Cleveland reedbed before planting © RH Bewley

Reedbed after planting © RH Bewley

Dear Members

Since my appointment as

Chair of the CWP Trust in

December, I have been

getting to know the staff

and Trustees, and starting

to tackle some of the issues

facing the Trust. One of the

things we are focussing on is

developing is a strategic

plan for the Trust, and we shall be asking for your views

and input on this in the near future.

As members I would like to encourage you to take an

active role by telling us what you think, and encouraging

others to join us, if like us you believe that the Cotswold

Water Park can be a great place for wildlife and people.

Together we can help to shape the future of this area,

and create a destination which is recognised nationally as

a place where conservation and change can work

successfully together.

A barren landscape which was subjected to more than 20

years of gravel extraction at Cleveland Lakes has been

transformed into a

haven for wetland

wildlife in just three

years. In 2008, a

grant of £55,000

through SITA Trust’s

Enriching Nature

Programme enabled 33,000 reeds to be planted (by

hand) by volunteers and staff over hundreds of hours.

In addition 6km of temporary fencing was installed to

protect the young reed plants from grazing by ducks,

swans, geese, rabbits, and deer.

The result of this concerted planting has been amazing,

with the coverage of reed increasing from 120 square

metres in 2008 to almost 12,000 square metres in 2011.

Wildlife surveys on the

site have confirmed five

species of water bird

breeding and so far, 121

individual species made

up of birds, bats,

beetles, butterflies,

rodents, damselflies and

dragonflies, aquatic and

terrestrial plants have been identified and recorded.

There is easy public access to a wonderful viewing hide,

looking over the reedbed, about 1.5 miles walk from

Waterhay car park near Ashton Keynes.

Welcome to Issue 2 of the CWP Trust Members’

newsletter where you will find news of the exciting

and rewarding work we have all been involved with

over the past three months, a message from the new

Chair and news of forthcoming projects, plus a

tempting offer from the cafe @ the Gateway Centre!

Message from Sir David John,

Chair of CWPT Board

Reed all about it...

Downy Emerald © D Kilbey

Despite the cool summer, 2011 proved a bumper year

for dragonflies & damselflies in the Cotswold Water Park

with record numbers of the Park’s rarest species and

additional records of new arrivals. Over half of the

species of UK dragonfly and damselfly can be found here,

often in extraordinarily high numbers. In one of the most

spectacular sights, over 100 Downy Emerald dragonflies,

a nationally scarce species, were seen emerging

simultaneously at a lake near Somerford Keynes. Many

visitors will be familiar with the swarms of millions of tiny

blue damselflies in May and June, often being buzzed by

a larger hawker dragonfly, iridescent in the sunlight as it

twists and turns upon

its prey.

As dragonflies are a

clear indicator of

habitat quality and

climate, the monitoring

of the dragonfly

population in the CWP

provides important clues regarding minor

changes to climate and habitat quality, and will provide

an important record for future generations.

Gareth Harris, Biodiversity Manager says,

“Four years of surveys have produced fantastic results.

New breeding sites for nationally scarce species such as

Downy Emerald have been located, and although

weather conditions have not always favoured dragonflies

exciting discoveries have been made every year.

Tremendous thanks are owed to the expert volunteers

and the incredibly supportive landowners who permit

surveys on their land”. Steve Prentice, Dragonflies in

Focus Officer, British Dragonfly Society, says “Working

with the Cotswold Water Park Trust will make a

significant contribution to the new national atlas for

dragonflies, ensuring that this major inland wetland is

surveyed in detail to monitor the effects of increasing

area of habitat creation and the impact of climate

change”

Waterhay Car Park and picnic site is situated on the

outskirts of Ashton Keynes, and provides an excellent

starting point for some of the best cycling, walking and

horse riding routes in the whole area. It is also a beautiful

and peaceful place throughout the year, with wonderful

displays of starling flocks, dragonflies by the thousand,

access to some of the best birdwatching points, and easy

access to the Thames National Trail.

As it is such a key site for locals and visitors to the Water

Park, the Trust is extremely keen to keep it accessible for

all.

Unfortunately frequent

incidents of fly tipping

have meant that a

lockable height barrier

has been installed to

prevent any further abuse. As members of the CWP

Trust you are entitled to access the site with horseboxes,

roof mounted cycle racks, motorhomes etc - email

info@waterpark.org with your membership number to

obtain the lock code or if you would like more

information. The code will be updated on a regular basis.

