Environment Forum - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Environment Forum Thursday 4th Feb 2016, 7pm-9pm 

Ten years on from the South Gloucestershire biodiversity action plan…..A celebration of local wildlife conservation. What did we all achieve and what comes next?Slide2

TALKS:7pm Celebrate the end of the BAP 7.20pm Launch the new parish plans 7.30pm Discuss funding- CIL, SGC, parishes, Lottery etc… some stuff doesn’t even need

funding7.40pm Promote the BAP group and its aim. Gently recruit? Tea/ coffee 7.50- 8.10pmDISCUSSIONS: Any thoughts you’d like to add to the BAP summary document? (copies on the table) - collect quotes for an appendix and then publish the document online

. 10 mins

Any errors or omissions from the parish documents? (copies on the tables) – collect concise data and names

. 10 mins

Consider the list of priority species for the parish – collect records on proforma (link with BRERC

). 20 minsSlide3

South Gloucestershire Biodiversity Action Plan 2006-2015 Slide4

Aim of the BAP’s: Bring people togetherPrioritise CoordinateTargetMonitorMany successes, but wildlife is still in decline! RSPB 2013 State of Nature report.Slide5

Analysis of Review Results / Key Successes to date:77% of BAP actions are complete or significant progress has been made (58% at 2011 interim)

18% of BAP actions have some progress (24% in 2011)5% of BAP actions have no information

reported (18% in 2011)

Based on information received, the review demonstrates that a

significant amount

of action

has

been

taken to achieve

the targets and actions of the plan by the Council, local volunteers and the voluntary sector, government organisations and other interested parties. Final review document produced: 2015/16

Analysis of Review Results / Key SuccessesSlide6

Biodiversity 2020: New England Biodiversity Strategy

Biodiversity Action Plans not mentioned anywhere in document.Government has ‘swept away’ BAPs – they have worked in some areas but not seen as generally effective (Andrew Woods - Natural England

Executive Director, Science and Evidence).

The

continued work of biodiversity partnerships and volunteer engagement is supported.Slide7

Weather 2006-2015 (taken from the met office for the UK)2004-2006 17 of the 21 driest months ever recordedJuly 2006 warmest month ever recorded in UK2007 May, June, July record rainfalls2008 October record cold spell

2011 exceptionally warm dry spring2010 -2012 exceptional prolonged droughtApril – July 2012 record breaking rainfallJuly 1st 2015 new UK record for hottest daySlide8

SGC PlanningOver the last 10 years council planning officers have used the BAP when negotiating designs and planning permission with developers. The current species and habitat list will remain live as a planning consideration and continue to be used in formal planning documents.Slide9

NERC act – new in 2006Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act places a duty of care for biodiversity on all public bodies including local authorities and parish councils. Slide10

Stewardship agreements (NE, FWAG)Dozens of farms across S Glos contributing environmental elements to their agricultural practicesO

ver 490ha of species-rich, semi-Natural grassland maintained, restored or

created

as part of

environmental stewardship

agreements

since 2006Slide11

Local Nature Reserves9 LNRs in South Gloucestershire (Wildspaces)Woodwell Meadows, Littleton (Aust) purchased in 2009 and managed with the Parish CouncilSlide12

Dormice on your DoorstepHeritage Lottery Funded project (2005-2008)

1200 volunteer hours in walks, talks, nuthunts, nest tube surveys and nest box monitoring.

16 dedicated volunteers were trained and

hold Natural England dormouse licenses

(previously only 1 license holder in the

whole Avon area).

