Geological discoveries Tufa and speleothems in Cornwall Seashore ...

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Nooks and crannies in the stonework offer ideal micro-climates and protection for mosses, ferns and reptiles.Photo from Cornish hedge libraryWild Penwith hedge surveyAs the days grow longer and warmer and the hedges burst forth with the arrival of spring, do youfind yourself marvelling at the mass of white blackthorn blossom or the bright yellow, coconutscentedgorse? If you enjoy observing hedges then you could take part in our Wild Penwith hedgesurvey; come along and discover for yourself why Penwith can be so proud of its hedges.What makes Cornish hedges special?A hedge is a hedge is a hedge, is it not? It is not! Ahedgerow is a row of trees or shrubs, merely vegetation,while a Cornish hedge is a stone-faced structure, usuallywith an earth core. Some Cornish hedges do have a row ofbushy shrubs or trees on top of the hedgebank, but many donot. Some, such as those on high ground in West Penwith,are dry-stone, encrusted with different lichens and mosses –not a tree in sight!Cornish hedges support important populations of plantsand animals, particularly invertebrates. Records kept atthe Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and theIsles of Scilly (ERCCIS) list around 600 native plant speciesassociated with hedges in Cornwall, of which 25 are scarceand nine rare. Of the 50 or so bird species which breedcommonly on farmland in Cornwall, at least 30 nest inhedges. Increasingly, hedges are valued too for the majorrole they play in preventing soil loss, regulating watersupply and reducing flooding.Hedges provide important wildlife links across the landscape.Photo from Cornish hedge libraryHistorical importance of Cornish hedgesMany hedges in Penwith follow boundaries that werefirst laid out in the Iron Age, more than 2,000 years ago.Although most of these hedges will have been rebuilt manytimes by farmers over the centuries, the field patterns theydefine have remained the same. These are a rare instanceof major prehistoric remains still in everyday use for theiroriginal purpose. For more on the history of Cornish hedgesvisit www.cornishhedges.co.uk. This site will also tell youmore about the landscape and wildlife value of Cornishhedges, and about building and repairing them.What’s the problem?Unfortunately the individuality of the Cornish hedgeswhich make West Penwith’s landscape so distinctive alsoleaves our field boundaries vulnerable and undervalued ata national level. The majority of Cornish hedges do not‘fit’ the descriptions and legislation designed to protecthedgerows nationally; these look at numbers of trees andwoodland species, which is not a sensible way to assessthe value of Cornish hedges.And the solution?This spring and summer, as part of the Wild Penwithproject, we need local Penwith residents to help us gathermore information about the range of wildlife associatedwith Cornish hedges, to highlight their importance bothlocally and nationally. To get involved, email me atjanet.dinsdale@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk or come toour ‘getting started day’ in May (see diary of events). Noexperience necessary, as we will provide all the training,including how to identify a few simple plants and bugs;however, if you are one of those fantastic botanists orentomologists whose skills always put me to shame, thenplease do join us too!Jan Dinsdale, Wild Penwith Project OfficerPage 10 Issue 114 Spring 2011
Seaquest Basking SharkProjectBasking shark feeding off the Isles of Scilly. Photo by Kat BrownBetween 1st June and 31st August 2010, 559 basking shark sightings were recorded from theProject’s single survey site near Land’s End. This figure compared to 1,034 sightings over the sametime period in 2009. It is not known why a decrease in sightings was observed in 2010 but it mayecho a change in distribution of the sharks’ plankton prey.The Seaquest Basking Shark Project, first established in2008, aims to provide a deeper understanding of baskingshark distribution and behaviour around the Cornishcoast. For three months each summer, Cornwall WildlifeTrust volunteers sit on the cliff top at Porthgwarra (nearLand’s End) from 5.30am until 8.30pm every day. In2010, over 90 dedicated volunteers were trained andbetween them they took turns looking out to sea andnoting down all basking shark activity within sight.The volunteers also gathered information on threats tobasking sharks by noting the behaviour of human waterusers around these endangered animals. Although baskingsharks are the second largest fish species in the world, theyare docile creatures and relatively tolerant of approachesby boats and divers. However, it is important that theanimals are not exploited for this reason, especially as theyseem to use the Land’s End area as an important feedingand possibly also mating ground. In most cases last yearboats, kayaks and swimmers kept their distance from thesharks and enjoyed shark-friendly viewings. However, insome rare instances the basking sharks were very closelypursued by people greedy to get a closer look and in thesecases the sharks’ natural behaviours were interrupted. Forinformation about how to act appropriately around baskingsharks, a code of conduct is downloadable from the projectpages at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/baskingshark.Cornwall Wildlife Trust would like to thank all whohave been involved in this astonishing effort over the pastthree years. Without the volunteers and the hundreds ofsurvey hours they contribute, the project would not bepossible and our knowledge of Cornish basking sharksightings would not be advancing. Funding from BritishInternational Helicopters and the BBC Wildlife Fund hasalso been greatly appreciated.In an attempt to learn even more about basking sharks,Cornwall Wildlife Trust plans to roll the survey out tothree new sites around the county this year. Initially thenew sites will only be surveyed for a few hours eachevening to test the logistics of managing four surveysites at once. The most important aim in 2011 is stillto maintain the survey effort at Porthgwarra where wecan continue to build on existing data and make yearlycomparisons.If you would like to get involved with the basking sharkproject and can commit some time this coming summer,please get in touch by emailing our new Project Coordinatorat baskingshark@cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk. All trainingand equipment will be provided but you will need to havetransport to Porthgwarra. For further information on lastyear’s survey please visit www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/baskingsharkDr Jane ManningVolunteer and Project Coordinator (2010)Jane Manning teaching volunteers at Hella Point during one ofthe training days. Photo by Angie GallIssue 114 Spring 2011 Page 11
Page 3 and 4: Any material intended forpublicatio
Page 6 and 7: Tufa at Stackhouse Cove. Photo by F
Page 12 and 13: Nature newsNowodhow naturWhat a hug
Page 14 and 15: Seaquest NetsafeThe Seaquest Netsaf
Page 19 and 20: Fox Club joins Cornwall Children’
Page 21 and 22: TamarOur winter programme of talks
Page 23 and 24: From our Chairman1962 - 2012! … 2
Page 25 and 26: Existing BusinessSupporter updateHa
Page 27 and 28: Cornwall Wildlife TrustPull-outDiar
Page 29 and 30: First of 3 morning meetings to make
Page 31 and 32: 11.00am to 1.30pmSpy creatures in t
Page 33 and 34: Issue 114 Spring 2011 Page 33
Page 35 and 36: The Isles of Scilly MarineBiodivers
Page 37: Volunteer profile:Jeremy (‘Jez’
Page 40: In partnership withWildlifeCelebrat

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