Radio Interview and Article with FOSP vice-chair

30th January 2021

Last Sunday, The Vice-chair of FOSP carried out an interview with Nicky from BBC Radio Gloucester. Please listen below but in response to the familiar, ‘you’re doing a good job‘ comment, around the pond, in the article below is outlined the goals and ideals set out by FOSP (The Friends…), whilst working with its partners.

Radio Interview January 2021 with Nicky Price, BBC Radio Gloucestershire @ BBC

Once again, The Friends of Saintbridge Pond (The Friends…) has been awarded The Green Flag.

The outstanding work and community pride in getting this for the third year go out to all the volunteers who have given their free time to make this green oasis a gem in the City of Gloucester.

What it reflects is the ‘natural standard for green spaces and aims to reflect that nature of good urban green spaces.

Frequently asked questions about The Friends.. and their work

To start with, the Green Flag Scheme was first launched in 1966 and is now widely accepted as the benchmark for green spaces as 69% of Local Authorities use the award. Besides, it is said that the Green Flag Award criteria are closest to indicators of national quality for England and Wales.

So what makes a site so special?.

Well, it is an analysis based on its fitness for purpose, through quality judgment based on local need. These quality judgments are both subjective, concerning aesthetics, and objective, regarding facilities. By looking at a study that was carried out a couple of years ago, there are eight indicators that can be viewed in the document below.

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There are eight areas of excellence to fulfill against the Green Flag Award Criteria, for the site, potentially, to continue to receive the award.

Criteria 1, 2 and 3 – For these three criteria, the public were asked on a scale to what extent they would describe Saintbridge Pond as a place to visit.

Criteria 4 and 5 – For these criteria, again, the site was evaluated against the Green Flag Award guide, but additionally, several Habitat Surveys of the site have been carried out, to industry-standard, demonstrating the high habitat diversity of the site.

Criteria 6 – Multiple questionnaires were created, considering the inclusion of different areas of Gloucester, age groups, genders, as well as uses of the site and frequency of use. Besides, the public was asked how they would describe the site, and this was used to create a word cloud.

Criteria 7 – Current and previous marketing were outlined, and marketing options suggested from the Friend’s activities, including how events could be publicised and the scale of community inclusion.

Criteria 8 – The features suggested from four sources were tabulated and featured in a proposed action plan, with justification from sources stated, and who, how, when, how and cost.

So what do The Friends… actually do?

The effective time and effort put into the conservation work carried out have led to the biodiversity we can see today.

Woodpecker at home on the reserve – P Wilson

This pays long-term dividends for all and that is something that FOSP members give instinctively. We are proud to work with our partners and would like to thank The Friends of Barnwood Arboretum (FOBA), The Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, Saintbridge Allotments Group Association (SAGA) who have all been awarded the Green Flags. We all believe that wildlife is the first priority to creating a wonderful ecological balance between a precious resource and cultivation. That passion from nature is more important than biological knowledge.

The work that The Friends…. put into the woodland walk or spinney, is just part of the bigger management plan to look after the site, along with our local partners.

Why have the visitor numbers increased since last year?

Since March 2020, the footfall around the pond has increased, especially in the early spring, into summer and even individuals have stayed out all day in the warmer weather around the pond at its margins. What draws people of all ages, I suppose is that it is attractive to anyone looking to get out and be with their friends and although we’ve been told not to mix, just being in a few metres from other living beings, we all feel connected.

Why do people visit?

Unknowingly, it may be part of mankind’s genetic make-up to respect the need for natural space. Wilson (1984) theorised the concept of ‘biophilia’, which states humans have an inherent affiliation, as a species, to the natural environment. This is both through genetics and cultural experiences of stimulation from nature. It is important for health to be exposed to natural environments because it promotes psychological restoration and encourages physical activity and social interaction. With an emphasis on the latter, it’s important to note that if society becomes detached from nature, it is the responsibility of The Friends… to be a part of this cause to bring them back to appreciate the natural world. It offers a place for reflection and fitness, family, or nature. Experiencing nature leads to increased cognitive abilities and inspiration to protect the environment.

What drives FOSP individuals and the group as a whole?

It is a feeling of belonging leads that leads to an increased likelihood of caring for the environment. It is the role of Saintbridge Balancing Pond & Reserve to be aesthetically stimulating to the extent that FOSP volunteers feel a sense of belonging, and therefore assign a high value to the site.

