Sentinels of the Sea

WTSWW’s marine monitoring work, gathers important information which is used to support work in Wales’ other protected marine sites. Long-term, uninterrupted datasets help reveal information about population trends, as well as filling knowledge gaps and informing decisions regarding the marine environment. WTSWW’s work is split between Cardigan Bay, and Skomer and Skokholm Marine Conservation Zone.

Project highlights include…

• WTSWW’s Skomer Island staff and volunteer team pulled out all the stops to count every cliff nesting seabird on the island during the first three weeks of June. A massive 32,000 Guillemots and over 10,000 Razorbills were counted by the team from the island’s boat. The new engine, safety equipment and training for staff and volunteers, funded by the NNF grant, made this a more efficient and comfortable process for the team in 2022.
• Skomer Island saw its largest Puffin count since the second world war in March 2022. 38,896 Puffins were recorded during an early evening count pre-egg laying when all the birds are on the surface of the land or sea and visible to staff. All the seabird results are reported the full Skomer seabird report available for anyone to download for free from WTSWW’s website. https://www.welshwildlife.org/about-us/reports-and-publications

Lisa Morgan, Head of Islands and Marine for WTSWW said, “The continuation of our long-term studies on seabird populations and breeding success requires a huge investment in staff time and training but also in the equipment we need to allow them to do their jobs safely. Money from this grant has paid for everything from boat clothing, VHF radios and lifejackets to a new £6k boat engine for our Skomer team, to a brand new, bespoke ‘Puffin hide’ on Skokholm! Only by knowing how our seabirds are faring each year can we hope to manage our precious island habitats and the wider marine environment for their benefit.”

Connecting the Future

WTSWW’s ‘Connecting the Future’ project has invested in infrastructure which supports nature reserves in south and west Wales so that they can continue to operate as key components in the Welsh nature network.

One of the most exciting projects Nature Networks Fund has enabled WTSWW to deliver has been at Llyn Fach, Rhigos. This SSSI nature reserve consists of Wales most southerly montane lake, cliff, heath and heath restoration on a former conifer plantation. The project has been two-fold:

1. Protecting existing important habitats and species, such as Wilson’s filmy fern of the cliffs and water vole on the lake margins. The funding paid for specialist roped access contractors to work across the cliffs, scree slopes and steep ground removing Sitka spruce trees, both mature and seeding trees to samplings and hand pulling seedlings. These trees are a consequence of “seed rain” from forestry plantations above and threatened the fragile habitats on the slopes and those below.
2. Enabling the introduction of conservation grazing to facilitate heath restoration; this open upland site could not be fenced, and grazing solutions had previously not been considered viable. NNF1 financed handling and loading facilities, as well as expert consultants for training, advice and finding an appropriate grazier with appropriate cattle and buying geofence collars.

Paul Thornton, Reserves manager at WTSWW said, “The Nature Networks Fund project has been instrumental in enabling us to deliver conservation and habitat management solutions which had previously been thought impossible to deliver. It has also improved the accessibility and interpretation on our reserves and replaced exhausted tools and equipment enabling sustainable on-going management.”

The project has also developed connectivity to surrounding habitats and other key ‘steppingstone’ sites such as Local Nature Reserves (LNR’s) and sites of importance for nature conservation (SINC’s) and WTSWW’s own, non-designated nature reserves.

The NNF project funding has also enhanced accessibility and interpretation on the Trusts reserves.

All of this work, large or small, has contributed to the aims of the UK’s Wildlife Trust’s by helping to protect and restore UK habitats for the benefit of wildlife and future generations.

The Nature Networks Fund is funded by the Welsh Government and administered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales.