SAT 1 NEEDLE FELTED BUTTERFLY WORKSHOP, Design and create your own needle felted butterfly brooch or picture with Carla Taylor. For more information and to book go to www.kingcombe.org. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
SAT 1 WILDFLOWER WALK AT LORTON MEADOWS, 2pm – 4pm. Join us for a guided walk through our wonderful wildflower meadows. See black knapweed, bird’s foot trefoil, grass vetchling and many more beautiful blooms.BOOKING ESSENTIAL, Contact us on 01305 816546. £3 adults, £2 Children, must be accompanied. Meet at Lorton Meadows Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, tea/coffee machine, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
SUN 2 A GOOD TERN – LITTLE TERN WALK, 1.30pm – 3.00pm Join us for a walk to see the little terns, one of the UK’s rarest seabirds. Join us for a walk and help raise money to protect the little tern colony at Chesil. Learn about the plight of this charismatic little bird, find out about the breeding success and get an insight into their fascinating behaviour. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. Pay and Display Car Park £5 per person (additional donations welcome), Children must be accompanied. No Booking required. This is a joint event for Dorset Wildlife Trust and RSPB. All money raised will go directly into protecting the Chesil Little Tern Colony. Contact us on 01305 206191. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
FRI 7 – SUN 9 MACRO PHOTOGRAPHY WEEKEND, Develop your skills in close-up and macro photography, focussing on the insects and plants of Kingcombe. For more information and to book go to www.kingcombe.org. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
SAT 8 PORTLAND’S KING BARROW QUARRY – ‘PATCHWORK STITCHING ON A LANDSCAPE SCALE’, 10.30am – 12.30pm. Portland’s King Barrow Quarry: a guided walk looking at the results of landscape scale habitat management. The walk will incorporate some of DWT’s wider ‘Living Landscape’ project work, as well as a walk through King Barrow Quarry which is normally quite amazing for plants and invertebrates at this time of year. Then a peek will be taken at a recent adjacent quarry restoration project undertaken by DWT. A hundred years after quarrying, nature is now this site’s most valuable asset. King Barrow, or Kingsbarrow, quarries were last worked for Portland Stone over a hundred years ago. Since being abandoned, the worked rock faces and quarry floor have regenerated naturally to form areas of warm, sheltered, open grassland and patches of bare rock and scree, providing habitats for rare and uncommon plants such as horseshoe vetch, kidney vetch and Portland feather-moss. Rotational scrub management is needed to prevent encroachment into the grassland. Situated high up on the Isle of Portland, the reserve also has excellent views of the Dorset mainland, Chesil Beach & the Fleet lagoon. Large scale habitat restoration across the Portland Quarries by removal of invasive, non-native scrub species has been undertaken as part of a Viridor funded partnership project. At King Barrow, as elsewhere, wildflowers are now returning to large areas of the quarries previously swamped by a blanket of cotoneaster and buddleia. See our Portland Living Landscape project website pages for before and after shots, and even an aerial fly-through of the sites. Directions: Coming onto Portland from Weymouth direction on the A354, continue on that road up the hills to the Portland Heights Hotel roundabout, and there turn onto the 1st exit at onto Yeates Road. Continue straight onto New Ground Road and park in the first rough gravel car park on the left. Grid Ref: SY 689 730, Nearest postcode DT5 2EN Field Trip – this may be subject to limited numbers and/or revised arrangements. Please wear appropriate clothing and footwear – and bring your binoculars and cameras. Dogs are not usually recommended to be brought on reserve walks. Booking, unless otherwise stated, is essential and should be made with the coordinator (#phone no. listed below). Donations invited (typically £2 for DWT members and £3 for non-members). No refreshments, so please bring your own This event contact: Leo Henley Lock, 01305 264 620.
MON 10 HEALTH WALK AT LORTON MEADOWS 10.00am – 10.45pm. Join us for a gentle weekly walk around Lorton Meadows nature reserve – the first step to better wellbeing. You don’t need to know anything about nature, or be physically fit and you can even borrow welly boots, waterproofs and walking poles for the walk. No need to book. Adults £3, includes free tea/coffee afterwards. For more information, please phone 01305 816546. Meet at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, bird webcams, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
MON 10 – FRI 14 DORSET’S BUTTERFLIES AND MOTHS Discover the diversity of summer butterflies and moths across Dorset’s famed landscape. For more information and to book go to www.kingcombe.org. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
THUR 13 MOTH TRAP AND OPTIONAL WALK, 9am – 12pm. See the moths trapped overnight. Watch the moths being identified and get a close up look. An optional walk across the heath will follow. Booking essential on 01202697325. Cost £3 per head. Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill (BH21 3RX).