Promotional material provided for

landowners, as well as a range of talks,

walks and open farm days led by the

Farming & Wildlife Advisory Group.Slide13

BatscapesHeritage Lottery Funded project involving volunteers and landowners in bat surveys and landscape improvements (2007-2010)Slide14

Avon Bat GroupSlide15

White Clawed CrayfishEXTINCT?! In S Glos.Removed from the Frome to breeding programme and re-release in new ark site. Buglife and partners inc Bristol Zoo. Slide16

OwlsHawk and Owl trust have put up and monitored dozens of owl boxes across South Glos.Also ran a Kestrel Project aimed at monitoring all birds of prey A38 and A46.Ian McGuire set up and ran a very successful WildOwl education company. Now has a fascinating garden wildlife website wildowl.co.ukSlide17

Avon Wildlife TrustLoss of Willsbridge as an education centreVision 2015-2020 – target areas (Cotswolds in S Glos)Feed Bristol project, FrenchaySlide18

AWT Pondways Project 2006Project surveyed total of 120 ponds. Volunteers trained through Pondways,

including training in water vole and otter recording. All data sent to BRERC.Surveying ponds and carrying out training in Great Crested Newt ID and monitoring.GCN training ongoing at Bradley Stoke Three Brooks reserve and Inglestone.AWT

V

eteran tree and pond project in Cromhall and Rangeworthy. Slide19

New allotments for Thornbuy at FilnoreSlide20

WildWays (Natural England funding)Connecting 3 South Glos Priority Neighbourhood communities with the wild places on their doorstep.Naturaly ActiveOrchards

Branching OutCloser to NatureSlide21

OrchardsNew orchardsHistorical orchard survey (Sarah Wells)Current orchard survey (PTES)Discovery and protection of a local variety; the Frampton Plum Over 17 Community Orchards established

Cockroad Ridge orchard work day 2010Slide22

Apple Days now firmly in the South Glos calendar.

Grimsbury farm apple day 2009Slide23

Discover festivalSlide24
Slide25

Hawkesbury, Inglestone, Assley and Harely Commons (in a 10yr agri-environmental stewardship agreement)

Yarley SSSI Meadow seed donor siteSlide26

Adders Tongue SpearwortProject with Kew Millennium seed bank to propagate plants, grow on at Bristol Zoo (Wildplace), before planting out on Inglestone Common. Slide27

Lower Woods (GWT) continues to be in a mostly favourable condition

Nationally important site for: fungi, bats, dormice and probably more…Slide28

Forgotten Landscape project – Severn EstuaryHeritage Lottery Funded projectLeaflet availableSlide29

Wild4Life is a four year project which works to bring people closer to nature to improve health and well being through a programme of projects and events in local green spaces across South Gloucestershire.

The project will run until September 2016 working primarily with children, young people and families from Filton, Patchway, Yate and Dodington, Cadbury Heath, Staple Hill and Kingswood.Activities delivered through the project in priority neighbourhoods include:

 nature play programmes for preschool children and families

 bushcraft sessions for referred teenagers and families

 play ranger holiday play schemes

 community outdoor seasonal celebrations and nature discovery events

 Big Pull community work days, pulling up invasive Himalayan Balsam along the

River Frome

 opportunities for volunteering and practical conservation in our local green spacesSlide30

Big PullTackling Himalayan Balsam on the FromeSlide31

Roadside Nature ReservesSet up in 2008 / AWT volunteers help to survey sites15 well managed road verges, FULL of wildflowersSlide32

Bristol Avon Rivers Trust with the Avon Frome partnership and othersBristol Frome Diffuse Pollution Project -

Ladden Brook and Bradley BrookFrome classed as bad by Environment Agency due to tributaries bringing in run off from agriculture and industry.Slide33

B-linesBuglife and AWTReconnecting wildlife grassland for wildlife (esp pollinators)Greater Bristol Pollinator Strategy &

Get Bristol Buzzing campaignChaired by Bristol university and launched in 2015 in response to the national pollinator strategy.Slide34

Churchyards2014 New management plans for 6 of the 10 S Glos council managed closed churchyards.

Council Green WasteMore green waste left on site (compost piles= wildlife inc baby hedgehogs in Bradley Stoke in yr1)Slide35

Tree strategy Very little new tree planting in last 10 years.Council trees better managed, many private woodlands in management schemes.S Glos tree cover = 9% in unparished areas, 11% elsewhere. National target = 15% (flooding, water, air, heating)Draft 2016Slide36

THANK YOU!South Gloucestershire Council would like to

thank all the organisations and volunteers who have helped to achieve the actions set out in the Biodiversity Action Plan