Volunteers plant trees to help rare bird survive (From The Northern Echo)

Volunteers plant trees to help rare bird survive

4:15pm Thursday 5th January 2012 in Crook & Weardale News By Duncan Leatherdale

YOUNG volunteers have planted more than 1,100 trees to help a rare bird survive the wild Weardale winters.

The black grouse population suffered a dramatic drop due to the severe winter in 2009 and 2010, prompting the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust to launch its Woodlands for Black Grouse Project.

Volunteers have planted the trees across Upper Weardale to offer the grouse a new feeding habitat when their favoured foods are covered by thick snow and ice.

In winter, black grouse depend on heather to survive but, when this is buried under snow, the buds and berries of trees and bushes provide a critical emergency food source.

The harsh winter of 2009 and 2010 highlighted the dependence of black grouse on woodland cover during these freezing conditions as the number of birds halved in areas where woodland was absent.

In contrast, in areas with woodland cover, the birds showed better rates of survival.

Fran Atterton, from the Game and Wildlife Conservation Trust, praised the volunteers for helping in the battle to save black grouse.

She said: "Despite considerable woodland planting across the region over the past 15 years or so, woodland is still absent from many key areas.

"An important aspect of the project is to involve members of the local community in events such as tree planting, to help people of all ages learn about this exciting bird and its importance to the future heritage of the uplands."

Youngsters from the Stanhope Duke of Edinburgh group recently devoted a weekend to the Project to plant two sites on the moor fringe, with children from St John's Chapel Primary School helping plant trees at a third site.

These events, which were run in partnership with Natural England reserve staff from Moorhouse National Nature Reserve in Upper Teesdale, have been hailed as a great success and the newly-planted woodlands of birch, rowan, alder, willow and hawthorn will be providing vitally-important feeding and cover for black grouse in areas where the conditions are particularly challenging during any harsh winter weather.

The project is funded by a Your Heritage Grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.

For more information on the project, or for advice on grants for woodland planting schemes for black grouse, contact Ms Atterton on 01833651936 or email fatterton@gwct.org.uk