Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership

In response to the Defra consultation on the government draft circular “Biodiversity and Geological Conservation – “Statutory obligations and their impact within the planning system”, the Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership made a detailed response which can be downloaded Consultation on draft PPS TVBP response May 2010  

The consultation date has now passed but here is a link to the relevant Defra pages

Find out more about the Environment Agency’s Regional Habitat Creation Programme (RHCP) with this Information Note for Awareness RaisingRHCP_Awareness Summary_DRAFT_RM_May 10

 Orchards are a national biodiversity priority habitat so its great news that the Heritage Lottery Fund are supporting a new project ‘Traditional Orchards in the Lower Tees Valley’ through a grant of £41,000 to the Wildflower Ark at Nature’s World. The project will research orchards and fruit growing in the Lower Tees Valley, locate remaining orchards and remnant fruit trees and identify, where possible, the old varieties of fruit. A series of workshops on fruit tree pruning and management, fruit harvesting, storage and uses will be held in the orchards at Nature’s World. This will increase the skills within the local community and aid the restoration and management of local orchards.

Traditional orchards are a priority habitat in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan. They are a semi-natural habitat providing food and shelter for a wide diversity of wildlife – lichens and mosses;  bees, beetles, moths and other invertebrates; birds and  mammals. As with so much of our wildlife habitat, traditional orchards are under threat across the whole of the uk and Natural England are promoting their wildlife benefits and conservation.
Traditional orchards were plentiful locally in the 19th century. Villages such as Egglescliffe, Norton, Newton Aycliffe, Thornaby were surrounded by fields of fruit trees.  Orchards were also present as part of the fruit and vegetable gardens of local halls, country houses and farms. Most of these have been lost now, though some of them,  not until  recently. Some smaller farm orchards are thought to remain.
If you  know of any old fruit trees or orchards, have information on the history of local orchards or are interested in any aspect of the project please contact Helen Herring at the Wildflower Ark, Nature’s World, Ladgate Lane, Acklam, TS5 7YN; tel: 01642 576611, email wildflowerark@hotmail.com.

 The Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership are undertaking a survey of ancient woodlands across the in the Tees Valley. The initiative will investigate the extent, nature and condition of the ancient woodland resource. The survey, which starts in April,  is funded by the Forestry Commission, Natural England and the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust.

The stimulus for the project came from the newly produced Tees Valley broadleaved woodland habitat action plan. The plan, prepared by the TVBP under the lead of Rachel Sparks of the Forestry Commission, sets out targets and action to restore and create woodlands.  However knowledge on the ecological condition of woodlands is sketchy. The information gained by the surveys will be invaluable in directing practical conservation improvements.

 As well as providing advice and guidance to owners and managers It will provide  better understanding of the characteristics, condition, management and ownership of the resource that will be used to stimulate sustainable management and provide information to the Forestry Commission, Natural England and other partners to enable the co-ordinated targeting of grants and other measures to the Ancient Woodlands in the Tees Valley that are assessed to be in unfavourable condition and identified as high priorities for support.
Objectives of the project are;

1. To survey the extent, nature and condition of the ancient woodland resource in the Tees Valley.

2. To provide a better understanding of the characteristics, condition, management and ownership of the resource that will be used to stimulate sustainable management and enable the development of meaningful woodland targets.

3.  To provide information to the Forestry Commission, Natural England and other partners to enable the co-ordinated targeting of grants and other measures to the Ancient Woodlands in the Tees Valley that are assessed to be in unfavourable condition and identified as high priorities for support.

4. To provide advice and guidance to owners and managers to support biodiversity targets.

5. To enable landowners to access funds to manage woodlands through EWGS by the provision of condition assessment information.

6. To provide the information to enable the Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership to apply for funding for the restoration of key woodlands through landfill tax funding.

7. To contribute to actions and reporting on the favourable management of Local sites (National Indicator 197).

For  more information email Sue Antrobus, Tees Valley Biodiversity Coordinator.

The Tees Valley Wildlife Trust is celebrating the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity by hosting a wildlife gardening event on Sunday 25th April at the Margrove Park Heritage Centre between 10 am and 4pm.

This free drop in informal event will provide an opportunity to find out how to improve your garden or allotment for wildlife The day his packed with demonstrations and hands on activities for all the family and include
Grow your own veg and herb demos
Pond advice surgery
Make willow supports
Planting a nectar garden for bees and butterflies
Hedgerow jam making and tasting
Information on feeding garden birds from the RSPB
Face painting and activities for children

Download an events flyer here

To find out more about the 2010 International Year of Biodiversity  visit

www.biodiversityislife.net

INCA and the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust are embarking on a project to conserve brownfield invertebrates in the Tees valley and help delivery of the Tees Valley Brownfields habitat action plan.