As our mission statement states:
“We are a group of dedicated volunteers who meet twice a month and during the week in conjunction with our partners. We aim to maintain and develop the balancing pond as a nature reserve.
Our partners are Gloucester City Council, the Environment Agency, Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust, and Saintbridge Allotment Gardens Association. We work together to make the balancing pond more than just a flood relief structure.
Overall, we endeavor to make the site accessible to everyone, ensuring it is a pleasant and relaxing oasis for wildlife and people alike”

Dillie showing full Speculum before landing on water, common to most waterfowl – P Wilson

Environmental Benefits of the Surrounding Area

The Dry Balancing Pond, which is situated North-East of the pond itself is there to filter in any excess water which flows down from the Cotswold Escarpment and this is funnelled through the dam where, it flows out the balancing pond and then through the city, ending up in the River Severn.

Due to the numerous trees and aquatic bacteria, this improves the local air quality, through the removal and deposition of carbon from the atmosphere, which is stored in the living material and soil. However, with the number of trees on the site and climate change adaptation, this would have a substantial diminishing effect on the amount of carbon dioxide produced in the local area.

Pollination from the many tree and flower species offers a large volume to pollinator species during the summer months, like bees butterflies and moths. The Biodiversity Potential for the flora and fauna species found at Saintbridge Balancing Pond are diverse, and many of them are visible on any one visit to the site. In terms of biology, an increase in species richness, especially of bird and plant species, has been found to increase psychological well-being. Interestingly, high-quality small areas were seen to be more valuable than having low-quality large areas or a higher quantity of areas in general.

FOSP considers the future management of green space to be considerate of habitat patches and the connectivity of this mosaic, both to increase biodiversity and enhances the well-being of urban populations.

Finally, the Noise Attenuation in this area of Gloucester is minimal, with the main roads some distance from the site. As well as this, the tall tree species offer some sound protection from external sources.

The Future of Friends of the Pond
This is a flagship project, as the site does not discriminate, with open access all times of the year, and encourages walking or other sporting activities.

We’ve met the following criteria

a) Support an active community
b) Reduce social and economic disadvantage
c) Reduce carbon emissions
d) Protect and enhance biodiversity
e) Protect built and natural heritage
f) Encourage good quality design

Finally, the natural boundaries around Saintbridge Balancing Pond are considered a priority by FOSP members and so that is our focus to improve these aspects, which therefore increases biodiversity. Although the site does not have ancient buildings which could be referred to as heritage, if Saintbridge Balancing Pond is continuously cared for by all interested parties, it could be considered as a place for community pride and heritage status for Gloucester in the future.

Follow these links to take you directly to the following websites
Contacts: Friends of Saintbridge Pond Nature Reserve | Taking Nature In Its Stride
• Friends of Saintbridge Pond Nature Reserve in Gloucester
o Twitter FOSP Gloucester @fospgloucester
o Facebook Saintbridge Pond Nature Reserve
o Nextdoor Friends of Saintbridge Pond Nature Reserve & Garden Allotments
o https://greenflagaward.org/park-summary/?park=2470
o http://saintbridge.org.uk/

Feeding Ducks, Pest Control and Human Health

24th November 2020

Before continuing to the article, please watch the public information film from the River and Canal Trust about this growing problem.

Duck talk

Changing the way we feed the ducks.

It’s one of the most joyful things you can do with the kids on a Sunday afternoon – head down to the banks of your canal or river and feed the ducks out in the sunshine. There are concerns, however, that ducks are being fed too much bread in overcrowded hotspots, so the Canal & River Trust is launching a new campaign to try to redress the balance. Trust ecologist Chantal Dave tells us more.

What’s a natural diet for a duck?

Mallards, a common species of duck on the waterways, usually eat a varied diet of seeds, acorns, berries, plant matter, fish eggs, worms and snails.

So what should we be feeding the ducks?

Try seeds, corn and perhaps even defrosted frozen peas. One food I’ve noticed goes down well is porridge oats. Bird seed is another great option, too. And they don’t need a huge amount – just a small scattering will do.

How have ducks responded to these alternatives so far?

There has been some initial feedback saying the ducks aren’t taking to it so well as the bread but I think this is simply because they’re not used to it, especially if it’s a popular feeding site and they’re used to eating bread. My advice is – be persistent and keep trying with the healthier food. They’ll get used to it in time!

Why is bread bad for ducks, then?