THUR 13 BUTTERFLIES OF KING BARROW QUARRIES NATURE RESREVE, PORTLAND, 10am – 12pm. Explore King Barrow Quarries Nature Reserve. Booking essential, £3/child, Children £2. Join the Portland Project Officer for a guided walk around the disused quarry to discover how wildlife, particularly butterflies, have recolonised the site. Meet at the first car park on the left off New Ground Road, nearest to Portland Heights Hotel. Just off the A354, turn left on to Yeates Road and then onto New Ground Road. Grid reference SY 689 730. Please wear suitable footwear.
THUR 13 TWILIGHT ON THE HEATH, 8.45pm. Join DWT’s Nicky Hoar to look for nightjars and other wildlife in Corfe Barrows Nature Park, Meet at Rushcombe Bottom (on the Roman road just off Higher Blandford Road) map ref SY993973. Stout footwear advised, limited parking. £3 donation. Event in partnership with Borough of Poole. Phone 01202 692033 or email [email protected].
FRI 14 MORNING WITH MOTHS, 9.30am – 12.30pm. Discover the diversity of moth species at Kingcombe during high summer, followed by brunch. For more information and to book go to www.kingcombe.org. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
SAT 15 BUTTERFLIES AT LORTON MEADOWS (WILD START), 10am – 2.30pm. Are you 14 to 25? Do you enjoy wildlife and the outdoors? Do you want to help local wildlife conservation? Come along to our monthly events to find out about Dorset’s amazing wildlife and get hands on with a practical task or wildlife survey. The hours can go towards a DofE or John Muir Award or just come along for fun. In this session, learn about the fascinating lives of butterflies and then help our Conservation Officer with the National Big Butterfly Count. BOOKING ESSENTIAL. FREE Registration on the ‘Wild Futures Programme’ required. Contact us on 01305 206191 £5 per session. Meet at Lorton Meadows Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
MON 17 HEALTH WALK AT LORTON MEADOWS, 10.00am- 10.45am. Join us for a gentle weekly walk around Lorton Meadows nature reserve – the first step to better wellbeing. You don’t need to know anything about nature, or be physically fit and you can even borrow welly boots, waterproofs and walking poles for the walk. No need to book. Adults £3, includes free tea/coffee afterwards. For more information, please phone 01305 816546. Meet at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, bird webcams, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
THUR 20 MINDFULNESS NATURALLY – AN INTRODUCTION TO MINDFULNESS TECHNIQUES, 2.30pm – 4.30pm. Mindfulness techniques help people change the way they think & feel about their experiences. Mindfulness techniques are especially useful in stressful circumstances. Briony Baxter, DWT Community Conservation Officer, will enlighten you about theses techniques which are accepted by the mainstream medical profession as useful for promoting positive mental health. Meet at the Community Orchard, New Road, Broad Oak, Sturminster Newton at 14.30. Numbers limited, booking essential on 01258 880699. No charge, but donations welcomed.
FRI 21 – SUN 23 HAY MAKING WEEKEND, 10am – 4pm. A celebration of traditional haymaking by hand, local produce and a barn dance. Check www.kingcombe.org for details. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
FRI 21 IMPROVING MEADOWS AND GRASSLANDS, 10am – 4pm. Learn to create a wildflower meadow or to restore a species rich grassland with Nick Gray. For more information and to book go to www.kingcombe.org The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
SAT 21 AN EVENING WALK DISCOVERING GLOW WORMS, 8.30pm. An evening walk discovering glow worms and other wildlife at DWT’s Fontmell Down Nature Reserve, led by conservation officer Steve Oliver. DWT members £1.50, non-members £3, kids free. Booking essential as places are limited on 07824874273.
SAT 22 SCYTHING WORKSHOP, 10am – 4pm. Learn the traditional skill of using a scythe on this practical course taught by Chris Riley. For more information and how to book go to www.kingcombe.org. The Kingcombe Centre, Lower Kingcombe, Dorchester, DT2 0EQ. Contact 01300 320684.
