Rare Snipe Returns to the Marches Mosses and Becomes a Media Star

August 28, 2020

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Snipe (Gallinago gallinago) have been found breeding on the Whixall Moss area of the Marches Mosses National Nature Reserve, near Whitchurch in North Shropshire. The UK population of snipe has undergone a big decline in the last twenty-five years. The RSPB records it as an Amber List species, which means it is endangered and of international importance. Snipe are protected by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and have been included in the Biodiversity Action Plan since 2002.

This exciting news about snipe returning to Whixall Moss has been featured on BBC Radio Shropshire, the Whitchurch Herald and the Shropshire Star, making the sighting of the rare breed county-wide news and pointing out again the value of the Marches Mosses as a site of great bio-diversity and a store of carbon in the fight against the climate crisis.

The natural habitat of snipe, which are secretive and elusive, is wet marshy settings, including bogs. They avoid settling in areas with dense vegetation, preferring patchy cover at the marshes edge which lets them hide from predators. Work by the BogLIFE project to regenerate the Mosses by installing bunding that raise the water levels on the peat, the Marches Mosses have again become the ideal habitat for snipe. This is underlined by the Mosses designation as a Ramsar site – a wetland of international importance – as well as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and an SSSI location.

Leo Smith, editor of the recently-published Birds of Shropshire, and organiser of the county-wide Breeding Snipe Survey said, “These 2017-19 records are the first with evidence of breeding snipe from Whixall Moss since 1995. We only found evidence of 10 breeding pairs in the whole of Shropshire in 2019, so finding them again at Whixall is very welcome.

“All the records have come from three areas where small embankments have been built to hold the water close to the surface as part of the BogLIFE restoration project. This has caused the creation of shallow pools, ideal snipe habitat. If these records herald a recolonization of the Mosses by breeding snipe, this will be a great achievement for the National Nature Reserve and an excellent result for the BogLIFE Project.”

Snipe are ground nesting birds, like the curlew and lapwing which also breed on the Mosses and can be threatened by disturbance. Reserve Manager Steve Dobbin said, “We ask dog walkers to keep their pets on a lead in the areas where birds are nesting, so it was heartening that dog walkers reported some of the first evidence of the return of these endangered birds. The Marches Mosses are a unique landscape, home to many rare and endangered species and while dog walkers are welcomed, we ask them to respect the necessary restrictions.”

While you’re in the Marches Mosses area, you can also visit Sinker’s Fields, a Shropshire Wildlife Trust site across Morris’ Bridge from Whixall Moss. The fields are ideal for bird-watching, so you try to spot snipe on the marshy cover areas around the edges of the fields. If you do, please let Shropshire Wildlife Trust know!

 

Why it’s important to keep your dog on a lead in areas with ground-nesting birds

Ground nesting birds are particularly vulnerable to disturbance. A dog off a lead, ‘doing what dogs do’ nosing and exploring a little way off the main track may look harmless to owners. However, the unfortunate effect can be to flush birds from their hidden nests and prevent them from settling – thus leaving their eggs unattended and exposed. The cumulative impacts of this are:

• Birds failing to nest or eggs failing to hatch due to chilling,
• Chicks dying from cold or lack of food,
• Nests becoming vulnerable to predators including crows, which are alerted by signs of a distressed parent bird alarming near a nest site due to disturbance, taking the opportunity to steal eggs or young chicks from an unattended nest.

The other ground dwelling species on the Marches Mosses are lapwings and curlew, both of which are on the Red List of endangered species.

You can read more about visiting the Mosses with your dog here: Visiting with Dogs.

More About Snipe

Snipe are small birds, only 23-28cm long, standing on short legs and weighing 80-120 grams. Their wingspan is generally 39-45cm. The most notable feature of snipe, their long bill, is a full one-quarter of the total length of the bird. It is flexible and very sensitive, detecting and the worms and other invertebrates that snipe dig out to feed on.

Male snipe courtship displays are amazing. Called drumming, the birds soar several hundred feet in the air, then dive downward, making an iconic plaintive, beating sound. They do this by rapidly spreading their wings and spreading their outer tail feathers to create the sound by vibration. If you listen closely, you can hear this snipe sound here:

Other snipe calls include a “chippa-chippa-chippa” sound they make in the spring and, to raise the alarm, a “scaap” sound.

In their well-hidden ground nests, the female lays and incubates a clutch of four eggs – pale, greenish-brown with dark brown splotches.  Both parents feed the young, which are dark with white speckles.  Young snipe begin to fly when they are about three weeks old.

Snipe live across northern Europe, particularly in the wider Scandinavian area known as Fennoscandia. They head to western and southern Europe, including Britain, in winter. Their autumn passage to the UK begins in July, peaking in October. After overwintering, snipe start their return journey north between February and May.

Snipe have a long history in Shropshire, having first been noted in the 17^th century. In 1789, Fenn’s, Whixall and Wem Mosses were known breeding sites. Snipe were still well known in the boggy areas around Shrewsbury in the 19^th century, but by the end of that century had become relatively uncommon. By the second half of the 20^th century, snipe were no longer found in many of the places they’d been noted at earlier. The RSPB and the British Trust for Ornithology (BTO) estimate the snipe population has decreased by some 74% between 1970 and the end of the 20^th century. Drainage appears to be the main cause of the decline of snipe in this area, along with shooting in earlier eras, and increased predation.

A Brief Background of the Mosses

The Marches Mosses – Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield and Wem Mosses – make up the third largest lowland raised bog in Britain, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a European Special Area of Conservation and a Ramsar site. This peatland was formed over 12,000 years ago when Sphagnum moss began to grow in the wetland formed by the retreat of glaciers. The Sphagnum acidified the water, stopping the decay of plant remains. These built up like a sponge to form the raised expanse of the peatmoss, with the pickled water creating an environment suitable for the unique combination of plants and animals that thrive here.

Peatlands depend on retaining rainwater for their existence. The Marches Mosses began to collapse when the bog was drained over several hundred years, the dried peat was cut for fuel and agricultural and horticultural use, and the edge habitat around the Moss was turned into farmland. The decay of the peat meant that carbon that had been stored for millennia was being lost and by the late 1980s the Mosses were badly damaged.

In 1990 the peatland was acquired as a National Nature Reserve and restoration was begun. This has led to an increase in biodiversity as plants and animals that thrive in the boggy conditions return and repair of the peat has meant an increase in the store of carbon. Because peat stores more carbon than plants, trees and other types of soil, the Mosses are an important weapon in the fight against climate change.

