Category: News and events

Yes, it’s that time of year again, it’s the Butterfly Conservation’s Big Butterfly Count!

It will be interesting to see the results of this, anecdotally from our wanderings around the Parish we think there might be more this year due to the successive summery heatwaves we’ve had (we’ve also seen a lot more ladybird sightings across the UK this year).

However, the 2024 results of the survey mean that a butterfly emergency was declared due to the dwindling number of these beautiful ecosystem indicators.

The count runs from the 18th July to 10th August, and for more information on how to take part, look at the BCBBC pages!

Do you have a pair of binoculars you no longer use or a bird guide collecting dust? Donate them to the BTO Equipment Donation Scheme and help support the next generation of conservationists!

If you’re under 21 or represent a school or university group, you can apply to the BTO receive donated optics or identification guides.

For more information on the scheme check the BTO website.

We wanted to share information about an upcoming webinar being organised by the Nature Friendly Farming Network (NFFN) as part of Nature Friendly Farming Week. This inspiring event will feature two remarkable farmers discussing how farming can work harmoniously with nature.

The webinar will showcase two farmers who are champions of nature-friendly agricultural practices:

• Ruth Ashton-Shaw from Low Auldgirth in Scotland – A former design consultant who transitioned to farming with no prior background. She now runs a 30-acre organic smallholding producing quality meat, eggs, and wool from native breeds.
• Debbie Wilkins from Norton Court Farm in Gloucester – A former food scientist at Unilever who returned to manage her family’s 950-acre mixed farm, focusing on soil health and biodiversity.

The event will be hosted by Martin Lines, CEO of the Nature Friendly Farming Network, who manages an arable farm in South Cambridgeshire. This webinar promises to be enlightening for food lovers, nature enthusiasts, and anyone curious about sustainable agriculture.

Register on Eventbrite here!

This event is organized by the Nature Friendly Farming Network. We are sharing this information as we believe it may interest our community, but we are not affiliated with the organisers.

Yorkshire Rewilding Network have announced this year’s programme of visits to rewilding sites across the region. Interested participants should get their diaries out and start planning! There are lots of new places to explore as well as a few favourites (that includes the Cropton beaver project which always books up fast!).

It’s an inspiring mix – from wetlands to wildflower meadows, country estates to urban gardens – so there should be something for everyone. This is a fantastic opportunity for visitors to see rewilding for themselves and meet other rewilding enthusiasts in person.

There is more information on the YRN events page, as well as the ability to book attendance on Eventbrite.

A event takes place this summer as Beverley Open Gardens makes its debut on Sunday, 27th July 2025, from 10am to 4pm, in partnership with BUG (Beverley Urban Gardeners).

This addition to Beverley’s calendar invites visitors to enjoy an opportunity to explore some of the town’s beautiful private gardens. Each garden offers something unique, from floral displays and creative designs to light refreshments, and fun, helping to raise funds for Dove House Hospice and BUG.

Entry is £5 per adult, with under-16s admitted free when accompanied. Programmes can be purchased in advance at The Dove House Shop in Beverley.

Whether you are a garden enthusiast or looking for a lovely day out, Beverley Open Gardens 2025 is set to be a day of inspiration, and community spirit, all for a great cause.

Living in Beverley and interested in taking part?

Residents can open their garden gates to showcase their havens to fellow enthusiasts and be a part of a community fundraising event. Participants can help sell programmes and raffle tickets to support Dove House Hospice whilst joining in with some fundraising fun by selling their own cakes, plant sales or even their own entertainment.

If you would like to get involved in this year’s Beverley Open Gardens can contact tiffany.brodie@dovehouse.org.uk or call on 01482 785743.

Interested gardeners should contact Tiffany by the 17th of May 2025 to secure their place.

May starts tomorrow and that can only mean one thing, it’s time for No Mow May! The nation’s gardens are throwing a buzzing party and everyone is invited.

Soon gardens across the country will be blooming with wildflowers and buzzing with hungry pollinators. And the more people who can give power to the flowers, the more they can help nature thrive.

This is just the beginning of the No Mow Movement. Leaving grass and wildflowers to grow through the summer, even if it’s just a tiny section of a garden, can make a huge difference to biodiversity and local wildlife.

Participants are encouraged to join the movement to help Plantlife understand the impact of this growing movement and to get a whole host of goodies and expert tips!

The Hull City Nature Challenge 2025 aims to promote the collection of biological data across the City of Hull. Observations will support local efforts to look after and connect with wildlife and nature in the parks and green spaces where residents live, and help inform decision making in the local area.

Participants don’t need to be experts to take part! Simply download the iNaturalist app onto a smartphone or device and take photos of any wild animals, plants, birds, insects or fungi and the app will help identify observations through its global community.

Any observations made between 25th April – 28th April 2025 will count towards the City Nature Challenge. Observations can be made any time on iNaturalist, however, so interested individuals can start recording today and get familiar with iNaturalist in time for the 2025 challenge!

City Nature Challenge 2025: Hull is being organised locally by the North and East Yorkshire Ecological Data Centre (NEYEDC) working in partnership with a range of organisations from across the city.

Already an iNats user? The project is here.

Twice a year, The Rivers Trust runs a Big River Watch, and the next one takes place from 25th April to 1st May. These are week-long citizen science surveys in which everyone can take part in a simple activity that helps build a picture of river health across the UK and Ireland.

New for this year, participants who’d like to collect even more information about their river can also sign up to the Great UK WaterBlitz, and test the water for phosphates and nitrates after completing a Big River Watch survey.

Our rivers are far from healthy. They’re polluted with sewage, plastic, chemicals and nutrients, and just 15% of river stretches in England are in good overall health.

To restore them, more information is needed about how they’re doing. The public can help identify and locate the issues. With the Big River Watch app, citizens can help identify problems, and will contribute to a national data set that will help build a picture of river health.

Taking part is easy, so check out the project website here!