Cornwall leading the UK fight against invasive species

Conservationists from across Cornwall continue to lead the UK’s battle against alien invaders.

The second annual Cornwall Invasive Species Forum, organised by Cornwall- based conservation group SINNG (Student Invasive Non-Native Group), was held at Porthcurno Telegraph Museum recently with delegates from across the region attending.


A full house of representatives from a wide range of stakeholder groups were present to contribute  including the National Trust, Natural England, Duchy of Cornwall, South West Water, Environment Agency, Cornwall Council as well as other ecologists.

The aim of the forum event was to coordinate action and awareness on the impacts of invasive non-native species with a range of organisations collaborating, looking at the problems these species pose and discussing possible solutions.

Nicola Morris, a Lecturer at Cornwall College Newquay and Project Coordinator of SINNG, said: “The forum was a huge success and I was pleased to see so many people in one room intent on making a difference to the environment in Cornwall by taking action on invasive species.”

Nicola continued: “Through the forum we now have a means of linking anyone working with invasive non-native species in Cornwall with other projects in the county and further afield.”

Through the support of the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS), there is now an invasive species recording page for Cornwall which will soon be embedded into the SINNG website.  The ERCCIS is also mapping the various projects in Cornwall relating to Invasive non-native species that will provide more detailed information to forum members.”

Animals and plants from all over the world have been introduced to Britain by people and while most are harmless, 10-15% spread and become invasive. This can lead to them harming the environment and our wildlife, impacting on the economy, or even posing a risk to our health and the way we live.

Nicola continued: “Most people are familiar with the problems that Japanese knotweed can cause. But other species are becoming a serious problem such as American skunk cabbage and some animal species such as the freshwater zebra mussel.”

Nicola, who chairs both Cornwall and the South West Invasive Species Forums, sees the forum events as being umbrella groups supporting a wide range of stakeholders, able to offer support, share knowledge, expertise and potentially offer practical support where possible.

Nicola explained: “With such a wealth of experience in Cornwall from people who have been working with invasive species for many years, we are in a good position to coordinate management of these invaders in order to be most effective in the control of invasive species and raise awareness of their impacts. I would like to thank everyone who contributed; including a hugely entertaining presentation from beekeeper Martyn Hocking, who found and reported the Asian hornet in Devon. We learnt how to identify the hornet and tell it apart from the larger native European hornet and were thoroughly entertained and engaged by Martyn.”

Nicola also thanked Simon Hocking from the National Trust, who not only provided the venue and catering but an informative guided walk as well: 

“We were also fortunate to have Simon from the National Trust lead us on an afternoon field trip to see some of the areas where he is tackling the problems caused by invasive species.  The weather was glorious which made for an enjoyable walk.”

Cornwall is leading the way with this type of conservation work and with The EU Commission regularly engaging with SINNG online, Nicola couldn’t be happier: “The EU Commission regularly tag SINNG in tweets and they re-tweet our posts. To have the Cornwall Invasive Species Forum having regular national and international engagement is just fantastic.”


Anyone interested in joining the Cornwall INNS Forum please contact Nicola Morris on: nicola.morris@cornwall.ac.uk

Student Q & A- Jade Clayson

During her time studying her foundation degree in Conservation & Ecology at Cornwall College Newquay, student Jade Clayson has co-founded the charity Thailand Elephants. We sat down with Jade to find out more:

Your passion for animals seems to be limitless, where did it all begin?
Jade: Well I guess you could say it all spawned from the close relationship I had with my best-friend, our family dog, Jack. In every single photograph of me as a child he’s right by my side and was with me from the day I was born up to around the age I was 16. I do feel like growing up and having a dog as part of a family instills a surge of compassion and unconditional love from such an early age. From a kid I’ve always just been naturally drawn to animals. I use to watch Lion King every night religiously as a child on the VCR (without fail).


