Wildlife on Your Doorstep Awards

These are run every year by Notts Wildlife Trust to recognise local efforts to promote wildlife and nature conservation around the county. This year the following people and groups were nominated for the Rushcliffe area Derek Rudge (Wilford Claypits), Stonepit Wood Group, South Notts Bird Ringing Group and the Grizzeled Skipper Project.

But the well deserved winners were

Jenny Craig – Jenny is one of the mainstays of the Friends of Bingham Linear Park for many years, both in the administration where she acts as the groups secretary, but also on the practical side where she leads the monthly site work party, leads a programme of site walks in the summer, is an active recorder of the sites butterfly populations (as well as providing analysis of the results). Jenny is the sort of person who is the cornerstone of good local practical conservation.

Gotham Sandbanks Nature Reserve Trust – Gotham Sandbanks is part of one of a handful of SSSI`s in Rushcliffe and includes a range of interesting and uncommon (for the area) wildflowers, such us harebell, greater knapweed, ladies bedstraw, common centuary, hoary plantain, common restharrow and over the last 10 years some 83 other types of flora, plus at least 11 species of grass. The site was gradually deteriorating with taller grasses and scrub encroaching on the remaining fragment of species rich grassland within the sandbank itself. But funding from Higher Level Stewardship was obtained to allow the Trust to put up stock proof fencing around an extended area of the species rich grassland. In the winters of 2013 and 2014 local volunteers put in a great effort brushcuting the open grassland in both years and clearing the area of encroaching scrub and clearing the fence lines, with the fencing going in during 2014. Whilst all this was going on there has been survey work carried out recording flora, birds, butterflies etc, as well as getting the local school involved in outdoor activities. This is all the start of a long process, but in the last 4 years far more has been achieved by the Nature Reserve Trust than was thought possible.

Volunteer Opportunity – working with crayfish in Nottinghamshire.

Notts Biodiversity Action Group are currently running a project in Bulwell to support our native white-clawed crayfish (a LBAP species).  The project, at Bulwell Hall, is seeking to control and eventually eradicate signal crayfish from two fishing ponds at this site.  Bulwell sits within the River Leen catchment and this is currently one of the best catchments for white-clawed crayfish in the East Midlands. Signal crayfish (as well as other American crayfish species) carry crayfish plague which causes mortality in the native white-clawed crayfish when it comes into contact with infected individuals.

As a result this is an incredibly important project to try to stop the signal crayfish from spreading into the wider River Leen catchment. In order for the project to work we require the assistance of a large numbers of volunteers.  The volunteers will help with emptying the traps, recording the catch and then sterilising and returning the larger male crayfish. We will provide gloves, life vests, waders (as close to your size as possible) and other equipment. If you are interested in getting involved and are free on any of the dates below then please feel free to contact Chris Jackson at biodiversity@nottscc.gov.uk

 Saturday 6th May, Tuesday 9th May, Friday 12th May, Monday 15th May, Thursday 18th May, Sunday 21st May, Wednesday 24th May, Saturday 27th May, Tuesday 30th May, Friday 2nd June, Monday 5th June, Thursday 8th June, Sunday 11st June, Wednesday 14th June, Saturday 17th June, Tuesday 20th June, Friday 23rd June, Monday 26th June, Thursday 29th June

 More details about crayfish in Nottinghamshire can be found on the NottsBAG website (there is a leaflet at the bottom of the projects and publications page – I’m afraid it may be slightly out of date due to recent survey work).