South East Cornwall Tory Sherrl Murray took up the cudgels on behalf of the threatened but indespensable animal after meeting with the Cornwall Wildlife Trust

The petition the charity are supporting reads, “Dear David Cameron, Britain’s bees are under threat. Yet we need bees. They’re important to our food supply, economy and quality of life.

Along with thousands of others, I’ve joined The Bee Cause to help protect Britain’s bees. But the Government needs to act too.

Please adopt a National Bee Action Plan to ensure that the way we farm our food and plan our towns and cities gets bees back on track.

The Government must also have the right experts in place to protect our most threatened species.”

The petition website explains, “With other pollinating insects, they’re vital to: Our food supply – they pollinate most of our fruit and veg.

“Without bees costs for farmers would rise, meaning higher food prices, Our quality of life – our gardens, parks and countryside.

“British bee numbers have fallen dramatically in recent years.

“And the way we farm our food and plan our towns and cities is making the problem worse. David Cameron can change all that.

“Join us and ask him to help save bees by introducing a National Bee Action Plan.”

Sheryll said, “I was also delighted to meet with the Wild Life Trust and learn about the ‘Britain needs its bees’ Campaign.”

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Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been donated a spectacular ‘golden’ camera nest box from Redruth-based business supporter Handykam

The generous gift was presented to the Trust at their recent Living Seas Ball in Falmouth, which the business sponsored.

TV Presenter and Naturalist Nick Baker made the presentation of the box to the Trust’s President Jan Pentreath and Chairman Howard Curnow with Mike Nash, Company Director.

Their new shaped bird box has been designed to house all native songbirds, from blue tits to robins.

It is made from locally and sustainably sourced cedar wood, created at Handykam’s warehouse in Hayle.

As well as the bespoke golden casing with engraving, the box also included state-of-the-camera technology to capture inspiring wildlife images.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust President Professor Jan Pentreath said: “We are absolutely delighted with this handsome gift.

It is essential that our own work makes use of the very latest technology, and we are very proud to be honoured in this way by a Cornish firm that is at the leading edge of the very technology that we need.

“We look forward to some spectacular visual and audio recordings in the very near future”

Trust Chairman Howard Curnow added: “Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been interacting with the wildlife of Cornwall for 50 years.

“Now, with the benefit of this generous gift from our Business Supporter Handykam, we are looking forward to a new phase in our history when we will enable the general public, our many members and the 2000+ members of Fox Club (our junior branch) to similarly become engaged with our fabulous wildlife.

“Thank you Mike!”

The Trust plans on using the nest camera box in their Five Acres Nature Reserve, near Truro, with the video feed on their website.

Handykam MD Mike Nash said: “We are proud Business Members of Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

“We wanted to thank the Trust for their 50 years of hard work, conserving our wildlife.

“We felt there is no better way to do so than donating a bespoke gold camera bird box.”

The Trust runs a successful Business Supporter Scheme, which currently has just under 100 Business Members.

Pix show;

Mike Nash of Handykam with Cornwall Wildlife Trust Chairman Howard Curnow and President Jan Pentreath, photo by Handykam.com
Product photos from handykam.com

Did you know?

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been protecting Cornwall’s wildlife, both on land and in our seas since 1962. It will be celebrating its 50th Anniversary in 2012, visit www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/anniversary for details.
It is the county’s leading wildlife conservation charity, with 14,000 members including 2,500 junior members and 90 Business Supporters.
The charity manages 55 nature reserves all over the county, including a range of habitats such as woodlands, meadows, wetlands and heaths.
The Trust runs a number of marine and terrestrial based conservation projects.
The Trust hosts the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS).
The Trust relies on charitable donations, grants and the generous support of its members and the general public to raise more than £2.2 million every year. Money raised is spent on wildlife conservation and education in Cornwall, for present and future generations.
The Trust is one of 47 in the UK. Together, they make up the Royal Society of Wildlife Trusts.
Cornwall Wildlife Trust has Local and Specialist Groups based around the county. All play an important role in the Trust’s work and are always looking for more volunteers.

