Warwickshire. Wildlife Trust. A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull. Development Plan Creating a Living Landscape

Transcription

1 Warwickshire Wildlife Trust A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Development Plan Creating a Living Landscape

2 A Living Landscape Introduction Our natural environment - on land, under water and in the air - faces ever increasing threats. The area of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull has been particularly vulnerable over the last century to the joint pressures of industrialisation, housing and changes in farming practices. Added to these now are the growing impacts of climate change and the likely impact of the recession over the next few years. Since its formation in 1970, Warwickshire Wildlife Trust has been working to protect nature by caring for nature reserves and by encouraging people to both enjoy and value the natural world. But the increasing rate of loss of natural environments and biodiversity now needs to be met by an even greater effort to protect our natural resources and provide sustainable systems for the future. We need to engage with wider sectors of the community and inspire everyone to play a part in the process, as well as take our practical conservation work at a local level into larger areas. This will require partnerships with land managers, businesses, local authorities, agencies and community groups; in fact all those involved in looking after the land. People in urban areas must play as big a part as those in rural situations so that together we conserve and create natural habitats, providing opportunities to benefit wildlife, inspire children and improve our health. This Development Plan for 2010 to 2014 sets out the Trust s vision and priorities for the natural world on our doorsteps, with an ambition to create a new way of looking at nature a Living Landscape. Imagine a Warwickshire where wildlife flourishes in our countryside, towns and villages where children grow up inspired by the sights and sounds of nature where people live happier, healthier lives This is our vision for a Living Landscape Vision Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is working to create a Living Landscape by: CARING for wildlife havens, with over 50 Nature Reserves - woods, meadows & wetlands covering over 800 hectares CAMPAIGNING as champions for wildlife and the environment - helping to protect threatened places and rare species ENCOURAGING people to enjoy nature - with walks, talks and events in town and country WORKING with schools, businesses and community groups - to support local partnership action for the environment PROMOTING ways for volunteers to help - with practical projects and local activities everywhere Restore Recreate Reconnect 02 A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Develoment Plan

3 N Warwickshire Wildlife Trust A Living Landscape Background Our Patch Warwickshire Wildlife Trust operates within the area of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, a total land area of about 2,000 sq.km in a diamond shape, extending to nearly 100 km (60 miles) north to south. The majority of the population of one million live in the city of Coventry and in the towns of Solihull, Nuneaton, Bedworth, Rugby, Leamington Spa, Warwick and Stratford. Outside the urban centres, a dozen market towns and countless villages are scattered throughout the county. In economic terms the area includes some of the wealthiest parts of England, with areas such as Solihull and Leamington Spa consistently amongst the top retail locations in the country. Yet it also includes significant deprivation in parts of Coventry, north Solihull, and in isolated parts of the rural county. Although most of these have declined today, their legacy remains. The development of the road network, including five motorways, has transformed Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull into a strategic transport link as well as a new location for many businesses. There are two major rail lines crossing the county and linking with the main aviation centre at Birmingham International Airport. The canals (the Grand Union, Oxford, Coventry and Stratford Canals) are no longer used for commercial transport but provide a vibrant recreational network. Tourism is now a key business, with national attractions Warwick Castle and Shakespeare s Stratford on Avon attracting thousands of visitors each year, and the National Exhibition Centre, National Agricultural Centre and Ricoh Arena bringing further visitors for special events. Physically, the land is generally flat, with higher areas along the ridge of older rocks from Nuneaton to Atherstone, and in the south-east where the limestone of the Cotswolds rises. Most of the area s water drains to the south-west and the Irish Sea through the Avon and its key tributaries the Arrow, Stour, Leam, Sowe and Swift, yet the north and eastern parts drain northwards into the Tame and its tributaries the Anker, Cole and Blythe, heading to the Trent and the North Sea beyond. Since the industrial revolution the whole area has been home to major industries, with coal mining, textiles, engineering, motor manufacturing and cement production playing key roles. Sutton Coldfield Birmingham A 38 A 41 A 453 Solihull Tamworth A 4091 A 446 M42 A 51 A 4097 A 34 A 452 M42 Coleshill A 5 Nuneaton A 45 M6 A 4114 A 444 Coventry Atherstone A 4600 A 46 M69 B rando n M arsh ature C entre A 5 Parkridge Centre Brueton Park Redditch Dorridge M40 Kenilworth A 4177 A 46 A 445 Leamington Spa A 423 A 45 A 428 A 4071 M45 A 426 Rugby A 3400 A 4189 Warwick A 452 A 425 A 426 A 345 A 46 A 429 Southam A 423 A 46 A 3400 Wellesbourne A 422 M40 A 429 A 3400 Stratfordupon-Avon Shipstonon-Stour Our Nature Reserves The rural vista of South Warwickshire (above) contrasts to the urban fringe of Coventry (front cover) (photos by John Ball). Other front cover photos show young people providing practical help, and a guided walk in progress (photos by WWT). 03

