News from the AONB partnership

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Pic ~ BareFoot Photographer Read on to find out what some of the AONB partners have been up to over recent months.

If you d like to know more about Nikki or how the Trust is linked to the AONB check out the Who We Are and What We Do sections on the Trust Website.

1 Isles of Scilly News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Newsletter outstanding scilly nature access beauty heritage Welcome to the Winter edition of our newsletter. Pic ~ BareFoot Photographer Read on to find out what some of the AONB partners have been up to over recent months. A January Day on St Agnes & Gugh Keep in touch Nikki Banfield is the Communications Officer for the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust; she is also working on AONB communications projects and is your point of contact for this newsletter: NikkiBanfield@ios - wildlifetrust.org.uk She ll be publishing quarterly newsletters and any feedback and comments are appreciated. If you d like to know more about Nikki or how the Trust is linked to the AONB check out the Who We Are and What We Do sections on the Keep in touch! Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty December Sunrise over Toll s Hill Pic ~ BareFoot Photographer Pic ~ BareFoot Photographer Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust Funded by: Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust registered charity number Winter Female Buff-Tailed BumbleBee 1

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust by Nikki

of big pieces of work taking place, many with initial, drastic looking results.

libraries for work as it is completed by the Rangers.

record of the differences in the areas being managed; thus showing the positive

Before & After on Bryher The Ranger Team spent much of October on Bryher completing

can see the difference It may take some time for the smaller plant species to return

2 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust by Nikki Banfield, Communications Officer The past couple of months have been busy with lots of big pieces of work taking place, many with initial, drastic looking results. As this has happened we have focussed on bulking up our before and after photo libraries for work as it is completed by the Rangers. We have taken some immediate before and after images and the plan is to keep a record of the differences in the areas being managed; thus showing the positive long-term results of what may currently seem like drastic actions. Before & After on Bryher The Ranger Team spent much of October on Bryher completing selective scrub, gorse comprosma and pittosporum clearance in specific areas around Timmy s, Watch and Samson Hill. We have put together a selection of before and after shots of this work so that you can see the difference It may take some time for the smaller plant species to return but now that the land is being managed they no longer have to compete with the bigger shrubs and trees for space and light. Comprosma removed ~ There s a view! (Well there would be if it wasn t foggy!) 2

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust by Nikki Banfield, Communications Officer Before & After on Bryher,

.. In October our Ranger Team also cleared some of the larger scrub, gorse and bracken from around Works Carn, Samson Hill on Bryher; the

Great combined effort on our historic monuments! Before After On St. Mary s.

willow has begun in ernest. Recently large sections have been cut in and around Porth Hellick Pool and the benefits are already starting to show!

3 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust by Nikki Banfield, Communications Officer Before & After on Bryher, continued... In October our Ranger Team also cleared some of the larger scrub, gorse and bracken from around Works Carn, Samson Hill on Bryher; the Community Archaeology Group then carried out a fantastic finer clearance of the entrance grave. The results were amazing; take a look. Great combined effort on our historic monuments! Before After On St. Mary s... Our Ranger Team have been working at Higher and Lower Moors and a programme of rotational management of the reedbeds and coppicing of the goat willow has begun in ernest. Recently large sections have been cut in and around Porth Hellick Pool and the benefits are already starting to show! Where some of the goat willow has been removed what was bare ground underneath the trees now has new shoots coming through! To find out more regarding the history of our reedbeds and why they are so important read the article on our website. Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust 3

News from the AONB partnership Autumn 2015 Gearing up for a great season on Scilly Islands Partnership by Carolyn Garman, Communications Manager When many of Scilly s tourism-related businesses

4 News from the AONB partnership Autumn 2015 Gearing up for a great season on Scilly Islands Partnership by Carolyn Garman, Communications Manager When many of Scilly s tourism-related businesses slowdown in late autumn and winter, here at the Islands Partnership, we enter one of our busiest times of the year. With membership renewals completed by the end of October in time for our AGM, we are then full-steam ahead with the new Isles of Scilly Guide - designing and writing the front end of the brochure, and gathering, checking, sorting and laying out all the ads and listings at the back. Every year, it is a huge task that has to be completed in time for printing pre Christmas. Now that the 2016 Guide is being distributed to interested parties far and wide, we re gearing up for the season. A lot of marketing and planning takes place at this time of year, particularly January and February. It is the prime time when people decide where they re going to take their holidays and short breaks for the year. We use the Isles of Scilly Guide as well as our website (visitislesofscilly.com) and events programme as key marketing tools to encourage visitors to the islands, supplemented by media trips, PR activities, digital marketing and print advertising and, of course, social media. We re also currently putting the final touches to Scilly s brand new on-island Pocket Map Guide, and re-kindling our successful Cruise Ambassador Meet & Greet programme, as well as organising trade events and business skills training for our members marks the start of a dedicated Scilly Events programme for the islands. All the planned events are designed to celebrate our islands remarkable beauty, creativity, history and heritage. All are also designed and timed to take place when we know we have capacity on the islands to fill. As you might imagine, the preparation for, and management of, every event is a long journey, meticulously organised by our events team. 4