Can you describe the circumstances that led to you co-forming your charity Thailand Elephants?
After a 6-month internship on an elephant reintroduction programme in the North of Thailand I left feeling like I needed to do more for the elephants suffering every day in the name of tourism. Especially when this entertainment is predominantly fuelled by travelers from my own home. Gemma (current base manager of this project at the time) and I realised there was a large gap that needed to be filled. The public were being educated about the awful treatment of elephants in the entertainment and tourism industry, the shocking truths behind their poor husbandry and welfare: all to allow several unaware tourists to sit on saddles on their backs…. but there was nowhere/very little for people to turn to make the right decisions, to be ethical travellers, to support the better places that focus solely on the happiness of their elephants.

That’s where Thailand Elephants came in, we started off as an educational website and now have developed into a very successful charity with several trustees and advocates. All our work is predominantly voluntary. We are a charity dedicated to raising awareness and educating the public about the exploitation of elephants in tourism. We also research and promote ethical elephant venues in Thailand through our own extensive research and expertise – we have a recommended list of venues on our website. Our charity’s website: www.thailandelephants.org. If as a reader you or anyone you know is visiting Thailand and plan to see elephants, please ask them to contact us via our website or on any other social media (Facebook, Twitter, Instagram).

What’s the best bit about your course at Cornwall College?
Definitely the people, I’ve met so many inspirational wonderful people through my degree, that either work for an organisation or are just truly dedicated and passionate about what they love and it makes me aspire to be even a fraction of that. I would like to thank Nicola Morris who runs the Student Invasive Non-Native Group (SINNG), Nigel Dawes and Tristan Holmes who run the Treloggan Community Action Group as well as everyone involved with the Cornwall Reptile and Amphibian Group (CRAG). The volunteer networks I’ve got involved with since starting my degree are a wonderful community I am so grateful to be a part of such positive environmental achievements!


What do you enjoy about studying at the Newquay campus? What’s been your favourite part so far?
The small size of the campus allows for a real community feeling, the lecturers are extremely supportive and from a mature student’s point of view I’m very grateful, they go out of their way to help. I love that aspect. My favourite part about my degree is probably the networking and having the opportunity to go on so many visits/trips to local organisations/venues, meeting influential people in the field and getting involved in real conservation.

What do you hope to go on to do after you have finished studying?
Honestly, I have no idea but I love the fact I don’t follow a certain path. Doors seem to open when you least expect it. All I know is that I want to travel the world, part of my life will always be in Thailand and I want to settle in Africa eventually, (this place stole my heart the summer of 2016).

Anything else that you would like to add?
Thailand Elephants will be hosting the Global March for Elephants and Rhino’s in Bristol in October 2018, so please all come and march with us! If anyone is keen to help us spread the word of get more involved you can sign up to be an advocate, please don’t hesitate to contact us!

 www.thailandelephants.org

New Initiative creating a Blue Future for the County

Hundreds of young people in Cornwall are stepping up and creating what is rightfully theirs: a healthy planet a thriving economy and a brighter future, thanks to a new initiative.

The new Beach Rangers Academy, developed by Cornwall College Newquay and Cornwall Wildlife Trust, is a programme encouraging young people aged 16 to 24 to connect with Cornwall’s marine surroundings through a structured programme of personal development. Through engaging activities that will build confidence, teamwork, communication and other life skills, the programme not only increases employability but also raises awareness of important environmental issues to a wider audience.

Beach Rangers Academy Leader Brender Willmott said: “It’s a really exciting opportunity for young people to gain training, awards and rewards that will make them more employable. The Academy recognises the special places we live and encourages young people to celebrate and protect them.”

This winter will see hundreds of young people embarking on Beach Ranger Academy Training, creating the next generation of blue leaders – despite the shorter days and wilder weather. The Beach Rangers Academy is being run this year at both the Cornwall College campus in Newquay and in Falmouth at the Dracena Centre.

Youth Engagement Officer Jenn Sandiford encouraged young people to get involved:  “The Beach Rangers Academy is an adventure, engaging young people to learn new skills that they need for their future.  Enhancing young people’s employability skills whilst educating them in marine conservation means they become more effective volunteers for local groups.  It instils best practice so that when they become the future employers and employees, the best practice is already in place so helps the environment.”

