Exploring the Mysteries of Men’s Nature Reserve: A Journey Through Time

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters podcast.

I'm your host, Nigel Palmer.

Well, can you believe it's already December?

We have another action packed show lined up for you today.

We will conclude our walk on the wild side in the beautiful ancient woodland of the Men's Nature Reserve and we'll spend some mindful moments listening to the sounds of wildlife from that day on the reserve.

In late SP we'll also share another informative or Wildlife Matters article and this time it's how you can help hedgehogs in your garden this winter.

But now it's time to head on over to the news desk for this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Hello and welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News and we start with a story that we have been covering for the last few weeks where dozens of swans and other water birds have been found dead on the Grand Union Canal in West London.

You may remember that Wildlife Matters has been keeping a close eye on this and that the APHA Animal Health Plant Agency were doing tests on some of the birds that were removed from the water by swan support.

In a statement from the apha, they told Wildlife Matters that the testing process took several days and the wait therefore was difficult, especially as more birds would die.

However, it was crucial to ensure the safety and health of humans who were handling those birds.

They told us that we needed to examine the birds as soon as possible after their death to maximize our understanding of their overall health and the potential causes behind their symptoms and mortality.

We'd like to acknowledge the the swan support group played a vital role by helping us to identify and gather suitable candidates for examination.

We encouraged them and anyone encountering dead birds to continue to report their findings using the DEFRA Wild Bird online tool.

Any birds collective that test negative for avian influenza and are in appropriate condition will undergo a complete post mortem examination.

Our veterinary investigation officers will conduct further investigations as necessary.

The APHA spokesman went on to tell Wildlife Matters in their statement that upon receiving the birds at the Veterinary Investigation center that they would await the results of the avian influenza testing conducted by their virology department at their APHA premises in Weybridge before proceeding with internal examinations of the dead birds.

The birds reported at the onset of the incident tested negative for the highly pathogenic avian influenza hpai.

Still, their condition was compromised due to being in the water, resulting in significant decomposition upon arrival.

Unfortunately, that made the samples unsuitable for more tests, providing very little insight into the cause of death for those birds as the suspicions regarding avian influenza had decreased, APHA then shifted their focus to the potential alternative causes of the incident.

They've previously reported the issue to the Environment Agency and local authorities, who considered pollution an unlikely source of the problem.

In fact, based on the photos and videos, the APHA suspected that a toxin such as lead poisoning or botulism may be involved.

In total, 11 birds, including swans, geese, ducks and coots tested negative for hpai.

As we received more negative HP AI results, we could perform complete post mortem examinations on more recently deceased birds and collect samples for lead and botulism testing.

The organs appeared unremarkable to the naked eye and the birds seemed to be in good body condition with sufficient muscle and fat.

Although they had not fed well just prior to their deaths, these findings did not definitively indicate a cause of death.

Still, they did support the the APHA suspicion that a toxin was responsible for the incident, as toxins often leave no visible changes in the organs.

The testing of the birds involved collaboration across the UK with samples sent to Scotland's Rural College for lead testing and the Agri Food and Biosciences Institute in Northern Ireland for botulinum toxin testing.

We're pleased to be able to share with Wildlife Matters the results of our investigation into the lead levels, which indicated that lead poisoning was unlikely to have caused the mass mortality of these birds.

We now suspected botulism is the cause and our first positive result was reported from Northern Ireland earlier in the month.

We strongly believe that a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum is responsible for this incident.

This toxin leads to avian botulism, a disease characterized by progressive paralysis and weakness.

In the affected birds, symptoms include difficulty walking, moving their wings and lifting their heads to eat or drink.

The bacteria thrive in environments devoid of oxygen and feed on the protein from decaying plant and animal matter.

They are commonly found in urban lakes, canals and reservoirs.

Outbreaks of avian botulism typically affect water birds, can last several weeks and may result in the death of hundreds of birds.

The toxin is relatively stable and persistent, so outbreaks can reoccur once it is in the environment.

Environment in the UK most cases of avian botulism are likely due to Clostridium botulinum toxin type C.

This toxin has not been linked to human disease.

However, people and their pets should exercise caution around areas where dead birds are found, as other health hazards may be present.

Despite our thorough efforts to determine the cause of this incident, we consider it fortunate that we could identify Botulinum toxin in our samples.

The concentration of the toxin in the neuromuscular junctions is often very low, making it difficult to detect in blood or body tissues.

Therefore, the condition is frequently diagnosed solely based on clinical signs and the lack of Post Morton evidence and that concluded the APHA's statement.

