Making conservation engaging - a volunteer view

Guest blog post by volunteer Jackie Wragg

A crucial part of any conservation effort is public engagement. Over the summer I have volunteered with Moors for the Future Partnership to aid them in this effort. Is my motivation totally selfless? Not at all. Although I take great fulfilment from raising awareness and inspiring people to value the habitats and rally for the cause it isn’t the only benefit. It’s the invaluable experience to hopefully lead me into my future career in a rewarding role in conservation. This experience is the key to my dream job!

Comma butterfly photograped at Longshaw Estate

The unaccommodating yet spendid Green Leafhopper!

Over the summer Moors for the Future Partnership performed a “takeover” of the Moorland Discovery Centre at the Longshaw Estate every Thursday. Volunteering here gave me the opportunity to set up and run a range of activities many of which were aimed at engaging children in the different species that can be found in our local uplands.

The staff are so appreciative of the help and keen to listen to new ideas and put them into practise. The chance to be part of a team setting up an engaging experience for members of the public is something I would not have access to without volunteering. Not to mention the chance to take children out on a bug hunt in the surrounding area and the opportunity for a spot of wildlife photography at the same time. I have developed a serious obsession with getting the perfect picture of the beautiful yet unaccommodating Green Leafhopper (Cicadella viridis) thanks to seeing so many of them during my time at the Moorland Discovery Centre. They’re so quick it’s almost impossible to capture their splendidness on camera!

In addition to this “Bogfest”; an event I was truly proud to be a part of. I was chosen to provide a port-of-call for visitors to this international gathering in partnership with the IUCN at the Moors for the Future Stall. This was a fantastic opportunity to network with people working within the field and also provided some experience of working to engage different audiences such as professionals and landowners.

I intend to do much more volunteering for Moors for the Future. There is no doubt that people who volunteer are valued greatly and I look forward to more events where I can be a part of the Moors for the Future mission.

Community Science wildlife records 2016 - an overview

During 2016, Community Science received sightings of 6324 individual animals via our 'casual record' surveys; that is: birds (curlew, red grouse and swallow); butterflies (peacock, orange tip and green hairstreak); mountain hares, brown hares and rabbits; and ring ouzel and redwing.

The majority of sightings - 4322 - were from the birds survey, but 300 butterflies were seen along with 893 hares and rabbits, and 809 ring ouzels or redwings.

The map below shows the distribution of these records across our project area - the Peak District and South Pennines. The blue line is the boundary of the Peak District National Park, and the purple shape is the SAC (Special Area of Conservation) designated as internationally important for the habitats it contains - including blanket bog.

The light blue dots show where sightings of these individual animals came from (note that each dot could represent more than one individual animal, for example if someone saw 10 swallows in a particular place) and it is interesting to note that generally, the sightings broadly match the SAC shape, especially in the Dark Peak area.

The red dots, added for comparison, show where we distributed freepost postcards asking for people to send in sightings (sightings were also submitted via our website and the MoorWILD app). These hint at the correlation between location of sightings and distribution of postcards - underlining the limits of 'casual' surveys such as these.

Nevertheless, there are some useful and interesting things which the data can reveal: During 2016 the casual ring ouzel sightings helped to inform where surveyors looked when conducting an extensive breeding bird survey of the Eastern Moors area. The distribution of hares, and the correlation between mountain hare coat colour and snowfall has fed into a PhD on the subject of 'seasonal crypsis' in that species.

In the longer term, we'll be able to see if the dates certain species are first sighted in a year (for example emergence of green hairstreak butterfly, or the return of curlews to their moorland breeding areas) are shifting - and whether this fits into a pattern of earlier springs which are predicted to occur as our climate changes.

To find out more about current climate change research, please see some of the links we've gathered together on our webpage.

Top tips for entering our photography competition

Here are 6 top tips for those thinking of entering our 'Water in the Uplands' photo competition: http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/community-science/competition

1.  Slow the flow

Reduce your camera’s shutter speed to catch the dreamy effect of water in flow. 

A tripod is a handy piece of kit to keep your camera steady, but alternatively use a small bean bag or even a folded up jumper to sit your camera on. 

Use the self-timer function so you can go hands free, ensuring the camera doesn’t move while it’s recording the shot.


2. Beauty in the details


Look more closely at water and you’ll be amazed by some of the little details to be found.

Capture bubbles below a waterfall, reflections in puddles and get really close to discover the world of water droplets.










3. Water in the landscape


Consider the wider landscape and make water a part of the bigger picture.

Think how it has shaped its surroundings whether naturally or by the addition of man-made structures like bridges and weirs.





4. Go abstract

There’s so much potential for creating abstract images of water.

Create patterns from a flowing waterfall or focus on ripples in a calm pool.