Restoring the Marches Mosses Trainee Placement

August 19, 2020

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Trainee placement:

Full time, 9 months, fixed term from 1st November 2020 –  £6,000 bursary

We are looking for trainees for the Marches Mosses BogLIFE project. The project aims to restore Britain’s third-largest lowland raised bog within the Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses NNR and the Wem Moss SSSI, located near Whitchurch, Shropshire and Wrexham in Wales.

You will work on all aspects of the project, from practical habitat management to public engagement. You will gain valuable skills and experience which will provide a good foundation for a future career in wildlife conservation work.

The post is based at the Natural England base at Whixall SY13 2PD.

The LIFE project is led by Natural England working in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The multi-million pound project is supported by an EU LIFE grant and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The closing date 9am on 21st September 2020 Interview dates w/c 5th October 2020.

For more info  and to download the application form, visit https://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/jobs/mosses-trainee-placement.

The Marches Mosses’ Emblematic Butterfly – the Large Heath

August 14, 2020

 

Found only as far south as Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses, the large heath butterfly is an emblematic species of the Marches Mosses. It is a northern mire species that needs the acidic, wet peatlands of the Mosses in order to thrive throughout its life cycle.

You might see the large heath as you walk along the trails in the Mosses – medium-sized with a wingspan of about 40mm, its dull brown upper wings have large, conspicuous eyespots with white centres. The chestnut brown underside forewings are heavily marked with a row of eyespots, evolved to confuse predatory birds. The large heath usually sits with its wings closed and can fly in dull weather, as long as the air is warm enough – at least 14C.

The female large heath lays her eggs in July and August. Laid singly, the eggs hatch in about two weeks. Larvae feed through the autumn and then hibernate over winter, emerging to feed if the weather is mild. The pale green chrysalis is formed from mid-May until early July, attached to a firm stem by a silk pad. The adult large heath emerges some three weeks later and lives for two to three weeks.

The large heath is part of the butterfly sub-family Satyridae, commonly known as Browns. Originally called the Manchester Argus or Manchester Ringlet, the large heath was first identified by Müller in 1764. Called by their scientific name of Coenonympha tullia, the large heath that live on the Mosses are of the subspecies davus; these are more heavily spotted than their northern cousins. All large heaths are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981 and are a priority species in the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). The Butterfly Conservation charity estimates that the large heath’s distribution across the UK has declined nearly 60% since the 1970s.

Here on the Mosses, large heath numbers have increased as the BogLIFE regeneration project has raised water levels, rewetting the peatland. Large heath larvae overwinter and feed on hare’s tail cotton sedge (Eriophorum vaginatum) that border the pools on the Moss. Adult large heath take nectar from the flowers of cross-leaved heath (Erica tetralix), which thrive on the lower, mossy hummocks of Fenn’s and Whixall Mosses.

The large heath is one of 27 species of butterflies that have been identified on the various landscapes of the Mosses. It is special because it symbolises the return to health of the rare habitat that is the Marches Mosses.

Main photo credit:  Stephen Barlow

Update on Peatbog Habitat Re-creation on the Marches Mosses

July 24, 2020

Work restarted in early July on the project to create a layer of turf to cover sections of the former scrapyard site on Whixall Moss, while re-creating peatbog habitat on a nearby peaty field. Led by Natural England as part of the BogLIFE project to restore the Marches Mosses, work began again after a long delay due to high rainfall last winter and the COVID-19 lockdown this spring. The work is being carried out by Shropshire contractor Steve Cornish of Redwood Tree Specialists and uses specialist  machinery, including a 15 tonne excavator.

The work involves removing the top turf layer from fields near the former scrapyard, which is part of Whixall Moss. The material that is removed is then used to cover the surface of the polluted ground of the scrapyard. Sheeting has been laid to act as a marker layer between the rocky scrapyard surface. This will be levelled off to an average of 50-100cm depth and left to re-naturalise over time. Within a year the areas should be covered in grasses and sedges and  is expected to gradually develop into a wet woodland.

Steve Cornish adds some detail to the story: “We’re using a robot-guided laser leveller attached to the excavator. It’s an exciting experiment that we’re using here for the first time.  We anticipate it will help us to work more efficiently, as we won’t need to stop to measure the depth of the turf as we level it. If it works as we think it will, we’ll be able to use this on other projects on the Marches Mosses and elsewhere.”

The field, which sits on six feet of jelly-like peat, is part of the original bog complex. It was under-drained in the 1970s and used for grazing. Now that Steve’s team have finished preparatory work to expose the underlying peat, this low-lying area has been crossed with peat bunds. These will help contain rainwater and manage water levels  in the bunded sections. This is needed to provide favourable growing conditions for bog plants.

 

The whole field will be sown with Sphagnum moss species that have been grown by BeadaMoss Micropropagation Services. The project team anticipate adding the Sphagnum moss in the early autumn, depending on weather conditions. In total, the aim is to restore eight acres of boggy habitat – around the size of four football fields. The restored bog habitat, which has a very important function in storing carbon, will help support the already restored  central area of Whixall Moss.

You can read the October 2019 News post that announced this work here.

A Brief Background of the Mosses

The Marches Mosses – Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield and Wem Mosses – make up the third largest lowland raised bog in Britain, a Site of Special Scientific Interest and a European Special Area of Conservation. This peatland was formed over 12,000 years ago when Sphagnum moss began to grow in the wetland formed by the retreat of glaciers. The Sphagnum acidified the water, stopping the decay of plant remains. These built up like a sponge to form the raised expanse of the peatmoss, with the pickled water creating an environment suitable for the unique combination of plants and animals that thrive here.

Peatlands depend on retaining rainwater for their existence. The Marches Mosses began to collapse when the bog was drained over several hundred years, the dried peat was cut for fuel and agricultural and horticultural use, and the edge habitat around the Moss was turned into farmland. The decay of the peat meant that carbon that had been stored for millennia was being lost and by the late 1980s the Mosses were badly damaged.

In 1990 the peatland was acquired as a National Nature Reserve and restoration was begun. This has led to an increase in biodiversity as plants and animals that thrive in the boggy conditions return and repair of the peat has meant an increase in the store of carbon. Because peat stores more carbon than plants, trees and other types of soil, the Mosses are an important weapon in the fight against climate change.

 

 

Sphagnum on Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses

June 19, 2020

Sphagnum moss and peat bogs are intrinsically intertwined. Sphagnum is the primary building block of peat, and makes the water on peat bogs acidic, thus creating the conditions for all other bog species to grow and thrive.

Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses are typical of this relationship. Botanists have identified 19 species and varieties of Sphagnum across the rolling surface of hummocks and hollows on the Mosses, living amongst other bog plants. This wide variety of species creates a beautiful mosaic of colours and shapes throughout the year.

In the deep pools, you’ll find the large, green and furry Sphagnum cuspidatum, along with common cotton sedge, and rare bladderwort with their yellow, pea-like flowers.

Species that grow on the pool margins are the nationally rare Sphagnum recurvum – only about 20cm long with yellowish-green loose tufts – and the smaller, grey-green S. tenellum with an appearance of small “beads” on its branches. These grow along with cranberry, bog asphodel and hare’s tail cotton sedge, as you can see in the main photo in this article.

Rare Sphagnum magellanicum, chunky and blood-red, prefers the wetter lawn areas, as do the insect-eating sundews. Also chunky in shape, the more common green S. papillosum, is found among the cranberries. These are the main peat forming Sphagna.

On the hummocks that stand higher than the lawns, S. capillifolium grows – delicate with rich red colouring. It’s found principally on uncut areas of the bog such as Bettisfield Moss, growing along with grey-green cross-leaved heather and a nationally scarce plant, bog rosemary.

When rainwater falls on the bog surface, Sphagna take nutrients from it by swapping hydrogen ions into the water, which makes it very acidic and stops fungi and bugs breaking down any dying vegetation on the bog. As the lower leaves of these and other Sphagnum mosses die, they don’t decompose as they would on dry ground, but are essentially “pickled” in the acid-rich water of this rain water-fed bog.  This slowly creates new peat, which grows at only 1mm each year. Carbon is retained in the peat; acre for acre, peat bogs store 30 times more carbon than the same area of forest.

You can tell Sphagna from any other mosses as they have a dense terminal tuft of branches or capitulum on the top of a stem. The individual plants grow densely together to form a cushion of capitula. Each year as each plant forms a new capitulum, the stem elongates and last year’s branches become spread out down the stem. The plant’s growth structure and way they cluster together raises bog water by suction above the surrounding pool level. So over time the bog surface grows up and up to form a raised bog, holding water sometimes 10 m above the surrounding landscape.

The continuing regeneration work on the Marches Mosses has increased the spread and health of Sphagnum and other bog plants. For centuries until 1990, over 90% of the peat on the Mosses had been damaged; it’s now being restored through building bunds to hold rainwater; shifting the location of drains that allowed rainwater to escape the bog; and removing vegetation that isn’t native to bogs and pulls water out of the bog. You can help to preserve the world’s Mosses, helping them counter-act climate change, in your own garden, by buying peat-free compost.

The Marches Mosses, an internationally important site and a national treasure, continues to be a place of great bio-diversity, open skies and tranquillity, a place where Sphagnum and other bog plants can thrive.

 

Invitation to Tender – Works at Morris’ Bridge Fields, Whixall, Shropshire

June 18, 2020

Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project LIFE15/NAT/UK/000786

Overview of Shropshire Wildlife Trust (the contracting organisation)

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a conservation charity established in 1962 to conserve and protect Shropshire’s wildlife. This is achieved by directly conserving wildlife and habitat, undertaking research and reconnecting people with wildlife.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity number 212744 and a company registered in England and Wales, number 729746. Registered Address 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH. www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Project Background

The project site is located south of Morris’ Bridge at Whixall, Shropshire, and comprises a series of fields which have been used for grazing and are located within the floodplain and north and south of the Slacks Bridge Drain.

The land forming the floodplain has a history of sustained flooding over most of the winter period from Slacks Bridge Drain, which passes through the site. Historically this land formed as shallow peat bog at the edge of Whixall Moss and peat soils still remain. This type of marginal habitat has been eliminated from almost all British raised bogs, making this opportunity for restoration of considerable importance.

The site is bounded to the north by the Shropshire Union Canal – Llangollen Branch and to the west by the Ellesmere Canal – Prees Branch. Both canals are elevated with tow paths some 3.0m above the floodplain, preventing overland flow to either the north or the west. High ground to the south and east completes the topography around the floodplain area.

Purpose of the Works

Shropshire Wildlife Trust (SWT) are planning to ensure that shallow surface water conditions can be consistently maintained across parts of the site during the spring and summer periods. This will support the development of wetland vegetation and improve the carbon storage capacity of the site, and at the same time restore marginal habitats around the edge of the lowland raised bog. It is part of a larger project to restore peat bog habitat across Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and is a partnership project Natural England, Natural Resources Wales and Shropshire Wildlife Trust funded by the European Union and National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Summary of the Work Being Tendered at Morris’ Bridge Fields, which consists of four fields:

NOTE: This is for descriptive purposes only; tendees must use the ITT document which can be found in the link below.

· Stone access to all four fields

· Car park at Field 3

· New pipe and headwalls and Fields 2 & 3

· Excavation of pond at Fields 3 & 4

· Bunding, receptor ponds and associated works

· Protective bunding and associated works along Shropshire Union Canal

· Fencing at all four fields

· Post-construction survey

Timing of ITT responses

All tender responses MUST be returned by email to Dr Alexandros Tsavdaris to [email protected] with Ms Jan McKelvey ([email protected]) copied in. HARD COPIES WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED.

Tenders must arrive no later than 13:00 on Monday 13th of July 2020. Tenders received after the latest time for return will be disqualified.

Tender questions can be forwarded to RAB Consultants until the 08th of July 2020 and tender clarifications will be provided until 16:00 on the 10th of July 2020.

Complete ITT Document

Please use this link to access the ITT document.

REMINDER – Invitation to Tender is Still Open for Bird Hide at Morris Bridge Fields near Marches Mosses

June 4, 2020

Shropshire Wildlife Trust has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for a bird hide to be built at the Morris Bridge Fields, near the Marches Mosses.

Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project LIFE15/NAT/UK/000786

Note: Please be aware that the links on this page will take you to an external website.

Invitation to Tender: to construct and install a bird hide at Morris’ Bridge Fields

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Overview of Shropshire Wildlife Trust (the contracting organisation)

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a conservation charity established in 1962 to conserve and protect Shropshire’s wildlife. This is achieved by directly conserving wildlife and habitat, undertaking research and reconnecting people with wildlife.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity number 212744 and a company registered in England and Wales, number 729746. Registered Address 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Project Background

The Marches Mosses BogLIFE project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786) is a five year project running from 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2021. The project aims to restore Britain’s 3rd largest lowland raised bog within the Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses and Wem Moss NNRs near Whitchurch, Shropshire and Wrexham in Wales. The LIFE project is led by Natural England working in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The multi-million pound project is supported by an EU LIFE grant and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

More information can be found at www.themeresandmosses.co.uk

The partnership will restore lowland raised peatbog and fen lagg habitat but also improve the intellectual and physical access to the mosses. An area of land has been purchased which originally formed the edge of Whixall Moss (lagg habitat). This has become naturally wet over recent years and has become one of the best areas for wildfowl and wetland birds in North Shropshire. A water management scheme has been designed which will enable the water levels across the land to be managed to afford optimum conditions for a range of wetland birds, wildfowl and the creation of wetland habitat for other wildlife. In order to afford better interaction between the wetland habitat and visitors a bird-hide is included in the design.

Tender location

Morris’ Bridge Fields are located to the west of the dispersed settlement of Whixall close to the Welsh Border. The site is located 5.3 miles north of Wem and 6.5 miles south west of Whitchurch. (See Drg. No 001 – Location Plan)

The site is accessed from Moss Lane which leads to Morris’ Bridge with the subject fields located on either side of this lane.

The hide will be located in a field on the left of the lane, at Grid ref: SJ 493 351. The nearest postcode is SY13 2RX. (See Drg. No 2 – Master Plan)

Coronavirus Lockdown

In normal circumstances, a contractor may wish to visit the Moss to gain a better understanding of the above Invitation to Tender or to arrange a site meeting to talk through the design and materials.

However, during coronavirus restrictions, all of the UK’s National Nature Reserves, car parks and visitor facilities are closed until further notice, including the Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR and the Bird Hide location. Therefore, you will not be able to visit the Mosses. If you submit a tender, we will let you know when the restrictions are lifted.

We acknowledge that during the Coronavirus outbreak, contractors may find it difficult to maintain business activities at the same level as normal. We wish to reassure contractors that we will take this in to account during the tender process and in the successful delivery of the above tender and timescales outlined. If contractors are experiencing difficulties, please contact Jan Mckelvey [email protected] 01743 284294

Specification

We require a contractor to construct and install a wheelchair accessible bird hide. Detailed plans are available – see Whixall Hide Plans nos. 1-4. The hide is 9m x 2.4m with a green roof and situated on a raised gravel pad which forms part of an access track for wetland maintenance operations. Detail on suggested materials is included in the plans.

The access track and other ground works will be completed by another contractor before the hide installation can commence. This engineering work is weather dependent and as a result we are unsure when it will be complete. Depending on how dry the ground conditions are we hope a contractor will be able to commence this work in September. We anticipate the engineering works to be complete by the end of October (but please note if we have a wet summer it may push this work back into 2021).

Bearing this in mind we would like to receive tenders from contractors that can quote for the complete job but be prepared to complete the work in 2 phases – off site construction and on site installation should we need to. Construction of the hide will ideally occur in October / November 2020, subject to current restrictions and constraints imposed through the Covid-19 pandemic.

Timescales

Activity	Date / time
Issue of Contract Notice / availability of ITT documents	7th May 2020
Deadline for submission of ITT responses by potential suppliers (Tender Response Deadline)	5pm on  8th June 2020
Contract offered to winning supplier	15th June 2020
Contract start date	1st July 2020

Budget

We anticipate this work will cost between £17,000 and £23,000 (inclusive of VAT).

Tender Response

Shropshire Wildlife Trust exists to protect wildlife for the future; sustainability is at the heart of the Trust’s activities. However, we recognise that through our operations we can have an adverse impact on the environment. We will therefore seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts and to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

We seek tenders that are in keeping with our Environmental procurement policy and our Environmental Sustainability Policy which are attached to the ITT documents.

Please supply a response including:

· A covering letter explaining your past experience and suitability for the contract

· Examples of previous work and references

· Detail of the materials you will use, how you will meet the brief, what practises will support SWT’s environmental considerations and what your availability is for both this year and next (should we have to push the engineering works into 2021)

· What regulations or standards you work to, what training employees are given etc

· Project schedule with milestones

· Total cost (incl VAT if relevant)

Your tender response must remain open for acceptance by SWT for a period of 90 days from the Tender Response Deadline. A tender response not valid for this period may be rejected.

The successful supplier will be required to complete an approved contractor’s questionnaire before the contract can be let.

Quotes should be returned by email to [email protected] by 5pm on Monday 8th June 2020

Criteria

Quotes will be scored against the following criteria to achieve best value:

· Ability to deliver the works (proven track record, relevant past experience and availability) – 50%

· Cost – 45%

· Empathy of the Trust’s environmental sustainability policy and environmental procurement policy – 5%

Contact

For an informal discussion please contact Jan McKelvey on 01743 284294

On all documents please quote:

Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786)

You may prefer to download and print the ITT. If so, a PDF of the tender document is here:

ITT Bird hide Morris Bridge Fields v1 w CV adapt

Please read the Shropshire Wildlife Trust Environmental and Sustainability policies here, which form part of the ITT:

SWT Environmental Policy

SWT Environmental sustainability policy

You can find the location plan and master plan for the bird hide here, which also form part of the ITT:

Drawing No 001 – Location Plan

Drawing No 002 – Master Plan

And finally, you can find drawings of the bird hide here, also part of the ITT:

Whixall Hide drawing 001

Whixall Hide drawing 002

Whixall Hide drawing 003

Whixall Hide drawing 004

Marches Mosses Frequently Asked Questions – First in a Series

May 28, 2020

Note: Please be aware that this page contains links to external websites.

The Marches Mosses encompasses the Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield National Nature Reserve (NNR) as well as Wem Moss NNR and Cadney Moss, the third-largest lowland raised peat bog in the UK. The Mosses are designated as NNR, SSSI, SAC and also have Ramsar status.

What do all those initials stand for? What do they mean? What is the Marches Mosses all about?  We’ve tried to answer those questions and more here…

This is the first in a series of questions and answers about the Marches Mosses that we hope will help you to understand more about this precious, rare habitat.  We’ll start with an overview of the Mosses, and update with more FAQs from time to time.

Overview

What is an NNR?

National Nature Reserves (NNRs) have been established to protect some of the UK’s most important habitats, species and geology, and to provide ‘outdoor laboratories’ for research. Most NNRs offer great opportunities to schools, specialist interest groups and the public to experience wildlife at first hand and to learn more about nature conservation.

https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/national-nature-reserves-in-england

What is an SSSI?