So I know some of the local groups, the Friends of the Grand Union Canal and the good people at Swan Support are continuing to monitor the area as it is anticipated there may be more deaths to the local wild birds on that part of the canal.

Wildlife Matters will keep in touch and we will be revisiting the site and I hope to be able to report that the incident is over.

The animal and Plant Health Agency, or the APHA has urged all bird keepers to remain vigilant and to take proactive measures to protect their birds due to an increased risk levels of avian influenza, commonly known as bird flu.

In Great Britain, the risk level for highly pathogenic avian influenza HP, AI H5 in poultry with suboptimal or poor biosecurity has been raised to medium with low uncertainty about this assessment.

In contrast, the risk level remains low for poultry where good biosecurity practices are consistently implemented and there is also a low uncertainty.

Meanwhile, the risk level of wild birds continues to be evaluated as high.

Maintaining good biosecurity Maintaining good biosecurity practices at all times is essential for the health and welfare of your birds.

For commercial bird keepers, it is critical that to safeguard your business from HPAI and other diseases.

DEFRA's risk and outbreak assessments provide additional information regarding the basis of these risk levels and the DEFRA website offers guidance on recognizing the signs of avian influenza in both poultry and wild birds.

If you feel you have an outbreak of ape, be an influenza in either a domestic flock or you see dead wild birds, please do not touch them.

Instead report it through to DEFRA or if you're in Scotland on the Gov Scot website and in Wales the Gov Wales website site where you will be advised of what to do and that has been this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

That was this week's Wildlife Matters Nature News.

Now let's look at what you can do to help hedgehogs find and stay in your garden this winter with our Wildlife Matters Archive article.

And welcome back to the second of our Archive articles where this episode we are looking at Wildlife Matters a guide to help for hedgehogs this winter.

Hedgehogs are delightful creatures that can bring joy to our gardens and benefit from our care.

We can encourage these charming animals to visit us by taking some simple steps.

Typically, hedgehogs will hibernate from October or November until March or April, and research indicates that each hedgehog will change nesting sites at least once during hibernation, meaning that they can occasionally be seen outside.

And due to the potential effects of climate change leading to milder winters, hedgehogs may now remain active throughout the winter months.

Hibernation is vital to their natural cycle, though, allowing them to conserve energy and endure harsh conditions.

As responsible gardeners and animal lovers, we can help ensure hedgehogs hibernate safely and comfortably.

In this article, Wildlife Matters shares our top tips for providing a secure environment for hedgehogs during their hibernation period.

Creating Hedgehog Friendly Habitats Providing suitable habitats is one of the best ways to support hedgehogs during hibernation.

Ensure that your garden includes a variety of hiding spots such as leaf piles, log piles, or specially designed hedgehog houses.

These houses can help protect hedgehogs from the cold and from predators.

Provide food and water Hedgehogs must stock up on food before hibernating, so access to a reliable food source from your garden is vital.

Leave out dishes of hedgehog food or cat or dog food, preferably dry and, of course, fresh water daily.

Always avoid giving them milk, as hedgehogs, along with most mammals, are lactose intolerant.

Don't forget your garden hazards.

Remove potential hazards to make your garden as hedgehog friendly as possible.

Check for open drains or holes they might fall into, and if need be, cover them up.

Keep your garden free from litter and secure netting to prevent hedgehogs from getting tangled.

Also, never use pesticides or chemicals to get rid of bugs in your garden.

If you want to attract beneficial insects and beneficial mammals such as hedgehogs, create access for wildlife.

Hedgehogs need to roam to find food before and after hibernation.

Also, ensure your garden is connected to neighbouring gardens or other green spaces by creating small holes in fences or installing hedgehog tunnels.

This allows them to move freely, increasing their chances of survival.

And always check for hedgehogs before you start any garden work in late autumn, and please check carefully for hedgehogs before you start.

They may have already made a nest for hibernation in your garden.

Gently inspect areas like compost heaps and under sheds or hedges, and if you find a hedgehog, leave it undisturbed and adjust your plans accordingly.

Hedgehogs out during the day, but hedgehogs can be sensitive to temperature changes during mild winters.

They might wake up from hibernation using up valuable energy reserves and go and look for food.

If you do see a hedgehog active during the day and are concerned, we suggest taking a short video or picture on your mobile phone and contacting your local wildlife rescue who will give you further advice.

Hedgehogs do make lovely garden visitors and with just a few simple steps we can provide help for hedgehogs.

