Writtle Wildlife Watch, October 2015

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'Seawall' by Liftarn 

I was out and about the other day on the gorgeous Essex coast when I got chatting to two women who were walking round the sea wall. The walls are one of the joys of the Essex coastline, providing the walker with a panoramic view of both the sea and the land, with the former desperate to breach the defence and take back the territory we have stolen from it; the latter cheekily thumbing its nose from behind the safety of the wall.

 

The women were going the long route around the wall and were kitted out with boots, fleeces and binoculars, so clearly they had an interest in the natural world. There was much to see. With the tide half out, waders had been gathering in large numbers and a flock of over 200 Golden Plovers was passing overhead as we chatted. I had already seen Harriers over distant Northey Island and had been chuffed to bits to find a Pompilid wasp dragging its prey, a Woodlouse Spider, across the path. 



Moth tent

We remarked on the huge number of moth ‘tents’ we could see in the surrounding scrub and I said it was good to see so many this year, there having been far fewer in recent years. These tents protect the larvae while they grow and can be quite surprisingly robust. One of the women said there were far too many moth tents and she hoped they did not kill off the trees. 

 

In other words, ‘trees good, moths bad’. This got me thinking. 

 

Firstly, what do we regard as ‘wildlife’? 

 

There appears to be a hierarchy in the way we regard our wildlife and this is often reinforced with spectacular ignorance by the British press. The famous biologist E. O. Wilson advanced the notion of ‘biophilia’ but perhaps we are instead in the grip of ‘biophobia’. Mammals, birds and trees: good. Amphibians, dragonflies and fungi: so so. Wasps, snakes and thistles: bad. Sadly, the consequence is that often only the first group actually count as ‘wildlife’ as the others are too horrible to contemplate. Why is this? Are we conditioned at an early age to appreciate the cute, fluffy and accessible and to despise the challenging, awkward and stingy? If so, we have problems, as ecosystems rely on far more than the cute and fluffy to make them work. Where would we be without the pollinators (including wasps and flies) and the detritivores (slugs and slime moulds)? We would have no food and we would be up to our knees in waste, that’s where! 

 

Secondly, why are the British obsessed with trees? 

 

I suspect this is partly to do with what we regard as ‘nature’ and partly as a result of confusion around general green issues such as climate change, global temperature regulation and sustainable timber harvesting. More trees must be good, because we keep telling ourselves it is the case. 

 

People sometimes say to me ‘Well, France and Germany have far more trees than we do’. But it’s not a competition. And even if we could, do we really want to cover our wonderful heathlands, fens and grasslands in trees? Of course not. 

 

Thirdly, what’s wrong with a dead tree? 

 

My co-chattees (as Alan Partridge may have described them) were concerned that the trees might be killed by the presence of the moths. I do not want to seem mean but my first thought was ‘so what?’, although I promise I did not actually say it out loud. 

 

The fact is, we are now beginning to realise that dead wood has a key role to play in the way ecosystems work and we need a lot more of it. Conservationists now wince at our collective reaction to the storm of 1987 after which everyone rushed to tidy up the countryside and remove all that lovely dead wood. A handy publication is the Forestry Commission’s ‘Life in the Deadwood’ which I urge you to find online. A dead tree is a good tree! 

 

And on that happy note, until next time…

 

 

Written by Alan Roscoe

RDA National Championships!

Hi there! My name is Kyrby Brown and I am a 2nd year student studying Equine Studies and Business Management at Writtle College. I am also a competitive grade 1b para-dressage rider with the disability Arthrogryposis, which affects the movements of muscles and joints in all four limbs.

  

Kyrby Brown and Pip

I started riding at the age of three for therapy, but as I grew older I realised that I wanted to take this further and make it more than just a hobby. I have never owned my own horse, however over the last few years I have been fortunate enough to have access to some fantastic horses who have all taught me so much. My partner for this year, Pip (a 16.1hh, 19 year old Portugues), is one such horse.  

 

This year I was fortunate enough to qualify for the RDA National Championships, which are held every year in Hartpury, Gloucestershire. The Championships bring together hundreds of riders from all over the United Kingdom who compete in a range of disciplines including Dressage, Carriage Driving, Vaulting and Countryside Challenge.

 

In order to qualify riders must first take part in a Regional Qualifier and score in the top 2 with scores over 60%. I took part in this qualifier in 2014 but unfortunately did not qualify. However, this year I was determined to do so, I made it my goal to get to the National Championships in 2015. Pip and I came through with a personal best of 69% and first place at the regionals! I was ecstatic as this was my main goal for the year, to train and compete at Nationals.   

 

The National Championships are a huge event; each competitor is graded according to the severity of their disability and how they are affected. The grades are 1a, 1b,II, III and IV. There are also visually and intellectually impaired classes. The higher the grade, the more able (more movement, stronger, etc.) you are. The gradings mean that competitors compete as equals and makes the competition fair. Due to being affected in all four limbs I am classified as a grade 1b.

