WED 1 CATERPILLAR KIDS – TINY TADPOLES, Lorton Meadows NR (£2/child, Family Event), 10.30am – 12.30pm. Explore the ponds, & discover the lifecycle of amphibians – frogs, newts & toads, plus games, art & more with the Community Conservation Officer. No unaccompanied children. Booking essential, please contact the Community Conservation Officer 01305 816546. Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. [SY 674 826].
WED 1 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work on a variety of habitats. A wide range of tasks will be carried out; tools & training provided. Come along every Wednesday throughout the year & enjoy what the countryside has to offer. For more information call Sally Wright at the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 2 CATERPILLAR KIDS – STICKS!! Lorton Meadows NR (£2/child, Family Event), 10.30am – 12.30pm. What can you turn a stick into? Use your imagination & explore the reserve – you never know where it might lead you, plus games, art & more with the Community Conservation Officer. No unaccompanied children. Booking essential, please contact the Community Conservation Officer 01305 816546.
FRI 3 GREAT CHESIL BEACH EGGCASE HUNT, 1.30pm – 3pm. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Find out what a mermaid keeps in her purse! Help search for shark & ray eggcases & maybe find some of the chocolate variety. £2 per child. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191
FRI 3 GREAT KIMMERIDGE EGGCASE HUNT, 2pm – 3.30pm, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. £2 per person. What does a mermaid keep in her purse? Find out as we hunt for empty eggcases to win a chocolate egg reward! The Fine Foundation Marine Centre SY 909787, BH20 5PF. 01929 481044.
SAT 4 WILD LORTON’S SPRING WILDLIFE WANDER, Lorton Meadows NR, 2pm – 4pm, £1 per person. Discover the sights & sounds of Lorton Meadows in the spring on a guided walk with the Community Conservation Officer. Refreshments afterwards. No unaccompanied children. The Wildlife Centre will be open all day for visitors. Come along for a walk around the reserve, then drop in for a hot drink, & peruse our selection of gifts & wildlife books. Plus watch the birds on the feeders on screen, find out what to feed your garden birds during the colder months & purchase bird seed, feeders & nest boxes. Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. [SY 674 826].
SAT 4 SEASHORE DETECTIVES, 1 – 2.30pm. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon exposed at low tide. Look out for anemones, sea squirts, crabs & much more! £2 per person. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191.
SAT 4 SOVELL DOWN VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work; all tools & training provided. Please bring lunch. For details of each task please contact Steve Claxton on 07967 032626.
SUN 5 EPIC EASTER EXPEDITION! 10am – 3pm, £5 per child. Join us this Easter Sunday where the whole family can enjoy Kingcombe’s epic Easter hunt. Find the clues hidden around the Reserve & return to the Centre to collect your special Easter prize! The cafe will be serving up delicious seasonal food including scrumptious homemade hot cross buns, & various Easter treats! The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Toller Porcorum, DT2 0EQ. Visit www.kingcombe.org.uk or phone 01300 320684 for more information.
SUN 5 EAST DORSET/ARC WORK PARTY, Lend a hand with practical conservation work at the Sopley Common Reserve. Tasks include scrub clearance, pine & sycamore control, path clearance etc. Meet at the Ramsdown car park. For more information, please contact Jon Crewe on 07989 777757.
MON 6 SEAWEED SAFARI, 2 – 3.30pm. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Learn to identify seaweeds & have fun pressing them. £2 per child. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191.
WED 8 ECO-CRABBING, 2 – 3.30pm, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. £3 per person. Learn how to catch & care for crabs without harm to other rockpool animals. Cost includes crab kit, bait and equipment. The Fine Foundation Marine Centre SY 909787, BH20 5PF. Phone 01929 481044.
WED 8 SEASHORE DETECTIVES, 2.30 – 4pm. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon exposed at low tide. Look out for anemones, sea squirts, crabs & much more! £2 per person.Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191.
WED 8 CRAFTY CREATURE HOMES:
Using natural materials create your own beautiful nest boxes or hedgehog homes for your garden with Petra Hughes. Cost £70 (includes materials). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
WED 8 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work on a variety of habitats. A wide range of tasks will be carried out; tools & training provided. Come along every Wednesday throughout the year & enjoy what the countryside has to offer. For more information call Sally Wright at the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 9 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, meet at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill. For this week meet at 9am for a moth trap opening & 10am for recording/monitoring tasks. For details of each task contact Andy Fale on 07970552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 9 PASTURES NEW VOLUNTEER TASK, 10am. DWT Pastures New volunteers working on multifarious sites across West Dorset. Come & join in with all sorts of tasks from wild flower seeding to water vole conservation, coppicing to mayfly-counting. Flapjacks are on us. Please call Nick Gray on 07824 438974 for details.
