Events on your local sites this spring and summer time

Hello everyone,

Now that the winter has (supposedly) passed it is that time of year when we put together our list of spring and summer events on the wildlife reserves in your local area. Listed below are all of the events which are being run by the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust over the coming months.

Details of the event, its location and contact. More information can be found on www.hwt.org.uk or by calling 01489 774400. Please feel free to pass this information on to any friends or family that you think may also be interested.

We look forward to hopefully seeing you at some of these special events.

The Grazing Project Team

April

Fri 11th
Noar Hill near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). Join the reserves officer on this magical site and help to move the cattle and sheep and their electric fencing. This is a great way to see the site on a regular basis throughout the summer months when it is looking at its best. The task runs from 10am-2pm. Full training will be given. Please wear suitable sturdy footwear and old clothes that can get a bit muddy. Please also bring along a packed lunch. For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk.

Sat 12th
Caesar’s Camp 10.30am. Join Alex Cruickshank, Wildlife Trust Grazing Project Manager, to look around Caesar’s Camp at the heathland and its wildlife, followed by a picnic. Meet at the lay-by opposite the garage on the A287 Odiham Road in Upper Hale (Map ref. SU 843 509). This walk is subject to cancellation due to MOD training, so for further details and to book your place, please contact Alex on 01256 381190. Please bring a picnic for lunch.

Sat 19th
Hook Common – Our Plans for the Future 10am–12noon. Join Alex Cruickshank, Grazing Project Manager, and Elliott Fairs, Reserves Officer, to discuss our proposals to introduce conservation grazing to Hook Common. We will discuss the benefits to wildlife of this type of management and how you can continue to enjoy the site. To be held at Hook Common. Meet in the lay-by on A287 (Map ref. SU 719 532). For further details, please contact Alex on 07789 096330. Please wear suitable clothing and boots. Dogs on leads welcome.

Sun 20th
Spring Stroll 10am. Join the Trust’s Loddon and Eversley Project staff for a walk around woodland and farmland at Lyde Green near Rotherwick, looking out for the spring wildlife we may see on route. Parking is limited so booking is essential. Meet and park at Lyde Green Farm (Map ref. SU 699 572). For further details and to book your place, please contact Amanda Bassett on 01256 381186. Wear stout footwear. No dogs please.

Sun 20th
Work Party Building ’looker’ paths at Ancells Farm. The site is wet and lacks formal paths so getting around the site to check the cows can be a battle. We will be making use of some of the logs we have cut over the winter to build informal paths for visitors and lookers to use to get around the reserve. Meet at 10.30am the field gate at the entrance to the reserve, off Ancells Road. Postcode GU51 2XB. Grid Reference of meeting place – SU823557. Please bring suitable footwear (wellies are best but boots are suitable too) and wear clothes you don’t mind getting muddy! Please also bring along a packed lunch.

Thur 24th
Bramshott’s Bats 7.30-9pm. Join in an enjoyable and informative walk around Bramshott Common looking into the silent and secret world of bats. Bat detectors will be provided but please bring your own if you have one. Meet at the MOD car park at Bramshott Common (Map ref. SU 855 334). For further details and directions, please contact Laura Fairs, Grazing Project and Reserves Officer on 01256 381190 or 07833 387319 or email lauraf@hwt.org.uk. Please wear warm and waterproof outdoor clothes and bring along a torch. Dogs on leads welcome. This event may be subject to change due to military training, so please contact Laura to book your place.

Sat 26th
Bartley Heath Spring Wildlife Walk 10.30am-12.30pm. A chance to see the Heath’s special spring flowers, including petty whin, heath violet and lousewort and, weather permitting, early damselflies, butterflies, green tiger beetles and other colourful insects. Meet at Bartley Heath Wildlife Reserve, parking in the Reserve car park off B3349 (Map ref. SU 726 533). For further details, please contact Peter Vaughan on 01256 764225.

May

Fri 9th
Noar Hill near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). Join the reserves officer on this magical site and help to move the cattle and sheep and their electric fencing on a monthly basis. This is a great way to see the site on a regular basis throughout the summer months when it is looking at its best. The task runs from 10am-2pm. Full training will be given. Please wear suitable sturdy footwear and old clothes that can get a bit muddy. Please also bring along a packed lunch. For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk.

Sun 11th
Scary or Just Hairy? 1.30-3pm. Ever wondered how to walk through a reserve with cattle in it? Or how best to behave when you come across a cow with calf on your walk? Let the Grazing Project staff ease your fears by introducing you to the cattle at Velmead Common. Learn about attitudes (yours and the cows), how to overcome your fears and adapt your behaviour to negotiate a herd safely and confidently. To be held at Velmead Common. Meet and park at the car park off the Aldershot Road, to the east of the Foresters Pub (Map ref. SU 827 527) – please do not park in the pub car park. For further details and to book your place, please contact Laura Fairs on 01256 381190 or 07833 387319 or email lauraf@hwt.org.uk. Admission £2. Cattle friendly dogs on leads are welcome. This event may be subject to cancellation in the event of MOD training.

Sat 17th
Cow Pat Day 10am–12noon. Join the Grazing Project Team to meet the infamous Noar Hill & Pondtail Dexters. Learn how the cows live on Noar Hill and what they are there for. Discover the range of creepy crawlies that live in their cow pats and help treat the cows to some special cow nuts. If everyone is good we may even be able to pat them! Meet and park in the lane north of Charity Farm, near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 322). For further details and to book your place, please contact Oliver Hine on 01256 381190. Admission £5 per person or £7.50 per family. Please wear suitable clothes (you are likely to get muddy) and sturdy footwear.


