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.
WED 1 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Working on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
THUR 2 WEST DORSET WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Meet at Kingcombe Meadows Farm, Clift Lane, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester DT2 0EJ. Please bring warm clothes, wet weather gear, waterproof footwear, lunch & drinks. For further information please contact Maurits Fontein on 07825 311686.
THUR 2 PASTURES NEW VOLUNTEER TASK, 10am. Join the regular volunteering group in West Dorset. Tasks can range from hedge laying to Himalayan balsam pulling in locations all over West Dorset. Please contact Nick Gray on 07824 438974 or at [email protected] for details.
THUR 2 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, Meet at 10am every Thursday at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill. Practical conservation work; all tools & training provided. For details of each task contact Andy Fale on 07970 552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
FRI 3 BIRD SURVEYS & GETTING INVOLVED, an illustrated talk by Claire Young, Dorset regional representative for the British Trust for Ornithology. 7.30pm, Bridport United Church Hall, East Street, Bridport. West Dorset Group
SAT 4 NATURAL BIRD FEEDERS AT LORTON, 10am – 4pm. Make biodegradable bird feeders to take home for the feathered friends in your garden (£1/feeder, available all day). Plus, the Centre is open for visitors, follow a self-guided trail, then drop in for a hot drink, watch the birds on screen, & peruse our selection of wildlife books & ID guides. Children must be accompanied. Lorton Meadows, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. 01305 816546.
SUN 5 EAST DORSET/ARC WORK PARTY, Lend a hand with practical conservation work at Sopley Common nature reserve. Tasks include scrub clearance, pine and sycamore control, path clearance etc. Meet at the Ramsdown car park. For more information, please contact Jon Crewe on 07989 777757.
SUN 5 BROWNSEA ISLAND WORK PARTY, 9.30 am. Join the regular volunteering group on Brownsea island on alternate Sundays throughout the year. Tasks include pine thinning, opening out the alder carr & rhododendron cutting. For details of boat timings etc contact Richard Proctor on 01202 693039 or 07718 511432.
TUES 7 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, Practical conservation work; scrub clearance & hedge laying. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624.
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.
WED 8 LORTON VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION TASK, 10am – 3pm. Join us for our fortnightly practical tasks at Lorton Meadows reserve, restoring habitats for local wildlife; no experience necessary. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. Please bring a packed lunch. No charge. Meet at the Conservation Centre. For further information please phone 01305 816546.
THUR 9 WEST DORSET WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Meet at Kingcombe Meadows Farm, Clift Lane, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester DT2 0EJ. Please bring warm clothes, wet weather gear, waterproof footwear, lunch & drinks. For further information please contact Maurits Fontein on 07825 311686.
THUR 9 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, Meet at 10am every Thursday at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill. Practical conservation work; all tools & training provided. For details of each task contact Andy Fale on 07970 552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
SAT 11 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.
SAT 11 WINTER STORM SEASHORE SCAVENGERS, 11am – 12.30pm. Walk along Chesil Beach, hunting for rare pink sea fans, shark eggcases & other treasures blown in from the Atlantic during the winter storms. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Adults £3, Children £2, must be accompanied. Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesil
SUN 12 POOLE HARBOUR BIRD BOATS run by National Trust in partnership with DWT & RSPB, depart Poole Quay at 9am. Join our expert guides on a 2½ hour harbour cruise (no landing) for a unique opportunity to see one of the best winter bird spectacles in the UK. Adults £15, under 17’s £7.50. To book please phone 01202 707744 option 8, or email:[email protected]
MON 13 MEMBERS’ SLIDES, 2.30pm, Langton Matravers Village Hall. Visitors welcome. Isle of Purbeck Group
TUES 14 HARNHAM WATER MEADOWS, a presentation by Dr Hadrian Cook about the history & biology of water meadows. 7.30pm, Carter Community School, Blandford Close, Poole BH15 4BQ. Poole Group.
TUES 14 FOREST SCHOOL FUN! 10am – 12pm. Join Dorset Wildife Trust at a woodland site in Poole (tbc) for fun activities, crafts & games. Suitable for children under 11. No unaccompanied children please. £5 per child. Limited numbers so BOOKING ESSENTIAL on 01202 692033 or email [email protected]
TUES 14 I LOVE WILDLIFE, 11am – 3pm. Come to the Chesil Beach Centre on Valentine’s Day & make gifts for the wildlife in your garden to show how much you love them! All ages welcome. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Crafts ranging from 50p-£3. Children must be accompanied. Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland DT4 9XE. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesil
TUES 14 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, Practical conservation work; scrub clearance & hedge laying. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624.
TUES 14 SOUTH DORSET MID-WEEK VOLUNTEERS, Habitat management on a DWT nature reserve near you. Booking essential. Please contact warden James Hitchen on 07436 157328 for further details or to book a place.
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 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Working on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
WED 15 POOLE HARBOUR BIRD BOATS run by National Trust in partnership with DWT & RSPB, depart Poole Quay at 10am. Join our expert guides on a 4 hour harbour cruise (incl. landing) for a unique opportunity to see one of the best winter bird spectacles in the UK & gain exclusive access to the famous Brownsea Island. Adults £20, under 17s £10. To book please phone 01202 707744 option 8, or email: [email protected]
WED 15 KIMMERIDGE SEAL RESCUE, 1.30 – 3.30pm, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Turtle the Kimmeridge seal is in trouble. Join our rescue squad & learn how to save her from danger in the sea. £2.50 per child. Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, BH20 5PF.
