CONSERVATION NEWS

The KSCP has been successful with its partners the Kent Downs AONB Unit and the Whitecliffs Countryside Project in a bid for European Inter-reg funding under the title Living Landscape Project. The total amount of funding given to the partners is £400,000. It comes as a result of continuing work with the Parc Naturel Regional des Caps et Marias d'Opale in Nord Pas De Calais. KSCP projects that will continue for a further two years include the Countryside Conservation Grant Scheme, Canterbury Greenspace Project and the Woodland Biodiversity Project. New projects focused on landscape and habitat improvements will start in 2005.

'House hunters may normally check the number of bedrooms, showers and noisy neighbours, but in one of the newest housing estates they are being offered a novel incentive, the country's first dedicated hedgehog path' so says the Guardian newspaper. Unfortunately, this development is not in Kent but in Norwich. The mammals are being given trails, with holes through fences that avoid the dreaded road. The houses also come with bird boxes in five styles, depending on whether buyers want to attract sparrows, blue tits, house martins, robins, or wrens. Developers in Ashford and Canterbury please note!

A recent study by the Mammals Trust UK found that populations of hedgehog, vole shrew, dormouse, and hare were generally declining in rural areas but populations were rising in towns, cities and suburbs.

Britain’s 7.5 m cats are often blamed for the decline in some bird species. But according to the RSPB, there is no scientific evidence that cats have any impact on garden bird populations. However there’s growing concern about the impact of cats on small mammals. Research by the Mammal Society last year found that mammals accounted for 69% of prey brought home by cats. Meanwhile Britain’s 6.8 million dogs are estimated to produce 900 tonnes of excrement every day. This can have an impact on some nature reserves by enriching nutrient-poor soils. A recent study showed that while 86% of dog walkers said it was unacceptable not to pick up after a dog, less than half actually did (Urbio, Issue 7 2004 English Nature).

On the 7^th May 2005 Kent will see the lowest tide of the year, with more foreshore exposed than at any other point. To celebrate this and provide an opportunity for all to see what lurks beneath the water, a programme of events will be taking place throughout Kent. Low Tide Day 2005 will see a wealth of different activities around Kent’s coast, from exploring the mudflats of the Swale to combing the chalk reefs of Thanet. If you would like more details of events taking place near you, please contact kent.coasts@kent.gov.uk or 01622 221487.

Suburban gardens have become one of our most important nature reserves according to recent research - far more valuable than the silent fields of some agricultural areas. Many nature conservationists have privately thought that putting houses on these fields might actually benefit biodiversity. Take this conclusion from a study by the British Trust for Ornithology " Providing that semi-natural habitats, such as spinneys and tree rows are retained as far as possible, housing density does not exceed 25 dwellings/ha and areas of open space are created, housing developments on arable greenfield sites could be positively beneficial to bird diversity" (Urbio, issue 7, 2004 English Nature).

The Natural Quest project has become a leading light as to what can be achieved by industry for biodiversity in the region, this has been highlighted with several conferences on sustainable development being held at Quest. Further to this KSCP have lead a series of walks for staff and interested parties around the site. Information on the site will be apparent to all who pass through the social centre as a new interpretive panel has been erected, illustrating what lives next door.

An exciting opportunity for the people of Ashford is being developed by the KSCP in association with Evegate Craft Centre owned by Eric Jeanes. Eric has kindly allowed us the opportunity to take 18 ha of floodplain land and design a project which encourages both wildlife and people to use the site. Although the project still has a little way to go before it will be up and running the benefits will be huge. Access improvements will see the construction of a boardwalk across the wetter areas, which will be linked to a bird hide on the lake edge. A leaflet and interpretive panels will tell the story of the site. Wildlife benefits will be linked to the existing Countryside Stewardship Scheme on the farm; scrapes, ponds, field margins and managed grazing. Thousands of meters of permissive paths have been created to allow free access around the farmland. Being located so near to the southern edge of Ashford with free parking and the facilities of the craft centre it is hoped the site will become very popular for visitors.

A 2.5 ha plot of wet meadow and alderwood has been awarded significant grants to improve the wildlife habitat and open up the site for the community, with environmental education being the key theme. The site has since been officially designated a SNCI, known as Charing Alderbed Meadow. Located beyond the playing fields it will form part of 6 ha of public open space for all residents to enjoy. The first job to tackle is to create an access road and a hard standing for parking. The grassland will be restored and the site fenced to allow the re-introduction of light grazing. Hedge planting and laying around the perimeter of the site will be carried out. A small amount of coppicing will be introduced into the woodland and access will be improved with boardwalks across the marshy ground. Much work will be done to use the site as an outdoor environmental classroom, with an education pack, leaflets and interpretive panels. The project will take 3 years to complete and is being managed by the KSCP on behalf of Charing Playing Field Committee.

Heath Countryside Corridor (HCC) has been successful in buying their second parcel of land. Hurst wood, located between Charing Heath and Charing, is made up of ancient woodland and newly planted wood. A grant to purchase the wood had been secured from Ashford Borough Council and Brett's. The group plan to organise a series of events for local residents to explore the wood. KSCP was involved in two practical events at HCC’s other site Bull Heath. Tasks were based around clearing densely planted trees to allow more light to reach the ground flora and the widening of rides. Interpretive panels, waymarkers and a ‘Discover Bull Heath’ leaflet have all been produced, making the site more user friendly. The next event will be 18^th & 19^th Feb where the group will be planting additional trees at Heath Farm.

Mersham Hatch Estate with help from the KSCP two years ago entered the Countryside Stewardship Scheme (CSS). At the same time the estate entered a park restoration scheme to convert 40 ha of arable land back to parkland. The estate is seeing a transformation take place - 13 new wildlife ponds are being created or restored, amazingly over 8 km of hedge are being restored or created, over 25km of 6m arable grass margins sown, over 10ha of arable reversion back to grassland and arable land left with winter stubble’s and summer fallow. This is all great news for farmland wildlife.

Great strides have been made to improve the environment of the Ashford Warren for both wildlife and people. Kent Probation Service have been clearing paths and working on a boardwalk to link the Warren with Hoad’s Wood. Contractors have felled unsafe trees and cleared areas of bracken. KSCP volunteers are clearing areas of sycamore re-growth, which competes with ground flora for light and nutrients. Next task for the volunteers will be the planting of a new hedge along the boundary of the meadow, in time this will help to create valuable corridors for wildlife.

Kentish Stour Countryside Partnership
4, Javelin Way, Henwood, Ashford, Kent TN24 8DH
0300 333 6490
kentishstour@kent.gov.uk