WED 1 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am. The group will be visiting various Great Heath reserves & alternating between wildlife survey days & practical conservation/access tasks. The length of the day will vary depending on the day & activity, e.g. survey days will be much shorter. Please contact Sally Wright on 01202 692033 or [email protected] for more information.
WED 1 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, with the Community Conservation Officer. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. No experience necessary, please bring a packed lunch. Meet at the Conservation Centre.Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
WED 1 – SUN 5 DORSET’S BUTTERFLIES & MOTHS: Discover the diversity of summer butterflies & moths across Dorset’s famed landscape of chalk downlands, pastures, woodland & coast with expert David Brown. Cost R £485 (NR £330). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
FRI 3 A LEISURELY WALK, guided by a Warden from the Urban Wildlife Centre (map ref. SY 978949), Corfe Mullen. Meet 9.30 for 10am, back by 1pm. Suggested donation £3.Wimborne Group.
SAT 4 A GUIDED WALK AROUND BROWNSEA ISLAND NATURE RESERVE, led by a warden. Meet at 2pm at the first bird hide, at the beginning of the board walk. Bournemouth & Christchurch Group.
SAT 4 WILD LORTON DAY ‘WILDFLOWERS’, Lorton Meadows NR, 10am – 4pm. The Conservation Centre is open for visitors. Come along for a walk around the reserve, follow a self-guided trail, then drop in for a hot drink, watch birds nesting on screen, peruse our selection of wildlife books & id guides. Discover the diverse wildflowers of the meadows & woods – plus children’s activities. Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
SAT 4 WILDFLOWER WALK, Lorton Meadows NR (£2/person, Family Event), 2 – 4pm.Explore the nature reserve & discover the wildflowers that thrive on the clay soil – a guided walk with the Community Conservation Officer. Refreshments afterwards. Meet at the Conservation Centre. No unaccompanied children.Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
SAT 4 SEASHORE DETECTIVES, 2 – 3.30pm. Explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon. Use your detective skills to hunt for tracks & signs of marine wildlife along the shore. Spy anemones, sea squirts & scurrying crabs with our underwater seascopes. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Wellies advised. £2 per person. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
SUN 5 BREAKFAST WITH MOTHS: Discover the huge diversity of species on the wing at Kingcombe during high summer with David Brown using light traps before tucking into a delicious home cooked brunch. Cost £15. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SUN 5 MEET THE LITTLE TERN WARDENS, 11am – 12pm. Join the little tern wardens for a roundup of the year so far. Little terns are an important part of Chesil Beach, as much as the pebbles themselves. Find out from the wardens about the challenges & successes of the year. How the breeding season has gone & get fascinating insights into one of the UK’s rarest seabirds. All money raised will go directly into protecting the colony. £3 per person (additional donations welcome). Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
SUN 5 AN EVENING OF THOMAS HARDY’S ‘FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD’: Join us for a scrumptious 3 course dinner hosted by Geoff Doel, followed by a talk on this famous novel, recently made into a film. Cost £30. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SUN 5 – THUR 9 FAR FROM THE MADDING DAMES Explore Thomas Hardy’s famed novel ‘Far From the Madding Crowd’ & ‘A Group of Noble Dames’, featuring the scandalous lies of the Wessex aristocracy. Hosted by Geoff and Fran Doel. Includes visits to relevant Dorset sites. Cost R £485 (NR £330). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
TUES 7 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 3.30pm. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624 for further information.
TUES 7 MOTH IDENTIFICATION WORKSHOP, 10.30am & every Tuesday until end September. Learn & marvel at the moths trapped overnight on Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Brownsea Island reserve. Workshop open to all & led by DWT wardens. Meet at The Villa on the DWT nature reserve. Event lasts 1 to 1.5 hours depending on the moths! Weather dependent. Boats from Poole or Sandbanks at 10am, fares & National Trust landing charges apply. Suggested donation £3. Please see website, ring 01202 709445 or [email protected] to confirm the week before.
TUES 7 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. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
TUES 7 KAYAK SAFARI, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Experience wildlife like never before with our clear-bottomed kayaks & goggle-viewers. 3 x 2hr sessions, £25 per person, 6 per session. 2hr session includes guided safari in Kimmeridge Bay. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
THUR 9 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 [email protected] for details.
