October volunteer activity

Sunday 13th October 2019 – Victoria Tower, St Martin – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

Task The grassland at Victoria Tower is managed with an annual late-season cut, with patches of uncut vegetation left for overwintering invertebrates in different parts of the site from year to year. This task will primarily involve raking up and clearing cuttings, although we may also undertake a small amount of sensitive scrub management and self-seeded sycamore control if time allows. We will work with the National Trust for Jersey.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Clively (tel: 441600; j.clively@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site Victoria Tower, St Martin. We will meet in the car park at the end of Le Mont Mallet (Jersey phone directory map Map 11, MM15) Google maps here

Parking Parking at the site is very limited but further on road parking is available along La Rue de La Pouclee et des Quatre Chemins. Please also consider car sharing or cycling.

Please meet at 10:20 for a 10:30 start and we will be finished by 13.00.

Tools needed As always, tools will be provided but if you have a pair of gardening gloves, a rake, fork or cutting tools (e.g. pruning saw, loppers, secateurs) it would be helpful if you could bring them along with you.

Clothing needed Please check the weather forecast and wear suitable clothing.

Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments We will be treated to Kim’s latest batch of delicious cakes, washed down with a nice cup of tea or coffee.

Wilder Islands Conference – The Inter-Islands Meeting (IIEM), Alderney 2019

Wilder Islands Conference. Alderney 2019

The Inter-Islands Environmental Meeting – IIEM2019

What role do the Islands of the British Isles and Overseas Territories have to play in a world where ecosystem collapse is seen as increasingly inevitable? Often Islands lack the economic or political resources to have a voice on the global environmental stage and they face many of the same pressures on their environments – over-population, development, economic insecurity and resource scarcity – and often have even scarcer resources to protect – yet they are uniquely positioned to help future wildlife recovery. Could our islands act as biodiversity lifeboats, refuges for the unique endemic species they host and as shelters for habitats and species under increasing pressure elsewhere?

The Wilder Islands Conference combines the annual Inter-Islands Environment Meeting with an additional day of talks and discussions, the aim being to enable representatives from not only the Channel Islands, but also from across the British Isles and its Overseas Territories and the wider scientific community, to discuss the role of islands as biodiversity hotspots in a future response to global environmental decline. The Wilder Islands Conference aims to bring scientists, conservationists and policy makers together to focus on what steps these communities might take for a Wilder Future for their islands.

Thursday and Friday 26-27 September – IIEM2019 – A combination of presentations, opportunity for debate and field visits, hosted in a selection of venues making the best of Alderney’s historic and rugged environment. The IIEM has been running since 2000 and this year we are looking to discover more about how the islands of the Crown Dependencies, Overseas Territories and wider British Isles are responding to the growing threat to island/regional ecosystems.

Wilder Islands Day –  We are delighted to be able to offer attendees this additional conference day, chaired by Dr. George McGavin and with Tony Juniper, Bryce Stewart, Jean-Luc Solandt, Sam Turvey and Rob Stoneman (see details of guests here) attending.  We envision this as a day of talks by inspirational speakers who have detailed knowledge of the importance of island biodiversity and the threats faced by our unique communities.  There will be the opportunity for discussion around each presentation, with an emphasis on how islands can secure their environment against a trend of global decline, and the very important role that islands play in retaining biodiversity on a national and global scale.

Download full details of the Wilder Islands Conference 2019 here

We’d be delighted if you would join us for all 3 days so  you have already let us know you are attending please confirm if you will be staying for this exciting days discussion wilderislands@alderneywildlife.org

Attendance

The IIEM2019 and the Wilder Islands Conference have received generous support from a range of sources including the Insurance Corporation and the States of Alderney.  As a result, there will be no attendance charge for delegates, though there will be some small charges towards the cost of food for delegates. We are preparing information on accommodation and travel arrangements for delegates and will accept applications for a limited number of grants to support attendance (please contact us at wilderislands@alderneywildlife.org).

IIEM2019

Presentations

The theme ‘Wilder Islands’ is not restrictive but please consider it as a guide to the tone and intent of any presentation you might give.  Presentation slots will as usual be limited to 20 minutes unless you specifically request a longer session i.e. joint or interactive presentations; please feel free to request a shorter slot. Obviously we are restricted on the number of available slots so we would be grateful if you could let us know if you would like to present and a title of your talk as soon as possible and we will follow up for more details once we have a better idea of numbers and topics.

