|
Over Wyre Feeding Stations
If visiting the feeding stations near Pilling please remain in your vehicle, park sensibly and do not obstruct or walk
down any farm tracks. Please make way for farm vehicles without delay.
The Fylde Bird Club contributes to the cost of seed for this project.
Volunteering at Marton Mere
With the New Year approaching you may find yourself thinking of ways to get more out life. Maybe you’re fed up of your routine - looking for a challenge, a new experience or a change of scene.
Well look no further because Blackpool Council’s Park Ranger Service and the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers are kicking off January with two new and exciting schemes! You are being offered the opportunity to get involved in the management of your local parks and nature reserves as well care for the people and wildlife within them.
Blackpool’s Park Ranger Service require a dedicated band of Volunteer Rangers to support the work of their service. The volunteers will support the service with a wide variety of duties such as conservation work, public events, litter picking and patrols and public liaison. The Volunteer Rangers will work from Stanley Park Offices and Marton Mere Nature Reserve but will be expected to work throughout the borough. A basic uniform, formal induction as well as training workshops will be provided free of charge.
Anyone wishing to find out more is advised to come along to a Volunteer Ranger drop-in recruitment session either on Wednesday January 24th
from 4.00pm – 7.00pm or Saturday January 27th from 10.00am – 12.00pm at Stanley Park Offices, West Park Drive (in front of
Myerscough College Garden Centre).
Alternatively you can contact the Park Ranger Service direct on 01253-478478 or download an application pack from their
website
You may also apply through Blackpool’s Volunteering
Centre.
Cllr David Owen, Cabinet Member for Culture and Leisure, said: “Volunteering is a great pastime that has made an immeasurable contribution to communities, organizations and individuals across the country. Today’s volunteers are active, dynamic, creative individuals who possess the skills, desire, patience and time to accomplish a wide variety of exciting and rewarding tasks.”
He added: “Our parks, open spaces, nature reserves and trails are there for everyone to enjoy because many people have served over the years to preserve, protect and improve them but volunteering is not just beneficial for Blackpool’s green spaces, it benefits you too.
It can give you the opportunity to pursue a special interest such as walking, natural, history, teaching, spending time outdoors, enjoying the company of fellow volunteers and visitors and can give you a new perspective of other facets of your life.”
The second scheme, primarily targeted at young people, is a nationwide, charity run initiative from the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) who have created a new youth volunteering charity, simply known as V.
Over 3,000 opportunities for volunteering have been created for young people nationally and some 63 organisations share £10 million of grants from the charity and now the young people of Blackpool are to benefit as well!
Blackpool Council has become involved in a partnership with the BTCV to launch their project Greenday here in Blackpool in January 2007. Young people can become involved in conservation full days or half days at a number of locations across the borough including Stanley Park, Kincraig Lake, Woodland Gardens and Marton Mere Local Nature Reserve.
Cllr Ivan Taylor, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: “The V funding gives us a real opportunity to get young people in Blackpool volunteering in a way that makes a difference to both them and their town. They will be able to get involved in new and exciting projects like helping make Blackpool a better place to live and helping preserve and protect their local environment for future generations whilst learning valuable new skills.”
The project days will begin in January 2007. Further information can be obtained by contacting Sonia Edwards, North Lancashire Project Officer, and BTCV. Tel. 01772-204647
or visit BTCV.
Blackpool
Council’s Park Ranger Service
Blackpool’s new Park Ranger Service work with a variety of
partners to achieve environmental targets as well as promote,
interpret and manage Blackpool’s ecological assets. We have
organised monthly drop-in sessions to ensure Park Rangers are
available and identifiable to valued park users. If you have a
question about local wildlife or wish to find out more about our
events, activities and environmental education sessions we would
love to hear from you. Alternatively if you have an idea, comment
or concern please drop in for an informal chat.
We look forward to meeting you. Meet the rangers on the 15th of
every month 15:00–18:00 at Stanley Park visitor centre.
Taking an active role in encouraging people onto local green
space, the Rangers are committed to community projects, park
events, environmental education and training programmes as well
as wildlife conservation. The Rangers organise practical
conservation work days and manage a Volunteer Ranger Service.
You can find out more about the Rangers and how to get involved by contacting:
Head Ranger, Parks and Green Environment Department, Blackpool Council, Stanley
Park Offices, West Park Drive, Blackpool, FY3 9HU. Telephone 01253-478478.
Gift Aid
As Fylde Bird Club (FBC) is now a registered charity, all
donations made to FBC qualify for Gift Aid. This means that FBC
can claim repayment of tax (an extra 28p for every pound donated)
on all donations. Donations include membership subscriptions and
sponsorship money for events organised by FBC. To qualify for
Gift Aid you must pay an amount of income tax and/or capital
gains tax at least equal to the tax that the charity reclaims on
your donations in the tax year. So, if you would like any
donations that you make to FBC to be considered Gift Aid
donations, please consider completing our Gift Aid form. The Gift Aid form can be downloaded here or please ask Paul Ellis for a copy of the Gift
Aid form at FBC monthly meetings.
Ribble
Discovery Centre
Walks start from the Ribble Discovery Centre, are free and
last two to three hours. Please wear stout footwear and bring warm
and waterproof clothing and a drink.
Walks may be cancelled at short notice due to extreme weather
conditions.
All participants are responsible for their own health and safety.
Talks maybe subject to change or cancellation at short notice.
Views and opinions expressed by speakers are not necessarily
those of the RSPB.
For details ask at the centre or telephone 01253-796292.
RSPB, Ribble Discovery Centre, Inner Promenade, Fairhaven, Lytham
St.Anne's FY8 1BD
Plea
for more WeBS Counters
click
here for details
Disturbance
to wader roosts on our coast and estuaries
A campaign is slowly forming with the aim of giving our wader
roosts some protection from disturbance. All forms of human
disturbance should be recorded, such as jet-skis, microlights,
dog-walkers etc. Large stretches of our coast and estuaries are
classified as RAMSAR Sites, SSSIs and SPAs however these
designations offer no practical protection from human
disturbance. The aim is convince the authorities that this
is a serious problem and that action must be taken. Whilst
many records of such disturbance already exist, the more we
have and the higher their quality, then the more evidence we
will have to press our case.
So if you witness disturbance please record as many of the
following as possible:
Location, date and time
Species disturbed and approximate numbers
Duration of disturbance
Reaction of birds: e.g. flew off and didn't come back
or flew around and came back
Nature of disturbance: e.g. jet-skis, dog-walkers etc
Number of people and vehicles/animals involved
If aircraft please try to note the registration number and
estimate the altitude
Please e-mail all your records of disturbance to the Fylde Bird Club
|
