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definitions from the BBC website... how can you make your nature reserve sustainable?

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BBC Bitesize - KS3 Geography - Sustainability and sustainable resources - Revision 1

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Learn and revise about sustainability and managing sustainable resources for future generations with BBC Bitesize KS3 Geography.

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how grave yards are vital for bio diversity in cities. What ideas here could you use in your nature reserve?

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"It was such a beautiful place, it was easy to capture on film," said film-maker Emma Cepek, explaining the lure of Manchester's Southern Cemetery as a location for a wildlife documentary.

Biodiversity in city cemeteries

A range of species, protected by wildlife laws, are found in urban cemeteries, including: bats, badgers, snakes and lizards, invertebrates like stag beetles

There is an estimated 7,000 hectares of cemeteries in England

Primary habitats: Woodland and species-rich grasslands

Habitat may be fragments of former countryside that retain the natural features of a bygone landscape

Veteran trees provide important habitats for many key species, including insects, fungi, bird and bats

( Source: English Heritage)

Her film, Beyond the Grave, sets out to highlight the importance of cemeteries as vital habitats in urban areas.

"Whilst I was there, it was never a gloomy place. It was a place of life - there was a real sense of biodiversity," she explained.

The 40-hectare site, established in 1897, is listed on the national landscapes of special historic interest register.

Artist LS Lowry and football legend Sir Matt Busby are among the famous names to be have been laid to rest in the leafy surroundings.

Ms Cepek, a student on the University of Salford's MA course in wildlife documentary production, said: "It is a huge green space, and it is located just three miles from the centre of Manchester, which was one of the first industrialised cities.

"For Manchester, this more or less meant a wipe-out of all green spaces except for this one location."

Derek Richardson, principal ecologist for the Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, explained why the sites were deemed so important for biodiversity.

"As most cemeteries were laid out prior to the more industrial farming practices, they can be refuges for species that are not found in the wider countryside," he told BBC News.

"We have records in cemeteries near the city centre of foxes, badgers, deer, songbirds, as well as flora and invertebrates."
Light touch
He added that the locations also provided shelter for species because they were not as intensively managed as other urban green spaces.

"They are not like agricultural land, or even gardens, where you have herbicide spraying or slug pellets being put down.

"So this means that the whole food chain is there, from invertebrates right up to the higher mammals - even close into the city centre."

He explained that mature or veteran trees, which were often originally planted as a feature of the cemetery - such as London's St Pancras Garden's "Hardy tree", an ash tree growing in the middle of a grouping of headstones which novelist Thomas Hardy planted as a young trainee architect, provided a valuable refuge for a wide variety of species.

Mr Richardson explained that, very often, bigger was better when it came to supporting biodiversity.

"Municipal cemeteries, like Southern in Manchester, are very big in scale, and that scale is very useful in terms of supporting more species, such as mammals that need more space."

The sites also provided a route for species passing through an urban landscape, he added.

"It does seem to be the case that you do not need green spaces to be physically connected as long as you have the stepping stones - and cemeteries provide those spaces.

"The fact that we are finding deer in cemeteries close to city centres in Salford and Manchester means that cemeteries are certainly being used as stepping stones.

Staff member Tommy Moran, who has worked at Southern Cemetery for 40 years, said that many of the natural features had been there much longer than any of the staff.

"In some places, the ivy has been there for over a hundred years," he said in the film, before acknowledging how the burial site has provided stability in a rapidly changing landscape.

"If Southern Cemetery was not here then you might have a factory with smoking chimneys, or a housing estate with a load of Asbos on it."

Emma Cepek said that it came to light during filming that some of the cemetery staff had trained as arborists, and they also encouraged wild flowers to grow among the headstones.

"During my time there, they were also constantly debating how much of the ivy needed to be cut back, and what trees needed to be cut back - it was fantastic atmosphere."

Advice in an English Heritage report, Paradise Preserved, offers guidance on maximising the benefits the areas offer wildlife.

This includes only cutting grass one, maybe twice a year, to encourage the growth of wild flowers that are important food sources of butterflies and pollinators.

The Greater Manchester Ecology Unit advises councils on the most effective ways to manage urban green spaces, including cemeteries.

Mr Richardson said that when developing strategies, the unit did understand that the primary use of the site had to be taken into account.

