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Friday, June 25, 2021

 OPAL news!


We had our first meeting of this new gathering of local groups who are all interested in outdoor activities.

I'm waiting for a note of our discussions and comments. About 20 local groups were present covering a very wide range of interests. I was representing our local group of the Somerset Wildlife Trust.

More soon I hope

Update! No news so far, the meeting was I considered a success in attracting so many interested parties but I have not so far even received a list of the parties present. An ominous indication that as I expected problems in coordinating and leading such a group and communicating with them all would be a problem!

Wild Orchids in Somerset

 Messages in Facebook : Orchids of the UK. 

Every year we wait to see our usual crop of wild Orchids in gardens and local meadows and they havent let us down again.  This year we have seen two quite rare White Pyramidal's

There are many interesting reports concerning Orchids in the UK  but this one is exceptional!!



RARE ORCHIDS FOUND IN CITY OF LONDON BANK'S ROOFTOP GARDEN
A colony of rare orchids has been discovered growing on the rooftop of an office building in the City of London.
It is the first time the small-flowered tongue-orchid has been seen in the UK since arriving in Cornwall in 1989. It is generally found in the Mediterranean basin and Atlantic coast of France, Spain and Portugal.
The 15 plants growing in Nomura International's 11th-floor garden represent the entire known wild UK colony of the species. The joy of the previous colony's discovery, at Rame Head in Cornwall in 1989, was in sharp contrast to the pain felt when it disappeared 20 years later. At this point, the small-flowered tongue-orchid was thought to have become extinct as a wild plant in the UK.
Nomura's ecologist Mark Patterson, who manages the roof garden, discovered the orchids during a monthly survey. How the plants came to be in the Japanese investment bank's roof garden remains unknown, although as Mr Patterson points out, it’s seeds can travel great distances by wind.
"The plants could have originated on the continent and been brought over the Channel on southerly winds which frequently bring Saharan dust deposits to the capital," he said.
"Once settled on the Nomura roof, the seeds would have formed a symbiosis with a mycorrhizal fungus enabling them to germinate and grow. While possible, the odds are astronomical."

Thursday, June 17, 2021

Another new initiative!! OPAL!!!?

Extract from a message from Langport Town Council!!

I am writing to invite you or a representative of your group/organisation to attend the first meeting of a new local networking group:

OPAL – Outdoor Pursuits Around Langport


"The purpose of OPAL is to form a group dedicated to developing and promoting outdoor pursuits in the Langport area for the benefit of residents, visitors and the local economy.

The area is clearly emerging as a centre for outdoor activities in the county and beyond.

This first meeting will

·         focus on introducing each organisation and the activities it offers

·         suggestions of other organisations to include

·         agree terms of reference

·         share information

·         collect organisations meeting and event dates to produce  a calendar for publication on local websites and digital board etc.

·         arrangements for next meeting – host and date

 

Please find a draft Terms of Reference attached. 

 

Please could you let me know if you will attending this meeting or if a representative from your organisation/group will be attending."



I have offered to attend mainly to find out what this is all about!?  I am representing our local Wildlife Group but I have a range of interests if I get a chance to raise them!!