NEWS

A Promise of Summer?

As the June newsletter appears we are promised temperatures of over 30 degrees! That will be a change from the cold, dry winds we have had over the recent weeks. See Dates for your Diary there and on the Events page.

Talk/AGM April 21st at Cholesbury Village Hall:

After refreshments Iona McMillan, Citizen Science Coordinator, Chilterns National Landscape, gave an excellent presentation on the importance of Citizen Science in helping nature’s recovery,with particular reference to our 9 Chilterns Chalk Streams in the Chilterns. Her talk highlighted the vital role played by citizens’ observations in, for example, detecting pollution incidents and monitoring restoration schemes and she explained how everyone can get involved. Do visit the Project’s website at www.chilternstreams.org/ and find the links to the Citizens’ Science page www.chilternstreams.org/our-work/citizen-science/, together with much else.

Committee:

The present Committee was re-elected. We have two vacancies and would welcome new faces. We need Committee members to help organse and support our work, from transplanting snowdrops, planting native daffodils, and propagating rare species such harebells; to other activities such as raising awareness of the importance of our environment through our website, talks, activities such as moth events, and through newsletters etc. And we want to help young people learn more about our Commons through the DofE scheme. If you would like to join our friendly group please get in touch with our Chairman, Richard Wilne richard.wilne@gmail.com.

Commons Report

Janet Hopkinson provides occasional reports of life on the Commons (thank you, Janet). Her February report is here.

‘Our Important Polinators’:

John Catton and David Dennis, Bee, Butterfly and Moth experts, gave excellent talks on the decline in insect life both globally and locally prior to the AGM last year. If you have not read their commentary you can find it here. Its well worth reading.

Heather on the Commons

Following some great work by Janet Hopkinson and a team of helpers last year all the bracken was removed from the heather beds and these were wonderful last Autumn, thank you! But, as bracken does, it has come back, so more work has been done. This will be one of the jobs for a working party next year, so we will be looking for volunteers.

Last year, before, during …. and after!