Public meeting, Talk tonight 22nd Nov

Due to very bad weather with high winds, recent flooding and heavy rain due in the next hour or so we have had to cancel our public meeting on the history and folklore of herbs and how they relate to todays usage.

Apologies for late cancellation. We hope to rearrange the talk at a later date.

Conservative party conspiracy to sabotage climate change progress - Greenpeace UK

Conservative party conspiracy to sabotage climate change progress - Greenpeace UK

If your interested in wildlife and nature and the future of Somerset's wonderful countryside and not forgetting bio diversity then you must watch this!

Nick Baker on Westhay nature reserve.

If you don't follow the Somerset Wildlife Trust on Facebook you are missing a treat.  Here is a very recent posting with a video clip describing a nature reserve not far from where I live and which I only occasionally visit. Time and other interests make it difficult to keep in touch with the natural world around us but it's a shame if we don't try.  Thanks to Jane for bringing it to our attention!

Viewing this video with Nick Baker taking us on a walk on the reserve is very well put together and gives us an insight into our own local natural world.

Here are links to the Trusts Facebook page and to the video clip

http://www.facebook.com/somersetwildlifetrust?

ref=streamhttp://www.facebook.com/somersetwildlifetrust?ref=stream

Somerset Wildlife Trust

Did you see Nick Baker watching dragonflies being caught by sundews on our Westhay Moor Nature Reserve the other night, on BBC's Inside Out? Don't worry if you missed it, you can watch it again here. Enjoy! It's really great footage! Jane

Inside Out South West: 12/11/2012

www.bbc.co.uk

Nick Baker visits Westhay Moor nature reserve in Somerset, an outstanding haven for wildlife largely created by man.

Like ·  · Share · 422 · about an hour ago · 

• 4 people like this.
• 2 shares
• 

  Somerset Wildlife Trust Great to see our very own Mark Blake being interviewed as well - explaining how we are conserving the largest surviving fragment of lowland acid mire in the south west. Jane

  about an hour ago · Like
• 

  Ruth Bartleet This is a lovely film. Thank you so much for sharing it.

Recipes for Disaster. George Monbiot

Recipes for Disaster

Once again George spotlights a serious issue. This time it's the way responsible people promote the eating of fish that are on the unsustainable list. Use the link to see the article.

Incidentally a member of the audience for Question Time last night actually challenged the panel on the subject of economic growth. As she rightly said it is irresponsible to continue to talk about restoring wealth and the economy as if it can continue without limit for ever.

I've written before about the book "Only one Earth--The Care and Maintenance of a Small Planet" written in 1972 and still very few people and Governments act on its advice and warning.
George is commenting on a similar blind spot in our understanding of the reality of living on a small planet!

Eco- therapy! Richard Mabey explains.

There is an interesting comparison between this post and my last. In this post the message is the value of getting involved with nature. In my last post it was all about human beings being totally disconnected from nature in the pursuit of wealth, power and denigration of fellow human beings who dared to say no.


I am rapidly becoming a Richard Mabey fan. Although I've read some of his many books and articles and admired his literary skills nothing has connected with me as much as listening to a BBC video of a programme on BBC World Service.

A friend sent me this photo taken in their garden. Its a common spider which can change its colour to suit its location.


If you are interested in nature or the conservation of wildlife in any way at all then I hope that listening to this programme you will find as I have done a new value, purpose and benefit  in the pursuit of your interest.

Here is a link to the BBC programme recording :

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00z9srx/Health_Check_Ecotherapy/


or use this URL


http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p00z9srx/Health_Check_Ecotherapy

I have in the last year or two attended a workshop arranged by Somerset Wildlife Trust with MIND on the subject of mental health but I dont recall it as being as relevant as this programme on Eco Therapy.

Donald Trump and Neighbourhood Planning.

