Shropshire Wildlife Trust

We’ve just taken delivery of an exciting new book in our shop. Called “The Wildlife of Britain - The Definitive Visual Guide”, it takes you on an exciting pictorial journey across our varied landscape and habitats. It’s a beautiful book, too heavy to take out in the field with you, but perfect to dip into on a rainy summer’s afternoon, as I’m doing today.

I’ve used my copy many times, to check the names of strange fungi I’ve spotted; to find out what that strange bird was on my bird table and to plan my trip to the coast later this year.

It may sound like a cliche, but it really is a treasure trove of ideas and information. If it doesn’t make you want to go out for a walk in the countryside, then I don’t know what will.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll be showcasing some of the great work by pupils at Minsterley Primary School as they explore their wildlife area. The site is right next to the school, contains lots of old trees and plenty of undergrowth to explore.

Week One was all about looking and listening. Members of the group were given cameras to record wildlife and were asked to think about what they wanted in their new area. In the sidebar on the right are some photos taken by pupils. Let us know what you think!

We then had chance to make a bird box – we managed to make 2 boxes and they have now been put up in trees around the school grounds.

Next week: hedgerow tree planting and creating a wildflower bed!

Inspired by the Breathing Places campaign and SWT, pupils at Minsterley Primary School are kicking off the spring term with a new “Eco Club”.

This club will be meeting once a week to explore and care for their school grounds as well as make regular entries into a wildlife diary.  They will be sharing their experiences with us and we will be posting regular updates on the blog. 

March is a beautiful time of year where clear signs of spring start to appear. Listen out for the continuing songs of birds like Blackbirds, Song Thrush and Robin as they establish and protect breeding territories.

You only have a short time left now to finish any clearing of ponds, coppicing or tree felling, as any work after the end of March will cause unnecessary damage to the active growth and movement of many species.

Ponds

Frogs and toads start their annual migration back to breeding ponds and waterbodies, so perhaps consider holding a “Toadwatch Patrol” to help prevent these creatures being “squished” on your local roads. Visit the FrogLife website for more information on setting up or joining your local patrol.

Wild Flowers

March provides us with the first delicate glimpses of summer colour. Lush green hedgerows begin to appear, blackthorn blossom, like icing sugar, dusted along roadside vegetation; and even the odd winter storm won’t stop the first flashes of yellow celandine, pink cherry blossom and tiny violets. Look out for fresh green seedlings and early summer growth, even in the most barren of playing fields.

Why not get outside with the class and plant plugs of primrose, violets, and celandine? Enjoy the last shows of snowdrops and get ready for the smell of wild garlic on the air, plus the first leaves of Bluebells, getting ready to put on a great show in Shropshire woodlands during May.

Insects

As the days get warmer and longer, look out for Queen Bumblebees on the search for early nectar sources, such as hellebores, mock orange, witchhazel and lesser celandine. These large bees will feed up and retire to their underground nests, to rear their first daughters- the beginning of a colony that will last through to the end of the summer.

Peacock and Tortoiseshell butterflies will have woken from their hibernation, and will be looking for early nectar sources too. You can help them by leaving shallow containers with small amounts of honey and water, perhaps on sunny window ledges- this will also be a great help for exhausted bumblebees should the weather take an unexpected turn for the worse.

Birds

Listen out for the regular, rhythmic call of one of our early summer visitors - the chiffchaff. The name mimics its call, but try not to confuse it with that of the great tit, who shouts “Tea-cher, tea-cher, tea-cher!”

Rooks; large black birds often seen in groups, are already nesting in distinctive tree top colonies. Do you have a rookery in or near your school grounds? If so, take part in the Shropshire Rookery Survey by clicking here for more information.

All in all, March is a month of great activity- wildlife areas need to be trimmed and cleared before spring fully takes hold, and nature? Well, just sit back after a hard day’s work and watch the world slowly wake up after winter.

We’ve just released a podcast of the recent “Monsters” event at Shropshire Wildlife Trust.

Click here for the audio file

Thanks again for everyone’s support and we hope you enjoy listening to these young people tell you about this very successful day.

There are more “Monsters” events planned later this year, and again, we welcome teachers and youth group leaders along with an interest in learning more about the natural world.

We’ve just finished a brand new project in partnership with the Shropshire Hills AONB (Blue Remembered Hills), it’s called “Where Wild Schools Go” and is a guide for teachers, giving the best information on local nature reserves, green spaces and wildlife in South Shropshire.

It’s been compiled by teachers, parents and wildlife experts, all with one aim in mind, getting young people out exploring our local countryside.

It will be sent out to schools on CD to save resources, and will be updated regularly with new sites, species and activities.

Thanks to everyone who came along to this event at Shropshire Wildlife Trust today. There were over 100 people bug hunting, 200 cups of coffee made and several thousand “monsters” caught, including worms, centipedes, millipedes, spiders and slimy slugs!

See you in the Easter Holidays for more wildlife activities.

Look out on this blog for photos and a podcast of the day- coming soon…..

In the meantime, play this amazing online game from Yorkshire Museums, and make your own SUPERBUG!

February has been nice and warm so far, but frosts are never far away, so it’s a risky time of year for Shropshire’s wildlife.

Budburst on Elder and catkins on Hazel may have happened already, but cold nights may still kill off this delicate first growth.

There’s nothing you can do about the extremes of weather and wildlife, except record what you see and the dates that you see it.

