LOHP Members' News Update: June 2004

This update brings you details of our Open Day, forthcoming work parties and other events, and the latest news since you received your March newsletter. News and other events are posted regularly on the website (www.lohp.org.uk).

Dates for your diaries:
Open Day - Frith and Lows To celebrate the restoration work on the Frith and the Lows, we are holding an Open Day based on the Frith on Sunday 25th July from 2 pm. Entry will be free and there will be many and varied attractions - demonstrations of expert sheep dogs at work by our graziers Dennis and Sarah Jenkins, falconry, flint knapping, stalls with traditional crafts and local produce, guided walks, children's activities, refreshments including a hog roast.... Please come along, and tell your friends about it.
If anyone can help with publicity for this event (putting up posters etc.) or with the many tasks on the day, please let Helen, Reg or Rowena know (phone numbers below). To raise funds for the LOHP on the day, we will have a bring-&-buy plant stall and a raffle. Donations of raffle prizes or of potted plants in advance would be very gratefully received.

AGM and Annual Talk  November 9th, will be given this year by renowned author and natural history broadcaster Richard Mabey in the Lopham's Village Hall

Work parties  Just a reminder of the next few dates - all start at 10.30, all welcome, though we ask that children are accompanied by a responsible adult:

July 11th - biological recording (anything and everything on our sites - bring your field guides and a picnic lunch, and take the opportunity to walk around the patch) - an informal event, but we're keen to receive any records of flora and fauna from our sites. Meet at the north-west corner of the Frith (TM 036794) at 10.30.
August 8th Blo' Norton Fen Sedge cutting/raking
August 22nd Blo' Norton Fen Sedge cutting/raking
September 12th Hinderclay Fen Sedge cutting/raking
October 10th Betty's Fen, Blo' Norton Scrub clearance from wet fen
November 14th The Frith Tree/hedge planting
Call Helen on 01378 687680, Jo on 01379 898684 or Reg & Rowena on 01379 898009 if you would like more details of any of the work parties nearer the time.

Membership Renewal
We are very grateful to the many members who have renewed their subscriptions. If you haven't already renewed your LOHP membership, we hope very much that you will continue to support us by renewing it in the near future. Spare subscription forms can be printed from our web site at www.lohp.org.uk.

Recent events
Spring and early summer have been a busy time at the LOHP - we have signed a new lease on Blo' Norton Fen, the sheep are back grazing the Frith and the Lows (which are both showing the benefit of this management regime), the oaks pollarded last winter are re-growing despite the dry conditions, and the new hedging planted on the Frith is also doing well. The early marsh orchids on the Lows produced two flowering spikes and so we hope that they are on their way towards recolonising a larger area. Glow worms are currently lighting-up the headwaters at night- please let us have the exact locations of any records from your evening walks.

After a 'spring break' from work parties, 13 volunteers came to Blo' Norton Fen on June 13th and dug a splendid pond, which had attracted 4 species of dragon and damselflies before we'd finished digging! The Senior Watch group for older children further enlarged the pond on 26th June. The dragonfly count is now up to eight species!

On Friday 18th June we hosted a visit to the area as part of an international seminar for the European TEN project from which we receive part of our funding - over 50 people, including many from partner projects in Holland and Germany, visited Blo Norton Fen, The Lows, and had a picnic lunch under the oak trees on the Frith. They were joined by local county, district and parish councillors. All were very impressed with the success so far of our project, which is the only completely voluntary one in the whole TEN project partnership.

This was followed by our first Family Bike Ride on Sunday 20th June, when about 50 people rode a 5 mile course around the project area, stopping off at our sites on the way, and visiting local churches and Thelnetham windmill, which was opened especially to co-incide with the ride (and where we were serving refreshments). Many of the riders also took part in a quiz, to be completed along the route - the winner of the quiz was Grace Brookes who gets a cycling rucksack with a book on family cycling routes. If you were not able to take part this year, book yourself in for next year when we plan to repeat this event.
 


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