Handykam

Handykam.com is a leading producer of cameras for various wildlife and commercial applications. The uniquely Cornish operation were dreamed up over a cup of tea by MD Mike Nash ten years ago, and now turn over six figures. They’re one of the leading specialist camera companies in the world, manufacturing and sell a huge range of high quality, low cost, camera and wildlife related products.

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Unique celebrity doodles by the likes of Absolutely Fabulous actress Joanna Lumley, and comedian and presenter Frank Skinner, are set to raise vital funds on eBay for Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been protecting Cornwall’s wildlife both on land and in the seas since 1962 and is the county’s leading wildlife conservation charity. As part of its 50th Anniversary celebrations, the Trust has invited well-known celebrities from stage, screen, sport, art, illustration, books, and science to draw marine themed doodles and donate them to Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

An initial 28 celebrities have sent in their doodles, including Kurt Jackson, Jo Brand, Emma Thompson, Bill Oddie, Richard E Grant, Sir Ben Kingsley, Joanna Lumley, Michael Murpurgo, Michael Winner, Frank Skinner, Antony Cotton, Daniel O’Donnell and Sharron Davies to name but a few!

Bill Oddie, national treasure, conservationist and star of the Goodies, was the first to create a doodle. Although it might have been expected that his doodle would feature birds, he decided to present a full page doodle entitled ‘Never Mind the Pollacks, What About the Whales? Whoever told them they could sing?’

His whales are doodled singing amongst other numbers, that old time favourite ‘Whale Meat Again’ and ‘Salmon-chanted Evening’. For the lucky bidder, as with all the doodles, comes an autograph endorsing that this was all his own work.

Amongst the celebrities the work of local artists has not been forgotten. Rebecca Cobb is an up and coming illustrator gaining a national reputation working with authors such as Julia Donaldson and Helen Dunmore, and Michael Foreman is an internationally recognized illustrator who also works with local authors on children’s’ books about Cornwall.

Artist Kurt Jackson is renowned for his Cornish landscapes and needs no introduction to the local community.

Gardener Alan Titchmarsh has doodled a dolphin – jumping out of the water over a penguin, with the catch phrase ‘Nothing in life is black and white – except us – and zebras’, while Coronation Street stars Angela Griffin and Antony Cotton have doodled crabs and dolphins.

Michael Morpurgo, author of Warhorse, has written a doodle explaining that just as an orchestra tunes up, an athlete warms up, as an author he writes. Incorporated in his writing he has included a drawing of an oyster catcher with the comment ‘now you see why I only doodle writing’.

Cornwall Wildlife Trustee said: “Our Celebrity Doodle auction offers a great way to get a piece of original art work from celebrities and nationally recognised book illustrators as well as supporting the work of the Cornwall Wildlife Trust.

“The fun, and in some cases the fantasy, of the doodles reflects the marine work of the Trust and the fun that can be enjoyed on wildlife adventures.”

Dania Shaw, Marketing and Fundraising Co-ordinator for Cornwall Wildlife Trust comments,

“We are thrilled to have received such a large number of doodles from such a diverse group of celebrities, and following the launch of the auction on eBay in the autumn bidding is expected to be intense.

“Through this exciting auction of wonderful wildlife doodles, we hope to raise over £5000 for Cornwall’s wildlife and wild places”

For your chance to own an original, signed piece of art work from your favourite celebrity, whilst at the same time donating funds for future of the wildlife of Cornwall, just clickHERE

Pix show:

Having a whale of a time, doodle by Bill Oddie
Little creatures, doodle by Chris Packham
Merpig, doodle by Emma Thompson
Sea turtle, doodle by Joanna Lumley
The walrus, by Kate Adie
Star fish, doodle by Sharron Davies

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The Red River Valley Local Nature Reserve (LNR) near Camborne has a new group of friends who have taken on the task of looking after the areas of valuable natural habitat in the valley.

The Red River Rescuers have already held a series of conservation days over the autumn and winter.

Volunteers included members of the Cornwall Dragonfly Group and Cornwall Butterfly Conservation.

Since the end of tin streaming in the valley during the last century, areas that were once bare ground and open water have gradually been returning to a more natural state and this means some habitats are disappearing.

At Bell Lake Marsh a large area of scrub has been cleared to restore an area of wetland which is one of the best remaining dragonfly sites along the Red River valley.

