NATIONAL TRUST
I’m afraid this month’s article is largely a number of dates for your diaries. They are a rather random assortment of topics which range from book signings, tree climbing at country fairs to deer management plans. So read on to find out more.

On 2nd August we will be joined at Knoll Beach by author Diana Williams at Knoll Beach Shop for a booking signing and readings from her latest children’s book “Silver Seal’s Adventures.” It was a lovely summer’s evening at Worbarrow Bay, Dorset that gave Diana Williams her inspiration for the Silver Seal series. She had been thinking about writing children’s adventure stories with a marine conservation theme, and had been pondering on who the central character should be. As the sun set on the blue, glittering water, an inquisitive seal popped up his head to say hallo. There he was – Silver, her marine hero! Come along to the Knoll Beach shop in Studland between 1 and 4 o’clock to meet Diana and find out more.

We’re delighted to be taking part in Studland Country Fair this year on Saturday 28th August. There will be an opportunity for you to meet some of our Red Devon herd and our cow girl and take part in some natural art. Treefrog Tree climbing will also be there on the day, setting up a tree top walk way and tree climbing event in the field so come along and have a go. We’re also offering the chance to take a guided walk over the heaths and round Studland’s World War Two infrastructure so make sure you pop by and join in. Once you’ve paid your entrance ticket for the fair all the National Trust events are free so it’s well worth popping along and taking part.
One of the topics we are constantly asked about is the management of deer on our land in Purbeck. In fact I have written about it before in these articles. We have therefore decided to hold an open meeting on the evening of Wednesday 29th September at Studland Village Hall to explain to people more about our work in this area. The agenda and timings are currently being finalised and further details about this meeting will following in next month’s article. However if you are someone who has an interest in our management of deer and would like an opportunity to know more then please keep the evening of the 29th free - Amanda

Studland Bay-The Marine Bill, Stakeholders, Seahorses/Eelgrass.

Herewith a few facts and thoughts on The Marine Bill and how the presence of Seahorses in the Eel grass beds of Studland Bay may affect the current enjoyment of thousands who use the sea for recreation and a living.

There has been considerable Media coverage about Seahorses and how anchoring and Moorings may cause damage to the Eelgrass beds where the seahorses have been seen in recent years. Although the media has been full of “This amazing new discovery...” ,”Colony of Sea horses breeding in...” there is nothing new about Seahorses in The Bay. They have certainly been summer visitors for the last hundred years. Further thoughts on Seahorses follow later but first The Marine Bill.

Marine Bill

The Marine bill was passed by Parliament last year made provision for a number of Marine Conservation zones to be selected around the coast of England and for these areas to be set up by 2012. The areas referred to as Marine Protected areas (MPAs) will each have its own degree of protection.

The Government has set up through DEFRA a semi official group called Finding Sanctuary. This group which consists of a plethora of committees is to research which areas of sea should be designated MPAs around the coast of South West England. These areas will be recommended to the Government during 2011 to become law in 2012. Natural England, Crown Estates, County Councils, National Trust and others are all part of Finding Sanctuary. The Liaison Officer for Dorset is John Weinberg who lives in Swanage.

More information is available on Finding Sanctuary website.

Stakeholders-that is anybody who uses or has an interest in the sea is being asked for their input to ensure that all uses of the sea are taken into consideration before MPAs are designated. This is to be done through Liaison Officers who will be collecting information over the next few months to be completed by October this year.

Already there is a website run by a Charity- The Marine Conservation Society which has selected Studland South Bay (from Redend rocks to Old Harry) as an area that deserves protection from anchoring and mooring. This has probably been selected and placed on the website by Seahorse enthusiasts, who would like to see neither anchoring nor mooring in the areas of the Eelgrass beds. These enthusiasts consist in the main of a few divers who are fanatical about Seahorses. They have carried out a relentless media campaign to further their own ends. This has been partially successful and has misled large numbers of the public.

If you are a stakeholder please register your uses/interest with John Weinberger.