SAT 22 BUTTERFLY WALK AT LORTON MEADOWS, 2pm – 4pm. Join us for this summers’ Big Butterfly Count. Wander over the meadows and identify butterflies, so you can record which visit your local patch. BOOKING ESSENTIAL, Contact us on 01305 816546. £3 adults, £2 Children, must be accompanied. Meet at Lorton Meadows Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, tea/coffee machine, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
SUN 23 ‘BIZZY THE BLENNY’ SEASHORE DISCOVERY, 11.30am – 1.00pm. Join the author of ‘Bizzy the Blenny and the Treasure of the Fleet Lagoon’ for a book reading and walk. Go out onto the shore to discover the hidden world of the Fleet Lagoon, finding the different characters from the book, like Nina the Shore Crab, Emmie the Snakelock Anemone and Polly the Prawn. We might even find Bizzy himself! Wellies advised. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. Pay and Display Car Park. Children £2, must be accompanied. No Booking required. Contact us on 01305 206191. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
TUES 25 FLEET LAGOON SEASHORE SAFARI, 1.30pm – 3.00pm. Join us at low tide to explore the amazing underwater world of the Fleet Lagoon. Hunt for the marine wildlife which calls our shores their home, as well as looking for the tell-tale tracks and signs of hidden species. Wellies advised. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. Pay and Display Car Park. Adults £3 Children £2, must be accompanied. No Booking required. Contact us on 01305 206191 For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
WED 26 POND PREDATORS (CATERPILLAR KIDS), 10.30am – 12.30pm. Have a go at pond dipping at Lorton Meadows to discover who eats who. Find out about the animals amazing adaptations to the underwater world of our ponds. Plus make a wildlife inspired piece of artwork, and play games, with the Community Conservation Officer. Meet at Lorton Meadows Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. BOOKING ESSENTIAL Children £3, must be accompanied. Contact us on 01305 816546 The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, tea/coffee machine, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPorT
THUR 27 AN AFTERNOON WALK AT TADNOLL & WINFRITH HEATHS, 2.30pm – 4.30pm.This internationally important heathland and wetland is an iconic piece of Dorset landscape, divided by the Tadnoll Brook, a chalk stream tributary of the River Frome, and including part of Thomas Hardy’s Egdon Heath. Meet at the DWT Winfrith reserve entrance, map ref. SY 805863. Contact Harold Gillen (01929 550850)
FRI 28 CHESIL BEACH SEASHORE SCAVENGERS, 11am – 12.30pm. Walk along Chesil Beach, hunting for treasures thrown up by the sea. 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, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. Pay and Display Car Park Adults £3 Children £2, must be accompanied. No Booking required. Contact us on 01305 206191. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
SAT 29 LUCKY LADYBIRDS AT LORTON (CATERPILLAR KIDS), 10.30am – 12.30pm. How many spots do ladybirds have – 2,7 or 22? Why are they bright colours, instead of camouflaged? Plus make a wildlife inspired piece of artwork, and play games, with the Community Conservation Officer. Meet at Lorton Meadows Centre, Lorton Lane, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. BOOKING ESSENTIAL, Children £3, must be accompanied. Contact us on 01305 816546 The reserve can be muddy, please wear appropriate footwear and clothing for the weather. Please notify us of important medical information prior to the event. Toilets, parking, cycle racks, tea/coffee machine, wildlife gifts & guides available. For more information please see www.dorsetwildlifetrust.org/lorton. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
SAT 29 KIMMERIDGE SEAL RESCUE; JOIN OUR RESCUE SQUAD AND LEARN HOW TO SAVE OUR SEAL FROM DANGER, 2.00pm – 4.00pm. Kimmeridge seal rescue; join our rescue squad and learn how to save our seal from danger. Children only. Turtle, the Kimmeridge seal, is in trouble. Join our rescue squad and learn how to save her from the dangers she faces in the sea. Find out how to tell if a seal is in trouble and what to do if you spot a real life seal. Learn about the threats of marine litter and entanglement in fishing nets and rope. Use binoculars to look out for seals in the sea and put your new rescue skills into practise with our cuddly resident seal, Turtle. Seals can be identified from the unique pattern of spots on their fur and are often named after them. With this in mind, you can make and name your own seal to take home. This event is for children with an interest in animals and is an introduction to seals and some of the conservation threats they face. It gives them a basic understanding of how to spot a seal and what to do if they see one, as well as introducing them to the rescue techniques used by professionals. Mostly indoors but with some outside activities depending on the weather. At the Fine Foundation Marine Centre, by the slipway, Kimmeridge Bay, BH20 5PE. Beware that access to Kimmeridge Bay is via a private road for which a toll of £5 per car is charged by Smedmore Estate (charges vary for other types of vehicle). Park in the main car park and follow the footpath to the east side of the bay. Costs for the event are £2.50 per child (accompanying adults free). Not suitable for under 5s. All children must be accompanied by an adult. We cannot accept late-comers – please arrive on time. Some of the activities in this event are held outside so footwear and clothing suitable for the weather should be worn. Booking is essential – call the marine centre at Kimmeridge on 01929 481044.
