Page 40 - br-april-2019

April 2019 April 2019

BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND
ENVIRONMENT GROUP

The days are brighter, lengthening, and warmer – the
signs of Spring are now all around us. We can enjoy
the daffodils and so many other signs of Spring such as
pussy willow, hazel catkins, primroses, early butterflies,
frogspawn forming into tadpoles, the bluebell shoots
in the woods, birds preparing their nests and the
wonderful dawn chorus. You should be able to see many if not all of these sights
along the riverside path, helped by the conservation work our volunteers have
been doing over the past years to create a wider range of habitats.

Conservation Working Parties
At our working party in March we concentrated on clearing scrub and
undergrowth along the riverside path. Our particular target on this occasion was
to allow Marsh Marigolds to flourish (see more on the Marsh Marigold below).
Other plants will also benefit in the areas we worked on in March, including
Primroses (a few clumps are easier for you to spot now and should thicken up
over time) and Flag Iris which will reveal its yellow flowers on tall stems in a few
months’ time.

At the last working party of the season in early April we will be planting some
native trees and sowing wildflower seeds. Hopefully the wild flowers will give a
stunning display this coming Summer. The flowers will also provide a great source
of nectar for bees, butterflies and other insects adding to the wildlife value of the
area.
The next working parties will be held on Saturday 6th April 2019. Do join us. We
meet by the stream bridge near to the Scout Hut, Elder Road at 10am or you can
find us along the riverside path. We normally finish about 12.00. All are welcome –
young (under 16s should be accompanied by an adult) or old, active or less so –
there are tasks for all. If you have a rake, spade or fork please bring them with
you – if you don’t, no problem we’ll have some spares along with other tools.

Marsh Marigolds

Do look out for the Marsh Marigolds alongside the riverside path – they will be
flowering from now through to May. See photo below.
The large, golden flowers of Marsh Marigold look rather like over-sized buttercups
set among glossy green leaves. They are also said to look like the cups of kings,
hence its other name - 'Kingcup'. The Latin name for Marsh Marigold is Caltha

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