Seahorses/Eelgrass

Seahorses and their habitats are now protected under European legislation. There is considerable interest in these delightful little creatures worldwide and scientific research is being carried out to find out more about them. Where Seahorses breed ,live etc is still unknown. The media headlines that there is a breeding Colony, which implies they are present all year round, in the eelgrass beds of Studland Bay is unlikely. A local view is that Seahorses, like other marine life, arrive in The Bay for the summer months. They probably come in on the Spring high tides in April/May as the waters warm. Their temporary habitats are the eel grass beds and under the Japanese weed early in the season. The warm waters in the thick eelgrass beds around the moorings are ideal habitats for the summer months. The Seahorses also enjoy a certain amount of shade from the boats moored and anchored above. In early September along with other marine life they start to move out to sea for their wintering waters. By the time of the autumn storms around the time of the autumn equinox (late September) they are gone. Media cries of breeding seahorses is probably correct as a few pregnant seahorses are bound to be amongst these summer visitors. This last summer some marine life left earlier than usual, in August , and probably the Seahorses left then as well.

The Eelgrass beds in the Bay have expanded considerably in the last few years and now spread across parts of the Bay where a few years ago there was just a sandy seabed. The thickest and most healthy beds are found amongst the Moorings which offer protection from the Fishing trawlers which come into the Bay dragging their nets along the sea bed.

Media coverage of how the moorings and anchoring cause damage to the beds is grossly exaggerated and has been fed to the Media by a few Seahorse fanatics. The fact that the beds are expanding and so healthy is proof that misinformation has been fed to the media. The Crown Estates with Natural England are carrying out a 2 year survey by having a Voluntary no anchor zone (VNAZ) to compare an area where boats do not anchor/moor with an area where they do. The results of this Survey will be known in 2012.

Finally..

Above is the background to The Marine bill, and a few thoughts on Seahorses and Eelgrass in Studland Bay. The danger is that the many uses of the Bay will be curtailed just because Seahorses are present for a short time in the summer months. The hundreds of yachts/motor launches which anchor in the Bay during the summer may be forced to go elsewhere.

Hopefully all uses of the sea will be taken into consideration before any degree of protection is imposed. There is a danger, however that decisions will be taken which will limit people’s enjoyment. Any decision to ban boats from anchoring/mooring in The Bay off South beach has serious implications for local businesses in Studland. The cafe, shop, Pub, Hotels, B&Bs etc will all suffer.

As the MPAs are to be decided next year it is important that “Stakeholders” register their uses of The Bay with The Dorset Liaison Officer for “Finding Sanctuary” before October this year.

John Weinberg can be contacted as follows:

Tel 07788675294,

John.weinberg@southwestfoodanddrink.com

SeStakeholders

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- You have to read this to believe it.
It would appear that we seahorse fanatics are making it all up.
I have read some dross, but this takes the biscuit.
I cannot imagine where the person that wrote this got thier information from.
Seahorse like the shade from anchoring boats ????
The eelgrass grows better under the moorings ????
The seahorses arn't breeding there ???? ect ect ect.

This is the sort of utter rubbish that is being pumped out of Studland, by people who have thier own selfish reason's for not protecting the area.
And no doubt have a mooring they didn't ask for as well ?
They know absolutely nothing about seahorses or eelgrass.
We have the evidence that anchors and moorings damage this habitat, and that seahorses are breeding on the site.
The comments in this pathetic article are based on what ?...village gossip.
I welcome comments/enquiries on this matter.
It really is the most pathetic piece of propaganda I have ever seen, and they say we are misleading the public ??
Steve
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REPLY:

I have just read with a great deal of interest and some disbelieve the article appearing in your Studland Parish News and I hope you bear with me as I give you The Seahorse Trusts perspective on this situation.

