Latest News
A ‘Win’ for High School Leckhampton.
High School Leckhampton (HSL) have been active helping FOLK with conservation work on Leckhampton Hill. The pupils from HSL have been allocated a patch of the hill to work on, they’ve cleared the area of gorse and hawthorn and helped remove invasive non-native species. It’s bearing fruit! For the first time a Fly Orchid has been spotted on the patch!!! This is a rare and vulnerable orchid, so well done, and thank you to LHS. No photo, as the Fly Orchid has a short flowering season so the flower is not there now, but it’s a joy to know it’s found a new home.
13th June Nature Walk
Many thanks to Pete for organising and leading the nature walk yesterday. We had fine, if breezy, weather for our walk. We ‘bagged’ five species of Orchid and a similar number of Butterflies. It was hard to I.D. the skippers, though!
Leckhampton Hill Launched as a new NNR
We made BBC News! BBC NNR News.
This celebrates the launch of the Hill as a new National Nature Reserve (NNR).
Chair of Natural England Tony Juniper said: “This designation strengthens protection for our unique geological diversity and its precious habitats, creates a bigger and better-connected space for nature recovery, and offers thousands of people the chance to explore it.”
It’s great news, a reminder of how lucky we are to have this special place on our doorstep.
UPDATE: Cheltenham Borough Council have posted This Video to mark the launch. Good isn’t it!
Work Party Schedule
Tasks in the next three months (July – September) will be a combination of Hemp removal, cutting areas of gorse regrowth, and of course one of the markers of the season – mowing the burial mound and surrounding areas.
July Work Party Schedule:
The work programme for July is as follows – meet as usual at 0930, in Daisybank CP on each occasion.
Thursday 2 July (Bonus!!!)
Charlton Kings Common (CKC) /East (E)
Thursday 9 July
CKC/E
Tuesday 21 July
CKC/E and Upper Hopkins.
Sunday 26 July
CKC
Cotswold Way Diversion at Birdlip
A temporary closure of the Cotswold Way at Birdlip (Air Balloon) has just been authorised. The diversion will run from 29th May for 6 months (but may need some extension). The closure is due to the major road reconfiguration on the A417. See the attached map for the details of the diversion. Cotswold Way Diversion at Birdlip