The marsh is home to breeding colonies of the nationally scarce Small Red Damselfly and Keeled Skimmer.

But in the last 10 years it has lost it’s colony of the Scarce Blue-tailed Damselfly and in the last 30 years a colony of Marsh Fritillary butterflies.

First year Geography students from the University of Exeter at Tremough also spent two muddy days removing silt and vegetation from the marsh to retain areas of open water which are critical to the dragonflies’ survival.

The group has recently been given a boost with the generous donation of hand tools and safety clothing by Western Power Distribution.

These tools will enable the volunteers to continue the work of controlling willow and other invasive plants which have been slowly taking over the open spaces along the river.

Rescuer Steve Jones said: “It’s fantastic to see the positive impact that our volunteers have had on these hugely important wetland habitats at the very core of the Red River Valley LNR.

“Working along the old tin streaming sites is so worthwhile and enjoyable.”

Cormac Countryside Officer Gavin Henderson said: “It’s impressive to see what can be achieved when people come together to help look after the local environment.

“In less than six months the efforts of this newly formed group have already resulted in the transformation of one of the most important wildlife habitats in the valley.

“This Local Nature Reserve covers more than 50 hectares and is over four miles long so there is plenty of scope for the group to carry out further projects and we’ll be continuing to support them with this work.”

The Red River Rescuers next conservation day will be held at Bell Lake Marsh today Saturday 23 February from 11am.

If you would like to lend a hand just switch off your laptop, get out the front door and come along!

It will keep you fit while you have fun AND enjoy a bit of constructive destruction!

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Trelissick Gardens holds ‘green’ woodwork sessions most weekends.

Resident expert Dave Hart – who modestly refers to himself as a ‘bodger’ – passes on the skills of employing age-old tools to craft beautiful and practical wooden instruments.

If you’ve ever wondered how to ride a shave-horse, guide a pole-lathe, or slice with a draw-knife – the free Saturday Sessions are for you.

Dave explained: “Traditional woodworking is immensely satisfying and very practical.

“We made bowls, spoons and gouges on Saturday, all of which looked beautiful and can also be used.

“Everything was sculpted free of any modern energy – such as electricity: we worked on the wood in the same way as people have for hundreds of years.”

The carpenter went on: “The sessions are free if you visit the gardens, and kids love to learn woodwork skills, so if you’re looking for something fun and useful to do – just pop along!”

Trelissick have green woodwork most Saturdays, but it can be weather dependent, so check the website, > or phone the Property Office for details.

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A specimen of the bizarre and poisonous mini-marine colonies was found at Portheras Cove, near Pendeen.

Dr Peter Richardson of the Marine Conservation Society said: “Last weekend a beachgoer contacted Cornwall Council about a small number of what MCS identified as Portuguese Man of War washed up at Portheras Cove.

“We then had reports of similar sightings as Summerleaze and Widemouth beaches.

“Our most recent reports were from Portheras on Thursday morning (6th September).

“With earlier strandings in Ireland, these recent sightings could herald the arrival of more of the creatures as they get blown in from the Atlantic.”

UK Man-o-War sightings shot up in 2009 after a steady increase over a couple of years.

The Portuguese Man of War isn’t a jellyfish but a floating colony of hydrozoans – tiny marine organisms living together and behaving collectively as one animal.

It’s shaped almost like a Cornish Pasty, and its transparent purple float is characteristic while the blue, tentacle-like ‘fishing polyps’ that hang below the float can be tens of meters in length.
 
Dr Richardson explained: “The Portuguese Man of War’s tentacle-like polyps deliver an agonising and potentially lethal sting.

“And because a stranded Portuguese Man of War looks a bit like a deflating purple balloon with blue ribbons attached, it may attract the curiosity of children.

“So if you are visiting a Cornish beach this weekend it is well worth making sure you know what these animals look like and that no one picks them up.

“We are urging the public to report any encounters with Portuguese Man of War through our website so we get a better idea of the extent of the strandings.“
 
Council health official Rebecca Kirk added: “A sting from these jelly fish may lead to an allergic reaction. 

“There can also be serious effects, including fever and shock.  

“Anyone who thinks they have been stung should seek medical attention immediately or contact NHS direct. 

