Apologies for absence

Here are a few photographs from John Bebbington which show why I find wildlife so fascinating. We have to take three days off this week for family reasons and its never convenient because of the never ending work to help the fight for wildlife conservation.
I have had to miss a regular meeting of our "Private and Community Nature Reserve Network" committee which was set up some years ago to help individuals and community groups with advice and information about the management of small areas of land. These sites are defined as not intensively farmed land and not a garden. They vary from less than an acre to tens of acres of woodland. In case your wondering , an acre is 4046.86 square metres.
On Wednesday there is a " Living Seas " conference organised by the Wildlife Trust. All the counties in the South West of England have a coast line and are involved in the campaigning to protect our coastal waters. This session should give some direction to work by all the involved groups in the south west. I will read reports of the proceedings with interest.
Our local Area Group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust had its last organised walk in a woodland local reserve last Sunday in slightly gloomy weather. The variety of flowering plants was the highlight in the circumstances.
Last week we had the last of our 2010-2011 Botany Group study meetings and so putting it all together we might get a welcome break from the endless round of meetings and project work.