View our upcoming events for May 2012
Sun 6th May 2012 4:30-7:30 Bedfords Park Dawn Chorus Join us to hear the wonderful bird sounds on our early morning walk, followed by a warming breakfast back at the centre. £10 per person, booking and donation in advance essential.
Wed 9th May 2012 19:45-22:00 AGM followed by Marsh Fever A talk by David Petts. The Essex and Kent marshes were, until the beginning of the C20, considered to be very unhealthy. Inhabitants of the marshes suffered from the Ague, or Marsh Fever. The talk describes the problem and discusses whether it was Malaria, and the impact it had on the environment and the local population. All indoor meetings are held in the dinning room at Laindon Community Centre, Aston Road, Laindon, SS15 6NX. Non members are most welcome; a donation of £1.00 is requested. BNHS and EWT members 50p. Refreshments available. For further details contact Basildon Natural History Society on 01268 491540. Sat 12th May 2012 10:00-12:30 Introduction to Birds 12th May 2012 Join David Petts for an enjoyable introduction to bird watching. Spring is really in the air at this time of year and there is much activity on the reserve. £5 per person. Please bring your own binoculars. Sun 13th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Photography Workshop Level 3 Close up and Macro Nature photography Learn how to use your camera to make fantastic pictures from the tiniest details - on this one day workshop with Daniel Bridge we look at equipment, techniques and how to find subjects. £40 per person. Mon 14th May 2012 20:00-21:45 London Wildlife and the Olympics A talk by Girish Rambaran talking about London Wildlife and the Olympics. Venue: Hornchurch Library. For further information contact Havering Local Group on 01708 440297. Thu 17th May 2012 20:00-22:00 Jamie Robins of Bug Life An illustrated talk on Bug Life working in partnership with the RSPB, presents their work implementing habitat creation and enhancements across the region in a project known as ‘The South Essex Stepping Stones Project’. Location: Shenfield Parish Hall. For more information please contact Brentwood & Billericay Local Group on 01277 355541. Sat 19th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Spring Birding Guided Bird indentification Walks - Optics Advice and Sales by professional bird tour leaders Discover lots of spring migrants such as Nightingale and Blackcap at the fantastic Fingringhoe wick nature reserve. This joint event with Essex Wildlife Trust and local bird tour company Swallow Birding is designed to bring you the best of spring bird watching. Join one of the guided walks to learn how to identify these birds or visit the centre for a cuppa and a piece of cake or advice on binoculars and telescopes. No Booking Required, Suggested entry donation requested Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre Tue 22nd May 2012 19:30-20:30 5k series The third Tuesday of May, June, July and August. A 5k two lap run around the beautiful woodlands and former plotlands gardens on bridleways and footpaths. Suitable for all abilities but is naturally hilly and on rough terrain. No changing facilities but toilets and results service available. Visitor centre with seating and refreshments. Under 16s welcome if accompanied by an adult. Ample free parking. £2 per person Location Langdon Visitor Centre Sat 26th May 2012 10:00-16:00 Photography Workshop Level 2 Beyond the Basics Discover hw focal length, white balance, aperture and more can transform your photography. Looking at composition and subject matter this one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you to the best reults from your camera. Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre
10:30-12:30 Foraging Taster Session Edible Essex, in collaboration with Essex Wildlife Trust, is providing a fantastic opportunity for you to discover more about edible plants that grow wild in our countryside. The session will involve: a guided walk to forage for ingredients to make tea and salads, sampling some wild food – some cooked on an open fire and recipe suggestions. The session is free and open to anyone who wants to learn more about edible wild food. Families are very welcome, but children must be over the age of 8. Participants should bring a plastic container and wear suitable outdoor clothing. Booking is essential and places are strictly limited. For more information, or to book a place, please email sophie.blythe@essexrcc.org.uk or call 01376 574 330. Location Abbotts Hall Farm Wed 6th Jun 2012 19:30-21:30 Owl Evening Wed 6th June Owlwise' evening run by Phil Eckett. Come and find out about owls and see them in the visitor centre. £6 per adult, £4 per child. Wed 13th Jun 2012 19:45-22:00 An introduction to spiders and other arachnids A talk by Dr. Jan Beccaloni, The Natural History Museum, London. All indoor meetings are held in the dinning room at Laindon Community Centre, Aston Road, Laindon, SS15 