From Strength to Strength!
 |
This has been a year of many achievements, and exciting highlights
The Folly Farm Centre - work finally began on the 17th century farm buildings at the heart of this magnificent nature reserve in autumn 2006 . The Centre will become a unique regional centre where people of all ages and backgrounds can learn about wildlife, the environment, and sustainability. A grand opening is planned for 2008.
Biodiversity at its Best at Weston Big Wood - this ambitious project demonstrated the unique wildlife interest of Weston Big Wood, an ancient woodland with a hidden industrial heritage. It improved public access, created a bat hibernaculum from old quarry buildings and increased the involvement of local schools and communities.
The North Somerset Otter Group is now fully operational, with over 30 trained volunteers, and otter signs have been discovered along major watercourses throughout the county.
Operation Ark - the UK's first ever translocation of a threatened population of over 200 white clawed crayfish to a safe haven in North Somerset took place in August 2006, in partnership with the Environment Agency.
The Big Switch Campaign raised awareness of the impact of individual lifestyles on wildlife and the environment and attracted extensive local media coverage.
The Trust's Audience Development Plan was completed following extensive consultation with under-represented groups and the development of a dynamic action plan.
This will form the basis for a funding application for a People and Wildlife programme starting in 2008, aimed at extending our work into the wider community. The Trust also completed development work on a major Living Landscapes proposal, which is designed to enable us to undertake our conservation work on a more extensive landscape scale than ever before and help species cope with climate change by establishing robust landscape-scale habitats.
Wildlife - it's all about us
 |
People and wildlife
To inspire people to enjoy and appreciate the
local wildlife of Avon and make a direct contribution to its conservation
Willsbridge Mill continues to be at the heart of our engagement with schoolchildren, with over 4,000 children using the Mill this year. At Folly Farm we managed to complete a programme of History days and Teddy Bears picnics despite suspension of the Earth Education programme, due to the beginning of building restoration.
More than 20,000 people were involved in Trust activities which included a series of popular drop-in events at Willsbridge, and partnership work on Local Nature Reserves as well as our presence at the Festival of Nature and the Avon Gorge and Downs Day.
Bird Watch year 7 was launched and was as successful as ever - over 6000 households have been involved since it began in 2000 and the survey continues to build up an excellent picture of what is happening to bird populations both in and around the city. The results are used in Bristol City Council's annual 'Indicators of Quality of Life in Bristol' reports.
Membership continues to flourish - with over 15,500 members by the end of the year, the Trust's membership has almost trebled in the past four years.
 |
|
watervole |
Champion for wildlife
To influence people and policy to ensure that
Avon is wildlife friendly
The Avon Biodiversity Action Plan has made great progress - Batscapes, the South Gloucestershire Veteran Tree Project, the Mendip Hills Bat and Dormouse Project and white clawed crayfish translocation are all underway and due to complete in 2007. Two-year funding has also been secured for a Grasslands Project.
The Pondways Project was established, and involves communities in pond conservation by training them to survey pond networks on public land in Avon. It also works with the Avon Reptile and Amphibian Group in surveying for great crested newts, Britain's most strictly protected amphibian.
The North Somerset Levels and Moors project enters its eleventh year, with survey work for water vole, otter, water shrew and bats on schedule, and further funding obtained for dormice.
The Hengrove Park campaign continues to lobby against development of The Mounds as part of a major regeneration project. The Radstock Railway Sidings campaign opposed development of former railway sidings, which are a nationally important invertebrate site; planning permission was granted but extra track areas were secured for invertebrates.
 |
Havens for wildlife
To establish a network of areas across Avon
which provide wildlife with the space and conditions to thrive and
spread
Following the acquisition of the Trust's 38th nature reserve in March 2005, extensive access improvements were completed at Prior's Wood. This included three bridges, a long flight of steps, and path clearance.
The wetland interest of Puxton Moor has been improved through an English Nature grant. Recent survey work at Walborough indicates that salt-marsh habitat is beginning to re-establish in the channels created through managed retreat, which allows the sea to reclaim marginal coastal areas.
Greater water parsnip was introduced at Clapton Moor in partnership with Bristol Zoological Gardens. This is the start of a project to re-establish the plant back to its former haunts in the Gordano Valley from which it has been extinct since 1912.
The Access for All Trail at Folly Farm was refurbished with financial support from the Batscapes project managed by B&NES Council, and through the hard work of many volunteers.
The Trust continued to be involved in extensive negotiations to take on the ownership of the new wetland nature reserve being created at Ashlands near Portishead, which will be part of the planning mitigation for the construction of 2,650 houses.
An extremely successful Nature Reserves Summit was held in October. The Trust invited over 40 representatives from partnership organisations to a full day of workshops and discussion, the outcomes of which will help direct the future strategy of our nature reserves.
 |
|
lunchbox challenge |
Sustainable lives for wildlife
To encourage people and organisations to change their lifestyles and
behaviours so that they impact less on wildlife
The Recycling Naturally programme at Willsbridge Mill continues to bring the message of waste reduction and recycling to children. It now applies to all visiting schools and has been rolled out to some Scout, Brownie and graduate groups. Our commitment to Wildlife Gardening continues, with a further year of co-ordinating a regional wildlife garden series in the Western Daily Press.
The Trust's Greener Trust programme works towards ensuring best 'green' practices in its day-to-day working. A Green Action Plan and Guidelines have been developed by the Green Team, and staff took part in green transport week when the Big Switch campaign was launched. This campaign raised awareness of the impact of individual lifestyles on wildlife and the environment.
The Sustainability Framework for construction and operation of the Folly Farm Centre is near completion and will provide an audit tool to monitor the performance of the Centre once it opens.
 |
An effective Trust
To create a Trust that is effective and efficient,
committed to excellence in all areas and making best use of all resources
as it works towards its long-term goals
The Trust has continued to build on the raised media profile generated
from the 25th anniversary celebrations, with an ongoing partnership
with the Western Daily Press and a series of feature-length stories
in regional magazines highlighting the work of the Trust and its nature
reserves. At the beginning of April a new phase of the Folly Farm appeal
was launched with a major presentation on the making of Planet
Earth by Alastair Fothergill, which has developed new media partnerships.
The Trust's web-site receives over 600 hits daily and a dedicated
member page was launched in May 2006, featuring monthly updates and
membership contributions.
A draft Business Plan was completed for the development of a new Consultancy arm to enable the Trust to work with and influence new audiences and provide new outlets for its skills and expertise.
A commitment was made last year to begin to work towards the Investors in People (IIP) standard. This is a nationally-recognised accreditation which helps organisations manage business issues such as communication, and employee motivation. The Trust aims to achieve accreditation by early 2008.
The Trust receives an enormous amount of help from its volunteers. During 2006/7 volunteers donated almost 4,500 volunteer-days to the Trust. In financial terms this is worth at least £250,000 to the Trust - which is equivalent to increasing the scope and capacity of its activities by about 25%.
Avon Wildlife Trust
Jeffrey Boswell - President
Philippa Forester, Dick King Smith - Vice Presidents
Members of the Trust's Council
Brian Mayled - Acting Chairman
Cecile Gillard - Secretary
Richard Bland
Alan Dorn
Rosamund Kidman Cox
Kevin Mulligan
Dudley Shellard
Justin Smith (resigned October 2006)
Diane Ward
Roger Wyatt (appointed October 2006)
Steve Grainger - Chief Executive