Damsels and dragons...

Code for car park...

Dexter cattle at Waterhay © R Pasco, WGS

In November, eighteen diminutive Dexter rare-breed

cattle were introduced to the 23 hectare Waterhay

Reedbed, part of the Cleveland Lakes Reserve, 2,000

years after their Iron Age descendants grazed the very

same site. In recent years aquatic plants such as reed

and bulrush have spread across this site, creating the

Cotswold Water Park’s largest reedbed.

However, small willows have gradually taken hold and if

left unchecked could turn this well established reedbed

into a scrubby woodland. As part of the Trust’s

management plan, a herd of Dexter cattle is being used

to graze the site at certain times of the year.

“Working with Howard Ford of H & A Ford, Ampney St

Mary, with his grazing animals on our reserves is an

exciting new venture for the CWPT and provides a

historic link to the past. By cattle grazing on the invasive

young willow, this will allow the reed and bulrush to

flourish, and encourage a greater diversity of aquatic

plants, insects, birds, foraging bats and amphibians to the

site”, says Philippa Sheldrake, Senior Ranger.

The fields, known as Lammas Mead and once owned by

Ashton Keynes parish council were let to local farmers for

grazing cattle, then sold to Edwin Bradley in the 1970’s,

and dug for gravel in the late 1980s, before being used as

the silt settling ponds for the Cleveland Farm Quarry.

Prior to gravel extraction, archaeological investigation

revealed evidence of a significant Iron Age and Romano

British farmstead, where the farmers would have kept

cows, sheep and goats in ditched enclosures.

The nearest modern equivalent to Iron Age cattle is the

short legged stocky Dexter breed, chosen for their ability

to browse thick scrub, their unfussy diet and being

content to graze on wet ground.

News flash! The cattle have now moved to another site

but will return to Waterhay in late Spring when there are

more young willow shoots for them to munch.

From grebes to geckos, snakes to stone carving, deadly

detecting to brilliant birdwatching, more than 1000

people from 5 year olds to 95 year olds took part in

events at the Gateway Centre during October half term.

Basic but Brilliant Birdwatching with some hands on

feathery activities and quizzes, was followed by a lovely

birdwatching walk led by volunteer Tony Hawkins.

BBC Live n Deadly action

offered a very popular

quiz trail for families -

who committed the

wildlife crime of eating a

nest full of Blue Tit’s

eggs? It was the stoat!

People of all ages, joined

in Doodle a Duck Day,

part of the national

campaign, the Big Draw, aimed at getting everyone

drawing.

Exciting events...

When the cows came home...

American Mink

More than 150 people helped with the wonderful

window art, creating a beautiful Water Park landscape

with everything from dragonflies to ducks, otters to

ammonites, bats to belemnites, led by local artist James

Norton Bassett.

Stone Carving for Kids saw 30 children getting to grips

with hammer chisel and stone, producing some amazing

results, from carved ammonites to decorated letters,

swords, leaves and ladybirds to name but a few.

These two events were sponsored by Young Arts section

of the Gloucestershire Association of Decorative and Fine

Arts Societies, and we are

very grateful to

Georgie Hayward for making

this happen. In complete

contrast, but certainly no

less exciting at the end of

the week was the Jungle

Roadshow - Jonathan

Cleverly from Swindon

brought his monster minibeasts, all very live and very

large! The Gateway Centre was

inhabited by giant stick insects, a gecko, a tarantula, a

whip spider called Bob and a 5 ft long rainbow boa

constrictor, and many of the children were lucky enough

to get up very close and personal with these fascinating

creatures.

The Victorians were well known for collecting plants and

animals from overseas – and we are still doing it today

(although with a certain degree of tougher regulation).

Whatever the reason, be it aesthetic, practical or

whimsical, we like to move things out of their homes into

our own. Often such relocations go unnoticed, and are

not a problem, but sometimes these ‘non-native species’

become ‘invasive non-native species’. That’s when action

is urgently required...

The Cotswold Water Park has over time become home to

several of these invasive species, and the Cotswold Water

Park Trust has been working hard to turf them out and

keep them out. If allowed to go unchecked, invasive

species will have detrimental impacts on our native flora

and fauna, sometimes pushing them to the brink of

extinction.

Perhaps the biggest

success story locally has

been the control of the

American mink.

Alien invaders....

Himalayan Balsam © Ben Welbourn

Signal crayfish © J Bewley

Introduced into the UK countryside through escapes and

deliberate releases from fur farms, the American mink

has proved to be highly successful at hunting almost

anything that moves, including almost single-handedly

wiping out our native water vole. A project to monitor

and trap these invaders was set up in the Water Park in

2002, and is still going strong today. As a result, water

voles are returning to our rivers and streams, and mink

sightings are at an all-time low.

Many stretches of the

Upper Thames and its

tributaries are now awash

with pink flowers from the

end of spring and through

the summer months. Sadly

most of these pink flowers

are invasive Himalayan

balsam. Its exploding seed

heads make this plant a very successful coloniser,

allowing it to spread down river corridors.

Working with the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, Gloucestershire

Wildlife Trust and volunteers, the Cotswold Water Park

Trust have begun to clear large areas of this plant,

allowing native plants and animals to thrive once more.

Other invasive species such as Japanese Knotweed, Giant

Hogweed and Australian Swamp Stonecrop (Crassula

helmsii) are also found in the Cotswold Water Park, and

we are making similar efforts to eradicate them.

Sadly, some invaders are

proving a bit more of a

problem.

The signal crayfish is now

prevalent

on most rivers and lakes in the Cotswold Water Park, and

as yet there are no practical cost effective methods of

controlling them.

They not only pass on crayfish plague to our native white-

clawed crayfish, but also prey upon other fish species as

well as causing huge damage to river banks through their

burrowing activities. Until such time as an efficient

method of control is developed, the returning otter

population are feasting upon them at a fair old rate.

Sixteen members of the Cotswold Water Park Trust were

given an exclusive tour of the fascinating and extensive

archaeological dig taking place at Cullimore Gravels site

Round House Farm, near Marston Meysey recently.

Chris Scott, of Archaeological Research Services Ltd from

Bakewell, took the group around the site, which covers

about 5 hectares, moving back in time from 18th century

drainage ditches, through medieval times right back to

clear evidence of an Iron Age round house and boundary

features.

A large Roman ditch

cuts diagonally right

across the site,

showing strongly in

the gravel as a dark

strip of backfilled

earth.

The archaeologists’ work has revealed an extensive Iron

Age landscape, with evidence of people living, eating and

farming on the gravel terraces next to the River Thames

approximately 2000 years ago.

Digging up the past....

A B C D

Common toad © G Harris

In November, the Ranger team offered Trust members

delivery of a load of seasoned logs and we are delighted

to say this proved to be a huge success, with the entire

stock being cleared in less than two days.

Thank you to all those who responded so quickly, and

apologies to those who were disappointed but you will be

pleased to know the next batch are ‘being seasoned’ right

now and will be available for a fast and friendly delivery

service towards the end of this year.

Over the coming weeks Trust staff will be busy...

Digging a new pond complex near Lechlade....

Analysing Black Poplar DNA data......Publishing a new

CWP Leisure Map .....Rescuing Toads near Latton at

dusk....Surveying for signs of dormice.....Radio-tracking

bats..... Improving the Gateway Centre....Running and

devising a new events programme... Revamping the CWP

website.....Looking for a volunteer coordinator....

and much more!

Can you identify which Water Park wildlife these eyes

belong to?

Answers at www.waterpark.org/trust/join_us_2.html

On February 02nd

, the Gateway Centre reopened its doors

after a thorough two day Spring clean by the Trust staff

and volunteers. To mark this, and the arrival of a new

catering company to run the cafe, Coleshill Catering, all

adult members of the Trust are being offered a free tea

or coffee, on presentation of the voucher below.

Plus we would love to have your feedback....!

Please let us have any ideas for articles, comments and

suggestions for future editions of the Newsletter. Send

emails to info@waterpark.org

Why not follow us on Facebook

www.facebook.com/cotswoldwaterparktrust

And finally....

The eyes have it....

What’s next?

Free tea and coffee....!

cafe @ the gateway centre

a free hot drink per adult CWPT member

with this voucher &

your CWPT membership card.

Expires Feb 28th

2012

Logging off.....