Gift to Nature » Projects

Earth casting, origami, tree dressing & bug hunts in Totland this weekend

Sam — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:37:11 +0000

Family drop-in Arts day in our beautiful wildlife meadow. Earth casting with Eccleston George artists, origami and tree dressing. Plus wildlife activities which will include hunting for bugs, lizard, orchids and butterflies. FREE to all ages.

When: Sat 17th Jul 2010

Directions: behind Totland Rec Ground – turn right at Colwell Rd roundabout and follow signs.

Supported By; West Wight Landscape Partnership, Island 2000, IWC.

Festie Prep – Bee Invasion

Sam — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 11:19:33 +0000

Gift to Nature project featured on BBC

Tracy — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 15:29:35 +0000

Our Director Ian Boyd was enthusing about our iconic Wall Lizards on the BBC this week.

Conservation at Munsley Bog

Sam — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:43:38 +0000

The Green Gym cleared bramble, bracken and Willow, in order to make room for smaller wetland plants, such as Heath Spotted Orchid and Marsh Pennywort. They also set to work repairing dams in order to maintain water tables, again to help these type of plants flourish. The cut Willow was recycled, as it was used to create a woven willow fence to replace a broken section of the existing cleft-oak fencing.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary returns to Parkhurst

Sam — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 14:50:23 +0000

Conservation work in January this year

Excellent news from Parkhurst, the Pearl-bordered Fritillary population is recovering. This is in part thanks to conservation work Gift to Nature funded. Green Gym volunteers cleared swathes of ride edges to provide the essential habitat for this rare little butterfly. The Pearl-bordered Fritillary is one of our most threatened species, principally due to the reduction in coppicing, the butterfly responds well to clearing work which provides their favourite food sources.

Pearl-bordered Fritillary courtesy of ukbutterflies.co.uk

Parkhurst is now back in Forestry Commission management after a lapse of a few years and has already undergone quite a transformation in 2009 which will lead to some interesting changes in the future.

Troll Trail Fun Family Quest tomorrow – Win a years membership to Friends of Nature all proceeds to gifttonature

Sam — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:14:52 +0000

Join us for a fantastic quest along the Troll Trail tomorrow. Answer the questions as you go, pop into Birchmore Pond to spot the dragonflies. Take it at your own pace, pick up your question sheets from me (Sam) at Merstone Station between 2.00 and 2.30 then head off along the trail answering the clues, some are easy, some are much harder. Submit your answers by email and those with the most correct will win a years membership of Friends of Nature.

The Troll Trail Quest is one of the Isle of Wight Cycling Festival events, for more check out their website www.sunseaandcycling.com

Totland Meadow Gets a Haircut

Sam — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 18:37:27 +0000

The IW Green Gym visited Totland Meadow last Wednesday, the previous day we commissioned Roger Lamlugh to cut a section of the meadow to the west of the field and GGs task was to rake up all of the cuttings. This removes nutrients from the ground and encourages a more diverse mixture of plants. The cut material was stacked onto the hibernaculum and in amongst the hedgerow undergrowth. Braken had started to encroach from the north-east corner, this was cleared and the material stacked. Volunteers also cut down encroaching scrub and cleared litter.

Toast to the Hare

Sam — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 08:14:57 +0000

contributed by Ian Boyd

Tonight a merry band toasted the return of the Arreton Hare by the light of a glorious full moon.
Long may she stay exactly where she is, and be loved by all.

Subtle Signs

Sam — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 17:31:09 +0000

I found that the bracken had gone a bit wild when I went to check on Totland Meadow last week, well we didn’t want it to be too obtrusive!

Amazing

Sam — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 17:39:02 +0000

This is the maze at merstone that is also a very clever labrynth. If you follow the grass it is a maze and you have to make choices, if you follow the chalk it is a labrynth where you eventually get to the centre.