Studland is an amazing site and one which should and is cherished by locals and visitors alike and is the reason why you are such an important centre of tourism in the local and national area and will be for some time to come and if we have our way it will increase because of the celebration of such amazing creatures such as the seahorses that are resident at Studland. Through our media and communications work we have already noticed a huge interest in the area because of the seahorses and we hope and know from feedback that this will and is translating into extra visitors to the area which means extra prosperity in the hard times to come.

To ensure Studland stays as special as it is, we hope to protect the very thing that your visitors, and I know from talking to them a lot of you, the locals love and that is the bay and the surrounding area. It is highly fragile and through the scientific research we have conducted on the site with our colleagues from the National Oceanography Centre and many other scientists and individuals (nothing to do with the Seastar survey which is limited in its remit) we have seen it is at risk from destruction due to misuse and from illegal (according to Crown Estates) badly designed moorings.

Here at the Trust if we had our way we would remove all the existing moorings and replace them with environmentally friendly moorings and even increase the number of moorings so that visitors could use them instead of dropping their anchors into the Seagrass; that would be the answer solved in one go.

In the article in this Parish News (sorry I don't know who wrote it as it is not signed which is a shame) somebody has taken a great deal of information and framed it into a biased misleading article, I have to say it is less ranting than many of the articles that have been written recently by a small group of 'locals' which aside from being very rude were totally misinformative and aside from being called a Seahorse fanatic I have personally not received abuse this time.

Personally I have been working with Seahorses for almost 30 years now and I am author of many books, hundreds of articles and scientific papers on the subject, I am an advisor to projects from here to Australia and to most of the major researchers and aquariums throughout the world, so I think my background speaks for itself.

For the last 15 years I have specialised in the 2 native species of Seahorse (both of which are found at Studland) and it was through my work helped by thousands of volunteers that we managed to get both native species protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, an achievement I am extremely proud of all those people, from divers to fishermen who gave up there time to help us.

At Studland we have mainly the Spiny Seahorses although we have also had sightings of the Short Snouted Seahorses and it is an internationally important breeding site for the Spiny Seahorse. We know from observations carried out over the last few years that they are in fact breeding at Studland, giving birth and getting pregnant again; in fact we observed one male doing this 4 times during the season (as well as many other males). Our earliest sightings in the year for seahorses at Studland have been the end of February and the latest sightings in the year have been the beginning of December; during the stormy part of the year we know they move just off shore to overcome the strong storms and gales that affect this site and that remove the dead seagrass leaves which often end up piled up on the beach, much to the annoyance of many people. These dead leaf fronds do in fact help to stabilise the beach by binding it together and thus help in the battle against beach erosion, something that I know is of concern to many at Studland.

As soon as the weather abates the Seahorses come back inshore slowly working their way in as the weather gets better and the seagrass starts to grow; they have to come inshore to feed as the site is full of the small crustacea that the Seahorse feed on.

In the 30 years I have worked with Seahorses I have never seen evidence of them benefiting from the cover of boats or the so called thickening of seagrass around the mooring buoys; in fact the seagrass around the moorings buoys is usually so scoured and degraded that very little can live in it and the sand is very fluid around the buoys meaning that the seabed is unstable.

Studland is without doubt a major breeding site for the seahorses we have the evidence (which is to be published soon) by following the lives of individual seahorses. We know there is damage to the seagrass beds caused by the illegal moorings and anchors and recently a fellow researcher from America flagged up the fact that we also have wasting disease in the seagrass.

If those who write these articles and the others I have seen have provable evidence of what they are saying would be kind enough to show us this data (or if not us an independent organisation like Natural England) to prove what they are saying then we would be happy to work with them to try and sort out an answer to this problem.

At best I have seen hearsay and at worst unsubstantiated nonsense from some of these people. I am not sure if the majority of people of Studland are actually aware of what a few people are saying on their behalf but if I lived in Studland I would be annoyed that my opinion is being put forward by these people. The few who are so vocal do have vested financial interests in this and it is not out of altruism that they are speaking.