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Islands Partnership by Carolyn Garman, Communications Manager Pic ~ Island Partnership Walk Scilly on Samson Kick starting this season from 9th to 15th

Many of the walks not only showcase Scilly s outstanding natural beauty and history with a number themed walks, there is also more opportunity this year for visitors to explore and appreciate our

This is a little later than previous years to help us extend the season and attract more wildlife walkers and birding enthusiasts.

5 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Islands Partnership by Carolyn Garman, Communications Manager Pic ~ Island Partnership Walk Scilly on Samson Kick starting this season from 9th to 15th April is Walk Scilly, our ever popular walking festival. Celebrating its 10th anniversary, Walk Scilly promises to be bigger and better than ever. Many of the walks not only showcase Scilly s outstanding natural beauty and history with a number themed walks, there is also more opportunity this year for visitors to explore and appreciate our wildlife too. This week-long festival will once again be supplemented by the Autumn Walk Scilly Weekend taking place 13th - 17th October. This is a little later than previous years to help us extend the season and attract more wildlife walkers and birding enthusiasts. Also planned for this year is a new Islands Regatta, a festive nod to Scilly s maritime heritage which will take place during the August Bank Holiday weekend. A Parade of Sails, Red Wing racing and lively shore-side entertainment are just some of the jolly activities planned. The Isles of Scilly Festival in May will be a month-long celebration of our islands Arts and Literature, incorporating the Folk Scilly Festival and Art Scilly; whilst Taste of Scilly, an islands-wide food and drink festival, will take place in September. The full events programme for Scilly can be viewed at visitislesofscilly. com. For Walk Scilly in particular, go to visitislesofscilly.com/walkscilly. And for further information about the Islands Partnership, including membership enquiries, call or visit islandspartnership. Visit Isles of Scilly 5

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Seabird Recovery Project by Jaclyn Pearson, Project Manager The project aims to protect Scilly s seabirds by keeping St Agnes and Gugh rat-free.

We continue to ask everyone to assist the project by reporting anything suspiciously ratty on St Agnes and Gugh. Please call the rat on a rat hotline number: 01720 422153.

back in January for the final rat check. This will be a busy and exciting time and we look forward to giving you the results soon.

6 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Seabird Recovery Project by Jaclyn Pearson, Project Manager The project aims to protect Scilly s seabirds by keeping St Agnes and Gugh rat-free. Rats eat the birds eggs and attack young chicks, and the two species most at risk are storm petrel and Manx shearwater. We continue to ask everyone to assist the project by reporting anything suspiciously ratty on St Agnes and Gugh. Please call the rat on a rat hotline number: Community Talk In November Jaclyn, Lydia and Holly gave a talk to the residents on St Agnes and Gugh, they gave an update about the project and explained how Wildlife management s Biz Bell will be back in January for the final rat check. This will be a busy and exciting time and we look forward to giving you the results soon. Scillonian III Ferry Guides and Seabird Safaris In volunteers took to the decks of the Scillonian III ferry on Fridays in virtually all weathers to help identify the various wildlife species visible to those on board. Thanks for your unquenchable enthusiasm and for pointing out no less than 18,666 animals (cetaceans and fish as well as seabirds!) while explaining all about the project to the passengers. Feedback from the latter included: It is great to hear all about the project before we even arrive on the islands. The successes so far are great and we will look out for more orange hats to talk to during our stay. Scillonian Gudes in Action Also big thanks to skipper John Peacock and Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust Ranger Rob Carrier for this year s weekly St Agnes boating Seabird Safaris. Feedback from visitors about Rob s commentary was particularly positive. And it was a bumper year for spotting dolphins too! Scillonian III Guides The Project is funded by LIFE, the EU s programme for financing key environmental schemes across the continent, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. This is a partnership project between RSPB, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding natural Beauty and Natural England.

