Dear WBP Member, welcome to the August 2018 WBP Newsletter
Er mwyn gweld y cylchlythyr hwn yn Gymraeg, cliciwch yma
|
|
BTO Tawny Owl Survey
Would you like to monitor how Tawny Owl populations are faring in Wales as part of a survey across Britain? Despite being widespread, surprisingly little is known of Tawny owl populations in Britain and the surveys will reveal changes in their occupancy and populations as well as habitat associations and geographical patterns.
The first survey period will run from August 15 until October 15 2018 and repeat surveys are planned in 2019. The surveys will complement earlier national structured surveys. Further details are available from the BTO
Text modified from BTO source
Image © Alun Williams
|
|
Consultation -Brexit and our land: Securing the future of Welsh farming
Welsh Government has launched a consultation on a new Land Management Programme to support Welsh farmers post-Brexit, replacing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Welsh Government’s Brexit paper, ‘Brexit and our Land’, proposes two new large and flexible schemes to replace the Basic Payment Scheme, Glastir and other parts of the Rural Development Programme.
The programme proposes the following two schemes:
•The Economic Resilience Scheme will provide targeted investment to land managers and their supply chains. It will provide investment to increase competitiveness and make improvements in resilience and productivity for high-quality food production.
•The Public Goods Scheme will provide a new income stream to land managers delivering public goods from the land. It will enable them to help address challenges such as climate change mitigation, habitat loss, poor air and water quality.
Consultation link
The consultation closes on Tuesday 30th October.
Note: Environet Cymru Webinar: Brexit and Our Land: Securing the Future of Welsh Farming Consultation
Date: 5 September 2018, 2pm
|
|
NRW strategic steer for biodiversity
NRW have launched a strategic steer for biodiversity to 2022 - 'Vital nature: Making the connections between biodiversity and the people and places of Wales'. Vital nature establishes a high-level framework for actions for biodiversity in line with the Nature Recovery Action Plan for Wales. Through a series of goals and high-level commitments it shows how, working with others, NRW will deliver the biodiversity and ecosystem resilience duties.
Link: Vital Nature
|
|
Area statements platform launch
NRW have launched an Area statements web platform to help coordinate their work and the work of others, to build the resilience of ecosystems and enhance the benefits they provide us. Area statements bring together data, information and ways of engaging others to help NRW better understand the state and trends of natural resources in an area, the pressures on them and their benefits. The platform will be updated and evolve in the run up to the production of area statements. in the 6 terrestrial and one marine are in Wales.
Link
|
|
The purpose and role of the Woodland Estate-NRW report
Previously we reported on the Welsh Government ‘Woodlands for Wales’ strategy. To support delivery of the strategy,NRW have published a report on the purpose and role of the Welsh Government Woodland Estate over the next 25 years.
|
|
Japanese knotweed: advice for community and voluntary groups
Welsh Government has produced a Japanese Knotweed information sheet providing advice for community and voluntary groups.
Link
|
|
Consultation on the draft Welsh National Marine Plan
In December 2017 , Welsh Government launched a 16 week consultation on the draft Welsh National Marine Plan accompanied by a number of supporting documents including; an overview of ‘the Plan’, a Habitats Regulations Assessment, a Sustainability Assessment and a Review of interim marine aggregate dredging policy. 86 responses to the consultation were received and Welsh Government have now published a summary of these.
Link
|
|
Wales Biodiversity Partnership Conference 19 -20 September 2018
WBP is delighted with the response to the conference which is now full booked. WBP looks forward to welcoming delegates and contributors to the event at the National Museum Cardiff.
You can still register to join our waitlist – if a space becomes free you will be contacted (please note there are no guarantees that spaces will become available).
Further information here.
|
|
Boost to the Celtic Rainforest in Wales
|
|
The humid, temperate woodland in upland mid, west and north Wales forms part of the Celtic rainforest and is a jewel in the landscape and biodiversity of Wales. Rare lichens, lesser horseshoe bat, dormouse, redstarts and pied flycatchers are some of the important species in this ancient landscape with woodlands dominated by sessile oak, downy birch, ash and hazel. Threats include invasive species such as Rhododendron ponticum and grazing by sheep and deer. An 8.6 million project to restore sections of the Celtic rainforest in rural Wales has been launched with funding from the Welsh government and the EU. Four areas of the Celtic rainforest will be targeted in north and mid-Wales will be the focus of the project including Coed Felinrhyd and Llennyrch in Snowdonia. Other areas are Cwm Einion, Cwm Doethie and the Elan Valley. The project involves removal of invasive species, improving woodland management including grazing regimes and developing tourism and visitor opportunities. The project will be led by the Snowdonia National Park Authority along with RSPB Cymru, Natural Resources Wales, Welsh Water, the Woodland Trust and the National Trust
|
|
Local Environmental Record Centres Wales biodiversity recording App
|
|
The LERC Wales App enables you to get involved with biological recording and allows you to take your online recording experience into the field with your smart phone or tablet. Contribute your species sightings with GPS acquired coordinates, descriptions and other information, thus providing scientists with important new biodiversity information that contributes to nature conservation, planning, research and education.
