Tuesday 8th June 2010 Poison dart frogs reared in tea
UK experts have raised 11 poison dart frogs in pint glasses of redbush
tea. Amphibian keepers at the Slimbridge Wetland Centre,
Gloucestershire, reared the frogs from tadpoles in the caffeine-free
African tea which contains fungus-beating antioxidants. The
yellow-banded and green-banded poison dart frog tadpoles were raised
in pint glasses filled with redbush tea.

Amphibian keeper Jay Redmond said: "Every morning just before I made
my cup of tea I made sure the tadpoles have had theirs too! It is a
bit of advice that people know in the industry that to keep them
disease-free they should swim in redbush tea for the first few weeks
of life." Gloucestershire

Wednesday 31st March 2010 Plans for Oldbury nuclear plant announced
Horizon Nuclear Power hopes to start work on a new reactor next to the
existing one at the Oldbury-on-Severn site in Gloucestershire. The
move comes in the face of vociferous opposition from groups claiming
it is an unsuitable site for another reactor. Protest group
Shepperdine Against Nuclear Energry (Sane) expressed concerns about a
power plant situated on a flood plain. They are also worried about the
use of water from the Severn as a coolant for the reactor, which they
claim could be environmentally hazardous.

Reg Illingworth, from Sane, said: "It feels like, having been
diagnosed with cancer, we have been given four years to live instead
of two." Gloucestershire

Monday 21st December 2009 Gloucestershire fat warning
Fat and oil being poured down Gloucestershire’s drains and sinks is
costing millions of pounds of blockage to sewage systems. The county
council claim that 20,000 sewers were blocked last year. They also
said that blockages rise by 40% over the Christmas period. They are
asking people to use recycling facilities or bins to dispose of waste
fat, grease and oil.

Councillor Will Windsor-Clive, of Gloucestershire County Council,
said: "The only way to rid the sewers of these fat blockages is to use
a high-pressure jet to loosen the fat and wash it away. Much of this
jetting work could easily be avoided if people didn't regard their
kitchen sink as an extension of the dustbin Gloucestershire

Tuesday 10th November 2009 Six hour mission to rescue duck
When a duck got stuck in a water pipe at its Chalford Hill home in
Gloucestershire it sparked a major rescue mission. The duck’s owners
Chris and Karen Hutchens rang for help when they discovered their
stuck duck. The rescue mission lasted six hours and firemen had to dig
down four feet in order to reach the pipe.

"It was careful and gentle work as the animal was distressed and you
don't want to increase that," said Deputy Chief Fire Officer Chris
Griffin. "Within Gloucestershire we spend a lot of time rescuing
animals from various predicaments from horses stuck in ditches to cows
in the River Severn. Any animal is worth something to somebody so we
don't discriminate when we're called out." Gloucestershire

Wednesday 4th November 2009 Gloucestershire fossil identified as oldest T. Rex ancestor
A fossilised skull unearthed in the 1900s has been identified as
belonging to a dinosaur known as Proceratosaurus, a distant ancestor
to the mighty T. rex. The well-preserved fossil, currently held in
London’s Natural History Museum was discovered in Gloucestershire and
has been identified by a British-German team of scientists. It had
been previously described as a species of Megalosaurus when displayed
in 1910.

The specimen, the only one of its kind in the world, was dug up during
the construction of a reservoir near Minchinhampton in
Gloucestershire. The dinosaur dates back to the middle Jurassic Period
of 165 million years ago. The team were shocked when their analysis
revealed it to be the oldest known ancestor of the later Tyrannosaurus
rex. Gloucestershire

Monday 28th September 2009 Tough policing at conker tournament
A village conker competition will be the subject of tight controls to keep cheating at bay. Officials at Poulton’s International Conkers Tournament, to be held in the village near Cirencester for the first time in ten years, have warned they’ll be monitoring the competition carefully. Police -style stop checks will be operated to ensure there’s no ‘dishonest substitutions’ or ‘illegal stringing’ going on.

Contestants will have their conkers marked with security pens and a special team will check the stringing to make sure no elastic is used.

Organiser Phil Heneghan said: "It is truly incredible what lengths some contestants will go to in their attempts to win the championship."

Mr Heneghan added that anyone caught cheating would be banned. Gloucestershire

Monday 14th September 2009 Life of naturalist Sir Peter Scott celebrated
The life of the late naturalist Sir Peter Scott is being celebrated by and exhibition which has gone on show at the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust at Slimbridge in Gloucestershire

An exhibition of memorabilia that includes a collection of photographs, books and newspaper cuttings celebrates the conservationist's centenary year. The display is open to the public until early August.

Sir Peter, who died in 1989, spent his life as a wildlife artist and sportsman. He also founded the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust in 1946.

The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust spokesperson Veronica Morris said: "We are thrilled to be able to bring all of these items together to help us celebrate the centenary. Sir Peter Scott was a man of very many talents and hopefully the exhibition will remind people of the great diversity of his achievements." Gloucestershire

Wednesday 19th August 2009 Rare butterfly produces second brood
A rare butterfly species has produced an unusual second brood in a year, surprising experts who have been observing them. The Duke of Burgundy is one of Britain’s rarest species of butterfly and usually only produces one brood per season. But a second brood has been spotted in Gloucestershire, the furthest north it has ever been recorded.

The butterfly is also found in southern areas of Europe where the hotter seasons allow a two generation summer. However, experts like the National Trust’s conservation advisor Matthew Oates is surprised by the sighting. Oates admitted that in 40 years of studying butterflies he’d never witnessed such an event. Gloucestershire

Monday 17th August 2009 Parishes in Cotswolds tree-off
A competition being run by the Cotswolds Tree Warden Group is offering prizes for champion trees in the areas parishes. Awards are up for grabs in 24 categories include most rare, ancient or colourful. There’s even a prize for a “wonderful community” tree.

The challenge comes in recognition of the important place trees have in the fabric of British life. Director of rural programmes at the Tree Council said that trees are often the oldest living thing in our countryside and that the awards gave the parish communities a chance to celebrate their favourite trees. Gloucestershire

Monday 10th August 2009 Four new trees for Cirencester centre
Catalpa Square in Cirencester is set for a facelift following Cotswold District Council’s decision to replace four trees removed earlier this year for safety reasons.

The planned replacements, which will be planted by a Council contractor in November, are to be a tough form of ornamental Pear tree known as ‘Chanticleer’.

“The new trees will bring some much needed greenery to the square,” said Cotswold District Council Tree Officer Matt Reid.

“They are very attractive and produce large amounts of spring blossom and turn a deep red in autumn. They also grow in a compact, conical shape - so they should never get too big for the space.

“Each of the new pear trees will be at least 4.5 metres tall when it’s planted because we want them to have an immediate visual impact,” he added. “Eventually they will reach a height of about 15 metres.” Gloucestershire