Summer news from Bentley Wood
It’s butterfly and moth season, we bring children’s groups into the wood, how World War II shaped the area’s history, details of our bat walk and summer picnic — and more
IN THIS ISSUE
A cool start to the butterfly season
How World War II came to the wood
July bat walk (and maybe glow worms too)
The Friends’ summer picnic, with Brilliant Bones and Marvellous Moths
Our new initiative to encourage children into the natural environment
Rewilding your garden? Some expert ideas
Plus: visitors’ guidelines, and join FOBW free this year
Butterfly season is here
There have been good numbers of rarities such as the pearl-bordered fritillary and marsh fritillary this season, but the cold spring weather seems to have compressed the season. So says Bill Symonds, who completed several transects this spring and summer.
Read his report here.
World War II comes to Bentley Wood
Did you know that World War II altered the course of Bentley Wood's history, and saw it playing an important role in the momentous D-Day invasion?
Read all about this fascinating chapter of buried history here.
Join us on our bat walk
Come along and join us on our FOBW bat walk as the sun sets on the evening of 25th July. If we’re lucky, we might also see some glow worms, too. Thanks to some generous donations by members, we have been able to purchase a number of bat detectors to make identification easier. Our walk will be lead by ecologist Charley Miller.
“We’ll start with a short introductory talk about bats and glow worms and then set off on a guided walk around the woodland,” says Charley. “Dress for the weather including warm layers – remember it gets cold after sunset, even when it's been warm in the daytime. And do bring a torch.”
Meet at Eastern Clearing car park (off Scouts Lane) at 8.30pm.
A Morning of Marvellous Moths and Brilliant Bones plus our FOBW Summer Picnic
Come along on Sunday 30 July 2023 between 10am and 12pm to see all the the Marvellous Moths that live in Bentley Wood, plus Phil Read’s fascinating collection of Brilliant Bones and Amazing Skulls – and do bring all the younger family members!
This will be followed by a picnic for members of FOBW (membership is free this year; do join with this link).
There are 60 tickets available for the picnic, so please reserve your ticket in advance by clicking on the link you have been sent as a member, and pay on the day. Adults £5 a head, free for children. If you’d rather bring your own picnic, you’re more than welcome.
There will be access to the wood between 10am and 3pm.
Sharing the wonders of nature with local children
Your FOBW committee is very keen to encourage children to experience, enjoy and understand the ecology and environment of the wood. This summer we began our programme of inviting groups into the woods with excited visits from two Brownie packs and a group from Winterslow Primary School.
Educator and leader Alex Walker explains the highlights of pond dipping and sensory walks here.
Ideas for rewilding your garden
Did you join in on ‘No Mow May’ or are you thinking about how to enrich your garden for the benefit of our beleaguered pollinators and invertebrates? This wonderful video is a great starting point for evaluating what you may already have in your garden and what you could add.
It was made by Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex. He specialises in bee ecology and is the author of the bestselling A Sting in the Tale: My Adventures with Bumblebees, A Buzz in the Meadow, Bee Quest, The Garden Jungle and Silent Earth.
If you live in one of the villages surrounding the wood and are on Facebook, you could also join Sue Walker’s ‘Bentley Wood Buffer Zone’ group to exchange information and ideas.
IN BRIEF
Join the Friends of Bentley Wood. Join this likeminded community and gain access to year-round special events. It’s free this year while we work on a new membership system, then it goes back to just £6 a year for individuals and £10 for family membership. Sign up here.
Guidance notes for visitors. Some of the ways you can enjoy the wood while helping to preserve this special and fragile habitat. Read more.
Permits for horse-riding. Gain access to some gloriously peaceful off-road riding. Read more.
Coming up in our next issue: In the autumn edition of the Friends’ newsletter, we’ll bring you more news, Nature Notes, and you can look forward to a wonderful video of all the Fabulous Fungi to be found here. In the meantime, see you at one of our events, or out and about in the wood!