Charlie Bell of the Stepping Stones project has informed us of the following events, all of which can be pre-booked by emailing her at charlie.bell@nationaltrust.org.uk (Places are limited, so sign up ASAP!)
Scything courses 5th and 12th May
Fencing Volunteer Days
1. Thursday 20th May;
2. Thursday 3rd June;
3. Thursday 17th June.
‘Wildlife Garden Stepping Stones’ webinar
The next in our series of Stepping Stones conservation webinars will be about how you can create your own stepping stone in your garden. Local wildlife gardener Nancy Lowe (‘The Natural Gardener’) will be showing us what you can do to maximise your garden for wildlife, however much space you have (even a window box!).
Monday 17th May, 7.30-8.30pm, via Zoom
There are also some activities that Stepping Stones has lined up with Butterfly Conservation. These can be booked by emailing Stephen Lewis at phwarden@sky.com
Volunteer work parties will be working to improve habitat for small pearl bordered fritillary.
This will mainly be cutting and raking rushes. Dates and venues are:
1. Wednesday 22nd September, Nipstone;
2. Wednesday 20th October, Black Rhadley;
3. Wednesday 3rd November, venue TBC.
All start at 10.00am and continue until 3.00pm.
Butterfly Conservation are also running two guided walks for Stepping Stones:
1. Sunday 13th June at 2pm, Norbury Hill (meet at Norbury Village Hall car park);
2. Wednesday 16th June at 2pm, Stiperstones (meet at The Knolls car park).
Walks will be led by Rob Rowe and Stephen Lewis. Areas visited will be wet and uneven rush pasture so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.
2021 Bird Survey majoring on curlews and lapwings – can you help?
In spite of coronavirus restrictions, we were able to keep an eye on the populations of key bird species last year through members recording what they had seen during their daily exercise or while on essential journeys.
This year, restrictions have been eased sufficiently for our normal surveys to resume. We are always looking for new volunteers to cover our entire area. Full details of what’s involved and why we do the surveys can be found here, where there is also information about where any sightings of coloured rings spotted on curlews should be reported.
Another bird survey – and this one can be done from home!
Montgomery Wildlife Trust has surveyed the local bird population for the past twenty years and would like your help to continue the good work. As long as you live in Montgomeryshire, you can contribute to the survey without even leaving your home. Full details are on the Trust’s website.
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.
Future Events
This link is currently inactive as all upcoming group events have been postponed for the time being.
As soon as normal service can be resumed, we’ll let you know.
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
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...
Bird Group meeting, 18 March 2019
The Bird Group met at the Horse and Jockey in Churchstoke to plan this year’s survey of curlew, lapwing and other bird species. The survey is carried out by volunteers being allocated a tetrad made up of four kilometre squares. Volunteers for most of the Camlad...
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