Please contact us to confirm if you want to give a presentation by 28th June, including an outline title and concept to– wildlerislands@alderneywildlife.org

Please note there will be a review panel made up of the existing hosts and previous hosts who will shortlist the speakers for inclusion, should there be more presentations than time allows.

Posters

We are intending to have a dedicated poster and digital display area for the event this year and also to publish contributions online. Again space is likely to be restricted so if you have an idea for a poster or digital display please let us know so we can provisionally reserve a space by 28th June, with the outline title and concept – wildlerislands@alderneywildlife.org

Schools

We intend to link in with the Island’s school as part of Wilder Islands, with some students invited to attend talks and also to produce their own posters.  We are interested in streaming sections of both IIEM2019 and the Wilder Islands Conference for schools so if you have school links and think there might be an interest in this please get in touch.

REGISTERING AN INTEREST

Download full details of the Wilder Islands Conference 2019 here

For all those wanting to attend we need you to please get in touch and answer the following questions as we have limited space in the venues and accommodation. We will be in touch with all those who have booked in with the accommodation and travel options.

So to help us with our planning and getting the best deals please could you let us know if:

  1. You would like to attend and which days you plan to attend
  2. If you are prepared to travel by sea and/or air, let us know your preference
  3. If you would like to give a presentation, and if so an outline title so we can begin to structure the meeting
  4. If you think you would like to display a poster or a digital display in the form of a short video

Contact us at – wilderislands@alderneywildlife.org or by calling us on 01481 822935 and asking for Roland, Claire or Lindsay and please feel free to forward this information to others who you feel might be interested in attending or speaking.

Many thanks for your time and we hope to see you in Alderney later in the year.

* ‘Wilder Islands’ will also become part of the national ‘Wilder Future’ campaign launched by the UK Wildlife Trust movement earlier this year.

Download full details of the Wilder Islands Conference 2019 here

April volunteer activity

Sunday 14th April 2019 – La Corbière, St Brelade – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

Please note this task has been changed from the one originally scheduled, and we will be undertaking heathland restoration and footpath work.

Task For the last task of the season join us on the beautiful headland above La Corbière to restore an area of heathland that has been engulfed by bracken. There will be an amount of gorse management to undertake and we are also going repair the badly eroded footpath. The work area is a five minute walk to the north of the Railway Walk.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Clively (tel: 441600; j.clively@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site Meet at the car park by the Radio Tower behind (south) of Corbière Phare Bars. Google maps here. Jersey Phone Directory Map 12 inset, square D20.

Parking There will be parking available at the meeting place.

Meet at 10.20 promptly for a 10.30 start. We will be finished work by 12.30 for well-earned refreshments.

Tools needed All tools will be provided, but we are short on spades so if you have one it would be helpful to bring it along. Pruning saws and loppers may also be useful to tackle the gorse.

Clothing needed Please check the weather for the day and bring suitable clothing, wet weather gear and wellies may be necessary but fingers crossed for some April sun! We can supply a pair of gardening gloves if you don’t have them, but you may have a favourite pair you’d like to bring.

 Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments Kim will be on hand after we have finished to ply us with her homemade cakes and hot drinks

Can we bring back a missing predator?

Paul Stammers will present Returning a top predator: the reintroduction of ospreys in England at Durrell’s Academy Lecture Theatre at 19.30 on Friday 8th March. Free entry and everyone welcome.

We are increasingly familiar with rewilding environments: trying to bring back missing elements such as those important species that helped shape the landscape and the way that others including ourselves have lived. Think of beavers, marmots, bison and deer – all species returned successfully to parts of Europe. But, they are herbivores, how easy is it to bring back a predator? Well, agencies in the UK have become very good at bringing back predatory birds like the white-tailed eagle and the red kite. Less well known perhaps is the story with the osprey – a bird that famously came back naturally to Scotland in 1954 after a long absence and some serious effort to stop it leaving again. More recently this iconic bird has been directly restored in England, at Rutland Water, and work is underway in Poole Harbour which will see ospreys nesting once again in southern England.

