The Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership

(formerly the Nature Conservation Topic

Group of the Hertfordshire Environmental

Forum) was set up to bring together

organisations concerned with nature

conservation and biodiversity issues in

Hertfordshire. Its focus is to ‘drive’ the

implementation of the Local Biodiversity

Action Plan (A 50-year vision for the wildlife

and natural habitats of Hertfordshire),

prepared in 1998 by the Herts & Middlesex

Wildlife Trust, on behalf of the Hertfordshire

Environmental Forum.

Progress with the delivery of the

Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP)

is reported quarterly at the Hertfordshire

Environment Forum (HEF) Joint Steering

Group meetings and in the HEF Quality of

Life Report, produced annually.

A communications plan prepared for

the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership

identified the need to raise awareness of

Hertfordshire’s biodiversity and to promote

the achievements of the Hertfordshire

Biodiversity Partnership in implementing the

Hertfordshire BAP. As a result, this report of

progress has been produced to celebrate

some of the work that’s taken place to

conserve and enhance Hertfordshire BAP

habitats and species over the past year.

Action Plan highlights2008

Biodiversity

South West Hertfordshire CommonsGrazing GroupThe South Hertfordshire Commons GrazingGroup has representatives from the parishcouncils of Chorleywood and Colney Heath,along with St Albans District Council and theCountryside Management Service. They cametogether to investigate the possibility of reintroducing grazing to the 4 commons undertheir management: Chorleywood Common, Colney Health, Nomansland and Bricket WoodCommon. A joint consultation was held in theAutumn / Winter of 2007.

Get to know Oughtonhead Common Oughtonhead Common, a wetland Local Nature Reserve owned and managed by NorthHerts District Council (NHDC) is relatively littleknown. Working for the Countryside Manage-ment Service and NHDC, honorary site warden,Phil Lumley, has done much recently to improveaccess and raise the site’s profile.

A new easy access trail has been surfacedand waymarked and interpretation boards willaid navagation around the cattle grazed pastures, wetlands, wooded areas and scrubthat make up the site

The work has been made possible by a grantfrom Biffaward and funding from North HertsDistrict and Hertfordshire County Council.

Interpretation panel at Oughtonhead Common

Some news from the district and borough councils

A couple of Ponds ProjectsPonds feature in all sorts of settings across Hertfordshire from urban parks to rural farmland. Volunteers have been busy surveyingponds in the borough of Dacorum, to establishtheir characteristics, condition and stewardship. Currently 103 out of 411 ponds have been surveyed. This project supports actions identified in the Dacorum Biodiversity ActionPlan and Dacorum Community Plan.

Butts Close is one of Hitchin’s ancient cow commons. Its pond, however, is a more recentaddition sporting vertical concrete sides. A floating hydroponic reed bed, re-profiling ofthe surrounding banks and newly installed, pre-planted coir rolls have established the pondas a valuable wildlife feature. Several of theover-shading willow trees have been convertedto pollards and the surrounding grasslandtransferred from an amenity cut to a cut-and-lift regime by the owners, North Herts DistrictCouncil (NHDC). All of the works were fundedby NHDC and the Community EnvironmentFund.

Butts Close Pond – pollards and planted coirpond edge

Cheshunt Park In partnership with Broxbourne Borough Council, the Hertfordshire Biological RecordsCentre and Historic Environment Unit of theHertfordshire County Council, the CountrysideManagement Service is completing a range ofprojects to enhance and raise awareness ofwildlife here. With Heritage Lottery Funding thelarge pond that is home to Great Crested Newtshas been de-silted and restored; two WWII pillboxes have been secured and fitted out as bathibernacula; an orchard has been established to reflect the past use of the site and in thecoming months livestock will be returning toone of the herb rich meadows. At each of thesefeatures interpretation panels will tell the storyof the park and raise awareness of the wildlifevalue of each feature.

English Long Horns in Pishiobury Park

Woolmer Green pond is set in the historic centre of this relatively new parish in Welwyn Hatfield Borough. Here a simple plan, some enthusiasticparish people, grant aid from the Community Environment Fund and some advice from the Countryside Management Service were all the ingredients required for a successful restorationproject. The eroding banks have been re-profiledand restored using coir rolls planted with nativeemergent wetland plants and the nearby willows arenow sprouting back from their coppiced stools.

