Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the family Mustelidae. Badgers are a polyphyletic rather than a natural taxonomic grouping, being united by their squat bodies and adaptions for fossorial activity. All belong to the caniform suborder of carnivoran mammals.

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Bats are fascinating animals – the only true flying mammal. There are over 1,400 species of bats in the world, and more are still being discovered. Bats account for more than a quarter of mammal species in the UK and around 20% of all mammal species worldwide. Know more

BAT AWARENESS  BRIEFING

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The great crested newt (GCN) is one of three newt species native to the UK. These three species are:​

1. Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris​

2. Great crested Newt Triturus cristatus​

3. ​Palmate newt L.helveticus​

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The red squirrel or Eurasian red squirrel is a species of tree squirrel in the genus Sciurus common throughout Europe and Asia. The red squirrel is an arboreal and primarily herbivorous rodent.

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The great crested newt (GCN) is one of three newt species native to the UK. These three species are:​

1. Smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris​

2. Great crested Newt Triturus cristatus​

3. ​Palmate newt L.helveticus​

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1.  Nesting Birds Timings & Safe Working in MLN Click here

2. Nesting Birds & Their Habitats in MLN Click here

With a heart-shaped face, beige back and wings and pure white underparts, the Barn Owl is a distinctive and much-loved countryside bird. Widely distributed across the UK and the rest of the world, this bird suffered declines through the 20th century and is thought to have been impacted by organochlorine pesticides such as DDT in the 1950s and 1960s. Nocturnal birds like the Barn Owl are poorly monitored by the Breeding Bird Survey and, subject to this caveat, numbers may have increased between 1995-2008. Barn Owls are a Schedule 1 and 9 species, meaning it's illegal to intentionally or recklessly disturb them, and it's also illegal to release them into the wild in the UK.

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The White-clawed crayfish is a freshwater, bronze-coloured crustacean with pale undersides to its claws - hence the name. It is under threat from an invasive and introduced species of crayfish.

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The water vole is under serious threat from habitat loss and predation by the American mink. Found along our waterways, it is similar-looking to the brown rat, but with a blunt nose, small ears and furry tail.

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Thick brown fur covers a long slender body, a thick tail and short legs. The chest and belly fur is often paler in colour. They have a broad nose and small ears, with eyes high on the head to enable better vision when they are mostly submerged in the water.

The long muscular tail and webbed feet make otters strong swimmers while sensitive whiskers and claws help them to detect and catch their prey.

One of our largest mustelids, they weigh in at 7-11kg and measure 94cm-155cm from nose to tail. On average, males are larger than females.

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Hazel dormice are enigmatic and endearing. They are also threatened with extinction. Join us in helping to bring them back from the brink.

With a body length of just 6–9cm and a tail of similar length, these cute creatures are so small that chances of spotting them are very rare. They have soft golden-brown fur, big black eyes and a long, feathery tail. They weigh no more than 40g and are at their heaviest just before hibernation.

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Identification:

• Found growing along rivers, disused railway lines, embankments, or in similar linear corridors. 

• Pink flowers, fast growing, hollow stems, shallow roots

• Spreads via ‘exploding’ seed pods, Each plant produces more than 500 seeds.

• Slightest touch can cause seed pods to burst, dispersing up to 7m away.

• Introduced to UK 150yrs ago.

Treatment:

• Hand pulling

• Strimming below first growth node

• Excavation

• Seeds viable for ~2 years, removal of contaminated topsoil 

• Avoidance -  minimum 7m exclusion buffer when not in seed, 10m buffer when gone to seed

Under the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 / Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 it is an offence to ‘plant or otherwise cause Himalayan Balsam to grow’ in the wild. This includes spreading the species or transferring polluted material from one area to another.  Any Himalayan Balsam contaminated soil or plant material that needs to be discarded is classed as controlled waste and must be accompanied by appropriate waste transfer documentation. 

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Identification:

• Found predominantly along watercourses, roadsides, and derelict land.

• Fast growing and Most difficult to erradicate

• Spreads via rhizomes/any small part of the plant. Large, robust perennial, spreads rapidly to form dense thickets.

• Introduced to the UK from Asia in 19th Century as an ornamental plant.

Treatment:

• Herbicide – generally not completely successful

• Excavation to a depth of 3m and 7m wide and  and removal of soil as contaminated waste

• Excavation to a depth of 3m and 7m wide, burying 5m deep (2 metres if sealed with a geotextile membrane)

• Best case 1.5m depth and 2m wide based on specialist advice

• Avoidance -  minimum 7m exclusion buffer

Under the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 / Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 it is an offence to ‘plant or otherwise cause Japanese Knotweed to grow’ in the wild. This includes spreading the species or transferring polluted material from one area to another.  Any Japanese Knotweed contaminated soil or plant material that needs to be discarded is classed as controlled waste and must be accompanied by appropriate waste transfer documentation. 

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• Native species of British Isles.

• Toxic to grazing animals (horses, cows etc). 

• Found on  wasteland, development land, roadside verges, railway land, conservation areas.

• Usually flowers June until late October.

It is a specified injurious (harmful) weed under the Weeds Act 1959.

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Identification:

• Rhubarb-like leaves

• Up to 3.5m tall.

• Purple blotches on stems,  Perennial plant that flowers only in its 4th year of growth.

• Spreads by seeds. Seeds remain viable on or in the ground for up to 15yrs.

• Thrives where soil has been disturbed; riverbanks, derelict land or railway embankments.

• Introduced as ornamental plant 150yrs ago.

Treatment:

• Herbicide – generally not completely successful

• Excavation 

• Avoidance -  minimum 7m exclusion buffer

Harmful! Do not touch

Under the Wildlife and Countryside act 1981 / Wildlife (Northern Ireland) Order 1985 it is an offence to ‘plant or otherwise cause Giant Hogweed to grow’ in the wild. 

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• Invasive non-native.

• Introduced as ornamental plant during Victorian period.

• Perennial plant that flowers only in its 4th year of growth.

• Seeds remain viable on or in the ground for up to 15yrs.

• Thrives where soil has been disturbed; riverbanks, derelict land or railway embankments.

• Can grow to over 5m tall.

Rhododendron Ponticum is covered by the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981.

It is listed under Schedule 9 of the Act, which cites that it is an offence to plant or otherwise cause the species to grow in the wild.

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Key ID Features

• Looks a bit like a stinging nettle.

• Hairy with heart shaped or oval, toothed leaves.

• Hooded flowers that appear up the stems.

• Invasive.

• Found in woodland and hedgerows.

• Silver streaks in its leaves

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