Paul Stammers was born in Norfolk, the son of a gamekeeper. After leaving college, Paul joined Rolls Royce in Derby to serve an Engineer Apprenticeship and gained a degree in mechanical engineering. He went on to work on the design and testing of the RB211 engine at Derby and Hucknall.

In 1972 Paul was approached by Mars Ltd to join their design team at Melton Mowbray where he went to work in design, project engineering, production management, local external relations and finally environmental management. He then took the decision to retire at 50-years old to follow his interests in conservation.

In 1996 Paul started as a volunteer on The Rutland Osprey Project, assisting with translocation of osprey chicks from Scotland to Rutland Water. In 2007 he became a member of staff working with Dr Tim Mackrill, Project Officer Rutland Ospreys for the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust and Anglian Water.

During the last 12 years Paul has helped in the day-to-day running of the project and establishing a breeding colony of nine pairs of ospreys and in excess of 20 adult birds returning each year to the local area. Between 2011 and 2019 Paul regularly visited both Gambia and Senegal tracking ospreys and visiting schools that are supported by the project and LRWT.

At the end of the 2018 season Paul decided to step down from his staff position but continue to work as a volunteer with the project. In September 2018 he was appointed Trustee of the Osprey Leadership Foundation. The aim of the Foundation is to give young people the opportunity to study and work in conservation in both the UK and West Africa.

On Friday, Paul will talk about the translocation of ospreys to Rutland, the establishment of a colony and then on to Africa and the work with schools in The Gambia. Finally he will give a summary of the aims of the Osprey Leadership Foundation.

During his visit, Paul will have a look at Jersey with ospreys in mind. He will come to us from Guernsey where he will have been hosted by BOTE friend, and conservation stalwart, Vic Froome. Vic will come across with Paul, not least as he likes to see some choughs from time to time!

Durrell’s Academy is at the Les Noyers Hostel site across the green car park from the Zoo entrance (map here) . Please park on the grass or walk over from the main car park (you may need to bring a torch).

February volunteer activity

Sunday 10th February 2019 – Le Mont, Rue des Mans, St Brelade – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

The details Please note that due to ongoing industrial action, this month’s task will be managed by Robin and the team from Jersey Trees for Life

Task As part of the Jersey Trees for Life ongoing hedgerow campaign, native trees and hedging whips will be planted around fields in St Brelade. The purpose of this planting is to continue linking and enlarging the areas previously planted. The campaign project itself is to enable the establishment of wildlife corridors across the Island primarily for the benefit of squirrels, bats, hedgehogs and our native bird species, as well as the re-instigating of former hedgerows lost due to farming and natural causes. Jersey Trees for Life view this particular area of their work as fundamental in their core aims.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Clively (tel: 441600; j.clively@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site The property is called Le Mont, Rue des Mans, St Brelade. One of the Trees for Life Team will be on hand at the entrance to guide you to the parking place.  Jersey phone directory: Map 13, square M17. Google maps here

Parking Parking will be tight, so if you can share a lift it would be ideal. There may be parking spaces at the site or along the road.

Meet at 10.20 promptly for a 10.30 start. We will be finished work by 12.30 for well-earned refreshments.

Tools needed Please bring a spade if you have one, (please note that trowels, shovels and forks will not be suitable for this task!) Jersey Trees for Life can provide a limited number of spades and other tools.

Clothing needed Please check the weather for the day and bring suitable clothing, wet weather gear and wellies may be necessary but fingers crossed for some February sun! We can supply a pair of gardening gloves if you don’t have them, but you may have a favourite pair you’d like to bring.

Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments After all the trees have been planted, Kim will reward you with a hot drink and a slice of homemade cake.

 

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The 18th annual Jersey Great Garden Bird Watch 2-3 February 2019

As another year rolls around its time for this year’s annual Jersey Great Garden Bird Watch with Action for Wildlife and the Jersey Evening Post. This year it will be held over the weekend of 2nd and 3rd February. Of course, notification of the coming watch typically leads to a serious change in the weather. Not that it’s been all that nice in Jersey recently anyway but you probably should expect horizontal bird feeders in non-stop hail now at the start of February!