The Academy is part of the Your Shore Beach Rangers Project, a partnership project between Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Cornwall College Newquay. The project will be running hundreds of events over the next three years, so that by 2020, it will have engaged thousands of Beach Rangers, school children, and community members. As a result, people of all ages and abilities will have an increased understanding of the marine environment and be in a better position to protect it, whilst a network of young people will have improved their skill sets, in education and life, to enable them to progress into the future and become leading voices for the environment in Cornwall and beyond.

A fantastic, new interactive website has been developed to help guide people into the programmes. If you are looking to learn new skills, meet interesting people, be part of a community and achieve qualifications that will look great on your CV, we would love to see you get involved.

For more information on the project, please see www.beachrangers.com

Facebook: Beach Rangers

Twitter: @beachrangers

Instagram: @beachrangers

Thailand’s Elephants of 2017

Written by student Jade Clayson, FdSc Conservation & Ecology  

There are more elephants in captivity in Thailand than there are in the wild in Thailand. Wild numbers are difficult to confirm given their dense forested habitats. The situation of Asia’s elephants is harrowing: the tourism trade. Elephants are forced to give rides, perform tricks and face long working hours in the strenuous Thai sun; many elephants die of exhaustion, stress and poor welfare. The tourism trade is a booming trade fuelled quite highly by westerners and now increasingly by Chinese and Russian citizens. Many tourists are unaware of the truth behind these close and intimate experiences with elephants. Elephants have not been domesticated, they are wild animals and sitting in howdahs (saddles) on their backs cannot be compared to that of sitting on a horse. Ever since the Thailand logging ban in 1989, elephants and their owners were forced to find work elsewhere (elephants are a source of income for hundreds of families in Asia), this dramatic shift in law saw the start of street begging elephants and the further development of using and exploiting elephants for our ‘entertainment’.

Three years ago, I applied for a 6-month internship on Global Vision International’s (GVI) elephant reintroduction programme in Thailand. Unaware of any of these issues before I went. From this life changing experience, endorsed in Karen hill-tribe culture, the ‘Thailand Elephants’ charity was born (www.thailandelephants.org). Gemma was the base manager of this programme and now is a very good friend of mine, she and I are the co-founders of this charity.

Student Jade Clayson (far right) in Thailand

During my time on this internship we also made good friends with Kerri McCrea, who last year started her own elephant project.Kindred Spirit Elephant Sanctuary (KSES) opened in May 2016 and has quickly gained a great reputation: winning Thailand Green Excellence Award in the same year they opened. This summer I spent a month working as a staff member at KSES: leading hikes into the forest to observe and take data on the elephants, giving presentations, organising events, leading and motivating volunteers and loads of amazing other things (the list is endless). KSES are working very hard at the moment on their elephant research which, when published will be extremely valuable and positive to improve the husbandry and welfare standards of elephant in tourist camps throughout South East Asia.

‘Thailand Elephants’ charity focus on raising awareness and educating members of the public about the exploitation of elephants in the tourism industry. We also promote ethical elephant venues in Thailand, while we were there this summer we were able to progress extensively with our research and knowledge. My time away ignited and re-fired my passion and determination for Thailand Elephants and our work, I never lost the passion but being back out in Thailand was truly needed. Gemma met me out there and collectively we visited many elephant venues to gather further research on our ethical list. We now have made many links with organisations and people in the elephant world that will help our charity gain reputation and grow so we can reach more and more people, globally.

Please don’t hesitate to contact us if you have any questions about elephants or our work. If you are keen on getting involved with our charity please email us through our website or contact us on Facebook. We have opportunities for you to be an advocate which would greatly help us spread the message and damn it would look good on your CV! Especially if you’re an aspiring conservationist, or even if you just love elephants/animals.

If you have been to Thailand or plan to go (or even know anyone planning) please, please, please fill in our survey (and share) to help us gather more research on traveller’s plans, even if you did not or plan not to see elephants. The data is very valuable to us: CLICK HERE FOR SURVEY 

I will be giving a talk at Cornwall College Newquay on Thailand Elephants soon – watch this space, posters will go up when a date and time is confirmed. 

www.thailandelephants.org

Facebook: @ThailandElephants

Heading for the coast this weekend?