Exciting News Wildlife Matters has formed a partnership with the fabulous folk at One Voice for Animals.

Our partnership aims to raise awareness of the work of the many independent rescues that are part of the One Voice for Animals family.

One Voice for Animals work to create awareness of the work of rescue organizations all around the UK to provide practical support, that is Raising standards for animal rescues and helping them to raise the vital funds that they need.

The One Voice for Animals Directory is the place to go to find your local animal rescue, be that for companion or wild animals and collectively, One Voice for Animals works to influence UK animal welfare issues on behalf of their member organizations and is a member of apgor, the All Parliamentary Group for Animal Welfare.

For more information please visit the One Voice for Animals website.

Their website address is www.helpanimals.co.uk and just in case you've missed that, get your pen and papers ready.

The website address is www.helpanimals.co.uk.

now let's get back to the Wildlife Matters podcast.

I hope you found our tips and advice for hedgehogs in your garden helpful.

We would love to hear from you if you follow any of our tips and how they worked out for you.

And for the hedgehogs.

Today's mindful moments audio was recorded while we were excited exploring of the wild and wonderful Amends Nature Reserve.

In this episode we are sharing part two of our adventures there.

But before that I heard this sound whilst walking through the dense holly that now covers so much of that ancient trackway that we followed.

One of my overriding memories of the day was the wild nature of this thousand year old woodland and how the wildlife was thriving in this natural and undisturbed environment.

Some of you will recognize this animal instantly, while others may be surprised.

So sit back and enjoy some precious time in nature with one of our most popular wild animals.

SA As I listen to the audio, the memories of that warm and sunny late spring day come flooding back to me.

How many of you recognize the beautiful grey squirrels communicating with one another in the canopy of the ancient woodland?

As we walked through to the woodland edge and out into the bright light of the wood meadow.

The light in Badlands Meadows was incredible that day, and the vibrant buzzing of the insects as they went about their tasks was truly captivating.

Wood meadows are an essential part of ancient woodlands, often found at the edges or in clearings and rides, and since witnessing the rich biodiversity they support, have developed a keen interest in wood meadows.

Expect a more in depth episode on them in the near future.

Now join me as we explore the trees that helped the Royal Navy to build their ships, rediscover old charcoal kilns and even find an abandoned church hidden in the woodlands near the village of Bedworth in part two of our adventure A Meander around the Men Nature Reserve.

Enjoy.

Welcome to this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Today we're starting the second part of an adventure around the Men's Nature Reserve in West Sussex.

If you haven't already listened to the first part of the story, please go back to previous episode 3 of series 5 where you can find out.

If not and you'd just like to join us for the second part, then please do stay with us as we continue our meander around the Men's we leaving the meadow and re entering the ancient woodland via a very modern metal gate.

The footpath begins to rise uphill almost immediately and I can see the woodland floor is covered by several earth mounds maybe 2 to 3 meters tall in the centre.

These are the remnants of the old charcoal kiln.

Although not visible today, the charcoal kilns would have been an essential part of daily life of this woodland 200 years ago.

Of course, charcoal was made in Britain well before the Romans, but in more recent history it had two main uses.

The hardwood charcoal used was oak and hornbeam wood, which could maintain a high temperature with a long burn time.

This charcoal would have been used for bronze casting, brass making, copper smelting and iron smelting.

In contrast, the softer woods such as alder, ash, beech, birch, elm, hazel and sweet chestnut were used for domestic cooking, heating and locally in Sussex for drying hops.

Some softwood charcoals were ground into powder because they didn't produce many sparks while burning, making them ideal for making gunpowder.

Charcoal was also traditionally used in herbal medicines and different species of wood such as the alder, buckthorn, dogwood, hazel, poplar and willow, each had specific medicine uses within herbal medicine.

I continue to walk along the old woodland track which is clear of fallen trees at this point, and I notice that the light is fading as the canopy above me again thickens and up ahead I can see a Group of veteran trees.

I'm excited to see a dozen or more aged and gnarly and twisted yew trees.

These grand old trees, a critical ancient woodland indicator species, are probably many centuries old.

The circumference of their trunks must be 6 meters, plus some with two or more stems, but all split with the scars of many fallen branches.

But still looking resplendent with their tall thick canopies.

They are estimated to be 30 meters or more tall.

I want to touch one of these incredible trees.

Yes, I'm tree hugging and I'm trying to get to grips with the fact that Henry VIII would probably have been the King of England when this tree was planted.