Text and image sourced from LERC Wales
|
|
A Nature Recovery Action Plan Implementation Group has been established to steer and drive the delivery and implementation of the Nature Recovery Action Plan at a local and national level. The group met for the first time on the 3rd August 2017. The focus of the first meeting was to confirm the role of the group and set its initial priorities. The group has a wide membership from Welsh Government, Natural Resources Wales, NGO’s and other public and private sector organisations.
Task and finish expert groups will be commissioned by the NRAP Implementation group to take forward specific tasks. The immediate task and finish expert groups were agreed and will be focused on:
- Future land use
- Reviewing and updating Part II of the NRAP
- Section 7 list criteria (an existing group)
- Section 6 guidance
- Biodiversity and Ecosystem Evidence and Research Needs project
- Restoration and resilience
- Planning and biodiversity
- WBP conference
- Invasive Non-native Species (this is an existing group with an ongoing need due to specific INNS strategies and drivers and as such will remain as a working group)
The Implementation group will take feedback from these groups and provide recommendations to Welsh Government Ministers and NRW, especially regarding Area Statements, Section 7 of the Environment (Wales) Act and the CBD target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2020.
The NRAP Implementation group last met on April 18th 2018
Key legislation and strategies
Environment (Wales) Act 2016
For further details on the Environment (Wales) Act and a list of supporting documents click here.
Guidance for Section 6 – The Biodiversity and Resilience of Ecosystems Duty Frequently Asked Questions
Natural Resources Policy
The publication of the first statutory Natural Resources Policy by Welsh Government has taken place.
The focus of the NRP is the sustainable management of Wales’ natural resources, to maximise their contribution to achieving goals within the Well-being of Future Generations Act. The policy sets out three National Priorities. These are:
- Delivering nature-based solutions
- Increasing renewable energy and resource efficiency
- Taking a place-based approach
Next Steps
The Natural Resources Policy sets the context for Area Statements, which will be produced by Natural Resources Wales, ensuring that the national priorities for sustainable management of natural resources inform the approach to local delivery.
Area Statements – Natural Resources Wales (NRW) Stakeholder Questionnaire
NRW have set up an online survey to better understand the ways in which you would like to be kept informed of what’s happening during the Area Statement process. NRW will use the information to plan and target their communication and engagement around Area Statements. NRW have also launched an Area statements web platform to help coordinate their work and the work of others, to build the resilience of ecosystems and enhance the benefits they provide us.
The State of Natural Resources Report (SoNaRR) 2016
The SoNaRR report was launched in October 2016. A summary report and the full report, glossary and annexes are available to download.
The report sets out the state of Wales’ natural resources. It assesses the extent to which natural resources in Wales are being sustainably managed, and recommends a proactive approach to building resilience.
NRW want to hear from you if you could assist them in developing future SoNaRRs.
Please contact NRW at sonarr@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015
For details on the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act click here
The office of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales have produced a report 'Well-being in Wales: Planning today for a better tomorrow’ highlighting the challenges and opportunities for the future, driven by the need to change the way we deliver public services in Wales following the publication of 19 well-being assessments published by the 19 Public Services Boards across Wales.
Future Generations Framework
The Future Generations Framework has been created to support the public sector and others in Wales to deliver projects and infrastructure fit for the future. Using this framework will help projects to be developed in an integrated and collaborative way, based on what people need and supporting the well-being of communities today as well as in the long-term. This is the first version of the framework and we will continue to develop and create updated versions based on feedback from users. If you have read or used the Framework, please send your feedback to us via contactus@futuregenerations.wales
Key Future Generations documents: future plans, annual report, and ‘Well-being in Wales: Planning today for a better tomorrow’ report
Nature Recovery Action Plan
For further details outlining the aims of the NRAP and an explanation of its constituent parts please visit the Welsh Government website
Pollinators Taskforce update
The Pollinators Taskforce met on the 23rd March in Newtown. Action points from the meeting are available on the WBP website. The Action Plan for Pollinators in Wales Stocktake is currently been undertaken between Welsh Government and the Pollinators Task Force.
