Countryman
Diary - December 2008
Christmas present buyers fall into several categories. There
are the last-minute panic buyers, the extravagant, the miserly,
the lazy, the downright daft and the thoughtful.
I think I’ve been all of those over the years, but recently
settled down into being boringly practical.
I’m not in the bread-maker, juicer, electric drill brigade
I hasten to add. No, I’ve turned towards buying gifts which
benefit the countryside, wildlife and ecology, thus forcing friends
and family to feel incredibly guilty and think more about the
world around them. In return? It’s usually a bottle of
booze or a pair of socks.
The gift of a tree for those with room for one, or a dedication
tree in a local woodland, is a present for everyone. Feeders
and nest boxes for the birds are ideal. Buy food for the grandchildren
to give to the birds and enjoy with them the sight of different
species in the garden.
What about wildlife adoption or membership to a local Wildlife
Trust? Ever thought about enrolling someone on a countryside
course?
There’s much more to go at, and don’t forget you
can also benefit your own community by buying local food and
drink.
Worrying times for woodland
Research from the Woodland Trust shows in the last decade 100
square miles (26,000 ha) of ancient woodland in the UK has come
under threat from destruction or degradation, equivalent to an
area the size of Birmingham.
The shocking figure emerged after a year-long study. The threats
come from developments including, roads and houses, airports,
golf courses and utilities.
The research shows that over the last ten years 800 woods have
been threatened — about five per cent of the total amount
of ancient woodland remaining in the UK. Ed Pomfret of the Woodland
Trust comments:
“This is a worrying picture. Half of the ancient woodland
that existed in 1930 has been lost. Ancient woodland is the UK’s
equivalent of rainforest and is irreplaceable having been wooded
for over 400 years. It’s the UK’s most valuable space
for wildlife, home to more rare and threatened species than any
other UK habitat.”
In theory, these woodlands are protected by national policy
and should not be developed. However, loopholes in the system
allow this protection to be over-ridden if a developer can prove
an economic need.
If these woods were buildings they would be protected to the
highest grading. But natural heritage is not afforded the same
importance, despite the fact many ancient woodland sites date
back far beyond that of the built environment.
Long undisturbed and some dating back to the Ice Age, these
ancient woodlands are historical treasure troves. Bronze and
Iron Age earthworks, Saxon boundaries, ancient park boundaries,
ridge and furrow fields, park pales and wood-banks are all preserved
and give a picture of the past. Ed continues:
“It’s up to the public to put a stop to this destruction;
we can’t rely on any official body to help us. We need
eyes and ears for woodland to help stop ancient woodland destruction
on our doorsteps. That’s why the Woodland Trust has launched
WoodWatch to provide tools and information for people to find
and save threatened woodland in their local areas.”
Those who want to get involved can find all they need to help
them navigate the planning system and learn how to run a successful
campaign at the website www.woodwatch.org.uk.
Stormy weather brings cheer
For many of us the British weather might not be a cause for
celebration, but at the Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust’s
Slimbridge Wetland Centre, the wind, rain, storms and sunshine
has created one of the centre’s best years on record for
wild birds. James Lees, reserve warden at Slimbridge, says:
“The average total of species seen at WWT Slimbridge in
a year is 171, but so far this year (up to mid-October) 195 species
of wild birds have been recorded.
“We believe the weather has played a big part in this
year’s large total because it has been so varied with no
real sustained periods of weather.
“Also the wardens and volunteers put in a lot of extra
work to make sure the reserve is in perfect condition to attract
species all year round.”
This year’s periods of clear, calm weather followed by
short snaps of rain and wind is ideal conditions for finding
birds, as they will migrate in clear, calm weather but then get
held up in bad weather. James adds:
“A classic example of this was a white stork that appeared
in June this year which was seen flying in off the sea at Southampton
at 9.25am, flying north in clear, sunny conditions with a light
southerly wind. Then at 1pm a large rainstorm over Slimbridge
halted the stork’s migration and it was forced to land
on the reserve.
“The stork sat out the storm and an hour or so later was
seen flying north again at several hundred feet in clear, sunny
conditions, no doubt on his way to Eastern Europe.”
This unpredictable weather has bought in other birds from across
the globe. American wigeon, buff-breasted and pectoral sandpipers
that normally live in North America have all been seen, as well
as spotted crake and a whiskered tern from Eastern Europe, Mediterranean
species like kentish plover and cattle egrets and a Richard’s
pipit from Asia.
Some of the strong winds this year have also bought with them
many seabirds including storm petrels, manx shearwaters, gannets,
fulmars, skuas and even a red-throated diver, all of which are
normally only seen miles from the shore. Slimbridge wardens were
also lucky enough to get a mountain dotterel for a week in September.
To keep up with all the latest sightings at Slimbridge visit
the wildlife sighting web page at www.wwt.org.uk/news/213/sightings.html.
Shoes made for walking
Regular readers will recall my amazement at the length of time
some of you had held on to your favourite sweaters. I wasn’t
sure in some cases whether it was down to thrift or sentiment.
Now J D Fisher of County Durham writes to me to unveil eighty-seven-year-old
Kathleen Dodd who has held on to the same pair of shoes for seventy
years.
Kathleen, from Hartlepool, was in the Land Army during the war
and was issued with the shoes as part of her uniform. She carried
on wearing them for decades and has now donated them to her local
museum.
As someone known to have scuffed a pair of new shoes before
even leaving the shop, I have nothing but admiration for her.
Open the box
A village church in my part of the Yorkshire Dales is very
old, with traditional box pews. On attending the Christmas service
for the first time, one little girl asked: “When you go
to church, Mummy, which cupboard do you go in?"
Paul Jackson |
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