Charles Sinclair

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

Charles Sinclair writes for the Herald on behalf of the Sid Valley Biodiversity Group.

The importance of our gardens for wild birds can be seen in this photo. Can you spot four species? At the base of the bird feeders are two female pheasants, they are waiting patiently for the crumbs that fall out of the bird feeder as other birds visit and scatter bits below. With them another ground feeder, a dunnock to the left of the photo. Just visible on the feeder on the right is a nuthatch, one of a pair that have been regular visitors to my garden this winter. He is feeding on sunflower hearts, definitely the most popular food in my garden. The mixed seeds in another feeder are the next most popular, especially for the tits. In the top left corner of the photo is a green woodpecker, it spent about 10 minutes in that spot delving for food in the soft earth. The brown mottling on the grass is where the grass had been left long over the summer for grasshoppers, and cut in the winter; it has been a source of food for several species of bird, I guess that means there might be less grasshoppers next year as their eggs might well be part of their diet. The photo was taken on the 7th of February and highlights three ways in which our gardens can provide for birds in the winter, through raised (squirrel proof!) bird feeders, seed mixes for ground feeders and healthy messy lawns for soil feeders. The local results from the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch this year do not look very promising. The good news locally is that the one species that has done well since last year is the dunnock (or hedge sparrow), its numbers are nearly double what they were last year. On the other hand, three of the tit species have seen a decline on last year. The blue tit and coal tit are both down by approximately 40% but the greatest decline is in the number of long-tailed tits, down by 85%. This is a particularly alarming figure for one of our most charming bird species. The data we have collected for this information is quite limited so there are bound to be statistical inaccuracies within our figures, but the results certainly bear out my experience of watching the birds in my garden this year: I have seen no coal tits, the blue and great tits are in fewer numbers; long-tailed tits have visited my garden, but three has been the maximum, which is not flocks of a dozen or more that have visited in the past. If you can help there is a host of fantastic advice on the RSPB website, from plants you can grow, how hedges can help and even an advanced course for lawns. I must read that one myself. The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group will be publishing a full report on the Sid Valley Big Garden Birdwatch in due course, this will be available on our website, sidvalleybiodivesity.org.uk. We are awaiting the publication of the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch for 2022 to see how our local bird survey compares to the national results. Meanwhile, there is another opportunity to get involved with bird watching at the moment, the Big Farmland Bird Count is underway, running from the 4-20th February. Nicola Westlake is coordinating the count on South Combe farm, Salcombe Regis. If you are interested in helping with this, please contact Nicola on bullocknj@hotmail.com She has a great many initiatives in the pipeline and wants to record what the state of the birdlife is like on her farm at the moment so she can compare it to future populations once all the improvements have been made. I look forward to being involved with this myself.

On the western slopes of Salcombe Regis valley, down from the wonderfully named Frogstone, are fields belonging to South Combe Farm.

