2020 Vision : For a wilder Britain

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2020 Vision : For a wilder Britain

Latest Sightings

The photograph shows John with the rare moth during the field visit. See note below.


Click on this link to go to the Moth Group web site     Latest Sightings

This is a link to the Somerset Moth Group web site where they show a quite rare moth which was found and photographed by John Bebbington on a visit to Fivehead Arable Fields nature reserve. Its called a Celypha rosaceana. The same species ( perhaps even the same moth!!) was found in the field again yesterday during out Group vist to look at the arable "weeds".

Wildlife in Somerset

You will see from this brief report which I have just submitted for publication in the Trusts magazine that we have been quite busy. My Blog has been neglected as a consequence. Life of course continues to make its demands regardless of wildlife or blogging!
I hope to include a photo or two from some of these events eventually.

Heart of the Levels summer highlights.

 “International Year of Biodiversity  2010”

Now in our 5^th year our Group has staged some rewarding wildlife events. We enjoyed a great spring flower walk with a new leader in Beer Wood. Anne Bebbington opened our eyes to its wonderful woodland flora.

Our new Wildlife Watch Club opened in Hambridge.  Children will gain an enthusiastic introduction to wildlife through practical and fun activities.

On June 27 our third and most rewarding Arts and Wildlife Workshop so far engrossed 16 members for a day in Isle Abbotts. A walk along the River Isle for observation and ideas generated creative nature writing, stunning photographic images, painting and sketching.

Our Botany Study Group committed itself to continue for another year to develop our understanding of the structure and characteristics of wild flowers.

Anne and John Bebbington gave us a treat on 11th July by leading our visit to the Fivehead Arable Fields to find 22 special flowering plants many of which are becoming rare or even facing extinction.  It was very satisfying to know that we and the Ilminster Group had joined with many others to support the  management of this  important SSSI reserve.

Naturewriting Resources and Inspiration

I was chatting to a friend about our Wildlife and Arts Workshop tomorrow. We talked about creative writing and Blogging which is close to my heart even though there is nothing very creative about my writing. However I was intrigued by her thoughts on the subject and references to Nature Writing in this format. I have very hurriedly searched for such Blogs and to my amazement found some interesting examples, not all on Blogger!
One of the first to review was this offering and like some others I found it draws inspiration from Henry
Thoreau. Here is the introduction and an excellent quotation.



Nature Writing Resources and Inspiration

Nature Writing for readers and writers

Henry David Thoreau's Birthday—July 12, 1817

"My theme shall not be far-fetched. I will tell of homely everyday phenomena and adventures...What you call barrenness and poverty is to me simplicity. God could not be unkind to me if he should try. I love the winter with its imprisonment and its cold, for it compels the prisoner to try new fields and resources. I love best to have each thing in its season only, and enjoy doing without it at all other times. It is the greatest of all advantages to enjoy no advantage at all."

Henry David Thoreau in The Journal 1837-1861,
New York Review Books. Edited by Damion Searls, 2009.

Celebrate Henry David Thoreau's birthday by enjoying things seen in nature only in the summer, and by reading his journal. This new edition is inexpensive and compellingly organized for inspiration and enlightenment.

Thoreau, in his journal, says several times that people often rush to far lands when the wondrous gifts of nature are close to home, all the time. We need spend no money to experience their riches. "My themes shall not be far -fetched. I will tell of homely everyday phenomena and adventures. " In the spirit of Thoreau, Kathy Handyside shares with us the story of a common bird that brought a gift to her life: A Starling in the House.

Our next event

3RD Annual Workshop for Art and Wildlife.

Somerset Wildlife Trust , Heart of the Levels Group.

Reminder of event.

 

For the third year we are running our Art and Wildlife workshops on June 27th. Jenny Graham, a well known Somerset artist will help us look at the countryside and wildlife through artist’s eyes. Our challenge is to explore and capture our own artistic interpretations in drawing, photography, creative writing or some other way. Perhaps this year someone will compose music!   Eve Kerswill will again help and encourage us to put ideas onto paper through writing. 

This year Isle Abbotts Village Hall is the venue and we will follow the same programme as before. We start with an introduction , then a walk  for ideas, then practical interpretation in the Hall.  Bring a lunch,  tea and coffee provided.

We hope this workshop will continue to be a relaxed  and friendly way to try your hand at  capturing  images of nature and wildlife. If photographers can bring a laptop it will be helpful for viewing digital photos.If you received the Winter 2009 Wildlife Trust magazine you will have seen on the cover a photo taken during one of our sessions last year. I'm sure you could do better and we will submit it to the magazine editor for future use!

Isle Abbotts is a lovely and  small village surrounded by open countryside which should provide plenty of ideas for workshop activities. We are grateful to Jenny for supporting our event.

Here are the details:

Walk plus  Arts and Wildlife Workshop

Is it suitable for families ?– No special facilities for under tens will be provided.

Sunday June 27th,     10 am to 4 pm                                        

Jenny Graham, well known local artist will help  and advise us . ( Her web site is at: http://www.jennygraham.co.uk )

Meeting Place/Map Ref:   Isle Abbotts Village Hall.   ST 350 207

Closest Town  Ilminster

Where to Park: in road.

