The newsletter from Access to Nature Ipswich
Summer 2012
Spring Wood Day / Stag Beetles / Beautiful Butterflies / Summer Wildlife / Volunteering For the latest information log on to www.a2nipswich.org.uk or follow us on
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Welcome to the summer issue of
The newsletter from Access to Nature Ipswich
W
elcome to seventh edition of Wildlife, the a2nipswich newsletter! Summer is here and we’re looking forward to getting outdoors and enjoying the sunshine! We’ve had a busy Spring with loads of brilliant events from Spring Wood Day to our birthday party – read all about them inside! We’ve also continued our regular conservation work at sites across Ipswich, and our teams of fabulous volunteers have been busy on lots of projects from film making and radio to working with schools and conservation work. In this edition we also look ahead to the summer months, and I hope we’ll see you at one of our activities in the weeks ahead!
by Becky Marley, Project Manager
The a2nipswich project is funded by Natural england, with a Big lottery grant, runs until may 2013. It is a partnership project between the cSV media clubhouse and The Greenways countryside Project. our aim is to engage people with their local natural environment through a variety of fun, creative and educational activities and conservation work. our long term aim is to increase the number of people involved in looking after the natural world and to help with this we offer opportunities to take part in, and learn about, anything from conservation work to hosting a radio show – you can find out more about getting involved on the back page of this magazine.
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Photos: Holly Card
Contents Spring Wood Day A report about our successful event at Spring Wood Growing for Gold The People’s Community Garden Support Your local Insect Stag beetles thrive in Ipswich What to See during Summer Beautiful Butterflies A fascinating article about our much loved butterflies create A Wildlife Garden Invite nature into your garden In Search of migrant Birds A2N Birthday Party Upcoming events / Activities meet the Volunteers James Davidson chats to Flo Summer Activities Have fun, have a go! Get Involved Can you help?
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Photos: Clare and Clive Saul
Contributors to this edition Becky marley - editor Flo Kemsley - Article contribution charles matthews - Design Richard Wendt - Design and Article contribution Anthony King - Design and Article contribution James Davidson - Article contribution Paul Smith - Article and Photos, cover Photo clare and clive Saul - Photography Holly card - Photography
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Spring Wood Day Spring Wood Day 2012 was a great success, reports Florence Kemsley. Photos from Spring Wood Day by Clare and Clive Saul
FteR A moNtH of rain, we were lucky to enjoy blue skies and sunshine for most of Spring Wood Day. environmental groups from around Ipswich came together to welcome about 600 visitors and there really was something for everyone! A beautiful work horse gave demonstrations of logging techniques from before the mechanisation of farming. There were displays of the ancient art of wood-turning and performances of folk music. All the demonstrations were in keeping with the timeless feel of Spring Wood, which is an area of ancient woodland, dating back 3000 years. There was a lot going on to keep children busy, from mud faces and mask making in the Greenways tent to a collection of all things
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slimy from the Suffolk Amphibian and Reptile Group. A storyteller led groups of children around the wood, telling enchanting tales as she went. The ballista catapult fired ammunition across Kiln meadow, much to the delight of children and dads alike! The Access to Nature tent was a flurry of craft materials as children got creative. We made hanging decorations and nature baskets for the woodland treasure hunt. It was lovely to meet so many people and we hope to see you all again soon! A big thank you to the all the volunteers for their hard work preparing for the event, leading walks and helping with the activities. our film and photography teams got some great coverage of the event – check www.a2nipswich.org.uk for videos and photos.
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The People’s Community Garden is growing for gold this summer with an Olympic themed garden. Florence Kemsley went along to find out more… Would you like to get into gardening but don’t know where to start? or are you a green-fingered gardening enthusiast looking for new challenge? The People’s community Garden is a great place to get growing. Situated at the maidenhall Allotments, the garden was created in 2007 as part of the town and Bridge Project. This year, the main project is the olympic Garden. local schools are involved in creating five olympic rings out of natural and recycled materials. each ring will represent one of the five continents taking part in london 2012, and children will plant seeds from each of the continents. Susannah Robirosa, PcG Development officer, said, “We hope to involve the many different communities of Ipswich. It’s all very imaginative and great fun.” The rest of the garden is well worth exploring. You will find a sensory garden, herb spiral, growing plots and a polytunnel for tender plants. Follow a beautiful willow canopy to the wildlife area, where habitats vary from a ‘wigloo’ to a pond and adjacent bog. In the orchard, the newly planted trees are in full bloom and will soon become valuable sources of fruit. If you would like to grow your own, patchwork plots provide an ideal space for families or groups to get growing advice and borrow tools. Drop in volunteering sessions run mondays, tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9.30am to 4pm. The garden also runs horticulture courses and green exercise classes. For more information, visit www.townandbridge.org.uk/garden contact Susannah Robirosa on 07530 407302 or Susannah. robirosa@townandbridge.org.uk if you would like to get involved with the garden.
