Wildlife Festival in Dumfries & Galloway



Cairnsmore of Fleet nature reserve in Dumfries & Galloway

 The popular 2 week Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival is back in 2012 for its ninth year. With more than 80 events packed into the festival there's something for everyone.

The Wildlife Festival runs from 31st March through to 15th April and there are some new events lined up - including a Wild Food Forage in Langholm with a cookery demo and free lunch - as well as all the favourites such as the badger watch and many activities for families.


Find out more on the Dumfries & Galloway Wildlife Festival website

Eco Friendly North Yorkshire Cottages

Keld Head Farm Cottages, Keld Head, Pickering, North Yorkshire

The cottages rest in open countryside on the edge of the North Yorkshire Moors National Park but only twenty minutes walk from the centre of the picturesque market town of Pickering famous for its medieval castle and the North York Moors Steam railway.

The cottages are individually designed and created with the emphasis on comfort and relaxation from a group of traditional stone built barns set around a secluded courtyard. Much of the original character and features have been retained including beamed ceilings, traditional stone fireplaces and pan tile roofs. 
Credentials include the Green Tourism “Silver Award”, Enjoy England “Gold Award” for exceptional quality of accommodation & customer service and VisitEngland 4 Star grading.

Find out more about these eco friendly Yorkshire cottages on the Wild & Green Escapes website

New Nature Zones In England

New wildlife landscapes set high standards for woodlands  

New nature zones each covering thousands of hectares are to be set up across England, Environment Secretary Caroline Spelman revealed today.

The 12 Nature Improvement Areas (NIAs) will each get a share of £7.5 million to create wildlife-rich landscapes, restore habitats and encourage local people to get involved with nature.

The Forestry Commission is very pleased and impressed to see the principles supporting woodlands all in the winning NIAs. There will be no overall deforestation when creating open habitats with new woodlands created. The use of woodlands to improve water quality and managing them for wildlife habitats has vey high profile in many NIAs.

Pam Warhurst, Forestry Commission Chair explained: “These are fantastic projects filled with ambition and vision. Our own Senior Ecologist was on the judging panel for the NIAs and although few of the projects involve major woodland programmes, he was delighted to see the excellent principles underpinning the winning proposals.”

“New woodlands have the security of commitments to ongoing management which will benefit wildlife, improve water quality and produce timber or woodfuel to support the local green economy. Where trees have to be removed to restore open habitats, new woodlands will be planted and the material from the felling will be used locally for woodfuel. We hope that all landscape-scale projects in the future will adopt the same high standards.”

Nature Improvement Areas were a flagship policy contained in last year’s Natural Environment White Paper ‘The Natural Choice’ which set out  aims to improve the quality of the natural environment across England, halt the decline in habitats and species, and strengthen the connection between people and nature.

Further information on NIAs from Natural England.

Stay In A Cornish Garden

Hidden Valley Gardens, Treesmill, Nr Par, Cornwall

The Garden Studio is 4 Star rated self-catering accommodation set within the 3 acre award-winning garden known as “Hidden Valley Gardens”. 

The Garden Studio is ideal for couples, especially those who love gardens and are seeking a cosy romantic hideaway. 

The studio is a natural stone building accessed by external wooden stairs leading to a decking area for outside dining.  

You can find out more about Hidden Valley Gardens – including a short garden tour –by watching the video on You Tube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yadF9dJLkFM

Find out more on the eco, nature and wildlife friendly holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

Access To The UK Countryside

Public access needs common sense improvement, says CLA in hard-hitting report

The CLA has today (23 February) published The Right Way Forward: The CLA’s common sense approach to access in the countryside – a no-nonsense report calling for a shake-up of the access and public rights of way system.

The association says it is “highly desirable” to improve access in a way that enhances the system, boosts efficiency and gets better value for money for everybody, and the report addresses these concerns in a series of practical recommendations.

CLA Midlands Rural Surveyor Andrew Shirley said: “Public rights of way are a valuable public resource but much of the network is based on historical evidence rather than current or future requirements. There is no doubt it needs to be improved for everyone’s benefit.