Too much bread, particularly white bread, has been found to be unhealthy for humans, so how can we expect it to be good for ducks? It’s low in nutrients and can be very stodgy for wildfowl to deal with. Another issue is that any scraps of bread left uneaten in the water can quickly harbour bacteria, such as Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism in ducks if they happen to eat it. Uneaten scraps also attract vermin, such as rats.

And how can food affect the water?

Too much food thrown into a manmade body of water, such as a canal – which has a slow-moving flow – can cause a build-up of too many nutrients in the water and encourage algal growth. This algae, such as duckweed, starves the water of oxygen and blocks out sunlight, having a detrimental effect on the ecology of the canal. So as well as encouraging people to feed the ducks healthier alternatives to bread, we’re also recommending they avoid the overcrowded feeding hotspots. Instead, try taking your pouch of food a couple of miles up the towpath and spread the love a bit more.

Interview: Abigail Whyte (taken from the website)

Links https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/blogs/waterfront/duck-talk

WEILS DISEASE: & WILDFOWL FEEDING

I need to draw attention to this disease which has received recent publicity due to several complaints about the rat numbers around the reserve. Within the Current COVID Crisis, footfall around the pond has increased with the numbers exploring this great resource. However, there is a problem, with the increase in the grain and mainly bread left at the feeding sites (along with the litter), the rat pest population has increased and they have become more brazen.

In order, to stem the amount of bread and other material left on the bank, we will be installing the above sign to inform everyone of the dangers of leaving food on the bank.

These pests have been getting used to human contact, seeing ‘us’ as a food source over the past couple of months. Also, people have been getting them confused with ‘water rats’ or voles which is a completely different secretive species. The public confusion lies with Rat (better known as Ratty) as one of the four main characters in the 1908 book The Wind of the Willows. He is in fact, a water vole (referred to as a water rat in the book) who lives at a riverbank

Differences between the Rat and Vole

One distinct feature that sets water voles apart from brown rats is the ears.

Water voles (above) have ears buried under their fur, while brown rats have very prominent ears that stick up above their head. Their tails are also very different. Water voles have short tails that are thin and furry. Brown rats have scaly and long tails that are over half their body’s length.

The Nature of Weil’s Disease
Weil’s disease (Leptospira) is a bacterial infection carried in rats’ urine which contaminates water and wet river banks. The bacteria do not survive for long in dry conditions. It can occur in any water, including swift streams and rivers, but the likelihood of becoming infected is greater from stagnant or slow-moving waterways.

The highest risk is to farmers and vets who are most likely to come into direct contact with infected urine or blood. The next level of risk is from contaminated water to fishermen, water sports enthusiasts, etc. Finally, there is a small risk of catching Weil’s Disease from contact with soil.
Leptospira can live up to several months in water and plays an important role as a source of transmission of leptospirosis. Leptospira needs an optimal environment to live and to reproduce such as a moist atmosphere, temperatures around 25˚C, and pH near neutral (±7).
Dry weather conditions, strong sunlight, water, and soil pH outside the range of 6.2 to 8.0 do not support the growth of Leptospira.
I need to repeat this, the disease itself is relatively rare, thus the overall risk of contracting it is small.
However, it can be a serious illness requiring hospital treatment and can lead to kidney or liver failure, and so all reasonable precautions to avoid infection must be taken.
If you fall ill with the symptoms overleaf, particularly from three to nineteen days afterward, I urge you to see your doctor immediately.

Please note:
The most common mild symptoms are high temperature, a flu-like illness, and joint and muscle pains. You should inform his/her doctor about the activities in which he/she has been involved.

PRECAUTIONS FOR FEEDING THE WILDFOWL NOT WILDLIFE (RATS)

As FOSP Vice-chair, I would like to recommend the following actions:

1. Activities where children are repeatedly close to stagnant or slow-moving water.
Please do not let them sit or touch the grass or the muddy bank, and stay at least a metre away from the edge of the water. Make sure all food falls on the water surface. The reason for this is that the ducks will be the only ones to feed on your food.

2. Please don’t empty your food contents on the floor near the bank when you leave.
After you have finished, please take all seed or bread meant for the birds’ home or put it in the bins provided around the pond.

3. If the ducks do not seem to be interested, do not feed the rats. Please stop immediately and save your food resources. Explain to children that they are not hungry at the moment and we are only here to feed the ducks. These rats are very resourceful and can find their food naturally.

4. Once you have the opportunity, please ensure that you wash your hands after feeding the ducks.

5. Before setting out, any cuts or grazes should be covered by a waterproof plaster.

6. Please wear strong shoes or waterproof boots when near the water’s edge to avoid slipping or accidental cuts throughout the year.