The herculean task for COP26 was to weld traditional practices with the disparate wishes of over a hundred represented countries. The passionate and compelling speeches that set the scene at the beginning of the conference were inspiring. But these were only the introduction, what followed was the intense negotiations matching these aspirations with the practicalities limiting each country’s options. We have a lot to thank Alok Sharma for, having expertly steered all parties through COP26. Limits were agreed on deforestation and methane emissions. There was some help with financing the poorest countries facing the worst effects of flooding, sea levels rising, droughts and fires. The inclusion to phase down the use of coal power and phase out inefficient fossil fuel subsidies was a significant success in the light of the number of major countries who still rely heavily on coal. Many felt it did not go far enough. I don’t think anyone can say ‘on course for 2.4°’ was a good outcome. What were the UK’s new commitments? Little seemed to emerge that significantly changed our position; I felt there was a sense of resting on our laurels. Yet concurrent with COP26 was the passing of the Environment Bill in parliament. This is where many of England's nature-based solutions have been enshrined. Legislation to improve air and water quality, reduce waste and protect nature are all included. Within this bill is the Local Nature Recovery Strategy something that can be clearly translated into local actions. National Parks and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty are the most likely beneficiaries of this legislation. It is up to local authorities to determine the designated area. Within this strategy they will need to describe the opportunities for recovering or enhancing biodiversity in terms of habitats and species. It is unlikely that we will see the Sid Valley designated, though the East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty might be. The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group can emulate this format for our valley by mapping habitats for protection or development and targeting specific species for support. Natural solutions can provide resilience in our biodiversity, producing healthier environments for us and our children. They are the most popular way of combating climate change. COP26 highlighted the even bigger role that the business sector had to play in reducing carbon compared to national governments. Carbon offsets were discussed extensively and can be purchased if a company cannot or will not decrease its carbon footprint. The funding from these schemes generates cash for nature. They are an important tool for generating nature-based solutions to climate change. However, there are two main problems with carbon offsets. Firstly, they have tended to undervalue carbon, so it has been a cheap way out for businesses. Secondly, these cannot be used as a substitute for decarbonising business. Given that natural solutions at best could only mitigate 25% of the necessary carbon, it must be that businesses significantly reduce their CO2 emissions for net zero to be possible.

What are our hopes for COP 26? The warnings from nature come thick and fast. The storm that brought down trees in The Byes two weeks ago, flooding, heatwaves, droughts and forest fires, these are all abnormal conditions. Global warming is continuing to destroy large parts of our living world. COP 26 is when we need to see action by the UK spelled out. There are two main factors generating carbon emissions into the atmosphere, one is burning fossil fuels, this accounts for about 75% of all emissions and the other is land management and food production. In simple terms the best way of thinking about a solution to the climate emergency is BURNING must come DOWN, BIOMASS needs to go UP. Most of the material being burnt in fires stem from fossil fuels. These fuels are gas, coal, oil, petrol and diesel. This is sequestered carbon from millennia of dead organisms. By burning fossil fuels, we are undoing millions of years’ worth of biological activity. All organisms contain carbon and biomass is the combined mass of all living things. The more organisms alive or stored in the ground when dead, the greater the carbon storage. What can we hope for from COP 26? Simon Jupp, our MP, has stated that the government is going to lead at COP 26 with natural based solutions. He said: “I agree that restoring nature is crucial and the Prime Minister has committed to protecting 30 per cent of the UK’s land by 2030 and will be making nature a key focus of COP26. As well as this, the Environment Bill has been amended in the House of Lords to require a historic, new legally binding target on species abundance for 2030 with the aim of halting the decline of nature in England.” At first these words sound promising, but I have some concerns. The first is the need to ‘protect’. The UK is very near the bottom of the league table for biodiversity, we are one of the most nature depleted countries in the world, 189th out of 218. Halting the decline is hardly sufficient when we have so little left. However, I would like to highlight four nature-based solutions that would benefit the UK. Firstly, the use of Regenerative Agriculture in which soil nourishment with organic matter is central to agricultural practice. There are exciting examples showing how this method has turned loss making farms into healthy and profitable ecosystems. Secondly, is the recovery of the UK’s woodlands to include native trees and 19% coverage of the UK land area. This will significantly increase biomass and habitats. Thirdly, an increase of 40,000 kilometres of hedgerow that would mitigate approximately 3% of the UK’s greenhouse emissions. Fourthly, and most exciting, the creation of new National Parks, such as the Somerset Levels, and the regeneration of current National Parks, to regain the lost populations of our native wildlife. Action and restructuring are what is needed. We will need to see dramatic proposals to measure up to the problem and they will need to be specific in order to ensure their implementation. At best, nature-based solutions can only achieve 25% of what is needed, so it is essential that fossil fuel reduction is also a major part of the way ahead. Our hope is for a greener, healthier and more balanced world, where nature is allowed to thrive alongside human beings. The Sid Valley Biodiversity Group has a stand in the Parish Church for the Science Festival Cop 26 Sustainable Market Day on October 16 where we will be glad to discuss any of these issues and where you can make a pledge to reduce climate change.