Gloucestershire’s developers and planners are being reminded to make wildlife a core consideration of any regeneration plans by the county’s Wildlife Trust, following a national survey to investigate the links between gardens and wildlife.
The ‘Wild About Gardens’ survey, carried out by The Wildlife Trusts and the Royal Horticultural Society in partnership with Ribena, confirmed that ‘token’ green spaces don’t provide lasting benefit for wildlife. Instead, new developments need to be planned to include a network of ‘green corridors’ to better accommodate species movement.
“Wildlife just doesn’t thrive in isolated pockets,” says Colin Studholme, director of conservation policy at Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. ...full article

Want to give an original, useful gift that costs as little as £6.00 AND help combat climate change this Christmas? Then give a compost bin, says Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust.
During the festive season it’s estimated that each person will eat an average of 14 Brussels sprouts – which means in Gloucestershire almost eight million sprouts will be consumed this Christmas. In landfill where they can’t rot down, the peelings from all these sprouts will contribute to global warming but in a compost bin they will rot down naturally to create rich, free food for the garden
According to the organisation, using a compost bin is one of the most accessible ways to help combat climate change. It’s an easy lifestyle choice ...full article

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust welcomes the Government’s manifesto on Learning Outside the Classroom, which was launched last week, and stresses the continuing need for the breakdown of barriers to young people’s participation in outdoor environmental learning.
At the heart of the Trust’s work is the need to educate and engage schoolchildren largely in the form of an active schools programme which has been running since 1991. Margaret Westmore, primary schools officer for the Trust said “I thoroughly endorse this manifesto and its vision. Our formal education programme providing learning activities in the environment has been running for 15 years. It engages with over 1,500 children per annum from a wide range of ...full article

Climate change in Gloucestershire is really happening according to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust experts. Wildlife in the county has a new threat but the good news is that local people can do something about it.
‘Climate change’ sounds like something big and a long way away. But, says the Wildlife Trust's chief executive Dr Gordon McGlone, "It’s right here, right now. In 2006 we have had the hottest summer on record. Even here in Gloucestershire we are beginning to see the effects.
"Declining rainfall will mean wildlife competes with people for water as wetlands dry out and gardens parch.
Changes in the pattern of the seasons – longer hotter summers, shorter wetter winters – will mean that Gloucestershire i...full article

Garden ponds can be a lifeline for local wildlife, according to Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust which is running a wildlife pond creation workshop on Sunday 3rd December at Tirlebrook Primary School in Tewkesbury.
The aim of the workshop is to give people hands on experience in creating and maintaining a wildlife pond, so they’re better equipped to build their own.
According to the Trust, the number of natural ponds in Gloucestershire has decreased alarmingly over recent decades. Most have been filled in, drained or polluted due to modern agricultural practices and inappropriate development. Because of this many pond species are in decline due to habitat loss. Establishing a domestic wildlife pond will not only ...full article

At its AGM (Saturday 25 November) Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust celebrated passing the 20,000 members mark, a major milestone for the county’s leading conservation organisation.
The Trust, which was founded 45 years ago in 1961, now has 3.5 per cent of the population of Gloucestershire as members, making it one of the best supported Wildlife Trusts in the South West.
“This is a tremendous milestone for us,” says Dr Gordon McGlone, chief executive of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. “It underlines how much the people of Gloucestershire care about the county’s wildlife and environment, and that they’re willing to take action to preserve and promote them.

“Our membership is the bedrock of our organisation. I...full article

This season’s ‘must have’ Christmas gift in Gloucestershire is a dormouse, barn owl or even a stag beetle according to the county’s Wildlife Trust.
Gloucestershire’s leading conservation charity is offering people the opportunity to ‘adopt’ one of six species of wildlife that are native to Gloucestershire and in need of a bit of extra help.
Species up for adoption include barn owl, brown hare, stag beetle, otter, dormouse and water vole, with money raised going directly into conservation work for the species adopted.
“This would make a brilliantly unusual gift for anyone who appreciates the county’s wildlife and countryside,” says Natalie Beecham of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. “It would also be great f...full article

The time is fast approaching for the start of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust’s Wildlife Quiz. Schools from all over the county will be invited to take part and the Trust is urging city schools from Cheltenham and Gloucester to take part also as they have been poorly represented in recent years. The Quiz is a great way of developing primary school children’s interest in wildlife and the countryside and to get them involved at a young age with the work of the Trust.
Last year the Trust was encouraged that 106 schools from across the county took part and the three finalists were Mickleton, Longney and Minchinhampton Primary Schools. It was a closely fought contest and in the end only a point separated the teams with ...full article

There’s been human activity for almost 6000 years at Greystones Farm Nature Reserve near Bourton-on-the-Water, it was revealed today.
New information boards and leaflets, generated by an interpretation project funded through English Heritage’s Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF), were unveiled today at the reserve by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust. The interpretation work details for the first time the site’s unique and ancient history dating back to the Neolithic period.
A geophysical survey undertaken by the Wildlife Trust in partnership with Cotswold Archaeology in 2004 finally provided concrete evidence of Greystones Farm’s archaeological significance, including the discovery of a causewayed enclosu...full article

