Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria

Last week at Sandscale Haws we had a fantastic time out on the dunes! 🌾🌞

We spotted a variety of beautiful plants whilst recording plant biodiversity and cover to help us to understand the health of the dunes 🌷🍄🦋

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West Dynamic Dunescapes

We had a lovely day last week at South Walney investigating how the profile and habitat zones change across the dunes 🌾🌞

Thanks to our volunteers for helping us collect important annual data that will be used to inform how we can best conserve and protect these important habitats! 🦋

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West Dynamic Dunescapes

We added an amazing 1,867 signatures to the e-campaign to save Sandscale Haws' wildlife from the new holiday resort development! 💪

Thank you to all those who joined the campaign 🌾🦋

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Dynamic Dunescapes Living Seas North West

We are holding a fantastic work experience day for teenagers - this is a valuable day filled with practical conservation work, learning about bird and pondlife, and how to identify species. If you want to start exploring and building your career, this is for you 😀🌿

📍Gosling S**e
📅 Thursday 10th August
🕙 10:30am - 3:00pm

Click the link below for more details and to book your spot! 👇 Sale ends 8th August 🧐
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2023-08-10-conservation-careers-day-work-experience-teenagers

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West
Image by © Penny-Dixie

We had a brilliant day with our citizen science training day held by Amber Gould earlier this month! We learned to use transects and profiles at Mawbray in a hands on session. ❤🌿

Let's keep the dunes thriving! 🦋

Join us at our dune survey session! You will learn how to identify different dune habitat types and how to record changes in the dune’s profile across a transect line, using the Dunescapes App! It's a great way to help keep our dunes thriving 🌿❤

📍South Walney Nature Reserve
📅 Wednesday 9th August
🕙 10am - 1:30pm

Click the link below for more details and to book your spot! 👇
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2023-08-09-dune-survey-day-habitats-and-profile

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Help keep our dunes thriving at our dune survey session! For this event, you'll learn to identify nifty plant species and record them - this helps us to understand how health our dunes are🌿❤

📍Sandscale Haws Nature Reserve
📅 Tuesday 8th August
🕙 10am - 1:30pm

Click the link below for more details and to book your spot! 👇
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2023-08-08-dune-survey-day-dune-plants

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Thanks to those who took part in our citizen science training last Friday🌾

We had a great session on the dunes learning to estimate the cover of different types of vegetation. We also learnt how to identify the different plants which helps us monitor the health of the dune systems! 🌱🌷🍄

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Last week we were busy surveying the dunes!🌾

We recorded dune height, habitats and the plants that have started to emerge 🌱

These surveys allow us to collect important data to monitor the health of our sand dunes and are also a great way to learn more about the dunes themselves! If you’d like to come along, our next survey day is:

📅Friday 9 June
🕔10:30am- 2pm
📍Mawbray Banks Car Park, Maryport

Book your free spot using the link below 👇
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events/2023-06-09-sand-dune-monitoring-training-session-and-refresher-2

There are lots more survey days coming up over the summer – keep an eye on the Cumbria Wildlife Trust and Dynamic Dunescapes events pages for dates! 🦋

If you missed any sessions of the Dynamic Dunescapes conference, don't worry! Click the link below to catch up 👇

https://dynamicdunescapes.co.uk/project-conference/?fbclid=IwAR0mqcuk5XtSPIM6qxdhT7O59AUSUhc40YXDRzJxLf8VWcKLkfam0Akrr7Q

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Dynamic Dunescapes Project Conference - Dynamic Dunescapes We'll be hosting our project conference this March 14-16th 2023. Join us for a fascinating insight in to our work, learning and future plans

This week we held the first of our citizen science training sessions for 2023🌾🌊

We monitored the effectiveness of the restoration works we’ve completed as part of the Dunescapes project ⚒

If you would like to get involved you can book one of our training sessions using the link below!👇
https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Join us for a family fun day at South Walney Nature Reserve! 🌱

We will be getting involved in fun wildlife and craft activities🌸

📆Saturday 29th April
🕔10am- 3pm
📍South Walney Nature Reserve

Click the link to the event for further info: https://fb.me/e/15O8jkQ4B

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Are you looking to build a career in conservation, communications, or the wildlife sector? Would you consider yourself an 'early career conservationist'?

Tomorrow evening 6pm - 7.30pm we'll be holding our Early Career Conservationist Forum. This session will focus on CV writing, and how to effectively identify and evidence your skills when applying for conservation-based jobs.

Whether you are still actively volunteering/working with the project or not, you are very welcome to join! Just send us a message and we'll forward you the joining link!

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Dynamic Dunes Wales

🌾Species Sunday🌾

This week's species is the barn owl!🦉

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Spring has sprung in the dunes! 🌷🌾

There are many species of wildflowers to look out for such as these dune pansies 🌸
Keep an eye (and ear) out for the natterjack toads that will be emerging from their winter burrows to breed 🐸

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Happy !

🦭🦭🦭

Fun fact: Halichoerus grypus, the latin name for a grey seal, means hook-nosed sea pig 🐽

At South Walney Nature Reserve you can find Cumbria's only grey seal colony. Grey seals are one of two species found in the UK, the other being the common seal which is smaller in size.