With reference to the Marine Conservation Societies Your Voice campaign this was a pleasant surprise to us that Studland had been nominated (completely independant to us) and should be a matter of celebration for the people of Studland, that there are people out there who love your bay enough to be concerned enough to vote for it to be protected.

The MPA's are run by stakeholder groups which directly involves the local people and others with an interest and it is your chance as the people of Studland to vote for the MPA so that you can have a voice in your own community.

I firmly believe that as in places lie Monkey Mia in Australia or the Gorillas in Rwanda or

Dolphins wild in Florida by having the Seahorses at Studland will put Studland on the map, increase the numbers of visitors to the bay and increase the prosperity of the region but it has to be done in a cautious organised way; if the damage that has occurred to the seagrass beds continues unchecked then the seagrass will go, the shoreline will erode leading to a lose of the beach and worst of all one of the British Isles most enigmatic species will be lost making Studland a less rich area because of it

The Seahorse Trust (registered charity no. 1086027)

Escot Park

Nr Honiton

EX11 1LU

www.theseahorsetrust.org

www.britishseahorsesurvey.org

www.seahorses.tv

registered charity 1086027

WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH NATURE

Raise money for THE SEAHORSE TRUST with Everyclick.com - http://www.everyclick.com/theseahorsetrust

I am the Dorset Liaison Officer for Finding Sanctuary and have been contacted by a number of members of the public who were mistakenly under the impression that some of the above articles were written or supported by us. This however is not the case, and whilst some of what has been said about the role of Finding Sanctuary is correct there are some less accurate parts all mixed in with personal opinions that have nothing to do with Finding Sanctuary whatsoever!

Under the Marine and Coastal Access Act which became law in November 2009 there is a duty to create a coherent network of marine protected areas, (MPAs), around the UK. The network will consist of the existing MPAs plus a number of a new type of MPA called Marine Conservation Zones (MCZs).

There is a new and exciting process involving ecology, socio-economics and stakeholders for deciding where these MCZs should be. Each of the MCZs will be sited to protect different species and/or habitats. The types of activity that could be restricted at each MCZ will vary depending on what is being protected. Activities that cause no damage are unlikely to be restricted.

In the South West the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Natural England (NE) and Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) have appointed Finding Sanctuary to run this process.

www.fs.no-ip.com/MainPage

If you would like to get involved please do contact me or visit the website. (Details below) or e-mail at:

john@finding-sanctuary.org

www.finding-sanctuary.org

John Weinberg

Dorset Liaison Officer 07788 675 294

Mr John Weinberg has agreed to talk about the MCZ at 7pm on Monday the 15th March prior to the Parish Council Meeting in the Village Hall

I have been reading with interest and I must admit a certain element of alarm about the seahorses being studied by divers off Studland south beach. I know they have been here for a very long time as my children (who are now in their fifties) used to watch them through goggles when we first came to the Village in the early seventies

http://studlandbpa.blog.com/

Studland Seagrass & Seahorse Project update

In 2009 the Studland Seagrass & Seahorse Study Group set out to determine if the high level of boating activity at South Beach was impacting on the underwater habitat of the bay and to raise awareness of the importance of the area for marine wildlife. The Group includes Natural England, The National Trust, The Crown Estate, Dorset Wildlife Trust, The Seahorse Trust, The Royal Yachting Association, Poole yacht clubs, Studland Parish Council, Bournemouth and Southampton Universities and local businesses. Since then there has been a lot of media interest especially about the breeding population of seahorses and they have featured on TV and in local press.

Beach wardens were present every day during July and August to carry out a questionnaire survey, monitor boat numbers and talk to people about the seahorses and other wildlife. Their findings showed that over 68% of people questioned were in favour of protecting the site from damage while less than 1% felt there was no need for any protection. On good weather days they found that boat numbers could reach over 150 (or even 200) at any one time during the afternoon and with boats continuously coming and going the total number of boats anchoring and mooring in a single day may be over 300. The wardens found that visitors to Studland were delighted to find that seahorses lived just a few yards from the beach and they often had a queue of people waiting to talk to them and ask questions.

