Page 54 - mag-feb-2018

February 2018 February 2018

BERE REGIS WI
The meadow

A New Year! A New Venue! Let’s Party!! To maintain the wildlife conservation value of the area, management is essential.
The nature reserve area of Souls Moor is a very good example of a wet meadow
Bere Regis WI has been welcomed by the Sports habitat which partially floods in winter and it supports over 100 species of plants.
Club and will now meet at the Sports Hall at Traditionally the meadow had been grazed but when it was sold for possible
7.30pm on the Third Wednesday of each month. development in 2000 the grazing ceased and it became very overgrown. The
Parish Council organized for a grazier to keep ponies there and this started in late
Yes, we started the year with a party but a full programme for 2018 is planned. The
st
first, on February 21 , will be a presentation about allergies by Hotch Potch, a 2016 and continued throughout most of last year. A pond was dug to give them a
family company producing a homemade range of gluten free pies, saucy tarts permanent water supply and this also provides a still water habitat for dragonflies
and tasty snacks. There will be a raffle including some samples of the gluten free and other insects. To the west of the grazed meadow a long grass area has been
goodies. retained which provides a good habitat for grasshoppers, butterflies and other
insects.
In March we will be discovering how the money we have all raised [not just the WI]
is used to further the fight against Cancer. The stream
Visitors are always welcome to join us and if either of these talks is of interest to you In 2015 with the help of the Dorset Wildlife Trust, ‘berms’ (that is added gravel)
please come along [no charge] – we will be delighted to see you. were created to replace areas that had originally been washed away to create
variations in the water flow which benefit fish spawning. The wildlife group carried
If you would like any further information about the above, or the WI please
out some clearance of overgrown stream vegetation.
contact:

Eileen Salisbury on 01929 472022 or Di Pitts on 01929 471322 The woodland
This ‘wet’ woodland is a fine
example of ‘willow carr’ which
has a good population of
associated species such marsh
marigold, purple loostrife and
common valerian It has been
important to clear areas every
year some maintain some open
areas This is particularly the case
near the stream as the health of
the stream is greatly improved
by having more light in places.
The wildlife group volunteers
have been hard at work to
achieve this in the winter months.

Achievements
The benefits of the grazing in the meadow are now apparent and we have short
grass throughout most of the meadow. The ponies have done a really good job
and had to be helped by some cutting of patches of very coarse vegetation

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