Guernsey Press

National Trust looks to green corridors to fight species loss

GREEN CORRIDORS are being proposed by the National Trust of Guernsey in order to combat ‘the real problem’ of decreased biodiversity in the island.

Published
Guernsey Conservation Volunteers remove grass that they had cut a week earlier at the National Trust orchid field in Talbot Valley. It is cut by hand to help the flowers thrive. (Picture by Andrew Le Poidevin)

Establishing routes of restored habitat which interlink around the island would allow species a clear path to integrate and diversify, in turn restoring the natural environment.

It comes amid concerns about the loss of species globally after a UN global assessment report found that nature is being destroyed at a rate tens to hundreds of times higher than the average over the past 10m. years.

‘We, as an association, are extremely concerned about biodiversity,’ said National Trust committee member Mike Brown, ‘so much so, we have recently began a policy to regulate how our land is managed – this has even meant the loss of tenants.

‘It is vitally important to ensure the land is managed sustainably. If it is slightly less fertile it is actually more biodiverse, so no pesticides, no herbicides and no slurry.’

The National Trust owns land in every parish apart from St Andrew’s, by accident rather than design, and aims to attain more areas in order to create natural corridors.

‘In order to establish green corridors we need more land but that comes at a price. Ideally we would like to buy up property whenever it becomes available and then lease it to those willing to manage it sustainably,’ said Mr Brown.

‘As I say, we have already begun managing the land differently – for example, in the orchid field in Talbot Valley volunteers cut the field by hand because it is better for the orchids.’

Mr Brown warns that significant reductions to biodiversity are becoming commonplace.

An example of this is the sour fig, which has escaped from a domesticated setting into the native environment on the south coast.

‘The invasive sour fig is all over the south coast cliffs and must have come from somebody’s garden. Now it has spread for miles and completely decimated the environment,’ he said.

‘I know one prominent member of Environment Guernsey has called it an “environmental disaster”. We would love to be able to get a firm in to clear it, but it’s a logistical and financial challenge.’

A significant victim of reduced biodiversity has been the local bird populations, both native and migrating.

RSPB birders struggled to locate usually-common species during last weekend’s marathon birdwatch, inferring that populations are lower than average.

RSPB Guernsey general leader John Vocking said: ‘We found 90 species between the two teams. So the number of different species was comparable with other years but the number of individual birds had definitely decreased and we had to work hard to find some usually easily seen.

‘A good smattering of migrants along with the usual common birds, but waders were hard to come by, probably due to most of them already having left for their breeding grounds.

‘Numbers are decreasing though due to disturbance on the beaches and will continue to fall. We are all about addressing biodiversity and doing anything we can to replenish the environment.’

Green bands would ensure safe nesting areas for native and migrating bird species.

In addition, numerous National Trust properties are situated in coastal areas so would provide refuge for coastal birds while also enabling passage inland.

‘I think it would be really positive to establish green corridors in the island and I welcome the idea. I know there are some locations in Guernsey which are already established and linking them can only be a good thing.’