Ben Barker reports below. To join the circulation list email: MyWildBedminster@virginmedia.com
Recent Otter Training and Survey on Pigeonhouse Stream
Back in Nov ’21 an otter was found dead on Hartcliffe Way. This was along the wildlife corridor between Novers Hill (Western Slopes) and Crox Bottom. The otter was a small male juvenile and there was some speculation over whether it was searching for his own territory and sadly died crossing the road in the process.
As we’ve not had records of otters previously on Pigeonhouse Stream we thought it was a good opportunity to run an otter survey and signs training event for the local friends of groups.
Members from Friends of Crox Bottom, Friends of Manor Woods Valley and Friends of the Western Slopes all joined the training, which was delivered by the Greater Bristol Otter Group. During the training we successfully found two fresh otter spraints (poo) along the river at Crox Bottom, which confirms there is a regular otter using the stream. There has also been a sighting of an otter near Manor Woods Valley.
We’ll continue to survey both Pigeonhouse Stream and the Malago for otter signs, and will also continue to look at how we can get a wildlife crossing road sign put up on Hartcliffe Way on the wildlife corridor at Crox Bottom and Novers Hill.
If you love otters and want to find out more about our Bristol otter population then the Greater Bristol Otter facebook group is worth joining!
And if you find any dead otters please let the otter group know – either via their facebook page or email to bristol.ottersurveygroup@gmail.com. The group will record the otter then send it to Cardiff University. Information about their otter project is here: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/otter-project
If you do happen to see any otter signs, then please also let the otter group know. If you think you’ve seen some otter spraint but aren’t sure you can take a photo and post it on the otter facebook page. You can also contact the relevant friends of group to let them know – they should be able to verify it, or they can get in contact with someone who can. Caroline Hamilton of the Crox Bottom group tells us that she will be looking out for otter signs at least once a month along her stretch of the stream.
Malago Support Group? Kelly Sheldrick’s report above re otters illustrates how community groups across the Malago/Pigeonhouse system are coming together to support the river. Looking for otter poo and taking brilliant bird pictures is good, but not enough to halt the decline in this river system. It’s going to take the Big Players like Bristol City Council and the Environment Agency many years to get round to small rivers like this. We need a strong network of local people and groups to raise some money, mobilise some people and make things happen. It can be done and has been done in other places. If you are up for helping, contact Wildlife News. We’ll see who has got back to us by the end of February and move ahead from there.
Bristol’s Tree Strategy?
Cllr Ellie King (Hillfields) is one of our Wildlife Champions in Bristol City Council (BCC) and also Cabinet Member for Public Health, Communities and Bristol One City. She has responded to our query that was circulated in an earlier edition about the implementation of BCC’s tree strategy. Ellie says, ‘With regard to the motion that Cllr Varney brought forward – scoping the possibilities for garden tree planting will be a part of a forthcoming tree strategy and tree planting plan paper that will take a comprehensive look at the city and scope out all possible planting opportunities including woodlands, orchards, street trees in both the public and private realm. This will give us a full and thorough audit of suitable planting locations and put us in a strong position to scale up our planting ambitions and apply for significant funding, grants and sponsorship.
Crucially the results of the plan will be taken to the One City platform in order to engage our city wide partners in order to achieve our goals – increasing the canopy is a City goal, not just a BCC one – it cannot be achieved by BCC alone.
I hope garden trees will be a great way for residents to engage in the tree planting programme. It is not expected that they will contribute much to canopy growth or carbon sequestration, but of course there are many other benefits including health and well being, habitat and nature recovery, mitigating heat and beautifying our landscape.
The paper takes a city wide, strategic and holistic approach to at scale planting opportunities which myself and officers are working hard on to get right. It is certainly not in a black hole. I hope this is useful. Happy to meet to discuss this and other issues relating to parks and green spaces if that will be helpful.’
Very helpful, thanks. I’m sure that Wildlife Group members will help to turn the strategy into real actions to promote wildlife and the other benefits that come from trees. Ben Barker is hoping to meet with Ellie and possibly other Wildlife Champions on BCC sometime in February, covid permitting. Watch this space.
S106 and CIL You may have come across Section 106 and Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL). These are charges made on developers to mitigate community disadvantages caused by development such as increased pressure on roads, schools and green spaces. 85% of this money goes directly to BCC, but 15% is available for ‘local’ use.
Bristol is actually divided into six areas for this purpose. Decisions on expenditure are made by the councillors representing each of these areas, usually once a year. Wildlife enhancement in public places like parks and allotments is eligible and you can ask for funding, say, to plant a meadow, dig a pond or install bird boxes. If you ask, success is not guaranteed. If you don’t ask, failure is guaranteed. Step one is probably to talk to your local councillor.
Some Tree Ideas Michelle Lee Barker would like to see a few experiments with trees and shrubs in big boxes by the side of roads where trees can’t be planted directly into the ground because of underground cables etc. We know that some people have already done this and we’d like to know how it’s working and perhaps share some pictures.
‘Adopt a Tree’ has come from Diane Bunyan. Householders and shopkeepers could be asked to keep an eye on any tree outside their premises. The handful of tree officers at BCC cannot be expected to know if one of Bristol’s trees falls sick, is hit by a car or otherwise vandalized, especially as tree numbers increase. Adopters just need to alert BCC, if necessary. Park Groups could take this up too, perhaps with a monthly ‘tree patrol’ followed by a coffee and chat. Easy, cheap and effective.
Any more good ideas?
Latest on the Index Group. Bristol Wildlife Index Working Group has been seeking to establish a starting base for evaluating the success or failure of Bristol’s efforts to reverse the decline in wildlife and ‘double’ it by 2045. Lots of work has been done behind the scenes and it’s hoped that the next meeting (24 January) will be its last in its current form. All being well, a starting base will be agreed along with procedures for monitoring a wide range of animals and plants over the next decades. This information will start to come out soon. Fingers crossed!!
Target for 2022. A fully functioning, community-led and organised Wildlife Group in every Bristol neighbourhood. We know that at least 8 of the 14 postal districts have got to the stage of establishing a Facebook group and there is currently some discussion in two other areas. Two or three areas are considering establishing a more formal structure to make them eligible for external funding should that opportunity arise. Please pass this newsletter on to friends and neighbours and invite them to join the circulation list.