THUR 9 WILDLIFE TRACKERS, 11am & 2pm. Can you track wild animals by looking at their footprints, poo & other signs? Join us to discover more about Dorset’s wildlife at the Chesil Beach Centre. (This is an activity inside & around the Centre). £2 per child. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191
FRI 10 A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING CHESIL, 11am – 12.30pm. Join your guide to discover the secrets of Chesil Bank & the Fleet Lagoon. This whistle-stop tour covers everything from the formation of the beach to the rich wildlife & military history. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Adults £3, children £2. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191
FRI 10 WEST DORSET GROUP AGM followed by GLOW-WORMS & THEIR NATURAL HISTORY AS A COMMUNITY PROJECT, an illustrated talk by Peter Bright, Somerset Wildlife Trust. 7.30pm, Bridport United Church, East Street, Bridport, DT6 3LJ. Suggested £2 donation (£3 for non-members) to cover costs (inc. refreshments).
SAT 11 WILDLIFE GARDENING WORKSHOP & BOURNEMOUTH NATURAL SCIENCE SOCIETY OPEN DAY, 10am – 4pm. Come & learn how to improve your garden for wildlife with practical hands-on workshops, activities for kids & adults: Wildlife Gardening Q&A session, stalls, raffle & more! A not to be missed opportunity to explore the BNSS Museum collection. Bournemouth Natural Science Society, 39 Christchurch Rd Bournemouth BH1 3NS. For more information contact Katie Wilkinson 01202 692033 or [email protected]
SUN 12 WALK FOR WILDLIFE Three exciting NEW Purbeck routes along the Jurassic Coast, including a family friendly walk and 2 more demanding walks. All walks start and end at Leeson House. Start from 8am and finish by 5pm. For more information & to book your place go to dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/walkforwildlife or call 01305 264620.
TUES 14 SOUTH DORSET MID-WEEK VOLUNTEERS, Habitat management on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT warden James Hitchen on 07436 157328 for details.
WED 15 WILDLIFE OF FERNDOWN COMMON, 10am – 12 noon. Discover the wildlife of Ferndown Common, part of The Great Heath Living Landscape, with Amphibian & Reptile Conservation (ARC) & DWT. All welcome but children must be accompanied by adults. Strong sturdy footwear is advised. For more information contact ARC 01202 391319 or [email protected] Suggested donation £3. Meet at Ferndown Common car park, Wimborne Rd (opposite Murco Garage) signed ‘path to Great Barrow’ (GR SU066008).
WED 15 OCEAN ACIDIFICATION – NEMO’S NEW THREAT, a talk by Cosima Porteus. 7.30pm, Digby Memorial Church Hall, Digby Road, DT9 2NL. Sherborne. Cost £2.50. Coffee/tea & biscuits available: donations appreciated.
WED 15 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work on a variety of habitats. A wide range of tasks will be carried out; tools & training provided. Come along every Wednesday throughout the year & enjoy what the countryside has to offer. For more information call Sally Wright at the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
WED 15 THE SILENT WORLD OF BATS an illustrated talk by renowned bat expert Nick Tomlinson. 7.30pm Fontmell Magna village hall (SP7 0JU). £2 (including tea/coffee/biscuits). Children free. A rapid AGM precedes this meeting.
THUR 16 A CLOSE UP OF HOW PLANTS & INSECTS LIVE TOGETHER, a talk illustrated with macrophotography by Tony Bates, with a very short Bournemouth and Christchurch group AGM. 7.30pm, Christchurch Baptist Church Hall, Bargates, corner of Beaconsfield Road, Christchurch, BH21 1QL. Cost £2 incl. coffee & biscuits.
FRI 17 REPTILE RAMBLE ON UPTON HEATH, 10am – 1pm. Join Dorset Wildlife Trust to discover the reptiles waking up for spring on Upton Heath. Snake & lizard activities plus a ramble to find real reptiles in the wild! Suggested donation £3 per child. No unaccompanied children, please. Meet at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Rd, Corfe Mullen BH21 3RX. For more information ring 01202 692033.
