Monday 3 September 2012

Year of Coast and Countryside - September events

2012 is the 50th Birthday of Cheshire Wildlife Trust. It is also Wirral Borough's "Year of Coast and Countryside". To celebrate both we have organised a programme of guided walks exploring Wirral's wildlife and its local history. We have also set up 5 wildflower plantings to make a lasting contribution to our local area. More details on:


Tuesday 4th September
Thurstaston Common - Lowland Heathland
Enjoy lowland heathland at its peak flowering time, with heaths, heathers and gorse in flower. Discover how this landscape was formed, how it is conserved, and meet the current managers, both human and animal. We are fortunate to have one of the rarest habitats in Western Europe on our doorstep.
Leader: Jon Twigg, National Trust warden.
Meet: 2 p.m. Royden Park, outside the coach house and toilets. Grid ref: SJ246858.
Free, no need to book. Rough ground so wear stout footwear.

Sunday 9th September
Wild Flower Planting for Cheshire Wildlife Trust's 50th Birthday
Plant 50 wild flowers at Dawpool Nature Reserve, on the Wirral Way at Thurstaston. Betony, bird's-foot trefoil, viper's bugloss, ragged robin and ox-eye daisy, to help future years' butterflies and bees with nectar, pollen and caterpillar food-plant. Attractive flowers for people to enjoy as well.
All ages welcome! Plants funded by Wirral Borough Council as part of the Year of Coast and Countryside.
Leaders: Wirral Ranger and members of Wirral Wildlife
Meet: 2 p.m. Wirral Country Park visitor centre, Station Road, Thurstaston. Grid ref: SJ 239834.
Wear stout footwear. Tools provided, but bringing a trowel may be helpful.
Booking recommended: telephone 0151 327 5923 or email info@wirralwildlife.co.uk.

Saturday 15th September
Wildflower Planting - Bidston Moss
Plant wild flowers at Bidston Moss, to add to the wildlife on the former landfill. Thanks to the Forestry Commission, Wirral BC and the Friends of Bidston Moss we have 120 plants to put in! Cowslip, ragged robin, sweet cicely, fleabane, meadowsweet, betony and bedstraw, to help future years' butterflies and bees with nectar and pollen.  Attractive flowers for people to enjoy as well. All ages welcome!
Leaders: Forestry Commission and members of Wirral Wildlife.
Meet: 2 p.m. on Wallasey Bridge Road, by the signed footpath onto Bidston Moss (adjacent to the Household Waste Recycling Facility exit) Grid reference: SJ 297907.
Very limited parking in front of the Materials Recycling Facility thanks to Veolia (gate between the entrance and exit to the Household Waste Recycling Facility), but parking available in local streets, and Bidston North station is 10 minutes walk away.
Wear stout footwear, fairly steep slope to climb. Tools provided, but bringing a trowel may be helpful.
Booking not essential as we have so many plants.

Thursday 20th September
Stones and Birds
Discover some really ancient history, and modern wildlife. Join local geologist Hilary Davies and a Wirral Ranger to find out about the nationally-important geology of the clay cliffs at Thurstaston, and where their variety of pebbles have come from. Watch out for birds as the migrants come back from their breeding grounds; leaders will help distinguish the redshanks from the dunlin from the curlew.
Meet: 10 a.m. Thurstaston Visitor Centre, Wirral Country Park. Grid reference: SJ239834.
We will walk down the Station Road steps and along the beach: stout footwear required.
Free, no need to book.

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