News - Conservation Shorts
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Badger survey cut short
The Welsh Assembly Government have called an early end to the ‘Badger Found Dead Survey’, saying that after only four months they already have enough badgers. The survey originally aimed to collect 400 badgers from across Wales, but the survey was intended to run for a year, with the more badgers collected the better in order to get statistically significant results. It is not clear why the Welsh Assembly Government decided to end the survey early.
Tick study
The Oxford Tick Research Group has teamed up with The Heather Trust to get a broader and more accurate picture of the tick population in the UK. A questionnaire has been produced with the aim of circulating it to those who live and work in rural areas, as well as those who use the countryside for recreation. The questionnaire is available online at www.heathertrust.co.uk/ticksurvey. If you don’t have access to the internet, and you want to help, contact Tammy at the wildlife trust office.
Success for PONT
PONT (Pori, Natur a Threftadaeth), a Grazing Animals Project (GAP) based in Brecon, has successfully gained funding to support a GAP Cymru Co-ordinator for three years. This is the hoped for next step in the development of appropriate grazing systems across Wales. The co-ordinator will be working with the three current local grazing schemes in Wales & helping to set up new grazing schemes.
Pigs for Bracken management
Whilst not an overnight solution, pigs have the ability to destroy bracken canopy, break open the mat of decaying debris and expose the ground to dormant seeds of other plants, creating a mosaic of far greater diversity, on bracken dominated ground; a longer term, far more effective solution than an application of chemicals.
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Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust