wes_von_papineäu
Our Roving Correspondent
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2006
- Messages
- 494
- Reaction score
- 10
- Points
- 0
- Location
- Vancouver, British Columbia
- Country
- Canada
- Display Name
- Wes von Papineäu
24DASH.COM (Hereford, UK) 02 January 08 Log pile homes for Great Crested newts (Jon Land)
Log pile homes have been created for Great Crested Newts as part of an ongoing project to ensure the future of the endangered species within the Wokingham Borough.
During a day-long conservation task, members of staff from Cisco in Green Park left their desks behind and pulled on their wellies to help create log-pile refuges for Great Crested Newts and clear up woodland surrounding Mugnell’s Pond – which provides a spring breeding spot for the creatures.
The volunteers and their families worked alongside rangers from Wokingham Borough Council’s countryside service, to cut back willow trees that were encroaching on to the shallow pond in Dinton Pastures Country Park. If the trees are not cut back the pond would be taken over by woodland and the newts would lose one of their breeding spots.
In order to provide a winter refuge for the creatures the volunteers created several log piles – which the newts can use as a home until breeding season starts in early spring.
The work that was carried out on Friday December 21 is part of the 2007 Great Crested Newt Ponds Project, where the Berkshire Biodiversity Partnership gained funding from Natural England to create and restore several ponds across the borough.
Great Crested Newts are internationally rare and are a protected species. It is believed that there are now more than 60 breeding ponds for Great Crested Newts across the Wokingham Borough.
Simon Weeks, executive member for environment, said: “I’m really pleased that staff from Cisco decided to volunteer and help ensure that Great Crested Newts do not become a thing of the past.”
Nigel Townley, engineering director at Cisco, added: “The team and myself had a fantastic time and it made a superb and enjoyable team building event to finish off the year. I am pleased that we were able to support the team in some small way.”
http://www.24dash.com/news/Environment/2008-01-02-Log-pile-homes-for-Great-Crested-newts
Log pile homes have been created for Great Crested Newts as part of an ongoing project to ensure the future of the endangered species within the Wokingham Borough.
During a day-long conservation task, members of staff from Cisco in Green Park left their desks behind and pulled on their wellies to help create log-pile refuges for Great Crested Newts and clear up woodland surrounding Mugnell’s Pond – which provides a spring breeding spot for the creatures.
The volunteers and their families worked alongside rangers from Wokingham Borough Council’s countryside service, to cut back willow trees that were encroaching on to the shallow pond in Dinton Pastures Country Park. If the trees are not cut back the pond would be taken over by woodland and the newts would lose one of their breeding spots.
In order to provide a winter refuge for the creatures the volunteers created several log piles – which the newts can use as a home until breeding season starts in early spring.
The work that was carried out on Friday December 21 is part of the 2007 Great Crested Newt Ponds Project, where the Berkshire Biodiversity Partnership gained funding from Natural England to create and restore several ponds across the borough.
Great Crested Newts are internationally rare and are a protected species. It is believed that there are now more than 60 breeding ponds for Great Crested Newts across the Wokingham Borough.
Simon Weeks, executive member for environment, said: “I’m really pleased that staff from Cisco decided to volunteer and help ensure that Great Crested Newts do not become a thing of the past.”
Nigel Townley, engineering director at Cisco, added: “The team and myself had a fantastic time and it made a superb and enjoyable team building event to finish off the year. I am pleased that we were able to support the team in some small way.”
http://www.24dash.com/news/Environment/2008-01-02-Log-pile-homes-for-Great-Crested-newts