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Thursday 20th November 2008
WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE – Restoring Wild
Flowers to the Garden and Countryside by Charles Flower
Reviewed by Lynn Fomison
The tantalising prospect of a flower filled countryside is
bound to excite those who love the countryside & mourn the
passing of flower filled meadows, road verges and banks. It is
likely to be appealing to moth & butterfly enthusiasts who know
so well the importance of plants to these species. Chapter after
chapter offers incredibly sound advice on how to create
wonderful wild flower areas.
About the Author
Charles Flower is not just passionate about restoring wild
flowers to the countryside, he has amassed valuable knowledge &
experience through doing this on his own Wiltshire farm & may
other sites through out the country. He is regarded as a pioneer
in these techniques by many and held in high esteem. His
knowledge and love of wild flowers and grasses is very apparent
to the reader as is his interest in all the other wild life that
can be found in rich habitats. Hampshire readers wishing to
see some of his work need only visit Magdalen Hill Down as
Charles masterminded the sowing schemes at the Extension in 1997
and on MHD North in 2004.
About the book
 Charles
Flower’s book has the potential to appeal to a wide range of
readers. Walking through a meadow brimful of wild flowers,
butterflies and bees is a magical experience. Perhaps the next
best thing, especially on a winter’s day, is leafing through
this book. And I suspect that that is the first thing many
people will do. The beautiful pictures just draw the reader on &
on through the book. But this is not just a book of pretty
pictures! Very soon interest will be captured by the detailed
history of the changes in agriculture which inadvertently left
the countryside devoid of some of our best loved wild flowers
along with the wild creatures they supported. Pictures of
farming in years gone by and the old fashioned meadows populate
the early chapters, such a strong reminder for me of the
countryside I knew as a child.
Attention is drawn to the change in mindset in countryside
management with grant schemes paying money to farmers who
encourage biodiversity. Subsequent chapters cover every aspect
of how to reintroduce wild flowers from selecting seed and
propagating wild flowers to growing them in a variety of
situations – meadows, hedgerows, woodland and ponds. One chapter
concentrates on the most threatened group – the cornfield
annuals. This is vital information for any land owner or manager
wishing to develop habitats rich in plants. Subsequent chapters
will fascinate naturalists for they highlight how butterflies,
birds and other wild life are responding to the creation of
areas rich in plants, nectar and seed. Detailed advice is given
on over thirty species of butterflies – how to cultivate the
plants they need to lay their eggs on and recommendations on the
flowers producing the best nectar.
Clearly this book is one which no farmer or land manager, intent
on restoring wild flowers on their holding, should be without.
Gardeners will need to be a bit imaginative in scaling down some
of the suggestions to the size of their plot. The book provided
not only sound technical advice but a huge measure of
inspiration and is a total pleasure.
Where have All the Flowers Gone £25
Papadakis, London
ISBN 978-1901092-82-0
www.papadakis.net
Saturday 1st November 2008
All ABOUT BUTTERFLIES by Matthew Oates
reviewed by Lynn Fomison
About the author
Matthew Oates works for the National Trust. His expertise and
knowledge of butterflies has been featured on TV and on the
radio and Matthew has written extensively about butterflies and
other aspects of nature conservation. At the 2007 AGM of
Butterfly Conservation he was been awarded a prestigious Marsh
Lepidoptera Award for Lifetime Achievement, recognising his
position as one of the country’s leading lepidopterists. As a
father of four & almost a lifelong interest in butterflies one
would expect this book to be just the thing to direct children’s
interest to butterflies. And it does not disappoint. Costing
just £4.99 it is an ideal small present for a child this
Christmas.
About the book
 It
is described as ideal for 8-12 year olds but its bright
colourful illustrations of butterflies make it an attractive
book for younger children. Even toddlers can learn the names of
butterflies with a bit of help from an adult reading out the
names and playing identification games.
About 56 species of British & European butterflies are
described. Each one of those pages carries a “Did you know “
type question and its fascinating answer, making it an
interesting read for adults too. For instance do you know which
butterflies were introduced from Europe to the United States and
have since become very common there? You will need to read the
book to find out!
The early pages of the book describe the main families of
butterflies & then the amazing life of a butterfly from egg to
adult, highlighting the difficulties that life stages face. “10
things you need to know about butterflies are fundamental
principles known by all keen butterfly watchers.