"What people want when they are visiting is signs that there has been some care of the site, but that is not totally at odds with managing wildlife," he observed.

"You can put up bird or bat boxes, sowing wild flowers, or encouraging hedges. These sorts of things do not make a site look unattractive, but nevertheless it is good for wildlife."

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"It was such a beautiful place, it was easy to capture on film," said film-maker Emma Cepek, explaining the lure of Manchester's Southern Cemetery as a location for a wildlife documentary.

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top 15 reserves for the TV program. Each one is linked to its own website so you can look up lots of different reserves all from one page

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Set in the heart of the East Midlands, Rutland Water is one of the largest man-made lakes in Europe. Created in the 1970s, the reservoir serves the Peterborough area with drinking water and is also home to an internationally renowned nature reserve. Managed by the Leicestershire and Rutland Wildlife Trust, the site has been instrumental in re-launching the British osprey population and is home to the first Ospreys to breed in Britain for 150 years, in a scheme that began almost two decades ago.
Top Spotters:
Badger

Water Vole

Spoon Bill
2. PENTHORPE Norfolk
Home to Springwatch in 2008 and 2009, this East Anglian nature park stretches over 600 acres either side of the River Wensum near Fakenham and focuses its conservation efforts on the breeding of endangered and threatened species and habitat restoration. In 2004 the River Wensum was made a European Special Area Of Conservation to protect the wildlife there.
Top Spotters
Red Squirrel

Grey Crowned Crane

Eurasian Crane
3. INSH MARSHES Scottish Highlands
Considered to be one of the most important wetlands in Europe, Insh Marshes is home to lapwings, redshanks and curlews as well as row deer and foxes in what are versatile and varied habitats along a 10 kilometre stretch of the River Spey. The marshes that line the river flood during the winter months, providing a home for swans, geese and waders which can be observed from the hides around the site.
Top Spotters:
Lapwing

Curlew

Snipe
4. ATTENBOROUGH NATURE CENTRE Nottinghamshire
This award-winning reserve is owned and run by Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust and is just four miles to the west of the city centre. This eco-friendly centre provides a place for the people of the city to experience the best of British wildlife, right on their doorstep and from small beginnings it now covers 145 hectares of lakes, wetland, grassland and scrub.
Top Spotters:
Woodpecker

Kingfisher

Sand Martin
5. INVERSNAID Stirling
On the eastern shores of Loch Lomond, it's hard to find a more striking nature reserve on the British Isles. The woodland that rises from the shore gives way to moorland, opening up some truly inspiring views. Red deer and pine martens frequent these parts, as do buzzards and black grouse. If you're lucky you might even catch a glimpse of a twite; a red status finch that is closely related to the linnet.
Top Spotters:
Black Grouse

Wild Goats

Wood Warbler
6. SKOMER Pembrokeshire
Supported by the Wildlife Trust of South and West Wales, this small island off the coast of Pembrokeshire is home to an array of life which shelters in its bays, inlets and in the waters surrounding. The island is only open to visitors between 1 April - 30 September and in this period is a popular destination for photographers and wildlife enthusiasts.
Top Spotters:
Puffins

Seals

Bluebells
7. LOCH GARTEN Abernethy
In the vast surroundings of the largest native Caledonian pine forest, there is a buzz of wildlife, from the birds and red squirrels in the trees, to deer in the forest and grouse, bog flora and invertebrates in the highland shrub and bog.
Top Spotters:
Capercaillie

Osprey

Roe Deer
8. DONNA NOOK Lincolnshire
Stretching over 10km of the Lincolnshire Coastline, from Grainsthorpe Havena and Saltfleet, the Donna Nook nature reserve is home to one of Englands biggest grey seal populations. Every winter they choose to give birth to their calves and breed again on the beaches here.
Top Spotters:
Grey Seals

Whooper Swan

Lapland Longspur
9. CHAPMANS WELL Durham
The Marshy grassland and ponds of Chapmans Well, is considered one of the best bird watching sites in the country. Home to five species of Owl and many other predatory birds. The natural landscape is maintained by the conservationist with the help of some Exmoor ponies who nibble away at the grasses preventing more dominant species from taking over and allowing wildflower meadows to develop.
Top Spotters:
Little Owl

Exmoor Pony

Marsh Harrier
10. WOODWALTON FEN Cambridgeshire
A rare and isolated part of Fenland lying at the most westerly point of the East Anglian fens, Woodwalton was bought by Charles Rothschild in 1910. These days the fenland is home to some very special flora and fauna, supporting 47 endangered species of invertebrates and two extremely rare plants, the Fen Violet and Fen Woodrush.