“Yet public access is a minefield of legal complexity, a tortuous and archaic system loved only by those who can turn its convoluted processes to their own advantage, sapping much needed resources from ongoing maintenance and improvement. 

“The emphasis going forward must be on improving the existing right of way network rather than creating new, and unnecessary, problems. But in order to do this we need to address the failing bureaucratic and legislative system which is long-winded, expensive and completely incomprehensible to most people.

“That is why the CLA has published this report, providing a timely injection of common sense into a network that is clearly not working.”

The association says that it has concentrated on providing practical solutions in ways which are achievable and which would not undermine existing rights of way.

The Right Way Forward: The CLA’s common sense approach to access in the countryside is available from www.cla.org.uk from 23 February.

Forest Diary Update

Forest Diary, entry sixteen (20/2/2012)

 From the Forestry Commission:

"When staff  like myself are out and about in the forest, it’s common for people to ask us about the wood and branches that are often left behind after the Forestry Commission completes our operations. Forestry by its nature is a messy business, no matter how hard we try there is some ‘mess’ that is simply nature and actually left there to do a job.

The wood left behind after certain tasks is known as brash, or ‘lop and top’. Brash is used as a natural manure for the forest and is no different to the compost you would put in your garden to encourage vegetables to grow. In its slow but inevitable decay, the brash is important to the forest system and for many species.

Brash offers a home to and food for many woodland dwellers. The minute wren is often one of the first to take advantage of the new habitat brash provides; its beautiful call reason enough to retain brash. Fungi can benefit from the dying wood, while mice and birds can find homes, build nests and source food in between the twigs and branches.

The brash also acts as a ladder to the climbing plants growing in the forest, allowing them to gain valuable height. This higher level of cover is attractive to many birds and the blackbird and even song thrush are often found nesting in this entanglement. Forest predators like the stoat and weasel use this new found area as an extra hunting place and tawny owls will feed on the increase of new neighbours to its territory.

When spring comes, I often see butterflies and moths seeking shelter from blustery winds between the drifts of brash, also finding shelter within it on wet and overcast days. I’ve come across toads in the damper woods in brash heaps and have even seen many newly emerged spring adders using the heat absorbing cascades of pine needles to warm up and shelter on. So brash isn’t just a mess on the forest floor, it’s there to carry out a very important job for a range of species and while not all woodlands can be national nature reserves, you can be proud that the New Forest is a working woodland that offers many crucial habitats to a vast variety of wildlife."

Colin Elford, Wildlife Ranger
For more information about the Forestry Commission, visit http://www.forestry.gov.uk/

Eco Friendly Scottish Lodge Boutique B&B With Loch Views

Huntingtower Lodge, Druimarbin, Fort William, Scottish Highlands

Chris and Jackie Clifford would like to welcome you into their West Highland home. Come to relax and enjoy 21st Century comfort at Huntingtower Lodge, a contemporary boutique B&B offering a "haven of tranquillity" overlooking Loch Linnhe.West Highland home. Come to relax and enjoy 21st Century comfort at Huntingtower Lodge, a contemporary boutique B&B offering a "haven of tranquillity" overlooking Loch Linnhe.


The Lodge, with its stunning and ever changing views of Loch Linnhe, is 2 miles south west of Fort William, the 'Outdoor Capital of the UK.' All accommodation has extensive views across the loch towards the Ardgour Peninsula and offers the opportunity to spot some of the varied wildlife around the Lodge.

The Lodge is light, bright and modern with double glazing and central heating throughout and is run as a green establishment (GTBS Gold Award).

Find out more on the eco and wildlife friendly holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

Woodland Wellbeing

Learn About Benefits Of Woodland Wellbeing  

Two free seminar days aimed at health professionals, organisations and individuals with an interest in linking health care with the natural environment are being held in Aberystwyth and Treherbert on the 16th and 23rd March respectively.

The seminar days will explore theory and practice of the health benefits of green exercise, building on the knowledge and experience gained by both participants and leaders in the Actif Woods Wales project. There will be the opportunity to get out in the woods and have a go at some activities from green gym to woodworking.