Brownfield sites are often rich in biodiversity and form an important refuge for wildlife. They are now included in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (UKBAP) as the priority habitat titled ‘Open mosaic habitats on previously developed land’. In the Tees Valley, many brownfield sites contain areas which develop a semi-natural habitat supporting a diverse flora and fauna. Such sites have regional importance for many Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) species, including invertebrates.   A summary of the project can be downloaded here.

Buglife, the national trust for invertebrates also has a new  National Brownfield Stepping Stones Project, for which the Tees Valley is a key area.  The national project is looking at the brownfield resource in different regions of the UK ( including the Tees Valley ,South Essex, Peterborough, Stoke-on-Trent and Cornwall). Many species (eg bumble bees, butterflies and reptiles) are becoming dependant/reliant on such sites. The project aim is to identify the most valuable brownfield sites in these regions and attempt to provide habitat linkages (stepping stones) between sites to allow the movement of species, particularly invertebrates. The work will entail scoping surveys, species and habitat surveys and habitat enhancement and management works. Along with working with planners and developers to ensure brownfield sites of conservation important are properly considered and mitigated for in the planning and development process.  Buglife is currently in the process of applying to the SITA Enriching Nature Fund for a grant to carry out work in the Tees Valley.

Three biodiversity projects in the Tees Valley have been awarded funding from SITA’s Enriching Nature Programme. These are a water vole project on Lustrum Beck in Stockton, the restoration of Whinney Banks Pond in Middlesbrough and a lowland meadow restoration scheme in East Cleveland.

All three projects focus on national priority BAP habitats and species and will make a significant contribution to the implementation of the Tees Valley Biodiversity Action Plan.

SITA Trust has now announced that they are offering a new three-year Enriching Nature Programme that will run from 2010 – 2012.

The Trust has committed £8m in new funds to this programme. There will be three funding rounds per year in each of the years 2010, 2011 and 2012. Applicants may request up to £120,000 for an individual project.

The fund is open to applications from not for profit organisations with projects that focus on conserving a species or habitat identified as a priority in the UK BAP process.

The Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership recognizes the  Enriching Nature Fund as having the potential for helping us to deliver our biodiversity targets in the Tees Valley.  To increase our success at obtaining funds from the programme in the Tees Valley free informal guidance and advice on applying for this funding is available from the partnership. For more information contact Sue Antrobus

For more information on Sita’s Enriching programme visit their website at www.sitatrust.org.uk

 Over 16,000 hedge saplings and 164 trees will be planted to create seven new hedgerows across the Tees Valley this autumn. The project coordinated by the Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership will create see over 3km of hedgerow planted by volunteer groups.

The sites for the new hedgerows range from rural landscapes to urban green spaces.   From gapping up an ancient hedge at Butts Lane in Hartlepool to community allotments in Middlesbrough, these hedges are being created to boost local wildlife.

The grant from the Tree Council, funded by Stella Artois, are also funding wildlife hedgerows at Fairy Del lin Coulby Newham, community allotments in Middlesbrough run by Middlesbrough Environment City, Coatham Marsh near Redcar and Seaton Common and west cemetery in Hartlepool.

The hedge saplings and trees have been carefully selected from a local tree nursery, Butterwick Trees to reflect the natural heritage of the Tees Valley.  Quick growing  hawthorn will form the backbone of most of the hedges with  blackthorn and wild roses.  For the allotment sites crab apple and pear are also been planted to provide a natural harvest for both wildlife and people.  Salt tolerant species will be planted in the hedge at Seaton Common which is subject to coastal northern sea winds.

Teams of volunteers planting the hedgerow over the coming months include  the  Tees Valley Wildlife Trust’s midweek team, Hartlepool Countryside  Warden volunteers, students from  East Durham College – Houghall Campus, the Friends of Fairy Dell and green teams from employees at Lucite in Billingham  and allotment holders in Middlesbrough.

This autumn the Tees Valley Biodiversity Partnership, with support from the Tees Valley Wildlife Trust and the EYE Project,  ran a series of wildlife workshops.  Two workshops, “Autumnal plant identification” and “Birds for Beginners” were held at Margrove Heritage Centre near Guisborough.

Both activities were fully booked with places snapped up by people wishing to learn more about species identification skills and meet like minded people.  The events also provided information on how to get involved with local, regional and national wildlife recording schemes.

 Due to popular demand a programme is being planned for 2010. More information will be available in Spring 2010. If you would like to be on the mailing list contact the Tees Valley Biodiversity Coordinator, Sue Antrobus

The Teesmouth Bird Club is carrying out a survey of rookeries in the Tees Valley during 2010. They are inviting their members and members of the general public to take part and they anticipating will provide valuable insight into the current numbers and distribution in the Tees Valley.

Rooks generally nest in colonies containing tens or even hundreds of nests. Rookeries are usually located in tall trees within easy reach of foraging areas on arable farmland or permanent, preferably damp, grassland,

For more information download  the Teesmouth Bird Club Rookery survey here