Calories for Nature and a few steps to a Haven

More about some wonderful ideas our groups have had to enable them to Step Up for Nature ……

A million calories for nature
Earlier this year a group of volunteers who regularly help out with practical conservation work at our RSPB Farnham Heath nature reserve took it upon themselves to create a recipe book....

Why? Well, over the years it’s become a firm tradition for the volunteers to take it in turns to bake cakes and take them along every time they meet at Farnham - a well deserved treat to enjoy during their tea breaks after a hard work out session on the reserve!  Obviously (as everybody likes cakes don’t they?!) these baked delights were well received by everyone, particularly by the site manager, Mike Coates!

These volunteers then had the inspired idea of collating their recipes and turning them into a book entitled ‘A million calories for nature’, so that they could raise funds for nature!  A couple of the volunteers, Ann and Dawn, took on the task of creating the book and arranging for it to be printed.

As several of the Farnham volunteers were also volunteers with the NE Hants Local Group and Guildford Local Group, this gave them a natural outlet to start selling them, at £1.50 a recipe book, at local events they attended in their area.  This, as well as selling them individually to friends, family and work colleagues, brought the total to a fantastic £180!

There are 18 recipes in total, to include delights such as Bob’s Chocolate Crunch, Mrs Humphrey’s Fruit Cake, Mal’s Ginger Cake and Tony’s Date & Cherry Butter Bars.

My mouth is watering already!

A haven for nature
A beautiful new RSPB wildlife garden was opened on 18 June at the Woodside Walled Garden in Ancrum. The first project of its kind for RSPB in Scotland, the garden was generously funded by Awards for All and was created by hard-working volunteers from the Borders Local Group, with the support of Woodside’s owners. 

Anne McCall, Regional Director for South and West Scotland, was guest of honour and performed the opening ceremony, complete with ribbon cutting!  In her speech she thanked all those involved, particularly the owners of Woodside, Steve and Emma Emmerson, their predecessors Jane Vickers and Annie Neath, and the Group Leader and Secretary, respectively, Johnny and Nancy Marshall.

Many group members helped to make the opening event a great success, with funds being raised from a ‘Name the Albatross’ competition and a very popular chocolate-themed tombola!  Wildlife artist Colin Woolf was also present to demonstrate his painting.

The main feature of the new wildlife garden is a large pond that is already home to numerous newts, frogs and water beetles.  Flowers and shrubs to attract bees and butterflies have also been planted.  Nestboxes have been put up around the garden, some with cameras to relay images of nesting birds to a large screen in the garden’s RSPB information centre.  Visitors can also enjoy watching a variety of birds coming to the feeders, including nuthatches and siskins.  The best bird recorded so far has been a crossbill drinking at the pond.

The aim of the garden is not just to provide a home for wildlife, but to inspire visitors, and to suggest ways in which they can improve their own gardens for birds and other wildlife.  The garden will also be a focal point for the Borders Local Group and promote their conservation work and activities. 

The RSPB Wildlife Garden is situated in the Woodside Walled Garden near Ancrum, just off the A68 on the B6400.