As part of the BBC Breathing Places campaign Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is promoting practical days at Lower Woods, nr Wickwar, and Greystones Farm, Bourton-on-the-Water, starting from 21 October.
The Breathing Places campaign has a simple purpose: to inspire people to create and care for green places where they live. Over the next three years the BBC, in partnership with the UK’s leading wildlife organisations, is aiming to transform thousands of places across the UK, improving them for wildlife and for people.
A Breathing Place is somewhere you can escape the hassles of everyday life and get your hands dirty; a place where you and your family and friends can rediscover nature. The Gloucestershire Wildlife...full article

As part of the BBC Breathing Places campaign Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is promoting practical days at Lower Woods, nr Wickwar, and Greystones Farm, Bourton-on-the-Water, starting from 21 October.
The Breathing Places campaign has a simple purpose: to inspire people to create and care for green places where they live. Over the next three years the BBC, in partnership with the UK’s leading wildlife organisations, is aiming to transform thousands of places across the UK, improving them for wildlife and for people.
A Breathing Place is somewhere you can escape the hassles of everyday life and get your hands dirty; a place where you and your family and friends can rediscover nature. The Gloucestershire Wildlife...full article

With a record-breaking hot summer, low rainfall and groundwater levels at a 30 year low in parts of the UK, our impact on natural systems is becoming increasingly acute.
Rivers and streams are drying up to an extent not seen before. The effect on the UK's wildlife can be devastating. Descending water levels, for example, decimate water-edge wildlife such as dragonfly nymphs.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is urging people to help by following these water-saving, wildlife-saving tips:
 Turn the tap off when cleaning your teeth.
 Use a washing-up bowl - it takes half as much water as a sink to fill.
 Wait for a full load before using the dishwasher or washing machine: many ‘half load’ or ‘economy’ set...full article

Trust members John and Sheila Wood of Willow Lodge, Longhope will be opening their gardens to the public on behalf of the Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on Saturday and Sunday the 30th & 31st July between 1 – 5pm. Their garden covers four acres and is planted with trees and shrubs from all over the world. Home made teas will be available on the day.
The garden has areas of wildflowers, woodland plants and herbaceous borders with many rare and unusual specimens. There is a large bog garden, a fish pond and stream and an arboretum which contains approximately 400 different trees and shrubs.
Admission on the day will be £2.50 for adults with children admitted free.
John Wood said “We have been members of the Tr...full article

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust will be indulging in some food fun this summer, but with the aim of sharing a serious message about sustainable living.
At a unique two-day event entitled ‘Nature’s Bounty’, families and children from all over Gloucestershire will have the opportunity to discover how food is the secret to being ‘healthy, wealthy and wise’.
The event is being staged at the Trust’s Robinswood Hill Country Park headquarters in Gloucester on 25 and 26 July, and will be using fun activities to explore where food comes from, what we can do with it and where it goes when we throw it away.
According to the Trust, food politics and practices are the backbone to sustainable living, which is increasingly...full article

Restoration plans for the Capel Mill section of the Cotswold Canal in Stroud are being strongly opposed by Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, due to the plan’s disregard for the local environment.
The Cotswold Canals Partnership plan to route the canal through Frome Banks nature reserve, a popular riverside walk, involves taking it under the railway bridge along the route currently occupied by the River Frome. This would involve diverting the river itself through another arch of the bridge, which is close to a former unlicensed refuse tip.
The Wildlife Trust is opposing the plans, claiming that more sustainable and conservation-led solutions are being discounted because of cost and timescale.
“Frome Banks is a w...full article

One of Gloucestershire’s leading wildlife champions has been named in The Queen’s birthday honours list today (Saturday 17 June).
Dr Gordon McGlone, chief executive of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, is to be appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his services to conservation.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is the county’s leading conservation organisation dedicated to wildlife. Dr McGlone has headed up the Trust for 23 years, since 1983, first as director and since 2004 as chief executive.
During his time at the helm, the organisation has grown to manage 73 nature reserves around the county, totalling more than 2,500 acres of prime wildlife habitat. Its membership levels have als...full article

Households throughout Gloucestershire are being called on to switch to climate friendly living as part of a new regional campaign to help stop climate chaos.
The Big SWitch is a regional initiative from the South West Wildlife Trusts running 17-25 June. Its core message is that every household can do its bit to help combat climate change simply by making some small lifestyle switches which will add up to lower carbon living.
The South West Wildlife Trusts believe climate change is the greatest threat to people and wildlife today, and are urging their 130,000 members – 19,000 of which are members of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust - and the general public to ‘Make the Switch’.
“Carbon dioxide is the main gas ...full article