Orchard trees on Cheshunt Park

Wet Grassland at Pishiobury Park Pishiobury’s historic parkland is owned and managedby East Herts Council. Guided by a Historic LandscapeRestoration Plan new hedgerows of native speciesand future parkland trees have been planted and theroundalls (groups of trees surrounded by circular,hawthorn hedgerows), that are a feature of the site,are being restored or recreated.

The Council is now working with the CountrysideManagement Service to reintroduce extensive grazingto an area of species-rich wet grassland and tall fento the north-east of the main parkland. The fen areawas cut and lifted by volunteers in the previous yearto set the restoration programme on a firm footing.

Rickmansworth Aquadrome LNR The Countryside Management Service working withThree Rivers District Council successfully securedover £75,000 from the Aggregates Levy SustainabilityFund which contributed to improving the visitor experience and enhancing the site for wildlife. Essential tree work will be completed as well as thecreation of reedbeds around both Batchworth andBury Lakes

This is the 2nd phase in the overall project - thefirst was to complete a bat survey, a full ecologicaland topographical survey also funded by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

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Newly planted reeds at Amwell

OtterThe Environment Agency, under the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust direction, have restoredan otter refuge at Joe’s Island (King’s Meads).Two new artificial holts were created and a channel was dredged to prevent access (andhence disturbance) to the island. Joe’s Island isknown to be regularly used by otters because ofthe spraint found there.

Water vole surveyor training course at TewinburyNature Reserve near Welwyn Garden City

Stone-curlew

The Stone-curlew action plan has a target to create suitable breeding habitat in North Hertfordshire by 2010 – more specifically, to create and maintain at least three nesting plots on three key sites. To date, 8 plots covering 26 hectares at four farms have beensuccessfully established.

In 2008, Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre, with approval and support from NaturalEngland, surveyed the plots for ground-nestingbirds (namely Lapwing, but also Stone-curlew iffound to be present) to establish if the plotswere delivering what they were designed to.Three of the four farms achieved the principalobjective in that their plots were used by Lapwings during the breeding season, butsucessful breeding only took place on two farms.

Advice will continue to be given to landownerson how to establish and manage ground-nestingplots so that they can achieve the required objectives.

BitternLots of work to improve habitats for fish populations and spawning in existing areas hasbeen undertaken over the past year to benefitthe Bittern which feeds on small fish. One example of this is at Amwell Nature Reservewhere unwanted Christmas trees were weigheddown and dropped into the area of the lakewhich Bitterns use over winter. These treesslowly rot down but whilst doing so also providegreat refuges for small fish. Nearly all reedbedsites across the County now have a management plan/statement which includesmanagement for Bitterns.

Wetlands for Water Voles and People ProjectThe Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust securedHeritage Lottery funding for a 3-year ‘Wetlandsfor Water Voles and People Project’ that startedin November 2007. The project aims to: conserve and enhance water vole populations inHertfordshire; increase public participation inwater vole recovery and wetland protection andincrease awareness, understanding and appre-ciation of and access to wetlands and watervole conservation. The project is a partnershipbetween the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust,Environment Agency, Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, British Waterways, Thames Water andthe Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre.

Broxbourne Woods Open Day 2007Staff from the Countryside Management Service and thirty volunteers ran the Broxbourne Woods Open Day, supported by the Woodland Trust, the

Herts & Middlesex WildlifeTrust and HertfordshireCounty Council (HCC). The event, held to raiseawareness of Hertfordshire’s only National Nature Reserve(NNR), attracted approximately 1,500 people.Visitors witnessed tree

thinning activity from first cut through to rocessing,with Silent, the Clydesdale horse used to extract thetimber, proving very popular. The thinning works arecontributing to the restoration of the Planted Ancient Woodland Site (PAWS) in HCC owned Broxbourne Wood.

Guided walks and eventsOrganisations including the Herts & MiddlesexWildlife Trust and Countryside Management Serviceled guided walks and held events to raise awarenessof the biodiversity of Hertfordshire. For informationon forthcoming events visit their websites:www.wildlifetrust.org.uk/herts and www.hertsdirect.org/cms respectively.

Wildlife trainingHerts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust, in partnership with the Herts Natural History Society and Lee ValleyRegional Park, ran a programme of ‘Learningabout Wildlife’ workshopscovering a diverse rangeof subjects such as identifying grasses andotter ecology. The coursesaim to encourage more people to become involved in surveying and recording the county’s biodiversity.

