Make Your Nature Count Survey

From the RSPB


At this time of year, there’s no better place to be than in your own back garden. The flowers are blooming, the bees are buzzing and the newly born wildlife are filling the air with snuffles and, tweets and chirps.

With so much going on, now is the perfect time to enjoy the sights and sounds and do your bit for nature by recording everything you see.

Conservation charity the RSPB is asking everyone to take part in its Make Your Nature Count wildlife survey, which runs from June 2 to June 10.

Although similar to its more well-known Big Garden Birdwatch, this survey not only asks you to count birds but also other wildlife such as hedgehogs, squirrels and deer.

Taking part in the survey will help the RSPB to build an important snapshot of summer wildlife in our gardens and find out which species are thriving and which might need our help.

Last year, 80,000 people took part in the survey across the UK and this year the RSPB is hoping for even more.

In 2011, the survey revealed almost half of UK gardens had baby blackbirds and 33% had regular sightings of bats and frogs.

Further information about the survey can be found at www.rspb.org.uk/naturecount where an online survey form can be downloaded from June 2. Alternatively, a survey form can be also be ordered over the phone by calling 0300 456 8330 until June 6.

Invasive Species

Look Out!  Hitch-Hikers About!

Jen Aldous - Invasive Species Officer, South Cumbria Rivers Trust

Picked up a hitch-hiker recently?  Many of you may have unknowingly provided a means of transport for some very sneaky, adaptable and UNWANTED species of plants and animals, and dropped them off in our precious waterways.

Invasive non-native species, or INNS, are becoming more prevalent throughout the UK and Cumbria and can have devastating impacts on our ecosystems, recreational and local amenities, infrastructure and the economy. They are now the 2nd greatest cause of biodiversity loss globally. Cumbria hosts a number of rare and protected wetland habitats. These unique areas are at risk from imported pond and ornamental garden plants and animals found in shipping ballast released into UK ports, all of which can thrive here and out-compete native species and degrade the habitat. When contained and managed responsibly, these plant species can be considered as pleasant additions to gardens. However because of their ability to grow and reproduce rapidly, when allowed to escape into the wild they cause huge and damaging impacts. You may wonder how some of these species become so invasive, so here are a few facts:

• Himalayan Balsam – can produce up to 800 seeds per plant which are spread from their exploding seed pods. The seeds also survive dormant for up to 2 years in the soil before germination. 
• Japanese knotweed – can reproduce and spread from a piece of root/rhizome the size of your little fingernail (0.6g)! 
• Floating pennywort -can grow up to 20cm a day. 
• Killer shrimp – can survive out of water for 6 days. 
• Crayfish plague – is a fungus which can survive between 6-22 days without a host under wet or damp conditions.

South Cumbria Rivers Trust, Lune Rivers Trust and the Cumbria Freshwater Invasive Non-Native Species Initiative are striving to protect, control and eradicate inns from our catchments across south Cumbria and the rest of the county – a huge undertaking. We need the support and help from local residents, organisations, businesses and visitors to stop the spread.

So how can you help?

1 – Check Clean Dry 
Check all clothing, footwear and equipment before leaving a river or lake and remove any plant fragments or invertebrates and leave on site. Clean if possible with tap water to remove anything you might have missed. Then, ensure everything is thoroughly dried before visiting a new watercourse.

2 – I Spy…… 
Enjoy a walk out and about? Help us to survey the catchment whilst you’re out enjoying the countryside and get into areas you may not have been before. We need to find source populations of INNS so we can start our control efforts from the headwaters down to the coast. Training and equipment provided if you can provide your own transport and a bit of time.

3 – Be Plant Wise 
Although it may seem like the right thing to do, please don’t re-home your aquatic pond plants in the wild. You might unknowingly have aquatic INNS in your pond. When you clean out your pond, please make sure that you compost everything that comes out and do not put it in the wild. When these plants are released into the wild they can smother our native plants, clog our waterways, exacerbate flooding and remove oxygen from the water which can harm fish, invertebrates and other species.

4 - Balsam Bash 
Join us for an hour or few or however much time you can spare to help remove patches of Himalayan balsam from riverbanks with one of our work parties. Meet likeminded people from around the area, get a sense of satisfaction seeing these areas shrink and seeing new and varied native species start to inhabit in the following seasons.

For more information about INNS or this project please visit our website at www.scrt.co.uk/cfinns.

If you interested in becoming involved with this project please contact Jen on 01539 816311 / 07826 141716 or jen@scrt.co.uk.

If you are interested in being involved on the River Lune and its tributaries, please contact Sarah Littlefield at Lune Rivers Trust on 01524 222174 or boddles_uk@yahoo.co.uk

New Village Wheels Service

The temporary 510 bus service through Gleaston, Scales and Leece has been discontinued as of 31st March 2012.  In its place, the County Council are offering a Village Wheels Service connecting Gleaston and Scales to Ulverston.  Details are below.

Roosecote Biomass Power Station Consulation

As you may be aware, the energy company Centrica is planning to construct an 80MW biomass power station at Roosebeck to replace the current gas-fired power station as that draws nearer to being decommissioned.

The Parish Council has said it is broadly in favour of the power station, which will provide jobs in the area and help towards the country's green energy commitments.  Of course, we will continue to watch closely as the plans for this development continue, given the proximity to the parish.

If you would like to find out more about the proposals and take part in the consultation, visit the Centrica website.

SLDC Land Allocations Consultation

SLDC have now completed the draught Land Allocations Document and invite residents to have their say on the proposals.  You have until April 17th to review the document.

Full details of the document and consultation process can be found here.

Card Fraud Telephone Scam

The UK Cards Association is advising customers to be aware of a new variation on an old style scam that involves people being telephoned by fraudsters and duped into handing over their debit or credit card and revealing their PIN. 

What happens 

• A fraudster rings you, claiming to be from your bank or the police, saying that their systems have spotted a fraudulent payment on your card or that your card is due to expire and needs replacing. 

• You may be asked to ring back using the phone number on the back of your card, but the fraudster keeps the line open at their end to send your call back to them. 

• You may be asked to cancel your card or activate a replacement by keying your PIN into the handset. 

• The fraudster arranges to pick up your card from your home and may give you a fake replacement. 

• They then spend your money using your card and PIN. 

How to avoid it 

• NEVER give your card to someone who comes to collect it. 

• NEVER share your PIN with anyone - it should only be used at cash machines and in shops. 

• Your bank will not contact you asking you to authorise your card details and will never arrange for your card to be collected. 

•  If you are ever in doubt about the validity of a telephone call, don't give out any information.  Take the persons details and then call back on a genuine number, found on a letter, website or your card.  Before you call back, make sure your line is free - wait a few hours, check for the dial tone or try calling another number first. 

What to do if you're targetted 

Call your bank or card company immediately if you're ever the victim of a scam like this. For more information and advice, visit www.financialfraudaction.org.uk