SSSI stands for “Special Site of Scientific Interest. They are those areas of land and water that best represent our natural heritage. They are designated by Natural England and Natural Resources Wales (NRW) either side of the border. The aim for each site is to achieve ‘favourable condition’ status. Favourable condition means that the SSSI’s habitats and features are in a healthy state and are being conserved by appropriate management. Under the statutory SSSI designation Natural England and NRW are enabled  to assess whether proposals to carry out operations within a SSSI have a positive or negative effect on the nature conservation condition of a site.

https://naturalengland-defra.opendata.arcgis.com/datasets/f10cbb4425154bfda349ccf493487a80_0?geometry=-16.055%2C50.522%2C11.696%2C55.161

What is an SAC?

Special Areas of Conservation (SACs) are strictly protected sites designated under the EC Habitats Directive. These form a European-wide network of important high-quality conservation sites that will make a significant contribution to conserving the habitats and species that are considered to be most in need of conservation at a European level. There are currently 658 SACs in the UK covering  78 habitat types.

.https://jncc.gov.uk/our-work/special-areas-of-conservation-overview/

What is a Ramsar site?

The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (‘Ramsar Convention’ or ‘Wetlands Convention’) was adopted in Ramsar, Iran in February 1971 and came into force in December 1975. It provides the only international mechanism for protecting sites of global importance and is thus of key conservation significance.

The Convention covers all aspects of wetland conservation and ‘wise use’. It has three main ‘pillars’ of activity:

• the designation of wetlands of international importance as Ramsar sites;
• the promotion of the wise use of all wetlands in the territory of each country; and
• international co-operation with other countries to further the wise use of wetlands and their resources.

https://www.ramsar.org/

What is peatland?

Peatlands are a type of wetland. They occur in almost every country on Earth, currently covering 3% of the global land surface and were formed over the past 10,000 years or more. The term ‘peatland’ refers to the peat soil and the wetland habitat growing on its surface.

Peatland landscapes are varied – from blanket bog landscapes with open, treeless vegetation in Scotland to swamp forests in Southeast Asia and Africa.

What is a lowland raised bog?

Lowland raised bogs are discrete peatland entities, often individually named, and are mostly found within agricultural landscapes. They generally occur in the lowland areas northwest of a line from Somerset to Hull.  These areas receive sufficient annual rainfall of 700-1200mm, to allow growth of large domes of rainfed peat where conditions are suitable. The peat, of the consistency of black custard, formed raised dome up to 8m high. Intact lowland raised bogs are surrounded by “lagg” – wet woodland “carr” mainly of alder and willow, reed swamp and rushes.

Nearly all of the UK lowland raised bogs have been severely damaged by cutting and drainage since medieval times. There are a few remaining patches of uncut peat at Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses but 90% of the peat there has been damaged.

What is peat? How is it formed?

Peat is formed by Sphagnum moss, building over millennia on top of the remains of wetland plants like sedges, rushes and bur-reed. Sphagnum holds rainwater like a sponge and takes nutrients out of rainwater. This makes the water very acidic, which in turn slows the decomposition of Sphagnum and other bog mosses- in fact, pickling these plants and forming peat, layer on layer, over centuries. Peat forms very slowly. Left uncut or drained, it grows at only about 1mm per year.

What’s the difference between a peatbog and a fen?

A peatbog is fed only by rainwater, which is slightly acidic and very low in nutrients. Fenlands and marshes by contrast are fed by groundwater, which contains nutrients and minerals, supporting a different range of wildlife than a peatbog.

What is a “schwingmoor”?

A ‘schwingmoor’ – or quaking bog, is one of the rarest habitats in the UK and in many ways our most incredible. Quaking bogs form when an aquatic moss, known as sphagnum, begins to grow across the surface of acidic water bodies, such as meres or bog pools. The finest examples of schwingmoors are found  nearby in the Meres and Mosses.. Several of these  are NNR sites and can only be visited by permit-holders or by arrangement with Natural England for safety reasons.

About the Marches Mosses

How big is Marches Mosses?

Marches Mosses, which encompasses the Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield National Nature Reserve (NNR) as well as Wem Moss NNR and Cadney Moss covers around 2,500 acres in northwest Shropshire and north Wales. It is the third larges lowland raised bog in Britain, and one of the most southerly – most peatland in the UK is in the northwest or Scotland.

Why is Marches Mosses so special?

The landscape of the Marches Mosses is an amazing area of wide open skies, not often found in busy, urban Britain. There is a real sense of tranquillity as well, with little of the noise that generally surrounds our lives.

Besides the wonder of the peat itself, the Mosses are home to a wide range of plants and animals, many of which are become specially adapted to the harsh environment of the Mosses. This biodiversity includes bogmosses and cotton sedges, cranberries and the insect-eating sundew. Birds nest in the trees surrounding the peat, or on the bunding that holds bogwater in place, including curlews, skylarks, lapwing and hobbies. Nearly 2,000 species of invertebrates thrive, including the large heath butterfly, and the rare white-faced darter and raft spider.

Who owns the Marches Mosses?

Two thirds of the designated area of the Marches Mosses is owned or leased by Natural England, NRW and Shropshire Wildlife Trust with the remainder being in private land ownership. The nature reserve was first established in 1991 with its size expanding over time as a result of the acquisition of additional land.

Climate change

How do the Marches Mosses impact on climate change?

The Sphagnum moss and other plants on the Mosses decompose very slowly and are held in the bog water. The carbon in the plants is held in the bog as new peat is formed, rather than being released into the atmosphere. This means that peatbogs are a giant carbon sink. They store more carbon, acre for acre, than the same area of forest.

Conversely, allowing the peat to dry out by cutting it for garden compost, or draining the peatbog, releases all that carbon into the atmosphere. This makes it even more imperative to regenerate the Marches Mosses.

How can Marches Mosses help to control local flooding?

Peatland is 90% water. Peat bogs work to slow the flow of rainfall through the landscape, and thus help to prevent the risk of  flooding downstream.

How can I help fight the climate crisis?

One very important thing you can do to help fight climate change is to use only peat-free compost in your garden.  Cutting peat for horticulture releases the carbon stored in the peat into the atmosphere.

Invitation to Tender – Viewing Platform Interpretation

May 27, 2020

 Shropshire Wildlife Trust has issued an Invitation to Tender (ITT) for Viewing Platform Interpretation at the Marches Mosses.

Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project      LIFE15/NAT/UK/000786

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Overview of Shropshire Wildlife Trust (the contracting organisation)

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a charity founded in 1962 and dedicated to the conservation of Shropshire’s wildlife species and habitats.  The Trust plays an important role in providing information and education for all ages on how to observe, enjoy and protect wildlife. The Trust owns/manages 40 nature reserves throughout Shropshire.  Its headquarters is also a visitor centre in Shrewsbury.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity number 212744 and a company registered in England and Wales, number 729746. Registered Address 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Project Background

The Marches Mosses BogLIFE project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786) is a five year project running from 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2021. The project aims to restore Britain’s third largest lowland raised bog within the Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses and Wem Moss NNRs (National Nature Reserve) near Whitchurch, Shropshire and Wrexham in Wales. The LIFE project is led by Natural England working in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The multi-million pound project is supported by an EU LIFE grant and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

More information can be found at www.themeresandmosses.co.uk

The partnership will restore lowland raised peatbog and marginal fen habitat but also improve the intellectual and physical access to the mosses. This will involve new facilities and a range of interpretive materials for visitors to the Mosses. This tender invitation is in addition to that for a viewfinder trail along the existing NNR Green Trail and will be followed by further opportunities such as proposed interpretation in a bird hide and other local car parks and facilities.

Tender location

The site lies within the SAC and Ramsar designation of Whixall Moss NNR, next to the Llangollen Canal near the English/ Welsh border on the Quob, west of the Prees branch junction at Roving Bridge. It is located next to Natural England’s existing boardwalk and seating area on the Quob between Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses at approximately at SJ 48317 35419. (See Appendix 1 location plan.)

The nearest Car Park is at Morris Bridge (a short walk from the viewing platform) which is 5.3 miles north of Wem and 6.5 miles south west of Whitchurch.  The postcode for Morris Bridge car park is SY13 2RX.

The planned location can be reached on foot from Morris Bridge Car Park using the tow path and all ability trail. The ‘Green Trail’ from Morris Bridge also passes close by https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NTQ5NTg

The NNR leaflet can be found here:

https://whitchurch.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/12221-NE_NNR_Fenns__Whixhall_TAG_ENGLISH.pdf

Photographs of the location are found in Appendix 2

Specification

 The Tender is to design, supply and fix interpretation to the Mammoth Viewing Platform. (See Appendix 3 for detailed plans of the viewing platform)

The viewing platform, standing at a height of 5m, with an integrated staircase, will enable visitors to enjoy an unrestricted view across the Moss and will be an integral feature in visitor attractions for the area.

We are currently awaiting planning permission for the platform and expect a decision by the end of June 2020. We are issuing this specification now in the hope we can schedule the selected contactor to install the interpretation soon after the platform is constructed, which is expected to be October / November 2020. Please note the installation of the platform may suffer delays due to planning hold ups, ground conditions and Covid-19 restrictions / delays.

Interpretation themes for project activities have been identified:

Main theme

The Mosses may appear to be a massive wild no-man’s land but:

• They are home to some wonderful secretive wildlife,
• They reduce the chance of surrounding land and villages being flooded by holding back kilolitres of water,
• Their layers of peat help fight climate change by storing masses of carbon.

Sub-themes

1. The BogLIFE project is working hard to re-wet the Mosses, after a long period of commercial peat cutting and draining, so that they:

• are better for wildlife,
• Hold back more rainwater – slowing the flow
• Store more carbon as the peat is regenerated.

2. You too can help by:

• Sticking to the marked trails so as not to disturb the wildlife,
• Keeping your dog on a lead to protect ground nesting birds,
• Using peat free compost in your garden.

3. People have always seen the Mosses as a wild no-man’s land on the Wales/England border where:

• Bodies were deposited during prehistoric times
• World War I soldiers practiced their skills and equipment
• A massive decoy (Starfish site) was constructed during World War II
• Commercial peat cutting and processing occurred until around 1990
• a well-known and busy but unsightly and polluting scrapyard operated.

4. These Mosses are now an internationally important peatland. This wide open space is one of the rarest habitats on earth, and is right on your doorstep. You can get up close and intimate to it by:

• Enjoying safe, level walking opportunities on trails, footpaths, canal towpath and bird hide
• Sitting quietly and listening to the pure silence
• Marvelling in awe at the sheer size of the open space (1000 ha)
• Visiting at different times of the year to see the changing wildlife.

5. The Mosses are part of a wider web of sites: the Meres and Mosses – if you enjoy this one you may enjoy others. (See www.themeresandmosses.co.uk for more information)

The platform is seen as key to enabling visitors to appreciate the awe and wonder of the Mosses, the pattern of the landscape left from centuries of peat cutting and the restoration works being undertaken. We anticipate interpretation will be incorporated into the structure that demonstrates the carbon-storing value of peat bogs, how important it is to maintain a healthy, functioning habitat and how long it takes for peat to form. We consider these to be key messages in the current climate crisis. We hope to see proposals for innovative, tactile installations that are accessible to all (in terms of age and ability) and that add to the spirit of a ‘destination’.

We are conscious that the staircase reduces accessibility for some. To mitigate for this we have included a periscope which can be accessed at the bottom of the platform.

We are keen for tactile elements to be included so they are inclusive of all visitors and stimulate curiosity through the medium of touch.

The viewing platform has a number of features which could lend themselves to imaginative interpretation. These include, handrails, boardwalks, decking, staircase and balustrades. There may also be opportunity to site free-standing interpretation should this be identified by the successful contractor.

We envisage that interpretation could start near to the canal towpath, drawing visitors in and up to the top of the 5m platform.

The viewing platform will be constructed using a combination of recycled plastic and sustainably sourced treated softwood with main support legs constructed from sustainably sourced hardwood. Materials used for interpretation should be durable, inert and sustainable with minimal maintenance implications. The end result should visually complement the viewing platform and the special habitat of the NNR and should not distract from it.

Access to the platform for materials and equipment by the successful contractor will be made via the NNR by agreement with NE project staff.

Costs and Timescales

 

Activity	Date / time
Issue of Contract Notice / availability of ITT documents	27th May 2020
Deadline for submission of ITT responses by potential suppliers (Tender Response Deadline)	9am, 29th June 2020
Contract offered to winning contractor	20th July 2020

 We have a budget of £10,000 (inclusive of VAT).

Ideally we would be looking for this contract to be fulfilled in autumn 2020.

