (in association with Basildon Council Countryside Ranger Service). 

This beautiful ancient coppice SSSI wood has a rich diversity including veteran trees, ponds, wet valleys, rides and plantation. There appears to have been very little bat survey work of this fantastic site so it should be an interesting evening

This would be suitable for all those with Frequency Division and/or Time Expansion detectors and recorders who wish to gain more experience in survey work. Those with Heterodyne detectors and a general interest in bats are also welcome. Please bring a torch, waterproof clothing, stout footwear and your own refreshments if you wish.

Email: Graham Hart thehart@btinternet.com for enquiries and to register your interest

Bat Walk Saturday 18th September - Colchester Castle Park

Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 18.50 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential (contact Yasmine Somers (Yasmine.Somers@colchester.gov.uk). Free to EBG members. Numbers limited.

Bat Walk Saturday 25th September - Colchester Castle Park Event in partnership with Colchester Borough Council. Please book your place in advance. 18.30 start. Meet near café in park. Booking is essential (contact Yasmine Somers (Yasmine.Somers@colchester.gov.uk). Free to EBG members. Numbers limited.

For further information or suggestions for future events please contact Becky Gibson beckyg@essexwt.org.uk

We hope you enjoy the events for 2010

Becky Gibson – EBG Programme Secretary

The Wildlife Trusts have set out their recovery plan for the UKs wildlife and fragmented habitats on land and at sea. Looking forward to the Government consultation on a proposed new White Paper on the Natural Environment,  the Trusts set out their vision to restore habitats and create new ones on a large scale, which should form the fundamental framework for new legislation.

See  http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=news&id=3417

Three hundred endangered water voles are to be re-homed from DP World’s London Gateway new deep sea container port at Thurrock to the peaceful riverbanks of the winding River Colne, in Essex. The port project includes clearing the 1,500acre site of animals and mammals including snakes, lizards, water voles, newts and many others. Over 50,000 animals have been relocated to date. Trapping water voles started in March 2010 under licence from Natural England, with voles weighed, sexed, and placed in holding cages with bedding and food before being transported to temporary homes, including the Wildwood wildlife sanctuary in Kent.

Essex has lost 90% of its water voles But with the help of action by conservation groups, this translocation will help to strengthen local populations. The vole translocation programme is the brainchild of Darren Tansley, Essex Wildlife Trust’s Water for Wildlife officer who will oversee their release, providing advice to DP World, developers of the London Gateway and one of the world’s largest marine terminal operators. One of the main vole release sites is Fordham Hall Estate, a 500-acre Woodland Trust woodland creation site ideally situated on the River Colne where enhancement work to improve the river habitat has already been undertaken in conjunction with the Environment Agency. One in ten of the water voles will be radio-tracked by Essex Wildlife Trust and Thomson Ecology to establish in which locations they choose to settle, providing important information for future translocations around the UK.

Full story at http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=news&id=3378

An international meeting has given the green light to the formation of a global "science policy" panel on biodiversity and ecosystem services to "bridge the gulf" between scientific research and urgent political action needed to halt biodiversity loss. The Intergovernmental Science Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) will carry out peer reviews of scientific literature in order to provide governments with "gold standard" reports. It is expected that the IPBES will be modelled on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which plays a major role in shaping global climate policy, and is expected to be formally endorsed in 2011.

More than 230 delegates from 85 nations backed the proposals at a five-day UN meeting in Busan, South Korea. The meeting's chairman Chan-Woo Kim, director-general of South Korea's environment ministry, said the "historic agreement" laid the foundations for a full scientific assessment of the challenges facing the world.

"The essence of this vision is to ensure environmental sustainability while pursuing development," he explained. For this to be realised, it is crucial to have a credible, legitimate and policy-relevant understanding of biodiversity and ecosystem services."

The idea to establish the IPBES followed the publication of the UN's Millennium Ecosystem Assessment in 2005, which concluded that human activities threatened the Earth's ability to sustain future generations.

Abridged from BBC News http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10307761.stm

Evidence of Pine Martens in England and Wales 1996-2007
Analysis of Reported Sightings and Foundations for the Future

By Johnny Birks and John Messenger

This new and highly-anticipated report from The Vincent Wildlife Trust presents an analysis of evidence of pine martens gathered from England and Wales over a 12-year period (1996-2007); this evidence mainly comprised sightings reported by naturalists, land managers and members of the public.

Analysis of the data suggests that pine martens are still present in broadly the same parts of England and Wales from which they were recorded in earlier decades, including Snowdonia and Carmarthenshire in Wales and the Lake District, Northumbria, the North York Moors and parts of the Midlands in England. This synthesis of the Trust’s long-term pine marten work contains various analyses and discussions, a county by county breakdown of the evidence and suggests future conservation plans for the species. It’s a must have!

Reports are priced at £14.95 including P&P. To order a copy, please send a cheque made payable to The Vincent Wildlife Trust to: The Vincent Wildlife Trust, 3&4 Bronsil Courtyard, Eastnor, Ledbury, Herefordshire, HR8 1EP. Invoice requests can be made by phone or email. To pay by credit or debit card, please order through the NHBS Environment Bookstore at http://www.nhbs.com/ - available from next week onwards.

The Vincent Wildlife Trust
3&4 Bronsil Courtyard
Eastnor
Ledbury
Herefordshire
HR8 1EP
tel. 0044 (0)1531 636441
fax 0044 (0)1531 636442
web: www.vwt.org.uk / www.pinemarten.info
 

DEFRA has published an updated report into the biodiversity of the UK which provides an insight into the health of the natural environment.  Eighteen indicators were agreed in 2007 by the UK Biodiversity Partnership to summarise the state of biodiversity. 

Of the 34 component measures within the indicators, over the long-term 10 have shown deterioration, 9 have shown improvement, 2 have shown little or no overall change, 12 had insufficient data for an assessment, and 1 is provided for contextual information and is therefore not assessed.

To see a summary of the results go to 

http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/files/2010/05/1905biodiversity.pdf

and for the full report go to

www.jncc.gov.uk/biyp

It is disappointing to see that the results are not more positive, despite the considerable efforts that have been put in by projects like the Essex Biodiversity Project and similar organisations across the nation, and shows that there is a need to do even more in future years.

With the kind permission of  Essex County Council Country Parks, Duncan Fisher and Graham Hart ( as members of Essex Bat Group) will be carrying out regular surveys of Weald Country Park in Brentwood, Essex this year. The dates are listed below. These may be of interest to you if you want to gain practical experience of bat surveying, recording and sound analysis. We hope it will be good learning experience for all.
The dates are