I've just watched a programme about how Donald Trump has moved heaven and earth  ( and half of Scotland's most valuable coastal sand dunes) to start building a new housing estate and two golf courses  despite informed opposition.  I see it as a classic case of wealthy developers finding a way round the normal rules. Its shows how the interests of a global property developer can override environmental considerations and local opposition on the basis of doubtful estimates of economic gain and as a result, obtain planning permission.
Here is a link to view the BBC2 programme:

Click here:

or use this URL

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nln7g/Youve_Been_Trumped/

You can get further information from here:      here  or use this URL:

  http://www.trippinguptrump.com

Jersey Tiger moth. Euplagia quadripunctaria.

Apologies for the break in posting on this Blog, all down to the usual excuses, too many to list!

However today I received my regular email from Somerset Wildlife Trust giving me a selection of recent photos of nature subjects. One in particular caught my attention and the URL below is a link to the SWT Flickr account. Its shows a moth but taken from an unusual angle which made me doubt the identification until I had worked out what I was seeing.


http://www.flickr.com/photos/somersetwildlife/8112037645/

For comparison I have added my own view of the moth seen flying during the day in our very small wildlife garden.  Looks a bit worn !

Jersey Tiger  Euplagia quadripunctaria.

And here is another link to the SWT collection showing a better looking specimen:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/somersetwildlife/8112047938/in/photostream

Volunteering

I've copied this from an email and its lost some format but I'll leave it here and see if I can do something about it!

Some extracts from our SWT e letter 

September News
Liz Francis - Volunteering Administrator, Somerset Wildlife Trust			It's been a busy couple of months! Thanks to all those of you who have supported the Trust's surveys and events over the summer.  Despite the weather's best efforts at sabotage our volunteers have yet again shown they won't be beaten! Those of you who fulfil key volunteer roles for SWT will be receiving a letter from us in the next couple of months with a key volunteer agreement to sign and return.  If you have any questions about this please speak to your main contact at SWT or contact Janet Keeble, Community and Volunteering Manager, who we have recently welcomed back from maternity leave: Janet.Keeble@somersetwildlife.org.   In this edition of the volunteer e-newsletter we've got some great updates from various volunteer groups throughout the county.  If you are thinking of getting involved with a group but haven't yet taken the first step we've got a number of ways you can start.  What are you waiting for? Liz liz.francis@somersetwildlife.org Help us protect important habitats within Somerset  The Sedgemoor Conservation Volunteers are an established group who  carry out practical tasks on a wide range of nature reserves. They have a couple of dates coming up on SWT reserves; Sunday 23rd September at Great Breach Wood where they will be clearing glades of cut grass, and Sunday 7th October at Westhay Moor where they will be removing scrub.   Details of how to get involved are here.      The Sedgemoor Conservation Volunteers The East Poldens Conservation Volunteers are a small friendly group who are keen to expand and welcome new faces No experience needed, just enthusiasm and a desire to help SWT on their nature reserves. For more information and to book please contact Mark: mark.green@somersetwildlife.org or 01823 652408.   You can view details of all the Conservation Volunteer Groups here Mark Green, Reserve Manager

Marine Life in Lyme Bay.

Our next public meeting is on thursday September 20th in Somerton at 7.30 pm till about 9 .00 pm
United Reform Church Hall.

Title:

Marine Life in Lyme Bay.

Peter Glanville shares some of his images of and observations on the marine life in this area.

Tea and coffee available.

All welcome;

£2.50 contribution to cost of hire of the hall.

Meadow crisis over!

Update on my previous post.

A bit of luck led us to a farmer who has the right size of equipment and has  now already cut our field last Thursday, back yesterday to turn the grass over and so it should be baled and removed soon.
Not many butterflies flying now!! Scabious cut down still in flower but many had already seeded. They always come back and even spread.
Took some photos of berries on new hedge for the Somerset Hedge Group photography competition but not expecting to show in the winners list!

The photos below show the baling in progress.

 After turning to dry out the grass it was then turned a second time to pile it into ridges ready for baling

This seems to be a Slow Worm caught out in the open  during the hay cutting or the subsequent  turning. It appeared undamaged but also seems quite dead. Also found a dead shrew.

 About a quarter of the field had less grass than the rest.

This is the relatively small tractor and baler.

Hay now baled. For comparison he collected 20 bales on the adjacent field owned by the local Council and 18 on our slightly smaller field. All done in dry weather in four days.