Home Fen NNR - extensive birch #woods on #peat. Hydrology much affected by drainage and ditching famously causing massive peat shrinkage. Phone ran out of charge b4 I could take pics of the fen posts!!
Visited Goss Moor NNR. Surely one of the largest expanses of Willow scrub in UK? Exciting plans for restoring a more natural hydrology
Awesome visit to the Undercliifs NNR. Largest coastal landslip in UK and subsequent natural regeneration of woodland. Just a wierd wild wonderful place!!
Some nice things in and around scrub mosaics including “saum” habitat
New forest shenanigans
Fun day at Langley Wood NNR with colleagues talking deer, oak regeneration, old trees, lichens
Great day in New Forest taking in bog woodland! One of the rarest wooded habitats in the UK
Scrubby loveliness, Monsal Dale, Peak District full of birdsong and invertebrates
All the trees not in leaf here are Ash. Pretty much all are showing symptoms of Ash Dieback. Not all with die but the majority are likely to, reshaping these landscapes
Some shots from water-cum-jolly today
Some shots in the spring sun. #peakdistrict
1st visit to Leighton Moss. Will have to go back because I had so little time.
Tree of the day! Everyone needs one!! Somewhere in Cumbria
An historic moment for Nature recovery in England with a new policy setting out plans for the return of wild Beavers. Licenses will be issued by Natural England so that we can harness the power of these keystone animals for the many benefits they bring.
naturalengland.blog.gov.uk/2025/02/28/b...
The more nature depleted the country the harder it is to reverse that trend. The loss of cultural memory of living with large animals and vested interests the main issues.
Really inspiring 2 days at Cambridge Uni rewilding conference. Thanks to Citizen zoo for organising! Lots of great insights from across the globe. Some highlights:
25 min walk from the station….
Ok rewilding conference Cambridge Uni. Let’s go!!
Some have definitely decreased in area but not gone. But things like potentilla neumanniana still maintained as well as draba muralis on anthills. But then tall herb specialists more susceptible to grazing thriving such as sax hypnoides and sedum telephium
Only personal observation/survey! I might have some photos somewhere!
2.Richer even than the short cropped adjacent grassland, supporting species not found in the grazed areas, including some nationally scarce species, and yellow meadow ant hills the size of armchairs. We do need both though.
1. Yes really important to have good monitoring in place and be honest about winners and losers so that we can learn. Interestingly in the Peak District there are areas of limestone grassland ungrazed for 30 years or more which are now as rich, if not richer (200+ vascular plants).
Yeah true. It’s not evidence either though. But I guess the question is, if there is a quantifiable biodiversity win: does it matter?
It’s an interesting one where evidence does not exist for some of these species. The same for is true European Bison (rather than steppe bison) in the UK.This paper from Spain talks about it conbio.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/...
Stands to reason because y’know…flowers…but nice to se it confirmed.
That’s a corker!
The wilderness area at monks wood is inspiring. Natural process in action!
Disentangling direct & indirect effects of forest structure on biodiversity: Bottom-up & top-down effects between forestry, bats & their insect prey 🦇
Expanding management towards open & old-growth forests may increase roosting & foraging opportunities 🌏 🧪
🔗 https://buff.ly/4fRIOqT
Got some of the white stuff did ya?
Great thread Richard! Interesting results
