Outdoors in the Spring

As ever all things discussed are our own views and do not reflect that of our respective employers. We don’t receive any sponsorship or funding so anything mentioned is our personal un bias opinion.

Its SPRING at last, so Corrin, Dawn and Jason bring in the fab Dawn Rayment from New Forest National Park to talk all things outdoors. The discussion covers birds, accessing sites, good and bad feeding wildlife and Dawns 14 top 10 tips for enjoying National Parks.

 
Connecting to Nature Research

https://www.rspb.org.uk/our-work/conservation/projects/connection-to-nature/#:~:text=Research%20suggests%20that%20people%20with,critical%20for%20future%20nature%20conservation.

Top actions to help people feel connected to wildlife.  

- Planting Wildflowers (Small spaces, planters at work and home)

- Wild seed bombs https://www.beebombs.com/

- Feeding wildlife – Mainly birds

 

Sense of Stewardship rather than a sense of Ownership

Ground nesting Birds (Nightjar, Wooklark, skylark) Waders (Snipe, Curlue) 

Number of people asking about volunteering.

Lots of new people on sites and hopefully wanting to be actively involved.

Issues around people digging up or stealing plants from public spaces.

Not brining Frogs spawn to nature reserves. 

Need for grazing animals to manage open spaces, particularly to help retain lowland heathland. Seeing kites earlier in the year

State of Nature Report

https://jncc.gov.uk/news/uk-state-of-nature-2019-report/

 

Convention on Biodiversity in May 2021

https://www.unep.org/events/conference/un-biodiversity-conference-cop-15

 

Natures calander – Citizen science for when you see the first species 

https://naturescalendar.woodlandtrust.org.uk/

 

Plastic grass and how to help kids get excited about the environment and nature, including a need for green spaces, school grounds. 

Gearing up for people coming out after lockdown and preparing. Personal responsibility and how to deal with individuals, picking up poo.

Wild Camping and Swimming. https://www.campingintheforest.co.uk/

Joining Team Wilder and the rewilding movements 

Volunteers and volunteering. 

 

Consultation on the Environmental Principles

https://www.gov.uk/government/news/consultation-launched-on-environmental-principles

 

Climate and Ecological Emergency Bill

https://www.ceebill.uk/

 

Our response to the Sustainabble Question – “what do you say to people who say there's no point taking individual action on climate change?”

http://www.sustainababble.fish/

 

Dawn Rayments 14 top 10 tips for keen people to be the best in the New Forest

 

1.     Picking up litter and taking it home with you

2.     Avoiding Honey Pot sites (Anderwood, Boulder Wood, Rhinefield) – Google where to go in the new forest and then don’t go to those sites as they will be overwhelmed on a busy day).

3.     Avoid going to the forest on sunny days.

4.     Don’t have BBQ’s, particularly dispo