Writtle Wildlife Watch (June 2014)

Writtle Wildlife Watch returns for June! Alan Roscoe is at it again and once more keeps track of the fascinating wildlife on campus! 

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I hope most of you caught up with the recent Springwatch programmes from Minsmere. Apparently the visitor numbers were up a staggering 50% as a result of the TV coverage although you do have to wonder whether the additional visitors were more excited about seeing Chris Packham than the wildlife!

It is good to see the BBC committing so much resource to programmes like this although (curmudgeonly grouch face on) just occasionally I wonder whether there is an overemphasis on the birds and the mammals – which, of course, the public enjoy – at the expense of the plants and other groups such as lichens and mosses. These are just as fascinating as the popular animal groups but, perhaps because they do not move, they are less appealing to the general public.

Pyramidal Orchid, Writtle College estate,
26 June 2014, Copyright Alan Roscoe.

We monitor a range of animal species on our own College estate but we also keep an eye open for unusual plants and now is the best time of year for many orchid species. We are lucky enough to have both Bee Orchid and Pyramidal Orchid on our estate and, due to the sharp eyes of a colleague (well spotted Roy), we have found a new site for them this year. Pyramidal is pollinated by moths and butterflies which visit the plant not for nectar, but for a watery liquid which is found inside the ‘spur’ part of the flower. Grains of pollen are then picked up on the insect’s tongue and the perfect symbiosis of this particular species and its pollinating insects was even remarked upon by Charles Darwin himself. 

Please also follow us on Twitter @WrittleCons.

Writtle Wildlife Watch (December 2013)

Writtle conservation expert, Alan Roscoe, has once again been observing the wildlife on campus at Writtle. Here, Alan reviews his December findings.

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"I am sure you have seen the recent pictures from around the country of the devastation caused by high winds, surge tides and heavy rain. Our human infrastructure can seem very frail when confronted with these challenges.

But have you ever thought about the impact on wildlife – and do you always assume it will be bad…?

One of the things which has been lacking in the British countryside in recent decades is dead wood – a great habitat for numerous species, especially beetles. But because we are such a tidy nation, we have been obsessed with clearing up any tree which falls over in high wind. Consequently there has not been much dead wood around, until recently, that is. But now we have plenty of it!

Stag Beetle pit creation. Copyright Tina Carter.

One of the insects which needs dead wood is the Stag Beetle. This wonderful creature is found in parts of Essex and to help it out, some of students this year used buried dead wood to create ‘Stag Beetle Pits’ on the Writtle College estate.

I see there is more rough weather to come but, as far as nature is concerned, it might not all be bad news."

Institute of Horticulture accreditation

Writtle College is renowned for the quality of its horticulture courses. Whether it’s an apprenticeship, post-GCSE course, degree programme or masters qualification, horticulture at Writtle attracts students from across the globe.

Here, Head of Further Education Horticulture, Tom Cole, discusses the College’s recent endorsement from the Institute of Horticulture.

Horticulture expert Tom Cole

 “Earlier this year I was delighted to attend the Institute of Horticulture (IoH) discussions over the institute accrediting courses. These discussions took place at the combined IoH Horticulture Training, Education and Careers Committee (HorTECC) and Horticulture Training and Education Providers Group (HorTEPG). I was fortunate to attend this alongside Higher Education Horticulture Course Scheme Manager and Senior Lecturer Sandra Nicholson who has a long association with the College. 

We were obviously thrilled to discover that the IoH had agreed to endorse Writtle College!

The question you may all be asking though is what does this mean for the College and what does it mean to students?

Writtle's Horticulture courses
attract a wide range of people

Well, firstly is means that Writtle has strengthened its links with the IoH. This is an extremely positive step as the two organisations enjoy an even closer relationship.

But most of all it is the recognition received from our leading professional body that we are a great institution offering excellent links and progression routes for all into the industry.  We’re also valued and respected and not just for Horticulture! This extends to Environmental Conservation, Countryside Management and Agriculture as well.

The people who benefit mostly from this are our students. They can come to Writtle and join our courses knowing they are going to be studying at a well-respected and historic institution that will give them the best chance possible of achieving their career ambitions.

Writtle Wildlife Watch (November 2013)

Writtle conservation expert, Alan Roscoe, has been busy putting together November's wildlife watch. This month provides a fantastic entry about crayfish! 

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Your blogger is very keen on crayfish sandwiches but his interest in these animals extends far beyond what he had for his lunch.

The chunky crayfish which turn up in sandwiches are commercially harvested American Signal Crayfish but there is a dark side to your lunchtime snack. In recent decades these non-native animals have escaped from captivity but, in doing so, they have brought problems for their smaller British cousin, the White-clawed Crayfish.

Our much more delicate native species has succumbed in huge numbers to a disease carried by the American species and the situation is now so grave that some of the White-clawed populations have been removed from their natural homes and re-housed away from the threat in so-called ‘ark’ sites.

This month Writtle Conservation students have visited one of these sites to help monitor the success of one of these re-homing projects. In conjunction with Essex Wildlife Trust, Essex Biodiversity Project, wildlife consultancy EECOS and the Environment Agency (yes, it takes a lot of people to save just one species!) our students trapped several crayfish and took their vital statistics. Work like this is essential to help monitor whether the population remains viable…. but it also gives Writtle undergraduates valuable hands-on experience and a head-start in the conservation sector.

Writtle College Postgraduate Conservation courses

Writtle College Conservation degrees

Writtle College Countryside and Game courses