The Actif Woods Wales project has so far focused on establishing locally run woodland health activities in and around Aberystwyth, Ceredigion, and Treherbert in Rhondda Cynon Taf, and has been funded by Forestry Commission Wales (FCW) and the Countryside Council for Wales (CCW).

The Aberystwyth day will be held on Friday 16th March from 10.00- 4.30, at the Morlan Centre and Penglais Woods. The Treherbert day will be held on Friday 23rd March from 09.30- 15.00, at the Penyrenglyn Project office and Cwm Saerbren woods.

Both events are free, with lunch and refreshments provided.
For more details, or to book a place, please contact Jo or Zena: coedlleol@smallwoods.org.uk, 01654 700061              

Fancy Learning a Bushcraft?

Wild North Discovery run a wide range of nature based activities including bushcrafts and developing the ancient craft skills of greenwood turning on a pole lathe and willow basket making.

From firecraft and wilderness cooking to making a rolling pin or a chair there is something for everyone with a love of the natural world and natural materials.

Wild North Discovery experiences are based in the North Pennines and the North West Highlands, activities ranging from half day to full week can be booked for two peple or more.

Find out more on Wild & Green Escapes, the home of eco and wildlife friendly holidays & activities

Wildlife Watch

Infra-red cameras shed light on dark secrets of deer and wild boar  

Foresters are using state-of-the-art “stealth” cameras to capture infra-red images of deer and wild boar roaming Welsh Government woodlands.

The cameras, which are hidden on trees and are triggered by movement, will help Forestry Commission Wales to mount round-the-clock surveillance on the animals which, if left unmanaged, can cause significant damage to agriculture, forestry and vulnerable habitats.

The cameras will provide Forestry Commission Wales with vital information on the animals’ spread and help it to protect rare habitats from the effects of damaging browsing.

The specialised "Reconyx" cameras, which can capture still photographs of deer and wild boar as they roam public woodlands in the dead of night, can also record video clips to monitor their habits.

They have been set up all over Wales in areas where there is evidence of deer or wild boar movement, especially in Glasfynydd in the Brecon Beacons near Usk, Coed-y-Brenin near Dolgellau, the Lower Wye Valley and Radnor forest areas.

Although wild deer are not as numerous or widespread in Wales as in other parts of the UK, their numbers and spread are increasing, along with their impact.

The cameras have confirmed the extent of red deer in the Brecon Beacons as well as feral wild boar in the Lower Wye Valley, providing valuable information on which woodlands they were using and when they were using them.
They have also thrown up one or two surprises: while searching for wild boar in the Lower Wye Valley, a roe deer strolled in front of one of the cameras, though there was no firm evidence of roe in the area.

Have A Green Holiday



Holiday cottages in amazing locations!



If you're looking for eco friendly holiday accommodation, from a rural retreat farmhouse B&B to green-award-winning cottages in spectacular settings, then visit the Wild & Green Escapes website for lots of ideas and information.



What's on the website?

• Eco friendly holiday accommodation, much of it enjoying spectacular wildlife pretty much on the doorstep!
• Wildlife operators, experts who know the best places to spot the best wildlife - from dolphins to eagles, from Scotland to Norfolk & Cornwall and much, much more

• Our seasonal nature watch - what's happening in nature and the countryside now, what to look out for, from birds and animals to flowers and trees
• Wildlife events information - check out our Wildlife Calender for year round info on top wildlife events in the UK, plus you'll find details on upcoming wildlife events via this blog!
• Ideas and inspiration for wildlife watching and eco friendly holidays - from How To Be Green On Holiday to our top spots to wildlife watch

Want to plan a wild and green holiday for you and your family?

 

Good News Story For Ancient Woodland

Wildlife fan has designs on a better wood 

A precious fragment of ancient woodland in the North Pennines is set to be rescued by a nature fan inspired by wildlife with support from the Forestry Commission.

Noelle Wright, who runs her own graphic design business in Newcastle upon Tyne, bought four hectare (10 acre) Chapel House Wood in Allendale, near Hexham, Northumberland, six-years ago but now the woodland desperately needed some tender loving care. Native trees including oaks were being shaded out by faster growing foliage, whilst rye grass blown in from nearby fields was overwhelming wild flowers. 