“Even though they are washed up on the beach they can still present a possible risk of stinging and parents are advised to ensure children avoid touching any washed up jelly fish.”
 
If you spot a Portuguese Man of War – don’t touch it! But why not stand a safe distance aside and send us a pic? We’d love to share it with readers.

If you’d like a detailed guide on how to spot a Man-o-War and the different types of its near cousin the Jellyfish just click HERE

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Did you know?

The moon jellyfish (Aurelia aurita) is the most widespread species, occurring all around the UK coast from May, as does the less common blue jellyfish (Cyanea lamarkii). In contrast, the giant but harmless barrel jellyfish (Rhizostoma octopus), which can grow up to 1 metre in diameter and weigh up to 40kgs, is largely limited to the Irish Sea and adjacent waters to the north. It occurs year round, even in winter, but blooms tend to start in March. The lion’s mane jellyfish (Cyanea capillata) has the most powerful and painful sting of the UK species. It blooms during the summer but is rarely seen south of the Irish Sea (west coast), or south of Northumberland (east coast), with most reports coming from Scottish waters. The Compass jellyfish (Chrysaora hysoscella), with its bizarre compass-like markings, is found throughout the UK coast. Mauve stingers (Pelagia noctiluca) are occasionally recorded from the southwest in early spring, but large numbers were reported off Britain’s west coast during November 2007, 2008 & 2009. MCS also received many reports of the usually rare Portuguese Man-of-War (Physalia physalia) from beaches in south-west England in the summers of 2007, 2008 and 2009. The jellyfish survey data will be analysed in collaboration with the University of Exeter’s Centre for Ecology and Conservation, a state-of-the-art facility near Falmouth HEREand part of the internationally recognised School of Biosciences HERE

A quartet of southern stingrays has been born at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium.
 
Newquay is one of the only aquariums in the country successfully breeding this species of stingray in captivity.
 
The breeding programme is so successful that these latest arrivals will join more than a dozen siblings which have been born in the last four years.
 
Aquarist Jenni Smith said: “”We’’re delighted with the new arrivals who are being looked after in our quarantine area after having been born in our main ocean display.
 
“’If all goes well we plan to send some of the offspring to our sister aquarium in Bristol where they will eventually be able to form part of a satellite breeding programme for the species,” she added.
 
Did You Know?

– Found throughout the tropical and subtropical waters of the southern Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico they mainly feed on shrimp, small fish and bivalves like clams.
 
– In order to find prey buried in the seabed they force jets of water through their mouth to blast the sand away
 
– Southern stingrays have a gestation period of about six months. The eggs hatch within the mother’s body and the pups are born folded up like a newspaper.
 
- In the wild they must immediately fend for themselves and it is believed their tail stings are fully functional from the moment they emerge from their mothers.
 
– Related to sharks, stingrays get their name from the razor-sharp barb on their tails which the animal uses to defend itself when threatened.
 
– Fully grown females can reach lengths of up to two metres and the heaviest recorded specimen weighed more than 135 kgs.
 
– Although southern stingrays are not under threat in the wild at least nine other species of stingrays are at high risk of extinction.

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Fifty gorgeous and endangered Sea Horses can safely be tagged ‘born and bred in Cornwall’ after a local Aquarium hatched the beautiful brood in captivity.

The big belly seahorses are part of a hugely successful breeding programme at Newquay’s Blue Reef Aquarium.

The pioneering programme has been so successful that seahorses born in Cornwall are now establishing satellite breeding populations across the country.

Blue Reef’ Aquarist Jenni Smith said: “The newly-themed display is one of the largest in the UK and showcases these incredibly graceful creatures as well as highlighting the fantastic results of the breeding programme.

““To see such a large colony of seahorses living together is truly impressive and it’s fascinating to watch how they interact with each other.”

The Australian pot-belly or big-belly seahorse is one of the largest seahorse species in the world and can grow to more than 30cms in length.

Like other seahorses it is thought they mate for life.

The fish get their name because of their prominent bellies.

Pot-belly seahorses are also among the longest lived seahorse species.

In the wild they can live up to nine years and it is believed they can survive even longer in captivity.

The seahorse is unique in the animal kingdom in that it is the male rather than the female which carries the babies.

