durrell in jersey
As well as our projects overseas, Durrell works to support the conservation of Jersey’s own native wildlife. In collaboration with the States of Jersey, we are working on programmes for local songbirds, the island’s amphibians and reptiles, as well as a range of the native flora.
Jersey is home to three different species of amphibians, two of which are in decline. Durrell currently works with both of these species. One is the agile frog which has been declining in numbers since the early part of the last century. It is now confined to a single population in the island’s south-west corner. Durrell supports Jersey’s Environmental Services project by running a head starting programme for the frogs using the highest quarantine standards, made possible through the installation of modified shipping containers found in only a few places in the world.
The common toad, once a familiar sight in island ponds and waterways, is also known in Jersey as the ‘crapaud’, and has a somewhat iconic status in the island. In recent years, however, the island’s beloved mascot has been disappearing from areas where it was once common, and last year conservationists, with the help of Durrell, used information sent in by Jersey residents to create an island-wide distribution picture of the crapaud, and to establish where it is still thriving.
All over Europe, formally abundant farmland birds are declining at an alarmingly high rate. Jersey is no exception and a number of species are becoming rare. Cirl bunting and yellowhammer have disappeared completely in recent years and sky lark and stonechat are now present in very low numbers. In 2005 Durrell embarked on a project to monitor selected farmland songbirds at key sites and work on a project, again with the Environment Division, to maintain and restore the populations of these disappearing species.
The grounds of the Jersey site are also managed to help promote native species – nestboxes and feeding stations have been installed for birds and red squirrels, and mammal, plant and insect surveys are conducted regularly by Durrell staff. These help us to assess the impact of any environmental changes, for example the redevelopment of the valley area, and monitor local biodiversity.
For several years we have been studying moths that use and visit the grounds. Except in winter, a moth trap is set weekly and the numbers caught overnight are recorded. We have found several unusual and beautiful species, from the elephant hawk moth and the amazingly cryptic buff-tip, to the incredibly rare many-lined moth. Such is the range Durrell was found to have the greatest species diversity on National Moth Night, showing that the site’s flora and fauna are both rich and healthy.
As part of our Millennium valley restoration project in 2000-01, two locally rare species of orchid have been encouraged back and are slowly increasing in number since they first flowered in 2005. These are the loose-flowered orchid (not found in mainland Britain) and southern marsh orchid. Other damp meadow specialities include yellow bartsia and marsh pennywort. Elsewhere in the grounds, other notable locally rare plants include pennyroyal and dwarf mallow. Several species of rare fungi also thrive at Durrell.
As well as the exotic species that live here at the Trust’s headquarters, a large breeding colony of bats, the common pipistrelle, has made its home in our maintenance shed. We also have a small group of grey long eared bats who visit us regularly. The grounds provide a fantastic bat foraging habitat, with lots of trees, hedges and water features. Our native planting areas encourage lots of insects which the bats feed on. Laws are now in place to help Jersey’s declining bat populations, which suffer from roost loss and habitat alteration. The Jersey Bat Group is supported by Durrell and conducts bat surveys across the island in conjunction with the State’s Environment Department.