By Dr Peter McGregor (Research Coordinator, Science & Natural Environment, The Cornwall College Group)

The recent spell of fine weather has lifted moods and shown Cornwall at its biodiverse and beautiful best. It’s easy to personally appreciate the benefits a little sunshine brings to Cornwall’s natural assets when you live here, but did you know that the positive benefits of spending time in the natural environment, such as reduced mental fatigue and negative mood, are well-documented scientifically?

Most investigations of such benefits have been carried out in urban parks, so it was good to see research published recently on how wildlife behaviour in a marine setting influences these effects.

Led by Dr Mat White of the European Centre for Environment and Human Health, the research team also involved Plymouth University, the RSPB and National Marine Aquariums. Researchers asked around 1500 people how they perceived several locations represented by videos and photographs in terms of their willingness to visit and restorative potential. The results showed that coastal settings with higher perceived biodiversity were rated as offering greater restorative potential. Respondents also reported they were more willing to visit them. What better motivation is there to explore what Cornwall has to offer?

The results also showed that men tended to be more sensitive to biodiversity levels and older respondents considered coastal settings in general to offer more potential to restore. As I fall into both sub-categories, I now know why I spend my weekends kayaking on Cornwall’s wonderful coast and why I seek out the more remote and wildlife-friendly sections.

The study’s findings probably also explain why our students at Cornwall College Newquay clock up more smiles per student than elsewhere in the UK. As a specialist provider of degree programmes in Zoology, Marine and Surf Science, you are more likely to find our students out on the beach at Tolcarne or taking samples knee-deep in the Gannel Estuary than you are in the classroom – they are experiencing first hand the positive effects of biodiverse coastal habitats.

So why not head for the coast this weekend? Be it the craggy cliffs of the Lizard Peninsula, the windswept towans at Hayle, or the sheltered coves around St Agnes, we are spoilt for choice. And science has shown us it’s doing us the world of good. Maybe I’ll see you there.

 For more information on the Zoology, Surf & Marine Science courses available at Cornwall College Newquay please visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

Help student conservationists save the bees

A group of student zoologists from Newquay are creating a buzz around their important new conservation project.

The Back Garden Bee Project, consisting of seven Applied Zoology & Conservation degree students from Cornwall College Newquay, have made it their mission to raise awareness on bees and their importance in the natural world. The group was formed around the Conservation Project Management module of their degree programme and has united the students in their passion to offer a helping hand to this global issue.

Student Ria Arabin from the team, said: “Bees may seem small in size but they are colossal with regards to ecological influence. We formed the Back Garden Bee Project to provide people with an insight into the incredible life of bees, providing information on what exactly is causing their decline and most importantly how everyone can get involved to help give them a much needed boost!”

Bees are the most important pollinator of food crops in the natural world and as pollination is essential to the growth of much of the food sources we rely on as humans, the ongoing decline in bee numbers would have global implications if it continues. As Albert Einstein famously once said:  “No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.”


Luckily, there are many simple changes that anyone can make to help bee populations in our own back gardens. Student Jessica Cranston explains: “By adding a few simple things to your garden you can turn it into a bee haven and help fight their decline! No matter what size garden you have, your level of gardening skills, available equipment, money or time, there are small changes you can make to help. Whether that is adding a window box full of their favourite flowers or planting a wild flower patch in your garden, every little thing will help your local bees.”

Fellow student Jamie McIlhatton continues: “Making more informed consumer choices is also really important. Supporting our local bee keepers and purchasing local honey rather than going for the easy, cheaper option at the supermarket will be integral to bee conservation in the future. You can visit your local farm shop or organic health food store for your best chance to find some local honey or even check out local bee keepers online. It’s a small change to make that can make a big difference, not to mention that local honey is delicious!”

The team of students have been spreading their conservation message online via social media and their own web site, as well as visiting local schools including a day spent at Summercourt Academy constructing DIY insect hotels with around 120 school children.