Then come eight tips on how to identify butterflies with the
important recognition “It takes years to learn how to tell
butterflies apart”. Inspiration to explore the wonderful world
of butterflies is provided by way of descriptions of exotic
species like Two-tailed Pasha, the largest European butterfly at
75mm, and described as being more difficult to see than a Purple
Emperor. The size of all species is given wing tip to wing tip.
And I guess if one wanted to make one criticism of the book it
is that the illustrations are not life size.
With the opening paragraph suggesting “ Butterflies are a part
of our summer like visits to the seaside” it would be great if
this book encouraged children to think as much about butterflies
on sunny days as ice cream!
All about Butterflies
£4.99
New Holland
ISBN 978-1-84773-050-3
www.newhollandpublishers.com
Tuesday 28th October 2008
Proceeds from 2009 calendar will go to Butterfly
Conservation
  Butterfly
lovers website UK Butterflies has offered to donate all proceeds
from their new calendar to Butterfly Conservation. The 2009
calendar contains stunning photographic images of well known
butterflies, as well as some of the rarer species that can be
found in Britain. Each month features a full colour close-up of
a different butterfly.
Founder of UK Butterflies, Peter Eeles, is a keen photographer
himself: "Butterflies are extremely photogenic but capturing a
good image of a small, moving subject is a real challenge. The
fact that butterflies are in serious decline adds to the
challenge of getting a good photo and really brings home the
need to protect these fragile creatures. The UK Butterflies
community is keen to support the great work of Butterfly
Conservation, protecting butterflies, moths and their habitats,
and preventing them from disappearing altogether. All of the
photographs included in the calendar were taken by members of
the UK Butterflies website. We run monthly photo competitions
and, as well as raising funds for Butterfly Conservation, this
project is a chance to showcase some of the talent in the UK
Butterflies membership."
To order a copy of the 2009 Butterfly calendar
please visit
UK
Butterflies.
More Butterflies on BBC1
The new Inside Out series begins on September 17th Wednesdays
BBC1 7.30pm. There'll be a butterfly film every week for five
weeks...starting with Purple Emperor ( Matthew Oates at Straits
& Goose Green. Chalk Hill Blues planned for the second week -
that is filmed at Magdalen Hill Down with Andy Barker, Pat Fleet
& Lynn Fomison chatting with Chris Packham. Then one on
woodland butterflies filmed around Bentley Wood with Kate Dent.
Then Adonis Blue on Isle of Wight with Matthew (filmed on Friday
29th August). Finally one on decline of Small
Tortoiseshell...which Manuel Hinge is filming and producing
himself. Jenny Craddock of the BBC has worked on these
butterfly items and has become very much a fan of butterflies as
a result!
Butterflies Featured on BBC1
 Just
to confess that all next week (Mon 25th - Fri 29th) BBC1's One
Show (7pm) will be running a series of 4-5 minute pieces on
butterflies, presented by Miranda Krestovnikoff with
contributions from Matthew Oates. They wanted the rarest,
largest, mostly rapidly declining, and weirdest, and also wanted
Cabbage Whites. The batting order is -
- Mon 25th Large Blue, filmed at Collard Hill (on Friday
13th of June - in lovely weather).
- Tues 26th Swallowtail, filmed at Hickling in the Broads.
This butterfly gave us a ghastly time (and has been
reclassified as a moth as a punishment), but eventually we
hired a boat, stormed the reedbeds, and nailed the blighter.
The problem is that Swallowtails only visit flowers in hot
sun, and we had wind or cool sun.
- Wed 27th High Brown Fritillary, filmed at Heddon Valley
in North Devon, plus Dark-green Fritillary and Silver-washed
Fritillary.
- Thurs 28th Cabbage Whites and probably Small
Tortoiseshell, filmed at Barrington Court garden, near
Ilminster in Somerset. It's a seriously good garden for
Cabbage Whites as the Head Gardener deliberately grows loads
of Nasturtiums.
- Fri 29th The Emperor's Breakfast, filmed in Fermyn
Woods, Northants, a little late in the season, starring a
white trestle table, candelabra and a series in tempting
baits.
 Above
all, it illustrates that when it comes to eccentricity, British
natural history still has what it takes. Essential viewing... .
Enjoy!
Further details are on the National Trust BBC websites and
www.thepurpleempire.com
Also in the pipeline, an 8 minute piece on the Purple Emperor in
Alice Holt Forest on BBC1 South's Inside Out, sometime in
September (we think) - others are planned.