Top Spotters:

Chinese Water Deer

Fen Woodrush

Otter
11. RSPB MINSMERE Suffolk
The 'Disneyland' of bird reserves, because it has so much in terms of habitats, species and facilities including many rarities and 'super birds'! A family-friendly must.
Top spotters:
Great bittern

Dartford warbler

Moths and butterflies
12. WWT LONDON WETLAND CENTRE London
A triumph of conservation, going from nothing to the best urban reserve in Europe in just a few years and accessible to millions.
Top spotters:
Gadwall

Norther shoveler

Black-necked swan
13. MARTIN DOWN NNR Wiltshire
A fabulous stretch of old England with great botany and butterflies. The best picnic site in the UK, with the chance of spotting Montagu's harriers.
Top spotters:
Montagu's harriers
Wild flowers
Butterflies
14. WOOLSTON EYES RESERVE Warrington
A post-industrial gem, this oasis in the tangled wreckage of the 'manscape' comes complete with beautiful black-necked grebes and a fabulous team of volunteers. To visit, a booking is required.
Top spotters:
Black-necked grebes

Starling roosts

Butterflies
15. THE BASS ROCK, C/O THE SCOTTISH SEABIRD CENTRE North Berwick
The winner of our BBC Countryfile Magazine Nature Reserve of the Year 14/15 is vert well deserved. In summer, this gannet-capped island becomes the most exciting birding spectacle in the UK. The Seabird Centre has a video link but a boat trip gives you the essential smell experience, too!
Top spotters:
Gannet

Guillemot

Puffin

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We take a look at some of Britain's best nature reserves. Whether you want to tick species off your spotting lists, enjoy a walk in the pleasant surroundings or photograph the best of British wildlife, there's something for everyone here.

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One for the best scientist in your group to read and report back on

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We actually got to walk round the reserve at Farlington today, a rather rare event, the reason was that we were accompanying a group from Sparsholt College. The walk could have been made in more pleasant conditions, the stiff south-east wind along with a temperature of about three degrees, without the windchill, kept us on...

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This is an article in the Guardian newspaper about a nature reserve in London... i chose this for you as it is about "nature in the city"

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The UK's newest nature reserve was opened in east London over the weekend by Sir David Attenborough. Overshadowed by council tower blocks and swanky high rise developments, the 11 hectare (27 acres) site which includes a reservoir that supplies water to millions of Londoners, has become home to some of Britain's more threatened birds including kingfishers, bitterns and Cetti warblers.

London Wildlife Trust has transformed the once barren wasteland into Woodberry Wetlands, with teams of dedicated volunteers planting dense reedbeds, hedgerows and wildflower meadows to attract birds, bees, butterflies and other insects.

Attenborough, who celebrates his 90th birthday later this week, officially opened the free-to-visit nature reserve, which has been closed to the public for 200 years. "Being in contact with the natural world is the most precious inheritance that human beings can have. If you lose that contact, you are losing your birth right.

"Being able to see beautiful birds, some of them coming here all the way from Africa, is a great pleasure everyone in cities should be able to enjoy," he said as chiffchaffs, among the first migrant songbirds to arrive in the spring from western Africa, sang noisily from the treetops above.

"I've spent the last 60 or 70 years hearing about this disaster or that disaster - and 'how can we stop this further catastrophe happening?' and 'we're losing this species, we're losing much that is so precious'... So it's marvellous to be here seeing the reverse - seeing things getting better," he told a crowd of volunteers and supporters.

Originally built in 1833 to store drinking water for the capital, the reservoir was pumped full of chlorine and sodium phosphate gas between 1955 and 1980, to disinfect the water, preventing almost all wildlife from living there.

LWT began work to create a public nature reserve six years ago as part of the regeneration of the Woodberry estate in Hackney. The £1m project was funded by the heritage lottery fund with support from the reservoir's landlord, Thames Water, private housing developer, Berkley Homes, Hackney council and Veolia Environmental Trust.