Also during the summer The Seahorse Trust, with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund and under licence from Natural England, carried out the first stage of a seahorse tagging project, using a method that has been tried and tested abroad and found to have no adverse impact on the animals. The findings from this project showed that seahorses pair up and stay together during the breeding season which lasts until the winter storms and cold weather arrive. The males stay in a very small area, just a few yards square and this makes them especially vulnerable to damage of their small breeding patch.

In October the voluntary no-anchor zone was installed, marked by 6 yellow buoys, and a Notice to Mariners was published to make boaters aware of its position.

Also during the year, a leaflet has been produced to raise awareness of the high wildlife importance of the site, and a postcard printed to show boaters where the voluntary no-anchor zone is located. These have been widely distributed to yacht clubs in the area. Slideshow talks have been delivered to several boat clubs and a website created to disseminate information about the project. For more information visit www.ssssg.org.uk

Marine Awareness Officer

Dorset Wildlife Trust

Studland Resident said...

I direct my comments to The Seahorse Trust and in particular to it’s Director and Chief Executive Officer, Neil Garrick Maidment.  Steve Trewhella in his facebook page of 13th Feb last at 06.50 states, Quote:-  “The Arsehole locals want to put the summer moorings back, we are trying to stop them”.  In using language like this, it is evident that what should be a constructive dialogue, has deteriorated to a wholly unproductive, and unacceptable level, (showing Trewhella, in his own words, very clearly, for what he is).   In your statement on this thread, Posted 24-02-10 at 15.16, Para 4, you say the following:-  “I have to say I was being a bit flippant about Steve as I know him very well and work closley with him and for those that dont know the real Steve trewhella he is a passioante man about the environment. I was just trying to make the point that there is no such thing as the Seahorse Protection Society but there is The Seahorse trust.”  Given your above stated close association with Trewhella, if you are to retain any credibility as a reasonable, respectable, and responsible organisation, you should, at the earliest opportunity, distance yourself and your organisation from his most offensive remarks, and make it clear that he does not represent or speak for you, or The Seahorse Trust. In absence of any declaration to this effect it must be assumed that you endorse his comments, and take full responsibility for them.  I do hope he is no longer your accredited representative for Studland Bay.  I am copying this to Mr John Weinburg, of Finding Sanctuary, in order that he can appreciate that we, the local residents, are understandably nervous at the prospect of having the future of our bay influenced (or Dictated) by what appears to be non other than a lunatic fringe.

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The Public Engagement Report for SSSSG produced by Julie Hatcher ( DWT warden at Kimmeridge ) gives details of the PR campaign, carried out late last summer, to promote Studland Bay as an area that needs protection because a few Seahorses have been seen in the Eel grass beds.
The grant of £10,000 from Natural England, in my opinion, has been wasted. One of the main aims of the PR campaign was to promote the existence of The Voluntary No Anchor Zone (VNAZ). As there was no VNAZ (it was not in place till later in October) this aim was not achieved. The weather was bad and most of the summer had passed before the campaign started. The wrong people were targeted-families on the beach were not particularly intereted in VNAZs. A boat was used on one day to go and talk to yachts anchored in the Bay.

Thosands of leaflets were produced many bundles easily seen unused in the N Trust kiosk. Notes left, on view in the same kiosk,from the 2 employed "beach boys" did not paint a picture of success.

The Report which may be published here if Bloggers ask has been written solely to justify the expenditure of The grant of £10,000. Talk about " Beefing up The Dossier" I now see that somebody has discovered that The author paid herself £150 per day. Is this really true?

The report finishes asking for a further £13,000 to cover the cost of trying to promote Seahorses, VNAZs etc on Studland Beach over the next 2 years.
Surely this money could go to a worthwhile cause?

