The birds, the bees and the seas
Lots of news to catch up on with major renewables announcements, water regulation latest and more
Good morning! I’m Sarah Hartley and this is The Northern Eco weekly update. As you’ve received this newsletter then either you subscribed, or someone forwarded it to you. If the latter, then you can click on this handy little button below.
Did you miss us? Taking a week off for some R&R in the beautiful Northumberland landscape means there’s a bumper edition to catch up with today. Plus, refreshed and recharged, we’ve been thinking through plans to expand what we do here and over September we’ll look to roll out a new business section. If that sounds like something you’d be interested in, you’ll need to sign up to receive a dedicated newsletter. More on that here.
Usually August is so quiet during so-called silly season that a quick break can pass pretty unnoticed but not, it seems, this year! We’ve had some big news on the river pollution front, there’s great news on puffin numbers, renewable energy and more. Scroll down to dive into all of that, but just before you do……it was a real treat to see some of you in IRL (in real life) at the recent Eco and Wellness Fair, a welcome surprise! That was definitely the highlight of the event for me. But, if you couldn’t make it, we didn’t sell out of eco gifts on the day so you can still browse in the eco shop here. Now, onto the news…
Ten year milestone for BeeWalks
This year marks ten years of BeeWalks, carried out by dedicated volunteers as part of a joint project by charity Yorkshire Dales Millennium Trust (YDMT) and the Forest of Bowland National Landscape to restore wildflower habitats for bumblebees and other pollinators.
BeeWalk is a national citizen science scheme established by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust. Data collected is both a source of information for understanding how Britain’s bumblebees are doing, and critical for taking decisions on how we can best help bumblebees to survive and thrive.
For the last decade, volunteers have walked 485 kilometers across 24 different sites in the Dales and Forest of Bowland to collect bumblebee data. Early analysis shows how beneficial wildflower hay meadows can be for bumblebees and other insects both in terms of the sheer number of bumblebees recorded and the diversity of species.
Early analysis of data from ten years of BeeWalk surveys in the Yorkshire Dales and Forest of Bowland points to wildflower-rich hay meadows as one of the best food sources for bumblebees.
Crucial insights
The full report, to be published later this year, will provide crucial insights into the needs of pollinators in the local area, together with detailed information about the wildflower species and habitats they depend upon to thrive.
Project Officer Carol Edmondson said: “To help stem bumblebee declines, restoring habitats is crucial.
“Data from our research points to wildflower-rich hay meadows as one of the best food sources for bumblebees and highlights the importance of our work to restore and expand these species-rich habitats.”
Other highlights from initial analysis of the BeeWalk data shows:
A total of 21,663 bumblebees of 12 different species recorded.
The white and buff tailed bumblebees were the most commonly recorded, making up over 70% of records some years.
All other species’ numbers have fluctuated over the years, but white and buff tailed bumblebees are on a definite upward trend.
The top four flowers visited were red and white clover, yellow rattle and common knapweed.
Maurice White, a BeeWalk volunteer for almost a decade, said:
“I’ve learned a great deal about the range of bumblebee species we see in the Dales. They’re an indicator of the health of the environment. Where I do my counting is a really beautiful place and it’s a delight and a privilege to be even a tiny part of supporting and encouraging that.”
River Pollution News
💦 The new environment secretary Steve Reed announced new measures to tackle sewage dumping in the rivers. The legislation introduced to parliament on Thursday gives the regulators powers to ban bonuses for water company CEOs who fail to meet environmental and consumer standards, and if their company is not financially resilient. Saying the moves received a luke warm welcome might be overstepping the level of enthusiasm from campaigners and I’d love to hear what you think on this issue - comments are open! Locally, Save Our Swale tweeted “those powers have been available to Governments for years @DefraGovUK the difference we need to see is them being used!!! and soon! No idle threats wanted. We need action....” while Stop Ure Pollution posted on Facebook, “The Special Measures Bill is a step forward, but needs more to address the core failures of privatisation, regulation and pollution. Director bonuses are a distraction, the Environment Agency may get more powers but its funding is still down 1/3 compared to 2010, and the government is not yet using the more significant powers it already has.” Leading campaigner Feargal Sharkey has been stomping the media rounds urging more action saying:
“I have called for a mass protest for a coalition of the concerned to ensure clean, healthy rivers. We need transformational information and action. I see none of that before me. We will still be marching on 26 October to demand clean rivers and strong action.”
