Training day – Heathland
Natural England would like to put on a training course on heathland ecology and flora at their Stiperstones base. The date proposed is the 22nd September, but the course will only run if there are enough volunteers.
There would be 12 places available so if anyone is interested if they should contact Simon Cooter (Simon.Cooter@naturalengland.org.uk) before 17th September.
Volunteering opportunities
Charlie Bell of the Stepping Stones project has advised the following opportunities to help with local conservation are available. If you are interested in participating, contact either Charlie (charlie.bell@nationaltrust.org.uk) or Stephen Lewis (phwarden@sky.com) as indicated below.
Wednesday 22nd September
Habitat management for butterflies – Nipstone. Booking via Stephen
Wednesday 13th October,
Fencing, Jinlye Meadows, All Stretton. Booking via Charlie.
Wednesday 20th October
Habitat management for butterflies – Black Rhadley. Booking via Stephen.
Wednesday 27th October,
Fencing, Jinlye Meadows, All Stretton. Booking via Charlie.
Wednesday 3rd November – VERY LOCAL!
Habitat management for butterflies – Corndon Cottage (which lies within the Camlad Valley Community Wildlife Group area). Booking via Stephen.
Thursday 18th November
Hedge planting with CPRE – location TBC. Booking via Charlie.
Wednesday 1st December
Habitat management for butterflies – Roman Gravels. Booking via Stephen.
Thursday 2nd December
Hedge planting with CPRE – location TBC. Booking via Charlie.
Thursday 16th December
Hedge planting with CPRE – location TBC. Booking via Charlie.
Heritage and Archaeological volunteering
The Stepping Stones project area contains many important historic and archaeological features. To embed the history of the area in our conservation work we are starting a volunteer group to focus on the archaeological heritage of the project area. This group will be working mainly off National Trust land and will complement our efforts to restore wildlife habitat and increase understanding of this special landscape.
What’s involved?
1. Condition assessments of historic features.
This will include two day-long training courses on how to carry out condition assessments, followed by subsequent independent or group field visits to assess the condition of heritage features within the landscape.
2. Practical work to improve the condition of these historic features.
This will be via volunteer work parties under the supervision and direction of trained staff members.
You can sign up for one or both of these activities, or get more info, by emailing Charlie.
Do you have an interest in reptiles and amphibians?
Camlad Valley Bird Report 2020
Like so many other aspects of life in 2020, our plans to repeat our annual survey of the local curlew population were knocked somewhat out of step by the coronavirus pandemic and the restrictions arising from it.
However, our members kept their eyes and ears open, and many incorporated hunting for curlews into their allowed daily exercise. As a result, the project organiser, Leo Smith, has been able to put together a very respectable report into the numbers of curlews – and other species – to be found in our locality this year.
Operation Orange-Tip
Douglas Boyes, Montgomeryshire County Butterfly Recorder, is asking people to report sightings of the orange-tip butterfly.
Appearances of the orange-tip are one of the signs of spring, but within Montgomeryshire there is only a patchy picture of their distribution. Douglas has therefore launched Operation Orange-Tip to encourage people to report sightings.
Full details of the information required for each sighting and where to submit it can be found on Douglas’s website: douglasboyes.co.uk/orangetip
Shrewsbury North-West Road
Although some way outside our area, members might be interested in the impact of the proposed north-west relief road for Shrewsbury. Details of how to object to the plans can be found here.
Welcome
About us
The Camlad Valley Community Wildlife Group (CVCWG) was set up to help local people help local wildlife. The group provides a chance to learn and get that little bit closer to some of our most fascinating plants and animals.
Participating in the group provides an opportunity to find out about the distinctive wildlife of the Camlad Valley and the area surrounding Corndon Hill and to share your local wildlife knowledge. You will receive free expert training and a chance to engage in local opportunities to perform valuable conservation work and have fun at the same time.
An annual report is issued each year, summarising the activities and accomplishments of the past twelve months and laying out plans for the forthcoming period. You can read our reports here.
Alongside other local wildlife groups, we participate in an annual survey of Curlew and Lapwing, and there are projects to protect and enhance diversity of the local flora.
Area of Interest
The geographical extent of the CVCWG’s activities is shown on the map adjacent (please click to enlarge), expressed in terms of tetrads (the 2 km x 2 km squares used in surveying many types of wildlife).
The area includes Churchstoke, Hyssington, Priest Weston and Chirbury, so lies partly in England and partly in Wales. As a result, we have ties not only with the other Shropshire Wildlife Groups but also Powys-based bodies such as the Montgomeryshire Wildlife Trust.
More information
To join the Camlad Valley CWG or to get more information, please contact:
Sandy Scott (Secretary) or Peter Fenner (Website Minder) at camladvalley@shropscwgs.org.uk
Follow us
Area of Interest
What we do
Curlew Surveys
Although we must of course abide by the Government’s instructions, it doesn’t mean that our efforts to monitor curlew numbers have to cease entirely. Find out more how you can help.
Reports
Click through to view or download our annual reports from 2014 -2020.
Here you can find out about our findings during the year and what we hope to achieve in future.
See what we’ve been up to
Past Events
Plant walk at Roundton
The Group was recently able to host its first event since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, a walk exploring the plant life on the Roundton Nature Reserve near Churchstoke. Numbers on the walk were limited to minimise the Covid risk, but the small group who...
2020 AGM
We held our AGM at Churchstoke Community Hall on 12th February. After the requisite AGM admin covered the Group’s Chair, Mary Napper, we had reports from Leo Smith and Rob Rowe on the respective activities of the Bird and Plant Groups. After a refreshment break, we...
Bird Walk, 26 May 2019
Leaden grey skies and the occasional shower did not deter the twenty people who joined our birdwatching walk around Roundton Nature Reserve. In fact, the weather had more of an impact on the birds we hoped to see, as they were generally staying sheltered and being...
Interested in joining?
Anyone who lives or works in the area, or has an interest in its wildlife, and who wants to actively contribute to local knowledge and conservation, is welcome. Membership is free.
Enthusiasm and interest in the area are far more important than specialist knowledge. Group members are assisted by experts in the relevant fields: they provide training to anyone who wants it on such topics as species identification, how to carry out a simple surveys and how to record the results. Survey work is easy and enjoyable, and members will learn new skills.
Join
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Support
The Camlad Valley Community Wildlife Group received financial support from the Stiperstones & Corndon Hill Country Landscape Partnership Scheme, which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The lead organisation for the Scheme is the Shropshire Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) Partnership, and the Scheme is hosted by Shropshire Council. Please see www.stiperstonesandcorndon.co.uk