Hertfordshire Orchards Initiative (HOI)

HOI celebrated 10 years of working with orchards with a special launch event at Shenley in May of thisyear. In June they organised two moth trappingevents as part of National Moth Night which specifically targeted orchards, now a UK BAP Priorityhabitat. HOI also provided juicing demonstrations atthe Hatfield House Living Crafts Festival in May andthe Country Show in August and planned eight eventsacross the county to celebrate National Apple Day onOctober 21st.

Raising awareness of biodiversity

Hertfordshire Local Wildlife SitesLocal Wildlife Sites are the most important places forwildlife outside of protected areas such as Sites ofSpecial Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The Wildlife SitesPartnership plays an important role in the implementation of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) because these sites are critical assets of the county’s biodiversity.

Local Wildlife Sites Partners have continued to protect Local Wildlife Sites through the planning system by providing information and advice on Local Wildlife Sites to Local Authorities, developersand landowners; ensuring Local Wildlife Sites are protected through appropriate policies within strategic documents and commenting on planningapplications which affect Local Wildlife Sites.

Heavy horses at BroxbourneWoods

Hunsdon Mead Walk - looking at meadow plants

Hertfordshire Wet Woodlands ProjectAn initial desk study to estimate the total number of wet woodland sites in Hertfordshirewas started in 2006. Additional funding enabled a field survey of the woodlands identified from the desk study to be carried out in the summer and autumn of 2007. The results of the field survey were then used to update the wet woodland GIS (Geographic Information System) database held at the Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre earlier

this year.

Spring tilled soil lapwing nesting habitat

Chalk grassland restoration projects Funding from SITA Trust has enabled the Woodland Trust to start removing scrub on theescarpment at Oddy Hill and Tring Park Site ofSpecial Scientific Interest (SSSI). This shouldbenefit grassland species such as Chiltern Gentian, Autumn Gentian, Twayblade and Harebell. Part of a project aiming to restore15.2 ha of chalk grassland, they have removedscrub over 1.5 ha so far.

The Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust has continued the restoration of chalk grassland atAldbury Nowers by reintroducing grazing and atHexton Chalk Pit and Telegraph Hill nature reserves over a hectare of grassland has been restored through the removal of scrub.

Grazing – Making it pay A workshop organised by the Grazing AnimalProject (GAP), Hertfordshire Biological RecordsCentre, Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust and theChilterns Conservation Board was held in Tringearlier this summer. Aimed at livestock farmersand graziers, the presentations included casestudies from farmers on how they have integrated conservation grazing into their farmbusinesses, information about direct marketing initiatives and a site visit to TringPark.

Purwell Ninesprings Nature Reserve, a wet alder or‘carr’ woodland in the Purwell Valley

Farmland HAP update Countryside Management Service officers working closely with the Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre and the Historic Environment Unit of the Hertfordshire CountyCouncil have made six applications for Hertfordshire farmers to the national HigherLevel Stewardship scheme administered by Natural England.

If successful, the schemes will attract approximately £2.5 million of funding over 10years and substantially affect the way that2,250 hectares of Hertfordshire countryside ismanaged with major benefits for wildlife. Otherschemes have been developed in Hertfordshireby the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group(FWAG) and private agents.

Wetland Interpretation and access improvementsWith funding support from the East of EnglandDevelopment Agency and Green Arc (Communities and Local Government grant),the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust has invested over £450,000 at Amwell Nature Reserve to enable visitors to get closer towildlife. Works within this 43 hectare reservehave included the building of two new hidesand an elevated viewpoint, construction of adragonfly-watching boardwalk trail and improvements to nature trails to make them accessible to all.

The Trust worked in partnership with the LeeValley Regional Park Authority to link reservesat Rye Meads with Stanstead Innings and improve visitor facilities. The ‘Three Reserves,One Route’ project was supported by the Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund.

New boardwalk at Amwell Nature Reserve

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s resource, they also offer the greatest opportunity for maintaining and creating largeareas of quality habitat. Key Biodiversity Areasof regional significance, primarily those whichinclude Special Areas of Conservation, SpecialProtection Areas and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, have also been identified.