7. If parents or children develop a flu-like illness after visiting the pond, they should consult their GP as early as possible.

The precautionary measures detailed should reduce the risk of leptospirosis.

Reducing Local Vandalism

16th November 2020

As vice-chair and acting secretary of the Friends of Saintbridge Pond (FOSP), I’m representing all our members. Our group looks after the balancing pond located between most or near to your wards. We are green flag winners for two years running. Visit the website for more details https://greenflagaward.org/. The Green Flag Award scheme recognises and rewards well-managed parks and green spaces, setting the benchmark standard for the management of recreational outdoor spaces across the United Kingdom and around the world.

I fear that local vandalism and anti-social behaviour are beginning to rise during this current pandemic. In all the history of The Friends…, we have had a little graffiti problem but this is a defined tag of a local individual or group.

I feel that our good work is about to be disrupted due to some of this ‘tagging’ which has recently appeared on the dam near the dry balancing pond. This haunt is also used by the locals who enjoy a ‘smoke’, watching some football (must have great wi-fi), and generally milling about but the graffiti is a recent development since this Saturday 14th November 2020.

You can see for yourself in the photographs.

It is very unsightly and does not help build towards the natural environment the Friends… is working to protect. Also, in all your particular wards, you may have seen similar tags, again detracting from the good work, aiming to build into community cohesion. If we can stop this here at Saintbridge Nature Reserve with your help, perhaps we can reduce vandalism locally in the surrounding Gloucester wards.

The solution to halting this initial vandalism could be the following.

Initially, I have informed local councilors, PCSO’s, and Gloucestershire City Council. I have received a favourable response from one councilor who is willing to help.

Could the local PCSO’s find out who’s tag this is and let them know that they are welcome to use the natural green space but not to spoil it for the general visiting public. Possibly a warning not to do it again. Also, more walking patrols around the pond (weekends and evenings) and surrounding areas to deter any anti-social behaviour. (including motorbike activity around the back of Birch avenue residential gardens adjacent to the river Twyver.) You are more likely to hear it than see it.

I am also requesting that a Gloucester City Council clear up team come out and please remove this graffiti and then treat the wall with an anti-graffiti spray on the surrounding walls so it will be effective against future attacks.

TO FINISH ON SOME FRIENDS OF… GOOD NEWS

Here is some of the good work we’ve carried out quite recently, making part of a well-defined path to the spinney safe for all walkers. The path was becoming very dangerous so we put down a safe surface with available materials.

If you have never visited us, please come and have a look at the spinney, wet meadow, and wonderful wildfowl found on the reserve. If you want to find out more information about our group, please visit our website at https://fosp.org.uk/.

You can find us on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn & Next Door.

best regards to all.

FOSP vice chair & acting secretary

FOSP Freshwater Species Survey 2020 and Recovery Plan

10th September 2020

In September 2020, a brief survey of two sites within the balancing and tributaries were taken. FOSP members spent a morning looking at the biodiversity within the site and a shortlist was compiled. Here are the 2020 results:

Still water by the Dam

*Taxon*	*Abundance*
Sericostoma personatum	30
Potamophylax sp. Lat/cing	40
Gammarus pulex	300
Potamophyrgus antipodarum	40
Sphaerium corneum	1
Pisidium subtruncatum	10
Oligochaeta	10
Chironomidae	10
Glossiphonia complanata	1
Elmis aenea	5
Dendrocoelum lacteum

River Twyver above Pond below

Taxon	*Abundance*
Gammarus pulex	300
Potamophylax sp. Lat/cing	2
Dendrocoelum lacteum	2
Pisidium subtruncatum	3
Trocheta subviridis	1
Prodiamesa olivacea	7
Prodcladius sp.	1
Chironomini	1
Dugesia tigrina	10
Radix balthica	1
Glossiphonia complanata	50
Asellus aquaticus	50
Oligochaeta	120
Potamopyrgus antipodarum	120
Tipula lateralis	1
Baetis rhodani	2
Simulium ornatum grp.

In the spring of 2021, there will be another chance to have a look at our little oasis again.

So Why is Biodiversity important?

Biodiversity is vanishing from rivers, lakes, and wetlands at an alarming speed. A plan, developed by a global team of scientists from WWT, WWF, International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Conservation International, the University of Cardiff and other eminent organisations and academic institutions, is the first comprehensive plan to protect and restore freshwater habitats, which host more species per square kilometre than land or oceans – and are losing this extraordinary biodiversity two or three times faster. A key element of the 2020 Living Planet Report’s Freshwater Deep Dive, the Recovery Plan gives us a framework from which we can push for greater freshwater representation in the new CBD Post-2020 targets.

