Swift Awareness Week at Kinoulton

June 16th to 23rd 2018 is Swift Awareness Week. In Kinoulton, South Nottinghamshire, we are lucky enough to have encouraged swifts to nest in the tower of St. Luke’s Church and we would like to share our enjoyment of these amazing birds. If, as we hope, the swifts return to breed in the tower this year we will choose one or two evenings during Swift Awareness Week to invite anyone who would like to experience the swifts screaming around the church and over the churchyard, as well as seeing them on their nests via a CCTV screen, to come and join us. We’ll be there to answer questions and, if the elements are on our side, to witness the disappearance of the swifts into their nest boxes or up into the sky for the night, as the sun sets.

If you would like to join us please contact Carol Collins, 0194981798 or carolwcollins61@gmail.com at the beginning of June, by which time we should have decided on dates and times.

South Notts Local Group AGM

This years AGM saw the endorsement of the following people as the Local Group Committee – Gordon Dyne (Chair), Jacquie Glen (Secretary), Valerie Holt (Treasurer), Judith Booth, Neil Glen , Margie Richards, Cath Lovatt and Chris Overton. Attached are links to the

Groups annual report  http://www.southnottswildlife.org.uk/content/?attachment_id=1047

and annual accounts http://www.southnottswildlife.org.uk/content/?attachment_id=1048.

The AGM was followed by an inspirational talk by the Keeping It Wild team, a wildlife Youth Group for people between 13 and 25. Originally set up in October 2016 around the Skylarks nature reserve project out reach, it is now and active vibrant group within Notts Wildlife Trust (in the same manner as Local Groups and WATCH Groups). They are actively engaged in the management of Woodthorpe Meadow, in promoting public engagement with wildlife, but also in getting out and enjoying our natural environment. Although they get some support from the Trust they are largely self financing, so also carry out fund raising

Congratulations to Friends of Sharphill Wood

The group is marking it`s 10th anniversary with a get together for supporters of the group at 2:00pm on Saturday 12th May at St Paul’s Church Hall, West Bridgford  followed by a visit to the wood. We will be looking back at our achievements and launching the next 5 year Management Plan for the future. The Friends have a achieved a lot over the past 10 years starting from scratch and now have an actively managed wood. Unfortunately  they are also facing some significant issues with the housing develoopment and there is currently particular concern about the effects on the Badger sets.

Bulwell Hall Signal Crayfish Project

This has been set up to help control the population of Signal Crayfish in ponds at Bulwell Hall in order to help protect populations of native Crayfish further up stream in the River Leen. For more about the project see link to information sheet  www.southnottswildlife.org.uk/content/?attachment_id=1042. The project is being run by the Notts Biodiversity Action Group. Most of the control work is being done by volunteers and if you wish to assist please contact Chris Jackson chris.jackson@no,scc.gov.uk

Badger Edge Vaccination Scheme to Carry on in Rushcllife

Good news. The Trust has received another four years funding, to the tune of around £120k, from DEFRA to continue TB vaccination in the Cropwell Butler cheese/dairy “triangle”. Although as the total project is costed at £180k this will need to be matched with contributions  from farmers and companies and also donations. The requirement is to achieve over 70% vaccination levels of sets in the area and the target area extends into Leicestershire.

Tim`s Tree Bark Invertebrate Survey

Tim Williams one of the volunteers who help at Wilwell, buoyed up by his successful investigation into the inmates of leaf litter, has also been looking at what little critters hibernate on tree trunks, using as you would small cardboard squares stapled to trees over the winter (having seen a previous study at Bunny Wood by one Nottm Trent University Ecology student). This has added a number of new species to the Wilwell species list and his short photographic report can be seen on Wilwell Hawthorn Squares