Now the Forestry Commission has offered its expertise and a £4,000 grant to help re-invigorate the wood, working hand-in-hand with the eager landowner and the North Pennines AONB Partnership.

Ancient woods have been dubbed Britain's rain forests – irreplaceable for many plants and animals.  Evocative species like wood anemone and dog's mercury are typical of their plants, while some fungi are found here and nowhere else.  But a recent report found that 43 of 94 ancient woods surveyed in the North Pennines AONB were in a poor condition.  Some were overgrown, dark and moribund, while others were planted with conifers.

Forest chiefs and the North Pennines AONB Partnership have prescribed a course of active management, which will include removing sycamore. Horses will be used to extract timber in the spring as they can cope with the steep terrain and are kinder on ground vegetation.  Meanwhile, rye grass will be controlled and different tree species planted and allowed to regenerate naturally.

Noelle Wright said: “It’s the wildlife that motivates me and the chance to create a better habitat. Woodcock and tawny owls live in the wood and the green woodpecker and cuckoo are summer visitors. This place is more than a possession - it's a passion. With oak, ash and juniper, there are some lovely trees to work with and this is about giving nature a sporting chance.”

Ian Everard, from the Forestry Commission, added: “We are striving to help landowners improve their ancient woods and these grants are an important part of that. The AONB Partnership will also help the owner manage the site as part of its commitment to support the region’s oldest woods, which are key for biodiversity, and yet in many places dangerously fragmented.”

For more information about applying for grants contact the Forestry Commission on 01669 621591 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/northeastengland

Half Term Offers In Cornwall

Carbis Bay Holidays, Carbis Bay, St Ives, Cornwall

SPECIAL OFFER-

Carbis Bay Holidays are offering up to 25% discount off February half term and Valentines breaks – http://www.carbisbayholidays.co.uk/campaigns/late-deals.htm

Carbis Bay Holidays specialise in luxury four and five star self catering holidays in the St Ives area of West Cornwall.

Whether your choice is a beachfront apartment for a family holiday, a romantic coastal retreat or an activity holiday to give you a blast of fresh, salty air, then look no further. Ideally situated close to the South West Coastal Path, perfect for walks into St Ives and the surrounding area.

Carbis Bay are a gold award, Green Tourism Business Scheme member, fully committed to helping sustain the beautiful coastal environment. With a  wide choice of luxury apartments, traditional classic cottages, contemporary houses and holiday villas, one of Cornwall’s finest holiday properties awaits you.

Find out more on the Wild & Green Escapes eco holidays website:

http://www.wildandgreenescapes.co.uk/southengland.html

 

Naturewatch: 18,000 Oaks Take Root In Stapleford Wood

Over 18,000 oak trees have been planted by the Forestry Commission in a long term plan to return Stapleford Wood, near Newark, back to its ancient roots.

The beauty-spot straddling the Lincs and Notts border is the largest public woodland in the Trent Valley and since 1945 has been planted with Scots and Corsican pine and Western Hemlock.

Now over future decades forest chiefs plan to slowly remove many of the conifers and reshape the land with native trees, while expanding rides and open spaces.

Oaks have been planted by hand together with birch and other species on a 14 hectare (35 acre) site left bare of trees by felling in 2006 and severe gale damage a year later.

Forester Val Coulton said: “The planting will create a traditional area of birch and oak in the heart of Stapleford, typical of ancient woodlands. Long term the work will help diversify tree species, which will also help mitigate the potential impacts of climate change and create new habitats for wildlife. Next year another 3.5 hectares (8.75 acre) will be planted with native trees.”

Stapleford was identified as an ancient woodland – which means it has been continuously wooded since at least the 1600s – relatively recently. Botanical surveys and fieldwork found it was a very old site dating many centuries and a place where wildflowers and oaks once thrived. 

Top Ten Winter Waterfalls In UK

Waterfalls can be amazing places to visit at any time of the year - great scenery, fresh air, a good walk, the sound of loads of water tumbling over rocks and boulders, brilliant!

