Contributed by Dr. Rebecca Cairns-Wicks

Funding success

The post box walks established by the Nature Conservation Group in 2002 are becoming an increasingly popular way for people to explore the Island. In addition, the Tourism Office has been promoting the walks along with sea based activities (diving, snorkelling, dolphin watching) as activities available to visitors. With increasing interest in these activities the Nature Conservation Group, together with the Fisheries Directorate and Director of Tourism have successfully submitted a project to the Overseas Territories Environment Programme for funding of £8,651.88 to address the need to establish best practises for providing services and improving the quality of the trails and tours, both terrestrial and marine, to ensure enjoyable and safe experiences for all. The Project will start in April.

Conservation in crisis?

On Sunday, 27th  February, 16 Nature Conservation Group Volunteers set off from Thompson’s Wood Garage to monitor the progress of the island’s rare endemic Boxwoods at Lot’s Wife, where they survive in the wild, and at White's Cottage, a more accessible site where they have been planted by volunteers. Sadly the Boxwoods had not fared as well as it was hoped, with only three individuals surviving at Lot’s Wife, out of the nine which had been growing well up to last year. A combination of mealy-bug and a lack of water seemed to have caused their demise.  Nevertheless the remaining three trees were watered and it is hoped that seed collection will occur later in the year as the shrubs are still currently in flower.

Devastated Boxwoods at Lot's Wife – Photo Pat Joshua.

Heavy infestations of mealy bug were also evident at the White's cottage site, which had caused the death of ten individuals since they were last watered by the Cub Scouts in January. The remaining 12 individuals were hand cleaned and watered but, learning from this experience, it is clear that more regular checking and post planting care of the plants is needed if more deaths are to be prevented. Volunteers felt that it would be sensible to discontinue further planting of Boxwoods at White's Cottage (but still take care of the ones that are there) until more resources are available to provide better after care.

The Gumwoods at Peak Dale which had been planted for the Quincentenary were also checked. The situation here was also grim. Very few of the 500 gumwoods planted by volunteers had survived. Prolific growth of the alien invasive wild Mango was partly to blame but also a major contributor was predation, with evidence of cattle, sheep and rabbits in the area,. The Millennium Forest, with funds donated by Flora and Fauna International, had arranged for the planting at Peak Dale in 2002 paying for the area to be cleared ready for planting and encouraging volunteers to help plant the trees. Further funds were made available last year to re-clean the area of invasive weeds.

More worryingly, wild mango, spore, ink and gorse are spreading into the large stand of mature gumwoods and many of the wild trees are being choked and are struggling to compete. With the exception of a few scattered individuals in isolated sites, Peak Dale Gumwoods are our only surviving fragment of original Gumwood forest. It is extremely important that we try to preserve and conserve the forest at Peak Dale because it is natural. This is where the diversity and biodiversity associated with the Gumwoods themselves survives, particularly endemic invertebrate beetles and weevils. The Millennium Forest is a site where gumwoods are being re-introduced into an area from which they were lost. It cannot replace the wild site, only complement it, and help raise the profile for the conservation of the Gumwoods.
On a more positive note the National Trust has just received a donation from the Eden Project, Cornwall of £1,500 for the conservation of the Boxwood. This money is part of larger, generous donation of £5,000 from the Eden Project. The remaining funds will contribute to employing two staff at the Millennium Forest and developing/purchasing local crafts for sale at Eden. It had originally been planned that the Eden donation for the Boxwoods would be used to provide infrastructure, water and fencing, for the White's Cottage site, but this will be considered carefully in light of the findings on Sunday.

Related Information

Member Reports May 2003

Member Reports October 2003

Member Reports January 2004

Member Reports April/May 2004

Member Reports August 2004

Member Reports July 2006

Member Reports December 2006

Member Reports March 2007

Member Reports December 2007