They hunt for fish and sand eels off the coast but use the beaches year-round to rest and also to have pups!

Its important not to get too close and disturb the seals as they are wild animals- particularly grey seal mums which are very sensitive to humans.

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West Dynamic Dunescapes

🌾Species Sunday🌾

This week's species is the bee orchid! You might spot this orchid amongst the dunes by its recognisable appearance of a female bee 🐝

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

On our visits to Fairfield Primary School, we have been learning about coastal habitats, and participating in beach combing and litter picks! 🐚

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

And there we have it!

Thank you to everyone who joined us in person and online for our Dynamic Dunescapes Project Conference. We’ve learnt a lot and hopefully everyone has left feeling just as inspired as we do!

Last Saturday we visited Bigland Hall Equine. We learned about local wildlife and encountered some marine animals at our mobile rockpool as they worked towards their wildlife badge. 🦀🪸

We then carried out a litter pick, helping to keep the bridleways and fields clean. Finally, we set out some wildlife cameras in a wooden area nearby and spotted a badger! 🦡

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

On Tuesday we spoke to BBC Radio Cumbria about our upcoming Dementia friendly Time in Nature sessions which we’ll be running across 5 different sites in Cumbria (Carlisle, Workington, Penrith, Kendal, and Barrow in Furness) 🌱

These are in partnership with Dignity In Dementia and are suitable for a person living with dementia and their family supporter/carer.

Sessions are free, but booking is essential.
To book a space head to Cumbria Wildlife Trust: Events and look for our ‘Time in Nature sessions’

https://www.cumbriawildlifetrust.org.uk/events

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Events | Cumbria Wildlife Trust Find your local Wildlife Trust event and get stuck in to wild activities, talks, walks and much more.

Last week we held our coastal foraging workshop where we learned to safely and sustainably forage for wild food 🍽

After searching the dunes for edible plants and foraging seaweed at Fleetwood, we headed to Rossall Point Tower to cook some treats including crispy seaweed and sea radish sushi! 🪸🌱

❗️Please note: Do not eat anything unless you’re 100% confident about its identification and that it is edible. Always forage sustainably by taking only a small amount and leaving plenty for wildlife and never uprooting any plants ❗️

🌾Species Sunday🌾

This week's fact file is on the northern dune tiger beetle!

You can find these beetles on the frontal dunes or in open sandy spaces at Drigg here in Cumbria!

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

'Time in Nature' sessions for people living with dementia and their family supporter/carer beginning in Workington next week. 🌱
To book send an email to [email protected]

Cumbria Wildlife Trust Dignity In Dementia Workington Green Community Hub

Last Friday we went on a shark eggcase hunt in South Walney, led by volunteer assistant warden Patrick. In total, we found an impressive 2666 eggcases!

This included:
🐟 2291 small spotted catsharks
🪸 9 nursehounds
🌊 8 spotted rays
🐚 358 thornbacks rays

We have sent the results off to The Shark Trust. This will help to monitor shark and skate species and populations in the local area and the Irish Sea.

Skates and some sharks reproduce by laying eggs. The embryos develop inside the eggcases and hatch after around 7-10 months. The eggcases (sometimes called mermaid purses) then wash up on our shores! 🧜‍♀️

Fun fact: Although spotted rays and thornback rays have the word ray in their name, they are actually skates as they lay eggs 🥚

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

🌾Species Sunday🌾

The Cumbrian coast is one of the best places to see natterjack toads! 🐸

Have you spotted (or heard) natterjack toads within the dune slacks?

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Fancy being part of a monthly volunteer group to help maintain and monitor the sand dunes? 🌾🦋

If so, pop along to our first meeting for a tour of the sand dunes and to find out how to get involved and what we'll be doing!

📆Wednesday 1st March
🕑2:00-3:00 pm
📍Haverigg beach cafe

Everyone is welcome, there's no time commitment needed and all materials and training will be provided!

(walking boots or wellies are strongly advised🥾)


Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

We've recently had a large number of cancellations for our Shark Eggcase Hunt and ID Training tomorrow at South Walney, meaning there's lots of space now available!

If you're looking for a fun and free activity for half term for all ages (kids and adults welcome!) meet us at the visitors centre at South Walney Nature Reserve at 10am - 12pm tomorrow (Friday 24th Feb), and learn how to help monitor our local shark populations! 🦈🌊

Check out this friendly shanny (common blenny) we found at North Walney whilst searching for different seaweed species! 🐟

It is commonly found in rockpools and shallow waters all around the UK and feeds on seaweed and marine invertebrates 🪸

Typically they will hide under stones or seaweed or in this case tucked in next to engagement officer Holly's boot!

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

The recording of our Dynamic Dunes of the North West online event has now been uploaded on YouTube 🎥 🌾

Hear from our student placements and researchers about their work on each unique dune system and learn about the restoration work at our 11 dune sites across Cumbria and north Lancashire!

Click the link to watch: https://youtu.be/Q2_TLcR6dgk

Dynamic Dunescapes Cumbria Wildlife Trust Living Seas North West

Dynamic Dunes of the North West Holly from Cumbria Wildlife Trust shares Dynamic Dunescapes’ work in Cumbria and takes a look at some of the student projects in the area.Find out more abou...