Matthew Oates
Nature of Farming Award
Butterfly Conservation joins the judging panel for
RSPB's Nature of Farming Award
.jpg) Butterfly
Conservation's Head of Reserves, John Davis, was on the judging
panel of the RSPB's Nature of Farming Award. For this important
national award, which celebrates successes in farming for all
aspects of wildlife conservation, the RSPB teamed up with BC,
Plantlife and BBC’s Countryfile Magazine.
The judging panel shortlisted 4 finalists from the regional
winners of this national competition, 2 of whom, Henry Edmunds
and Michael Poland farm in our area. Those regional winners were
in turn selected from hundreds of entrants throughout the UK.
The hardest part, choosing the winning farm, is now down to a
public vote.
Go to the RSPB website and
vote for your favourite!
You have until 26 September 2008 to help choose the Nature of
Farming Award winner for 2008. When you vote, you will be
entered into a prize draw to win a selection of fabulous
wildlife goodies, including a free subscription to BBC
Countryfile magazine.
John Davis said: “We are hugely impressed with the efforts of
the contestants and their commitment to giving nature a place on
their farms. It has been difficult to choose between the
excellent regional finalists. The entries show levels of land
management expertise to match their dedication to conservation.”
It takes dedication and care to achieve results of these
standards and run an economically viable farm – but providing
valuable wildlife habitats should be possible on all farms.
2008 A Purple Emperor Year?
Despite the advent of another dismal summer season,
with low pressure sitting over the United Kingdom, the
county of Hampshire managed to enjoy one of the best
Purple Emperor years for more than a decade. Not due to
the fact of the numbers of Purple Emperors seen, but due
to the fact the best counts actually coming from the
numbers of sites they were recorded from. There have
been 23 sites so far this year which is one of the all
time best. I have compiled these notes from all my
records gathered over the past 6 weeks but Ive no doubt
there are some more to be analysed.
The Emperor in Hampshire was recorded at a very early
date of 23 June with a single specimen coming from the
Bishops Waltham area. Good numbers built up in the Alice
Holt Complex by the end of June and (5) were seen on
territory at Goose Green Inclosure, and (2) at Alice
Holt Forest (1) on the 25 June.
There were records from many sites where it has not been
recorded for many years and never been recorded at all.
It was good to know it was recorded in the New Forest
again after such a long absence on the 10 July, its
presence seems to be going westwards now for several
years, as the Emperor had been seen in and around the
Southampton area over the last decade. Some of the sites
where it was recorded for the first time were The Vine,
and Hawley Wood, in the north of the county. Sites where
it had not been recorded for several years were Ampfield
Wood, Pamber Forest, Micheldever Wood, Odiham Common,
and Swanwick Nature Reserve., and Queen Elizabeth
Country Park.
It was for ever present at Bentley Wood but probably not
in such good numbers as on previous years, and in the
Alice Holt Complex the numbers remained stable with
Goose Green with a max of (7) and Alice Holt Forest (1)
with a max count of (2). Matthew Oates noted in Abbotts
Wood Inclosure (6) Emperors ‘Oak Edging’ on the 4 July
and in several other territories in Alice Holt there
were just singletons to be seen. In the Straits
Inclosure it was in reasonable numbers, and when the BBC
film unit were filming for the ‘One Show’ there were (3)
mineral sapping on the ground within a very short
distance.
Other territories have been identified, amongst these
being near Burghfield Common on the Hants/Berks border,
where (6) were seen regularly throughout the season, and
one possible area being near Odiham Common.
Other possibly good territory areas have been identified
several of these being in the Wickham/Fareham area and
other possible sites have been identified which will
need checking out in the 2009 season.
I'd like to thank all the recorders with a Purple
Disposition and we can only hope for better Emperor
weather in 2009.
Wednesday 17th July 2008 - PRESS RELEASE
Sir David Attenborough names Hampshire as prime
butterfly location
Sir David Attenborough (President of Butterfly Conservation) has
announced that Hampshire has been earmarked as a potential
butterfly paradise. He was outlining a new national strategy to
halt the decline in Britain’s butterflies. Speaking at the
launch of Save Our Butterflies Week 2008, Sir David identified
the New Forest as one of 20 priority areas in the UK where
efforts on rebuilding butterfly populations will be focussed, in
partnership with other organisations. Members of the Hampshire
and Isle of Wight Branch of Butterfly Conservation said they
were thrilled with the news.
