宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 16 巻 (2014)

Artificial Islands Created through Industrial Activity Contribute toEnvironmental Education and Evolutionary Ecology
Morito HAYASHI1, 2, 3* and Sara GOODACRE2

Abstract: The distinction between what is part of the‘natural’world and what is‘artificial’in thesense of having arisen through human activity can be difficult to make given that humans are a part of
the natural world and thus human activities are a part of nature in a broad sense. Nevertheless,‘natural’conditions and those created by human industrial activity are normally understood to differ from oneanother. In this study we introduce an example where a nature reserve, formed as a byproduct ofquarrying, provides a useful resource for continued industrial activity, environmental education andscientific research.
Keywords: Attenborough Nature Reserve; environmental education; industrial activity; artificialislands; Wildlife Trusts

1. A nature reserve created from a quarrying
workreserve, which is designated as a Site of Special ScientificInterest (SSSI), was opened by the world famous

The roles of nature reserves in UK are focused bothnaturalist Sir David Attenborough in 1966 and records ofon conservation of biodiversity and on offering citizens

animals and plants species have been accumulated since

views and opportunities to experience nature first hand.

then including over 250 bird species.

In the UK many reserves are managed by organizations

One of prominent features of the nature reserve iscalled Wildlife Trusts, which are found in each province.

that the park has over a hundred artificial islands madeActivities in reserves include preserving naturalby clay in a middle of lakes. Clay is a waste producthabitats and vegetation, maintaining accessible paths,extracted during the process of quarrying because

undertaking educational campaigns, maintaining facilities

concrete normally loose strength if it contains clay. Claysuch as bird watching bases, supporting nature hikes

is therefore separated and removed from gravel and piled

for school students and running exhibitions in nature

up in one place, eventually forming an artificial island.

centers. Professional rangers and volunteer staffs work

The process of island creation began nearly 80 years ago

together, to maintain nature reserves and to hold events.

and some a hundred uninhabited islands have emerged

The Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust is one of 47 Natural

since then. The reserve possesses seven lakes (Beeston

Trust in UK and manages around 70 nature reserves.

Pit, Works Pond, Main Pond, Church Pond, Tween Pond,

Among those nature reserves, The Attenborough Nature

Clifton Pit and Coneries Pond) and grassland and marshReserve (ANR) is a characteristic artificial lake land area

areas, covering 145 hectares in total.

created from a quarrying work by the company CEMEX,

It is always difficult to protect the natural environment

which produces concrete and owns this area. The naturewhilst also encouraging visitors to the area. The ANR is1

Environmental Education Center, Miyagi University of Education, Miyagi, Japan 2 School of Biology, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK

3

Department of Zoology, The Natural History Museun, London, UK *Author for correspondence (hayashimorito@gmail.com)－ 39 －

Artificial islands created through industrial activity contribute to environmental education and evolutionary ecology

fortunate to have some largely inaccessible islands andequipments, a garden with education areas and bird

marsh areas, which suffer little disturbance and whichfeeders, and rangers office as an information control

benefit the visitors because they offer excellent habitats

centre of ANR. The Attenborough Nature Centre andfor wildlife such as birds, which can be seen by visitors

many of the paths are wheelchair friendly. We observe afrom more accessible areas. For example, we can observe

wide range of age of visitors to the ANR, indicating thatherons (one of the largest birds in UK) nesting on islands

the reserve is widely accessible.

using binoculars from the opposite side of mainland overThe sustainable design of the Nature Centre buildinglakes. Those birds may prefer to nest on islands because

includes large south facing windows that introduce

predators do not frequently cross water to the island

natural light and allow heat in to the building in winterand attack their nests. The high quality of the islands as

and ventilation in summer. Solar panels generate

habitat is illustrated by the observation that those herons

electricity that is used to heat water and energy efficiency

that migrated from a flock inhabiting a hill opposite side

is increased by reducing heat loss through thick rockwoolof the river Trent in 2007 chose the artificial islands

insulation of walls and floor, and cork inside the roof.

as a nesting ground rather than their original habitats.

Recycled materials are used in interior areas such as

This artificially created habitat also attracts rare species

conference room and natural materials such as rubber areincluding Grasshopper Warbler, Willow Tit, Tree Sparrow,used for flooring (Attenborough Nature Reserve, 2005).

brown long-eared and whiskered bat (CEMEX, 2012).