THUR 9 URBAN WILDLIFE VOLUNTEERS, From April until September meet on the second Thursday of the month 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 07970 552673 or the Urban Wildlife Centre on 01202 692033.
THUR 9 KING BARROW QUARRY BUTTERFLY WALK, 11am –1pm. A guided walk around the disused quarry to discover how wildlife, including butterflies, has reclaimed the site, with the Community Conservation Officer. Meet at the entrance to the reserve, by the name stone, on Yeates Rd, just off A354. (map ref. SY 689728). Please wear suitable footwear. Booking essential, please contact the Community Conservation Officer 01305 816546. £1 per person.
FRI 10 WOODLAND WILDLIFE GUIDED WALK, 10am – 12pm. A morning walk exploring the wildlife of Girdlers Coppice nature reserve, led by DWT assistant warden, Amy Corton. Meet 10am at the Fiddleford Manor car park (map ref. ST 801134), near Sturminster Newton off the A357 (Sturminster to Blandford road). Free Event. Booking essential, please contact Amy on 07970 847347.
SAT 11 DRAGONFLIES & DAMSELFLIES: Discover the differences between these incredible insects on a hands-on identification workshop with expert Bryan Pinchen. Cost £60. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online atwww.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SUN 12 BUMBLEBEES Discover the world of bumblebees on this ever popular hands-on identification workshop at Kingcombe with expert Bryan Pinchen. Cost £60. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online atwww.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
TUES 14 SOUTH DORSET MID-WEEK VOLUNTEERSHabitat management on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT warden James Hitchen on 07436 157328 for further details or to book a place.
TUES 14 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 3.30pm. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624 for further information.
WED 15 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, with the Community Conservation Officer. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. No experience necessary, please bring a packed lunch. Meet at the Conservation Centre.Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
WED 15 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Meet one Sunday a month, on a DWT nature reserve, throughout the year, & various Wednesdays. Practical conservation tasks include habitat management, surveys & monitoring. Tasks subject to change. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273 or [email protected]
WED 15 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am. The group will be visiting various Great Heath reserves & alternating between wildlife survey days & practical conservation/access tasks. The length of the day will vary depending on the day & activity, e.g. survey days will be much shorter. Please contact Sally Wright on 01202 692033 or [email protected] for more information.
THUR 16 A GUIDED WALK AROUND KINSON COMMON led by a Friend of KC. Meet at 7pm at play area by Addington Clinic, Poole Lane (map ref. SZ 066962). Bournemouth & Christchurch Group.
SAT 18 IMPROVING MEADOWS & GRASSLAND: Find out how to create a bountiful wild flower meadow or restore your species-rich grassland using local seed & low-impact techniques with Nick Gray.Cost £60. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online at www.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SAT 18 DINNER WITH BATSA truly unique dining experience al fresco (weather permitting) including a delicious 3 course dinner hosted by Imogen Davenport before heading out to discover Kingcombe’s bats. Cost £30. Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online atwww.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SAT 18 WILD LORTON MEADOWS DAY, Lorton Meadows NR, 10am – 4pm. The Conservation Centre is open for visitors. Come along for a walk around the reserve, follow a self-guided trail, then drop in for a hot drink, watch birds nesting on screen, peruse our selection of wildlife books & id guides. Discover the butterflies of Lorton, with a children’s trail & other activities. Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
SAT 18 SEASHORE DETECTIVES, 2 – 3.30pm. Explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon. Use your detective skills to hunt for tracks and signs of marine wildlife along the shore. Spy anemones, sea squirts and scurrying crabs with our underwater seascopes. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Wellies advised. £2 per person. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
SAT 18 BUTTERFLY WALK, Lorton Meadows NR (£2/person, Family Event), 2 – 4pm.Join us for a guided walk through the meadows & woodland of Lorton, discovering butterflies on the wing, hopefully including marbled whites & skippers, with the Community Conservation Officer. Refreshments afterwards. Meet at the Conservation Centre.No unaccompanied children.Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Phone 01305 816546 for more information.
SUN 19 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Meet one Sunday a month, on a DWT nature reserve, throughout the year, & various Wednesdays. Practical conservation tasks include habitat management, surveys & monitoring. Tasks subject to change. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273 or email [email protected].
MON 20 A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING CHESIL, 2 – 3.30 pm. 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. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
TUES 21 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 3.30pm. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557 561624 for further information.