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New Bee Project
Bees will arrive at the garden later this month for a joint project with Stoke High School. There will be a bee enclosure, where children can safely view the bees and learn about producing honey. A bee garden will be planted with nectar rich plants, such as lavender. If you can help with planting the garden or looking after the bees, contact Susannah.
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Young birds
At the moment young birds will be moulting into their adult plumage. During the early summer while they are being fed by their parents, and for a month or so after while they are learning to fend for themselves, they have to remain camouflaged to avoid the attention of predators. By late summer young Robins gain their ‘red’ breasts, patches of orange at first before their full adult plumage that is familiar to us all. Blackbirds as youngsters are speckled rusty brown. The transition to adult female is not particularly noticeable but the males start gaining a black body with just a brown head remaining, before they become entirely black, although the yellow bill will come later.
Goldfinch by Cj Roberts
The change can be seen in other species too, the Goldfinch for example where young birds will be starting to develop the red white and black colours on their heads.
Junvenile Blackbird by Dave-F
Robin by Holly Card
Butterflies
Comma butterfly by jackharrybill
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Buddleia - whilst not a native plant and considered a pest in places including where it grows in the walls of buildings, it is great for butterflies (and other insects). It is commonly called the ‘butterfly bush’. It attracts some of our most showy butterflies including Peacock, Red Admiral, comma, Painted lady and Small tortoiseshell. Buddleia has drooping cones of purple flowers and silvery green leaves. take a look at one and see what butterflies you can spot!
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Migrant Birds
When there are easterly winds in August and September, migrant birds (often young birds heading from northern Europe to Africa for the winter) can ‘drift’ on the wind and end up flying across the North Sea. A couple of examples are Pied Flycatcher and Wryneck and they can turn up in gardens. The Wryneck is a member of the woodpecker family and like the Green Woodpecker, they spend time on the ground feeding on ants. Most years one or two turn up in gardens in Suffolk in the autumn, with Ipswich well represented. Could you be that lucky person to have one in your garden this year?
Did you Know? Butterflies need a certain amount of warmth before they become active, they will seek out sunny sheltered spots to warm themselves, before searching for nectar.
Wryneck by Maholyoak
Pied Flycatcher by Birdmanjag
Woodpeckers
Whilst looking for Wrynecks…keep an eye out for the much more common Green Woodpecker. They can be seen on lawns, in Ipswich’s parks, on grass verges, golf courses; pretty much any open grassed area. They will be feeding on ants using their very long sticky tongue to either collect them from the surface or within ant nests. Green Woodpecker by Thomas-BirdPics Red Admiral on buddleia by dbrooker1 2
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Gatekeeper
Brown Argus
Chalkhill Blue
centimetres from the ground, in search of a mate
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Peacock
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Photos and words by Paul Smith
Small Tortoiseshell
Painted Lady
Red Admiral
Large White
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During the summer, we all spend more time in the garden, having barbeques, playing games or simply lying in the sun with a good book. Why not make your garden a great place for wildlife to hang out too? Here are some tips to transform your garden into a haven for wildlife:
By Florence Kemsley HAbItAtS Digging a pond is the most effective way to encourage some new wildlife into your garden. make the pond as large as possible in a sunny spot away from tree cover. You’ll be surprised how quickly amphibians find their way to your pond. Beware of goldfish – they will eat frogspawn. A bog garden is an alternative for those with young children. It is created in the same way as a pond but shallower. There is a good example at the People’s community Garden in Ipswich – why not go and have a look. Hedgerows are one of the most important habitats for wildlife. Since 1945, British hedgerows have been in decline, so it is important to create hedge-like habitats in your wildlife
garden. If you don’t have space for a hedge, a pile of logs will do the job. Meadow areas allow wildflowers, insects and small mammals to thrive. They are also a brilliant excuse not to mow the lawn! Faith carpenter and her family built a bird box with Access to Nature last year. This year, a robin has turned it into her nest! You could also try making bird feeders, baths or tables. PlANtS brambles are great in a wildlife garden. The flowers provide pollen and nectar for insects such as bees, it bears fruit in autumn and the hardy branches provide cover all year.
Did You Know? A single garden snail can have 430 babies in a year. Has your garden attracted some interesting wildlife? Send a picture to fkemsley@csv.org.uk and we will print it in the next edition. Visit the RSPB website for some more ideas about transforming your garden and let us know how you get on.