To contribute to the work of the Pollinator Group in Wales, and for further details of the groups' activities please contact Bio.Diversity@gov.wales or visit the Pollinator section on the WBP website.
|
|
All Wales Beach Clean, 14-30 September 2018
|
|
|
Marine litter poses a growing threat to our aquatic and coastal environment. Up to 12.7m tonnes of plastic enters the world’s oceans every year, with some scientists predicting that by 2050 the quantity of plastics in the oceans will weigh more than the fish.
To show the rest of the world that Wales is rising to the challenge of tackling marine pollution we’re organising an ambitious new clean-up campaign, the All Wales Beach Clean (14-30 September). Working with partners including the Marine Conservation Society and National Trust, we’re aiming to clean up every public beach in Wales.
And because the issue of marine litter isn’t just relevant to coastal communities – in fact, 80% is from land-based sources –we’re also targeting rivers and other watercourses.
We would love to have your support with the All Wales Beach Clean. Take a look at our map here to see what beaches need your help and contact our All Wales Beach Clean team for further information (events@keepwalestidy.cymru)
|
|
'Towards a Wilder Wales' Wildlife Trusts Wales Report
|
|
National Plant Monitoring Scheme
The National Plant Monitoring Scheme (NPMS) is a habitat-based plant monitoring scheme which aim is to collect data to provide an annual indication of changes in plant abundance and diversity in the UK. And that data is collected by you, our invaluable volunteers. It is then analysed by scientists and enables them to carry out an annual stock-take of the UK’s wild plants, the results which are presented to the government.
Anyone interested in nature who can identify plants or who is keen to learn, can take part. As a volunteer, you are allocated your own ‘patch’, where you will record plant ‘indicator species’ in five plots in semi-natural habitats.
There are 263 squares allocated in Wales and currently, 142 are being surveyed leaving 54% of squares available to anyone interested in getting involved this season. Look out for NPMS training events in Wales to see how you can take part.
Great British Wildflower Hunt 2018
Do you want know your wildflowers but don’t know where to start? Here are a few tips to help you. You can also take part in Wildflower hour takes place between 8-9pm every Sunday, where you can share photos of the flowers found growing wild in Britain and Ireland.
The UK Pollinator Monitoring Scheme (PoMS)
The PoMS seeks the help of volunteers to collect data on pollinating insects, to help inform their conservation. There are two ways to get involved. One is to carry out a 10-minute Flower-Insect Timed Count. Anyone can take part between April and September, at any location where there are flowers and insects, and a full survey guide is provided.
A smaller group of volunteers is required to help with the systematic surveying of random sites across England, Scotland and Wales. This involves ‘adopting’ a 1km survey square, meeting on site with a PoMS team member and visiting the square on three further occasions during summer to collect insects with water-filled pan traps.
If you'd like to volunteer please email poms@ceh.ac.uk and visit the website for more details, including short videos introducing the two PoMS surveys
BeeWalk
BeeWalk is the national recording scheme run by Bumblebee Conservation Trust (BBCT) to monitor the abundance of bumblebees across the UK. The survey would be impossible without volunteers, who once a month between March and October, walk a fixed route of their choosing (generally, though not necessarily, about a mile long) identify and count the bumblebees and send us their records.For more information and to sign up see www.beewalk.org.uk or email beewalk@bumblebeeconservation.org
BBCT have a variety of resources on their website to get started with identification http://bit.ly/1FWqw2r and you can also post photos to their partner website BeeWatch http://bit.ly/beewatch for help with identifying a bumblebee.
The Big Seaweed Search!
Seaweeds are important. They form habitats, creating shelter and providing food for an immense diversity of marine organisms and also support fish nurseries and commercial fisheries. You can help MCS by signing up for your Big Seaweed Search guide and you'll be contributing to vital research by having fun and exploring your local rocky shore.
OPAL Surveys
Why not take part in an OPAL survey? The OPAL Air Survey can be done at any time of year and by taking part in the OPAL Air Survey you can find out about air quality near you and help OPAL scientists answer important questions about the impacts of air quality across the UK. Handy guides include field notebook, lichen and tree identification sheets. Resources are also available in Welsh.