SAT 29 EXPLORING CORFE BARROWS NATURE PARK, 10am – 12pm.Exploring Corfe Barrows Nature Park. Meet at the entrance to Happy Bottom Nature Reserve, Higher Merley Lane, Corfe Mullen, map ref SY995979. Park in the field inside the gate by the reserve sign. Sorry, no dogs. For more information, ring Janet on 01202 521643.
SUN 30 DRAGONFLIES ON THE HEATH TO BE DISCOVERED ON THIS WALK!, 10.30am – 2.00pm. the DWT Dragonfly survey route across Upton Heath to observe Dragonflies who are the essence of a summer day. A joint meeting, with the DWT Urban Weekenders. Meet at Longmeadow Lane / Beechbank Avenue BH17 Creekmoor Pooe. Meet at Longmeadow Lane / Beechbank Avenue BH17 Creekmoor Poole Contact DWT Urban Wildlife Centre 01202 692033 or [email protected] Contact on the day Ken Yeates 07947 141539. See Great Heath Website click Upton Heath Nature Reserve for parking and public transport information. Small donation at end of walk. Four legged friends on lead at all time. Suitable footwear and clothing for condition on a hot Summer day.
MON 31 MARINE GIANTS TALK & EGGCASE HUNT, 11.00am – 12.30pm. Learn about the whales, sharks, dolphins and huge jellyfish that we have in Dorset. You will be surprised and amazed by the giants that can be found around our coast. Join us to hunt for shark and ray eggcases along Chesil Beach. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre, Portland Road, Portland, DT3 9XE. Pay and Display Car Park Adults £3 Children £2, must be accompanied. No Booking required. Contact us on 01305 206191. For more Weymouth and Portland events follow us on Twitter @DWTWeyPort
MON 31 RIVERFORD MASTER VEG CLASS, Join Riverford at DWT’s Kingcombe Centre to take part in a two-hour hands-on cooking class, using a Riverford Veg Box. This is a specially tailored Master Veg in conjunction with Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Kingcombe Centre. Want to try a Riverford veg box? Riverford’s two-hour, hands-on cooking classes are the best way to get started. Turn a brimming box of veg, fresh from Riverford’s farm, into an inspirational organic feast. You’ll get stuck in, learning lots of essential skills – e.g. the best way to slice greens and segment citrus, and how to make sure your onions never catch in the pan. Your first veg box is included in the price of the class, to be delivered to your home the following week. When it arrives, you’ll be ready to dive in and try out all your new tricks and recipe ideas, starting what we hope will be a whole new life of veg boxes. What we’ll be cooking (seasons permitting): * Roasted kohlrabi with Spiced Carrot & Cannellini Dip * Herby Rice Salad with Spring Veg * Spinach, Green Bean & Chickpea Curry It’s very relaxed – class sizes are small so there’s lots of opportunity for questions and individual guidance, and to chat about what veg box will suit you. After the class, we’ll sit down to enjoy the meal over a glass of organic wine or beer. Spaces cost £40, including a two-hour class, meal with drinks, Riverford cookbook, and home delivery of your first medium-sized veg box (8 varieties of veg). Dorset Wildlife Trust will receive a donation of £15 per household on receipt of the 3rd box. Book at: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/riverford-dorset-wildlife-trust-master-veg-the-kingcombe-centre-dorchester-tickets-34687777075