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Daisies and dandelions will attract insects in search of nectar. Dogwood is a distinctive redstemmed shrub which attracts birds with clusters of berries. You can see dogwood in our Wildlife Garden on the triangle estate, where it has attracted a resident robin.
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Once you have created your wildlife garden, who will be coming to visit? • Insects – bees, butterflies, ladybirds, • Mammals – mice, hedgehogs, badgers, rabbits, moles • Birds – sparrows, thrushes, robins • Amphibians – frogs, toads, newts • Invertebrates – slugs, snails
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In Search of Migrant Birds
By Anthony King
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FteR a very enjoyable Spring Wood Day on the 7th of may I went back on the twelfth in search of migrant birds. meeting James Davison, the leader, at the Bobbit lane car park on a lovely spring morning we started by going to the Bourne Park Reed Beds. We noticed that in the nearby woods there were a lot of boxes attached to the trees but learned that these were built for bats
and the holes were at the bottom. We could see White egrets and coots on the water whilst overhead, taking advantage of the thermal currents, a Hobby, Sparrow Hawk and Kestrel were on the lookout for lunch. We could also see Swallows and Swifts swooping and diving as they hunted for insects. We also spotted a Greater Spotted Woodpecker and a Pheasant in the rushes. We were not lucky enough to spot any Whitethroats, Willow Warblers, Nightingales or cuckoos that are around at this time of year! And unfortunately we did not see the european Serin which although is a rare visitor to our shores, has been sighted in the area.
Kiln Meadow
We did see the unusual sight of Rooks nesting in the electricity pylons and later on we had a close up of a Bluetit gathering food for its young family. We also walked across Kiln meadow which is the perfect hunting ground for owls. It is also an important area because it allows the local toad colony, which is one of the largest in england, access to the reed beds where they spawn and form an important part in the food chain. Apart from the birds we also spotted the orange tipped Butterfly and the St marks Fly, with its incredibly long legs. These hairy little insects are named after St. marks day, 25th April, when they appear with amazing regularity. They normally all disappear after just a fortnight. It was an very enjoyable and interesting walk and its well worth walking around and just seeing what you can see and hear.
Did You Know?
Viewing through the hide
Swifts rarely land, they sleep on the wing, they fly up high and then power nap whilst gliding.
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The bluebells in Spring Wood
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e WeRe lucky with the weather as we gathered for the A2N Ipswich second birthday bash on the 23rd June at Alderman Recreation Ground. The festivities started at 11am with a host of fun-packed activities such as a guided wildlife walk, mini-beast safari, wildlife photography workshop, wood bark stripping and building a stag beetle nest! Not to mention the face painting, design a logo competition, and crafty fun for all ages! We also had the chance to forage for what is currently edible and we all enjoyed a delicious bar-beque with the opportunity to sample elderflower fritters and elderflower lemonade (very nice indeed). many local residents came along and enjoyed all the activities and everyone had a super time. A big thank you to all the volunteers who came and helped make this such an successful event. Also thanks to Holly card and Paul Smith for the excellent photography.
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I saw Seashells on the Seashore IF YoU Get to the seaside this summer, one easy way to entertain yourself is to collect seashells. A seashell is a hard, protective outer layer created by an animal that lives in the sea. The term seashell usually refers to the exoskeleton of an invertebrate (an animal without a backbone). most of the shells that are found on beaches are the shells of marine molluscs. They can be either Bivalves, animals enclosed in two shells which include clams, cockles, mussels, oysters and scallops or Gastropods (the shells of sea snails) which include the counch, whelk and the winkle. other shells that can be found on the beach are from barnacles, cuttlefish and the moulted shells of crabs and lobsters. empty seashells are sometimes used secondhand by other animals for various purposes, including for protection (as in hermit crabs) and for construction. Seashells play an important part in our lives. They have significance in many religions and have been used for currency and as tools such as musical instruments, bowls and baptismal fonts! Throughout history shells been used for decoration. Shell necklaces have been found in Stone Age graves as far inland as the Dordogne Valley in France and they are even today, commonly used in mosaics and inlays, and used to decorate walls, furniture and boxes. Seashells also have their place in art. locally, maggi Hambling designed a striking 13 ft (4 m) high sculpture of a scallop shell which stands on the beach at Aldeburgh.
by Anthony King
In this issue Flo Kemsley asks
James Davidson some questions
on how and why he got involved with Access 2 Nature.
