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Go Quackers Event
We were all ‘Going Quackers’ down at Magor Marsh on Saturday 29th
May with pond dipping, feathery mask and dream catcher making and
even some ducky games. All the children managed the waterfowl trail
and had a chance to claim a prize from the Ducky Dip! The wildlife
was on form too…the mallards and swans were all displaying their
broods and the kingfisher did a spectacular fly past for all those
in the bird hide. All in all, a lovely day and we would like to
thank all the volunteers who made it possible.
Magor Marsh Open Day: Any Volunteers Out There?
We need at least ten more people to help out on this, the biggest
day in the Magor Marsh calendar, on Saturday 10th July, from 2pm to
5pm. There will be plenty of wildlife stalls and activities for all
the family but we need volunteers to help set up the marquees on
Saturday morning, and then in the afternoon, to supply the crowds
with refreshments, help them park correctly, take their money on
admissions and make crafts with the children. If you are interested
in helping out with any (or all!) of these activities, please
contact Kathy at magormarsh@gwentwildlife.org or phone her on 01633
889048.
Gwent’s Orchards Need You!
We urgently need volunteers to help survey orchards as a part of our
new Perllannau Gwent (Gwent Orchards) Project. You don’t need any
specialist knowledge, just enthusiasm and a bit of spare time. We
will provide all the information and training you need. We need to
know where Gwent’s remaining orchards are now in order to protect
them for the future – please help us. If you would like to get
involved, please get in touch with us on 01600 740600 or
info@gwentwildlife.org.
Never Mind the Buzzards....
On Tuesday 13th July, at 7.30pm, the Savoy Theatre in Monmouth is
hosting a talk by BBC’s Springwatch presenter, Chris Packham. This
lively, informative and entertaining illustrated show is a romp
through some of the most peculiar, amazing, disgusting or
confounding aspects of the world’s wildlife. Using his own superb
photographs, Chris Packham relates his encounters with weird and
wonderful creatures and with tales of their strange lives.
Tickets cost £15 (under 16 - £7.50) and are available from Bojangles,
Artico, ATC Floors and Doors or book online at
www.monmouthsavoy.co.uk. For more information, call 01600 713036 or
01600 772467. It's an appropriate talk in this year of biodiversity
but also by coming to see Chris Packham in Monmouth, you will be
helping to support the Savoy Theatre. The Savoy is managed by
volunteers who are working tirelessly to keep the theatre open.
What to See at GWT Reserves This Month
As spring turns to summer, you can come down to Magor Marsh and look
for damselflies, dragonflies and dock leaf beetles. We also have a
resident kingfisher and sparrow hawk for the patient bird watcher.
It may also be your last chance to hear cuckoos. At our Solutia
Reserve, we have a beautiful display of purple southern marsh
orchids alongside swathes of yellow rattle. Keep an eye out for
those ermine moths on many of our reseves as well as on hedgerows
across the county – easily identified by their prevalent webs or
tents, giving a rather more sinister impression of what might be
responsible! And why not pop up to Wyeswood and Pentwyn to take
another look at our cheeky lambs before they get any bigger.
Upcoming Events and Talks
All details of our 2010 events programme are contained in your copy
of our Yearbook 2010, with the latest details available on
www.gwentwildlife.org – but here’s what’s coming up shortly…
Usk Gardens Open Days
This event is a must for keen gardeners and those who just enjoy
looking at stunning gardens. Nearly 30 private gardens in and around
Usk will be on display and Chepstow Local Group will again be having
a stall in the Gardener's Market on the Memorial Field in Maryport
Street.
Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th June, 10am – 5pm
Contact: Chepstow Local Group, 01291 689326
Cost: There will be a charge (adults) to see the gardens but parking
is free and refreshments are available.
No need to book
Courses:-
Introduction to Dormice
Tutor: Jan Kinchington
If all wildlife were as cute as Dormice, the Trust would have 20,000
members and everyone would want to work in conservation! This course
is a chance to meet these elusive mammals and to gain an insight
into how they live and the work the Trust does to conserve them.
Saturday 3rd July, 10am – 11.30am
Croes Robert, near Monmouth
Cost: £3 members, £6 non-members
Booking Essential
How to Manage your Land for Bumblebees
Speaker: Pippa Rayner
This course is aimed at anyone who farms, owns or manages land and
may be interested in providing habitat for bumblebees. The day will
include a short talk introducing bumblebees, why they need
conservation and the role they play in agriculture. This will be
followed by a walk around the farm to see some habitats that are
important for bumblebees and discussion of how simple changes in
management can benefit bumblebees. Weather allowing, we will also
take the opportunity to identify the bumblebees that use the
flower-rich habitats on the farm.
Saturday 3rd July, 1pm – 3.30pm
Pentwyn Farm, near Monmouth
Cost: £3 members, £5 non-members
Booking Essential
Allt-yr-Yn Meadow Survey & Management Plan Review
WING Work Task
Spend just the morning or stay all day – the choice is yours. Bring
a flask & a packed lunch. The task is usually finished by 4pm.
Sunday 4th July, meet 10.30am
Newport Civic Centre top car park, Newport
Contact: Wildlife in Newport Group, 01633 263374
Managing your Land for Wildlife
Tutor: Annette Murray
Many of us would like to do our bit for wildlife but when it comes
to managing our land be it a small garden, a farm or a country
estate, it’s hard to know where to start, especially when faced with
the huge amount of information that’s available. Aimed at the
beginner, this course will help you to understand why managing your
site for wildlife is worthwhile, and it will give you a basic
understanding of how it’s done. An indoor, illustrated talk will be
followed by a walk around the Trust’s Pentwyn Farm and Wyeswood
Common Nature Reserves to look at how we successfully manage our own
land to maximise the benefit to local wildlife. There will be plenty
of opportunities to ask questions about your own locations over the
course of the day.
Tuesday 6th July, 10am – 3pm
Pentwyn Farm & Wyeswood Common, near Monmouth
Cost: £15 members, £22 non-members
Booking Essential
A Brisk Bog Trot!
Leader: Dave Green
Bog plants are truly amazing, living as they do in some of the most
challenging habitats. Bogs are often very acidic and nutrient poor
and yet some plants thrive there. Indeed many of the species we will
see simply can’t survive anywhere else! Join Dave for an evening’s
in-depth botanical foray into this amazing little site. A perfect
companion course to our visit to the lime-rich habitats we explored
with Dave back in early June!
Friday 9th July, 6pm – 9pm
Henllys Bog, near Cwmbran
Cost: £3 members, £6 non-members
Booking Essential
Magor Marsh Open Day
Leaders: Kathy Barclay & Helen John
Our summer open day is one of our most popular events – probably
because there is just so much for every member of the family to get
stuck into! Come and celebrate GWT’s oldest Nature Reserve with pond
dipping, guided tours of the reserve, face painting, bug hunting,
stalls, refreshments and much more! A real family day out!
Saturday 10th July, 2pm – 5pm
Magor Marsh, near Newport
Cost: £2 adults (£1 members), £1 children, £5 family
No need to book
Blaenau Gwent Local Group Meeting
Wednesday 14th July, 7.30pm
King’s Arms, Newtown , Ebbw Vale
Contact: Blaenau Gwent Local Group, 01495 308056
Cost: FREE
All welcome, including non-members
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