Is Venue Suitable for Wheelchair-User/Limited Mobility:  Restricted.

Admission fee:    £5   to cover cost of hall.    

Items which may be required:   Bring a lunch , Tea and coffee provided. Own painting materials.  Camera.

If you wish to bring along something you prepared earlier that would be most welcome.

Please confirm your attendance to us in advance to help with catering and to keep  within reasonable numbers.

BBC News - 'Green light' for global biodiversity science panel

Whats all this about! It seems that world governments have actually agreed on something ,which is a pleasant change. I assume that includes the USA?
On Friday 11th June at 10:51 local time in the South Korean port city of Busan a new international organisation was set up to monitor biodiversity and to advise governments in the same way as the IPCC has been doing for climate change.

 Read more about it here:


BBC News - 'Green light' for global biodiversity science panel

Obviously this is a Yellow Iris! I found a multitude of them in a damp gully on the north Cornwall coast last week. Beautiful. I also saw a Green Hairstreak butterfly. First time I've seen one in the countryside.

Today I received an invitation to attend a Somerset County Council Forum titled, "Post 2010. What next for biodiversity in Somerset" . That should be interesting with looming Gov cutbacks on spending.

International Year of Biodivesity : Biodiversity is Life. IUCN.

The International Union for Conservation of Nature   (IUCN)

Click here  to find out more about the IUCN and its world wide work to conserve wildlife. 
Or use this address:        http://www.iucn.org/about/

And here is a video to show some of the threatened species

Conservation success stories.

 

Wildlife Watch Club

Our new Watch Group  could do worse than admiring  beautiful wild flowers like the ones I photographed in my garden yesterday. Although they are similar I am fairly sure the first is Rough Hawbit and the second is Goats Beard which I had to catch in the morning before the flower closes up at noon! Hence its old name of Jack-go-to-bed-at-noon.

Now for a happy announcement.

A new Wildlife Watch Club will be launched on May 30th. Described by the Somerset Wildlife Trust as a fantastic club for nature lovers and their families to explore the wonderful world of wildlife.
Our Heart of the Levels Area volunteer Group is proud to be supporting this new venture. We have long wanted to boost our educational involvement in South Somerset and this is our big opportunity. We wish the club's leaders every success.Plese contact me through this Blog if you would like to find out more about this initiative.

International Year of Biodivesity : Biodiversity is Life

A photo of  wild flowers taken  in Crete on our recent walking holiday. Still working on the idents.

And to continue to see what is happening in the world of biodiversity here is a U tube clip from the UN introducing the problems facing wildlife around the world.

International Year of Biodivesity : Biodiversity is Life. International Day for Biological Diversity.

On this important day what is everyone doing about it?


Here are few web sites found in a quick survey.

The Natural History Museum: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/science_and_environment/10139906.stmhere  

You don't need much else to start finding out about IYB  but it might be interesting to see what other organisations are saying about it.

The Guardian  has featured it today with quite a full coverage of a new UN report on the economic value of natural services which we all take for granted and for free:  
http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/may/21/un-biodiversity-economic-report 

The Guardian also highlights this International Day for Biological Diversity with its Top Ten world events:


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/blog/2010/may/21/international-day-biological-diversity-events

The Telegraph by comparison has nothing I can see on the subject.

UK Government in the shape of DEFRA has a number of news items for May 21st which by coincidence put GM crop trials alongside the Ministerial visit to the Natural History Museum.
Here are some items from the DEFRA web site news service for 21st May:  

http://ww2.defra.gov.uk/

Biodiversity in the spotlight

This week the Secretary of State Caroline Spelman visited the newly opened Angela Marmont Centre for UK Biodiversity at the Natural History Museum. The Centre will be a hub for amateur naturalists, enthusiasts and other societies to study British wildlife. The Secretary of State talked to staff, looked at the exhibits and discussed the range of work the Museum does to support Defra’s objectives. Read more...

Friday 21 May 2010

Defra approves GM potato trial

Following a public consultation, Defra has given approval to the Sainsbury Laboratory to conduct a research trial this year of GM potatoes. The research is on potatoes that have been genetically modified to resist late potato blight. Read more...

Friday 21 May 2010

Rt Hon Caroline Spelman MP speech at the Angela Marmont Centre for Biodiversity, 20 May 2010

I’m delighted to be in a place that celebrates so obviously a natural world so vividly before us. Not just the dead and the extinct but also the huge variety of living species with which we share this planet. In the first ever International Year of Biodiversity I can think of few more fitting places for a new Secretary of State for the Environment to begin my conversation about the need to protect and promote that variety. Read more...

Thursday 20 May 2010

Strangely, I think, the Royal Society for Wildlife Trust has nothing specific to say about this Day for IYB but does feature its Biodiversity Accreditation Scheme:


Will your organisation measure up to the Biodiversity Benchmark?

Find out more about this environmental management system and accreditation process.

NEW! The Biodiversity Benchmark for Green Roofs. Click for more information...  

I could go on all day and I'm sure it would throw up some curiosities  in how IYB is being covered. At least George Monbiot has written about it all and as usual  doesn't pull his punches!

Finally I should make the point that our Heart of the Levels Group has been featuring IYB at meetings so far in 2010.