Friends of Holly Hayes Wood

Incorporating Coalville Meadows
& Holly Hayes Woods


Biodiversity Action Plan

What is biodiversity

The living world is made up of many thousands of different animals
and plants. Biodiversity is represented by all the plant and animal species that we see but it also includes the genetic variation and the complex
ecosystems of which they are part of.

Every living creature has its own genetic 'fingerprint'. Even tiny or insignificant plants may have a vital place in a food chain and the whole network of living things. Everything is precious, if you destroy one small part, you may lose much more.

Biodiversity is not restricted to rare or threatened species, but also
to more common species as well. Biodiversity includes the whole of the natural world from the plants and animals familiar to all of us and more closer home in the places where we live or work.

Anyone can start recording data. You do not have to be an expert; enthusiastic amateurs have a very important part to play

You can help to protect our natural heritage by passing your information on to Friends of Holly Hayes Wood

Our Biodiversity Action Plan

An audit in financial terminology is strictly an official examination of a business' accounts. The term has been adapted here to accommodate the evaluation of biodiversity - habitats and species instead of pounds and pence. So the biodiversity audit acts rather like an inventory, a list of things that we know exist, and this is a very important baseline from which to make future decisions.

Rather like a business, our audit sometimes does not have all the
information that is required and it will most certainly change from
year to year.  Without our annually updated biodiversity audit we
would never know if wildlife was in profit (more than last year) or
deficit (less than last year).

The enormous variety of rotting wood micro habitats means that in Britain, rotting wood alone may play host to over 1700 different invertebrate species, before you even begin to count the other species present.

Information required

Anyone can start recording data. You do not have to be an expert; enthusiastic amateurs have a very important part to play. You can help to protect our natural heritage by passing your information on to Friends of Holly Hayes Wood , who are always pleased to receive any information about plants, flora, fauna, fungi, birds or animals you might have seen and recorded.

Observations must come from Holly Hayes Wood, Coalville Meadows and Forest Rock Wood.  No matter how trivial you think the information is, it will be useful to Friends of Holly Hayes Wood.

The data requested is as follows:
    Species Name
    Site where the observation was made
    OS Grid Reference for the site (see location)
    Date of Observation
    Your Name and Contact Details
    Any further information (e.g. numbers, sexes, habitats, etc.)   

Our BAP recording spreadsheet can be downloaded here

You can submit your records by email or posting your results to us:

The Biodiversity Officer
Friends of Holly Hayes Wood
78 St Bernards Road
Whitwick
Coalville
Leicester
LE67 5GU

Areas covered

Holly Hayes Wood - SK443 154
Includes the public footpath & stream that runs along side and goes through Holly Hayes Wood.

Coalville Meadows - SK446 150
Includes the public bridleway & railway line that run alongside Coalville Meadows.

Pond Area - SK444 152
Includes the public permissive footpath & stream that goes up towards the railway line.

Forest Rock Wood - SK444 160
The whole site, as the group intend to acquire the Forest Rock Wood site in the near future. 

See our map for further details.

The above links will take you to a separate web page showing you the biodiversity that has been recorded in each of these areas categorised by family (details across).

Herpties (Reptiles and Amphibians)

What Reptiles are you likely to find

Adder
Common Lizard
Sand Lizard
Grass snake
Slowworm
Smooth Snake

What Amphibians are you likely to find

Common Frog
Common Toad
Natterjack Toad
Great Crested Newt
Smooth or Common Newt

When is the best time to carry out a survey to see reptiles

Spring is especially the best time for reptiles to be out basking. You can see them sometimes as early as February.  

When the weather is cool this means that they need to bask for longer and they may spend up to several hours every day doing this.
 
In summer there is less need for them to bask, so this is the best time to do a survey.

Changes in weather conditions can be very good time to see them.  
Sunshine after spells of rain is a very good time to see them.

Spells of dry & hot weather can produce totally negative results, as animals will aestivate (lie dormant in places of shelter).

As cooler autumn arrives - survey conditions improve again. They need to spend more time basking.

Website Menu

Quick links 

Useful links

Photographs

If you would like to see your photographs shown on our website, please submit them to us and we can add a watermark or provide copyright acknowledgment if required. 

Unless otherwise stated, the photographs will become freely available for non-commercial use, providing that the copyright is properly acknowledged.

Legal Protection

All native reptile species and the Great Crested Newt are legally protected.

All the reptile species found in this area are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Under Section 9(1) it is an offence to intentionally kill or injure any reptile. 

This should not affect you when carrying out reptile Surveying.

The great crested newt has additional protection under the Conservation (Natural Habitats, etc) Regulations 1994 as later amended. Legal protection is given to all life stages of the great crested newt,- ie eggs and tadpoles as well as adults.

Great crested newts are protected against deliberate or intentional killing, injuring or taking; deliberately disturbing them; possessing or keeping them, offering them or any part of the animal for sale, transporting or advertising
them for sale. In addition it is an offence to damage or destroy breeding site or any resting place (effectively their aquatic or terrestrial habitats).

If surveying known great crested newt sites or carrying out surveys
specifically for them, you will need to obtain a License from Natural England to allow you to conduct the surveys without committing an offence.

Classifications

Vertebrates

Vertebrates are species with backbones or spinal columns. About 58,000 species of vertebrates have been identified. Vertebrate is the largest species and contains many familiar groups of large land animals. Vertebrates comprise cyclostomes, bony fish, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Invertebrates

An invertebrate is an animal without a spine. The family includes 95% of all animal species. (All animals except vertebrates - fish, reptiles, amphibians, birds, and mammals.) Invertebrates are divided into only two groups, insects and worms.

Herptiles

Herpetology is the branch of zoology concerned with the study of amphibians (including frogs, toads, salamanders, newts, and gymnophionae) and of reptiles (including snakes, lizards, amphisbaenids, turtles, terrapins, tortoises, crocodilians, and the tuataras).

Mammals

Mammals are a class of vertebrate, air-breathing animals whose females are characterized by the possession of mammary glands while both males and females are characterized by sweat glands, hair and/or fur, three middle ear bones used in hearing, and a neocortex region in the brain.
 
There are approximately 5,400 species of mammals in about 1,200 families.

Plants

Plants are living organisms and include familiar organisms such as trees, herbs, bushes, grasses, vines, ferns, mosses, and green algae. The scientific study of plants, known as botany, has identified about 350,000 extant species of plants, defined as seed plants, bryophytes, ferns and fern allies.

Pond Life

Ponds are full of both animal and plant life. Some animals live in the water such as fish, crayfish, & tadpoles, etc. with others living above the water, like ducks & insects, etc. Others, such as bats and earthworms, live in the area surrounding the pond.

Trees

A native tree is a tree species which has colonised the landscape by natural processes since the last ice age. Historically, trees that were well adapted to the soil and climatic conditions succeeded and thrived; whereas those ill-adapted failed. Over many generations, the successful species have adapted to local conditions resulting in the genetic make-up of woodland that is considered to be of local provenance.
 
Species widely accepted as being truly native are mainly broadleaved, deciduous species, including birch, oak, ash, willow, as well as evergreens such as holly, yew, scots pine and juniper.