BRANCH NEWS

KERRIER

We look forward to seeing members and non-members at our forthcoming events. We still require volunteers to help keep the paths and bridges clear and in good repair at Pendarves Woods. If you are interested, please contact a branch member or Trust HQ. Good comments on both the short and the long nature trails there have been received from numerous people. Well done to everyone involved.

Kennall Vale has had its bridge repaired. This happened in March, when two heavy steel girders were put into place by the Americans stationed at RAF St Mawgan. We would like to thank them all very much for their help. The work was made possible by a grant from Rural Action.

Once again, we look forward to seeing you at the events.

Grace Mason

LAUNCESTON

The last of our winter evening talks, covering hedgerows, otters and weasels and birdsong, continued to be well attended. A local art group, Gwynngala, runs a stall for us at each meeting, providing a wider and more local input to the items supplied by the Cornwall Wildlife Trust. Refreshments and a regular raffle add to the social aspects of the evening. Our new programme starts in September with talks on foxes and badgers, then the peregrine falcon, all by local speakers. Our storyteller returns, by popular request, in November to perform in two very special venues. Check the diary and note the dates.

Our summer outings were less well attended. The actual visits, to Welcombe and Marsland with Gary Pilkington and to Lundy Bay with Derek Lord, were very much enjoyed by those attending.

The stall at the Victorian Fair, Launceston, in June was successful, despite the weather. The major June event was the planned celebration of the restored village pond at Truscott. Wet weather before the event prevented any restoration, but even wet weather on the day could not dampen the spirits of the fifty or so children from four local schools who took part in pond dipping, artwork and photography. Community involvement at its best, and we had a lot of publicity.

As a new project, the branch is looking ahead to building up a team to do survey work in our own area.

Brian Stringer

RESTORMEL

Ken Isham, our wildlife magazine distributor, is still in need of someone to help with hand-delivering around the Fowey area. Please call Ken on (01726) 64391 if you can help.

I would love to tell you how wonderful our recent field meetings were but, as you all well know, the dreadful weather put a stop to most of them. We were lucky with our spring Respryn woodland walk: 35 people attended on what must have been our only summer day. It was nice to see so many members, some from as far afield as Penzance and London. Even this late in May, we could still see plenty of bluebells. We were also just in time to hear and see a pied flycatcher and some of the group were able to see great spotted woodpeckers feeding young.

Dave Thomas

TAMAR

Last year's summer events, with the exception of the Garden Safari, were not well patronised by members, so none have been arranged for this summer. This year's Garden Safari took place over the two Wimbledon weekends and was again a great success, raising over £380 - slightly less than last year, which was not surprising given the poor weather and the sporting alternatives!

Mary Robbins, our new Membership Secretary, organised a beach clean-up at Duckpool and Marsland Mouth on 3rd May. About thirty Fox Club members and their parents took part, in fine weather, and 13 bags of rubbish were collected. North Cornwall District Council kindly provided plastic bibs and gloves and also litter pickers, which the children enjoyed using! There was a picnic on the beach and the children collected mermaid's purses and took them back to school to use as a theme for mermaid stories, so their minds were stimulated as well as their muscles!

Our winter programme of meetings begins on 21st September.

Gill Ruddock