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During the past months, while work has been seriously curtailed by the Pandemic crisis BCG has kept an eye on all its sites and undertaken a small amount of urgent work affecting health and safety. This was accomplished using our own set of Local Rules based on Government Guidelines to ensure
the safety of our volunteers and members of the public.   With the easing of restrictions a start was made on some more comprehensive work on Sunday 12 th July with a session based at the Underdown Nature Reserve. A total of 10 volunteers took part working in two teams, one on the main site and the other doing much needed clearance along the footpath by the stream. Six Duke of Edinburgh’s Award students including two new recruits took part and were glad to have some practical tasks to do after their disrupted summer.

Continue reading “Work Programme for remainder of 2020 published” →

The Bourne Conservation Group’s Committee has given careful consideration to the resumption of working parties and has given its approval to make a start within the limits of Government Guidelines, provided the general Covid-19 situation in the country continues on its present trend. This is a positive development and we welcome enquiries from potential new members who would like to contribute their time and knowledge – details can be found on the ‘Join Us’ page.

Continue reading “Resumption of Work Programme” →

The Bourne Conservation Group is continuing to collect and share responses to the Garden Watch survey reported last month. BCG’s expert on biodiversity Dr Martin Angel undertakes his own surveys and on Monday 8th June recorded an exceptional sighting in the Middle Bourne Lane Community Garden. He caught three goat moths (pictured) in a single night.

Continue reading “Rare moth sighting and Garden Watch update” →

The beginning of June is a good time to bring our members and friends up to date on a number of activities, so we have put together our first News Sheet of 2020. It has been issued by email and is also available to be downloaded below. We hope you find this useful and look forward to comments on any of the issues raised.

We are very grateful to our member Liz Chart for the excellent photos she sent recently from the pond in Middle Bourne Lane Community Garden and which deserve to be shared. We believe they are all palmate newts which can be identified by the rather broad toes on the hind legs. Palmates stay in the ponds longer than the commoner smooth newts. We have been pleased by the interest shown this year by visitors to both Middle Bourne Lane and the Old Churchyard to the new life in our ponds there.

Continue reading “Newts in Middle Bourne Lane Garden” →

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While the Group’s normal pattern of working parties had to be suspended during the height of the Coronavirus lockdown, some activities have been resumed in late May under the government’s most recent advice. Noel Moss and Mike Long have undertaken some much-needed watering at the crossroads and Simon Bradbury has been doing the same at Middle
Bourne Lane to ensure the flowers and seeds survive there. Also, on what was the hottest day so far, Noel and Richard Sandars started on some preliminary work in the Old Churchyard, mowing and bramble pulling. During the course of the morning two ladies visited intent on seeing how the tadpoles were getting on while two young parents and their small daughter spread out a rug and had a picnic – they agreed to being photgraphed. A lady with her small dog also passed through briefly.

Continue reading “Awakening” →

We are sharing some recent photographs taken on a walk by Fiona Walberton, our Treasurer and one of our Committee. She was following the footpath between Tilford Road and Waverley Lane in the valley of the lower Bourne stream.

Continue reading “Compton Fields in springtime” →

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We launched our Garden Watch after Easter with a bird survey and have now extended the Watch to include vertebrates – mammals, reptiles and amphibians – and butterflies. With continued support we shall include further surveys. We are much encouraged by the response to date and intend to publicise further the survey beyond our members and friends.

Continue reading “BCG Garden Watch has been extended!” →

During the restrictions on our activities required during the Coronavirus lockdown the Bourne Conservation Group is looking for ways to maintain contact with our Members and Friends, and if possible to make our work known to a wider range of people One way we can do that is through our
local Garden Watch.

Continue reading “BCG Garden Watch” →

The Bourne Conservation Group has had to move swiftly to respond to the Coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic and to the latest Government regulations and guidelines. Other organisations with which we work locally such as Waverley Council, Natural England, Surrey Wildlife Trust and RSPB have all
cancelled volunteering effort and group activities. Our Group has in a similar way stopped all work sessions until further announcement. BCG is in a difficult position as two thirds of our regular attendees are over 70 as well as a number of our Friends. Nothing that we do as a group must
jeopardise their health and safety or indeed that of any of our members.

Sadly, the Farnham Walking Festival for this year has been cancelled and that of course includes the two walks due to be led by BCG members.

Fortunately, as a result of our work over the winter, our core sites of the Crossroads, Middle Bourne Lane Garden and the Old Churchyard are all in quite good condition although there are always a few seasonal tasks to be done. The photo of the heather bank in Middle Bourne Lane Community Garden shows plants in bloom which is providing good sustenance for the bees.

Our Committee will review the situation again during April in line with the latest guidelines and will then decide what activities if any can be planned. Our Members and Friends will be updated by email as soon as there is any change or please follow our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/bourneconservation.org.uk/ . We shall also post updates on our website.