How you can help 25 Fenland species

– By monitoring wildlife and improving habitats with the New Life on the Old West team-

Planting hedgerows, digging ponds and growing bird-friendly crops are just a few of the actions that will help 25 rare and threatened species that make the Cambridgeshire Fens their home. These species represent the ‘DNA of the Cambridgeshire Fens’ and increasing their numbers will improve the biodiversity and health of the Fens.

We’re calling on local people, schools and community groups to join the New Life on the Old West programme and form expert-led working parties. These teams are busy creating new and enhancing existing habitat for species such as the great crested newt, turtle dove, common meadow-rue, otter, and grass snake. There’s also the opportunity to become volunteer ecological surveyors: spotting and recording views of the flagship species on nature walks – with full training from local experts. This monitoring will hopefully see an increase in numbers across the Fens and help us to gauge the impact of the work.

Grass snake found in Witchford in 2021

All 25 of the chosen species, listed in full at the end of this article, may be found on or around the Fens, are nationally or internationally endangered, are easy to identify, and will benefit from habitat enhancements. However, each species needs very different support. The emperor dragonfly, for example, has benefitted from recent warmer temperatures, enjoying a 56% increase in potential habitat as it can now live comfortably further north. At the same time, other species of dragonfly/damselfly are being lost due to flooding or ponds drying up. You can read more about dragonflies here.

Hedgehog numbers are down by 50% in just 20 years due to the reduction of hedgerows and fragmentation by roads and fencing. There is also less food available due to the increased use of chemicals in gardens, on farms and in green spaces. Building hedgehog houses and creating shallow sided ponds on community green spaces are just two of the ways that NLOW will help.

Turtle Dove

There are 98% fewer turtle doves in the UK since the 1970’s and this bird’s decline is one of the most drastic across Europe. This is partly due to a reduced breeding season caused by a lack of food for the adult birds. We are working with 10 local farmers to produce the food they desperately need as well as supporting the work of the RSPB on Operation Turtle Dove. Watch this space for more information.

To date, nine flagship species have been spotted during NLOW activities including nature survey walks and habitat improvement works and we are keen to spot and start monitoring the other named species.

If you’d like to become a volunteer, join a training session or to help improve local habitat working with wildlife experts, please get in touch via info@newlifeoldwest.org.uk

The 25 Flagship Species found in or around the Cambridgeshire Fens:

Amphibians

Common Toad Bufa Bufa
Great Crested Newt Triturus cristatus

Birds

Common crane Grus grus
Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Lapwing Vanellus vanellus
Swift Apus apus
Turtle Dove Streptopelia turtur

Fish

European Eel Anguilla anguilla
Spined Loach Cabitis taenia

Flowering Plants

Black poplar Populus nigra
Common Meadow-rue Thalictrum flavum
Frogbit Hydrocharis morsus-ranae
Greater water-parsnip Sium latifolium
Water-violet Hottonia palustris

Invertebrate

Common blue butterfly Polyommatus icarus
Emperor dragonfly Anax imperator
Eyed longhorn beetle Oberea oculata
Goat moth Cossus cossus
King diving beetle Dytiscus dimidiatus

Mammal

Chinese water deer Hydropotes inermis
Daubenton’s bat Myotis daubentonii
Hedgehog Erinaceus europaeus
Otter Lutra lutra
Water vole Arvicola amphibius

Reptile

Grass snake natrix natrix

How you can help 25 Fenland species