The Seabird Task Force volunteers have been busy getting the islands 'rat-free ready' today. 

Four of the ‘seabird task force volunteers’ arrived on the islands today ahead of the start of the delivery phase. They were all excited to part of the project and will be on St Agnes and Gugh baiting and monitoring rats for the next 6 months. 

The seabird liaison group meeting was held at Trenoweth, St Marys. Members discussed the Seabird Recovery Project amongst other seabird conservation matters on the islands.

Over at St Agnes school, all 11 children won the £1million prize (hypothetically) when they played ‘Who Wants To Be a Birding Millionaire’ this week. Project Manager Jaclyn Pearson took the role of ITV’s Chris Tarrant with the dramatic sound clips from the show, a prize of chocolates and they even ‘phoned a friend’, phoning Doug Page, a local bird expert on St Agnes. 

Project manager Jaclyn Pearson and Elizabeth Bell  gave the morning assembly to 100 secondary school children at St Marys Five Islands School. Biz spoke about the important work here and other island restoration projects she has led all over the world.

Wildlife charities have welcomed the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) swift action to ban ships across the world from discharging all forms of high viscosity polyisobutylene (PIB) into the sea during tank cleaning operations. PIB was the chemical responsible for the deaths of over 4000 seabirds on the south west coast earlier this year.

A very successful day collecting and juicing apples for the children of St Agnes. Removing apples also helps get the island 'rat removal ready'.

The remaining two  team leaders (John and Dave) from Wildlife Management International (WMIL) arrived on St Agnes today.. Their first day was spent exploring the island and orientating themselves around the fields, sheds and equipment.

In the glorious autumn weather, October 10th was the final day of the ecological monitoring by the project staff and the survey team from Spalding Associates (Environmental) Ltd. 

Thank you to local business St Agnes Boating for supporting our volunteer live interpreter Darren Mason onboard the ‘Wildlife Safari trips to Annet and the Western Rocks’ this year.