Jessica Cranston explains: “In addition to buying one from a local garden centre, anyone can make a contained insect hotel themselves, all the family can get involved and you can make it look however you want! You can go foraging in your garden or local woods to find wood, bark, pinecones, sticks and logs. The only challenging part is making the frame to fill, however there are resources online to show you how. It is also beneficial to the insects once inside, to cover the entire outside it wire mesh as this prevents predation from birds! We have a more detailed blog post that explains the process we went through to make our insect hotel on our website.”





For more information on The Back Garden Bee Project visit:

http://backgardenbeeproject.wixsite.com/website or search Back Garden Bee Project on Facebook.

 

For more information on the range of wildlife, conservation and marine science courses available across The Cornwall College Group visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.

Borneo research trip 2017

Written by Tamar Davis, FdSc Conservation & Ecology

In April 2017, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to go to Danau Girang Field Centre for ten days with ten other students and three members of staff. We took part in numerous surveys which contributed to seven years’ worth of data collected by Cornwall College. Either side of the field course, we visited local conservation centres; explored Koto Kinabalu; and completed coral reef checks at Mantanani Island. The experience allowed us to use several survey techniques in a new environment and expand our knowledge of the projects taking place at Danau Girang.

To allow us to acclimatise, the first couple of days were spent in Sepilok, visiting the Orang Utan and Sun Bear Rehabilitation Centres, and the Rainforest Discovery Centre. This was a great introduction to the wildlife found in Sabah as well as an amazing opportunity to see such amazing animals such a short distance away. There were 44 sun bears at the centre that were undergoing the rehabilitation process to be rereleased. It was devastating to see so many sun bears in need of help, but so inspiring to see the conservation efforts of the local people.

                              

  We transferred to Danau Girang Field Centre where we were introduced to the team and the projects currently based at the centre. The buildings at DG were surrounded by riparian forest, which meant we were in constant contact with the wildlife around us. A family of macaques resided close to the centre and often appeared on the main path and outside our dormitory windows. A mother and baby orang utan, a wild boar and a civet also made appearances just metres from us and the buildings. Having such amazing animals so close to us made it hard for us to believe they were wild, but were reminders of what an incredible place DG is and how lucky we were to be living within such a remarkable environment.

In between the rain, we conducted surveys on the Kinabatangan River and in the forest. These included bird surveys; primate surveys; night frog surveys; fish surveys; camera trapping; fish and crustacean traps; moth surveys; and river profiling. During these surveys, we saw a diverse range of species including kingfishers, hornbills, and eagles; proboscis monkeys, macaques, and langurs; and brown bull frogs; tree frogs, and microhyla frogs. Being part of these surveys gave us the opportunity to learn and practice new techniques which we can use in the future.



A highlight of these ten days for me was the night walks. Walking slowly and silently through the forest at nigh allowed us to see a variety of unusual invertebrates including stick insects, mantis, and a Arctiine Moth pupa. The complexity of the invertebrates really made me appreciate the environment I was in and refuelled my fascination of the natural world and passion for conserving it for future generations to learn from and enjoy.




 After spending a night in Kota Kinabalu, we transferred to Mantanani Island, where the variety of surveys continued. During the day, several snorkelling trips took place to survey fish, marine invertebrates, and coral. In the evenings, we watched to sunset together and counted the frigate birds. We also had the opportunity to take part in early morning scrub fowl surveys and night walks to survey the endemic Mantanani scops owl. These surveys and this environment was a huge contrast to what we had experienced in DG, but equally as amazing and valuable.





The whole experience was incredible and I would recommend it to anyone willing to learn a vast range of survey techniques in a new and exciting environment, surrounded by like-minded and inspiring people. As a group, we have all become closer and have continued to remain in more constant contact than we did before we left, sharing our memories and discussing what conclusions can be made from the data we collected. I am very thankful to the lecturers who made the trip possible and allowed it to be so incredible and valuable.

 For more information on the Zoology, Surf & Marine Science courses available at Cornwall College Newquay please visit www.cornwall.ac.uk or call 0330 123 2523.