Norman's Christmas Cheer

       by

      Norman The Newt
      BCV Mascot

This year has been a bit of a tough year for conservation what with threats to sell off public woodlands (thankfully dropped), changes to planning regulations and the Common Agricultural Policy shifting emphasis away from nature conservation and towards development. Money is tighter and competition for funding has become harder. More environmental organisations are seeing budgets cut, officers lost, and projects scaled back. Raptors continue to be persecuted, more species have been added to the IUCN's Red Data List than ever before, and governments, both local and central are pushing the green agenda to the bottom of their lists. Its not a good time to be a newt, or even a dragonfly, water vole, badger, red squirrel, red kite, bee, butterfly,  or indeed anything that doesn't get to vote or has a fat wallet.

But all is not lost.

Despite the hard times this year BCV has had many successes that have helped the weak and weedy. Common terns have bred at Rumworth Lodge and Blackleach Reservoir for the first time ever thanks to our hard work building cockleshell breeding habitat. Lapwing have returned to Seddon Fold Farm to breed and are using the scrapes created in 2007 with our  Green Heroes Award money. Our innovative phragmites reedbeds at Moses Gate and Blackleach  Country Parks are doing well, not only providing unique habitat for reed warbler and reed bunting but also acting as a template for other organisations wanting to build their own reedbeds. The new ponds at Blackleach, Walmsley Unitarian Church and Cleveland School are happily providing habitat for newts (hooray says Norman), toads and dragonfly, and the Cleveland School pond has been especially successful in providing a resource for the environmental education of budding young conservationists.

The year's work has been varied and has seen us enjoy balsam bashing, rhody bashing, coppicing,  thinning, removing scrub and litter picking. Our more technical talents have been employed at Lever Park with a little dry stone walling, and our hedge laying escapades at Entwistle Reservoir and Blackleach have been important for keeping traditional skills alive and introducing a new generation to the joys of country crafts.

But conservation is not our members' only talent, no indeed the group's task work has been matched by the other activities of BCV members including: signing petitions to save British woodlands and Chat Moss; Anna climbing Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for Bolton Hospice; Gill participating in the Walk for Life events for cancer; Lewis joining numerous charity walks to raise funds to help those in need, and Claire giving a helping hand to the Samaritans. Rick has given talks and training days to groups and schools, and joined Lynn at Lush Cosmetics to give advice on one the shop's awareness raising days. Other groups have also befitted from our members' efforts including John's six month placement with RSPB, and many other BCV members have helped ARGSL on its sand dune management weekend. Oh, and Colin did some slide shows, apparently.

This year has also seen lots of other good news: Claire and Garry are getting married, Colette is back with us after months of chemo, Holly has recovered from yet more brain surgery and is now a typical teen, and Suresh and Mina have created a brand new volunteer from scratch. BCV has been featured in Bolton Live, the Bolton News, Bolton Journal, Blackleach Bugle, Country Side Jobs Service, and have received praise from the Rivington Heritage Trust for our work around rivington.

Thanks to all of our volunteers, Duke of Edinburgh students, walk leaders and officers for all of the thousands of hours of hard work you've put in this year, you are the group's life blood and we cannot exist without your committment. Also a big thank you to our partners, clients and supporters for your continued support, as always much appreciated.

Finally thank you from everyone to tireless Rick Parker for organising this year's 25 tasks along with all of his other activities.

A big cheer for BCV, here's to another 12 months of important work and continued successes.