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Wildlife Matters LIVE
Watch the livestream: Cornwall's Bottlenose DolphinsJoin us for a series of live project updates!
As a supporter of Cornwall Wildlife Trust, we invite you to join us, virtually, for Wildlife Matters LIVE. In this online livestream series, we will host project updates featuring a panel including Cornwall Wildlife Trust staff, project partners and supporters. Each Wildlife Matters event will give an overview of the project, work undertaken to date and what's coming next. This is a great opportunity to see the impact of your support and to ask any burning questions to our panel of experts.
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Watch back: Wildlife Matters LIVE - Cornwall's Bottlenose Dolphins
Cornwall is among the best places to see dolphins and porpoises! Watch our last ‘Wildlife Matters LIVE’ event of 2021 to learn more about the South West’s resident pod of bottlenose dolphins; what we know about them, why they’re unique and where you can spot them. With overwhelming support for our Dolphin & Porpoise appeal, you’ll also hear how your donations have made a difference and what work Cornwall Wildlife Trust and partners are undertaking to protect Bottlenose Dolphins in our waters. We were joined by:
- Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Nick Tregenza, Founder of the Cornwall Dolphin Group
- Shauna Corr, PhD student at the University of Exeter
- Saskia Duncan, Master’s Student at the University of Plymouth
Chaired by Carolyn Cadman, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Chief Executive
Timestamps
01:53 - Bottlenose Dolphins in Cornwall and their importance (Nick Tregenza)
05:53 - Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine conservation projects helping to protect Cornwall’s Bottlenose Dolphins (Abby Crosby)
12:21 - The South West’s inshore pod of Bottlenose Dolphins (Shauna Corr)
23:56 - Bottlenose Dolphin Management Practices and Protection (Saskia Duncan)
35:11 - How you can help Cornwall’s Bottlenose Dolphins (Abby Crosby)
39:08 - Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s Dolphin and Porpoise Appeal Video
Questions:
41:44 - Are porpoises different from dolphins?
42:41 - Do common dolphins and bottlenose dolphins cohabit?
43:20 - Has there ever been incidences where resident dolphins have travelled between countries?
44:16 - We saw many pods of dolphins in Cornwall whilst we cruised from Dartmouth to Penzance in July and August 2021. How might we tell if this was the resident pod of bottlenose dolphins? Is there only one pod?
44:59 - How do you deal with reports of disturbance or harassment?
46:50 - Are bottlenose dolphins afraid of orca?
47:50 - How do bottlenose dolphins react to different areas of water?
50:03 - What more could be done to reduce disturbance to Cornwall’s dolphins?
51:26 - Is it worth submitting sightings and photos of dolphins so long after the event?
52:10 - Are dolphins attracted more inshore due to human activity (being social creatures) or are they drawn in by prey?
Watch back: Wildlife Matters LIVE - Restoring Cornwall's Seas Update and Q&A
Cornwall is home to some of the richest marine life in the UK. Yet our oceans are increasingly under pressure from many years of unsustainable development and poor protection. Watch the update video to hear about the work undertaken by Cornwall Wildlife Trust staff and project partners to ‘rewild’ our seas and protect it for future generations to come. We were joined by:
- Ruth Williams, Marine Conservation Manager at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Abby Crosby, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Matt Slater, Marine Conservation Officer at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Chaired by Cheryl Marriott, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Head of Conservation
Timestamps
02:09 - An introduction to ocean recovery and Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine conservation work (Ruth Williams)
17:54 - Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s marine monitoring projects and promoting sustainable fisheries (Matt Slater)
32:02 - Working with Cornwall’s communities to protect our marine life (Abby Crosby)
58:38 - What would you encourage viewers to do for marine wildlife? (All panellists)
01:01:27 - Why should we be optimistic about Cornwall’s seas? (All panellists)
Questions:
15:19 - What do the different colours on the Marine Conservation Zone (MCZ) map mean? Are there different activities allowed in each colour?
16:00 – Do local leaders (e.g. Cornwall Council) have the power to make decisions to protect our local marine environment or are we reliant on national government decisions?
31:13 - Does the Cornwall Good Seafood Guide need to be constantly amended based on abundance or reduction of a species?
45:21 – How can our young people make a difference?
47:04 - What are cetaceans and what action is being taken to reduce cetacean, seal and bird bycatch from gill nets?
50:00 - To what extend do you see man-made habitats (e.g. artificial reefs) as a useful contribution to efforts to protect and rewild our seas?
51:23 - There doesn’t seem to be a lot of prosecutions for marine wildlife disturbance? Why is this?
53:54 - Is there a good chance of Cornwall getting a Highly Protected Marine Areas (HPMA)?
56:28 - To what is extend is sewage overflow a problem in polluting our seas and beaches?