Now that is, some thought yew trees were traditionally grown in church graveyard.

I've been told many reasons for this, including that the churchyard location would stop archers from taking the yew branches to make their longbows.

This was because they feared armed archers might take a stand or oppose the king.

Another tale is that because very little grows under a yew tree, the cattle wouldn't enter the graveyard to graze.

And yet another account is that yew trees ward off evil spirits, keeping ghosts contained within their cemetery.

As I continue along the track for about 10 minutes and the trail begins to widen as the tree cover is replaced with woodland edge trees and a clear hedgerow.

On the western side, I turn right onto a concrete road with a small settlement of buildings ahead of me.

The road was the Fernie driveway where the cattle and sheep would have been taken to and from the woodland for grazing.

Although still lived in, the buildings are old with small windows, low roofs and oversized looking chimneys.

Doors are wide but not tall and they're made of thick wooden boards.

And although I am not tall, I would have to bend my 1.78 meter frame to walk through any of these front doors.

I walk through the small settlement of cottages with one larger house and the droveway turns to the east.

But my path heads away from the droveway and back towards the woodland.

It's really overgrown here with dense bracken and bramble, maybe a one and a half meters tall.

I make my way through feeling like some jungle explorer.

I'm sure anyone in the cottages watching would have questioned my map reading as they saw me slowly disappear into the mass of bracken and bramble.

A few minutes later I finally emerged from the bracken forest and found the embankment so commonly associated with the edge of a woodland.

These earth banks were often used to inter indicate the edge of a parish or or a hunting area.

And I pass over the earth mound and descend towards the woods.

I can see a magnificent line of beech trees ahead, but I can only see the canopies.

This makes me curious about how steep the path will fall away Further on.

These magnificent beech trees with oak interspersed between them are tall, many over 30 meters and have a spread of a similar range.

I'm told they are all dated to the 16th century, so they are already over 500 years old.

And the local story goes that they were planted in the valley to make boats for the Tudor navy.

This plantation is known as the Man O War.

The track takes me to the top of the valley where the Man O War beech and oak extend far ahead.

There must be hundreds here, but along the track and the sloping edge is a coppice area.

Area coppicing is a traditional woodland management technique that dates back to the Stone Age.

It involves felling trees at their base to create a stool from where many thin trunks or poles regrow until the cycle is repeated in a process that is known as rotation.

Hazel coppice traditionally rotated for seven years and the poles were used to make hurdles or woven fence panels, whilst sweet chestnut had a 15 year cycle and the stakes were used for fencing or poles.

The track begins to work its way down the side of the valley in short zigzag stretches and it's clear I have a long walk ahead.

My mind turns to fungi, which the men's ancient woodland is well known for.

In fact, over 600 species have already been recorded on this site.

It's late May now and there are better seasons to spot fungi.

But some of the early season fungi recorded here are the much sought after chicken of the woods, probably one of the easier mushrooms to identify for a new forager.

This edible mushroom is delicious and once you have tried it, you will always look out for it every time you head into the woods.

I did find a summer fruiting mushroom, the dryad saddle on the bough of a fallen tree.

It's pretty hard to confuse this one with anything else.

It has a large cap and is a fan shape.

It's an ochre to dark yellow color with concentric brown rings.

The gills are off white and run down the thick stem, around 6-8 cm in diameter.

It is edible but does not have the best of flavors.

I like to dry it to make a mushroom powder that I can use for stock where it provides a deep, rich mushroom flavor to stews and casseroles.

Other species found here are the delicious Horn of Plenty and the inedible tooth fungus.

Sadly, I didn't see either of them today.

We will return here in the autumn to search for the delicious hedgehog fungus, orange peel, the yellow stainer and the fascinatingly named but poisonous Sulphur Nights and Magpie ink caps.

Don't forget to follow and subscribe to ensure that you don't miss any of our adventures in nature.

As I continue descending into the Gill Valley, the path is steep and at times I rely on the tracked soles of my walking boots to stop me from sliding down.

The track has had its surface broken up from fast running water and deep below me I catch occasional glimpses of the Gill Stream at the valley's base.

I continue to descend as the path alternates between steep and very steep, twisting and turning to reduce the rapid decline.

I'm pleased I came this way and have not had to walk up this path from the Gill Stream.

Eventually I come alongside the stream at the base of the valley.

The Man O War beech and oak trees are now several hundred meters above me, whilst the canopies I was walking above not very long ago are reaching towards the sky in a way that reminds me of Jack and his beanstalk.