Waterfalls are often great places to spot the local wildlife going about its daily business too. Simply find a comfy spot, get out the flask and your binoculars and wait.

Countryfile magazine has listed its top winter waterfalls to take a wander too this month; from Wales to Yorkshire, Peak District To Devon, plus many other areas too.

Visit the Countryfile magazine website to see the Top Ten Winter Waterfalls

Learn Rural Skills At Forest Workshop

Bodgers revive Sherwood's rustic traditions  

When Ian Major clocks off as a conservationist working in Sherwood Forest, he likes nothing better than to unwind by reaching for a lump of locally grown timber and re-learning the skills of the area’s once famous rustic craftspeople. Wood turning and furniture making has been in his blood for two decades.

Now together with fellow craftsman and chairmaker, Bryan Eskriett, from Clipstone, he plans to share his love for wood by helping to stage a two-day rustic stool making workshop for beginners on 31 March in the Forestry Commission’s Sherwood Pines Forest Park, near Clipstone, Notts.

Together, Ian and Bryan dub themselves 'The Jolly Bodgers of Sherwood Forest' and stress-busting is how they describe their hobby. 

But for both it’s a pastime that also touches on a longer-term vision for ancient Sherwood Forest.
“I spend my working life protecting and encouraging people to cherish Sherwood, but trees are not just for looking at,” said Ian. “We have a brilliant raw material and wood has been worked for thousands of years. It would be great to see more local craftspeople using our timber. Areas like Worksop and Ollerton were once famous chair making areas and the potential remains. Sometimes we can’t see the wood for the trees and don’t realise timber is a fantastic resource, as well as providing us with a wonderful and historic landscape.”

The pair make chairs and stools and other household items, most of which they give away or use themselves.
“We'll be teaching people how to make a stool and spurring them to be creative with the design," he adds.  "Wood, shaving horse, draw knife and mallet, together with practical advice are all you need to get started.  There’s tremendous satisfaction in making something with your own hands and taking it away to use.”

Tools, materials and refreshments will be provided and lunch on Sunday will be cooked over a camp fire. You can also spend the night in the woods with tents and sleeping bag and enjoy breakfast cooked in a wood-fired clay oven. The cost is £85, or £110 if you stay the night.

Booking is essential.  Contact Karina Thornton on 01623 821459, email  karina.thornton@forestry.gov.uk. 

Wildlife Watching - Spotting Tracks In Snow

With snow covering many parts of the UK there's an opportunity to do a bit of 'track spotting' and discover which animals have been wandering around in green areas near you.

Whilst walking the dogs this morning we spotted animal tracks in the snow for rabbit, badger, pheasant and deer, all in a fairly small area of snow-covered grass and woods on the edge of a small local nature reserve - it's fascinating stuff!

Download a guide to recognising animal prints in the snow via the Which website

or visit the BBC website to watch wildlife expert Simon King in action, tracking prints in the snow

Wildlife Watching With Wild North Discovery

From ospreys, bottle-nosed dolphins and red deer to badger watching, wildlife tracking in woodlands or watching magnificent black grouse, merlin and short-eared owls, based in the North Pennines and North West Highlands, Wild North Discovery activities are designed to get you close to wildlife.

The activities range from half a day to a full week and can be booked for two or more people.

Find out more on the Wildlife & Eco friendly holidays website Wild & Green Escapes

Free Spring Nature Factpack To Download

Despite the freezing cold temperatures and the threat of snow in many parts of the country at the moment there have been signs of spring putting in an appearnce over recent weeks - including, for many areas, an early start to Snowdrop Season.

If you'd like to discover what signs of spring to look out for then you can download a free factpack via the Nature's Calender/Woodland Trust website. The pack has information on everything from birds and shrubs to fungi and flowers.

You can download the Spring Factpack via this link:

http://www.naturescalendar.org.uk/wildlife/factfiles/spring_pack

Visit Snowdrop Valley

During Snowdrop Valley time in Exmoor National Park (4th Feb - 4th March) the Exmoor House dining room is open during the day as a tearoom. Enjoy some fabulous food before or after you've been to see the snowdrops.