5.  Winter wonderland

Winter is a great time to photograph water as the cold takes hold to create ice and snow.

Get out early after a cold night and capture incredible ice formations clinging to plants and rocks.

Alternatively take a break from sledging after a big snowfall and capture incredible winter scenery.







6.  Life giving water

There are many plant and animal species that rely on the habitats provided by the water in our uplands.

Capture beautiful creatures in their watery homes or look at plants like Sphagnum mosses that keep our blanket bogs saturated.

Tom Aspinall

Bleaklow timelapse sequence

These fixed point photos, taken over the last 13 years, show the return of vegetation to Hern Clough on Bleaklow, Derbyshire - one of the sites where Moors for the Future Partnership have carried out conservation works:

2003 - the site is largely bare peat and exposed mineral soil

 

 

2005 - after initial treatment with heather brash, lime, seed and fertilizer the grass 'nurse crop' is in evidence. Note the empty brash bags awaiting removal.

2008 - repeat treatments have allowed the nurse crop to become established, knitting the peat surface together.

2010 - the nurse grasses have almost completely covered the bare peat, and there is evidence of other plants becoming established.

2013 - the area of exposed mineral soil is noticeably reduced and there are signs of dwarf shrubs like heather growing.

2016 - the dwarf shrub coverage has increased as can be seen by this heather in flower.

Watch a video of the re-vegetation so far...

Bumblee Survey - Edale Transect 1

Guest blog post by Community Science work experience student Izzy:

Today, I participated in the monthly bumblebee survey on Edale Transect 1. This transect is split into ten different sections, starting partially up the path (SK 12168 6552) that leads along Grindsbrook Clough at the north end of Edale, and continuing for just over a kilometre to SK 11438 87250.

The view along Grindsbrook Clough

The rules for the transect are relatively simple – you keep an eye out for any bumblebees that are within a two-metre radius from the centre of the path, and are less than four metres in front of you, forming a four-metre by four-metre ‘box’. Any bees that fly through the box are also valid, as long as they are under two metres from the ground. These measurements are to ensure that the survey is accurate every month, as surveyors will be looking for bees in the same places.  

You then need to keep a tally the different species of bees for each section of the transect.  This time, we saw a grand total of 59 bumblebees, of 5 different species – bilberry, heath, early, tree, and white-tailed.

Although the bees were very lethargic (perhaps because of the cloudy weather?), we saw twenty-four bilberry bumblebees, which was great; this species is one of the bees that Moors for the Future is focussing on, as they are good indicators for climate change.

A male bilberry bumblebee

Luckily, bilberry bumblebees are quite easy to spot once you know what you’re looking for – their distinctive fiery red tails stand out amongst the moorland plants.

These are a few other bee photos that I took during the transect:

Heath bumblebee

Heath bumblebee

 

White- or buff-tailed bumblebee

We saw a few bird species as well, including a grey wagtail, some stonechats, and a curlew!

Work experience with Community Science

Guest blog post by Community Science work experience student Izzy:

Hello, I’m Izzy, and this week I’m joining Moors for the Future’s Community Science Project for work experience . Since 2013, I’ve been really into wildlife and nature photography and have kept a photography blog (www.frozennature.wordpress.com); I hope to photograph some of the species and landscape in and around Edale this week.

Here are a couple of common frogs in my family’s garden pond. By March, Britain’s ponds are alive with these famous amphibians, and, if you can get close enough, they’re rather photogenic!

Blue tits are another common species in British gardens, and are active all year round. I took this photo during the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch last year, using a tripod and camera remote - most garden birds can be shy and are relatively  difficult to get close too.

 

The lynx, however, isn’t an animal that you’re likely to spot in your back garden. This elusive mammal became extinct in most parts of Western Europe after the destruction of habitats and thousands of years of persecution. The last of the British lynx disappeared around the year 700, although the Lynx UK Trust is currently doing research to reintroduce them to the British Isles. This lynx was seen at Nordens Ark in Sweden.

Here are a few more of my favourite photos:

Caterpillar in Sweden

 

Mute swan in the Somerset Levels

 

Honeybee

 

 

Wildlife photos from Crisis event - part 2

Last Friday was the second 'Creative Conservation' Community Science event with Crisis members from Sheffield. Member Steve Smith has shared this set of cracking wildlife shots he took on the day:

One of the highlights of the day was a close encounter with this roe buck near Longshaw estate

Another shot, as the roe deer makes a hasty exit...

A beautiful reed bunting seen singing in a patch of soft rush

Just one of the hundreds of millipedes all making their way along the path in Burbage Valley



A stunning meadow pipit; in a classic pose!