4 A Living Landscape Pressures on Nature It is not surprising with the intensity of human activity over the last few hundred years that the natural world of Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull has been both reduced and altered. The increased population has impacted on nature by taking land for housing, industry, roads and other developments. There have been significant impacts on the countryside too as farmers have been urged to produce more food, more cheaply, so needing larger fields and increasing use of both fertilisers and pesticides. The final pressure is more recent, as the impacts of our changing climate have become clearer. So far its main impact has been that species from the south of England and the Continent have moved northwards into Warwickshire, giving new county records of birds and insects. Plants too are flowering earlier, with unknown knock-on effects for the future. The result of all these three pressures development, farming and climate change is that Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull s natural world now occupies only a tiny part of our land surface. The remaining habitats of woodlands, wetlands and grasslands are now isolated fragments of what used to be, and for many of us, especially in urban areas, our connections to nature are becoming lost. The traditional response of conservationists has been to try to protect the best natural habitats by owning and managing them as nature reserves. Although this has saved many places that would otherwise have disappeared, there is a growing realisation that we now need to do more than this if we are really to make a difference as climate change increases its impact. We need to reconnect nature reserves with the rest of the landscape, not manage them in isolation, and we need to work with farmers and landowners to make nature a central part of how the land is managed across large areas of countryside. We need to link the natural corridors in our towns and cities, providing routes for nature and for people to enjoy. And we need to spend more time ensuring that everyone is aware of the vital importance that nature has to our own well-being, wherever we live. Despite the pressures on nature, or maybe because of them, more and more people are showing their concerns by joining the Trust. Over the last decade our membership has grown from just over 5,000 to over 22,000 a fantastic response and a real indication of environmental commitment. It is this background that has inspired Warwickshire Wildlife Trust along with sister Wildlife Trusts all over the UK to develop a new plan for the future, where wildlife and people live and work together for our common good, to create a Living Landscape. 25,000 20,000 15,000 10,000 5,000 0 Ten Years Growth Membership A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Develoment Plan

5 A Living Landscape A Living Landscape The idea of a Living Landscape is to provide a new way of protecting and enhancing our natural world, by seeing it not as an optional extra, but a key part of our future life on planet earth. For us, Living Landscapes have three separate but related aspects: The development of new Large Areas where nature, farming, business and people work together to develop the best possible solutions for us all. Examples of such places include the Tame Valley, the woodlands around Princethorpe, and the Avon Valley. Linking natural places together across the entire county including cities, towns and villages to provide a Nature Network everywhere. Some of the links will be along river corridors, others may be hedgerows and spinneys, and they can link everything from domestic gardens to nature reserves. Encouraging everyone to value nature, and to do something about it. We already know that people can have and have had a significant positive effect on nature, where minds are focussed. The challenge is to get more people to realise the value of our environment, and to help protect and enhance it in any way, however small. We do not expect a Living Landscape to appear miraculously in just 12 months. It will require many years, and many partners working together, in order to achieve this vision. However if we fail in this process, we fail not just ourselves but future generations who won t be able to hear birdsong in their daily lives, or watch frogspawn develop into tadpoles and frogs, or enjoy the splendour of a meadow full of wildflowers, or go for a quiet walk in the woods. Achieving a Living Landscape and how you can help Turning a Living Landscape from a vision to a reality will take many years and many people working together for the same goals. The Trust will continue to develop its work under three broad headings: Wildlife Havens, Wildlife Champions, and People and Wildlife, with a fourth area, Managing our Business, to ensure we maximise our efficiency and effectiveness. These headings link directly with our nationally agreed Wildlife Trust priorities for the UK as well as with priorities for the West Midlands Region. Whilst we will continue to work at a strategic level from our Nature Centre at Brandon, we will increasingly deliver work at a local level through staff and volunteers based in all our local authority areas and major towns. Wildlife Havens includes all our work on the ground to identify, protect and enhance areas of land for wildlife, including our nature reserves and new Living Landscape elements such as Large Areas for wildlife and Nature Networks. Wildlife Champions brings together our work to influence others, including liaison with planners, farmers and other partners to help protect important areas for wildlife and to create a Living Landscape. People and Wildlife includes all our education activities and community-based work, alongside Visitor Centres, events and activities for everyone. A key focus over the next five years will be gaining support, awareness and action to develop a Living Landscape. Managing our Business encompasses all membership and marketing activities, including external communications and publicity, as well as our management systems for quality, Health & Safety, environmental and financial management. Gaining resources for a Living Landscape is critical. Our priorities in each of these areas are outlined on the next pages, with summary boxes of our objectives, measurable indicators of our performance, targets for 2014 and critical actions that we need to carry out. These lists are not the only things we will be doing, but they show some of our key priorities over the next five-year period. There are also boxes to show different ways that you can help! Opposite: The woodlands (green), grasslands (brown) and open water (blue) have been enhanced by providing 100m buffer strips in this computer-enhanced image, helping to reconnect habitats from Solihull to Rugby. 05

