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November 2021 November 2021

BERE REGIS WILDLIFE AND BERE REGIS SCOUT GROUP
ENVIRONMENT GROUP
WE ARE BACK – WE NEVER WENT
It is said that autumn is the season you can smell – that AWAY!
has been so true of this Autumn. With heavy rains and
damp conditions vegetation has been beaten down Bere Regis Scout Group and the Kingsbere Explorer
and now decaying, fungi have thrived, whilst the Scout Unit have both emerged from the recent Covid
brighter days have provided us with a dazzling display lockdowns practically unscathed. Our youth membership, currently around 80
of varied tree leaf and fruit colours. If you can, do get youngsters aged between 6 and 18 years, is as strong as it was before lockdown
out and enjoy the last of Autumn’s wonderful natural show. although we still have room for more members in some sections; Beavers age 6 -8;
Cubs age 8- 11; Scouts 11- 14; Explorers 14- 18.

Parasol Mushroom Our on-going problem is with adult help. As you can imagine, looking after 80
energetic and enthusiastic youngsters requires a lot of adult supervision and we
The Parasol Mushroom (Macrolepiota are always on the look-out for more volunteers- either in the ‘uniformed branch’
procera) is one of the UK’s largest as Leaders and Assistant Leaders, or as non-uniformed occasional helpers. We
mushrooms standing up to a foot also need some help on our Executive Committee which meets around 3 times a
(30cm) high and having a similar year and manages the Group with such matters as finance and fund-raising,
width. There are several patches of looking after our Headquarters building, meeting requests for new equipment and
these mushrooms in May’s Wood. This resources from our active Sections, etc
is an encouraging sign that as well as If you are at all interested in helping us to continue to provide this much-needed
the growth of the trees a naturalising and popular youth provision in the local community, please get in touch with me,
process is well under way in an area Phil Ventham Philipventham@gmail.com or 01929 471215 or any of the Scout
once intensively farmed. The Parasol
Mushroom is so named as it has the Leaders who you might know.
appearance of a sun umbrella (see photo) having a creamy / brown coloured You may have an existing or latent skill which we could use – an outdoor activity,
top with a distinctive nipple to its centre, white gills to the underside and brown- a craft, musical ability, cooking and catering, first aid, financial experience,
marked stem bearing a ring. carpentry, building maintenance, gardening, etc, etc – there is practically no limit
to the life skills and opportunities we introduce our youngsters to! Some roles may
A word of warning – it can be difficult to reliably identify mushrooms. So, please
do not pick and eat them unless you are absolutely confident in your require training which is provided for free, much of it now on-line.
identification skills as many mushrooms are poisonous, even deadly. We are one of the most active Scout Groups in the County and one of the largest
in a rural area. We have been an integral part of the community since 1914 –

come and join us, you won’t regret it .
Don’t Overtidy Your Garden and Help Wildlife
(I haven’t and I’ve been involved for 30 years!)
Some gardeners view the autumn as a time to tidy up the garden when the last
flowers have finished blooming. From now onwards many of us are to be seen PS. The amazing Explorer Scout Expedition to Borneo planned for the Summer
busy cutting and chipping things, even burning material. Save yourself the bother 2022 has been postponed to 2023 because of Covid and to allow for the
and help wildlife at the same time. Leaf litter would be much better turned into necessary pre-Expedition training and fund-raising. This means that the ever
leaf mould or used as mulch on flower beds. By removing spent flowers, seed popular Saturday Borneo Breakfasts at the Scout Hut will probably restart in the
heads and dead plant stalks you may well be denying birds a good food source near future- subject, of course, to the dreaded Covid...see you there.
and removing opportunities for butterflies, moths, ladybirds, many other insects or
their eggs to overwinter in our gardens. Scouting – skills for life!

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