Conservation Events and Workshops,
Guided Walks and Talks
These events are designed to introduce
people of all ages to wildlife and its conservation. They offer you
a wide choice of opportunities to learn about the wildlife
surrounding us, and develop new skills in countryside crafts.
You'll learn about the Trust's Nature Reserves, the plants and
animals which thrive within them, and how we look after them.
If you go on a Guided Walk, led by expert
volunteers or Trust staff, you will find out more about the
wildflowers, butterflies, birds and mammals that make up our local
heritage.
By joining in our activities, you'll soon
be playing your part in helping to protect our natural heritage.
Just take a look at the range of activities, make your selection,
reserve your place and mark them in your diary.
April | May
April 2012
Saturday 28th April
One Day Wildlife Garden Design
Time: 10.30am - 4.00pm
RHS Gold Medal award winning garden
designer Elaine Hughes will be delivering a day in Wildlife Garden
Design. The day long courses will look at the principles of
wildlife friendly gardening, garden assessment and survey,
developing a design concept, drawing a design, deciding on garden
features and materials and preparing an effective planting palate
for all areas in your garden.
Location: Brandon Marsh Nature Centre. Entrance
SP386761 - Meet in the barn
Cost: £40 per person (Incl refreshments.
Lunch not included) Payable on Booking
Booking is essential as places are
limited to 14
Sunday 29th April
Spring Flowers Guided Walk
Time:10.00am
Join volunteer warden Harry Ratcliffe for
this fascinating guided walk around Rough Hill Wood SSSI. Come
along and appreciate the wood in all its glory in this wonderfully
colourful display.
Location: Rough Hill Wood SSSI Nature
Reserve, Studley (SP 052 637) - meet in car park off A448 (The
Slough) B30 7EN.
Cost: £2 per person
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May
2012
Saturday 5th May
Reptile ID Workshop
Time: 10.00am - 12.00pm
This workshop is aimed at members of the
public who are interested in learning
how to identify the different native reptile species. It is
suitable for adults and children (8 years old plus) who are keen to
learn more about reptile's appearance and ecology. It will involve
both an indoor Powerpoint presentation and an opportunity to view
some live specimens up close. This course is covered in the
more advanced course held on 21st April so if you are planning to
attend this you should not book on to that as well.
Location: Brandon Marsh Nature Centre. Entrance
SP386761 - Meet in the barn.
Cost: £7.50 per person which includes a
free Warwickshire Amphibian and Reptile
Team (WART) membership. If you
book on the amphibian ID workshop (on 25th
February) the amphibian ID workshop is free. Price also
includes refreshments
and FSC identification chart. Lunch not included. Places are confirmed upon
receipt of payment in advance.
Sunday 6th May
A Wonderful Spring Wildflowers Guided
Walk at Ryton Wood
Time: 10.00am - 1.00pm
Join Steven Falk for this fascinating
guided walk. Come along and appreciate the wood in all its
wonderfully colourful display.
Location: Ryton Wood SSSI. Please meet at the
members' car park down the track off the Oxford Road between the
Bull and Butcher pub and the Dahlia nursery.
Cost: £2.00
Sunday 6th May
Spring Guided Walk at Temple Balsall
Time: 2.30pm
Join volunteer warden Adrian Smith for a
lovely stroll around Temple Balsall Nature Reserve. Contact Izumi
Segawa 024 7630 2912.
Location: Temple Balsall Nature Reserve. Meet at
the church car park on Temple Lane (SP 203760). Limited car parking
space.
Cost: £2.00 per person
Tuesday 8th May
Bat Walk
Time: 8.30pm
A stroll around River Arrow LNR with the
Volunteer Warden Steve Godfrey in search of bats. Please register
in advance by call or text to 0777 3293968 or email
info@alcester-nature.org.uk. Please bring a torch.
Location: River Arrow LNR, Ragley Mill Lane,
Alcester (SO 086 581), meet at the entrance to the reserve.
Cost: £2 per person
Thursday 10th May
Blooming Bluebells
Time: 7.00pm
Join volunteer warden Jon Holmes and take
in this magnificent woodland spectacle throughout Crackley
Woods! Find out more about the ecology of this woodland and
how Jon and his team maintain and enhance the site through careful
management.
Location: Crackley Wood Local Nature Reserve,
Kenilworth (SP 289738) - meet in main reserve car park off Crackley
Lane.
Cost: £2 per person
Sunday 13th May
Spring Walk at Clowes Wood
Time: 2.30pm
Clowes Wood will be full of life with a
stunning carpet of Bluebells. Our volunteer warden, Ron Hill will
introduce you to the wonderful world of Clowes Wood SSSI!
Location: Clowes Wood.
Wood Lane Car Park. B94 5JP. (SP101 743)
Cost: £2 per person
Sunday 13th May
Dawn Chorus for Wimps
Time: 7.30am
If you've always wanted to learn the
difference between garden warblers and blackcaps, but can't be
bothered with getting up at stupid o'clock, then this is the event
for you.
A gentle stroll round Ufton Fields SSSI with Jim Rushforth and a
chance to hear most of the common warblers.
Usually followed by a serious breakfast in the local pub, so bring
your wallet.
Location: Ufton Fields LNR (SP 378615) - meet in
the car park off Ufton Fields Lane.
Cost: £2 per person (excluding
breakfast)
Sunday 13th May
Outstanding Orchids
Time: 2.00pm
Join local ecologist Richard Wright for a
walk around Warwickshire's finest hay meadow and see how many wild
flowers you can identify.