A variety of events are held in the ANR. Talks andThe reserve was also featured by the BBC in the autumn

guided walk are offered once in a month as Beestonof 2013 when a White-winged black tern, which canWildlife Group and participation is straightforward, withbe seen normally in Asia and Africa was found in ANR

no booking required. Exploring the reserve in this way

attracting around 1,000 visitors.

allows visitors to learn far more about the environment

In addition to being a good wintering spot for migratory

than they would otherwise do, and gives the opportunity

birds and a nesting site for many of other bird species,

to ask questions. One of unique events is birthday party

probably because of combination of rich flora, fauna, andheld for children called Wild Birthday Parties in that aaquatic areas we can also observe many invertebrates

birthday boy or girl and friends try observing animals

on those artificial islands and mainland (non-island area)and playing games. Such ideas no doubt attract children

including invertebrates such as insects, spiders, mollusks

and help them to be interested in environmental topics.

and earthworms. Such invertebrates likely support

Other activities for young people include those foranimals at higher trophic levels.

‘Young Rangers’, which aim to educate young members
in practical elements of conservation, bushcraft and2. Environmental education and sustainabilityof Attenborough Nature Centre

wildlife surveys. The activity with young rangers helps
to manage the nature reserve, therefore both participants

The Attenborough Nature Centre is eager for various

and the reserve benefit from each other. Other‘wildlife

environmental educations including exhibitions inwatching events’ are also held for younger children on athe building. One of the reason why the reserve wasmonthly basis.

nominated 9th ranking in the top ten“Eco places inAn event to commemorate 50 years of the Nottinghamshirethe world”in 2007 was because of its excellent Nature

Wildlife Trust was held in ANR in August 2013 (Sexton,Centre, which is built upon sustainable, eco-friendly2013). Sara Goodacre was one of the speakers at thisprinciples, and which has conference rooms, a fair-event and gave a presentation about spiders biology andtrade cafe, a stand selling nature guide books and fieldecology for visitors. After the talk both Sara Goodacre－ 40 －宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

第 16 巻 (2014)

and Morito Hayashi took visitors on a walk through theof organisms. We also believe that this kind of researchreserve and explained how to collect spiders and observe

can contribute to environmental education in the near

spider ballooning behaviour in the field. It was impressivefuture.

for us that young children - as well as their parents were eager to search for arachnids by hand. They are

3. As a research site for evolutionary ecology

already young ecologists with the potential to contribute

ANR is also a promising site for studies in the area

to the next generation. Discussions begun within suchof evolutionary ecology. The reserve has arrays offamily groups, in this case collecting spiders together,sequentially produced islands that are largely untouched

likely continues after the event itself. Both handling andsince their creation. These can be studied in a way notobserving insects are key to young people becoming

dissimilar to that taken for far more ancient and physicallyfamiliar with their natural environment.

isolated archipelagos such as the Galapagos, Bonin or

A fur ther characteristic and impressive par t of

Hawaiian islands, which have captured the imagination

Attenborough Nature Reserve is the capable rangers andof scientists for hundreds of years (e.g. Chiba, 2005;

volunteer staffs who manage the reserve itself and theGillespie, 2004; Grant, 1998). Examples of study sites

events described above on a daily basis. These individuals

with such newly created islands (in an evolutionary

have been very supportive to our academic research astimescale) and many replicates is difficult (Thornton,well. Morito Hayashi remembers very clearly the interest2007). The ages of islands in the ANR can be accurately

shown in the research by John Black, Clare Martin

determined from historical records, with the oldest islandand the late Keith Corbett during an initial meeting.

being 80 years of age. There are around 100 new borne

At that stage it was not clear which material should beislands created through same material and process inused in initial study, but quickly the decision was madethe same water system in this area. This allows us toto attempt to study all of the spider species presents

study the communities on an island at an early stage

because Keith indicated that a record of species present

just after the island was created and to establish throughwould be of interest to those managing the reserve area.

comparisons among islands whether there are repeatable

Since the spider work has begun, professional rangers

patterns occur. Our initial work (Hayashi and Goodacre,

Graham Bowden, Tim Sexton and other members havein preparation) suggests that there are differences incontinued to offer support to our research, sometimes

spider behaviour between individuals taken from young

assisting in surveying the islands together. Sandy Aitkin,and old groups of islands, despite the fact that spiders

a highly experienced volunteer, has provided invaluabledisperse long distances aerially (Foelix, 1996; Thornton,

information about the historical events that have taken

1997; Spiller et al., 1998; Thomas et al., 2003; Pearce etplace during the creation and development of the reserveal., 2005; Reynolds et al., 2007).

habitat.