FRI 17 WIMBORNE GROUP AGM then AN UPDATE ON ‘THE GREAT HEATH PROJECT’, a talk by Amanda Broom & Nicky Hoar. 7.30 pm, The Quarterjack Suite, The Allendale Centre, Hanham Road, Wimborne Minster, BH21 1AS.
SAT 18 SEAWEED IDENTIFICATION COURSE, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Join seaweed expert Lin Baldock for a classroom & seashore workshop & learn how to identify seaweeds for our surveys. £15 per person. The Kimmeridge Fine Foundation Marine Centre SY 909787, BH20 5PF. Tel 01929 481044.
SUN 19 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, working on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
SUN 19 GREAT DORSET BEACH CLEAN, Worbarrow Bay (SY 865 803). Help with our county-wide coastal spring clean. All equipment provided. Free Event. Keep an eye on our website for times. (www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/events)
TUES 21 A WALK ON POWERSTOCK COMMON, an evening walk for bird calls & song. Car park at SY 547974. More information on www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/events.
WED 22 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work on a variety of habitats. A wide range of tasks will be carried out; tools & training provided. Come along every Wednesday throughout the year & enjoy what the countryside has to offer. For more information call Sally Wright at the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
WED 22 VOLUNTEERS CONSERVATION TASK, Lorton Meadows NR (Free), 10am – 3pm. Join us for a day of practical work on site, to restore the habitats important for local wildlife. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. No experience necessary, please bring a packed lunch.
THUR 23 BIRD WATCHING AT LYTCHETT BAY, 8.30 – 10am. Look for wading birds at Lytchett Bay, part of The Great Heath Living Landscape, with DWT & local bird experts. Meet at the start of Footpath No 12 at the junction of Lytchett Way & Shore Lane, Upton, Poole. Suggested donation £3. For more information, please ring 01202 692033 or email [email protected]
THUR 23 PASTURES NEW VOLUNTEER TASK, 10am. DWT Pastures New volunteers working on multifarious sites across West Dorset. Come & join in with all sorts of tasks from wild flower seeding to water vole conservation, coppicing to mayfly-counting. Flapjacks are on us. Please call Nick Gray on 07824 438974 for details.
FRI 24 – WILLOW WEEKEND WORKSHOP:
SUN 26 Discover the ancient craft of willow weaving, whilst with Norah Kennedy, you enjoy making traditional baskets to take home. Cost R £270 (NR £189). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684
SAT 25 SPRING BIRD WATCH AT WEST BEXINGTON 8am – 10.30am £3 per person. Discover the birdlife of one of our smaller coastal nature reserves at West Bexington on a guided walk. Booking required: tel 01300 320 684
SUN 26 URBAN WEEKENDERS, join the DWT Urban Team for a regular weekend of volunteering/wildlife activity on DWT Upton Heath. There will be a moth trap opening at 9am (weather permitting) at the Urban Wildlife Centre (BH21 3RX) where we get to see & identify the species caught overnight. You are welcome to join us for the moth trap session. This will be followed by a wildlife survey at 10.30am. Please contact Sally Wright if you have any queries regarding the event on 01202 692033 or email [email protected]
SUN 26 THE GREAT DORSET BEACH CLEAN, 11 – 1pm. Bring family & friends for this yearly event, helping to clean one of Dorset’s most spectacular beaches. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. All equipment provided. Fine Foundation Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Weymouth, DT4 9XE. [SY 668 755]. Tel: 01305 206191.
MON 27 WILLOW FOR THE GARDEN, 10am – 4pm, Kingcombe Centre. A fun, hands-on workshop learning the simple techniques for willow weaving your own wigwams, supports & trellis with Norah Kennedy. £65 per person. Limited places, so booking essential. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Toller Porcorum, DT2 0EQ. Phone01300 321409 or visit our website for more information: www.kingcombe.org.
TUES 28 ISLE OF PURBECK MID-WEEK VOLUNTEERS, Habitat management on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT warden James Hitchen on 07436 157328 for details.
WED 29 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Practical conservation work on a variety of habitats. A wide range of tasks will be carried out; tools & training provided. Come along every Wednesday throughout the year & enjoy what the countryside has to offer. For more information call Sally Wright at the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