6 Wildlife Havens Wildlife Havens includes all our work on the ground to identify, protect and enhance areas of land for wildlife, including our nature reserves and new Living Landscape aspects such as Large Areas for wildlife and Nature Networks. We are fortunate to have a unique computerised inventory of all the land in our area: the Habitat Biodiversity Audit (HBA). First published in 2000, this provides an invaluable resource to help define new Large Areas for wildlife and identify priorities for new Nature Networks. Key Large Areas for wildlife in our patch include: The Tame Valley, extending for 1,850 ha (4,500 acres) from Staffordshire through North Warwickshire and Solihull towards Birmingham, with our Whitacre Heath nature reserve at its heart; The Princethorpe Woodlands, linking together 12 ancient woodlands around this mid-warwickshire village and covering an area of 400 ha (1,000 acres) including our nature reserves of Ryton Wood, Wappenbury Wood and Old Nun Wood; The Avon Valley from Gloucestershire through Stratford and Warwick to Rugby and beyond, linking our nature reserves at Cox s Island, Hampton Wood, Leam Valley and Welches Meadow, Sowe Valley (Stonebridge Meadows, Stoke Floods and Wyken Slough), Brandon Marsh and Newbold Quarry. The Arden, the historic name for the west and north-west of the county, includes many woodlands, old meadows and hedgerows once linked, from our nature reserves at Shadowbrook Meadows and Brook Meadow to Clowes Wood. In addition to working with partners to develop these Large Areas, we will continue to manage all our 56 nature reserves to maintain their excellent quality, with volunteers supported and assisted by staff. We will also add to our nature reserves to help develop a Living Landscape. Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) are the most important places for wildlife in the UK and are protected by law through Natural England. 'The second tier of sites, called Local Wildlife Sites, need further survey work, and their owners need support to maintain the sites in good condition, linked into Large Areas or to Nature Networks. We will further promote the value of the HBA to all its partners, with an on-going re-survey programme to ensure that data are not out of date (10 year cycle). We will also continue to support the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) to bring together key partners to protect and enhance those habitats and species that are of greatest value, helping to support a Living Landscape. What we will do: Objective Performance Indicator 2014 Target Critical Actions Create Large Areas for wildlife Manage & enhance Trust nature reserves Monitor habitats (climate change) Number of large areas created or restored Percent of reserves in favourable condition Area of priority habitat present 4 active large area projects 100% classed as favourable No decrease in priority habitats Plan and fund-raise for targeted projects Ensure ongoing volunteer management Develop monitoring and reporting systems How you can help: Individuals: Community Groups: Local Councils: Land Managers: Local Businesses: Get involved by volunteering some time Help by adopting a local green space for wildlife Help support planning for nature Help co-ordinate your plans with our vision Help by sponsoring species & habitat projects 06 A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Develoment Plan