The failed campaign last year was a complete waste of money.
8 March 2010 09:22

Julie Hatcher

Studland Village Telephone Box
The council have received a letter from BT regarding the phone box in the village on Ferry Road (opposite the turning into Beach Road). It has been offered to the council for £1. BT would then remove the phone and it would be up to the council to maintain it. During the last 12 months 41 calls were made from the Phone box, as most people nowadays use mobiles. I would be glad to .hear your comments on this matter.
Sandra Gamage (Parish Clerk)
gamage108@btinternet.com or 425481

rust in Purbeck. Tel: 01929 477321

Hamworthy
Biblical costumes, models of the Tabernacle, audio-visual presentations and other displays bring to life the land where Jesus lived and the traditions and costumes of his day. Follow the story of Jesus from the carpenter’s shop in Nazareth and the fishing nets of Capernaum to the busy streets of Jerusalem, where the story reached its climax in his death and resurrection. Understand more the joy of a Passover meal and the sadness of the crucifixion. For more information contact Gilly Thompson: 01202 668904, g.thompson@uwclub.net.

To make sure you keep it free.

Mandy Jarvis, Community and Volunteering Manager.

Tel: 01929 477321 Email:amanda.jarvis@nationaltrust.org.uk

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Studland Bay Seagrass Project I The recent addition of seahorses to the list of protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act has led to concerns over the possible impacts of recreational boat anchoring and mooring on seagrass meadows in Studland Bay, Dorset. In recent years both species of protected seahorses, spiny and short-snouted, have been found in the seagrass in Studland Bay. It has been suggested by some that seagrass is unable to regenerate as a result of damage caused by anchoring and mooring and therefore has a detrimental effect on both species of seahorse which make their home in the seagrass found in the Bay. However, to date this link has not been proven. Local opinion also suggests that the seagrass extent has increased considerably over the years as a result of the presence of moorings within the Bay. SeaStar Survey 1 has recently been appointed by The Crown Estate and Natural England to undertake an independent scientific study aimed at quantifying any possible impacts on seagrass health and associated marine life. The study is expected to commence in June 2009 and will involve establishing a voluntary no-anchor zone in Studland Bay to help understand the impacts of anchoring in an area where this activity is controlled as well as in areas where management remains unchanged. The Crown Estate and Natural England look forward to the successful completion of the study. 1 SeaStar Survey Ltd. is an independent marine survey company based in Southampton specialising in supplying a range of environmental, oceanographic and hydrographic services to both the offshore and coastal industries. SeaStar Survey Ltd will be working on this study in conjunction with ABPmer, a leading UK marine environmental consultancy also based in Southampton. Background Although Studland is home to Britain’s largest known colony of seahorses they are often difficult to spot and to monitor therefore relatively little is known about populations. At present there is also no robust scientific data on the decrease or increase of seagrass or on the health of the seahorse population. There is some photographic evidence that anchors can cause large clumps of seagrass to become detached and that mooring chains “scour” the seabed creating bald patches. There is also a perception that this is causing long-term damage to the seagrass and in turn may threaten the seahorses and other fauna which make their home in the seagrass. To date this link has not been proven. Indeed, while individual moorings may, due to poor design, damage the seagrass in their immediate surroundings it has also been suggested that their presence may indirectly benefit the seagrass by halting destructive scallop dredging and trawling within the Bay as vessels of this nature are no longer able to manoeuvre sufficiently within the Bay. Local opinion is that the extent of the seagrass has increased considerably over the last 20-30 years as a direct result. There is also a suggestion that occasional scouring of the seabed could enhance the habitat. Although The Crown Estate owns the seabed in Studland Bay its ownership is subject to the public rights of fishing and of navigation (which includes anchoring). This means that the landowner cannot take unilateral action to prevent anchoring and any associated damage to seagrass that this may, or may not cause, because it does not have any legal basis upon which to do so. The protection offered to seahorses under the Wildlife and Countryside Act means it is an offence to intentionally kill, injure or take them. In addition, it is an offence to damage or obstruct the seahorses’ place of shelter or disturb them in their place of shelter. The Crown Estate has no statutory obligatio relation to the protection of seahorses under the Wildlife and Countryside Act. In the event that activities are proven to be damaging the seahorses then it is the responsibility of Natural England, as statutory authority, to consider whether to prosecute those involved in such activities. However, at the moment the problem is in proving that an offence has occurred. Whilst the photographic evidence suggests that damage might be occurring through the anchoring of vessels or moorings used from time to time by local people it is very difficult to demonstrate that this activity is damaging the seahorses, or that this damage is deliberate and reckless as would need to be shown for a prosecution to succeed. Until this link is proven, Natural England is unable to take action. To help gather sufficient evidence The Crown Estate and Natural England have agreed to fund an independent scientific study aimed at quantifying the impacts of anchoring and mooring on eelgrass health. A key element of this study is to establish a voluntary no-anchoring zone (100m * 100m) in order to monitor the health of the seagrass and populations of key associated flora and fauna, including seahorses, to help determine the potential rate of recovery in this area. Boaters will be asked to avoid anchoring in this area which will be marked by four yellow marker buoys on each corner as well as two red marker buoys in the centre of the zone. Monitoring will also take place in unmarked areas to assess the rate of decline in areas where management remains unchanged. The study is expected to commence in June 2009 and the timescale will be a minimum of two years although the study could be extended to three years depending on whether the results warrant further investigation. Part of the study will also consider the practicality of replacing several existing swinging mooring chains with new eco-friendly riser systems and the long term status of moorings in Studland Bay. The study will be overseen by a steering group comprising representatives of The Crown Estate, Natural England, Royal Yachting Association and the Chair of the Studland Seagrass and Seahorse Study Group (SSSSG). An independent reviewer will be appointed to join this steering group to advise on the project plan and review its findings. The SSSSG is an informal, non-statutory, focus and discussion group, formed of interested parties including: Dorset Wildlife Trust, local residents, National Trust, Natural England, Poole yacht clubs, Royal Yachting Association (RYA), Seahorse Trust, Studland Parish Council, and The Crown Estate. Concurrently Natural England is funding a communications project, to be overseen by the Dorset Wildlife Trust and delivered by the SSSSG, aimed at explaining the presence, value and sensitivity of the seagrass and associated seahorse population in Studland Bay as well as communicating the aims of the study and the objectives of the voluntary no-anchor zone. The Seahorse Trust, with funding from the National Lottery, are also undertaking a seahorse tagging project at Studland in an effort to understand more about these elusive creatures.