Sun 18th
Petty Whin Survey at Ancells farm. Today’s task will be held in conjunction with the Hampshire Flora Group to survey the site for this rare plant. We will have a brief introduction to the plant to familiarise ourselves with what we are looking for, then we will search the site to find any plants. We will use hand held GPS mapping machines to record any that we find. Meet at 10.30am the field gate at the entrance to the reserve, off Ancells Road. Postcode GU51 2XB. Grid Reference of meeting place – SU823557. Please bring suitable footwear (wellies are best but boots are suitable too) and wear clothes you don’t mind getting muddy! Please also bring along a packed lunch.

June

Sun 1st
Cows and Conservation 10am–12noon. Alex Cruickshank and Laura Fairs from the Trust’s Grazing Project will be leading a walk to look at some of the wonderful wildlife at Longmoor. They will discuss some of the changes that will be happening to make the site even better for wildlife – including the introduction of conservation cattle. Meet at the car park on Forest Road, north of Liss Forest (Map ref. SU 781 293). For further details, please contact Alex on 07789 096330. Please wear suitable clothing and boots. Dogs on leads welcome.

Sun 8th
Orchids and Butterflies at Noar Hill 2.30pm. Join Mike Sharman in a walk to discover the rich wildlife of the chalk grassland, including orchids and butterflies. This is a joint event with North Hampshire Orchid Society. Meet at Noar Hill (Map ref. SU 742 319). For further details, please contact Mike on 01189 816104. Parking is limited so car sharing is advised.

Tue 10th
Farm and Wildlife Walk 7pm. Join the Wildlife Trust’s Loddon and Eversley Project staff for a walk around farmland in Well. Learn more about the farming and environmental stewardship of the land and look out for farmland wildlife on route. Booking essential. Meet and park at Well Manor Farm, Well (Map ref. SU 762 465). For further details and to book your place, please contact Amanda Bassett on 01256 381186. No dogs please.

Fri 13th
Noar Hill near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). Join the reserves officer on this magical site and help to move the cattle and sheep and their electric fencing on a monthly basis. This is a great way to see the site on a regular basis throughout the summer months when it is looking at its best. The task runs from 10am-2pm. Full training will be given. Please wear suitable sturdy footwear and old clothes that can get a bit muddy. Please also bring along a packed lunch. For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk.

Wed 18th
Wildlife Walk at Noar Hill 10.30am-12.30pm. Join in a guided walk with a warden at this magical Wildlife Reserve to see butterflies, orchids and other flora. Meet and park in lane north of Charity Farm near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 322). For further details, please contact Peter Adams on 01329 287 653. Admission £2.

Wed 18th
Orchids on Noar Hill 7-9pm. Join Nigel Johnson and Rosemary Webb for a stroll on the slopes of the old chalk pits searching for scarce orchids. Park in the lane north of Charity Farm, near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 322). For further details, please contact Nigel on 01489 877324.

July

Sat 5th
Orchids & Wildflowers at Noar Hill 10.30am–4pm. Noar Hill is a wonderful site bursting with many different orchids and interesting wildflowers. This Hampshire Flora Group event, led by Tony Mundell, is aimed at beginners so we will potter very slowly and find out what plants are there and how they are identified. There will be plenty of time to take photographs. Meet on grass verge near Charity Farm, Noar Hill (Map ref. SU 737 321). For further details, please contact Tony on 01252 614516. Please bring a packed lunch.

Tue 8th
Farm Walk and Cream Tea 7pm. Join Alison Cross of the Wildlife Trust and local dairy farmer James Hague for a farm walk around Lyde Green Farm, Rotherwick. Alison and James will point out some of the wildlife on the farm as well as talking about running a dairy farm. The evening will be rounded off with a cream tea using cream from James’ herd of British Holstein dairy cows. Booking essential. Meet and park at Lyde Green Farm, Lyde Green near Rotherwick (Map ref. SU 699 572). For further details and to book your place, please contact Amanda Bassett on 01256 381186. Admission £3. Please wear stout footwear. No dogs please.

Fri 11th
Noar Hill near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). Join the reserves officer on this magical site and help to move the cattle and sheep and their electric fencing on a monthly basis. This is a great way to see the site on a regular basis throughout the summer months when it is looking at its best. The task runs from 10am-2pm. Full training will be given. Please wear suitable sturdy footwear and old clothes that can get a bit muddy. Please also bring along a packed lunch. For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk.

August


Fri 8th
Noar Hill near Selborne (Map ref. SU 737 324). Join the reserves officer on this magical site and help to move the cattle and sheep and their electric fencing on a monthly basis. This is a great way to see the site on a regular basis throughout the summer months when it is looking at its best. The task runs from 10am-2pm. Full training will be given. Please wear suitable sturdy footwear and old clothes that can get a bit muddy. Please also bring along a packed lunch. For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or elliottf@hwt.org.uk.

Sun 31st
Marsh Gentian Count and Picnic 10am–12.30pm. The recovery of the rare and beautiful marsh gentian flower has been a major success story for the Wildlife Trust at Bartley Heath Wildlife Reserve. Help take part in this important annual event to count and record the flower’s numbers and distribution across the reserve, with the chance to see other wildlife. No plant surveying skills are required, training will be provided on the day. Please bring a picnic for lunch after the count. Meet and park at Bartley Heath car park off the B3349 (Map ref. SU 726 533). For further details, please contact Elliott Fairs on 01256 381190 or Peter Vaughan on 01256 764225. Wear stout footwear as there is some uneven
ground. No dogs please.