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Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Wildlife haven set to grow

Devon Wildlife Trust has announced that one of its most popular and beautiful nature reserves is about to grow. An extra 3 hectares of land have been bought by the charity to add to its existing 33 hectare nature reserve of Andrew's Wood, near Loddiswell, in South Devon. The purchase was made possible after the Devon Wildlife Trust secured generous support from the Heritage Lottery Fund and donations from DWT supporters. The new land is known locally as Wizaller Wood and is a charming mix of silver birch, oak, ash, hazel and willow. Along with hundreds of plants and animals the wood is home to bats, wildflowers and woodpeckers. The new wildlife haven will be looked after by Devon Wildlife Trust's Jackie Gage. Jackie said: 'Along with local volunteers I've helped look after Andrew's Wood for the past 7 years and in that time it's become one of my favourite of all the 49 Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves. So I was thrilled when the news came that Wizaller Wood was coming our way. It will make a wonderful new extension to what is already a haven for local wildlife.' The woodland is thought to be especially rich in rare lichens, mosses and fungi. Alongside these local dormice are another species that stand to benefit from the news. Andrew's Wood is already something of a 'dormouse hotspot' with a well-established colony. Jackie said: 'Dormice are animals which have struggled in many parts of the country during recent decades. But here at Andrew's Wood we have a good population. The funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund is allowing us to put up a further 30 dormouse nest boxes in the new Wizaller Wood part of the reserve. These should ensure that the dormice can thrive and spread.' Visitors to Wizaller Wood are being welcomed by the Trust. Like all of its nature reserves it is free to enter and has a network of marked trails, which although muddy, make good winter walks. Jackie added: 'Visitors to Wizaller Wood will see that we've already been busy managing the place for wildlife. We've cleared invasive species such as rhododendron, created wildflower glades and coppiced some trees to encourage new tree growth. A new public path has also been cut to join the reserve with the local network of public footpaths, ensuring that it becomes more easily accessible to local people and visitors.' 

Andrew's Wood and its new extension Wizaller Wood can be reached from the A38. Take the Ugborough-Yealmpton turn off. Turn left on to the A3121, and at Kitterford Cross go straight across towards Loddiswell on the B3196. At California Crosstake the left-hand fork just past a petrol station (signed Loddiswell). The entrance and car park at Andrew's Wood lie 250m beyond Coldharbour Cross. A track leads down into the nature reserve.  

More details on this and DWT's 48 other nature reserves from www.devonwildlifetrust.org

 Devon Wildlife Trust Andrew's Wood nature reserve is growing. Photo copyright Simon Williams. (All rights reserved)

Fantastic fungi finds on Devon nature reserves

Two rare and distinctive fungi species have been spotted on Devon Wildlife Trust nature reserves in one week. Hazel gloves (Hypocreopsis Rhododendri) fungus can be found in hazel woodland in western Britain. It was recorded for the first time at Devon Wildlife Trust's Vealand Farm nature reserve, near Holsworthy, this week. Likened in appearance to miniature rubber gloves, this fungus sometimes grows on blackthorn, but is primarily found on hazel. Hence the name 'hazel gloves', though in Sweden it is known as 'Trollhand.' The fungus was found by DWT reserves assistant Adam Rhodes, who said: "We were delighted to spot Hazel Gloves on a hedgerow at Vealand Farm as it's really rare - it's classified as 'Near Threatened' by the IUCN." Devon and Cornwall are the most important areas in England for this fungus as it specialises in Atlantic hazel woods. Hazel Gloves was considered by Natural England ten years ago to be possibly on the verge of extinction in the UK, as there had been no records for more than 35 years. It's not the easiest fungus to see, as Adam explained: "Hazel Gloves might be under-recorded as it's usually found up in the tree canopy - so to see it on a hedgerow was a double surprise." The other fungi find was a true exotic, as its original home is on the other side of the world. Clathrus Archeri rejoices in two striking common names: 'Devil's Fingers' and 'Octopus Stinkhorn.' Its vivid colours and tentacle-like shape make it unmistakeable to the eye - while its distinctive rotting odour makes it even more memorable. Like the native common Stinkhorn, this fungus emits a foul scent to attract flies to help spread its spores. Native to Australia and New Zealand, devil's fingers was first recorded in England in Cornwall a century ago. How does a fungus travel round the world? In boxes of military equipment shipped to the south-west from the Antipodes early in the First Word War is one theory. Already recorded once this autumn at DWT Dart Valley nature reserve on Dartmoor, it was seen again by journalist Lucy Purdy at the weekend on a walk from Poundsgate. Lucy described her find: "I spotted this amazing, sea-creature like fungus on Dartmoor, so I read up about it and found the name 'Devil's Fingers'." Also known as 'Octopus Stinkhorn', as the fungus grows it can assume a shape that's even more like a starfish than an octopus. But how prominent was the 'stink' of this stinkhorn? "I can confirm the rotting flesh stench" said Lucy. Mid-December is fairly late in the year for fungi forays but the mild autumn has led to later sightings of some species in 2014. DWT's nature reserves at Vealand Farm and Dart Valley are both open to the public, free of charge, every day of the year.

Clathrus Archeri (Devil's Fingers' and Octopus Stinkhorn.) 

Photo copyright Lucy Purdy (All rights reserved) -  

Hypocreopsis Rhododendri (Hazel Gloves)

Photo copyright Adam Rhodes (All rights reserved)