Published in BioScience, the Emergency Recovery Plan calls for the world to take urgent steps to tackle the threats that have led the 84% collapse in freshwater biodiversity and the degradation of 90% of the world’s wetlands reported in the 2020 Living Planet Index report – ecosystems that provide us with water, food, livelihoods, and protection from floods, droughts, and storms.

The six-point plan prioritises solutions that are rooted in cutting edge science and have already proven successful in certain locations:

1. Letting rivers flow more naturally
2. Reducing pollution
3. Protecting critical wetland habitats
4. Ending overfishing and unsustainable sand mining in rivers and lakes
5.Controlling invasive species
6. Safeguarding and restoring river connectivity through better planning of dams and other infrastructure

WWT’s Director of Conservation Dr. James Robinson said:

Our newly published Emergency Recovery Plan presents an outline of straightforward and pragmatic solutions to the freshwater biodiversity crisis that are already proven to work. A strategic approach to the implementation of these measures is vital if we are to make a global impact.
Wetlands are natural super systems that sustain an extraordinary level of biodiversity. We must act now to protect them.

Critically, with governments meeting in November to agree on a new global deal to conserve and restore biodiversity at a landmark conference of the Convention on Biological Diversity, the authors recommend some new targets, including on restoring water flows, controlling illegal and unregulated sand mining in rivers, and improving the management of freshwater fisheries that feed hundreds of millions of people.

Nowhere is the biodiversity crisis more acute than in the world’s rivers, lakes and wetlands – with over a quarter of freshwater species now heading for extinction.
The Emergency Recovery Plan can halt this decades-long decline and restore life to our dying freshwater ecosystems, which underpin all of our societies and economies.

Dave Tickner, WWF-UK Chief Freshwater Advisor and lead author on the paper

Covering approximately 1% of the Earth’s surface, rivers, lakes and freshwater wetlands are home to 10% of all species and more described fish species than in all the world’s oceans. But they are rapidly disappearing with populations of freshwater megafaunas – such as river dolphins, sturgeon, beavers, crocodiles and giant turtles – crashing by 88% in the past half-century.

The causes of the global collapse in freshwater biodiversity are no secret, yet the world has consistently failed to act, turning a blind eye to the worsening crisis even though healthy freshwater ecosystems are central to our survival.
The Emergency Recovery Plan provides an ambitious roadmap to safeguarding freshwater biodiversity – and all the benefits it provides to people across the world.

Co-author, Professor Steven Cooke of Carleton University in Canada

The Emergency Recovery Plan highlights a variety of measures that together will transform the management and health of rivers, lakes and wetlands, such as treating more than 20% of sewage before it is flushed into nature, avoiding dams on the world’s remaining free-flowing rivers, and expanding and strengthening protected areas in partnership with local communities.

All the solutions in the Emergency Recovery Plan have been tried and tested somewhere in the world: they are realistic, pragmatic and they work.
We are calling on governments, investors, companies and communities to prioritise freshwater biodiversity – often neglected by the conservation and water management worlds. Now is the time to implement these solutions, before it is too late.

James Dalton, Director of IUCN’s Global Water Programme

“We have the last opportunity to create a world with rivers and lakes that once again teem with wildlife, and with wetlands that are healthy enough to sustain our communities and cities, but only if we stop treating them like sewers and wastelands,” said Tickner. “This decade will be critical for freshwater biodiversity: countries must seize the chance to keep our life support systems running by ensuring freshwater conservation and restoration are central to a New Deal for Nature and People.”

Find out more about the recovery plan here

https://medium.com/@WWF/tackling-the-worlds-forgotten-crisis-an-emergency-recovery-plan-for-freshwater-biodiversity-70dd580c8474

FOSP Volunteer Sessions Official Restart 2020

31st August 2020

Hi Everyone,
Just to note to everyone in the group and prospective volunteers that our fortnightly meets are taking place every 1st & 3rd Sunday of Every Month. There are opportunities to work within the week on our allotments or around the reserve too.

Taking into consideration, COVID -19 rules, we meet at 10.00 am at the Green Container and work in twos or threes around the pond or on the allotments, carrying out whatever tasks are needed. please bring your own refreshments etc until we have further government guidance about sharing items.