Cold and unfavourable weather is when the birds in your garden become most reliant on your support and so, with them coming to feeders it’s a very good time to count them. I’m often asked whether we should feed the birds, are we making them too dependent on us? Are we affecting their natural behaviour? Well, having done a good job of impacting on their world and starving them out of a lot of it, perhaps we may have to accept becoming a lifeline to many species in an uncertain future. Some of our garden favourites may not die out without us but their ranges may change dramatically and we might have to work hard to see some of them. Add to that a changing climate and those acts of kindness to our garden friends can become a lifeline.

The Great Garden Bird Watch is in its 18th year so we have plenty of counts to use in assessing the recent trends in Jersey’s garden birds. And things aren’t so good really. If we just look at the most recorded species (house sparrow, greenfinch and chaffinch, blue tit and great tit, blackcap, blackbird, song thrush and robin, starling, wood pigeon and collared dove and a few others like pheasant, magpie, jay and great spotted woodpeckers) we see a slow decline throughout the period since 2002. However, if we take out that great garden success story, the wood pigeon, we see a much more dramatic picture. Most people know about the changes in starling numbers, and the disappearance of sparrows from many gardens (strangely, if you’ve got sparrows you probably have lots of them and they have staged a recovery) but blue and great tits aren’t doing so well either. It’s not all bad news though, blackbirds and robins are holding their own. The picture in the UK is much the same where 40 years of the RSPB’s Big Garden Birdwatch shows the winners and losers there.

The method of the count is very straight forward. Basically you just need to look out into the garden for a few minutes and write down what birds you see and the maximum number of each species. Oh, and for one weekend a year, red squirrels are birds. I’m not sure what they think about that, maybe they accept that it’s an honour!

 

 

Once you’ve counted the birds on your chosen day please fill out the form that you can download here and email in to birdsote@gmail.com or print and send in to the JEP or drop off at their office. Alternatively pick up a form from one of the Island’s garden centres (Ransoms, St Peters, Pet Cabin at Le Quesnes) or Animal Kingdom and leave it with them.

Everyone who takes part in the count is a citizen scientist and doing their own small bit to help us understand our garden birds that bit better. Most of all though, it’s fun and will remind you how important our birds are to us and how much we need them to help us feel alive and well. And they’ll take your mind off Brexit. So, please fill out your form on one day over the weekend and help us see how our birds are doing. Oh, and don’t forget, squirrels are birds!

 

 

January volunteer activity

Sunday 13th January 2019 – La Coupe, St Martin – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

Happy New Year!

The details

This task replaces the originally scheduled “Willow Coppicing at Le Rȃt” as an opportunity has arisen to plant a small woodland in a former agricultural field in at the Island’s most north-easterly corner and we thought The JCV would be the perfect team for the job! The trees have been delivered to The Elms and are ready to go!

Task Join the National Trust’s Lands Team at la Coupe (near Fliquet, St Martin) to carry out the exciting task of planting a small new coastal woodland. The task will involve planting native trees with guards and stakes, and giving them a good covering of mulch to protect and feed them.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Meldrum (tel: 441600; j.meldrum@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site We will meet at the field, known as “Windy Corner”, at the bottom of La Rue de la Coupe, the lane down to La Coupe beach. Jersey phone directory Map 5 inset, square 8LL and Google maps here

Parking Parking will be tight, so if you can share a lift it would be ideal. There will be space at the car park at the bottom, on the hill, and on the main road at the top.

Meet at 10.20 promptly for a 10.30 start. We will finish work by 12.30 for well-earned refreshments.

Tools needed All tools will be provided but feel free to bring your own digging and staking tools with you if wish (e.g. spades, lump hammers).

Clothing needed Please check the weather for the day and bring suitable clothing, possibly some back up wet weather gear… it is January after all! We can supply a pair of gardening gloves if you don’t have them.

Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments After we have finished tree planting, we will of course then enjoy some glorious cake and a well-earned hot drink provided by Kim.

The National Trust for Jersey Lands Team look forward to seeing you for the first task of 2019.

November volunteer activity

Jersey conservation volunteers get stuck in to the reeds. Photo courtesy of Jersey Conservation Volunteers

Sunday 4th November 2018 – Grouville Marsh (Les Maltieres), Grouville – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

Please note that November’s task is a week earlier than normal to avoid clashing with Remembrance Sunday.