Location: Draycote Meadows SSSI Nature
Reserve, Rugby (SP 448 708) - meet at the
entrance. Please note - no dogs
except on bridleway.
Cost: £2 per person
Saturday 19th May
Parkridge 10th Anniversary
Time: 10.00am - 2.00pm
Come along and celebrate the 10th
Anniversary of the Parkridge Centre with guided walks and
children's activities.
Location: Parkridge Centre, Brueton Park, Solihull B91
HW
Cost: Free. For more details: Contact Amanda Evans on
0121 704 0768
Saturday 19th May
Parkridge Weekend Work Parties
Time: 10.00am - 2.00pm
Join Warwickshire Wildlife Trust staff and
volunteers from 10.00am - 3.00pm on one of our weekend work parties
at Parkridge Centre. Come along and help us to develop and maintain
our 5.5 acre nature area. There will be a variety of tasks suitable
for all ages and abilities.
Location: Parkridge Centre,
Brueton Park, Solihull B91 HW
Cost: Free. For more details: Contact Amanda Evans on
0121 704 0768
Saturday 19th May
Wonderful Wildflower Sale
Time: 10.30am - 3.00pm
A sale of both native and non native
wildflowers to plant in your garden to benefit your local wildlife.
Careful planting of wildflowers can benefit bees, butterflies,
birds and lots of beneficial interest, some of which are in decline
in the wild. Help us to create a 'Living Landscape'!
Location: The Courtyard, Brandon Marsh Nature
Centre, Entrance SP386761
Cost: Free Entry, plants individually
priced
Saturday 19th May
Opening of the Sensory Garden
Time: TBC
The Sensory Garden has been re-developed.
Come and see the changes today.
Location: The Sensory Garden, Brandon Marsh Nature
Centre, Entrance SP386761
Cost: Free Entry
Saturday 19th May
Wild Flowers of Ufton Fields, led by
Brian Laney
Time: 10.30am
This is a joint meeting with the Warwickshire
Flora Group to look and record the varied wild flowers that
grow at Ufton Fields. There is an old record for Little mouse-ear
of which we will try to refind for the site. Also it will be
interesting to see what species have appeared in the open areas
cleared of invasive scrub in recent years.
Location: Ufton Fields LNR (SP 378615) - meet in
the car park off Ufton Fields Lane.
Cost: Free.
For more
details: Contact 07818 579303
Sunday 20th May
Wonderful Wildflower Sale
Time: 10.30am - 3.00pm
A sale of both native and non native
wildflowers to plant in your garden to benefit your local wildlife.
Careful planting of wildflowers can benefit bees, butterflies,
birds and lots of beneficial interest, some of which are in decline
in the wild. Help us to create a 'Living Landscape'!
Location: The Courtyard, Brandon Marsh Nature
Centre, Entrance SP386761
Cost: Free Entry, plants individually
priced
Sunday 20th May
Woodland Flora ID Workshop
Time: 10.30am - 4.00pm
Learn about our varied woodland flora with
botanist Brian Laney.
This is a practical workshop that will be
predominantly spent identifying plants in the field (weather
permitting).
Brian will show attendees what might be
found both in flower, as well as species that can be recognised by
rosette or leaf alone (a useful technique especially at sites where
certain species rarely flower due to deer grazing pressures).
Brian will mention ideas to improve
woodland habitats to help our woodland flora that could prove
useful to attendees.
Location: The Barn, Brandon Marsh Nature
Centre with forward travel to the nearby Wappenbury and
Ryton Woods
(own transport required)
Cost: £15 per person, Refreshments and
Lunch not included.
Sunday 20th May
Woodland Management at Clowes Wood
Time: 2.30pm
Join volunteer warden Ron Hill for this
introductory conservation event on the traditional art of woodland
management.
Location: Clowes Wood SSSI
Nature Reserve, Earlswood nr Solihull (Grid Ref: SP101743)
Please meet in the car park off Wood Lane. B94 5JP
Cost: FREE EVENT, Booking essential,
telephone 0121 705 1429
Sunday 27th May
Riverside Ramble
Time: 2.30pm
Location: River Arrow LNR, Ragley Mill Lane,
Alcester (SO 086 581), meet at the entrance to the reserve, Meet
the volunteer warden Steve Godfrey and learn about the wildlife and
heritage of the River Arrow Nature Reserve.
Cost: £2 per person
Sunday 27th May
The Management of Wappenbury
Time: 10.30am - 12.00pm
Join Ecologist Richard Wright and Woodland
Project Officer Eddie Asbery for a short walk around Wappenbury
Wood to see how our management is enhancing this ancient woodland.
Please note that this is not a
practical session.
Location: Wappenbury Wood SP 381709. Please park
in the layby in the corner of Burnthurst Lane at SP 383709.
Cost: FREE
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If taking part in a Conservation
activity, please note the following points:
Please arrive promptly for the start of the
activity
Wear tough old clothes, stout footwear
(wellingtons for wet work), and working gloves
If it's cold or wet, bring adequate wind
and rainproof clothing
Bring a packed lunch (for a full-day event)
and plenty to drink (it can be thirsty work)
Warwickshire Wildlife Trust
provides insurance cover for all volunteers up to the age of 80,
responsible adults should accompany children under 16.
We welcome visitors to most of our
reserves and are working to improve paths as well as providing
information signs and leaflets.
Please remember the following points when
visiting: -
Please keep to
marked paths to avoid disturbing wildlife
Please keep dogs under close control
Carry your Trust membership card
Observe the Country Code
Keep quiet
Take your litter home