Ponds Prepared for Newt Tenants

In a bid to bring more wildlife into their local area, volunteers along with Tom Curley, Provost of North Lanarkshire today launch the SNH Biodiversity Awards by preparing ponds for Great Crested Newts at Greenhead Moss Nature Park, Wishaw.
 
The SNH Biodiversity Awards are part of the CSV Action Earth Campaign, which aims to encourage groups across Scotland to carry out projects, like the one at Greenhead, which benefit wildlife in their local area, and provide grants of £250 or £50 to help. This year is also the International Year of Biodiversity, which encourages communities to take action to find out about, and improve, nature on their doorstep.
 
For the launch of the SNH Biodiversity Awards - part of the national CSV Action Earth campaign - local volunteers have prepared for the reintroduction of the Great Crested Newt to the area – the largest yet most threatened species of newt.  This species has been dwindling since the 1940s due to loss of habitat, but volunteers hope that their efforts will help stop the decline.  Despite the amphibians being protected across Europe, their numbers are falling and volunteers can help by protecting their natural environment of grasslands and scrub for foraging, log piles and tree stumps for hibernation and ponds for breeding in spring.
 
In a further show of commitment to local wildlife, the local volunteers have put up bat and bird boxes in the nature park, and improved areas to benefit birdlife.
 
Lyndsey Kinnes, Operations Manager for Lanarkshire, Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH)  says: “Volunteers across Scotland are already involved in improving places for people and nature, both at local nature reserves like Greenhead, and at other local green spaces. We hope that more people from across Scotland will take action through the CSV Action Earth campaign by thinking up ways they can improve local greenspaces and green networks – it’s a great way to get out in the outdoors and enjoy yourself as well!”
 
In addition to Greenhead Moss's own volunteers, young learners from Springboard Scotland Trust (on the ‘Get Ready for Work’ programme funded by Skills Development Scotland) have been volunteering.
 
Local nature reserves are just some of the places where groups can consider carrying out their volunteering activity. Across Scotland, community groups, voluntary organisations, businesses, and schools can apply for CSV Action Earth grants for volunteer projects aimed at improving their local environment.
 
Robert Henderson, CSV Scotland says: “Action Earth in Scotland brings together CSV, SNH and Morrisons supermarkets to support local community action for the environment. As well as 100 SNH Biodiversity awards of £250 for projects across Scotland, there are an additional 200 grants of up to £50 available to kick-start other local environment activities.” 
 
Last year almost 7500 volunteers across Scotland improved land equivalent to the size of 37 football pitches and planted over 13,000 shrubs, plants and seeds. 150 Bat and Bird boxes were constructed, almost 250 tonnes of paper and cans were recycled, 4000 metres of path were improved and over 800 sacks of rubbish were filled.  Let’s see what can be achieved this year!
 
The CSV Action Earth campaign in Scotland runs until 31st July 2010. To apply for a SNH Biodiversity project for a £250 grant or for a £50 Action Earth grant call CSV Action Earth on Tel: 0121 328 7455 or go to www.csv.org.uk/actionearth
 
For more information on CSV Action Earth in Scotland contact Robert Henderson on 0131 622 7766 or e: rhenderson@csv.org.uk. 
 
How you can help the Great Crested Newt:
 
The Great Crested Newt is recognised as a priority for conservation action and is protected under British and European law.   Relocation/reintroduction of protected species is governed by law and can only be conducted under licence. 
 
Volunteers can help conserve the Great Crested Newt by:
 
-          making new ponds
-          restoring degraded ponds
-          managing terrestrial habitat for newts
-          sending in details of newt observations to local Biological Record Centres