 

Wildlife photos from Community Science walk with Crisis members

Last Friday was the inaugural 'Creative Conservation' Community Science event with Crisis members from Sheffield -  consisting of a guided wildlife walk around the Millstone Edge and Padley Gorge area led by the Community Science team and Tom from the National Park Ranger Service, followed by an introduction to Community Science (and lunch stop) at Brunt's Barn near Grindleford.

Peacock butterfly (c) Steve Smith

Crisis member and photographer Steve took some pictures of some of the wildlife which was spotted, including the Community Science target species the Peacock Butterfly (above) - seen and recorded just below Millstone Edge.

A northern hairy wood ant nest (c) Steve Smith

Some of the other species also seen/heard and talked about were: orange-tip butterfly; early, white-tailed and tree bumblebees; willow warbler, chiffchaff, redstart, pied flycatcher, meadow and tree pipits, stonechat, buzzard, great spotted woodpecker, northern hairy wood ants, bluebells, lesser celandine, wood sorrel and birch polypore fungus (also known as razor strop) and red kite.

Female pied flycatcher (c) Steve Smith

Red kite (c) Steve Smith

Thanks to Steve for sending in these great photos, and also to everyone else involved for making it a very enjoyable day.

Picture perfect

I was very pleased this week to officially announce the winner and runners up in our 2015 photography competition. Many fantastic entries were sent in, covering the theme of 'moorland and wildlife'.

A shortlist of 25 was narrowed down to 1 overall winner and 5 runners up.

The winning image was the beautiful photo below: Malcolm Mee's shot of a short-eared owl which has momentarily perched on a moorland fence post. 

Worth the wait: Malcolm Mee's winning image

As Malcolm explained; he had been visiting the same spot for about 4 years to watch these daytime hunting owls, and finally (from his car) he snapped this suberb photo. The judges, Kate MacRae (Wildlife Kate) and Paul Hobson praised the golden light, and the use of the background moorland which put the owl into context with its landscape.

To read more about the winning picture and see the runners up; please visit our website.

BBC Countryfile hare-piece

Community Science's Hare Survey was featured as part of a wider piece about the mountain hare population in the Peak District and South Pennines on last night's BBC Countryfile.

Countryfile presented Ellie Harrison and Community Science Project Manager Sarah Proctor meeting on Bleaklow

The piece covered some background information about the hares and their adaptation to cold and inhospitable conditions (which were certainly in evidence on the day of filming), before talking about how you can get involved in our survey; and how sending in your sightings of hares can help us to understand the implications of climate change for this charming upland mammal.

Ellie and Sarah talk mountain hares, climate change and citizen science!

 The episode was broadcast on 13/12/15; and will be available on iPlayer for 30 days. To catch-up, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b06sphxz

To take part in the survey, visit: http://www.moorsforthefuture.org.uk/community-science/haresurvey

November's Environmental Monitoring

Guest blog entry by Rowan Shand McIntosh - Environmental Monitoring Volunteer

The Environmental Monitoring site on Kinder Scout above Edale has given up its first set of results from its new data loggers.

Air humidty logger. Photo by Rowan Shand McIntosh

First stop was the moorland centre to pick up the shuttle, notepad and GPS. Setting off at around 12:00, it was a nice warm walk up in the clear November air before having a picnic lunch. Soon setting to work began by criss-crossing between 10 primary quadrats collecting ground temperature readings with the waterproof shuttle. Back and forth - it began to feel like a treasure hunt - looking far ahead of the GPS to spot the tell-tale dipwell tube to show the quadrat. 

Being engrossed in the job, it is refreshing just to be working steadily outdoors.

Stopping for lunch - the view. Photo by Rowan Shand McIntosh

After checking all the kit is still in your bag it’s fantastic to look up and take in the view after concentrating for so long. The sun is low in the sky. Long shadows in the valley and just a cup of tea before the amble back to upload the data.
 

How your hare sightings can help

We've been asking you to send in your sightings of brown hares, mountain hares and rabbits. Why are we interested? Read on to find out.

Mountain Hare Leveret - Photo by Phil Straton of MFFP

Brown hares, mountain hare and rabbits are the only three 'lagomorphs' living wild in the UK. Of these, only mountain hare are considered native; brown hare and rabbits having been introduced (probably) by the Romans and Normans respectively.

We're interested in how these species are being affected by climate change. The mountain hare is a particularly interesting case. It is well adapted to the harsh conditions at found at higher altitudes  - thick coat, large feet for bounding over snow, shorter ears than the brown hare (for losing less body heat) and most obviously of all a bright white coat in winter for camouflage against snow.

However; as the climate changes will the future winters leave these bright white animals standing out a mile in a landscape with no snow? Will hares begin to adapt to warmer wetter winters? Will the mountain hare start to decline at the warmest southern edge of its range (which happens to be here in the Peak District)? Will the adaptable brown hare take advantage of less harsh conditions and start to move in? There are a huge number of possible scenarios.

