Wildlife and nature FAQs

The focus of Shropshire Wildlife Trust is to protect and restore wildlife habitats. We don’t have the facilities to assist with wildlife rescue, medical care or rehabilitation. However, our friends at Cuan Wildlife Rescue have an amazing team, fully dedicated to the direct care of mammals and birds. They can be contacted on 01952 728070 or cuanwildlife@gmail.com

https://cuanwildliferescue.org.uk/

Cuan Wildlife Rescue, Stretton Road, Much Wenlock, Shropshire, TF13 6DD

Occasionally, bats can make their way into homes or start a colony in buildings that are being redeveloped. It is best to allow licensed bat ecologists to investigate anything bat-related as all UK bat species are protected by law. Bat Conservation Trust have a national helpline 0345 1300 228 for reports of grounded or injured bats, or bat roosts in properties that are under development.

More information can also be found at: https://www.bats.org.uk/our-work/national-bat-helpline

There are lots of species specialist groups around Shropshire, collecting data on insects, mammals, plants and birds. If you have a wildlife sighting or need a species to be correctly identified by an expert, the best option is to contact a local species group directly. A full list can be found here:

https://shropshire.gov.uk/natural-shropshire/ecological-data-network-sedn/wildlife-and-species-recording-groups/

The information collected by these groups is shared with National Biodiversity Network and we are able to collect species data relating to our reserves from there.

Since the discovery of pine martens in the county, we monitor pine marten activity on some of our reserves, but as with other species sightings, the records are shared with Shropshire Mammal Group to use in the county mammal database. Reports of pine marten sightings can be sent to shropshiremammalgroup@gmail.com for the attention of Stuart/Joerg.

The Shropshire Wildlife Trust beaver project is a collaboration with Shrewsbury Town Council to trial a captive urban release of beavers at a secure enclosure at the Old River Bed in Shrewsbury. 

Shropshire Wildlife Trust and Shrewsbury Town Council staff have been working hard behind the scenes to progress through the planning stages. We have been monitoring and photographing the Old River Bed regularly so we know what the baseline habitat condition is before any beavers move in. Plans have been made to protect the existing wildlife on the site and we have secured enough funding to start tendering for the fencing and boardwalk.

Once the site is fully prepared and the fenced enclosure is erected, suitable beavers will be translocated and released when it is appropriate to do so.  There is a seasonal translocation period within the year which we must follow as the welfare of the beavers is a priority. Therefore, we cannot set an exact date at this stage, but it likely to be in autumn/winter 2023.

The beavers will replace grazing cattle to prevent trees and scrub from invading the wetland and allow the site to become more diverse in wildlife. It will be the first trial of an urban enclosed release and the site is surrounded by housing estates and a school, so there will be plenty of opportunities for local people to be involved.

If you find a hedgehog out during the day, it is very likely that there is something wrong. As nocturnal animals, hedgehogs only venture into the open during the day if they are sick or injured. If the hedgehog appears weak and lethargic, simply use an old towel to pick it up, put it in a cardboard box and call Cuan Wildlife on 01952 728070.

Netting is often installed under old town bridges to prevent urban birds creating colonies under them, particularly in very public areas. Degraded netting can inadvertently trap pigeons and other birds. When this happens, local town councils can help. Shrewsbury Town Council can be contacted on 01743 281010.

Developers sometimes put nets over trees and shrubs before the bird nesting season starts as a way of deterring birds from nesting in them (the nets usually mean that there are plans to remove the plants). If anyone finds a bird trapped in the netting, they must contact the developer directly to report it. The construction company/developer is legally responsible for maintaining the netting and can be contacted directly.

Current information about Avian Influenza can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/bird-flu-avian-influenza-latest-situation-in-england

Garden birds are also at risk from the virus, so we recommend that to avoid the potential of it being spread that garden bird feeders and tables are cleaned regularly. More information here.