TUES 21 KAYAK SAFARI, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Experience wildlife like never before with our clear-bottomed kayaks & goggle-viewers. 3 x 2hr sessions, £25 per person, 6 per session. 2hr session includes guided safari in Kimmeridge Bay. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
WED 22 TWILIGHT ON THE HEATH, 8.45pm. Join Nicky Hoar from Dorset Wildlife Trust to look for nightjars & other heathland wildlife in Corfe Mullen, part of The Great Heath Living Landscape. Meet at Rushcombe Bottom (on the Roman Road just off Higher Blandford Road) map ref. SY 993973. Stout footwear & a torch recommended. Limited parking – please try to share lifts if driving. Suggested donation £3. Event in partnership with Borough of Poole. For more information, please ring 01202 692033 or email [email protected].
THUR 23 KAYAK SAFARI, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Experience wildlife like never before with our clear-bottomed kayaks & goggle-viewers. 3 x 2hr sessions, £25 per person, 6 per session. 2hr session includes guided safari in Kimmeridge Bay. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
THUR 23 PASTURES NEW VOLUNTEER TASK, 10am. Join the regular volunteering group in West Dorset. Tasks range from hedge laying to Himalayan balsam pulling in locations across West Dorset. Please contact Nick Gray on 07824 438974 or [email protected] for details.
THUR 23 MUNCHING CATERPILLARS, 11am – 12.30pm.Learn all about butterflies & moths. Go on a butterfly beach hunt & plant your own butterfly fuel or caterpillar munch box to take home! Joint Event with Butterfly Conservation. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Children £2.Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
THUR 23 MORNING WALK ON FONTMELL DOWN, with DWT warden Steve Oliver. Meet 10am at National Trust car park (opposite Compton Abbas airfield). No charge, but donations to DWT welcome.North Dorset Group.
SAT 25 A WALK AT PRIME COPPICE, a guided tour by the owner Kit Vaughan of an old neglected wood now being brought back into productive use whilst benefiting wildlife.Park & meet 9.30am atWhitchurch Canonicorum village hall, for transfer to site. 2 hours walk on rough & slippery terrain – fitness & balance is required. Tea/biscuits will be available at a small charge in woodland camp at the end of the tour (guests welcome to be self-sufficient & bring their own sausages/burgers/utensils etc to grill over open fire). Limited to 15 people max. Regret no dogs permitted. Donation £2 to Dorset Wildlife Trust. Contact DWT co-ordinator Nick Ziebland on01297 489185 or [email protected]. West Dorset Group
SAT 25 MARINE GIANTS TALK & SHARK EGGCASE SURVEY, 11am – 12.30pm. Learn about the whales, sharks, dolphins & huge jellyfish that we have in Dorset. You will be surprised & amazed by the giants that can be found around our coast. Thenget active with shark conservation. Join us to search for shark & ray eggcases along Chesil Beach. Then help with a shark eggcase survey along Chesil. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. £2 per person.Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
SAT 25 WILD ABOUT HENGISTBURY, 10.30am – 3.30pm. Free family wildlife fun day with Dorset Wildlife Trust, Bournemouth Borough Council & partners in The Great Heath. Discover The Living Landscape with wildlife activities for all ages, face painting, crafts & guided walks at the Hengistbury Head Visitor Centre. For more information call 01202 692033 or [email protected].
SAT 25 WILLOW TRUGS: An excellent introduction to square basketry making an extremely useful basket for the garden, or holding magazines & newspapers with Kim Creswell. Cost £85 (includes materials). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online atwww.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SUN 26 WILLOW BADGER SCULPTURE WORKSHOP: Using ancient willow weaving techniques create your own badger sculpture on this exclusive day with Kim Creswell. Cost £95 (includes materials). Pre-booking essential – limited places. Book online atwww.kingcombe.org or call 01300 320684.
SUN 26 URBAN WEEKENDERS,9am – 10am moth trap, 10am – 12 noon wildlife survey on Upton Heath. Meet at the Urban Wildlife Centre BH21 3RX to help discover the wildlife of the heath. Families welcome, but children must be accompanied by an adult. Please check website, contact Sally Wright on 01202 692033 or email [email protected] for information.
SUN 26 GUIDED WALK AROUND ST CATHERINE’S HILL with Richard Sharp of ARC. Meet at 2.30pm at Marsh Lane, Fairmile Road (map ref. SZ 146945). Bournemouth & Christchurch Group.