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"PARSON IN PURBECK"

The other day, I happened to come across this little booklet written by Canon Douglas O'Hanlon recounting his life from his Biggin Hill days as RAF Chaplain, through to his five years as rector of the Church of Langton Matravers and later his ten years from 1972 as rector of St. Nicholas church, Studland. So many newcomers have arrived in Studland since it was published I feel they may well be interested to peruse this charming story. Canon O'Hanlon tells not only of his life, together with Katherine, ("one of the first women to qualify as a pilot" who was also an actress who had performed in T.S. Elliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" at Canterbury and in London), but gives us fascinating information on the intricate filigree cross, originating from Ethiopia, that has preceded the Choir into the church for many years, long before Emperor Haile Selassie, from his exile in Bath, gave his permission for it to remain at Studland in perpetuity.Noone knows how it came to be in Studland in the first place but the fact that Canon O'Hanlon had spent two years as a lay person in Abyssinia in the 1930's during which time he had met the Empress and her daughter, Princess Tsahai, seems to be a strange coincidence Canon O'Hanlon recounts, movingly how, before his induction as Rector, he obtained permission to say the Lord's Prayer in Amharic "to make the Cross feel more comfortable in exile". It seems that the cross was taken from Magdala, Abyssinia, by General Napier in 1868 who, to pay for his army, had stolen many church treasures. They also took a human trophy, a little orphan boy called Martin. Trained as a doctor Martin served in India, was recalled by Haile Selassie to be governor of a province and it was there "in his palace" that Canon O'Hanlon started to learn Amharic and to "get some aquaintance with Ethiopic". "Martin" later became Ethiopian Ambassador to the Court of St. James in London while Princess Tsahai, in 1939, became a nurse at Guy's Hospital which was evacuated to Westerham, Kent, close to Biggin Hill, where of course she visited the O'Hanlons....
Churchwarden Fay Taylor tells me that she has a number of copies of "Parson in Purbeck" that she would be happy to give away to anyone interested. She can be reached on 450 421. Joan Taylor