Let us know what you’ve spotted here. (Please select wildlife from the drop down list).

You can also submit your sightings to the national scheme, Nature Detectives by clicking here.

February is a great month for first sightings of frogs, toads, bumblebees and ladybirds.

The Nature Detectives website also has some great animated maps showing how species respond to the warming weather.

If you have any woodland in your grounds, then look out for the first leaves of spring flowers. These plants are adapted to woodland life by growing really fast before the trees get a chance to come into leaf.

By late May, most spring ephemerals (plants that have a brief, spring growth period) will have flowered, fruited and stored energy in their roots, ready for next year.

In fact, everything is starting to wake up for spring, so get in any last minute tree-felling, coppicing or pond clearing, because in a month’s time, it will be too late and you’ll have to wait until your wildlife area goes dormant again next winter.

Birds voices have changed! Listen out for melodic, mate-attracting bird song, as opposed to the straightforward chirps and squawks of winter contact calls. Blackbirds are particularly noticeable. (Thanks to John Harding and Heather Myers for this useful link).

Why not make a home for a bird? It’s not just Valentine’s day for humans this February- our feathered friends are wooing each other too, and checking out suitable nesting sites. It’s a proud moment if they choose a nest box you’ve made.

If you have hedges and shrubs in your grounds, it’s worth leaving a section untouched; even a Leylandii hedge can provide cover for nesting birds.

If you’d really like a magic wildlife watching experience, how about installing a webcam into a nest box? Click here for some webcam kits. It makes for highly addictive viewing.

February gives us the first glimmers of the natural world waking up from a long sleep. But spare a thought for our winter migrants, getting ready to fly thousands of miles to summer breeding grounds across the globe.

Have a last look at nearly one thousand Lapwing coming into roost at dusk on the lakes at Wood Lane. It’s a majestic sight and one that won’t be repeated until next winter. For details on how to get there, click here.

Thanks to John Harding for his video and Mark Eccleston for the photo.

Here’s a resource that gives you a local perspective on the vast subject of geology and earth science. Shropshire Rocks was created by our very own Liz Etheridge, a very inspiring geologist who has a knack of explaining the most complicated ideas in a straightforward, engaging way.

We suggest you use this site in a number of ways. The best way is to sit down with a cup of tea and just enjoy exploring and reading about Shropshire’s geology, starting with Planet Earth, A Beginner’s Guide.

We hope that you may find it useful in planning some lessons - it could be a useful starting point in finding the rock type in your area and how this affects the soil, plants and wildlife.

It’s a really nice looking website; use the animated time slider at the top of each page to find out what was happening in Shropshire many millions of years ago, we think you’ll be surprised.

A lovely part of the site is the “What’s My Rock” section. Find yourself a pet rock and find out its real name by following a simple, animated key.

Liz is sadly no longer working for us at SWT, but is still very much a part of the team- even from her new base in Norfolk! If you have any questions about the geology of Shropshire, please email them to the education team sarab(at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk, and we’ll pass them on to Liz for a definitive answer!

We’ve just finished writing to all the applicants for this summer’s work experience programme. We’re now fully booked and it was encouraging to see so many keen 14-18 year olds writing to us, telling us that they plan to work in conservation when they’re older.

But, do you know what? Anyone passionate enough about countryside, wildlife and community can work in conservation and you don’t have to wait until those magic two weeks of the year, when school officially runs its work experience time table.

I met a Year 10 student today (who shall remain nameless to spare his blushes), who was so disappointed that he didn’t get onto the official work experience programme, that he turned up at the offices asking for any opportunity to come and work for us.

We will bend over backwards to help people like him, as these are clearly the next generation of people who genuinely care about our wildlife- we look forward to welcoming him as a valued volunteer over the coming weeks. Who knows, he could end up a full time member of staff.

So, just in case you know of anyone in your class or community who really loves wildlife, but doesn’t know how to get a foot on the career ladder, here are a few ways you can get involved with us here at the Trust.

1. Ask about the Duke of Edinburgh Award scheme at school- we have students volunteering for us as part of their Bronze, Silver and Gold awards. Speak to Kate Purslow on 01743 284280.

2. If you are 16 or older, you can help out on our regular conservation work parties. They even run at weekends.

Speak to John Powell or Carl Pickup on the Reserves team for more information: 01743 284280, or email johnp(at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

3. Volunteer for us during the summer holidays or at weekends. We always need help at special events, in the office or out on reserves. What better way to get a feel for life at the Wildlife Trust! 01743 284280.

4. Get involved with our Viva Veolia Youth project on The Ercall, Wellington. This project has been set up to give a helping hand to young people considering a career in conservation. Contact Stuart Jones on 01743 284285 or email stuartj(at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

5. Become a volunteer warden of a nature reserve. Become our “eyes and ears” by paying regular visits to your local reserve and monitor the wildlife there. Let us know of any management issues and help out with local special events.

01743 284280, or email carlp(at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

6. If you are 18 and above, you could consider helping our education team. We need people to help develop exciting resources for children and community groups. Do you feel creative? Speak to Sara Bellis 01743 284284 or email sarab(at shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

We always want to hear from you- so please champion the young wildlife enthusiast in your community or school, and get them in touch with us.

(By the way, we’ve not gone funny and lost the ability to use the @ symbol in our email addresses, we use (at), to avoid being picked up by spam accounts!)