Wetland Habitat enhancement

Extending the CEI Habitat Network

By promoting collaborative applications for agri-environment funding we are aiming to benefit both wildlife and the rural economy around the River Nith and Lugar Water. Through this project we will be able to extend the exisiting CEI Habitat Network.

The CEI has been awarded £12,560 by the Central Scotland Green Network Development Fund (CSGN) to encourage uptake of the SRDP to enhance wetland habitats and tackle diffuse pollution.

This project will target environmental management of wetland to benefit diffuse pollution and water quality. Wetland enhancement will help birds such as farmland waders and animals like bats and water voles.

Natalie Fleming, CEI Project Manager, believes this project is an important step in enhancing the ecological opportunities in the area and hopes that this initial work will lead to a much bigger scheme.

She said: “This project will help improve water quality in the area and has the potential to bring significant benefits to the rural economy, local communities and to biodiversity. We will be holding a workshop for land managers on 14th October 2011 and are hoping to secure additional funding to enable us to offer further support in the region.”

The project highlights the possibilities for connecting wildlife habitats at a landscape scale. Minister for the Environment and Climate Change, Stewart Stevenson said the funding would result in real action on the ground: “The CSGN project is the biggest greenspace project of its kind in Europe and aims to change the face of central Scotland, by restoring, transforming and greening its landscape”

Supporting Landowners...

The CEI and its partner organisations worked with SEPA, the Ayrshire Rivers Trust, the Nith Catchment Fisheries Trust and Nith District Salmon Fisheries Board to encourage the uptake of collaborative SRDP applications to enhance wetland habitats and tackle diffuse pollution.

We supported land managers in the River Nith and Lugar Water Catchments to deliver biodiversity and diffuse pollution improvements by providing expert advice on species and habitats to encourage positive land management and enable a collaborative project approach. This work followed 121 visits carried out by SEPA in the area. Consultants from Farming & Conservation and SAC worked with us on this project.

As a result of this work we have produced a range of resources for landowners wishing to access agri-environment funding.

The workshop...

Topics Covered by Speakers:

SRDP and the benefits of collaborative working, local issues and knowledge (Gregor Caldwell, Principle Agricultural Officer, Scottish Rural Payments & Inspections Directorate), up to date information concerning the next round of SRDP applications was on display.
Diffuse Pollution & Solutions (Lucy Filby, SEPA), Leaflets and posters about reducing diffuse pollution were on display, including details of general binding rules.
Case Study: Securing SRDP Funding through collaboration (Daniel Brown, RSPB Scotland), including options available and payment rates for wetland habitats suitable for wading birds, information available on rush management, management of habitats for lapwings and other wading birds, creation of scraps and the RSPB volunteer and Farmer Alliance scheme.
Local impacts of Mink (Debbie Parke, Nith Catchment Fishery Trust) - History of Mink introduction, Mink biology & ecology and methods for controlling Mink numbers. Also on display, information about the trust, mink trapping and benefits for water vole in the Nith Catchment.
Habitat improvements in Ayrshire (Brian Shaw, Ayrshire Rivers Trust) – Including successful positive management (fencing burns & improving water quality), case studies of good practice, areas for improvement – not just in agriculture but also including industry and town planning. Water Vole releases in Ayrshire and trends in fish stock.
Delivering Improved Biodiversity and Habitat Networks: Next steps & funding opportunities (Sandra Stewart, Farming & Conservation), discussing habitat requirements for some key species including farmland birds and brown hare. Funding options and payment rates available, linking habitats and opportunities for collaboration through projects such as this one.
Bio-security, biodiversity and animal health (Caroline McMillan, SAC) – including reducing diseases such as Leptospirosis, Johnes, Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD), Salmonella, Infectious Bovine Rhinotracheitis (IBR), Cryptosporidiosis, Coccidiosis, Fluke and Parasites. Particularly the importance of good bio-security through creating barriers around holdings (wide margins, extended hedges and buffer strips) which also act as fantastic habitat corridors and riparian margins.

Mink control...

We will also deliver an on the ground mink control programme as part of this project, this will reduce predation on water vole and farmland waders, engaging with landowners through this program will also provide an additional opportunity to raise awareness of the project and encourage positive management for these species.

Volunteering...

The CEI is also supporting volunteer surveyors to gain new skills and carry out wildlife surveys; offering training and try to build skills which will be useful for future biodiversity recording in this area and ensure long term engagement by the local community.

We are hoping to carry out local biodiversity projects such as riparian tree planting, woodland management and pond creation in partnership with local volunteers. This will further strengthen the local skill base and engagement with conservation management.

Vols Inverts Vols Hill

More information about voluteering...

The Background to the project...

SEPA, the Ayrshire Rivers Trust and the Nith District Salmon Fisheries Board and the Nith Catchment Fishery Trust are keen to promote joint SRDP applications as a means of improving water quality and wetland habitats in particular in the Lugar Water and River Nith Catchments adding to existing work towards river catchment management and helping to meet national targets towards reducing diffuse pollution. This project would support the aims of the River Nith Catchment Management Plan; it also fits with SEPA’s diffuse pollution priority catchments as shown by the map below. (http://www.sepa.org.uk/water/water_publications/catchment_plans.aspx).

The Ayrshire Rivers Trust is also working towards promoting riparian habitat restoration, particularly to reduce diffuse pollution and to improve habitat for Water Vole (http://www.ayrshireriverstrust.org/strategic-plan.htm). A programme of mink control delivered through this project will enhance efforts by the Nith District Salmon Fisheries Board to control the species in this area, again linking to the Nith Catchment Management Plan.

RSPB Scotland have identified SRDP as a means of accessing support for management techniques that benefit farmland waders and wish to promote these within the project area. Options for bog restoration could also be highlighted to land managers. (http://www.rspb.org.uk/ourwork/farming/policy/schemes/scotland/rdcs.aspx)

Habitat networks are a central theme of the Central Scotland Green Network; they are also supported by the Ayrshire Joint Structure Plan, East Ayrshire’s Local Development Plan and open space strategy (http://www.east-ayrshire.gov.uk/comser/openspace/finalstrategy.pdf)

The range of species which could benefit from biodiversity improvements in this area is extensive and includes many listed on UK & Ayrshire Biodiversity Action Plans and Species Action Plans, for example farmland waders (lapwing, snipe, curlew), overwintering geese, otters and water vole. Stone Loach, minnow, salmon fry and parr, and trout fry and parr have been recorded on sample sites along the River Nith and its tributaries, and water voles have been recorded at Knockshinnoch Lagoons SWT Wildlife Reserve in 2003. The Scottish Wildlife Trust and Nith District Salmon Fisheries Board have carried out some mink control in the area and have identified that further control work to improve habitat for water vole will add value to this existing effort and be beneficial to the species.