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London City landmarks visible in the horizon. Photograph: Penny Dixie/Woodberry Wetlands

Gordon Scorer, LWT's chief executive, said: "Access to nature is incredibly important for people's wellbeing, especially in built-up cities. Bringing nature within reach of a huge urban audience, demonstrates that nature and all its benefits can be successfully weaved into the fabric of London and other cities as they develop and grow."

Millie Williams, 18, is one of the youngest of the 70 local volunteers who gives up their weekends to pick litter, scythe reed beds, make fences and plant trees and flowers on the site.

She said: "Volunteering here is the highlight of my week. I love it. It's rare to find a place in the city where you can have a quiet walk and hear the birds. There's a lot of pressure on young people with exams at school. Here you physically feel less stressed and anxious." Asked why there aren't more young volunteers, Millie said: "It's not seen as a cool thing for young people to do."

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Coal House reservoir plaque. Photograph: Woodberry Wetlands

Jonathan Law, 56, and partner Geraldine, moved to their flat in Lincoln court overlooking the reservoir three years ago because of the bird-spotting potential. This winter Jonathan says he saw a bittern - one of the UK's most threatened birds which is dependent on reedbeds to nest. Jonathan and Geraldine have volunteered as litter pickers. "It's on our doorstep and we wanted to help clean it up for everyone to enjoy," says Jonathan.

David Mooney, Woodberry Weltand project manager, promises that anyone who comes on the wetlands' dawn chorus walks will catch a glimpse of a brightly-coloured kingfisher, described by Attenborough as "one of the most wonderful sights that Britain has to offer". The site also attracts shovelers, tufted ducks, wades and terns. It is Hackney's first breeding ground for Cetti's warbler.

On the day of the opening, elegant great crested grebes glided by, which were once hunted almost to extinction in the UK for their ornate head plumes, while a gull was repeatedly dive bombing a couple of nesting Canadian geese in a scene that wouldn't have looked out of place on an Attenborough wildlife programme. The naturalist said the great crested grebe's breathtaking courtship ritual was as beautiful as any bird of paradise. "It's a sight which , put on television, people say it's fantastic ... but it's out there [on the wetlands]."

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The site is also close to council tower blocks. Photograph: Woodberry Wetlands

The urban nature reserve also provides foraging and roosting for bats, and habitat for frogs, toads and newts and a wide range of insects including the rare red-eyed damselfly and moths. The reedbeds were created with channels of water to protect the birdlife from more unwelcome city visitors such as cats and foxes. Alongside the conservation work, a Grade II-listed coal store has been resorted and turned into a visitor centre and café, and on the far side is a classroom and learning area with pond dipping and bee hives.

Berkley Homes provided support for a boardwalk from the entrance to the café and a bridge to connect the wetlands to its new homes, which are being sold from £425,000 up to £1.24m for a penthouse.

Asked if it housing developers should be obliged to do more to improve the natural environment for local residents, David Mooney said "Yes, it should be more incumbent on every developer to participate in projects like this."

Attenborough said Woodberry Wetlands was a "win, win situation."

Forty-seven separate wildlife trusts manage 2,300 nature reserves across the UK. Woodberry Wetlands is the 42nd nature reserve in London.

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David Attenborough unveils UK's newest nature reserve in east London

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The UK's newest nature reserve was opened in east London over the weekend by Sir David Attenborough. Overshadowed by council tower blocks and swanky high rise developments, the 11 hectare (27 acres) site which includes a reservoir that supplies water to millions of Londoners, has become home to some of Britain's more threatened birds including kingfishers, bitterns and Cetti warblers.

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why we need trees?

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Sean Bean says: "Plant trees with the Woodland Trust."

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A journey through woodland creation with the woodland Trust narrated by Sean Bean.

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clip about attracting wild animals

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Want to encourage wildlife in your garden? Here are a few simple tips to make your back garden a haven for all sorts of creatures! www.facebook.com/rspca

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general ideas for attracting nature to a space

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Attracting butterflies

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Butterfly Conservation is a British charity devoted to saving butterflies, moths and their habitats throughout the UK.

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encouraging bees

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As part of our charitable aims we raise the standards of beekeeping practices through a series of courses and exams

We have a long and well established exam course which is constantly being developed to keep up with new research in the field of beekeeping. Our exams start with a Basic covering basic skills and knowledge of the craft all the way up to becoming a Master Beekeeper - to get to this level can take 7 years in total.