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Seabird Recovery Project by Jaclyn Pearson, Project Manager Young seabird ambassadors - activities this winter On St Mary s in the autumn half term the

Watch the film which the young people presented, produced and directed here! http://ios-seabirds.org.uk/index.php?

They check 10 permanent monitoring stations, assist with shrew surveys and recently they had Apple Day. Windfall apples were collected up by the children to remove this potential food source for rats.

7 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 Seabird Recovery Project by Jaclyn Pearson, Project Manager Young seabird ambassadors - activities this winter On St Mary s in the autumn half term the project delivered a wildlife documentary education session for the Council of the Isles of Scilly Holiday club. We spotted plenty of shore birds and saw evidence of Scilly shrews. Watch the film which the young people presented, produced and directed here! Intrepid Reporters ~ Wildlife Documentary St Agnes School continues to ensure the islands have no sign of rats, the school children are our eyes and ears! They check 10 permanent monitoring stations, assist with shrew surveys and recently they had Apple Day. Windfall apples were collected up by the children to remove this potential food source for rats. So if a rodent does return to St Agnes it ll be nibbling on chocolate wax in monitoring stations rather than on juicy apples. In December we were joined by educational volunteer Susie Taylor, we undertook wildlife bingo outside and then back in the classroom she taught us how to make willow wildlife. We created Christmas marine animals including star fish, everyone had great fun. See pictures and listen to the audio clip here Shiant Isles Recovery Project This Autumn Project Supervisor Paul St Pierre and Project Manager Jaclyn Pearson visited the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides. These islands have their own Recovery Project too. They are similar in size to St Agnes and Gugh but are uninhabited and their high cliffs set different challenges. It was also great to exchange advice on these operations. Watch videos of the trip here: Follow the Seabird Recovery Project on Twitter and FaceBook to receive regular updates on their Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project 7 The Project is funded by LIFE, the EU s programme for financing key environmental schemes across the continent, and the Heritage Lottery Fund. This is a partnership project between RSPB, Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding natural Beauty and Natural England.

News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 The Duchy of Cornwall by Luke Humphries & Will Garratt Porthloo Boat Park Work is well underway to complete an 80 metre section of sand bank repairs after

Following the devastating storms of February 2014 these, along with other works, have been undertaken to restore some of the damage caused to flood defences.

Once completed, the bank will be sown with locally sourced Couch grass and Marram grass which will provide further stabilisation.

On the boat park itself, locally grown pittisporum hedges have been planted to establish soft boundaries rather than the paling fence that provides a temporary marker.

8 News from the AONB partnership Winter 2016 The Duchy of Cornwall by Luke Humphries & Will Garratt Porthloo Boat Park Work is well underway to complete an 80 metre section of sand bank repairs after work was paused in Spring 2015 prior to the visitor season. Following the devastating storms of February 2014 these, along with other works, have been undertaken to restore some of the damage caused to flood defences. The existing sand bank against Porthloo beach is being reinforced by a timber wall on the landward side and the bank itself is to be stabilised using a mesh netting buried just beneath the surface. Once completed, the bank will be sown with locally sourced Couch grass and Marram grass which will provide further stabilisation. The works have been funded by the Environment Agency via the Council of the Isles of Scilly. On the boat park itself, locally grown pittisporum hedges have been planted to establish soft boundaries rather than the paling fence that provides a temporary marker. The surface of the boat park has also been re-seeded with a robust variety of grass to help bind the soil and prevent erosion. Benches Pics ~ BareFoot Photographer Carpenters have been busy refurbishing some of the granite benches around the Garrison. Some have been fitted with new seats made from local Duchy elm stock and a visiting Journeyman craftsman has carved the Duchy shield into some! Whilst no new benches are permitted at the present time, if you have an idea for a memorial for a loved one then please contact us on St Agnes Roads The end of 2015 saw the conclusion of a large road re-surfacing project on St Agnes which completed the section from the new Island Hall to the quay at Porth Conger. As well as providing a smooth road surface for decades to come, the road has also been future-proofed by including conduit for future installations of communications and water, when required. The scheme was jointly funded by the Duchy and ERDF as part of the Island Hall project. 8

Birdwatching on the Isles of Scilly Trip Itinerary 2018

Birdwatching on the Isles of Scilly Trip Itinerary 2018 Operated by Wildlife Tours & Education Thursday 11 th October to Thursday 18 th October 2018 1649 This is a trip focusing on seeking out migratory