Packham to check on biodiversity

By Andrew Woodger
BBC Suffolk

Chris Packham visited RSPB Minsmere for the Dirty Weekend in June 2009

The BBC's Autumnwatch presenter Chris Packham is going to be the guest speaker at the Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership's autumn conference.

The umbrella organisation represents 16 bodies which aim to safeguard the number of species of flora and fauna.

Their action plan covers 143 species including bats, birds, rodents, otters, butterflies and their habitats.

Packham will talk about the importance of biodiversity, although the conference isn't open to the public.

"We need biodiversity because it supports our own lives," said Genevieve Broad, biodiversity officer with the Suffolk Biodiversity Partnership (SBP).

"We need it for health, recreation and for food security. We rely on bees to pollinate crops for instance.

"I think in this country we've become disconnected from it. In developing countries they're much closer to it so that you see a direct connection between biodiversity and your food.

"We do need to get back to supporting the world around us."

Time for action

SBP members include the district and county councils, Center Parcs at Elveden, Natural England, the Environment Agency, Suffolk Wildlife Trust and National Trust.

The Suffolk Biological Records Centre attempts to keep track of species numbers.

The Dedham Vale & Stour Valley Partnership with a pillbox

"We're there to protect biodiversity and enhance habitats," said Genevieve, whose role is to draw all the relevant bodies, landowners and wildlife groups together.

"There are a lot of threats at the moment, including climate change and we don't quite know what effect it's going to have.

"One of the big things we're doing is trying to encourage corridors that will enable species to move around to find the appropriate habitat," said Genevieve.

"The re-wilding project in Dunwich Forest has Dartmoor ponies being used as a habitat tool to 'mow' the habitat creating a mosaic pattern which is much more suitable for species such as white admiral butterflies, beetles and mice."

Part of the SBP action plan is to find partners and funding for specific projects such as the following:

• a survey to establish what is left of the 6,000 orchards that were recorded on the Ordnance Survey map of Suffolk at the start of the 20th Century.
• a five-year project to preserve the native white-clawed crayfish which is losing out to the non-native American signal crayfish. You can watch Look East's crayfish report .
• a two-year project working with schools to build log-piles for stag beetles.

Bats by the river

Another innovative scheme is turning second world war pillboxes into shelters for bats in the Stour Valley.

Handling a brown long-eared bat requires gloves

Air bricks are put in the shelters to provide winter hibernation roosts for the mammals. The pillboxes (or bat hibernacula) are secured to stop humans getting in.

There are 10 in the project - five in Suffolk and five on the Essex side of the river. Two species have taken up the offer - the brown long-eared bat and the natterer's bat.

"We haven't got many underground caves in East Anglia, so we need to create habitats that are damp and cold," said Sue Hooton, senior ecologist at Suffolk County Council and approved bat handler.

"In terms of the summer, a lot of barns have been converted into dwellings which is where bats used to roost.

"In terms of other reasons for conserving bats - they eat the mosquitoes before they get you!

"Anyone can help by putting up a bat-box in their garden."

The SBP conference takes place at Wantisden Hall on 26 November 2009.