Junior Certificate

Under 18 and want to test your beekeeping knowledge? Then this could be the one for you

The Junior certificate consists of 4 elements

10 minutes of oral questions

A short written paper

Making a frame

Present your beekeeping diary Further information click

Further information click
Basic Assessment
To take the Basic Assessment you should have managed at least one colony of bees for a minimum of 12 months
The Basic Assessment syllabus can appear daunting at first glance but closer inspection will show that it merely lists the basic things which all beekeepers should know.
Further information click
General Husbandry Certificate
Have you been beekeeping for 3 years and passed your Basic Assessment? Then this is the next practical step.
This assessment is designed for beekeepers who prefer the practical approach rather than the written examinations. On the day, your assessment is conducted by two BBKA Assessors and consists of:

inspection of the candidates apiary, equipment and honey handling equipment.

manipulation of one or more colonies of the candidates bees

demonstration of a method of selective queen rearing Further information click

Further information click
Advanced Husbandry Certificate
So, you have the General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry and want to pass on your knowledge
Open only to those who have passed the General Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry. This assessment is designed for beekeepers aspiring to lecture and demonstrate the craft of beekeeping to others. The Assessment will be conducted at a suitable location and will consist of the following tasks:

Manipulation of one or more colonies as required by the Assessor

Short presentation on a practical topic to a small audience

Demonstration of dissection for acarine and nosema analysis

Discussion and practical on methods of queen rearing

Discussion on other aspects of beekeeping as given in the syllabus Further information click

Further information click
Modules
A chance to test your knowledge on all aspects of apiculture
The Modules are written examinations held at a centre in your region with each paper taking 1½hrs. You can take up to 4 modules in each session. There are seven modules to be studied:
Module 1 Honey bee Management Module 2 Honey bee Products and Forage Module 3 Honey bee Pests, Diseases and Poisoning Module 5 Honey bee Biology Module 6 Honey bee Behaviour Module 7 Selection & Breeding of Honey bees Module 8 Honey bee Management, Health and History
Microscopy Certificate
Never has bee health and disease diagnosis been more important
This assessment provides a qualification and measure of achievement for those beekeepers with an interest in pollen, anatomy, and disease relevant to the honey bee. Knowledge and skills are tested through a number of practical tasks and oral questioning. The candidate will need to prepare 6 pollen slides and 3 anatomy slides during the year prior to the assessment. For the assessment, which lasts between 2 and 2 ½ hours, the candidate will need to provide 2 suitable microscopes and equipment necessary to carry out dissections and make slides. Full details are in the syllabus.

Prospective candidates should have passed the Basic Certificate
Further information click
Show Judge Certificate
Take you experience in showing honey and honey products to the next level
In order to commence the assessment you must meet a number of entry requirements and hold the Basic Certificate. For full details please download the syllabus.

Candidates wishing to take the Show Judges Assessment must apply for a record book from the Examinations Board Secretary to record the following over a five year period

Stewarding for a number of BBKA Judges at county or national level or honey shows with more than 100 entries.

Judging at a number of Honey shows where 3 of the shows are assessed by 3 different BBKA Show Judges.

A final supervised judging and viva voce.

Record of awards at honey shows at third prize or higher at County or National level

Record of other relevant experience such as Show Secretary

Further information click
Master Beekeeper
Do you hold the Advanced Certificate in Beekeeping Husbandry and Advanced Theory Certificate
As a Master Beekeeper you can now study for the National Diploma in Beekeeping
Further information click
Examination Dates
BBKA Examinations and Assessments are taken at specific times of the year. All assessments are taken by suitably qualified Assessors.
For an up to date list of application deadlines, assessments and examination take place please refer to the further reading document. Within this section you will also find related fees.

Fees & Applications
Download the Fees and Application Form here

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Honey bees need your help! Do you want to help honey bees without getting your hands sticky? Adopt A Beehive with the BBKA and you will be supporting vital research into honey bee health, and education into good bee husbandry. Read more

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We have a long and well established exam course which is constantly being developed to keep up with new research in the field of beekeeping. Our exams start with a Basic covering basic skills and knowledge of the craft all the way up to becoming a Master Beekeeper - to get to this level can take 7 years in total.

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Gardening for wildlife