SAT 11 KNOLL GARDENS DORSET WILDLIFE TRUST MEMBERS’ DAY, 10am – 4pm. Celebrate National Gardening Week with Knoll Gardens & Dorset’s largest conservation charity & discover how Knoll’s naturalistic gardening ethos continues to create a garden that welcomes wildlife as well as providing year-round beauty. Knoll’s charitable arm, the Knoll Gardens Foundation, has been working very closely with Dorset Wildlife Trust. On this special day DWT members can visit free of charge & anyone joining DWT on the day will have their garden admission charge refunded. Knoll Gardens, Stapehill Rd, Hampreston, Wimborne BH21 7ND. For more information ring 01202 873931. The Great Heath event.
SAT 11 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, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Adults £3, Children £2.
SUN 12 CATERPILLAR KIDS – MAD ABOUT MOTHS, 10.30am – 12.30pm. See what flew into our humane moth trap overnight on ‘National Moth Night’ & discover the surprisingly beautiful moths of Lorton. Plus crafts & games. Meet at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Booking essential: tel. 01305 816546. Children £2.50, must be accompanied.
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.
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 further details or to book a place.
WED 15 NORTH DORSET VOLUNTEERS, Working on a DWT nature reserve near you. Please contact DWT Warden Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
WED 15 THE GREAT HEATH SURVEY GROUP, Join DWT staff and local experts in learning about & identifying your local wildlife! From dragonflies to birds to small mammals we will learn at the same time as surveying different sites. This is suitable for beginners as well as experienced naturalists. Times & meeting places will vary each session depending on which wildlife we are surveying. Please contact Katie Wilkinson on 01202 692033 or email [email protected] for more information.
WED 15 SEASEARCH-FRIENDLY EVENING DIVE IN LYME BAY (“Ruby J” or “Blue Turtle”). For more info or to book contact Charlotte Bolton at [email protected] Seasearch Event.
WED 15 WEST FLEET WALK WITH A WARDEN, 2 – 3.30pm. Join the Warden for a guided walk along the Fleet Lagoon shore. Discover the wildlife & history of this internationally important site. Meet at Abbotsbury Swannery car park. Adults £3, Children £2.
THUR 16 GUIDED WALK AROUND HOLES BAY NATURE PARK. Meet at 7pm at Upton Country Park, main car park near House (map ref. SY 992929). No dogs. Bournemouth & Christchurch Group
THUR 16 KINGBARROW QUARRIES NR – WILDFLOWER WALK, 10 – 12pm. Join the Portland Project Officer for a guided walk around the disused quarry to discover how wildlife, particularly wildflowers, have recolonised the site. Meet at the first car park on the left off New Ground Rd, nearest to Portland Heights Hotel. Just off the A354, turn left on to Yeates Road & then onto New Ground Rd(map ref. SY 689730. Please wear suitable footwear. Booking essential: tel. Chesil Centre 01305 20619. Adults £3, Children £2.
FRI 17 SUMMER BIRDS ON BROWNSEA, 11am – 1pm. See the bird breeding season up close with spectacular views of the famous Brownsea Island lagoon & its nesting islands. Meet at the public hide by the cormorant sculpture (100m from the quay). Boats from Poole or Sandbanks at 10am. Suggested donation £3 & normal boat fares & NT landing charges apply. BOOKING ESSENTIAL: tel. 01202 692033 or email [email protected]. The Great Heath Event.
SAT 18 LORTON MEADOWS WILDFLOWER WALK, 2 – 4pm. Join us for a guided walk to discover the wonderful wildflowers of Lorton Meadows. The traditional meadows will be bursting with colour. Meet at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Adults £3, Children £2. Why not bring a picnic as part of National Picnic Week 13 – 21 June.
SAT 18 – SUN 19 LYME BAY SURVEY DIVES (hard boat “Blue Turtle”). For more info or to book contact Nick Owen at [email protected] Seasearch Event
SUN 19 CASTS OF LORTON WILDLIFE, 10.30am – 12.30pm & 1.30 – 3.30pm. Discover the fascinating butterflies & dragonflies hiding in our meadows with a guided walk, then choose & paint your very own plaster cast design to take home. Booking essential: tel. 01305 816546. Children £6, must be accompanied. Why not bring a picnic as part of National Picnic Week 13 – 21 June.