 

The tests are scored according to the ‘normal’ dressage rules and are ultimately about accuracy, harmony and level of training. The horses are all trained in the same way so they have to learn to adapt to the riders individual aids, special equipment can be used but must be authorised. For example, I use loop reins and toecaps on my stirrups. We all train using the same scales of training as able-bodied riders, I trained very regularly in the run up to the Championships, I also had to arrange and choreograph my freestyle which is ridden to music.

 

I was competing in the grade 1b championships and the 1b freestyle to music. Due to a bit of excitement in the warm up we were not as relaxed as I would like throughout the Championship test, scoring 63% and coming 4th. The freestyle went slightly better as we had had a little more time to 'tune in' and settle down so overall we came 2nd!

 

I was very happy with my results as it was my first year competing and a lot to take in, we have improved a great deal since last year and I hope to come back fighting next year as well! I have so much still to learn but I know, as my understanding grows, my riding improves - as does my results.

 

Above all, Nationals proved to be a fantastic experience for me, this is - in no small part - thanks to the fantastic team of riders, grooms and horses that is Oaklands RDA, who have supported me to achieve my goals this year and continue to do so with each ride.

 

I travelled to the championships alongside my family and groom/all-round-helpful-person Jen (Edwards), who is also on the same course at Writtle. I could not have had better support and cannot thank everyone enough.  I would like to especially thank Sarah Moreland and the brilliant team at Oaklands RDA who made the entire venture possible and Clive Milkins whose coaching has contributed a great deal to my understanding and progress in my riding. 

 

Finally, I would also like to thank my fabulous training partner Pip and his owner Emma Brown. This wonderful, experienced horse has taught me a great deal and continues to teach me each time I ride. 

 

Bring on next year and everything in between!

 

 

Written by Kyrby Brown

Writtle Wildlife Watch, July 2015

Do you ever dread those newspaper articles which begin with the words ‘Research suggests that…?' As someone with a science background, I do take exception to the way the media is happy to cherry-pick research and quote it out of context just to make a headline. 

 

But just recently – and perhaps you saw this on Springwatch – there was a really nice national survey undertaken to establish the identity of ‘Britain’s National Bird’. Clearly this was simply a popularity contest as there were no constitutional, social or political parameters as such, so the winner’s credibility as ‘national bird’ might be challenged!

 

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'European Robin' by Francis C. Franklin

It was however, a nice exercise and the winner was….cut to faces of various candidates in TV cookery show style…..the Robin. No surprise there, but some others were very interesting choices. What caught my attention was that there were no fewer than three birds of prey (Barn Owl, Red Kite, Hen Harrier) which seems rather contrary to the message I sometimes hear about how concerned we all are (allegedly) about the impact of these birds on populations of songbirds. That argument is, of course, unbelievably weak as firstly, raptors are generally at the top of food chains and if populations of prey species decline, then so do the predators. And secondly, not all raptors predate other birds.

 

So today I am launching a new survey to find Britain’s Most Important Bird. And, as if by magic, I am delighted to announce the results are already in! In reverse order and with reasons for their importance, the top five are: 

 

5) Turtle Dove 

A bird which has declined by a staggering 88% between 1995 and 2012, most probably as a result of herbicide use in the arable enviromnent and the general intensification of agriculture. Now a real ‘indicator’ species of the health of our farmed environment. Farming accounts for about two thirds of the UK’s land cover.

 

 4) Bee-eater

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'European Bee-eater' by Elogollimoh 

A species which has just started breeding in very small numbers in the UK, perhaps suggesting that our climate is warming to the point where our UK bird list may change irrevocably in the next few years. A real humdinger of a bird with a weird, warbling call. Even more staggering in the flesh than in the photos.

 

3) Hen Harrier

A hugely controversial bird due to its preference for the chicks of Red Grouse. This puts it into conflict with gamekeepers, with a very heated debate about the way we manage our upland areas being the result. And on going and fascinating situation which concerns not only a single species, but is about the future of entire swathes of our countryside….

 

2) House Sparrow 

Martha was the very last Passenger Pigeon. She died alone in Cincinnati Zoo in 1914. The extinction of her species was, at one time, considered an impossibility due to the fact they once numbered in their billions. Yet they are gone and unless we keep an eye open for all species, we risk losing them. The House Sparrow, once almost ubiquitous, has declined by 71% since 1977. Might it go the same way?

 

1) Nightjar

Image courtesy of Wikipedia
'European Nightjar' by Dûrzan cîrano

The final choice is a little off-the-wall, a bit like the bird itself. Yes, they are rare but that is not why the judging panel (me) chose it. It is because it is a bird which is full of mystery, not least due to the fact that it is only active at night. Legend had it that the bird stole milk from goats (hence the scientific name of the genus, Caprimulgus, or ‘goat-sucker’!) but the charm of hearing their churring call and watching their distant silhouettes on a warm summer’s evening is an experience never to be forgotten. The Nightjar represents something we are at risk of losing – a sense of wonder at the natural world.