7 Wildlife Champions Wildlife Champions brings together our work to influence others, including liaison with planners, farmers, landowners and other partners to help protect and restore important areas for wildlife and to create a Living Landscape. Our Wildlife Champions work includes both habitats and species, because with only 0.4% of our area under the Trust's direct management, we cannot conserve either habitats or species solely on our own nature reserves. Amongst the species we will be targeting for conservation action will be top predators (as they are good indicators of the overall health of natural systems) as well as rare or declining species where we can make a difference. All will be species identified using the Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP). Amongst the candidates for campaigns over the plan period are the otter, bittern, water vole, dormouse and wood white butterfly. Our campaigning work for sites and habitats will necessarily depend on the source of the threat, and most of these are not predictable over a five-year period. However the impacts of transport over the last five years - whether for new roads, airports or navigation - point to some likely pressures in the next five. We will proactively engage with farmers and land-owners to promote the Living Landscape vision, and will continue to engage with local authorities through the planning process, Local Strategic Partnerships and Community Strategies. As these plans set the agendas for a range of initiatives which could impact on the natural world, we need to ensure there is a voice for nature at all levels and that due regard is given to the Natural Environment and Rural Communities Act. Regeneration areas also represent both opportunities and threats to biodiversity in both urban and rural environments. The Trust's affiliated groups - whether for geology, dragonflies, badgers, bats or other species - will continue to play a vital role in providing volunteer monitoring data and practical help to support this work. We will support their development and encourage a close liaison with the Trust. We will also support the development of new 'Friends of' groups as a way of providing a local focus for conservation and engagement. As part of our delivery of Wildlife Champions at a local level, we will increasingly deliver work from offices in towns in all our local authority areas around the county, developing closer working relationships with our partners and providing for a Trust presence at a local level. What we will do: Objective Performance Indicator 2014 Target Critical Actions Develop species & habitat campaigns Promote the Living Landscape (LL) vision Campaign for wildlife WWT Targets within the LBAP Number of strategic plans including LL Number of people actively involved 5 species and 5 habitat campaigns 100% of new plans refer to LL vision 1,000 people active each year Plan and deliver campaigns Promote LL vision to all local authorities & others Engage local groups and monitor responses How you can help: Individuals: Community Groups: Local Councils: Land Managers: Local Businesses: Make a wildlife patch in your garden Help support local campaigns to save sites Adopt strong policies for conservation Encourage good conservation on your land Help by sponsoring campaigns 07

8 People & Wildlife People and Wildlife includes all our education activities and community-based work, alongside our Visitor Centres and the wide range of events and activities that we provide for everyone. A key focus over the next five years will be gaining awareness, support and action to develop a Living Landscape. For the future, our work to influence and inform children and young people is the single most important activity of the charity. If the next generation does not value and care for their natural heritage, then all our work on the ground will have been for little purpose. We will therefore continue to develop our work with schools, children and young people in a range of areas. For schools we will increase our programme of curriculum-related activities at our Centres, adding outreach work at schools wherever funding permits. Birthday Parties for children are proving very popular, and we will build on this by offering a wider range of environmental themes and activities. The Wildlife Watch club continues to offer the best outdoor wildlife experience for children, and subject to volunteer support we will develop this further throughout our area. We will also develop further our youth engagement projects, working with other partners to link heritage and environment through arts and media. Education is not just for children, however, and we will develop our programme of adult training and courses, some linking with the University of Warwick, to provide easy ways for everyone to find out more about nature and the environment. We will continue to develop the Forest School project as a way of training teachers to work with children in the natural environment. We will also investigate the potential for us to provide further training in partnership with local organisations and institutions, building on our successes with youth and community groups. Volunteering has always been a key part of the Trust s success, with over 450 volunteers registered with us in We aim to continue to encourage volunteering, where we provide a huge range of opportunities for everyone, with training and support in areas from practical conservation through work with children to marketing, Visitor Centres and office assistance. In supporting community groups, we will strive to encourage Trust Area Groups, local Friends of groups, Town and Parish Councils, and others to take an active part in enhancing and protecting their local patch. Our help will mainly be through staff time, providing support, training and guidance where we can. We look forward to a new network of affiliated groups associated with all local nature areas, promoting practical learning from each other. What we will do: Objective Performance Indicator 2014 Target Critical Actions Inspire people about the environment Engage with people to take action Encourage community groups Number of people involved Number of volunteers involved Number of groups with joint projects 60,000 people involved per year 600 active Trust volunteers 200 groups (inc. schools) involved Set up recording system and monitor Encourage & support more volunteers Develop central database of groups How you can help: Individuals: Community Groups: Local Councils: Land Managers: Local Businesses: Come along to our events to find out more Work with us on your local project Develop joint projects to engage people Help spread our message to your contacts Help with staff volunteering projects 08 A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Develoment Plan