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, 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 22 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 Megan Lowe on 01202 692033 or at [email protected] for more information.
WED 22 LORTON VOLUNTEERS CONSERVATION TASK, 10am – 3pm. A regular day of practical work on the nature reserve restoring habitats important for local wildlife. Tools, gloves & drinks supplied. No experience necessary, please bring a packed lunch. Meet fortnightly on Wednesdays at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. No charge. For more info. please phone 01305 816546.
WED 22 FLEET EXPLORER SMUGGLERS OF THE LAGOON, 11.15am – 12.15pm. Join us for a boat trip on the Fleet Explorer to find out about smuggling on Chesil Beach & the Fleet Lagoon. For centuries smuggling was a way of life in Dorset & the Fleet was often at the centre of the lucrative trade. Adults £6.50, Children £4.50. Booking essential: tel. 01305 206191.
WED 22 SEASEARCH-FRIENDLY EVENING DIVE IN LYME BAY (“Ruby J” or “Blue Turtle”). For more info or to book contact Charlotte Bolton at [email protected]. Seasearch Event
THUR 23 A MORNING WALK AT ASHLEY WOOD with Steve Oliver (DWT Warden), 10am – noon. Meet at the True Lovers Knot pub car park, Tarrant Keyneston on the B3082. No charge, but voluntary contributions welcomed. Booking essential: tel. Steve Oliver on 07824 874273.
THUR 23 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.
SAT 25 SEASHORE SCAVENGERS, 11am – 12.30pm. 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, halfway along the A354 between Weymouth and Portland. Post code: DT4 9XE. Adults £3, Children £2.
SAT 25 A UNIQUE FARM WALK at the head of the characterful Marshwood Vale through flower-rich grassland under Higher Level Stewardship led by West Dorset farmer & hedge enthusiast Ross Dickinson & Emily Newton, DWT Conservation Officer, 10am – 12.30pm. Optional picnic afterwards: Tanyard Farm, Marshwood (map ref. ST 388003). Please phone Emily Newton on 01300 320684 for enquiries and booking.
SUN 26 INCREDIBLE INSECTS OF LORTON, 1 – 3pm. Join us for a guided walk to celebrate National Insect Week & discover all that buzzes & flitters over the wildflower meadows of Lorton. Meet at Lorton Meadows Conservation Centre, Lorton Lane, Upwey, Weymouth, DT3 5QH. Adults £3, Children £2.
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 Megan Lowe on 01202 692033 or email [email protected] for more information.
SUN 26 A GUIDE TO EVERYTHING CHESIL – a walk & talk – at Chesil Beach Centre, DT4 9XE. Portland at 2pm. It will last approx 11/2hours. Free event.
MON 27 – WED 29 GRASSES & SEDGES
Learn the skills for identifying grasses & sedges together with making your own herbarium, with Dominic Price. Residential £299 Non Residential £219. Pre-booking essential on www.kingcombe.org or tel. 01300 320684.
TUES 28 WILD BROWNSEA, 10.30am – 1pm. Get up close to the amazing wildlife of Brownsea Island with our experts. The wildlife of the Dorset Wildlife Trust Nature Reserve will be on show all morning (weather and wildlife permitting!). Start at the reserve entrance & make your way to see nesting birds from our spectacular hides, spot rare red squirrels & meet some of Brownsea’s amazing moths & sea life. Free event but normal entry charges apply for DWT reserve, National Trust landing fee & boat fares. No need to book but please ring 01202 709445 or email [email protected] if you have any queries. The Great Heath event.
WED 29 SEASEARCH-FRIENDLY EVENING DIVE IN LYME BAY (“Ruby J” or “Blue Turtle”). For more info. or to book contact Charlotte Bolton at [email protected]. Seasearch Event
THUR 30 IMPROVING MEADOWS & GRASSLANDS Find out how to creative a bountiful wildflower meadow or restore a species rich grassland using local seed & low impact techniques, with Nick Gray. £63 per person. Pre-booking essential on www.kingcombe.org or tel. 01300 320684.
