The Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust, formed in 1985, is a
Wildlife Trust covering the
Isles of Scilly
The Isles of Scilly (; kw, Syllan, ', or ) is an archipelago off the southwestern tip of Cornwall, England. One of the islands, St Agnes, is the most southerly point in Britain, being over further south than the most southerly point of th ...
, a group of islands off the coast of
Cornwall
Cornwall (; kw, Kernow ) is a Historic counties of England, historic county and Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county in South West England. It is recognised as one of the Celtic nations, and is the homeland of the Cornish people ...
. It became the 46th member of The Wildlife Trusts in 2001 and is dedicated to ensuring that the archaeological and historical remains on the islands, as well as the flora and fauna, are protected and maintained. Since September 2021, the Chief Executive of the trust has been Julian Branscombe.
Th
Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust a small, local independent charity, leases all of the uninhabited islands, islets and rocks and much of the remaining "untenanted land" (including almost all the coast) on the inhabited islands from the
Duchy of Cornwall
The Duchy of Cornwall ( kw, Duketh Kernow) is one of two royal duchies in England, the other being the Duchy of Lancaster. The eldest son of the reigning British monarch obtains possession of the duchy and the title of 'Duke of Cornwall' at ...
for a
peppercorn rent
In legal parlance, a peppercorn is a metaphor for a very small cash payment or other nominal consideration, used to satisfy the requirements for the creation of a legal contract. It is featured in ''Chappell & Co Ltd v Nestle Co Ltd'' (960AC 87 ...
of one
daffodil
''Narcissus'' is a genus of predominantly spring flowering perennial plants of the amaryllis family, Amaryllidaceae. Various common names including daffodil,The word "daffodil" is also applied to related genera such as '' Sternbergia'', ''Is ...
per year. As tenants of the Duchy of Cornwall the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust has a 99 year fully insuring, repairing lease and is responsible for more than 50% of the Islands. The Trust previously worked in conjunction with the
Cornwall Wildlife Trust
The Cornwall Wildlife Trust is a charitable organisation founded in 1962 that is concerned solely with Cornwall, England.
It deals with the conservation and preservation of Cornwall's wildlife, geology and habitats managing over 50 nature reser ...
and jointly produced a thrice yearly magazine called ''Wild Cornwall & Wild Scilly'' which ended in the Summer 2014 edition. Members are now sent an e-newsletter.
Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project
In 2013, the Isles of Scilly Seabird Recovery Project was set up by the Duchy of Cornwall, the
Royal Society for the Protection of Birds
The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) is a charitable organisation registered in England and Wales and in Scotland. It was founded in 1889. It works to promote conservation and protection of birds and the wider environment thro ...
(RSPB),
Natural England
Natural England is a non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom sponsored by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. It is responsible for ensuring that England's natural environment, including its land, flora and fauna, ...
, the
Isles of Scilly Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and the Isles of Scilly Wildlife Trust. The five-year project aims to keep the islands of
St Agnes and
Gugh
Gugh (; kw, Keow, meaning "hedge banks") could be described as the sixth inhabited island of the Isles of Scilly, but is usually included with St Agnes with which it is joined by a sandy tombolo known as "The Bar" when exposed at low tide. The ...
,
brown rat
The brown rat (''Rattus norvegicus''), also known as the common rat, street rat, sewer rat, wharf rat, Hanover rat, Norway rat, Norwegian rat and Parisian rat, is a widespread species of common rat. One of the largest muroids, it is a brown o ...
(''Rattus norvegicus'') free, to help breed sea birds, which lost 25% of their populations between 1983 and 2006. The rats eat eggs and kill the chicks of those birds that nest in burrows or on the ground. Rat removal began in October 2013, by a team of thirty volunteers led by Wildlife Management International Limited (WMIL) of
New Zealand
New Zealand ( mi, Aotearoa ) is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and over 700 smaller islands. It is the sixth-largest island coun ...
, and there have been no signs of rats on St Agnes and Gugh since December 2013. WMIL returned to the islands to do a final check for rats in 2016.
In 2014,
Manx shearwater
The Manx shearwater (''Puffinus puffinus'') is a medium-sized shearwater in the seabird family Procellariidae. The scientific name of this species records a name shift: Manx shearwaters were called Manks puffins in the 17th century. Puffin is a ...
(''Puffinus puffinus'') bred on both Gugh and St Agnes for the first time in living memory, and a survey of St Agnes in July 2015 found
European storm petrel
The European storm petrel, British storm petrel, or just storm petrel (''Hydrobates pelagicus'') is a seabird in the northern storm petrel family, Hydrobatidae. The small, square-tailed bird is entirely black except for a broad, white rump and ...
(''Hydrobates pelagicus'') at six nests. A follow-up in early September, to confirm breeding, found storm petrel chicks at each of the sites. Storm petrel also bred on Gugh in 2015.
See also
*
The Wildlife Trusts
References
External links
Official website
{{Isles of Scilly
Environment of the Isles of Scilly
Wildlife Trusts of England
1985 establishments in England
Organisations based in Cornwall