💦 Volunteers from the Stop Ure Pollution (SUP) group which formed earlier in the summer have started work by taking samples at at 45 sites from the top of Wensleydale to beyond Boroughbridge. Read my full report from last week here.
💦 Big River Watch is taking place this week until 12 September. Twice a year The Rivers Trust invites people to take part in a simple citizen science activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland. To take part you need to find a spot next to a river to monitor for 15 minutes and record what you see. This can be wildlife, signs of pollution, and your impressions of the river.
You'll need the free app to take part:
💦 Save Our Swale wants to hear from people wanting to join March for Clean Water in London as they look at transport options. See its Facebook page for more.
The three most clicked links from the last newsletter were:
Council defends climate change progress
In other news
⚡️ A multi-billion pound subsea cable that can shift vast amounts of renewable electricity between Scotland and England has been given the go-ahead by regulators. Kevin Keane reports for the BBC about the two 315-mile (507km) cables which will run from Peterhead in Aberdeenshire to Drax in North Yorkshire.
🌞 North Yorkshire Council has approved plans to build a solar farm on a five-hectare site next to the A1 (M) Wetherby Services. Renewable energy generated by solar will be used to power the site’s electric vehicle charging points Thomas Barrett reports at The Stray Ferret.
💨 The environmental impact of wind farm turbines on the seabed is being investigated in a "hugely important" study, writes Katy Prickett of the BBC. Researchers have taken a series of samples from one of the UK's oldest active offshore wind farms, which is off the coast of Cumbria.
🌿 Mark McAlindon at BBC Look North, reports that Cumbria Wildlife Trust is appealing for £1.25m in donations from the public to complete the £6m purchase of mountain slopes known as Skiddaw Forest.
🌞 Plans have been lodged for a new solar farm estimated to power almost 26,000 homes per year and create 375 jobs. Nic Marko at The Northern Eco writes that proposals have been submitted to Hartlepool Borough Council planning department to carry out the work over 193 acres of agricultural land.
🌻 One in four neighbourhoods in England are nature pollution hotspots, according to new research from Friends of the Earth. While London and Manchester predictably top the list of areas where they are most concentrated, there’s many places in the north which have notable issues.
They have an interactive map showing pollution hotspots or download the full list by constituency areas.
🏭 Power station operator Drax has agreed to pay a £25 million penalty after the energy watchdog found it failed to report accurate data following an investigation into the sustainability of the biomass it uses at its wood-burning power plant. Holly Williams from The Ecologist reports how Ofgem carried out a 15-month investigation into the North Yorkshire power plant after it was accused of burning wood from unsustainable sources and claims that it was taking timber from precious rare forests in Canada.
⛏️ A Scarborough fracking plan is to proceed despite local opposition. Fossil fuels company Europa confirmed that will seek planning permission for the gas drilling rig at Burniston Mill. Anttoni James Numminen reports for the York Press.
It’s all about the birds!
🪶 The first full count for five years on the Farne Islands off Northumberland has revealed the endangered species has in fact increased by 15% since 2019, reports Fiona Trott at BBC News.There are now thought to be 50,000 breeding pairs on the site, which is cared for by the National Trust.
🪶 Sadly, the outlook is not as bright for all seabird species. Five seabirds have been added to the UK’s conservation red list, meaning they are at dire risk of local extinction, writes Helena Horton at The Guardian.
🪶 It’s a complicated story with many acronyms but this update from campaigners at the Raptor Persecution UK blog follows a significant move in the fight to protect birds of prey. The tldr is that The Northern England Raptor Forum (NERF), a collective of regional raptor fieldworkers, is the latest organisation to walk away from the Yorkshire Dales/Nidderdale Bird of Prey Partnership but I would recommend working through its in-depth report here.
🪶 Readers who use the Substack app to enjoy our newsletter may have already stumbled across this lovely long read from Carey Davies at The Tribune.
“Typically a people-wary creature, the presence of ring ouzels is considered a key indicator of ‘wilderness’ — a sign that human presence has not taken an unduly heavy toll on the natural fabric of a given landscape. You might be surprised, then, to find these birds within easy reach of Sheffield’s western fringes.”
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