SUN 26 DRAGONFLY HEATH TO LAKE, 10.30am – 2.30pm. Starting on Upton Heath we move onto the Alder Hill to explore the various habitat & associated species of dragonflies that are encountered. Bring packed lunch; contact 07947 141539 for transport arrangements.Meet at Longmeadow Lane/Beechbank Avenue (BH18 9JL).Poole Group.
MON 27 PECULIAR PLANKTON, 11am – 1.30pm. Learn about the weird & wonderful world of plankton. Some of the smallest creatures in the sea are some of the strangest. Make your own plankton net then go onto the shore to hunt for these peculiar beasts. Use our microscopes to view these fascinating creatures & turn them into giants on our big TV screens. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Children £2. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
TUES 28 KAYAK SAFARI, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Experience wildlife like never before with our clear-bottomed kayaks & goggle-viewers. 3 x 2hr sessions, £25 per person, 6 per session. 2hr session includes guided safari in Kimmeridge Bay. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
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 further details or to book your place.
TUES 28 WEST DORSET VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am – 3.30pm. Booking is essential for new volunteers as places are limited. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Masters on 07557561624 for further information.
WED 29 THE GREAT HEATH VOLUNTEER WORK PARTY, 10am. The group will be visiting various Great Heath reserves & alternating between wildlife survey days & practical conservation/access tasks. The length of the day will vary depending on the day & activity, e.g. survey days will be much shorter. Please contact Sally Wright on 01202 692033 or [email protected] for more information.
WED 29 SEASHORE SCAVENGERS, 2 – 3.30 pm. Walk along the Chesil Beach, looking for signs of creatures washed in from the deep. Hunt for rare pink sea fans, shark eggcases or other treasures sometimes blown in from the Atlantic Ocean. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. £2 per person. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
WED 29 ARTY OCEAN ACTIVITIES, 11am – 12.30pm or 1.30 – 3pm, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge.Celebrate Marine Week.Have-a-go marine art & craft activities for children. 50p per item made. Just call in during either of the 2 sessions & choose what you want to make.Parents must accompany all children.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
THUR 30 KAYAK SAFARI, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. Experience wildlife like never before with our clear-bottomed kayaks & goggle-viewers. 3 x 2hr sessions, £25 per person, 6 per session. 2hr session includes guided safari in Kimmeridge Bay. BOOKING ESSENTIAL.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
THUR 30 AN AFTERNOON WALK AT TADNOLL NATURE RESERVE, led by Harold Gillen (01929 550850). Meet at 2.30pm at the entrance to the Reserve on Redbridge Rd (map ref. SY 792875). Fine examples of dry, humid & wet heath, bogs, pools, & flood meadows. Hope to see Silver-Studded Blue & other heathland butterflies.Isle of Purbeck Group
FRI 31 SEASHORE DETECTIVES, 12 – 1.30 pm. Explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon. Use your detective skills to hunt for tracks & signs of marine wildlife along the shore. Spy anemones, sea squirts & scurrying crabs with our underwater seascopes. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre. Wellies advised. £2 per person. Chesil Beach Centre, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Phone 01305 206191 for more information.
FRI 31 KIMMERIDGE BAY EXPLORERS, Fine Foundation Marine Centre, Kimmeridge. 30 min. sessions between 12.30 & 3.30pm – just turn up, £1 per person. Join our wardens for a potter in the shallows viewing sea-life through aquascopes & snorkel masks while keeping your feet firmly on the seabed! Weather dependent – ring first to check it’s going ahead. Conditions apply.Purbeck Marine Centre, Kimmeridge, Wareham, BH20 5PF. Map Ref: SY 909787 Phone 01929 481044 for more information.
SCHOOL SUMMER HOLIDAYS – LORTON MEADOWS DISCOVERER’S BACKPACK – FREE! Want to explore Lorton Meadows, but not sure where to start? Why not book a Discoverer’s Backpack, collect it from the Conservation Centre & unearth the wildlife of Lorton! Each pack contains all you need to get you started: bug boxes, identification guides & activity sheets to record your favourite bugs, birds, flowers or trees. Borrow one for half an hour, or a whole day & explore all the reserve has to offer. There is no charge to borrow the boxes, but a refundable deposit of £10 will be required on collection.Available throughout school holidays – phone Sam to book: 01305 816546.