Tender Response

Shropshire Wildlife Trust exists to protect wildlife for the future; sustainability is at the heart of the Trust’s activities. However, we recognise that through our operations we can have an adverse impact on the environment. We will therefore seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts and to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

We seek tenders that are in keeping with our Environmental Policy. For further information please see our Environmental Policy and our Environmental Sustainability Policy (Appendix 4 and 5)

Please supply a response including:

• A covering letter explaining your past experience and suitability for the contract
• Examples of previous work and references
• An overview of your methodology and approach
• Detail of the materials you will use, how you will meet the brief, what practises will support SWT’s environmental considerations
• What your availability is for completing the work
• Project schedule with milestones
• Total cost (inc. VAT if relevant) with itemised quotation
• On all documents please quote: Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786)

Your tender response must remain open for acceptance by SWT for a period of 90 days from the Tender Response Deadline. A tender response not valid for this period may be rejected. The successful supplier will be required to complete an approved contractor’s questionnaire before the contract can be let.

Quotes should be returned by email to [email protected]  by 9am on 22^nd June 2020.

 

Criteria

Quotes will be scored against the following criteria to achieve best value:

• Ability to deliver the works (proven track record, relevant past experience and availability) – 50%
• Cost – 45%
• Empathy of the Trust’s environmental sustainability policy and environmental procurement policy – 5%

Contact & Further Information

For an informal discussion please contact Michael Clifton on 01691 780733 or by email [email protected]

Coronavirus Lockdown

Due to Coronavirus restrictions all project staff are currently working from home so we are unable to arrange a site visit to discuss any concepts.

We acknowledge that during the Coronavirus outbreak, contractors may find it difficult to obtain materials or may be experiencing staff shortages. We wish to reassure contractors that we will take this in to account during the tender process and in the successful delivery of the above tender and timescales outlined. If contractors are experiencing difficulties, please contact Michael Clifton on 01691 780733 or email [email protected].

You can download the complete package of tender documents, including the appendices here:Viewing Platform Interpretation ITT.

REMINDER: Invitation to Tender – Viewfinder Interpretative Panels

May 15, 2020

 To Supply Six “Viewfinder” Interpretative Panels

Note: Please be aware that links on this page take you to third party websites.

Overview of Shropshire Wildlife Trust (the contracting organisation)

Note: Please be aware that the links on this page will take you to an external website.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a charity founded in 1962 and dedicated to the conservation of Shropshire’s wildlife species and habitats.  The Trust plays an important role in providing information and education for all ages on how to observe, enjoy and protect wildlife. The Trust owns/manages 40 nature reserves throughout Shropshire.  Its headquarters is also a visitor centre in Shrewsbury.

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity number 212744 and a company registered in England and Wales, number 729746. Registered Address 193 Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6AH www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk

Project Background

The Marches Mosses BogLIFE project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786) is a five year project running from 1 October 2016 to 31 December 2021. The project aims to restore Britain’s 3rd largest lowland raised bog within the Fenn’s, Whixall & Bettisfield Mosses and Wem Moss NNRs (National Nature Reserve) near Whitchurch, Shropshire and Wrexham in Wales. The LIFE project is led by Natural England working in partnership with Natural Resources Wales and Shropshire Wildlife Trust. The multi-million pound project is supported by an EU LIFE grant and The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

More information can be found at www.themeresandmosses.co.uk

The partnership will restore lowland raised peatbog and marginal fen habitat but also improve the intellectual and physical access to the Mosses. Part of this is a range of interpretive materials for visitors to the Mosses, the first of which is a series of ‘viewfinder panels. Further opportunities are expected to follow for interpretation in a bird hide, a viewing platform and car park.

Tender location

Morris’ Bridge Car Park is located to the west of the dispersed settlement of Whixall close to the Welsh Border. The site is located 5.3 miles north of Wem and 6.5 miles south west of Whitchurch.

The six viewfinder interpretative panels will be sited at strategic locations on the “Green Trail” which is a 1.5 mile circular walk located in the South of Whixall Moss, starting and finishing at Morris’s Bridge car park. https://my.viewranger.com/route/details/NTQ5NTg

The postcode for Morris bridge car park is SY13 2RX.

An NNR leaflet describing the Mosses can be found here:

https://whitchurch.info/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/12221-NE_NNR_Fenns__Whixhall_TAG_ENGLISH.pdf

The Tender is for supply only of six viewfinder interpretive panels which will relate to the Marches Mosses. The panels will be installed by NE staff.

 

Specification

 Whilst the six viewfinder panels will be of the same generic design, we require each of the six panels to tell a different story associated with the Moss, from glacial times to relative recent use of the Moss. The six themed panels are as follows:

• Glacial landscape
• The formation of peat
• Wildlife rich Moss
• Canal history
• Scrapyard clean up
• Moss restoration

Five of the above themed panels (all but the wildlife rich panel) should use a combination of text and images which will give the user the impression that they are looking at “ghost images” of the past through the viewfinder panel.

The sixth panel (Wildlife rich Moss) should use the same “ghost” imagery and text to highlight wildlife rich habitat. Please refer to Appendix 1 for concepts – there is scope for bidders to apply their own imagination to these concepts.

The viewfinder panels should appeal to adults but, ideally, also include features that would appeal to children such as tactile elements. They should be tall enough for an adult to “look through” and have sufficient depth for them to be securely anchored below ground.

Materials should be durable, inert and sustainable with minimal maintenance implications. Materials could include timber, sheet metal or recycled plastic for example.

The end result should visually complement the special habitat of the NNR and should not distract from it.

All images and text will be supplied by Shropshire Wildlife Trust and will be designed to fit within the spatial limitations of the panels designed by the successful tender.

   

Costs and Timescales 

Activity	Date / time
Issue of Contract Notice / availability of ITT documents	1st May 2020
Deadline for submission of ITT responses by potential suppliers (Tender Response Deadline)	5 pm on 31st May 2020
Contract offered to winning supplier	15th June 2020

 We have a budget of £5,000 (inclusive of VAT).

We would consider installing 5 rather than 6 panels if the design, materials and concept were exceptional.

Tender Response

Shropshire Wildlife Trust exists to protect wildlife for the future; sustainability is at the heart of the Trust’s activities. However, we recognise that through our operations we can have an adverse impact on the environment. We will therefore seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts and to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

We seek tenders that are in keeping with our Environmental Policy. For further information please see our Environmental Policy and our Environmental Sustainability Policy (Appendix 2 and 3).

Please supply a response including:

• A covering letter explaining your past experience and suitability for the contract
• Examples of previous work and references
• An overview of your methodology and approach
• Detail of the materials you will use, how you will meet the brief, what practices will support SWT’s environmental considerations
• What your availability is for completing the work
• Project schedule with milestones
• Total cost (inc. VAT if relevant) with itemised quotation
• On all documents please quote: Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786)

Your tender response must remain open for acceptance by SWT for a period of 90 days from the Tender Response Deadline. A tender response not valid for this period may be rejected. The successful supplier will be required to complete an approved contractor’s questionnaire before the contract can be let.

