5 minute read
My wild life
Mary Edmunds, former secretary of Wight Nature Fund, at Alverstone Mead.
Mary Edmunds
Before retiring in November 2021, Mary was the long-serving secretary of Wight Nature Fund, an independent charity on the Isle of Wight, which recently passed on the management of several of their nature reserves to the Trust. She tells us why wildlife on the Island is so special to her and why everyone should care about protecting its future.
I am now in my seventies. I was born on the Isle of Wight
and have lived here most of my life – apart from a year I spent hitchhiking through Europe and the Middle East and two years at college in Chelsea training to be a nursery nurse. The Island is incredibly special to me. I have travelled to around 30 countries across the world in my lifetime, mostly on walking holidays, but I still don’t think you can beat the downlands across the Island for views.
I have been a member of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological
Society since I was at school (I was among the fi rst girls allowed on the annual Newtown Wildlife Surveys in 1958!) and my interest in nature was sparked by a wonderful teacher, Mr Oliver Frazer, who could get you interested in a blade of grass.
I have had numerous memorable
encounters with wildlife on the Island. Several that spring to mind include playing hide-and-seek as a child and running behind a bush to almost step on a nest of adders. More recently, I spo ed something that looked like a huge snake in the road, but which turned out to be a weasel with seven young, all holding each other’s tails, with mum leading them across the road and up a grassy bank. Then, just last August, we had a young sparrowhawk fl y straight through an open window into our lounge! Thankfully, it was unhurt, so a er taking a quick photo we let it go.
Before Wight Nature Fund (WNF) was
formed in December 1989, I was part of the Isle of Wight Friends of the Earth group. I was involved in creating its fi rst nature reserve at Alverstone. A er this, members wanted to do more, so the then chairman Hugh Walding, asked me to see what I could do. So, I arranged a meeting in Newport between interested people from diff erent Island conservation groups and from there a steering group oversaw the formation of the independent charity WNF.
There wasn’t so much in the way of
health and safety in those days. With the support of volunteer warden John Ralph – whose involvement at Alverstone from the beginning was vital – we built bird hides and boardwalks, gave walks and talks and had schools and many other groups visit our reserves. Later, a wonderful workshop was created where we built wildlife boxes for birds, bats, hedgehogs, dormice and bees from timber from Mill Copse, to sell at country fairs and events. Other funds came from grants and donations.
What is so special about the Alverstone
Mead complex of reserves is its variety of habitats (woodlands, water meadows, marshland, hay meadow) and species (red squirrels, hazel dormice, water voles, barn owls, orchids, dragonfl ies). Many of these have disappeared from other areas, which makes it so important that people care about Alverstone.
View across Alverstone Mead.
throughout (although I tried to retire several times!), and our loyal volunteers stayed for years. However, with more stringent health and safety regulations, insurance and an ageing volunteer force, we approached the Trust last year about the possibility of taking over our Alverstone and Newchurch reserves, to add to the conservation of the East Yar valley. WNF will continue to manage its fi h nature reserve, Mill Copse at Yarmouth.
Ever since WNF was formed, my objective as secretary was always to act
as the liaison between the commi ee, volunteers and interested groups to get everyone talking. I remained secretary
Everyone at WNF hopes the reserves are now in safe hands being managed by the
Trust. I think it’s especially important to get the schools and children more involved with these special places again. Young people all over the world are doing some amazing things, but whatever happens, we know the planet will survive long a er we are all gone!
Wildlife-rich wetland habitat at Alverstone Mead.
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