Big cat may prowl Gloucestershire wood, says National Trust

A big cat – or cats – could be prowling around a beautiful wooded valley in Gloucestershire run by the National Trust, the charity has revealed.

Experts are carrying out DNA tests on the remains of a roe deer found at the trust's Woodchester Park, near Stroud.

A walker came upon the carcass and thought injuries to the deer's neck and the way the body had been consumed suggested it had been killed by a big predator.

There have long been whispers of big cats at large in Gloucestershire, but the fact the National Trust is taking this discovery seriously adds to the credibility of the stories.

David Armstrong, the National Trust head ranger for the Gloucestershire countryside, said: "The deer was found close to Woodchester Park in an area where there is nice beech woodland sloping down to pastures below.

"With only one footpath, although it is popular with dog walkers, there is plenty of space for wildlife to live relatively undisturbed. There are 120 hectares of woodland nearby at Woodchester and both areas provide a good habitat for large numbers of deer, both roe and muntjac.

"There are some very occasional sightings of big cats in the Cotswolds but they have wide territories, so are rarely present in one particular spot for long. We'd be interested to hear of any more sightings at Woodchester."

Robin Allaby, associate professor at the school of life sciences at the University of Warwick, has visited the kill site to examine the evidence and take DNA samples from the wounds of the deer. The results of his tests are expected at the end of January.

Rick Minter, author of a book on the mystery of the UK's big cats, called Big Cats: Facing Britain's Wild Predators, said: "It is very helpful to have this forensic study of the deer carcass. The consistent feedback I receive from people about possible big cats is that the animals should be studied, so we can learn about the subject.

"Studying likely evidence such as this will help us become more informed. Local people who watched the carcass being examined appreciated that this was being studied in a responsible manner and that they are to be kept closely informed about the matter through their local newsletter and a forthcoming meeting.

"Although people occasionally report a possible big cat from a distance, close-up encounters with such cats are rare. Their hearing and movement are exceptional, which helps them avoid close contact with people. In the event of a close-up encounter you should stay calm and face towards the animal as you back off, but not threaten or aggravate it. The chances are it will have backed off very quickly first."

The trust says the main candidates for the larger types of big cats being reported in Britain are puma-type cats and panthers.

Woodchester Park is a tranquil wooded valley containing remains of an 18th- and 19th-century landscape park with a chain of five lakes.

Any sightings or possible evidence on National Trust land can be reported by email to nature@nationaltrust.org.uk.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/jan/11/big-cat-gloucestershire-wood-national-trust

Mistletoe under threat of dying out

Kiss me quick before mistletoe goes

It has long been an excuse to see Christmas in with a bit of a snog but the West Country’s supply of mistletoe is still under threat of dying out, despite a new initiative to save it.


That was the warning from the National Trust and wildlife trusts in a new report looking at the continued decline of mistletoe in the region and across southern England.

With the plant traditionally growing on fruit trees, it was produced in the cider and perry orchards of Somerset, Devon, Gloucestershire and Herefordshire, but as orchard habitats have declined so has the amount of mistletoe growing there.

Wildlife experts say those orchards are rapidly disappearing, along with the knowledge of mistletoe management and harvesting techniques. And environmentalists warned last night that if the slump continues, there could be a threat to species linked to orchards, such as bees, butterflies, moths and deadwood invertebrates.

According to the National Trust, traditional orchards have declined by more than 60 per cent since the 1950s, and in some parts of the region, by up to 90 per cent.

A project was launched in 2009 by the National Trust and Natural England to help reverse the loss of the habitat by restoring traditional orchards, supporting small cottage industries producing cider and juices and promoting the growth of community-run orchards.

A National Trust spokesman said: “Orchards remain a key area of work for the Trust and mistletoe is a major part of their story and history. Across England, orchards have disappeared, so mistletoe has dwindled. It’s important that we support this plant for wildlife reasons.

“It needs to be harvested or it will kill off trees, and to support local farmers who sell mistletoe and to maintain this Christmas tradition.

“People can also grow their own mistletoe. The best time is February to graft it on to fruit trees,” he added.

Mistletoe has long been associated with Christmas and mid-winter customs, believed to date back to pre-historic times as a symbol of ongoing life during the winter months.

Its disappearance is proving a concern because it helps support wildlife, providing winter food for birds such as the blackcap and mistle thrush.

It also supports six specialist insects, including the scarce mistletoe marble moth, some sap-sucking bugs and the affectionately-named “kiss me slow weevil”.

The kissing custom is a British version of those ancient traditions, while in France mistletoe is seen as a good luck symbol at New Year.

If the decline continues, the loss of oher wildlife will also be accompanied by Christmas consumers having to buy more expensive mistletoe from mainland Europe.


http://www.thisisbath.co.uk/Kiss-quick-mistletoe-goes/story-14199941-detail/story.html

Mistletoe could vanish within 20 years, says National Trust

Demise of apple orchards spells danger for Christmas plant

Conservationists warn today that mistletoe, favourite plant both of pagans and stealers of Christmas kisses, could vanish from the nation's halls and doorways within 20 years.

The National Trust fears that the decline of traditional apple orchards, where mistletoe thrives, may lead to the parasitic plant disappearing – or becoming much harder to obtain.

It is leading a campaign to prompt orchard owners and gardeners to think about nurturing the plant and wants householders to make sure they buy sustainably sourced mistletoe.

