Volunteers at Devon Wildlife Trust have been the first to witness the return of the southern damselfly at Venn Ottery Nature Reserve following the successful re-introduction of 500 adults in 2009.
The larvae of this very rare insect usually take two years to mature and a great deal of work has been carried out in that time to provide the damselfly with every chance to establish a strong population on the charity’s East Devon reserve.
Staff, contractors and volunteers have been hard at work over the winter removing scrub, swaling (controlled burning), conducting dam maintenance and adding fencing to make sure the site is in good condition for the next generation of damselflies.
Despite the lack of rain in recent months those efforts look to be paying off as the reserve is in good condition with good levels of water on the key runnels which the insects prefer as their habitat.
DWT’s Ian Chadwick who looks after the site for DWT and coordinated the work to re-introduce the insects said: “It’s great to know that two years after successfully bringing these amazing little creatures back to this site their young have survived in this stretch of watercourse for long enough to successfully emerge and produce another generation! We would like to thank all the volunteers for their painstaking work to create exactly the right conditions for the southern damselflies to thrive.”
“As part of our East Devon Heath Week at the end of July, you can book onto a guided walk around the Venn Ottery Reserve with the warden and get close to all types of heathland wildlife. Hopefully you’ll see the southern damselflies too!” added Kimmo Evans, East Devon AONB. “The Venn Ottery walk is on Monday 25 July, 2 to 4 pm and you can book your place on 01392 432691”.
The work was generously supported by RockETs and East Devon AONB Sustainable Development Fund.
http://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/view-news/2011/07/07/Damsel%2Bin%2Bdistress%2Bemerges%2Bafter%2Bre-introduction/
Showing posts with label Devon Wildlife Trust. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Devon Wildlife Trust. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Dorset Wildlife Trust concerned about cuts
11:30am Tuesday 28th September 2010
By Diana Henderson
With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.
Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.
“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.
“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”
You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)
By Diana Henderson
With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.
Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.
- The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal. On the River Allen and Moors River there are still populations and DWT plans conservation work to ensure their survival and to help other important species such as kingfishers, brown trout and the native crayfish.
- Seagrass meadows in Studland Bay are unique as breeding sites for both spiny and short-snouted seahorses. Work is needed to protect the habitat and raise awareness with boat owners and the public to prevent damage.
- Grassland restoration to link up and extend isolated populations of marsh fritillary butterflies surviving on nature reserves in west Dorset is urgently needed.
- Work to halt the rapid decline in wildlife-rich ponds has begun in Purbeck but funding is due to end in December, with many still needing restoration. In North Dorset the globally threatened great-crested newt is in danger if urgent action is not taken to restore lost ponds.
“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.
“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”
You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)
Dorset Wildlife Trust concerned about cuts
11:30am Tuesday 28th September 2010
By Diana Henderson
With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.
Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.
“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.
“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”
You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)
By Diana Henderson
With vulnerable wildlife under threat from lack of funding, Dorset’s leading nature conservation charity has launched an urgent appeal.
Dorset Wildlife Trust is concerned that the harsh economic climate combined with government cuts means less funding will be available for wildlife protection.
Now the charity is appealing for financial help to fund vital conservation work to aid water voles, seahorses and the severely declining marsh fritillary butterfly as well as to continue work to rescue the county’s disappearing ponds.
- The water vole is Britain’s fastest declining mammal. On the River Allen and Moors River there are still populations and DWT plans conservation work to ensure their survival and to help other important species such as kingfishers, brown trout and the native crayfish.
- Seagrass meadows in Studland Bay are unique as breeding sites for both spiny and short-snouted seahorses. Work is needed to protect the habitat and raise awareness with boat owners and the public to prevent damage.
- Grassland restoration to link up and extend isolated populations of marsh fritillary butterflies surviving on nature reserves in west Dorset is urgently needed.
- Work to halt the rapid decline in wildlife-rich ponds has begun in Purbeck but funding is due to end in December, with many still needing restoration. In North Dorset the globally threatened great-crested newt is in danger if urgent action is not taken to restore lost ponds.
“We are very concerned about these particularly vulnerable wildlife projects, which could make a vital difference to the survival of some populations of native British wildlife,” said Alastair Cook, director of fundraising and marketing.
“We can promise that your donation will only go to the particular project you have chosen and that all of it will be spent on active nature conservation.”
You can donate to the appeal at dorsetwildlifetrust and support seahorses, marsh fritillary butterflies, disappearing ponds or water voles.
http://www.thisisdorset.net/news/8418092.Cuts_may_hit_Dorset_s_wildlife/
(Submitted by Jonathan McGowan)
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Return for damselfly in distress
An endangered insect has been reintroduced to a nature reserve in Devon in a bid to secure its future.
The number of southern damselfly (Coenagrion mercuriale) in the UK has fallen by about 30% since 1960, and it is now considered globally threatened.
The iridescent-blue insect breeds in heathland streams and has been hit by pollution and drainage of waterways.
The iridescent-blue insect breeds in heathland streams and has been hit by pollution and drainage of waterways.
Now Devon Wildlife Trust has released about 500 damselflies at Venn Ottery Nature Reserve in east Devon.
The project, funded by the British Dragonfly Society, was the brainchild of David Thompson, professor of conservation biology at Liverpool University's school of biological sciences.
"Southern damselflies are a very localised species and find it difficult to disperse to other sites, so reintroductions of this kind are essential to help secure the future of the species," he said.
Butterfly rearing cages were used to transfer the insects from a site in Dorset.
They were released into a 400m (1,312ft) stretch of watercourse at Venn Ottery, where they have not been seen for more than 20 years.
Butterfly rearing cages were used to transfer the insects from a site in Dorset.
They were released into a 400m (1,312ft) stretch of watercourse at Venn Ottery, where they have not been seen for more than 20 years.
Work was carried out at the site ahead of the reintroduction to make it fit for the insects, including introducing grazing, reducing scrub levels and installing small dams to slow the movement of water through the reserve.
Devon Wildlife Trust's reserves officer Ian Chadwick said more than 95% of the southern damselfly's two-year life cycle was spent as larvae in submerged stream vegetation.
"A permanent supply of unpolluted, slow-moving running water is essential for their survival," he said.
"This work has enabled us to create the right conditions for the reintroduction and we are confident that it will succeed."
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