 

 

Written by Alan Roscoe

Writtle Wildlife Watch, June 2015

One of the joys of being a lecturer on the Conservation scheme here at Writtle is that you get to visit some wonderful places. And this year we took our first and second year students away for a week to the glorious area of the south coast, the New Forest. 

 

Maiden Castle, Dorchester

During what the Two Ronnies might have called ‘a packed programme’, (goodness, that makes me feel positively antediluvian!) we went all over Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire, visiting some great sites and talking to people working in a huge variety of Conservation jobs. 

 

For me though, the mini-highlight was on the Thursday when we stopped off to have a look at Maiden Castle, a magnificent Iron Age hillfort just south of Dorchester. Always impressive and giving beautiful views over the surrounding countryside, it is a particularly good spot for finding various birds such as Linnet, Skylark and Corn Bunting. And I thought that was all we were going to find but on the way down, student Jimmy suddenly stopped and said ‘Alan, what’s this funny beetle?’. 

 

Oil Beetle at Maiden Castle

Now, many species of insect are special but then there are others which really have the ‘wow’ factor. And Jimmy had found one of the latter – an Oil Beetle. 

 

Oil Beetles are peculiar and charming in equal measure. They are rather odd to look at, with an elongated body and narrow head, but have an exquisitely glossy sheen of black, violet and blue. They are totally reliant on solitary bees for the completion of their lifecycle, with the beetle larvae climbing flower-stems and waiting in flowers in order to hitch a ride on a passing bee. Back in the bee’s nest the larvae of the beetle feeds on its eggs, as well as the stores of nectar and pollen before emerging as an adult. 

 

We have lost three of our species in recent years and now only five are left. They favour flower-rich grasslands of the type found at Maiden Castle but sadly, we have lost many of these sites in recent decades, making an encounter with an Oil Beetle even more special.

 

Yes, we did see a Corn Bunting as we left but somehow it wasn’t the best wildlife sighting that day.

 

 

Written by Alan Roscoe

What it's like being a Horticultural student at Writtle...

Samuel Moore tells us what first interested him in Horticulture, and how he pursued his passion for plants by studying Horticulture at Writtle College. During his time at the College, Samuel, along with his classmates, has achieved many prestigious awards including 'Best in Show' at the Ideal Home Show earlier this year. But you'll see from Samuel's blog below, their success didn't end there! 
 

The only way in which my horticultural education experience can be best be described is 'magical'.

I first became interested in learning about plants and gardens when I was around about 15; this cumulated in myself studying an ICS Diploma in Garden Planning and Development and this allowed me to progress into studying at Writtle College.

I was offered a place on the Level 1 in Horticulture, but just a few days into the course the experienced and supportive staff at Writtle felt that I was capable to undertake my studies at level 2.  I learnt many practical skills and the theory behind their practise which enabled me to progress on to the level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture.

Samuel (right) and classmates at the Ideal Home Show

My time at Writtle College has enabled me to take advantage of a some fantastic experiences that all of the horticultural departments have made possible.  From designing and building a show garden at the prestigious Ideal Home Exhibition, to representing Writtle at the National Final IOH 'Young Horticulturalist of the Year'.   

Entering ‘Young Horticulturalist of The Year’ has left me feeling proud of my efforts and it has capped off a great academic year after achieving Gold, ‘Best in Show’ and ‘People’s Choice Award’ with the rest of my classmates for our show garden ‘Beyond the Wood’ at the Ideal Home Show.

I entered the IOH competition last minute and I would never had imagined reaching the final. The heat at Writtle was tense with two tie-breaks needed to separate a winner… something that was unheard of!

The regional final was nerve racking but good experience. The competition included plant and 'pest and disease' identification and buzzer rounds, along with directed questions. I managed to win the regional final which I never would of expected! 

The national final was exactly the same format as the regional final, and it was held at Barrington Court in Somerset. Again, I was nervous and the competition was of a very high calibre. The other competitors were very knowledgeable and my nerves left me too slow on the buzzer, which proved to me finishing 7th in the competition.

Ben Wincott (right) and students

I would recommend studying horticulture at Writtle College to anyone, as every aspect of the course is amazing. The opportunities and knowledge I have had access to has given me the confidence to continue my studies at Writtle on the Bsc (Hons) in Landscape and Garden Design.

Without Writtle, I wouldn’t have experienced the wonderful world of horticulture and the range of opportunities that are available through it. I particularly feel that the lecturers are of a high quality and that they put their students first, particularly Ben Wincott who absolutely inspires me with his knowledge and his attitude towards education, horticulture and his students.
 

