The Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales (WTSWW) is delighted to announce that it has received funding support from the Welsh Government’s Nature Networks Fund (NNF) to improve and strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected land and marine sites, supporting a green recovery for nature and communities.
The £500,000 grant fund will support WTSWW’s ‘Sentinels of the Sea’ marine project and the ‘Connecting the Future’ terrestrial based project until March 2023. The Nature Networks Fund is funded by the Welsh Government and administered by The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales.
Sentinels of the Sea - Marine Project
Our WTSWW marine monitoring work gathers evidence for critical datasets, used to strengthen the resilience of Wales’ network of protected marine sites and the protection of the marine species found within these sites. Long-term, uninterrupted datasets are particularly important to assess broad population trends, filling knowledge gaps, and informing decisions about use of the marine environment.
The Sentinels of the Sea project will fund the seabird monitoring objectives in the Skomer Island Management plan.
Lisa Morgan, WTSWW Head of Islands and Marine said, “Counting the number and distribution of seabirds on Skomer each year is something that Wildlife Trust staff have been doing since the early 1960’s. Guillemots, kittiwakes, puffins and Manx shearwaters are excellent environmental indicators because they essentially represent the top of the food chain. Their success or failure tells us a lot about wider issues within the marine environment.
It may sound easy, but counting 30,000 cliff-nesting guillemots and 35,000 burrow-nesting Puffins each year is no mean feat. It involves a huge team effort with WTSWW staff, fieldworkers and volunteers all involved, not to mention the need for a reliable island boat and the correct kit to keep everyone safe.
This grant will enable us to maintain our seabird survey work in 2022 and will involve not only experienced island wardens and seabird fieldworkers but also training and upskilling volunteers. Maintaining this long-term monitoring project on Skomer is crucial if we are to protect our globally important seabird populations. It allows us to quickly identify trends and changes of concern in a world where seabirds face increasing pressures in the marine environment.”
The Sentinels of the Sea project will also help fund WTSWW’s vital monitoring of our marine mammals in Cardigan Bay.
Dr Sarah Perry, WTSWW Living Seas Manager said, “Our work in Cardigan Bay will include boat-based surveys collecting visual and acoustic data to explore the movements of our internationally important population of bottlenose dolphins. This work will support a collaborative project with the University of Bristol and the data we collect will provide information to improve the resilience of Wales’ network of protected marine sites and the species found within them.”
WTSWW’s marine team are looking forward to working with citizen scientists in collecting ecologically valuable data that can be used to update the conservation management measures for seabirds and marine mammals, helping to protect the species and improve the marine environment for these fragile populations.
Connecting the Future, Terrestrial Project:
WTSWW’s ‘Connecting the Future’ project will invest in essential infrastructure work and equipment to enable us to maintain and enhance these valuable sites in south and west Wales so that they continue to operate as key components in the Welsh nature network. The project will also develop connectivity to surrounding habitats and other key ‘stepping stone’ sites such as Local Nature Reserves (LNR’s) and sites of importance for nature conservation (SINC’s) and our own, non-designated nature reserves. The project will also enhance accessibility and interpretation on our reserves.
Duncan Ludlow, Nature Reserve Manager at WTSWW said, “The Nature Networks fund is enabling us to carry out a wide range of projects across the protected sites that we manage. This ranges from routine work such as maintenance of fences and the purchase of equipment, through to the innovative use of technology such as trail cameras for monitoring pine martens and the use of gps collars on grazing cattle. The fund also contributes to projects that enable everyone to visit, enjoy and appreciate our beautiful sites through the provision of access infrastructure and facilities such as gates, waymarks, boardwalks and bird hides.
Nature reserves are not only an important place for wildlife, they are important places for people too. The natural world has been so important for many people’s health and well-being during the Covid pandemic. The project funding will enable the Trust to help everyone enjoy and engage with the beautiful countryside that Wales can offer."
All of this work, large or small, contributes 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.