Environment

A healthy way to help butterflies

AN appeal has been launched for more volunteers to take part in regular butterfly surveys on Mendip and surrounding areas.

The routes (referred to as transects) are fixed so that surveys can be compared on a year-by-year basis, giving environmental scientists indicators of change. Data is fed to the UK Butterfly Monitoring Scheme run by Butterfly Conservation.

A survey takes around two hours of steady walking and should be done in pairs or very small groups. No experience is necessary and training is provided along with identification aids. Each route is surveyed weekly by volunteers on a rota basis.

New volunteers will be accompanied by an experienced surveyor until they become familiar with species’ identification. Fred Giles, of Westhay, who runs surveys on nature reserves in the area, said a series of escorted walks is planned for February and March when surveyors can describe in more detail what is required.

He said: “Every year from spring to early autumn, groups of volunteers across the UK follow regular routes where the identify and count butterflies.

“Taking part is both sociable and rewarding especially as personal knowledge improves. The frequent comment from new volunteers is that they are often surprised how many varieties they see especially as they follow the seasonal changes.

“We’re looking for more volunteers to join the regular teams. There are new sites to be established as well as returning to those that have become dormant.”

For details contact Fred on 07719 468335 or email: butterflysurvey@outlook.com

Somerset Circle –a new stretch has opened

A NEWstretch of the Strawberry Line has opened to walkers in Westbury-sub-Mendip, between Station Road and Erlon Lane.

Mendip District Council has been working with charity Greenways & Cycleroute, local residents, businesses and volunteers to create around 1KM of new path.

The Strawberry Line is part of the Somerset Circle which, when completed, will form a 76-mile traffic-free circuit.

Cllr Ros Wyke, leader of Mendip District Council and parish councillor at Westbury-sub-Mendip said: “The opening of this path demonstrates the commitment of the community to create more active travel options and has generated another section of the Strawberry Line, getting us ever closer to completing the ‘Somerset Circle’.”

Other sections of path are being created in Mendip, including a 700m stretch at the Shape Mendip Campus in Shepton Mallet and alongside the West Shepton Playing Fields.

Primary school’s “decarbonisation” makeover

WOOKEY Primary School has become the latest in a line of Somerset County Council-owned buildings to undergo a “decarbonisation” makeover as part of the authority’s commitment to making its property portfolio more energy efficient and environmentally friendly.

An old oil-fired boiler at the school is being replaced with a modern, air source heat pump, removing the use of fossil fuel heating at the site. Together with work to improve the energy efficiency of the building, the council says this will achieve an estimated saving of 13.2 tons of CO2 per year for the lifetime of the installation.

Maintenance works, including roof repairs and replacement, are also being undertaken, with all works expected to be complete by Easter.

Andrew Marsh, headteacher, said: "Our children are very environmentally aware and we have shared with them the reason behind the work that is being done. They are very excited about being part of this exciting initiative."

Councillor Sarah Dyke, the council’s Executive Lead Member for Climate Change, said: “We are determined to help the county achieve its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2030. The decarbonisation work on a whole range of council-owned buildings has the dual benefits of reducing energy bills while also reducing emissions, helping Somerset to be prepared for, and resilient to, the impacts of climate change.”

Councillor Tessa Munt, Lead Member for Children’s Services, said: “I’m very pleased that the children and staff at Wookey Primary School will benefit from these improvements to the school. Reducing the school’s carbon footprint shows the younger generation we really care about the environment and climate change.”

Wookey primary school, where energy efficiency is being improved

Clare Balding takes a walk around Timsbury

Pictured (l to r) Larry, Clare, Sue and Peter

THE BBC broadcaster Clare Balding visited Timsbury to record an episode of her Radio 4 “Ramblings” programme with villagers Peter Bradshaw, Larry Cunningham and Sue Fraser, the co-authors of five books of circular local walks.

Sales of the books have boosted use of the dense web of footpaths in the area and raised over £3,000 to date for Timsbury Parish Council, Radstock Museum, WaterAid and The Avon Wildlife Trust.