More details? Call  01643 841432  or visit http://www.exmoorhouse.com/
For a thoroughly relaxing stay, with excellent food, escape to Exmoor House. Very comfortable, thoughtfully-designed rooms, a friendly welcome and great attention to detail make this a really special place (recommended by The Guardian, 101 Holidays and Lonely Planet).

Exmoor House was the first accommodation provider in Exmoor National Park to gain the Green Tourism Gold Award, in 2010.  In Exmoor's highest village, it's ideally placed for walking, cycling and exploring.

Next Instalment Of Forest Diary

Forest Diary, Keeping safe in windy woods (30/1/2012)

"We’ve had a particularly blustery start to the New Year and, with winds up to 90mph passing through the New Forest at the beginning of January, the Forestry Commission saw a number of trees uprooted or significantly damaged by the storms. Around 20 or so of these trees fell or dropped branches across some of our major roads, forest tracks and trails. We even had a perfectly healthy tree blow onto the railway line that passes through the Forest.

In order to keep our visitors as safe as possible, the Forestry Commission team is constantly out in the forest on the look out for those trees that pose most risk. Although we can’t always know which trees are likely to be damaged in strong winds, what we can do is carry out an annual Tree Safety Survey across the forest. This helps to identify any foreseeable issues with trees that have the potential to cause damage to people or property. All trees will fall eventually, at the end of their life, but what we’re looking for are trees that show signs of failing prematurely due to waterlogging, physical damage and disease.

To conduct the survey we split the New Forest into three zones; zone one includes all the trees growing along railways, major A roads, popular visitor sites and car parks; zone two encompasses less busy roads and visitor spots and finally, zone three is the wider woodland where there is minimal risk to visitors should a tree be damaged. We survey zone one every year and zone two once every five years. We don’t routinely survey zone three as the trees in these zones aren’t likely to damage life and property if they fail.

During the survey, our Recreation Rangers are responsible for checking areas that visitors commonly use such as trails and cycle routes. Our Works Supervisors will survey trees along roadsides and our Keepers have responsibility for the forest boundaries and around private properties. They’ll each log and record any potential issues that they spot and then it’s my job to collate and prioritise all of this information, drawing up a programme to get the work carried out.

We carry out the minimum amount of work to make the tree safe. However, if a tree is a potential danger to road users or visitors, we’ll prune it to eliminate any hazards and if it’s severely damaged and unlikely to uphold any harsh weather conditions, the Forestry Commission will fell it. Once felled, the wood is often put to good use – selling it to local merchants for fire wood is a common path for trees felled along the roadside.  

If the weather looks set to change again and strong winds and gales are forecast, make sure you wait until the winds die down if you’re thinking about heading out into the New Forest. Avoid sitting under or climbing on any branches that have been freshly snapped or broken and keep an eye out for any dangers. If you see a tree that has been blown over in the wind, you can report it to the Forestry Commission by calling 023 8028 3141             and we’ll make sure we get out to it as soon as it’s safe to do so.

For more information about the New Forest, visit www.forestry.gov.uk/newforest.
Richard Burke, South Walk Forester

Where To Spot Red Squirrels

New leaflet highlights Highland hotspots for red squirrels  

Fans of red squirrels can now find the best sites to see them in the wilds of the Scottish Highlands thanks to a new leaflet showing red squirrel hotspots.

From Fort William to Forres and from Contin to the Boat of Garten and Laggan, the 12 featured sites offer great opportunities to see red squirrels in the wild.

The leaflet has been produced by conservation project ‘Red Squirrels of the Highlands’, which is funded by LEADER, Forestry Commission Scotland, Scottish Natural Heritage and the Cairngorms National Park Authority.

As well as providing some information on site facilities, the leaflet includes a red squirrel fact file, as well as details of how visitors can get involved and help record the range and number of red squirrels. All the hotspots are close to car parks to enhance accessibility.

To download a copy of the leaflet visit http://www.redsquirrelsofthehighlands.co.uk/