We now have quite a few volunteers now and as vice-chair, I would like to thank you all for your continuing dedication and devotion to our cause, which is creating a green space, building a rapport with the local community, and making our green lung ‘breath’. Again, we can’t do this without you so THANK YOU ONE AND ALL.

To Prospective Volunteers

If you are thinking of joining us please use contactus@fosp.org.uk or talk to the FOSP members around the pond reserve or on the allotments throughout the week. They will be able to point you in the right direction to join this exciting community project which has been an escape for many over the past six months during this pandemic.

If you are a FOSP regular, I look forward to seeing you on our fortnightly workdays or in the week. If you are enquiring about Friends of Saintbridge pond, I look forward to hearing from you.

best regards

Tony B

FOSP Vice-Chair & Acting Secretary

The Tree Council’s response to the government consultation on the England Tree Strategy

14th August 2020

If you’ve enjoyed the peace and quiet around our little nature haven, please have a look at the following consultation. Not only for yourself but for your children and for future generations to come. We can make a difference but only if we notice our environment. It can be a force for good and if we start to lose our green and pleasant green breathing spaces, we as humans will need to work in harmony with nature to get them back.

This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to influence tree strategy

The government has published a consultation seeking views to inform an upcoming England Tree Strategy. This consultation is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to set out real, lasting commitments to England’s trees and hedgerows, across all our urban and rural landscapes. The consultation, leading into the new England Tree Strategy, is an important part of helping to shape a green, tree-filled future.

The Tree Council welcomes the consultation and the efforts that have been made to publish it in a good time for everyone to have time to contribute.
We want a strategy that pushes even further and faster, providing funds to establish and protect trees across the widest spectrum of our urban and rural landscapes, and thinks of trees as assets, not liabilities. There should be input from a broad range of government departments (including Health, Education, Transport, Culture, and Tourism) in order to recognise the many, diverse benefits trees offer humans, nature, and the climate.

At present, our chief concern is to ensure that sufficient attention and funding go into environments beyond large-scale forests and managed woodlands. This includes hedgerows, street trees, community orchards, wood pasture, parkland, and the landscapes which house our precious ancient trees. A key component of achieving this will be to resource local authorities properly to create local strategies with clear local targets, recruit sufficient numbers of qualified tree officers, and establish and care for trees and hedgerows.

The eventual strategy should include a raft of intelligent statutory targets for England, based on quality data about our existing treescape and including clear reporting structures to ensure this happens. We also want to ensure residents, communities, and volunteer-led organisations are educated and empowered to care for their local trees long-term.
We would like the opportunity to comment on a written version of the draft strategy before it is finalised. In this consultation, there is often a disconnect between the consultation narrative and the questions asked. The use of multiple-choice questions and tight word limits also makes it more challenging to give detailed and thoughtful answers. Therefore to have full confidence that urban trees, ancient trees, and hedgerows are properly represented in the final strategy, consultees should be given the opportunity to see and comment on the full detail of the draft strategy before it is published.

The Tree Council’s key priorities are that the strategy should:

