Page 2 - Wildlife News April 2018

Nature reserve & project

At January’s Oxford Volunteers take a break from branch cutting and bank
Farming Conference building in the River Misbourne. (WILD TROUT TRUST)
I heard Environment
Secretary Michael Reviving the river
Gove talk about his
plans for Britain’s Brown trout and water voles are just downstream and along the River Colne to
nature, food and two of the many species to benefit from link up with the nearby population on the
farming after Brexit. the completion of a wildlife-friendly River Chess.”
More recently he has been promoting transformation of the River Misbourne in
the Government’s long-awaited 25 Year south Buckinghamshire. Work like this is core to BBOWT’s Water
Environment Plan. Vole Recovery Project, which has resulted
Wow! Is this just brilliant politics The River Misbourne habitat in the continued increase of known areas
or has he got it? The aspirations improvement project focused on a of local water vole activity. Recent findings
for a gold-plated food and farming section upstream from its confluence suggest an increase of 78% over the 10
system, with land and seas bursting with the River Colne. BBOWT worked years to 2018, in contrast to a declining
with wildlife is a utopia we can only with the Wild Trout Trust, Environment picture nationally.
dream of. Michael Gove appears to Agency, Buckinghamshire County Council,
be a man on a mission to do the right Groundwork South and local volunteers Together with other vegetation, the
thing. Does he understand the value of to open up the river, reinstate banks branches cut from overhanging trees
nature to society, the economy and it’s and recreate the precious chalk stream’s were used to reinstate riverbanks and
intrinsic worth? It would seem so. But winding nature. recreate the Misbourne’s original winding
do his plans have teeth? Not yet. flow. “This has narrowed the river and sped
While the Environment Plan’s Julia Lofthouse, Water Vole Project up its flow, which will wash away the silt,”
ambitions for nature’s recovery and its Officer, explains why this work was explains Julia. “And as the river naturally
proposals for connecting people with needed: “In some places the river’s gravel bends around the new banks it will form
the environment to improve health bed had silted up so that brown trout weren’t pools where trout can live and insects such as
and wellbeing are impressive, The able to spawn. In other areas the banks had mayflies and dragonflies can reproduce.”
Wildlife Trusts believe that the lack of become overgrown with trees and shrubs so
legal underpinning and targets is a that water voles had no grasses or plants to The team involved in the project have
fundamental flaw. feed on.” also created a gravel ‘beach’ for visitors
In our collective response to the Plan to the Colne Valley Visitor Centre to go
we have called for the introduction Volunteers and staff cut back river-dipping and discover the incredible
of an ambitious Environment Act overhanging trees to let more light reach aquatic life that lives in the stream.
in the next Queen’s Speech, due in the banks where grasses, reeds and other
spring 2019. It’s an opinion echoed vegetation will provide food and cover for Find out more about our
by Prof. Dieter Helm, BBOWT’s Vice- water voles. The Misbourne water voles Water Vole Recovery Project
President (page 10). Encouragingly the are one of only three populations left in and how you too can help:
Environment Secretary is indicating his the county. By completing the work Julia bbowt.org.uk/watervole
support for such legislation. hopes they will move into new territory:
The Wildlife Trusts are working “Ultimately we would like to see them extend
to ensure cross-party support and a
united voice through the Greener UK
movement. The fight is on to secure
nature’s recovery, and we’re doing just
that on your behalf. From now until
next spring we will be rallying local
support.
This spring has finally arrived and
with the return of longer days there’s
never been a better time to get outside
and fall in love with nature all over
again. In this issue you will find inspiring
ideas to help you revel in our wildlife,
from looking out for the return
of migrant songbirds (page 5) to
discovering the intricately fascinating
world of the solitary bee (page 6). Not
to forget your personal invitation to
our 87 nature reserves – what a choice!
With thanks for your continued
support.

Estelle Bailey, Chief Executive
2 Wildlife news / April 2018