Porches and verandas on houses can make ideal places for bees and wasps to build nests. People can still go about their daily lives alongside bee and wasp colonies without fear of being stung if the insects are left alone. In cases where this isn’t practical, such as when a family member is allergic to stings, it is possible to call a local council environment department who will be able either help or recommend an affiliated partner.

Otters, like herons, can occasionally make a nuisance of themselves if they happen to discover a garden pond with lots of fish. Otters are legally protected, and any measures taken to deter them must not cause harm to the animals. As otters usually cover a large distance, they don’t usually stay in one location for more than a few nights, but if anyone has concerns about an otter raiding their pond, there are deterrents available, including battery operated low voltage electric fences. A sturdy net over a pond can also deter otters, plus other fish-eating species like herons and the non-native American Mink.

If you have concerns that local development proposals might impact local natural habitats, please be aware that we only have the resources to comment on or object to largescale destructive developments. Habitats that are home to key protected species, such as dormice, water voles, pine martens, otters or badgers, are sometimes put at risk of destruction to make way for development. If those species are present, developers are obliged to conduct full impact surveys and where necessary, mitigate for the loss of habitat (usually be creating replacement habitat). You can check whether or not there are protected species living in an area on the National Biodiversity Network website here.

We encourage anyone with a piece of spare land to convert it into a wildlife area. For detailed information our Land Management Advice team can offer chargeable advice on creating wildlife habitats (including pond creations and tree/hedgerow planting) in gardens, on farmland, estates and riverbanks.

Luke Neal, Land & Water Deputy Manager can advise on the level of expertise and work required and is happy to take individual enquiries.

We firmly object to the construction of the Shrewsbury North West road on the grounds of the road’s detrimental impact on several local wildlife areas, the River Severn and air pollution. We believe that money should be invested in greener public transport schemes with the aim of reducing car traffic into the centre of Shrewsbury.

See our webpage here.

Solar farms can provide much greener energy. Once they are installed, they do not create greenhouse gas emissions and reduce overall CO2 production; essential in fighting climate change. We realise that larger solar farms can impact scenery in some places. In most cases, their impact on local biodiversity is minimal and many planned schemes include biodiversity improvement work. We will only object to planned projects that would have a noticeable impact on biodiversity in the local area (such as destruction of key wildlife habitats).

We are currently in the process of updating accessibility information for reserves on our website and are aware that the terrain, rough trails and slopes of some reserves are a huge obstacle to people with restricted mobility. We will be looking into ways of making access improvements over the coming year.

The bird hides at Charles Sinker’s Fields and Wood Lane need an entry code to unlock them. Information on how to obtain access can be found on their reserve webpages:

https://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/wood-lane

https://www.shropshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/nature-reserves/charles-sinker-fields

We understand that our reserves have often been important parts of local people's lives, and support them being used for quiet remembrance, without disturbing their primary role as a reserve for nature.

We discourage the scattering of ashes on nature reserves as they can impact the delicate ecosystems that we are aiming to protect. We also discourage leaving any visible memorial materials, such as flowers and wreathes, which can also have negative impacts on wildlife.

For any questions or requests relating to filming on nature reserves, please contact our Head of Development on 01743 284280.

We welcome dog walkers to our reserves, but ask that dogs are kept on a lead at reserves, especially where signs indicate that there is livestock being kept there and during bird breeding season.

Dog owners should also ensure that all dog poo bags (including biodegradable options) are not left on nature reserves and are disposed of in nearby bins or taken home to be binned.

If a hunt is seen to be trespassing on our land (not using rights of way), it must be reported to the police. We cannot report it without having photo or video evidence of the trespass. Sometimes, hounds do venture off their trails and huntsmen follow to retrieve them.

We will write to any hunt organisers who are proven to have allowed hounds onto our nature reserves for assurances that they will ensure that it doesn’t happen again.

More information about our position on hunting can be found at the bottom of our About Us page