9 Managing Our Business Managing our Business encompasses all our membership and management systems, including quality, health & safety, environmental and financial management as well as membership, marketing, external promotions, publicity and fund-raising activities. Attracting and retaining members is key to the Trust's survival, and we will continue to invest in this activity alongside providing support and information to members through our magazines, Visitor Centres and website. Members' support means we can campaign for wildlife from a position of strength, and it also gives us independent income to fund the Trust's vital activities. We always aim to multiply membership income many times through additional sources of funding and we will further develop our capacity to attract new grants, donations and corporate sponsorship. We also continue to promote legacies as a key source of unrestricted income. Our focus for fundraising will be on implementing our Living Landscape vision. We will develop our external communications, both through our new-look website and through contact with local and regional media, aiming for a greater coverage of nature and wildlife related stories in all our local media. We will continue to monitor all printed news stories and features, providing a measurable output of our effort. We will further develop our internal management systems, maintaining our accreditation as an Investor in People and our registration to the international management standards ISO 9001 and ISO14001, using the latter to help reduce our carbon footprint. Health & safety, risk management and governance will remain subject to regular review by our trustees. Financially we will continue to aim for a small surplus each year, to ensure that we live within our means. The Contingency Fund set up in 2005 will be monitored to ensure that we have a sufficient cash-flow buffer against unforeseen problems and we will continue to produce internal management accounts monthly to ensure we spend our money where we intend to. Regionally, we will continue to work with the five other Wildlife Trusts within the West Midlands to promote our cause at a regional level, funding joint staff and projects where appropriate. Nationally, we will seek ways of working together with other Wildlife Trusts to provide greater efficiency and effectiveness, continuing to play our full part within the Wildlife Trusts movement. What we will do: Objective Performance Indicator 2014 Target Critical Actions Increase membership Membership numbers 35,000 members (3.5% of population) 200,000 people aware of Trust > 2M turnover Continue to invest in recruitment & retention Implement monitoring system and report Raise awareness of Trust Raise more funds from all sources Maintain financial & management systems Media coverage, website hits Total income Apply for more biodiversity grants Accreditation to external standards Continuing ISO9001 & status Maintain and improve management systems How you can help: Individuals: Community Groups: Local Councils: Land Managers: Local Businesses: Join the Trust and leave us a Legacy Join us as an affiliated group Join us as a Corporate Member Join us as a Corporate Member Join us as a Corporate Member 09

10 Middlemarch Environmental Ltd Middlemarch Environmental Ltd was set up in 1989 as the commercial consultancy subsidiary of Warwickshire Wildlife Trust. It has evolved and developed significantly to its current position as one of the top six independent ecological consultancies in the UK, with a turnover in 2008 exceeding 3 Million. Each year it makes a significant financial contribution to the Trust through Gift Aid, enabling the charity to grow and develop. In addition to a client list of over 500 companies, Middlemarch Environmental now has framework agreements with several large clients, exemplifying its focus on quality of service. Middlemarch Environmental Ltd has three aims: To provide creative ecological solutions. To deliver high quality ecological products. To make profit to support nature conservation. In achieving these aims the company also adds significantly to biodiversity across the UK. There is considerable potential for the company to expand over the period to 2014, limited only by its ability to fund its growth and by any changes in national economic factors beyond its control. The UK market for environmental consultancy will pick up after the recession, with biodiversity remaining as a key issue. The company plans, therefore, to increase turnover to 5M by 2014, whilst remaining profitable and cash-positive at all times. The company will also further develop its support work to help deliver Living Landscape projects, using its proven expertise in ecological survey, habitat restoration and creation, as well as biodiversity monitoring. The company is increasingly working across the UK, and investigating further regional offices in order to improve services and be more environmentally sound. Working more closely with sister consultancies within the Association of Wildlife Trust Consultancies will provide in-depth support when needed, and developing further strategic partnerships with other non-ecological consultancies will provide a more complete service to clients. To encourage staff advancement, the company will maintain support for Investors in People, for Higher Degrees and for continuing professional development. Managing the growing work streams, whilst maintaining our quality and improving our efficiency will be key challenges over the next five years. What we will do: Objective Performance Indicator 2014 Target Critical Actions Become in the top 3 UK consultancies Help deliver Living Landscape projects Enhance staff expertise Turnover, profit and cash-flow R&D in habitat management Training and development Accreditation to external standards 5M turnover by 2014 Expands as market allows Promote capability to other WTs and NGOs Support staff, and recruit in line with growth Engagement in 10 LL schemes in the UK All staff with active CPD programmes Maintain financial & management systems Continuing ISO9001 & status Maintain and improve management systems How you can help: Individuals: Community Groups: Local Councils: Land Managers: Local Businesses: Recommend Middlemarch to potential clients Let Middlemarch quote for your projects Ensure Middlemarch is an approved supplier Ask Middlemarch for consultancy advice Involve Middlemarch with land-based projects 10 A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Develoment Plan