Fund and establish trees outside commercial forests and large managed woodlands
Recognise the importance of the entire English treescape, and its importance to wellbeing, heritage, ecology and biodiversity (that is, the ecosystems services trees provide), not simply for carbon capture, timber or energy crops.
Offer equivalent funding, incentives and importance to establishing thriving hedgerows, urban and street trees, orchards and wood pasture as is provided to woodland trees and crop trees.
Commitments to include targets for the planting of street, urban and peri-urban trees, and going beyond the traditional solutions, for example by including rooftop gardens on office/housing blocks in cities.
Fund research into the benefits of trees within all our urban and rural landscapes, such as hedgerows, parks, wood pasture, and on streets.
Fund research into the most effective ways of ensuring that trees achieve their full environmental and ecosystem potential.
Recognise the importance of local and regional tree strategies
The strategy should include firm commitment to support and fund local authorities to lead on local tree planting as a key component of local tree strategies, which includes more resources for Tree Officers – who are currently focused on statutory prevention (TPOs) rather than a duty to plant. The provision of more Tree Officers also aids community and volunteer involvement.
Invest in hedgerows
Commit to establishing the 200,000km of urban and rural hedgerow (or in-filling with new trees, or rejuvenating) as per the recommendation of the Committee on Climate Change in May 2019. This should include planting hedge trees every 20 metres (mature standard trees of the future, over and above the main hedging species).
Fund research into how hedgerows can support national carbon and biodiversity goals, e.g as wildlife corridors, as protectors of soil organic carbon (SOC).
Set a raft of bold, clear, statutory targets
Set a target for England’s contribution to the UK-wide target of planting 30,000 hectares of trees each year by 2024.
Targets should go up to 2050.
Consider basing targets on canopy cover rather than hectarage, and include a target to increase trees established in the wider landscape (outside largely managed woodlands).
Include a target to establish, rejuvenate or ‘fill-in’ 200,000km hedgerow.
Local authority to set targets to increase canopy cover at the municipal level.
Office of Environmental Protection to monitor, evaluate, and report against the above targets.
Set out an ambitious, legally protected, and biosecure long-term vision for a tree-filled future
Set out a vision for ongoing tree planting, establishment and care which will result in a future filled with trees in our streets, parks, woodlands, orchards, housing developments and public spaces.
Provide formal and legal protection for our ancient and veteran trees wherever they live and recognise the notable trees which stand to be our future ancient and veteran trees.
A commitment to develop bio-secure, UK grown, tree stock that supports commercial, local authority and community tree nurseries.
Make land-based careers more visible and attractive throughout the education system, widening the offer for both technical and academic qualifications, to grow the next generation of professional tree people. Fund research into more sustainable methods of tree protection and include a national commitment to move away from plastic tree guards.
Effectively engage MHCLG, BEIS and Local Enterprise Partnerships, to recognise the role trees and nature recovery have in growing a sustainable and resilient skills-based local economy e.g. through Local Industrial Strategies.
Empower communities and volunteer groups to care for their local trees
Fund tree establishment projects at the community level.
Long-term support to enable volunteers and volunteer organisations to establish and care for local trees and hedgerows.
Fund local authorities to provide more support and guidance on tree establishment projects to volunteer groups in their local area.
Harness the power of technology to engage audiences, gather and share data, improve knowledge and efficiency

https://consult.defra.gov.uk/forestry/england-tree-strategy/

Leave Your Barbecue at Home

24th June 2020

Thinking of having a barbecue in the countryside? Don’t, with hot, dry weather like this, there’s an increased risk of wildfires.

Just one spark from your fire or barbecue is enough to start a wildfire, destroying habitats and wildlife.

Leave your barbecues at home, and don’t have fires in the countryside. Please share this message with friends and family.

PROTECT THE COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE, and HUMAN LIVES!

Birds Eye View

20th June 2020

Amphibian Survey 2020

28th May 2020

Frogs & Toads around the Sites

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Scientifically there is no real distinction between frogs & toads. ‘Frog’ relates to the movement of hopping and this creature spends considerable time in the water while Toads walk or crawl and only enter it to breed. Frogs behaviour patterns have been taken to indicate weather patterns, a bright healthy skin suggesting fine weather and dull sheen the opposite in the form of rain. If spawn was laid at the edge of ponds, it was considered an indication of storms while spawn found in the middle meant possible drought conditions. There are lots of folklore around these amphibians, mainly used as medicinal remedies, food, and other strange rituals too. To find a frog inside your house was seen as as as a bad omen and frog parts were sometimes used as a talisman. However, let’s look at our living breathing pond and its watery residents.

Saintbridge Pond (and the nearby allotment) was most impressive for common frog (Rana temporaria)! Not only the best location I’ve visited in Gloucester, but the quantities of spawn were among the largest I’ve seen anywhere, ever. Around 200 clumps. Saintbridge has, around its fringes, excellent habitat for breeding frogs. They need long grass/rushes and other low-level vegetation plus logs and objects to hide in/under, plus clean, shallow, still and fish-free areas of water to breed in. It’s hard to think of an animal with a greater range/volume of enemies than the common frog – many invertebrates, birds, mammals, reptiles, and even other amphibians prey upon it from the moment the egg is laid and throughout every stage of the rest of its life. It has no skin toxins, sting, claws, beak, or other weaponry to fight back with and even lacks teeth. Instead, it deploys a passive resistance strategy – hopping away from a threat or hiding still and out of sight in vegetation, etc. The ‘Ghandi frog’

For your interest here are my 2020 sightings (so far). Numbers of spawn clumps (in brackets below) are, of course, experience-led estimates. Since it quickly swells with water losing definition and blending as one, the fresher the spawn, the more accurate the estimate.
I’ve only given grid references for your site – Saintbridge Pond, but happy to supply the ones for the nearby allotments if requested.