As I continue along the track I can see the stream's banks have been flattened as they slope gently towards the water that has been partially dammed to create a shallow pool or ford.

I'm pretty sure this would have been the cart wash for the horse drawn charcoal or log carts.

They would drive through the ford to wash the clay and mud from the cart's wheels before taking their produce to one of the local villages.

Cartwash tells me we must be getting close to the edge of the woodland, but I have one more thing I want to explore and share with you.

So we walk along the woodland track towards the small village of Bedham.

Bedham is a hamlet that back in Victorian times had a farm, a school and a few small cottages scattered among the trees.

We're approaching it from the north through the wild and ancient woodland of the Men's Nature Reserve which we have been exploring.

This building was the school, but on Sundays the school materials were removed, the chairs turned to the east and it became the community church.

William Townley Mitford, a Victorian Conservative politician, had it built and called it the Church of St.

Michael and the All Angels.

The rector came from the nearby village of Fittleworth to hold the Sunday service, and the story goes that he was always accompanied by a lady, her name unknown, who played the melodeon.

Over a century ago, these small community schools taught adults and children.

Most pupils came from the village and their families worked as charcoal burners in the woodlands.

At its peak, the school was said to have over 60 pupils and three teachers.

Sadly, though, the charcoal industry was declining and some families began to leave Bedham village searching for work.

Since then, the structure has been left for the woodland to reclaim.

It's not unusual to see the remains of buildings in older woodlands, but this is very different.

Yeah, the roof has long gone, but the walls are standing.

The bell tower at one end has a pole propping it up, and the curved wall at the opposite, opposite end still looks resplendent with its arched window frames.

Inside, you can still find and read the original plaques that tell the story of the building.

There are a host of local folklore stories about ghosts and fairies.

It is said that they can be seen at certain times of the year in and around the church building.

One well known folk story is of the trees in the woodland that were once living people.

These people were said to be Spanish monks.

The story goes that they took part in empire ceremonies, not fitting of monastic brothers, that included alcohol and local women.

The story gets a little sketchy here, but they paid a high price for their improprieties because they were all struck by lightning and turned into trees.

Now, I think I'd quite enjoy being a tree in an ancient woodland like this, and I don't think I'd see it as a punishment.

Anyway, let's go back to the story that continues with the famous composer Edward Elgar, who lived in Bedem.

He composed his Cello Concerto in E Minor in Bedham village and three other works that were said to be inspired by those Spanish monks.

In the early 20th century, Bedham became a popular village and authors and artists were said to have drawn inspiration from the village's natural beauty and peacefulness.

As I sat inside the church, the birds sang their evening songs and I looked down at the bracken brambles and the buddleia that were slowly climbing the old walls and the ferns poking out the cracks in the window.

Lentils.

I saw the tall matted grass as it gently swayed in the early evening breeze and I closed my eyes.

I imagined how busy this building would have been a hundred years ago and how everyone in the village assembled here as the centre of their community.

And now, a century later, the building is semi derelict and being reclaimed by the woodland that surrounds this lovely little Sussex village.

And I think that's the perfect place for us to end our walk today.

I hope you've enjoyed this meander around the Men's Nature Reserve.

We will return for a fungi forage in the autumn and to try and find some of the 12 recorded bat species.

And that will be a special night to look forward to.

But for now, that's the end of this week's Wildlife Matters main feature.

Do hope you enjoyed our adventure at the Men's Nature Reserve.

We have thoroughly enjoyed bringing this experience to life for you in the podcast and we do plan to return in the autumn to forage for fungi and to spend an evening listening out for some of the 12 bat species that have been recorded in these ancient woodlands.

We've also been inspired to create an episode on wood meadows.

The Men's Nature Reserve is truly an inspirational and wild place.

If you can do visit the site, you will have a fantastic day full of inspiration and learning.

You can find out more by visiting the Sussex Wildlife Trust website.

We hope you have enjoyed this podcast.

Please do leave us a review.

Wherever you get your podcast, it really does help other people to find our humble little podcast.

Wildlife Matters will return in two weeks with our Nature Storytelling Christmas Special, which is a bonus episode where I will be sharing two nature based folklore stories especially for you.

We have saved you a seat around the fire pit deep in the heart of the dark woods.

It will be a crisp winter's evening, so wrap up warm and get ready to join us.

We can't wait to see you there.

And as always, thank thank you for taking the time to listen to us today.

Stay curious wild ones.

I have been your host, Nigel Palmer and this is Wildlife Matters signing off.