30 Days Wild is The Wildlife Trusts’ annual national nature challenge where we ask the nation to do one ‘wild’ thing a day every day throughout June. Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is running it locally.

Your daily wild activities can be anything you like – you might be having breakfast with the birds on Monday, feeling the grass between your toes on Tuesday, and watching wildlife webcams on Wednesday. There’s no set structure, so you can take part in a way that suits you. Alongside benefiting your local wildlife, taking part in 30 Days Wild is scientifically proven to make you feel happier, healthier, and more connected to nature.

Anyone can take part in 30 Days Wild, we even have resources for schools, care homes and businesses. Follow this link https://www.nottinghamshirewildlife.org/30-days-wild-0 to sign up today and receive a FREE pack in the post, including lots of inspiration for activities.

Over the next few years Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust are running a major project across the county promoting wider engagement with wildlife. This is part of a long term ideal to achieve a significant growth in action for wildlife across the community. The belief is that if the nature conservation movement can develop a sufficient groundswell of activity and opinion in favour of wildlife local and national governments will also pay far more heed to the issue. It is a major ask, but NWT are committing three staff members across the county to get out into the community supporting and advising existing groups, but also helping new groups and individuals to find their feet with direct advice, signposting etc.

To be clear what the Trust has is dedicated staff time, not bags of cash. Nor is it tied in anyway to membership of Notts Wildlife Trust or any direct association with the Trust, the charity is offering a helping hand no more, no less in helping groups work towards the following sort of things

• making your outdoor space wildlife friendly
• fundraising for an environmental cause
• encouraging nature connectedness in your community
• volunteering for a green cause
• speaking up for nature

Our community team can signpost you towards support advice, who to contact about specific issues, contact with similar groups whatever is appropriate to the challenge. It is about empowering you (sorry difficult to avoid buzz words).

None of this is rocket science, nor is it new. Over the last twenty years in Rushcliffe NWT have assisted Friends of Bingham Linear Park, Sharphill Wood, Gotham Sandbanks, The Hook at Ladybay and the Green Line West Bridgford and more besides. The difference is there is now a team dedicated to that sort of activity.

But please remember it can be all sorts of activities, not just Friends Groups ,like for example a community wildlife group such as Wild Things Keyworth, (actually an impressive self starter) or creating a U3A wildlife group or community gardens or something you as an individual want to try and do. It is about helping YOU achieve your (wildlife friendly aim)aim.

So if you are an existing group and want some help and advice OR there is something of a wildlify nature in your patch that YOU want to make a difference with contact wilder@nottswt.co.uk and see how they can help.

For me the mantra is that “every little helps” and lots of small differences build up. The groups I just quoted have all appeared in the last 20 years.

See the attached leaflet What is Wilder Nottinghamshire (2) about Wilder Nottinghamshire.

Wilder Nottinghamshire is about community action, alongside this NWT is also looking to grow it`s capacity to reach out to the farming community, but that is a whole other kettle of fish.

The South Notts Ringing Group have been operating for some 52 year. Attached are the detailed results of the bird ringing during 2022. Whilst the primary site is Attenborough Nature Reserve the group also carry out ringing activities locally at Skylarks and Sutton Bonnington. For the full report follow this link SNRG Report 2022

Every month the South Notts Local Group produces a newsletter, covering wildlife activities in the coming month, news about local wildlife, as well as items of county/national interest. The newsletter is circulated by E Mail to contacts, but if you don`t see it this is a link to the May newsletter  http://www.southnottswildlife.org.uk/content/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/SNLG-monthly-mail-may2023-v1.pdf

If you want to receive it on a regular basis please E Mail southnottswildlife@gmail.com

Over the next few years Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust are running a major project across the county promoting wider engagement with wildlife across the county. This is part of a long term ideal to achieve a significant growth in action for wildlife across the community. The belief is that if the nature conservation movement can develop a sufficient groundswell of activity and opinion in favour of wildlife local and national governments will also pay far more heed to the issue. It is a major ask but NWT are committing three staff members across the county to get out into the community supporting and advising existing groups and helping new groups and individuals to find their feet with direct advice, signposting etc.

To be clear what the Trust has is dedicated staff time, not bags of cash. Nor is it tied in anyway to membership of Notts Wildlife Trust or any direct association with the Trust, the charity is offering a helping hand no more, no less in helping groups work towards the following sort of things

• making your outdoor space wildlife friendly
• fundraising for an environmental cause
• encouraging nature connectedness in your community
• volunteering for a green cause
• speaking up for nature

Our community team can signpost you towards support advice, who to contact about specific issues, contact with similar groups whatever is appropriate to the challenge. It is about empowering you (sorry difficult to avoid buzz words).

None of this is rocket science, nor is it new. Over the last twenty years in Rushcliffe NWT have assisted Friends of Bingham Linear Park, Sharphill Wood, Gotham Sandbanks, The Hook at Ladybay and the Green Line West Bridgford and more besides. The difference is there is now a team dedicated to that sort of activity.

