The Stretton Biodiversity Group
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AIMS: to support the conservation of nature in our village and foster a growing interest in the natural world. We help to monitor and improve key local habitats and species, including maintaining native wildflower patches around the village and the Spinney alongside the gated road. These in turn are helping to support native wildlife - from bees to bats and hedgehogs to hawk moths.
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What we have done so far:
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Several years ago we planted a wildflower patch on the green opposite the village hall which turned up 36 different flower and grass species this year. Fruit trees (plums, apples) have been planted on road verges for the whole village to enjoy and bee-friendly flowers and bulbs have been planted around these trees.
What we do regularly:
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We meet up every couple of months, often with a topic which interests a member, e.g. hedgehogs, fungi.
We maintain the wild-flowers and trees in the village.
0ver this year we are organising:
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Pond-dipping for all children aged 3 to 93 (a very popular event, with our village pond-life expert,); Sunday, 30 June, 10.30
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Moth-trapping at 3 different sites in the village, which we identify with our two village experts and keep a record annually of what we see (and we do release them live and kicking!) 21 July, 9am at village hall
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We have a late evening meet-up at a barn with a lesser horse-shoe bat nursery (a rare bat in Britain), again with a local expert Saturday 20 July, 10pm
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We take part in the Big Garden Bird Watch in January;
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In the later part of the year we hold a cream teas in conjunction with the Stretton Sustainability Group and have a speaker on a topic which will interest more than just the Biodiversity Group – last year it was swifts.
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We sometimes arrange visits to sites, e.g. RSPB sites (Otmoor – marsh harriers!). All of our events are meant to interest all ages, especially the children of the village.
And we would love to have more members to join us! Contact Dave Passingham on 07973 846605