Written by Samuel Moore

Build Week, Results and Elation!

So the build week was here, and for me it started at 7am, in a lorry, travelling up to London Olympia to unload the components for our show garden. It was to be a long and stressful week. Tensions ran high which was not helped by the hustle and bustle of the convention environment, and having to move all of our equipment multiple times, but as a team we worked through it.

Stress was alleviated in the evenings by calm group meals, and it was good to socialise with each other, leaving the stresses of the day behind us and preparing for the next working day.

The finished piece.

The plan was to be finished by the Wednesday, but we had not finished everything we wanted to, so a good percentage of us travelled back up to London to finish the garden. That evening, knowing what we had accomplished, it felt amazing and the excitement for the results was could be felt among the group.

Friday was the big day, our gardens were going to be open to the public and would be judged. Lecturer Ben Wincott, and student Sam Moore were initially interviewed for ITV, and we all eventually featured on the news item. An important role was bestowed upon Rob Band and Francesca Le Maistre Banham, they were chosen to pitch to the judges. Many of us would have been over the moon to have this opportunity, but we felt as a group, these two conveyed the passion and idea coherently and would be strong ambassadors of Writtle College. When they were speaking, the judges looked so invested in what they were saying, and this spread positivity through the group.

The winning team with their prizes.

Once this was completed it was time to wait.  We were all very proud of the garden we had created, but what we were awarded with blew our minds! Not only were we one of two gardens to get Gold , but we also got the coveted Best in Show award. All the hard work and the long hours had paid off, and we had done what we wanted to achieve.

I can personally say that I have so much pride for all of the group We stepped up our game and created a very ‘sexy’ looking garden, as said by Alan Titchmarsh. Receiving a compliment like ‘this garden should be at Chelsea’ is an accolade we did not expect. The support by the media and on social media has been incredible and has given all a hint on what we can actually achieve.
 

The Ideal Home Show has been an experience that will stay with me forever. Something that not many courses offer, which makes studying Horticulture unique. And with continued support like we have had this year, the gardens should just get better and better each year.
 

A massive thank you to all the sponsors, Ideal Home Show and definitely to Ben Wincott and Simon Watkins for their support.

Listen to what Alan Titchmarsh has to say about the award here: https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=10152868772603473

Written by Joshua Kemp
 

Equine Sports Therapy students give Pie a well needed massage!

We all like a good massage from time to time, and as it turns out, so does our latest resident – Pie, a young male horse that recently joined the college from World Horse Welfare. But what are the benefits of massaging a horse, and how did it all come about? Equine Sports Therapy student Catriona Wilshere has the answers...
 

On the 25th February new arrival Pie received a soft tissue massage from 3rd year Equine Sports Therapy students. Many of the Equine Sports Therapy students are currently studying for their Equinology Equine Bodyworker certificate, and the Writtle College horses are subsequently treated to frequent massages.  
 

Before the soft tissue massage was performed a static and dynamic assessment of Pie was undertaken in order to asses Pie’s conformation, as well as to allow any areas of muscle atrophy and hypertrophy and regions of muscle tension to be noted. Pie was extremely well-behaved throughout the assessment, allowing all aspects of the assessment (which included picking all his hooves to check his balance, examining the symmetry of the pelvic tuberosities and checking his rounding reflex) to be performed with ease. During the static assessment some areas of tension were located within his neck and gluteal muscles and slight wear was noted on the medial aspect of his right fore, suggesting he lands more heavily on this side of his hoof when moving.

Image courtesy of Laura Sullivan

Following the static assessment Pie was assessed dynamically.  Again, it was evident from both the walk and the trot that Pie possessed some areas of muscle tension within his body. Due to the muscle tension observed during both the static and dynamic assessment, it was decided that a soft tissue massage would prove to be both a beneficial and enjoyable experience for Pie.

Following the dynamic assessment Pie was returned to his stall in order for the massage to be performed.  Although at first he was distracted by trying to steal his fellow horse’s hay from underneath the stall walls, Pie quickly relaxed into the massage, showing a particular liking for the firm slow strokes of the glide, as well as thoroughly enjoying the work performed on his rhomboids, deltoids and ascending pectorals. Despite his young age, Pie proved to be a delight to work on, willingly performing all stretches and quick to demonstrate a preference for a particular stretch or movement, or to relax when an area of tension was released.

All too soon for Pie, the massage was complete. The areas where tension had been found previously were rechecked and the muscle tension was found to have significantly reduced, with Pie showing almost no tactile response in previously sensitive areas. Some follow up exercises were suggested and owing to his excellent behaviour and clear enjoyment of the process, no doubt Pie will become a firm favourite amongst therapy students looking to practise their massage skills.

 
Written by Catriona Wilshere, 3rd year BSc (Hons) Equine Sports Therapy student.