Mountain hare turning white

The only way to start to understand the complex interactions between animals and their environment is by collecting information and observations. Data allows us to see trends and predict what might happen in the future.

This is where you come in. By providing sightings of any of these species - simply telling us what you saw, where and when - via our simple form you can add to a nationally important knowledge base.

On its own your sighting might simply help you remember of an enjoyable wildlife experience; but when it is added to other sightings it becomes something much more powerful - it is part of a dataset which collectively can be used monitor how a species is faring and even make important decisions in conservation or land management to help secure its future.


All sightings received through our project will be verified by an expert, and will feed in to the Mammal Society's new 'Mammal Atlas'. This is the first atlas for 20 years, and aims to map vital baseline data about mammals and their distribution - which can then be continually updated and provide a hugely important resource for mammal conservation. Read more about the National Mammal Atlas Project on their website.

Your sightings will feed into The Mammal Society's National Mammal Atlas Project

The cut-off for your records to be included in this edition of the Mammal Atlas is the end of the year, so now is a very good time to send in your sightings.

Where is all the Sphagnum?

Where IS all the Sphagnum? This is the question we would like to answer - and to do it we'd like your help.

We've created a survey which anyone can take part in. It's called 'The Big Moss Map'. The aim is to map where this moss can currently be found in the Peak District and South Pennines.

To find out how to get involved, please visit our website.

 

Looking for Sphagnum  - The Big Moss Map survey

 To find out why we're so interested, read on...

Sphagnum mosses are small plants, but collectively they can have an enormous effect. They are the engineers of the peatland environment - without their amazing properties, we wouldn’t have as much peat formation. 

Peat is made of dead but not rotting plant material - and it is Sphagnum which helps to create the conditions in which it can form. Some species of the moss can hold up to 20 times their own weight in water, stored in special cells known as 'hyaline' cells. This means that a blanket of Sphagnum can make a whole area waterlogged - perfect conditions to stop organic matter from decomposing. In addition to this, they produce a chemical called 'sphagnan' which has antiseptic properties - adding to the effect. It is for this reason that dried out Sphagnum made a very effective filling for wound dressings in World War 1 - and saved countless lives.

Sphagnum mosses

Plants, including Sphagnum mosses, are built from carbon - captured from the atmosphere when they photosynthesize. Usually, when a plant dies it is broken down by fungi and decomposing bacteria - and that carbon is released back into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide. However the special conditions created by Sphagnum means that this decay doesn't happen –or happens very, very slowly. The carbon captured by these mosses is not released back into the atmosphere, but stored on the ground as peat.

This process is glacially slow (In fact, peat forms a lot slower than a glacier moves – only about 1mm can be formed per year) - but peatlands can store a colossal amount of carbon. UK peat currently holds around 3 billion tonnes of carbon. To put this in to context, all the woodland in the UK holds less than 5% of that amount. It quickly becomes clear what an important role Sphagnum can play in the fight against climate change. As C0₂ levels in the atmosphere increase, peat offers a way of capturing and storing some of this carbon. Not only this, but healthy ‘active’ peatlands have a host of other benefits – they’re great for wildlife, for reducing flood risk, for improving water quality and reducing fire risk  - to name a few.

All this sounds fantastic - and indeed it is - if peatlands are in good condition. Sadly, the Peak District and South Pennines are the most degraded in Europe. Large areas have been stripped bare of Sphagnum and other vegetation by a 200 year history of industrial pollution, overgrazing and wildfires - among other factors. In this condition, this huge store of carbon turns from a 'sink' into a 'source'. The exposed peat starts to erode and be broken down - releasing carbon back into the atmosphere, and becoming a major contributor to our carbon emissions – if we lost only 5% of the carbon stored in the UK’s peatlands, that would be equivalent to the UK’s entire total annual greenhouse emissions.

Moors for the Future partnership are attempting to reverse this process across the region by stabilizing and re-vegetating the bare peat and re-introducing native plants, including Sphagnum. It is a huge task and there is still a long way to go, but great results have already been achieved in a little over 12 years.

A small Sphagnum 'plug'  -being planted by hand

To help this work it is important to know where the remaining areas of Sphagnum are located within the region. This is where 'The Big Moss Map' - and you - come in. If you can recognize Sphagnum (or even if you can't yet - as we can provide free training to help you) all you need to do is to note down the locations where you see it as you walk the region's paths. The Sphagnum seen (or not seen) along these paths provide us with a 'sample' of the area. Your sightings will enable us to get an idea of the areas where this moss remains, and help us to track the progress of its re-introduction as well its reaction to future climate changes.

When the damage to the region’s peatlands is repaired, and they are re-colonised by a blanket of this magnificent moss, then the benefits – economic and social - as well as environmental will be vast.