The OPAL Data Explorer has recently launched allowing you to visualise environmental data submitted by OPAL participants for all current OPAL Surveys.
In 2018 we’re celebrating Wales’ outstanding coastline, and inviting visitors to discover new epic experiences all around our shores, with special events and attractions throughout the year.
Nature’s calendar 2018
|
|
Consultation -Brexit and our land: Securing the future of Welsh farming
Welsh Government has launched a consultation on a new Land Management Programme to support Welsh farmers post-Brexit, replacing the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP).
Consultation link
Closing date 30th October
|
|
Species of the Month: Horse-Chestnut Leaf-miner Cameraria ohridella
Species of the month is a feature brought to you in collaboration with the Local Environmental Record Centres in Wales. You can submit recordings of the featured species or any species (no matter how common) to one of the four Local Environmental Record Centres - each covering a specific area in Wales. To view which LERC covers your geographical location click here
First discovered in the UK in 2002, the Horse-Chesnut Leaf-Miner is a small micro moth which has a big effect on Horse Chestnut trees. The caterpillars "mine" the leaves, causing brown blotches to appear as they eat leaf tissue from the inside. The adults are a tiny but handsome moth which may be observed around trees and in light traps, but the leaf damage is the most obvious sign that the species is present.
The species is likely to be found throughout south Wales on Horse Chestnut trees, but is under recorded in Wales. You can view the Welsh distribution on Aderyn here.
More information about Horse-Chestnut Leaf-Miner is available from the Forestry Commission.
Text modified from SewBrec source
Horse chestnut Leaf miner caterpillar feeding trails @SewBrec
|
|
|
Vacancy
Ecologist Planner Swansea Council (part-time (3 days/week)
The Post is responsible for providing ecological advice in relation to planning applications, relevant appeals and public inquiries; the preparation of policies for the development plan; the co-ordination of biodiversity data and preparation of related plans and strategies; and the provision of specialist ecological advice and information.
Further details an application form link
Closing date: 16/09/2018
|
|
Wales Biodiversity Partnership Conference
19-20 September, National Museum, Cardiff
Further details
CIEEM Welsh Conference 2018
Recovering Nature: Approaches to species reintroduction and rewilding
Diary Date: 16 October
Park Inn Cardiff
Further details
|
Unknown Wales Conference 2018
27 October 2018 10am - 3.30pm
National Museum of Wales in Cardiff
Now in its eighth year, the Conference has hosted over 200 delegates each year and presented diverse talks from fungi to a history of bird research, ancient trees to brown hares. You can download the programme and obtain book details from the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales website
UK Fungus Day 6 October
|
|
Funding
NRW Funding Newsletter
Current funding update compiled by Natural Resources Wales and available on the NRW website
Tesco Community Funding administered by Groundwork
Grants of £5,000, £2,000 and £1,000 are available for open space improvements that benefit the community. Eligible projects include spaces such as pocket parks, school grounds, allotments, sports facilities, woodland walks and community gardens. For further details visit the website.
Heritage Lottery Fund
Heritage Lottery Fund HLF Cymru offer workshops which focus on different funding programmes so you'll need to decide which is most relevant to you. You don't need a project idea to attend - just come along and find out more. The Funding Support Workshops are a great opportunity to find out about our funding, learn about our outcomes, get tips on how to make a good application and network with other organisations from your area. You will also meet the development team for HLF Cymru.
Dŵr Cymru / Welsh Water Funding
Water Framework Directive Funding Scheme
The scheme provides financial contributions for groups to undertake projects which they can demonstrate will deliver improvements to either inland, ground or coastal waters. The projects in turn help implement the objectives of the European Union’s Water Framework Directive in Welsh Water’s operating area intended to drive up water quality.
Applicants must;
• describe how their proposal relates to Dŵr Cymru operations or assets;
• they may be directly related to reducing the impacts / effects of the operation of assets or discharges,
• or involve ‘upstream’ or other work that could reduce the burden or risk of improvements being required at Dŵr Cymru assets.
Invasive Non-Native Species Funding Scheme
This fund aims to curb the growth and spread of invasive non-native species which pose a threat to indigenous plants and animals. A total of £60,000 is being made available for projects which will enable the company to support local groups to take action to prevent, reduce, eradicate or manage the risk of non-native species.
For further information about both funds please go to the following link
|
|
|
|
|