The details Join the National Trust for Jersey’s rangers at Grouville Marsh (Les Maltieres) for a morning of reedbed management and an opportunity to take a close look at the Trust’s recent wetland restoration project.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Meldrum (tel: 441600; j.meldrum@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site Meet at Long Beach carpark on Gorey coast road.

Jersey Phone Book map 11, square KK16. Google maps here. It’s a short walk over the road and through the back of the reedbed.

Parking There is parking at Long Beach carpark.

The task This task will involve cutting, clearing and burning reeds as well as some willow coppicing. Each year the Trust endeavours to cut and clear a section of the reedbed. This encourages greater floral diversity and creates a differing age structure within the reedbed. Removing or burning the cut reeds helps prevent the build-up of dead plant matter which can lead to the reedbed drying out. We will also be cutting some willow in order to prevent scrub encroachment.

Meet at 10.20 promptly for a 10.30 start. We will be finished work by 12.30 for well-earned refreshments.

Tools needed All tools will be provided.

Clothing needed Please dress for the weather, we go ahead whatever Nature throws at us. We can supply a pair of gardening gloves if you don’t have them.

Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments The famous Kim’s Kafe will open to provide refreshments when work finishes at about 12.30.

Fifth International Red-billed Chough Meeting. Segovia, Spain, 10-11 October, 2019

At the Fourth International Workshop on the Conservation of the Red-billed Chough held in October 2013 in Vila Real (Portugal), it was unanimously expressed that the next workshop should take place in Segovia, Spain. Segovia is not only beautiful but it is also full of choughs amongst the famous buildings. What better place?

Foro GeoBiosfera in collaboration with the National Museum of Natural Sciences of Madrid (CSIC) and with the support of the City Council of Segovia, announces the holding of this next Workshop, inviting all interested parts to participate.

This is the first call of the Workshop. In the near future there will be complete information on aspects of the event including the precise location of the meeting, communications by road, bus, train and plane, places of accommodation, registration fees and scope of services offered. The organisers will also answer questions that the participants may generate.

This Workshop is open to all interested people, professionals and those from public and private institutions alike who are keen on choughs, both red-billed and Alpine (yellow-billed) choughs.

Communications from any part of the world are welcome covering different aspects related to choughs, including:

  • Research and monitoring
  • Conservation
  • Cultural: literature, history, music and exhibitions of painting, photography, crafts.
  • Education and dissemination
  • Protection and legislation.

By Björn S... - Alpine chough - Pyrrhocorax graculus, CC BY-SA 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=40039369

The organisers have developed two committees to oversee the event structure:  an organizing committee from Foro GeoBiosfera and a scientific committee composed of researchers.

Please contact the Organization of the Congress for all information at comunicación@forogeobiosfera.org

We hope that this event will be an outstanding success in the scientific and conservation worlds of these unique bird species.

More details of the Workshop can be found here

October volunteer activity

Sunday 14th October 2018 – Devon Gardens, St Martin – 10:30-13.00

From Jersey Conservation Volunteers

The details Devon Gardens is a public garden in Gorey that is home to several important Jersey species. The walls provide great habitat for wall lizards and wild strawberry but are becoming overgrown with vegetation, threatening the habitat so we will be working to remove areas of dense ivy.

If you have any questions, or if you wish to be added to the Jersey Conservation Volunteers email list, please contact either Julia Meldrum (tel: 441600; j.meldrum@gov.je) or Jon Parkes (tel: 483193; jon.parkes@nationaltrust.je).

The site  We will meet at the bottom of the gardens. Jersey Phone Book map Map 11, LL15 Google maps here

Parking There is on-road parking as well as several public car parks nearby and parking on the pier.

Note: You may need a disc or scratch cards depending on where you park.

The task Improving habitat for wall lizards and wild strawberry.

Meet at 10.20 promptly for a 10.30 start. We will be finished work by 12.30 for well-earned refreshments.

Tools needed Tools will be provided but if you have a pair of secateurs bring them as they will be useful.

Clothing needed Please dress for the weather, we go ahead whatever Nature throws at us. We can supply a pair of gardening gloves if you don’t have them.

Children All are welcome, young or old although we do ask that volunteers under 16 years of age are accompanied by an adult.

Refreshments Kim will be setting up her pop up cafe to treat you all when work finishes at about 12.30.