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Studland Parish Plan1 The Forward planning Group of the Studland Parish Council has met and recommends that the following actions be taken foreword within the next twelve months. Strategy and management plan for trees Local Neighbourhood watch Scheme Tourist Guide Traffic management Linkage of footpaths and footways Parking Vehicle size and restriction-Corfe Road Ferry charges Publicising the use of local PO facilities These actions are to be planned with councillors and residents who will work on the issues and report back accordingly to the Studland Parish Council; . 2.It is recognised that much has been achieved to date by the plan eg earlier bus service to Swanage, improved facilities in the village playing field, establishment of an employer group, new arrangement from the Studland Beach users Group: use of Speed Indicator Devices, prohibition of overnight parking at the Viewpoint on the road to Corfe Castle 3. Certain actions from the Plan are ongoing e.g. residents access to local business leisure facilities, pedestrian crossing investigation. 4. During the last year there has been formed a local branch of the Tenants Association of the National Trust. 5. The plan is gradually being implemented via Studland Parish Council. In order to move forward residents will be urged to volunteer for the work on the actions as per 1. Residents will be urged to contact a councillor. Or the Parish Clerk if they are able to contribute to any of the identified actions. The extent to which residents and councillors participate in the work associated with the actions of the Plan will in itself be a measure of the success of the plan. Please play your part.

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divers are being given an area of sea grass to be protected in order indulge their hobby . The Bay in my humble opinion should, as always in the past be available for use by everyone.Are they a rarity off the British coast and are they in danger of extinction? I notice they are being compared to species like the gorillas in Africa, and Orangutan’s in Malaya. Pandas in China? I am unable to understand why the area of sea grass has grown very extensively over the years if as reported it has been severely damaged by visiting yachts. My feeling is that as has always happened in the past, the bay should be free for use by all users. Sailors, small fishing boats, swimmers windsurfers and divers alike. For one group to think it their right to take over is surely wrong. A Studland Resident

We have also organised a drop-in day in Poole to answer any question you might have. We will be there between 10am and 8pm on the 18^th March at The Lifeboat College, West Quay Road, Poole, Dorset BH15 1HZ

The job of Finding Sanctuary is to support the decision making of the steering group. It is the steering group, not Finding Sanctuary, that decides on the network to recommend to government. One of the key elements of this support is the mapping of sea use activities so that, where possible, MCZs can be sited to minimise impacts on sea users, something that has not been done before. As part of the process we are keen to map the activities of as many stakeholders as we can. We can do this by interview or it is also possible to map your activities using our webGIS, a mapping and geographic information system on our website at:

f you would like to get involved please do contact me or visit the website. (Details below) or e-mail at:

john@finding-sanctuary.org

There is a presentation on the role of Finding Sanctuary for members of the parish at Studland Village Hall on the 15th March at 7:00pm

Finding Sanctuary has established a steering group of 40 or so stakeholder representatives to agree on a network of MCZs to recommend to Government. The stakeholders represent the full range of sea users and include amongst others various types of commercial fishermen, offshore energy, conservation groups, crown estates, MOD, anglers, divers, ports, statutory bodies, leisure craft, charter-boats and scientists. There are also local groups in each county to contribute their local knowledge.

Tel: 01404 822373

Devon

Ottery St Mary

Executive director

Neil Garrick-Maidment FBNA

Many thanks