 Branch
Conservation Officer, Dr Andy Barker, said that thanks to the
management by various landowners and organisations, the Forest
remains home to several rare butterflies, including the
Pearl-bordered Fritillary, which has declined greatly elsewhere
in Hampshire and across southern England. Furthermore, the New
Forest heathlands are a national stronghold for the
Silver-studded Blue butterfly, despite declines elsewhere. Dr
Barker added: “It’s not just here in Hampshire that butterflies
are vanishing, it’s right across Europe. Butterfly habitat has
been destroyed across vast tracts of land by intensification of
modern farming and forestry practices, driven by economic
pressures.” The new strategy builds on knowledge gained over the
40 years since Butterfly Conservation was founded in 1968.
 The
intention is to encourage landowners across whole swathes of
countryside to adopt practices that encourage butterflies to
breed and thrive. The scheme has already been successfully
piloted across some large tracts elsewhere in the UK. Dr Barker
said: “We are fortunate in Hampshire to have many landowners
with a positive outlook towards wildlife, and some excellent
nature reserves that provide ideal habitat for butterflies and
other wildlife. But small colonies are always vulnerable. The
new strategy will allow butterflies to spread their wings and
establish new colonies.”
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch of Butterfly Conservation
has a series of events lined up for Save Our Butterflies Week,
which starts on Saturday - 19th July. The week is intended to
heighten awareness of the extent of butterfly losses. Events
will include guided walks on all three of our Hampshire nature
reserves; Bentley Station Meadow near Alton on 19th July, Yew
Hill and Magdalen Hill Down both in Winchester on the 23rd and
27th July respectively. We will also be exhibiting at
“Butterfly Summer”, a five-week long exhibition in the new City
Space of Winchester Discovery Centre commencing on Saturday 26th
July.
A full list of events is available
HERE....
Wednesday 4th June 2008
HAMPSHIRE MOTHS
Many people’s first reaction to the word “moth” is a
negative one: they envisage small brown creatures which eat
their clothes or big brown flappers crashing into their
lampshades at night. The truth is rather different.
 Hampshire is home to about 1900 species of moths, many
of which are beautifully marked, intriguingly shaped and have
interesting life histories. As well as being fascinating in
their own right they are a fundamental part of our natural
fauna, and an excellent indicator of the health of the
environment. They act as pollinators, and are a vital food
source for many birds, bats and small mammals without which
these predators could not exist. They are an often overlooked
part of our garden wildlife, but once you discover their beauty
and diversity you may well become hooked!
Hampshire is particularly rich in species because of
its southerly location and the diversity of its habitats: it has
acid heathland in the New Forest, extensive woodlands such as
Botley Wood and Pamber Forest among others, a band of chalk
downland from the Hants/Wilts border across Winchester to
Portsmouth, and coastal reed-beds and sand dunes. All these
areas support different vegetation which in turn supports a
great variety of Lepidoptera.
In spite of all this potential a sad fact is that moth numbers
have decreased by a third since 1968.
Butterfly Conservation is organising an exciting new nationwide
survey called Garden Moths Count which runs from 21 June to 6
July, to try to discover which moths frequent our gardens.
Anyone can take part and full details will be found on the
website www.mothscount.org.
Click on the link to Garden Moths Count.
So how do you get to see moths? Moths are attracted to
light so you can: ·
- Leave on an outside light and inspect the wall in the
vicinity ·
- Open your curtains and see what comes to the windowpane
- Leave the bathroom window open with a light (shut the
door) for a few hours and see what comes in
- Hang a white sheet in the garden and leave a strong
torch shining on it
- Go out with a torch to look for moths feeding on flowers
at dusk
 Members of Hampshire & IoW Branch regularly record
moths in the county and run public events such as on National
Moth Night (Saturday 7th June 2008) and Hampshire Moth Night
(Saturday 5th July 2008) when anyone can go along and enjoy
learning about moths. Quite a number of moths are day-flyers
and could easily be mistaken for butterflies. You can join a
walk organised by Butterfly Conservation and quickly learn to
identify the various species you come across. Full details of
walks and other events can be found on the website (HERE...).
There are lots of books and charts generally available which
give details of a wide range of species. One book which is
particularly recommended is Moths of Great Britain and Ireland
by Waring, Townsend and Lewington published in 2003 by British
Wildlife Publishing. The updated Concise Guide to the Moths of
Great Britain and Ireland was published in 2007. Both books
cover all the British species of macro (larger) moths. See also
the Hantsmoths website at
www.hantsmoths.org.uk
Juliet Bloss
Sunday 11th May 2008
When I told a friend I was going to a Caterpillar
Training day. She went a bit quiet & then asked "to do what?"