WED 15 A GLIMPSE AT THE GALAPAGOS, a talk by Mike Spencer, local photographer. 7.30pm, Digby Memorial Church Hall, Sherborne. Sherborne Group
WED 15 WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY, an illustrated talk by Stewart Canham from DWT’s Photographic & Video Group. 7.30pm, Fontmell Magna Village Hall (SP7 0JU). £2 incl. tea/coffee & biscuits. No charge for under 16s. North Dorset Group
THUR 16 CATERPILLAR KIDS ‘MINI NATURE RESERVES’, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Explore the woods, meadows & ponds of Lorton Meadows Nature Reserve, then create your own mini version to take home, plus games & more. Meet at the Lorton Meadows Centre. Booking essential on 01305 816546. Children £2.50, must be accompanied. See p22 for full details.
THUR 16 THE WILDLIFE OF CHESIL BEACH & THE FLEET LAGOON, an illustrated talk by Mark Smith, Chesil Centre Officer. 7.30pm, Christchurch Baptist Church Hall, Bargates, corner of Beaconsfield Road, Christchurch. £2 incl. coffee & biscuits. Bournemouth & Christchurch Group
THUR 16 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, Meet at 10am every Thursday at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill. Practical conservation work; all tools & training provided. For details of each task contact Andy Fale on 07970 552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 16 PASTURES NEW VOLUNTEER TASK, 10am. Join the regular volunteering group in West Dorset. Tasks can range from hedge laying to Himalayan balsam pulling in locations all over West Dorset. Please contact Nick Gray on 07824 438974 or at [email protected] for details.
THUR 16 WEST DORSET WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Meet at Kingcombe Meadows Farm, Clift Lane, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester DT2 0EJ. Please bring warm clothes, wet weather gear, waterproof footwear, lunch & drinks. For further information please contact Maurits Fontein on 07825 311686.
FRI 17 MAN’S NATURAL & UNNATURAL USE OF THE LOCAL AREA, an illustrated talk by Jez Martin, Project Officer, Biodiversity Environmental Development Team. 7.30pm, The Quarter Jack suite, Allendale Community Centre, Hanham Rd. Wimborne. Wimborne Group.
FRI 17 CATERPILLAR KIDS ‘BOGGARTS OF THE WILD WOODS’, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Discover the creatures of wild Withy Woods, make boggarts for the trees & wood elf puppets to take home, plus games & more. Meet at the Lorton Meadows Centre. Booking essential on 01305 816546. Children £2.50, must be accompanied. Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, 01305 816546.
SAT 18 CUTTLEFISH KIDS ‘THE CHESIL CHALLENGE’, 11am – 1pm. A children’s treasure trail inside & outside the Centre looking for clues to solve puzzles about Chesil Beach & the Fleet Lagoon. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Suitable for 5+. Children £2.50, must be accompanied. Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT4 9XE. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesil
SUN 19 BROWNSEA ISLAND WORK PARTY, 9.30 am. Join the regular volunteering group on Brownsea island on alternate Sundays throughout the year. Tasks include pine thinning, opening out the alder carr & rhododendron cutting. For details of boat timings etc contact Richard Proctor on 01202 693039 or 07718 511432.
SUN 19 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Working on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
TUES 21 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, Practical conservation work; scrub clearance & hedge laying. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624.
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 LORTON VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION TASK, 10am – 3pm. Join us for our fortnightly practical tasks at Lorton Meadows reserve, restoring habitats for local wildlife; no experience necessary. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. Please bring a packed lunch. No charge. Meet at the Conservation Centre. For further information please phone 01305 816546.
THUR 23 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, Meet at 10am every Thursday at the Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill. Practical conservation work; all tools & training provided. For details of each task contact Andy Fale on 07970 552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 23 WEST DORSET WORK PARTY, 10am – 4pm. Meet at Kingcombe Meadows Farm, Clift Lane, Toller Porcorum, Dorchester DT2 0EJ. Please bring warm clothes, wet weather gear, waterproof footwear, lunch & drinks. For further information please contact Maurits Fontein on 07825 311686.
THUR 23 A BUTTERFLY ODYSSEY, an illustrated talk by Harold Gillen. A tour around Britain to see & photograph 58 butterfly species. 7.30pm, Methodist Church, North Street, Wareham. Visitors welcome. Isle of Purbeck Group
SUN 26 CRIME SCENE INVESTIGATION: WHO ATE ALL THE PANCAKES?, 1 – 2.30pm. Can you solve the mystery of the missing pancakes? Use your skills to investigate the crime scene, looking at animal tracks & signs. If you help us find the missing pancakes you will be rewarded with some of your own! This is an activity inside & around the Chesil Beach Centre. Booking essential on 01305 206191. Suitable ages 5+. Children £5, must be accompanied. Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT4 9XE. www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk/chesil
SUN 26 URBAN WEEKENDERS, 10am, Urban Wildlife Centre (BH21 3RX). Join DWT’s Urban Team on Upton Heath for a regular weekend work party on the last Sunday of every month. Volunteers will be helping wardens carry out conservation work on this important wildlife site. Tools & safety equipment provided. Please wear clothes you don’t mind getting dirty, sensible footwear & bring food & drinks. Families welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Please contact Sally Wright on 01202 692033 for details or email [email protected].
TUES 28 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, Practical conservation work; scrub clearance & hedge laying. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624.
TUES 28 SOUTH DORSET MID-WEEK VOLUNTEERS, Habitat management on a DWT nature reserve near you. Booking essential. Please contact warden James Hitchen on 07436 157328 for further details or to book your place.