The female seahorse lays her eggs in the male’s pouch.

He then fertilises them and incubates them until they’re ready to emerge, fully formed and independent, out into the ocean.

In the wild virtually all of the approximate 35 species of seahorse are now endangered.

Threats include loss of habitat, pollution, and the souvenir trade.

Traditional Far East medicine accounts for the deaths of more than 20 million seahorses each year.

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The gruesome find of a Dolphin found mutilated at Mousehole this year is fuelling concerns over the number of the animals killed in nets.

Almost half of fifty animals found dead by Cornwall Wildlife Trust this year alone show the hallmarks of being caught in fishing gear.

And the one washed up at the beach by Mousehole was filleted.

Cornwall Wildlife Trust spokeswoman Serena Pettigrew-Jolly said: “The dolphins face shows the typical mark of a large mesh, mid-water trawl net.

“And a large fillet of flesh had been removed from the back, presumably for eating.”

She revealed: “This is a known practice on French boats, and French pair trawlers were working close to the south coast at the time.”

“The dolphin’s tail had been cut off in the course of cutting the animal free from a winch strop, which was used to lift it over the side of the boat.

“Local people were very upset to see what had been done to this beautiful animal and to hear that this was just one of many.”

The gruesome find has led the local charity to call for CCTV monitoring for EU vessels.

Local cetacean researcher Nick Tregenza explained: “UK mid-water trawlers have been pushed outside the 12 mile limit by national fishery regulations.

“But French vessels are allowed to come in closer.

“Some research is underway to find an acoustic deterrent to keep animals out of the nets, but there’s no EU requirement on fisheries to use such a device.

“Dolphins are highly valued by people here and across the world: we think EU mid-water trawlers should be subject to video monitoring.

“That would allow us to assess the size of the offshore bycatch for Dolphins.”

The charity’s Marine Strandings Network also came across Dolphins caught in gill nets and four porpoises though to have got snagged in nets drawn by local boats.

Nick went on: “Many people are unaware that porpoises were a common sight quite close to shore in the recent past.

“But they suffered a major decline that was almost certainly caused by pesticide pollution of the sea from agricultural run-off on land.

“That problem has diminished substantially and if pingers were widely adopted, we could expect to see porpoises along the coast and in our estuaries again.

“In the 1800’s they were commercially hunted in the Fal estuary and it would be great to see them back.

“But our data indicates accidental capture in fisheries for other species may be doubling their natural death rate.

“We’re very concerned for their welfare“

If you spot a dead dolphin the marine trust would like to know.

You can call them on 0845 201 2626, their site’s HERE.

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Cornish Aquarists are looking after a colony of ‘Peter Pan’ amphibians that will never grow up.

 
The bizarre-looking salamanders, known as axolotls, were donated to the Blue Reef in Newquay and are now on display in a special tank.

 
Axolotls have recently been classified as ‘critically endangered’ in their native Mexico where they are only found in the ancient water systems around Mexico City.

 
Aquarium chief Matt Slater said: “Axolotls are actually the larval form of the Mexican salamander.

“Just like other salamanders they start life as an egg which then develops into a tadpole with external gills and eventually legs.

 
“”But unlike other amphibians which go on to develop lungs and move out of the water onto the land, for some reason the axolotl chooses to remain in its juvenile form.

 
“”It can live out the rest of its life in the water, growing to maturity and breeding while still in this juvenile phase.

 
“”Even stranger is the fact that throughout its life it maintains the ability to change into its adult stage.

“This will only take place during periods of extreme drought when their watery homes literally disappear,”” he added.

 
Axolotls have other amazing attributes which have fascinated both ancient civilisations and the modern medical world.

As well as having the ability to re-grow lost limbs and tails they can also re-generate dead or damaged brain and heart cells.

 
The name axolotl literally means water dog.

It was said they were created when the Aztec god Xolotl, fearing he was to be sacrificed, plunged into the water and was transformed into the bizarre creature.

 
The Aztecs not only used the axolotl as a source of food and medicine but in their ceremonies.

It’s thought they even traded with them for building materials to create Mexico City.

 
Today native populations are severely threatened by pollution, farming and industrial development.

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