The trust says that in the cider heartland – Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire – traditional orchards have declined dramatically in the past 60 years. Many that survive are not tended, hastening the death of the trees and then the plant.

Jonathan Briggs, an environmental consultant and a leading mistletoe expert, said: "Mistletoe is doing well right now. Those older orchards are probably yielding more mistletoe than they used to because it's not being controlled.

"But because the mistletoe is not being controlled, fast forward 10 or 20 years and the orchards won't be there. The mistletoe will accelerate the trees' deaths and it seems inevitable that we will have a shortage of mistletoe in 10 or 20 years."

Briggs - who keeps mistletoe in his house in Gloucestershire all year to ward off evil spirits - said mistletoe would migrate to bigger, non-orchard trees and so become harder to reach. This could turn it into a much more expensive product or prompt people to rely on cheaper foreign imports. "A Christmas kiss could become more expensive," he said.

Peter Brash, an ecologist at the National Trust, said it would be a "sad loss" if mistletoe declined or became harder to buy. "Mistletoe is part of our Christmas heritage and has a special place in a wonderful winter landscape," he said.

Brash said people should check where their mistletoe came from. "Ensuring your mistletoe comes from a sustainably managed, British source is good news all round. You will be supporting a small, homegrown industry, while helping to ensure a future for mistletoe and the creatures that are dependent upon it."

As well as brightening up the house at Christmas time, mistletoe provides winter food for birds such as the blackcap and mistle thrush. It also supports six insects, including the rare mistletoe marble moth, some sap-sucking bugs and the affectionately named "kiss-me-slow weevil" (Ixapion variegatum).

Steven Morris, The Guardian,

Mistletoe could vanish within 20 years, says National Trust

Demise of apple orchards spells danger for Christmas plant

Conservationists warn today that mistletoe, favourite plant both of pagans and stealers of Christmas kisses, could vanish from the nation's halls and doorways within 20 years.

The National Trust fears that the decline of traditional apple orchards, where mistletoe thrives, may lead to the parasitic plant disappearing – or becoming much harder to obtain.

It is leading a campaign to prompt orchard owners and gardeners to think about nurturing the plant and wants householders to make sure they buy sustainably sourced mistletoe.

The trust says that in the cider heartland – Somerset, Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire – traditional orchards have declined dramatically in the past 60 years. Many that survive are not tended, hastening the death of the trees and then the plant.

Jonathan Briggs, an environmental consultant and a leading mistletoe expert, said: "Mistletoe is doing well right now. Those older orchards are probably yielding more mistletoe than they used to because it's not being controlled.

"But because the mistletoe is not being controlled, fast forward 10 or 20 years and the orchards won't be there. The mistletoe will accelerate the trees' deaths and it seems inevitable that we will have a shortage of mistletoe in 10 or 20 years."

Briggs - who keeps mistletoe in his house in Gloucestershire all year to ward off evil spirits - said mistletoe would migrate to bigger, non-orchard trees and so become harder to reach. This could turn it into a much more expensive product or prompt people to rely on cheaper foreign imports. "A Christmas kiss could become more expensive," he said.

Peter Brash, an ecologist at the National Trust, said it would be a "sad loss" if mistletoe declined or became harder to buy. "Mistletoe is part of our Christmas heritage and has a special place in a wonderful winter landscape," he said.

Brash said people should check where their mistletoe came from. "Ensuring your mistletoe comes from a sustainably managed, British source is good news all round. You will be supporting a small, homegrown industry, while helping to ensure a future for mistletoe and the creatures that are dependent upon it."

As well as brightening up the house at Christmas time, mistletoe provides winter food for birds such as the blackcap and mistle thrush. It also supports six insects, including the rare mistletoe marble moth, some sap-sucking bugs and the affectionately named "kiss-me-slow weevil" (Ixapion variegatum).

Steven Morris, The Guardian,

National Trust staff given snail handling lessons

National Trust staff at a Roman villa undergoing restoration work have been given snail-handling lessons in order to protect a rare species from being crushed under builders' boots

Operation Roman Snail has been laid on to protect the molluscs, which were introduced to the country 2,000 years ago by the occupying soldiers.

Brought across the Channel as food, some managed to escape the legionnaires' frying pans and set up isolated colonies across the south of England. One group set up home is at Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cirencester in the Cotswolds, where work has started on a £3 million project to build overhead walkways so visitors can view its stunning mosaics.

As well as teaching staff how to relocate the snails, the Trust is embedding netting in the ground to keep them off the building site and building wildlife havens to attract any specimens which make it into the at-risk area.

By Alun Rees
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8132270/National-Trust-staff-given-snail-handling-lessons.html

National Trust staff given snail handling lessons

National Trust staff at a Roman villa undergoing restoration work have been given snail-handling lessons in order to protect a rare species from being crushed under builders' boots

Operation Roman Snail has been laid on to protect the molluscs, which were introduced to the country 2,000 years ago by the occupying soldiers.

Brought across the Channel as food, some managed to escape the legionnaires' frying pans and set up isolated colonies across the south of England. One group set up home is at Chedworth Roman Villa, near Cirencester in the Cotswolds, where work has started on a £3 million project to build overhead walkways so visitors can view its stunning mosaics.

As well as teaching staff how to relocate the snails, the Trust is embedding netting in the ground to keep them off the building site and building wildlife havens to attract any specimens which make it into the at-risk area.

By Alun Rees
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/8132270/National-Trust-staff-given-snail-handling-lessons.html