Get a spring in your step and walk with nature this weekend. That’s the message from Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, organizers of an event on Leckhampton Hill this Saturday 6 May.
Local volunteers with the Trust are joining with FOLK (Friends of Leckhampton Hill and Charlton Kings Common) to provide a two hour stroll to look for resident and migrant birds found on the hill at this time of year.
The walk starts at 9.30 am from the far end of Highland Road in Charlton Kings, Cheltenham – just turn up. For further information call 01242 516393. The walk can be steep and muddy in places so the Trust says come prepared.
The Wildlife Trust organizes over 100 events each year aimed at people of all ages and inter...full article

On the eve of National Compost Awareness Week, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is calling on the county’s composters to help take it a step closer to being a zero organic waste county.
The Trust is challenging people who already compost their vegetable peelings, apple cores and garden waste to convert at least one person who doesn’t, on the basis that composting saves people money, helps wildlife and combats climate change.
“Around 33 per cent of households in Gloucestershire compost,” says Rosalind Cookson of the Trust’s Don’t Waste Wildlife project, “which means we’re just two steps away from zero organic waste. If everyone who composts converted one person, and these went on to convert another person, Glouces...full article

After twelve successful years, the weekly kitchen waste collections in Newnham come to an end on Tuesday to make way for a new initiative which could see Newnham, Blakeney and Awre becoming the county’s first zero food waste zone.
Dean Community Compost, which pioneered the Newnham kitchen waste collections, is now to focus on developing a new broader initiative which would deal with more waste, meet new legislative requirements and be financially viable.
With the support of Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, the organisation will be canvassing the 1150 households on ‘bin route five’ over the next two weeks to find out about people’s preferences for the disposal of food waste - raw kitchen materials such as potato ...full article

During Will for Wildlife Week, a national Wildlife Trusts initiative, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is highlighting the importance of making your will – not only to look after loved ones but also to help protect our natural heritage for future generations to enjoy.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust has worked to protect and enhance wildlife for over forty years and legacies have made a substantial contribution to this success. Donations, large and small, in supporters’ wills have helped Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust protect wildlife for the future and today the benefit of legacies extends beyond individual species and nature reserves.
Lady Teresa Ricketts was an enthusiastic supporter of the Wildlife Trusts. Bef...full article

The village areas of west Gloucestershire near Newent are finally living up to their ‘Golden Triangle’ reputation this spring with their annual show of wild daffodils at road verges, fields and woodland. Delay in the warmer sunshine and rainy weather, conditions the daffodils need to bloom, has resulted in this favourite county flower(1) being at least two weeks later than usual to be at their best.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust manages three nature reserves(2) in the area and planned an open day on 18th March. But there was a disappointing show of daffodils and visitors went away disappointed. Local volunteer Elaine Shears said “It is always difficult to know which date to set for our event as we obviously want a...full article

Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is appealing to its supporters and the public to stop a mass extermination of badgers. The Trust is stepping up a campaign to prevent the Government from disregarding its own scientists and ordering a cull that could wipe out the county’s badgers.
A public consultation on proposals to control bovine tuberculosis (bTB) in cattle suggests Ministers are considering discounting years of scientific research. The Government could still opt to cull badgers on a vast scale in an attempt to control the disease, despite being told it will not work.
Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust is urging its 20,000 members and the public to stand up for the protected species by contacting their MPs and wr...full article

The Wildlife Trusts are encouraging everyone to take part in a vital consultation process which formally opens a dialogue with the heritage sector and the public to obtain views on its future priorities.
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has launched Our Heritage, Our Future, Your Say, which is designed to inform planning for HLF’s next Strategic Plan and will shape the organisation’s work from 2008 to 2013.
It coincides but is independent of the Government’s own consultation, planned to launch this month, on the future shares and direction of heritage, arts and sports lottery funding. Both consultations are designed to encourage people to respond and inform future priorities and grant-making.
Liz Forgan, Cha...full article

Background

Defra has announced new control measures (14/15 December 2006 ) to address the problem of bovine TB (bTB). These comprise
A public consultation on the principle and methods of a badger culling policy in areas of high TB incidence in cattle, involving three proposed culling strategies (closing date 10 March 2006)
The introduction of a requirement for pre-movement testing to reduce the spread of bovine TB through movement of cattle. This requirement will only apply to cattle over 15 months (coming into force on 20 February 2006)
The introduction of a new compensation scheme to bring into line payments for bovine TB and three other cattle diseases (coming into force 1 February 2006).
To c...full article

The environmental importance of the wetland around the River Severn floodplain will be celebrated on Thursday 2 February as part of World Wetlands Day – a major international initiative to raise awareness of low lying wetlands and their impact on global ecology.
Wetlands have played a key role throughout human life and their functions include: flood control, ground water replenishment, shoreline stabilisation, water purification, reservoirs of biodiversity and recreation, and, for the developing world, an area for food production, particularly rice.
At the Wildlife Trust Coombe Hill Nature Reserve, near Tewkesbury in Gloucestershire, work is underway to restore the previously drained arable land back into wet gr...full article