The following observations have been submitted to the Amphibian and Reptile Conservation Trust via their ‘Record Pool’ for verification. After which they’ll be passed to GCER (Glos Environmental Records Centre).

7/3/20 Frogspawn (20) Saintbridge Pond SO 84931670
7/3/20 Frogspawn (120) Saintbridge Pond SO 85041670
7/3/20 Frogspawn (60) Saintbridge Pond SO 85001163
7/3/20 Smooth newt adult female (1) Under a piece of wood, bank side, Saintbridge Pond SO 84951160

7/3/20 Frogspawn (4) Allotment pond
7/3/20 Frogspawn (20) Allotment pond
7/3/20 Frogspawn (3) Allotment pond
27/3/20 Slow worm adult female (1) Allotment
27/3/20 Slow worm adult female (1) Allotment

Many thanks go to Ben Rigsby – Area Coordinator Stroud and Gloucester, Gloucestershire Amphibian and Reptile Group for compiling these results.

External links

https://www.arc-trust.org/garden-dragon-watch

https://www.gcer.co.uk/

https://www.froglife.org/info-advice/

Grass snakes pass through the site sometimes too. The bank at the back of the allotments looks a great ‘wildlife corridor’.

What Is the Purpose of Wildlife Corridors?

A wildlife corridor, also known as a habitat or green corridor, is an area of habitat connecting wildlife populations that would otherwise be separated by human activities or structures such as roads, other infrastructure development, or logging and farming.

What is a wildlife corridor?

Practically speaking, a wildlife corridor is a link of wildlife habitat, generally made up of native vegetation, which joins two or larger areas of similar wildlife habitat.

Wildlife corridors play a very important role in maintaining connections between animal and plant populations that would otherwise be isolated and therefore at greater risk of local extinction. Providing physical connections between larger areas of habitat means that wildlife corridors enable migration, colonization, and interbreeding of plants and animals.

Wildlife corridors come in many forms as they need to be adapted to local circumstances and be designed around specific habitats. As such, wildlife corridors can consist of a sequence of small patches across the landscape or continuous lineal strips of vegetation and habitat [2].

The main purpose of wildlife corridors is therefore to increase biodiversity by reconnecting areas of fragmented land or parts of the aquatic environment and thereby contributing to stabilizing species populations.

Why are wildlife corridors important?

Populations of plants, animals and other species benefit from wildlife corridors as they open up new areas for finding food and shelter; seasonal relocation becomes more safe and effective since the routes are not exposed to human activity and small populations can be united with others of the same kind to breed [1].

Wildlife corridors offer a holistic approach for protecting and managing ecosystems and optimizing connectivity between habitats. Human activity and intervention in our natural environment leave fragmented patches of intact or relatively intact ecosystems whose ties with others are severed.

If human activities continue in the area, those islands of biodiversity become even smaller and grow further apart putting the ecosystems at risk. This ultimately leads to a break down in the various ecological processes such as species migration, recycling of nutrients, pollination of plants, and other natural functions required for ecosystem health. As a result, the habitat will suffer severe biodiversity decline and local extinction of sensitive species.

If you want to get involved, why not visit https://www.arc-trust.org/garden-dragon-watch

and log your own findings.

frog

Garden Dragon Watch

Garden Dragon Watch is ARC’s garden herpetofauna (reptile and amphibian) survey. Gardens can provide important habitats for reptiles and amphibians. We want to find out more about the reptiles and amphibians that people find in their gardens and how many gardens have the habitat that benefits them. Are gardens in some parts of the UK especially rich in amphibians and reptiles?

By taking part, you can help us gather the information that will inform our conservation work and the advice that we give that helps amphibians and reptiles. Exploring your garden to learn more about the wildlife that lives there is fun and you don’t need a lot of time to do our survey.

What’s in your garden? How to do the survey

Simply spend a few minutes carefully looking in your garden and tell us about your garden and what you find by filling in the form below. If you are using a mobile device, or the form below does not load correctly, please click here to open a standalone form. You can download a guide at the top of this article.

NOT the Time for Garden Bonfires!

23rd April 2020

Someone is smoking out half of Barnwood with their selfish inconsiderate garden bonfire. Our whole house now reeks with choking smoke. With the respiratory covid19 disease pandemic rampant, people self-isolating and people with underlying respiratory issues not wanting to get ill, THIS IS NOT THE TIME TO HAVE A VERY SMOKEY BONFIRE

Check out the story on Nextdoor –
https://nextdoor.co.uk/news_feed/?post=17592193653803

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