11 The Group - The Future Taking Warwickshire Wildlife Trust and its wholly-owned subsidiary Middlemarch Environmental Ltd as a Group, we have developed from a group turnover of 2 Million in 2004 to 4.5 Million in 2009, at the startling average of nearly 19% growth per annum. in the same direction. This plan aims to provide the overall framework for this direction, to help create a Living Landscape in our area. We hope that you can help us reach our goals - in whatever large or small way - so that we can achieve our vision of an area rich in wildlife, valued and enjoyed by everyone. Every year during this period the Group has produced a financial surplus, enabling its growth to be funded from its own resources. Having established these two mutually-supportive enterprises - the charity and the company - the challenge over the next five years will be to manage their continuing development in very different market places. However there are continuing opportunities for mutual support too, including joint projects and the further integration of a range of business and office management systems. The Trust and Middlemarch Environmental also have key roles to play within The Wildlife Trusts Partnership. For the charity these include support for regional and national initiatives, and playing our role in the democratic management structures. For Middlemarch Environmental there are opportunities to work with other Wildlife Trusts to provide consultancy support, playing our part in the Association of Wildlife Trust Consultancies and in delivering the Biodiversity Benchmark. Michael Bunney, Dr Andy Tasker, Chairman Chief Executive December 2009 Ten Years Growth in Group Income 5,000,000 4,500,000 4,000,000 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 MEL WWT Ultimately, however, the success of the charity will be measured on the ground in Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull, through the achievements of many people all working 1,000, , The Trust at a Glance Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is a registered charity (No ) and a company limited by guarantee (No ) established in 1970 to protect our local natural heritage and encourage people to get involved. It is a membership organisation, governed by its Memorandum and Articles of Association. The Trust is managed by a Council of Trustees, elected from its members, who provide the overall direction for the development of the charity. On a day-to-day basis its work is carried out by a staff totalling nearly 100 (at 31 December 2009, including Middlemarch Environmental Ltd, the Trust s wholly-owned subsidiary consultancy company). The Charity s Head Office is at Brandon Marsh Nature Centre near Coventry and it owns an Education Centre in Brueton Park, Solihull as well as leasing offices for Middlemarch Environmental Ltd west of Coventry. Warwickshire Wildlife Trust is one of 47 independent charities which form a national partnership The Wildlife Trusts with over 750,000 members and 2,500 nature reserves throughout the UK. The Trust s junior membership is part of the national environment club, Wildlife Watch, which provides projects for members and affiliated schools, so involving them directly with environmental issues. During 2009 the membership of the Trust rose to a record of over 22,000. If you would like to join, or find out more, please contact us: Warwickshire Wildlife Trust Brandon Marsh Nature Centre, Brandon Lane, Coventry CV3 3GW Telephone: (024) , Fax: (024) , enquiries@wkwt.org.uk Registered Charity No

12 A Living Landscape for Warwickshire, Coventry & Solihull Tame Valley 1,850 ha of wetland for wildlife, flood management and tourism Princethorpe Woodlands 1,000 ha linking 12 ancient woodlands re-connected for wildlife, timber and recreation The Arden A mosaic of woods, old meadows & hedgerows for wildlife, farming and healthy people Avon Valley Linking Rugby through Warwick & Stratford to the sea, for wildlife, flood management and for people to enjoy Everywhere A Nature Network links spinneys to woodlands, streams to wetlands, gardens to parks and grasslands, and people to wildlife everywhere For details of Wildlife Trusts in surrounding counties, please visit Creating a Living Landscape