Walk in the Woods - 18th May

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On 18th May the Tree Council Wardens will be leading a walk around Brotherton Park and Dibbinsdale.

To book, telephone or text Gen on 07979 754011.

Butterfly Park Open Day - 5th May

Sunday 5th May

New Ferry Butterfly Park Open Day

11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Come and celebrate the continued success of the Park with a new nature trail and new art trail, marking the start of our Sunday openings for the season. See new additional art works, interpretation boards and an apothecary garden; all sponsored by the Imago project. The Deputy Mayor of Wirral will unveil a new artwork ‘The Butterfly Hut’. There will be butterfly and wildlife-related arts stalls, woodland craft demonstrations, fun-filled environmental games and activities, face painting, tombola, a BBQ, cake stall and an impressive plant stall with plants grown by Trust members.

There is no charge to enjoy the day, but donations welcome at information desk.

There is disabled parking only on the site for the Open Day. Come by public transport if you can - the Park is next to Bebington Train Station. Map of location.

The event is family friendly but children must be accompanied by an adult. Stout footwear and waterproofs recommended.

The Open Day marks the beginning of the summer season at the Butterfly Park. The Park will be open to the public every Sunday from 5th May until September, from 12 until 4 p.m.

Dawn Chorus at Cleaver Heath - 5th May

Blackcap. Photo: Wikipedia

Sunday 5th May

Dawn Chorus Walk - Cleaver Heath

4.30 a.m. to approximately 7.30 a.m.

We should hear a wide range of both our resident birds and returning migrants, and there should be plenty to interest those who can already identify birds by call and song, as well as those absolute beginners who want to make a start.

Booking essential on 0151 342 4249. Sorry no dogs.

Meet at Cleaver Heath on Oldfield Road, Heswall. Map of location.

Summer On Hilbre - 1st June

Hilbre Island. Photo: Peter Craine, Wikipedia

Saturday 1st June

10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Join the Coastal Rangers, RSPB and Wirral Wildlife on this low tide walk to Hilbre Island. We will see the flowers and plants that flourish on this tidal island, learn about the birdlife and the island's history.

Suitable clothing, footwear and sunblock are recommended for this walk. Bring a snack and something to drink, along with binoculars if you have them.

Places are limited and a suggested donation of £3 will be gratefully received on the day for this event.

Booking essential: telephone Colin Wells, RSPB Dee Estuary Site Manager, 0151 648 4371.

Big Dee Day - 28th and 29th June

Following on from the success of the annual Big Dee Day river clean-up, a new event will be held this year to tackle invasive non-native plants and animals, such as Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam and Chinese mitten crab.

This new event, The Big Dee Day - The Invasion, will be held on 28 and 29 June. It will be the first ever coordinated event to control these alien invaders across the Dee catchment, from the river’s source in Snowdonia National Park right through to its estuary.

The event is open to everyone across the area to come and help eradicate invasive non-native species from the River Dee and its tributaries and to record infested areas. The species that will be tackled are alien species, brought to the UK either accidentally or intentionally, which can cause big problems for our native wildlife, as well as having other effects such as making river banks more prone to erosion, which can lead to flooding.

A partnership of Welsh and English organisations including local authority Countryside Services, Snowdonia National Park Authority, the Clwydian Range and Dee Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, the Environment Agency and Environment Agency Wales, Wildlife Trusts, Chester Zoo and the Countryside Council for Wales are involved in organising the event.

Richard Lucas of the Welsh Dee Trust, who is also involved in the event, said:

“Over the past few years, we have been one of the organisations involved in tackling invasive species in the Dee catchment. We have worked with volunteers from various angling clubs, Keep Wales Tidy, and other voluntary bodies, but would like to invite more members of the public and voluntary groups to get involved by registering their interest in taking part in the Big Dee Day - the Invasion by visiting www.bionetwales.co.uk.”

 

If you or your group would like to get stuck in with balsam bashing or knotweed whacking, or if you fancy spying on the alien invaders and recording their locations then keep the dates in your diary and look out for further information in your local press closer to the time.

Himalayan balsam may look pretty but it can cause havoc on river banks,

out-competing native vegetation and dying back over winter,

leaving banks open to erosion.

Contact details for local coordinators:

Area	Coordinator	Tel	Email
Cheshire	Lyn Byrne or Eric Fletcher	07971 052162 or 01244 383749	Email Lyn Byrne or  Email Eric Fletcher
Denbighshire	Lizzy Webster	01824 708263	Email Lizzy Webster
Flintshire	Amy Green	01352 703263	Email Amy Green
Snowdonia National Park	Gethin Davies	01766 772515	Email Gethin Davies
Wrexham	Emma Broad	01978 298762	Email Emma Broad

Thurstaston Common Walk - 4th May

Thor's Rock at Thurstaston Common. Photo: J Picton, Wikipedia

Following Paul Greenslade's talk, he will be leading a walk around Thurstaston Common Nature Reserve.

Saturday 4th May

Thurstaston Common Walk

10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m.

Meet at Royden Park car park at 10 a.m. then stroll over the Common.

Finish around 12.30 p.m. at the Tea Servery where the Greasby Scouts will be operating this facility.

No booking required.

Explore the shore - 20th April

Click on the image to view it at a larger size.

This event takes place on 20th April at 10 a.m. To book a place, please contact Cheshire Wildlife Trust by telephone 01948 820728 or email them

Get The Buzz

Tawny Mining Bee. Photo: Entomart

There are two Wild Bee Identification and Biology Workshops taking place this summer, run by Tony Parker of Liverpool World Museum.

Saturday 6th July

Wirral Country Park, Thurstaston

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Indoor and outdoor sessions on the biology and identification of wild bees, concentrating on mining bees but also covering bumbles. Includes walking down steps to the shore.

Cost: £5.00 per person

Note: aimed at adults and teenagers, not suitable for young children.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Telephone Hilary Ash 0151 327 5923.

Saturday 3rd August

New Ferry

10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Morning session at Windsor Close Community Centre, Windsor Close, New Ferry, Wirral, CH62 5BX. (Free Parking in Woodhead Street, New Ferry).

Afternoon at the Butterfly Park looking for resident wild bees and learning how to identify  them and how they live. Funded  by the 'Your Wirral' Imago grant.

Cost: FREE.

Note: Morning session aimed at adults and teenagers, not suitable for young children. Afternoon session, suitable for children.

BOOKING ESSENTIAL. Telephone Hilary Ash 0151 327 5923.

Help protect bees

British bees still need our help! There's mounting evidence that some pesticides are killing bees. But the environment minister recently refused to support a European vote to stop the pesticides being used. Now we've got just a few weeks to change the minister's mind before he votes again.

Over 85,000 people have already signed the petition to demand he protects our bees, let's get it to over a 100,000 this week.

Please can you forward this email to your friends and family and ask them to sign it too?

They can sign the petition here:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-bees

Bees and other insects pollinate about three quarters of our food, so it's incredibly important to protect them. Countries across Europe including France and Italy have listened to the mounting scientific evidence and already started banning these harmful pesticides. But our government are dragging their heels.

Previously when 38 Degrees members have stood up to protect wildlife we've achieved great things. 38 Degrees members joined together in our thousands and helped stop the government selling off our forests. We've pressured the government to postpone the badger cull. Recently, we've even helped stop the Lake District being turned into a nuclear waste dump.

Now it's time to protect our bees. Let's demand our government stands up to the powerful pesticide industry and takes action to protect our bees.

Please can you forward this email to you friends and family and ask them to sign the petition:

https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/save-our-bees

Thanks for being involved and protecting our bees,

Robin, Megan, Hannah and the 38 Degrees team.

P.S. Can you share the petition with your friends on Facebook and Twitter:

Facebook: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/bees-facebook

Twitter: https://secure.38degrees.org.uk/bees-twitter

Badger Cull - please sign the petition

To publicise the increasing strength of public feeling against the proposed cull of badgers in the West Country, the Somerset Badger Group have asked for help. If our joint efforts to stop the slaughter do not succeed, it is only a matter of weeks before this group and their neighbours in Gloucestershire will endure the sound of gunfire as their badgers meet a pitiful death. If these so called pilot trials take place and are deemed successful, the badgers some of you have protected for so many years will also be targeted by shooters.

Asking people to sign the petition is something we can all do:

epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/38257

It is something we must do for the sake of the badgers in the West country.

At present, the signatures have increased to 189,603 which is a significant increase since Somerset Badger Group drafted their note. We and the many other organisations who are asking their supporters for similar help, want to achieve at least 250,000 signatures but 300,000 would be better. It will be a powerful indication to Parliament - both those in Government and the Opposition - that public opinion is strongly against a badger cull.

I shall not repeat all the arguments here, you already know what they are or if you need to refresh your memory, please visit the Badger Trust website.

Your help is essential - please do not delay and do everything you can to  publicise the petition widely before the end of April 2013. Use all your resources, including social media, to continually remind people of the threat to the badgers throughout a large part of England.

Thank you.

Regards,

David Williams,

Chairman
The Badger Trust