Peter said: “We have just finished enlarging the Radstock book which means that our 100th walk will be published in the spring.”

Sue said: “Clare was interested in how this had come about and to walk with us to find out more about the Somerset Coalfield, which is little known nationally, and the Somersetshire Coal Canal.”

Clare Balding has presented the “Ramblings” programme for over 20 years and said that it remained one of the most enjoyable elements of her work. The programme is due to air in the next few weeks. The five books of circular walks produced by Peter, Larry and Sue are available from Health & More, The Hub and Canine Craze in Timsbury, Radstock Museum, Farmborough Community Shop and Oldfield Park Book Shop.

Each book costs £6 and all proceeds go to good causes. ORGANISERS of the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Society hedge laying match are hoping for dry weather for this year’s event which again includes a vintage tractor run and Land Rover meet.

The competition, on Sunday, February 19th, returns to Hill House Farm at Launcherley, near Wells, by kind permission of John and Kevin Gould. Hedge layers battled heavy rain when it was last held there in 2020, a week later than planned due to Storm Dennis. Heavy rain also hampered last year’s competition at Dean, near Cranmore.

The day is free to attend for all visitors. The hedge laying competition begins at 10am and is free to enter. The ten-mile tractor run gathers at 9.30am for a 10am start and must be pre-booked. Just turn up for the Land Rover meet. l The Wrington & Burrington Hedging Match will be held at Stepstones Farm, Wrington, on Saturday, March 11th.

Counting frogs and toads

IT'Stime for the big Somerset frog and toad spawn count. Somerset Wildlife Trust says it needs eyes on the ground, or rather in the water, to help it find out how these two "indicator" species are doing.

Since they and all amphibians absorb water through their skin, they are especially vulnerable to water pollutants like pesticides and their numbers can be the first to reflect the degradation of the environment and the impacts of climate change.

The count has started and you are invited to get an information pack.

Details: https://www.somersetwildlife.org/wildlife/greatsomerset-wildlife-count/frog-toad-count

Hoping for a dry day

New orchard

Heavy weather: one of the competitors at last year’s competition

For details and entry forms, email secretary@midsomersetshow.org.uk or call 01749 938044

The first apple tree has been planted as part of a planned new orchard on the Mid-Somerset Agricultural Society’s showground on the edge of Shepton Mallet

Jubilee trees

RESIDENTSof Tunley and members of Norton Radstock Classic Vehicle Club are pictured after planting five fruit trees, donated by the club, as part of the late Queen Elizabeth’s green canopy scheme. KATRINA Riley and her family got a surprise while out walking on New Year’s Day in Cheddar Gorge. They spotted this otter in the stream outside the White Hart. Thanks to Katrina for the photo! Beck Lovell, from Congresbury spotted these two (below) on the River Yeo. Years ago she saw two otters with two cubs.

Appreciating our birds

One of last year’s windows

CONSERVATIONgroup, YACWAG (Yatton and Congresbury Wildlife Action Group) is organising a celebration of British birds with this year’s Window Wanderland display around Yatton, Claverham and Congresbury over the first weekend in February.

The free community event enables local people to create and participate in illuminated walking trails around the villages over three dark winter evenings.

The group says: “They are having a hard time lately, what with avian flu and other diseases, weird weather and diminishing natural food supply, but we really appreciate our brilliant British birds, don’t we?”

Otter spotters

New group to support wildlife

DUE to changes with the way Somerset Wildlife Trust works with local volunteer groups, the Wells Local Area Group has been replaced with the independent Wells & District Wildlife Group which will be running talks, outings and activities from February.

WDWG is actively involved in promoting awareness of wildlife in the city of Wells and surrounding areas. The group is run by the same dedicated committee that are currently running the Local Area Group.

The group operate on a “not for profit” basis, with any surplus funds being donated to such local or national wildlife charities as may be appropriate at the time.