Watch back: Wildlife Matters LIVE - Working with Farmers Update and Q&A
Upwards of 70% of Cornwall’s land is farmed in some way – so how this land is managed has a big impact on wildlife. Watch the update video to hear how we’re working with hundreds of fantastic farmers across Cornwall to promote nature-friendly farming and working collaboratively with our partners to improve water quality and prepare the landscape for extreme weather too. You'll also hear how our ‘joined up’ approach is creating important wildlife corridors beyond our nature reserves that have positive benefits for both the environment and the farming community. We were joined by:
- Cheryl Marriott, Head of Conservation at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Daniel Poole, Upstream Thinking Project Manager
- Liz Cox, Upstream Thinking Ecologist
- Stephen Bone, a dairy farmer from Penwith in West Cornwall working with the Upstream Thinking project
Chaired by Carolyn Cadman, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Chief Executive
Timestamps
02:13 - Why is Cornwall Wildlife Trust involved in giving farm advice? (Cheryl Marriott)
09:37 - An introduction to the Upstream Thinking Project and its successes (Daniel Poole)
21:37 - Working together to enhance wildlife habitats: A farmer’s perspective (Liz Cox and Stephen Bone)
55:57 - What actions can people take to help local farmers? (All panellists)
Questions:
44:39 - Are you only working with farmers whose streams run into water courses which people drink?
45:34 - How often do you perform ecological monitoring on each farm?
46:39 - Have you found a knock-on effect of neighbouring farmers wanting to follow in the same way to improve wildlife on their films?
48:54 - How do we incentivize farmers to plant trees on their land in Cornwall?
51:12 - Has Stephen ever thought about going organic on his farm?
53:26 - If Cornwall achieves a farm advice service (which is currently being discussed by the local enterprise partnership and the local nature partnership), would your advisers remain independent?
Watch back: Wildlife Matters LIVE - Operation Hedgehog Update and Q&A
Watch an update from some of the team involved in Operation Hedgehog; a project led by Cornwall Wildlife Trust aimed at reversing the rapid decline of hedgehog populations across Cornwall. With overwhelming support for our hedgehog appeal this year, find out how your support has helped to make a difference. We were joined by:
- Tom Shelley, Conservation Manager for Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Laura Fox, ELMs Officer for Cornwall Wildlife Trust/Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (ERCCIS)
- Dave Groves, Chairman of Cornwall Mammal Group
- Dave Hudson, Chair of Trustees at Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue
- Katy South, Co-Founder/Operations and Volunteer Manager for Prickles and Paws Hedgehog Rescue
Chaired by Cheryl Marriott, Head of Conservation at Cornwall Wildlife Trust
Timestamps
02:05 – ‘Operation Hedgehog’ Introduction (Tom Shelley)
07:28 - Hedgehog ecology and how to help (Laura Fox)
21:07 - Hedgehog surveying and volunteering (Dave Groves)
35:15 - Prickles and Paws Live Rescue Centre Tour (Katy South and Dave Hudson)
57:53 - Take-home points from the evening (All panellists)
Questions:
32:06 - Are there any signs other than dropping that show the presence of hedgehogs?
32:49 – How do we monitor numbers of hedgehogs?
49:12 – Can feeding hedgehogs have a negative impact?
50:23 – Should I refresh the bedding in my hedgehog house?
51:25 – Do you only release where there are already hedgehogs?
52:33 – I’ve read that slugs and snails carry nematode worms that can cause serious lung disease to hedgehogs. Is this correct?
54:05 – How much of a barrier are street roads and lanes to hedgehogs?
55:04 – Should we log hedgehog sightings with you and on Hedgehog Street or should we only be logging in one place?
55:44 – My wildlife meadow is cut for hay by a farmer usually in late July. How can I minimise any risk to hedgehogs and other wildlif
Watch back: Wildlife Matters LIVE - Badger Vaccination Update and Q&A
Watch an update from those involved in the research and practice of badger vaccination across Cornwall. With overwhelming support for our Badger Vaccination Appeal last year, find out how the project is going and the impacts to date. We were joined by:
- Cheryl Marriott, Head of Conservation for Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Tom Shelley, Conservation Manager for Cornwall Wildlife Trust
- Prof. Rosie Woodroffe, Senior Research Fellow at Zoological Society of London
- Keith Truscott, a local farmer who has committed to having badgers vaccinated on his land
Chaired by Carolyn Cadman, Cornwall Wildlife Trust Chief Executive
Timestamps
00:48 - Impact of bTB on farmers (Keith Truscott)
03:38 - The science of badger vaccination (Rosie Woodroffe)
15:54 - The practical issues of vaccinating badgers (Rosie Woodroffe)
19:29 - Cornwall Wildlife Trust’s badger vaccination work – how it started (Cheryl Marriott)
25:28 - The mid-Cornwall farmer-led vaccination project (Keith Truscott and Cheryl Marriott)
37:50 - Vaccination on the ground (Tom Shelley) 48:01 - What is next for Cornwall (Cheryl Marriott and Rosie Woodroffe)
Questions:
13:44 - Do other animals pass bTB to cattle?
14:46 - Badger vaccination doesn’t work on animals that already have bTB. Is this a problem?
18:00 – If badgers only transmit a small percentage of bTB, what is the main culprit and how can this be actioned?
34:26 - Once badgers have been vaccinated, do they need to be vaccinated again?
35:41 - How can more farmers be attracted to participate in vaccination?
44:33 - Is there any data showing the percentage of badgers that would need to be vaccinated to significantly reduce the prevalence of bTB in badgers?
45:44 - Are you allowed to vaccinate in cull areas?
52:06 - Are there any other successful vaccination projects around the world?
54:07 - What actions can people take to help?