Quotes should be returned by email to [email protected]by 5pm on 31^st May 2020.

Criteria

Quotes will be scored against the following criteria to achieve best value:

• Ability to deliver the works (proven track record, relevant past experience and availability) – 50%
• Cost – 45%
• Empathy of the Trust’s environmental sustainability policy and environmental procurement policy – 5%

Contact & Further Information

For an informal discussion please contact Michael Clifton:

Phone:  01691-780733

Email:   [email protected]

Coronavirus Lockdown

In normal circumstances, a contractor may wish to visit the Moss to gain a better understanding of the above Invitation to Tender or to arrange a site meeting to talk through concepts.

However, during coronavirus restrictions, all of the UK’s National Nature Reserves, car parks and visitor facilities are closed until further notice, including the Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses NNR. Therefore, you will not be able to visit the Mosses. If you submit a tender, we will let you know when the restrictions are lifted.

We acknowledge that during the coronavirus outbreak, contractors may find it difficult to obtain materials or may be experiencing staff shortages. We wish to reassure contractors that we will take this in to account during the tender process and in the successful delivery of the above tender and timescales outlined. If contractors are experiencing difficulties, please contact Michael Clifton on 01691 780733 or email [email protected]

   

On all documents please quote:

Marches Mosses BogLIFE Project (LIFE15 NAT/UK/000786)

   

Appendix 1 – Concept Images for Viewfinders

  

Appendix 2 – Shropshire Wildlife Trust Environmental Policy

Shropshire Wildlife Trust is committed to the adoption of environmentally responsible policies and practices, linking directly from our Mission Statement objective of protecting wildlife and natural places throughout Shropshire. The Trust is committed to ensuring that any of its activities which have negative environmental impacts are minimised, whilst activities with positive impacts are maximised. At the same time all its policies, processes, procedures and activities will comply fully with all environmental legislation. Specifically, we will:

• Maximise biodiversity benefits within all our activities, promoting the use of native and/or local provenance seed and plants where possible.
• Promote reduction in the consumption of all materials whilst encouraging re-use and recycling wherever possible, particularly with respect to paper.
• Minimise our use of vehicle fuel, by sharing cars and using public transport where possible. We will ensure our fleet is serviced to ensure maximum fuel efficiency.
• Manage energy use in all areas of the business.
• Continually strive to prevent pollution, and minimise waste at all times.
• Purchase equipment/stationery and other materials that are either recycled, use recycled materials or can be recycled by an appropriate method.
• Place more of our business with suppliers who minimise the impact of their activities on the environment, particularly those who operate take-back schemes for office equipment and stationery.
• Promote environmental awareness and responsibilities to all Shropshire Wildlife Trust employees, including volunteers and students.
• Strive to continually improve our environmental performance.

Appendix 3 – Shropshire Wildlife Trust Environmental Sustainability Policy

 Shropshire Wildlife Trust exists to protect wildlife for the future; sustainability is at the heart of the Trust’s activities. However, we recognise that through our operations we have an adverse impact on the environment. We will therefore seek to minimise any negative environmental impacts and to achieve continuous improvement in our environmental performance.

As biodiversity is the core business of the Trust, this is not covered here. This policy covers the wider environmental impacts which the Trust needs to consider.

1. ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATION

The Trust will keep abreast of and comply with all environmental legislation.

• Staff will keep up to date with environmental legislation, integrate changes into policies and procedures and communicate these to staff/volunteers/contractors
• We will undertake environmental impact assessments for major projects

2. EDUCATION & INFORMATION

The Trust will raise awareness of environmental issues amongst staff, volunteers and members and encourage the use of best environmental practice by:

• Communicating the sustainability policy to all existing staff and to all new starters as part of the induction process
• Raising awareness of sustainability amongst our members
• Acting as an advocate for sustainability when talking to partners

3. PURCHASING & FINANCE

Sustainability will be an important consideration for the Trust when making decisions regarding the purchase of goods and services. We will:

• Purchase from/invest in companies that have strong environmental polices and performance and a good record of corporate responsibility
• Purchase products which have environmental/sustainability accreditation e.g. FSC timber
• Purchase goods which are recycled/recyclable where possible

4. WASTE

The Trust will identify its waste streams and seek to minimise their environmental impact. We will:

• Operate according to the 4 Rs – reduce, reuse, repair, recycle
• Ensure vehicles, machinery, tools and equipment are regularly maintained to extend lifespan

5. TRANSPORT

The Trust will seek to reduce the environmental impacts of transport being used directly or indirectly as a result of Trust operations. We will:

• Purchase goods and services locally
• Promote the use of public transport/bicycle by visitors to our reserves
• Investigate fuel efficient/low emission options when sourcing new Trust vehicles
• Encourage staff to use public transport to attend training courses, conferences etc
• Seek to avoid travel where staff can practically use teleconferencing

6. ENERGY USE

The Trust will seek to reduce energy use resulting from its operations and to support the use of renewable energy where this does not conflict with the objective of protecting wildlife. We will:

• Use low energy lighting in Trust offices
• Reduce electricity use through e.g. ensuring lights are turned off when offices are not in use, turning off computers, printers etc when not in use
• Seek to use an energy supplier with a renewable energy price plan
• Ensure that Trust buildings use energy efficiency/renewable energy technology where possible

7. POLLUTION

The Trust will seek to minimise all forms of pollution resulting from its activities. We will:

• Buy non-polluting products wherever possible e.g. cleaning products, lubricants
• Record and monitor use of pesticides and review policy regularly
• Control burning/bonfires on reserves

8. WATER

The Trust will seek to minimise the use of water in its operations. We will:

• Ensure any new buildings incorporate e.g. grey water recycling, low flush toilets
• Use water-efficient dishwashers and water heaters

9. BUILDINGS

The Trust will maintain its buildings to a high environmental standard. We will:

• Ensure they provide a comfortable working environment
• Respect and conserve their heritage features
• Integrate wildlife opportunities into the management of buildings and their grounds

10. MONITORING AND REVIEW

The Trust will monitor its environmental performance and undertake regular reviews of the sustainability policy.

• Monitor the use of electricity and other fuels
• Monitor paper use through purchasing system

You may want to download and print a copy of this document.  If so, you can find the link here:

ITT Viewfinders Marches Mosses BogLIFE May2020 w CV para revision