The Biodiversity Partnership, led by the Hertfordshire Biological Records Centre has updated the Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA) Mapfor Hertfordshire as illustrated below. Key Biodiversity Areas represent those areas withinthe County with the greatest concentrations ofimportant habitats and species. As well as representing areas which are a priority for conservation due to their existing biodiversity

Development of the Key Biodiversity Areas Map

HERTFORDSHIRE KEY BIODIVERSITY AREAS (in pink)AND REGIONALLY SIGNIFICANT KBA (outlined in red)

Herts Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA)Herts KBA of regional importanceCounty boundary

Produced using ArcView byHertfordshire Biological Records Centre,

With joint HCC and OS copyright

August 2007

This map is based upon Ordnance Survey materialWith the permission of Ordnance Survey on behalf of

The Controller of Her Majesty’s Stationery Office.Unauthorised reproduction infringes Crown copyright

And may lead to prosecution or civil proceedings.Hertfordshire County Council, 100019606 ,2007

Hertfordshire Key Biodiversity Areas (KBA)No’s on map Key Biodiversity Area Name Brief habitat description01 Therfield Heath/Coombe Bottom chalk grasslands02 Sandon/Green End chalky boulder clay woodlands and meadows03 Clothall/Wallington/Weston chalky boulder clay woods and meadows05 Cokenach Estate chalky boulder clay woodlands06 Scales Park/Meesden/Beeches Wood chalky boulder clay woodlands and meadows07 Hiz Valley Catchment (Ickleford/Oughton Head/Purwell) wet meadows and fens08 Hexton/Pirton/Great Offley chalk grasslands09 Great Offley/Preston/Knebworth oak-hornbeam woodlands10 Cottered/Ardeley/Benington oak-hornbeam and ash-maple woodlands and meadows11 Patmore Heath/Upwick Green heath, grasslands and woodlands12 Wellpond Green/Westland Green 13 River Ash Valley woodlands and wetlands14 Stort Valley grasslands and wetlands15 Lea Valley wetlands16 Rib Valley wetlands and woodlands17 Lower Mimram/Lower Beane/Bramfield Plateau wetlands and woodlands18 Broxbourne Woods/Hatfield Park oak-hornbeam woodlands, grasslands and heaths19 Mymmshall/Water End woodlands20 Upper Colne Valley wetlands and heath21 Bricket Wood/Moor Mill wetlands, woodlands and heath22 River Ver/Gorehambury wetlands and woodlands23 Upper Lea Valley wetlands, woodlands and heath24 Mid-Colne Valley wetlands (gravel pits) and grasslands25 Whippendell Woods and surrounds woodlands, grassland and wetlands26 River Chess Valley wetlands, grasslands, woodland and heath27 Ashridge/Berkhamsted Common/Aldbury beech woodland, heath, chalk grassland28 Tring Park/High Scrubbs beech woodland, chalk grassland29 Tring Reservoirs wetlands30 Upper Gade Valley wetlands, grasslands and woodland

Hertfordshire Environmental Forum

Hertfordshire Environmental Forum (HEF) is a county-wide group that undertakes sustainable development-based initiatives to raise awareness, encourage involvement and bring together keydecision-makers to influence sustainable development policies locally and nationally.

Five working groups have been established to achieve its aims. These are the:● Education & Promotion Group ● Energy Group ● Biodiversity Partnership Group ● Quality of Life Group ● NHS Environment Group

The Biodiversity Partnership Group of HEF includes local authorities, statutory agencies, natureconservation organisations and voluntary interest groups working together to help implement theHertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). A Biodiversity Officer post, funded by the Hertfordshire Environmental Forum with support from Natural England, provides a driving forcebehind and co-ordinates progress of the actions within the Hertfordshire BAP.

HEF members include:● St. Albans City and District Council ● Hertfordshire NHS Environment Group ● Dacorum Borough Council ● Hertsmere Borough Council ● East Hertfordshire Council ● Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust ● Groundwork Hertfordshire ● Stevenage Borough Council ● Hertfordshire Association of ● Three Rivers District Council

Parish and Town Councils ● Watford Borough Council ● Hertfordshire County Council ● Welwyn Hatfield District Council

This report has been produced on behalf of the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership with funding from Hertfordshire Environmental Forum.

Printed on 9lives 80, 60% recycled post-consumer waste paper

www.hef.org.uk

PhotographyEllie Beach, Clare Gray, Tim Hill, Barry Tranter, the Countryside Management Service Image Library and the Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust Image Library

For more information on the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Partnership and the Hertfordshire Biodiversity Action Plan

please contact:Catherine WyattHertfordshire Biodiversity OfficerTel: 01992 531478Email: catherine.wyatt@eastherts.gov.uk