Island biology was instrumental in establishing theThe reserve is generally emphasized as a bird sanctuary,

first evolutionary studies by Darwin (Darwin, 1939)

but many other organisms inhabit this SSSI. We plan toand has revealed much in subsequent studies. One

accumulate a record of those through our next project

area that has remained unexplored however in these

explaining later that our ultimate goal is to understandancient archipelagos is the initial conditions of island

the flow of energy through food webs in ANR and how

ecosystems. How do organisms arrive, stay, survivethese vary through time and space. We hope to be able

and evolve in interactions in ecosystems in the initial

to describe the dynamics of ecosystems within the small

stages of community formation? (Thornton, 2007). The

archipelago and to accumulate knowledge of a wide range

clay substrate of each island is consistent throughout－ 41 －

Artificial islands created through industrial activity contribute to environmental education and evolutionary ecology

the reserve reducing abiotic differences in environment,with a screw cap filled with 70 percent ethanol.

which could obscure other trends.

Our initial study on the evolution of behavioural traits in

Access to the islands of the archipelago for fieldwork was

short periods throughout the artificial archipelago, which

achieved using a small kayak with visible outer clothes

is finishing this year, but other organisms on islands

and floating vests borrowed from the Attenboroughare interesting as well. As mentioned before, there are

Nature Centre. Belongings such as GPS, camera,

many invertebrates inhabiting on those islands. Our next

universal tubes, a notepad, plastic bags, felt-tip pens,target is to analyze the food webs that exist in each island

kettles and phones were packed into waterproof bags.

and to this end we have initiated a collaboration withSampling schedules were reported in advance to thetaxonomists at the Natural History Museum in London.

ranger’s office and a quarry manager in CEMEX. Any

We plan to focus on this exciting trial once our current

barges encountered whilst on the water were carefully

spider projects are complete.

avoided. Disturbance to bird life was also minimized at
all times in order to reduce the probability that parent

4. The value of ANR

birds abandon their nests. Same-day collections areThe Attenborough Nature Reserve offers a magnificent

made from several islands of different age in order toopportunity to address the question“How can we live

remove potential bias in sampling brought about bywith nature?”All efforts put into meticulous construction

temporal differences in season and/or climatic condition.

of the nature centre for sustainability, enthusiasticallySpecimens were collected from one metre quadrats set

performed events, daily management works, and muchup on litter surface on each island. Each quadrat wasmore from the Wildlife Trust, volunteers, visitors andthoroughly searched because some spiders immediately

CEMEX, maintain this unique nature reserve. ANR

found on the ground, but some others hide between leaf

is an excellent example showing both quality naturallitters and start to move later. Normally three to four

conditions and human activities can stand together.

islands could be surveyed in a single day’s fieldwork from

People naturally enjoy, observe, think, discuss and teachearly morning until dusk.

next generations through walking on paths between lakes

ANR is easy to access from the University of Nottingham

where we cannot see any obvious traces of industrial(20 minutes by car) and which is advantage for efficient

activity. ANR is also precious as a model system tofieldworks and behavioural experiments needed fresh

research ecosystems and island organisms. Perfectly

specimen, particularly given that it was necessarypreserved fauna and flora in the artificial archipelago andto respond to sudden changes of weather. Spiders

on the surrounding mainland are home to a diverse array

were brought back to the lab and kept individually inof organisms as well. Such rarely seen conditions give

universal tubes stood on a rack with a small amountus the chance to observe the initial conditions of islandof moisture. The system was optimized to check thecommunities.

health of specimens, to move them into our experimental
arena, to describe what was observed, and to transfer

Acknowledgements

them subsequently to the stereoscopic microscope forWe thank G. Bowden, T. Sexton, J. Ellis, C. Martin, S.

identification. The universal tube has an enough space for

Aitkin, J. Black, A. Hindmarsh and the late K. Corbett

tiny spiders to create a nest and attack fruit flies supplied

from the Attenborough Nature Reserve for helping toas food. Species identification was always performed

coordinate fieldwork; and the Nottinghamshire Wildlife

after all of behavioural experiments were complete for

Trust and CEMEX for permission to collect samples.

the sake of blind testing, with specimens stored in a tube

This work was supported by research fellowships from－ 42 －

宮城教育大学 環境教育研究紀要

the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science and第 16 巻 (2014)

University Press.

Daiwa Foundation, Japan, and by the Miyagi University of

8. Gillespie, R. 2004. Community Assembly Through

Education, the University of Nottingham and the Natural

Adaptive Radiation in Hawaiian Spiders. Science.

History Museum, London.

303(5656): 356-359.
9. Grant, P.R. 1998. Evolution on islands. Oxford

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