Well the 20+ of us were the ones being trained, not
the caterpillars! The course was arranged by Butterfly
Conservation as part of the development of National Moth
Recording Scheme & we were lucky to have leading national moth
expert Dr Paul Waring as tutor. Paul provided inspiration to
take an interest in moths & their caterpillars by describing how
his interest had started at the age of two & three quarters and
eventually being firmly established by the completion of a PHD
on how woodland management affects moths. Those present, who
included both beginners and experienced moth-ers, were also able
to meet Hampshire & IoW Branch Moth Officer Tim Norriss and
local moth expert David Green.
 Paul
highlighted the importance of hunting for caterpillars as some
adult moths do not come to light. Also finding caterpillars
feeding can enhance our knowledge of the aspect size and other
features of larval foodplants. He stressed the importance of
recording information at the time of finding caterpillars. Prior
to "technology" he used a card index system - making sketches &
recording size of caterpillar & foodplant information. He
suggested that these days taking digital photos or using a video
cam is better.
We were shown two main methods of finding caterpillars - beating
- where the tree branch is given a strong tap 5 times &
caterpillars fall onto a Bignell beating tray or collecting
sheet or even an upturned umbrella, a good cheap alternative, to
the sweeping where a net is swept lightly but firmly through
grass etc. Both methods are best used after dark when
caterpillars are feeding more actively. The welfare of the
caterpillar was stressed - we had to collect a few leaves it was
feeding on & keep them cool in the shade on what was a very hot
May day.
Paul showed overhead slides of three families of moth & a graph
of the month showing when their peak season was. This related to
the presence of young & tender leaves free of tannins & other
chemicals giving protection ie. Spring and then the Lammas
growth in late summer, with grass feeding caterpillars being at
a peak in July. May was a peak time for geometrids and sure
enough we found many caterpillars of the looper type, most
numerous of which were the Winter Moths. Just one December moth
was found, Copper Underwing, Feathered Thorn with its two raised
orange conical bumps near the tail and a Footman sp.
 Time
did not permit the identification of all caterpillars but
hopefully all the significant ones were highlighted. Paul showed
us the useful illustration of caterpillar shapes in the Observer
Book of Caterpillars (after the event I found that the Collins
Field Guide to Caterpillars of Britain & Europe that I use also
included a similar guide.) The book Paul recommended is The
Caterpillars of the British Isles by Jim Porter which can be
obtained on Amazon for £33, but this is very comprehensive book.
He also mentioned a set of old books by William Buckler
(collectors items and virtually impossible to acquire) which are
now available on CD - for a price!
Paul showed a number of slides representing the many different
moth families. He explained about numbers and positions of legs
and claspers to and how to tell which were not lepidopterous but
sawfly larvae. I am sure we will remember they have lots more
legs & look a bit shiny like jelly babies! It was a truly
inspiring day & hopefully the results will be more records sent
in to the Branch & those of us who attended passing on our
interest & knowledge of caterpillars to others.
Lynn Fomison Reserves Officer Hampshire & Isle of Wight Branch
/p>
PRESS RELEASE - Friday, 7th March, 2008
Forty years on,
enthusiasts rescue crisis butterfly
Enthusiasts
are claiming a remarkable turnaround in butterfly numbers at a
Hampshire site. National
figures indicate that the Chalkhill Blue has declined by more
than a third over the past decade.
That’s not so at Magdalen Hill Down near
Winchester. At this Butterfly Conservation reserve the number of Chalkhill Blue butterflies
has increased by as much as 700 per cent in recent years. Other
butterfly populations at the site, including the Common Blue,
are also showing a spectacular resurgence.
These reversals are the result of a major volunteer effort over the
past 19 years. During this period the land available for
butterfly habitat has been expanded five-fold.
Today
(Friday, 7th March) a team from Hampshire & Isle of
Wight Branch of Butterfly Conservation will once again be
working on the site, cutting back scrub and striving to achieve
the flower-rich grassland on which butterflies depend.
