Wanderlust UK – September 2019

wanderlust.co.uk September 2019 101

Hemetmeofftheboat,andfrom

theharbourIcouldseeanother

smallerislandwasjoinedtoStAgnes

byasandyspit.“That’sGugh,”said

Chris,“andwhatlookslikeasandbar

isknownasa‘tombolo’.Doyouwant

totakeawalkoverthere?”

I’dhadhopesofseeingsomeofthe

seabirdsthattherocksaround

StAgnesareknownfor.“Didyousee

anypu‚nsfromtheboat?”Chris

askedaswestrolled.Ishookmyhead

andwebothgazedatthegreysky.

Chrishasbeenattheforefrontof

theisland’sSeabirdRecoveryProject,

whichcompletelyeradicatedrats

fromStAgnesinearly2016.

“Theyfedonboththebirdeggsand

thefledglings,”heexplained.“Weput

downtrapsevery 50 or 100 yards,

whichwecheckeddaily.Wetried

differentthingstotempttheminbut

foundchocolateseemedtowork

particularlywellforours.Wemanaged

toremovetheratsmuchfaster

thananticipated.Fortunately,

‘People come back, year

in, year out, generation

after generation’

⊲