But please remember it can be all sorts of activities, not just Friends Groups ,like for example a community wildlife group such as Wild Things Keyworth, (actually an impressive self starter) or creating a U3A wildlife group or community gardens or something you as an individual want to try and do. It is about helping YOU achieve your (wildlife friendly aim)aim.

So if you are an existing group and want some help and advice OR there is something of a wildlify nature in your patch that YOU want to make a difference with contact wilder@nottswt.co.uk and see how they can help.

For me the mantra is that “every little helps” and lots of small differences build up. The groups I just quoted have all appeared in the last 20 years.

See the attached leaflet Wilder Nottinghamshire Flyer_20230501_0002 about Wilder Nottinghamshire.

Wilder Nottinghamshire is about community action, alongside this NWT is also looking to grow it`s capacity to reach out to the farming community, but that is a whole other kettle of fish.

Plans are being explored on further improving the hedgerow network in Rushcliffe to protect wildlife and help to tackle climate change.

Rushcliffe Borough Council is now working closely with partners to reach out to farmers and landowners to provide advice and support on managing hedgerows across the Borough.

Recognising that hedges have a positive effect for both wildlife and the amenity of residents, they play a vital role in carbon reduction and the authority has a strategic aim to increase the hedgerow network by 40% across the Borough by 2050.

It follows a national campaign by the Government’s Environmental Improvement Plan 2023, helping to tackle the climate emergency.

The Council has statutory regulations in place to protect hedgerows and the unauthorised removal of a hedgerow can result in a fine of up to £5000 and can enforce replacement planting.

Hedgerows are an important component of the Rushcliffe countryside and play a crucial role in protecting wildlife and provide food, shelter and linear routes for many species.

Bats navigate and feed along hedgerows and over 30 species of bird nest in them. Mammals also use the areas for shelter and ditches alongside hedgerows are home to a diverse range of invertebrates.

The Council’s Cabinet Portfolio Holder for Communities and Climate Change Cllr Abby Brennan said: “A wildlife-rich environment has been shown to provide health and economic benefits.

“As part of our Carbon Clever initiative and a step towards our plans to becoming carbon neutral by 2023, we are looking at ways we can further protect hedgerows.

“Most hedgerows are over 150 years old and they enhance the appearance and character of the Borough. They also provide homes and corridors for wildlife, crucial for biodiversity.

“We have hundreds of miles of hedgerow across the Borough and every single hedgerow is important for the environment. Many predate 1850 and we have measures in place to monitor and protect these areas.

“We want to engage with private landowners and farmers and we’re taking further action to build those relationships and work with our partners.

“There is Government support and other sources of funding available from The Woodland Trust, The Forestry Commission and more to assist with the maintenance and management of hedgerows.

“I encourage private landowners and farmers to find out more about these opportunities and utilise free tools and trusted resources on our website at www.rushcliffe.gov.uk.

“We also have a free guide to planting native hedgerows for residents”.

For further information on protecting hedgerows, including advice grant funding opportunities, visit our website pages.

There is a common misconception that ivy “damages” trees, but it is important to realize that Ivy is a native species and is a normal component of most, if not all, woodland sites.

Ivy provides a valuable habitat for small mammals (including bats), birds and insects (including bees, hoverflies and butterflies). Its woody structure and evergreen nature provides safety, roosting, hibernation and nesting opportunities all year round. Whilst its berries provide an important food source for birds during winter, its long flowering season means it is an important source of late season nectar for bees and other invertebrates. It can also provide year-round ground cover and reduce the effect of frost hardening the ground in winter months, which means animals can continue to forage in the leaf litter during extreme cold weather (Woodland Trust, 2020).

The Woodland Trust states “Ivy uses trees and walls for support, allowing it to reach upwards to better levels of sunlight. It is not a parasitic plant and has a separate root system in the soil and so absorbs its own nutrients and water as needed. Ivy does not damage trees and its presence doesn’t indicate that a tree is unhealthy, and it doesn’t create a tree-safety issue.”

Another misconception is that ivy blocks the tree from photosynthesising. An already weakened or dying tree might appear to be failing because of the ivy, the ivy being more obvious than any fungal, bacterial or viral infections that may be blighting the tree. Ivy may help create a sort of sail effect in some trees. If it is old, declining or  disease-weakened a tree is more vulnerable to structural damage in strong winds. The ivy only marginally increases that risk.

Action to remove ivy from trees would negatively impact on a valuable wildlife resource, without meaningfully reducing any risk of tree damage; Indeed, there have been instances locally where poorly executed ivy removal has actively damaged trees.

Where there is a tree safety management issue an assessment should be made if the tree is safe. If it represents a risk, the tree should then be dealt with appropriately and whilst the presence of ivy might marginally increase the risk, it is the health of the tree and its core structure that is the problem.

RNCSIG would recommend that tree condition be monitored by land owners and farmers to prevent damage, loss or danger irrespective of the presence of ivy. Removal of ivy is unlikely to represent a solution. Where there is concern for tree safety, remedial advice should be sought.