Lynn Fomison,
who oversees this reserve, said: “Last summer butterflies
everywhere suffered because of the continual rain. Hopefully
we’ll have a better summer this year and there’ll again be a
profusion of these beautiful butterflies to provide a shimmering
mass of blue. It’s magnificent sight”
Magdalen
Hill Down was traditionally a butterfly paradise, but the steep
hillside became overgrown with scrub from the1950’s onwards.
Other parts of the hill had been ploughed and taken into arable
cultivation during the 1940’s. Many acres of chalk downland
supporting butterfly species were lost.
Thoughout the country vast tracts of other
butterfly habitats were being similarly destroyed, prompting the
setting up of the charity Butterfly Conservation 40 years ago
this weekend.
By the time
Butterfly Conservation was able to take responsibility for the
Hampshire site in 1989 the butterflies had diminished to a
fraction of their former numbers.
The
Magdalen Hill Down volunteers will today be joined by
journalist, author and broadcaster Rosie Boycott. Rosie is a
member of Butterfly Conservation who has her own West Country
smallholding and champions closer links to the countryside. She
said: “We must treat our countryside with respect. Butterfly
Conservation has shown that we can save these wonderful
species.”
The
Hampshire work party is one of 15 being organised on key
butterfly sites nationwide to mark Butterfly Conservation’s 40th
birthday. They are the first of a series of activities
throughout the year marking the anniversary.
Over the
past 40 years Butterfly Conservation has grown from a handful of
members to more than 13,000, many of them actively participating
in conservation work and in recording butterfly numbers.
Butterflies are much more sensitive to change than other
wildlife. The monitoring of them on this large scale provides
invaluable data about what is happening to our environment and
about climate change.
Contact
Nerys Coward,
Publicity Officer,
Butterfly Conservation.
Tel: 01929
406010
Mobile 07834 787903
Email
ncoward@butterfly-conservation.org
Lester Cowling,
Senior Publicity Officer,
Butterfly Conservation.
Tel 01929 406038
Mobile
07976363546
Email lcowling@butterfly-conservaton.org
Tuesday 27th November 2007
November 2007 was a good month for Matthew Oates. He joined us at
our Branch AGM and members day on 10th November. As joint founder of
our branch 25 years ago who better to cut the celebratory cake!
Matthew also gave an excellent talk reviewing the last 25 years of
butterflies and even daring to look ahead.
But better was to come. At the National AGM and Members Day on
17th November at Leamington Spa, Matthew received the prestigious
Marsh Lepidoptera Award for Lifetime Achievement. See National
web site
News section for more details.
Thursday 22nd March 2007
Spring into Action 1st May to 7th June! This is an
initiative from British Trust for Conservation Volunteers
BTCV to promote the importance of volunteers trying out
practical activities to look after their local wild life &
green places. Details will be on the web site www.btcv.org.
Butterfly Conservation is very dependant on volunteer help in
caring for our reserves and I support BTCV is seeking to find new
volunteers. Two groups affiliated to BTCV - The Wednesday Group and
Hampshire Conservation Volunteers have been giving us regular help for
years.
I hope that the Spring & Summer programme of walks at reserves will
encourage new comers to enjoy the wonder of butterflies and moths and
to feel inspired to help us with winter conservation work.
Lynn Fomison Reserves Officer
Friday 12th January 2007
Nigel Spring from the Dorset Branch says "We have
arranged a week visit to La Brenne in central France for the
halfterm period in February 16th-24th and are hoping to find
10 people to come with us. It should also be suitable for
families with children over 12 and for unaccompanied young
people over 16. Funding is available to make the cost of
this much less of a shock in the post-Christmas poverty
zone!
The aim of the trip will be to set up the beginnings of an exchange
with volunteers in that part of France, to carry out practical
management tasks on various habitats in the nature reserve
particularly for Large Copper, Alcon Blue and Marsh Fritillary
butterflies, to enjoy this delightful wetland area of 2000 fishing
lakes with their overwintering wildfowl and the woodlands and heaths
that surround them, not to mention the food, wine and local culture.
It is intended to be a relaxed, enjoyable visit which will lead on to
other things... La Brenne is within easy reach of Caen so we shall be
travelling in a minibus via the Portsmouth-Caen ferry. I have attached
further information about this.
If you are interested in joining us, could you let me know? I will
then send you a booking form. Even if you cannot join us in February,
perhaps you could help by sending this information on to your contacts
or printing it and displaying it somewhere. Or you might have access
to funding that can enable us to offer more concessional places -
please get in touch!".
Please click here for more
information.
Archive
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