What do you do for Access to Nature? I lead guided bird and wildlife walks. I have also appeared on the monday night radio show and represented A2N at local events. In addition I write the ‘What to See’ article in this magazine! Why did you get involved with Access to Nature? I first appeared on the radio show to talk about bird watching but after learning about the project I had the opportunity to use guided walks to pass on some of my knowledge on birds and wildlife to other people. What do you enjoy about volunteering? The things I enjoy include showing people wildlife and places around Ipswich, sharing my knowledge and doing something for the local communities. Have you learnt any new skills whilst volunteering? I have learnt the key skills of leading guided walks and improving my communication and organisational skills plus the experience of promoting the project at events such as the Ipswich music in the Park day. I have also learnt several conservation work skills in both volunteering with Access to Nature and the RSPB. What interests you most about the natural world? Birds have always been my main interest – the many different species, their plumages and songs, the habitats they live in and their migrations. I am also inspired by the natural beauty of everything – flowers and butterflies for example and how everything has its place in the ecosystems. When you are not volunteering for Access to Nature, what do you enjoy doing? I spend plenty of time bird watching, mostly at sites in Suffolk. I enjoy several sports. I play football twice a week including on a monday night (as anyone who has heard the radio show may know!) I have a full time job and a civil engineering degree. Some of my other spare time is spent decorating my house or working in my garden.
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Summer
ASmcellty iPverifties ume
ey l s m e k o l f by
During the summer, the natural world is alive with smells, from freshly cut grass and sweet honeysuckle to pungent wild garlic. Plants produce strong scents to attract bees and other insects and during the summer, they are smellier than ever! You can make a beautiful flowery perfume with petals or a pungent potion with more unusual smells.
What to do:
What you need:
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A pestle and mortar
Hunt aroun d your garden o local park fo r smelly thin r gs, like flower petal s, leaves of h erbs or strong smel ling trees, li ke pine
A jug or jam jar for storing your perfume Water
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Smelly things!
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. r perfume Bottle you nice‌ or nasty?! ell Does it sm
! ! ! h s cru
Crush u with a p the petals a pestle nd leav an e squeez e out th d mortar to s e smell s
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rose & pine
grass r&ry blackbe
Add s keep ome wate r mash water ing. Thand stron you put in e less ger th , e per the fume
moss & mint
berry & cherry
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Warning: Don’t drink these potions! They are for your nose to smell, not your mouth to taste! For more ideas, visit www.naturedetectives.org.uk Let us know how you get on!
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!
sme thing lly s!!!
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There are so many ways to get involved with AND you’ll develop your own skills! As always we are looking for volunteers to get involved with conservation work, from short targeted sessions to full-day work parties, wildlife surveying, and getting involved and taking on roles within “friends of” groups. Training is available in many aspects of conservation from using tools to identifying butterflies and everything in between! It’s also a great opportunity to just get outdoors, get some exercise, meet new people and make a positive difference to your local environment.
We need to find out how the work we do has benefited people – both people who have taken part directly in the project, and also those who benefit indirectly, such as visitors to sites we look after. Some surveying is just recording numbers of site visitors, while some is more in-depth such as asking people to answer survey questions on site, or over the phone (for past project participants). We need people to join us going out in teams or pairs to gather this data – it requires people who are happy to approach and chat to strangers (you will never work alone doing this task). Also, when it has been gathered it needs to be collated, recorded and analysed and volunteers can help with all these tasks. We’ll be trying to do quite a bit of this over the summer and autumn (the best time for standing around talking outdoors!) so would be very glad to hear from anyone up for helping out.
We have a website that receives many visitors and keeps them up to date with the work that we do and what we have coming up. However, we have big ideas for all the things that we could make better, from the design and layout, to making it more interactive. Anyone who has any experience of web building and/or design, or has skills that could contribute towards these things such as writing skills or non-web design, would be most welcome. We also use facebook and twitter which are working really well, but again, we could make more of them so having additional people to work on them would be great. Training can be made available, where appropriate, to develop your skills.
To encourage a wide range of people to get involved with our project and discover the joy of the natural world, we run a wide range of activites — and we always need volunteers to help us deliver those. It can range from a full day of family fun activites, through to a one hour session, and can be anything from nature trails and bug hunts to craft sessions and photography. If you enjoy working with people of all ages and getting people involved in fun activities, this is for you! We also run big events throughout the year, from Spring Wood Day to Ipswich Rivers Cleanup and need volunteers for a range of roles from helping with planning and logistics, to delivery on the day.
If you’d like to contribute to this newsletter or our website, we are always keen to hear from you! For example, you might like to tell us about an event or activity you‘ve participated in, give us your feedback to share, or share your own knowledge about a plant, animal or place.
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