6NX. Non members are most welcome; a donation of £1.00 is requested. BNHS and EWT members 50p. Refreshments available. For further details contact Basildon Natural History Society on 01268 491540. Fri 15th Jun 2012 20:00-22:00 Tracks and Identification An illustrated talk by Paul Mayne. Refreshments available. Venue: The Maurice Rowson Hall, Gosfield . Suggested Donation £3.00 For further details please contact Braintree Local Group on 01376 324903. Sat 16th Jun 2012 10:00-16:00 Photography Workshop Level 1 Know the Basics Sat 16th June Confused by aperture, shutter speed and ISO? Don't know your Program Mode from your White Balance? This one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you through the basics of photography, allowing you to take full control of your camera. £40 per person. Wed 20th Jun 2012 10:00-16:00 Hen Keeping for Beginners Extra Date This course is for anyone who is thinking about or who has just got some hens. The course will cover essential needs, common conditions and treatments as well as frequently asked questions. There will be an opportunity to practice live hen holding and hen health checks. Tea & Coffee and homemade cake provided....Free range eggs of course! Please bring a packed lunch. Donation £30 per person. Booking essential Location Fingringhoe Wick Visitor Centre Wed 11th Jul 2012 20:30-22:00 Bat Count Join us for one of our fortnightly bat counts. We are lucky enough to have a maternity roost of soprano pipistrelle bats in the roof of the visitor centre. We run counts every fortnight and we invite you to join us to learn more about these fascinating creatures. Pete Claughton from Essex Bat Group will give a short talk followed by watching the bats emerge from the roost. Numbers can be up to 300 at this time of year! £3 per person. Location Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre
Fri 3rd Aug 2012 21:00-23:00 Moth Evening To tie in with National Moth night we will be holding a moth evening here at Hanningfield. £4 per person. Fri 17th Aug 2012 21:00-23:00 Moth Evening 17th August To tie in with National Moth night we will be holding a moth evening here at Hanningfield. £4 per person. Fri 24th Aug 2012 19:30-21:30 Summer Bat Evening Join us at Bedfords Park, for an informative talk, and then walk in the park to look for bats in their natural habitat. £5 donation per person, booking and donation in advance essential. Location Bedfords Park Visitor Centre Sat 8th Sep 2012 19:00-21:00 Bat Evening September 2012 Join us for a short informal talk on the bats that live at the reserve then accompany us on a walk looking and listening for the different species using bat detectors (supplied). Please wear suitable clothing and footwear and bring a torch. Hot drinks and biscuits provided. £6.00 per person, not suitable for under 16's. Sun 9th Sep 2012 10:30-12:30 Animal Tracks and Signs Come for an interesting walk in the park and look for evidence of animals from the tracks they leave and feeding signs. £5 donation per person, booking and donation in advance essential. Location Bedfords Park Visitor Centre Sun 30th Sep 2012 14:00-17:00 Fungus Foray An identification event, spotting and collecting fungi on the nature reserve. An indoor examination and information session will follow the walk in which specimens will be explored. £5 per adult, £3 per child. Sun 7th Oct 2012 10:00-16:00 Basic Map and Navigation Course Sun 7th Oct Even if you have no experience, by the end of this course you will be able to use an ordnance survey map and a compass. The morning will be in the classroom and in the afternoon you will be out on the reserve using your new skills. £25 per person. Sun 14th Oct 2012 13:30-15:30 Red Deer Walk Observe the Red deer rut on a guided walk around the deer enclosure. £5 donation per person. Booking and donation in advance essential. Location Bedfords Park Visitor Centre Sat 20th Oct 2012 20:00-22:00 Badger Evening Meet Frank Last president of the badger protection society and find out what it is like to dedicate your life to badgers. A light-hearted look at rescue, research, lifestyle, habits, the good and the bad. £6.00 per person Location Langdon Visitor Centre Sat 27th Oct 2012 10:30-12:30 Fungi Foray Come for a stroll around the park in search of different types of fungi and tips on identifying them. £5 donation per person. Booking and donation in advance essential. Location Bedfords Park Visitor Centre Sun 28th Oct 2012 10:00-16:00 Level 2 Photography Workshop Beyond the Basics Discover how focal length, white balance, aperture and more can transform your photography. Looking at composition and subject matter, this one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you to the best results from your camera. £40 per person. 10:00-16:00 Level 2 Photography Workshop Beyond the Basics Sun 28th Oct Discover how focal length, white balance, aperture and more can transform your photography. Looking at composition and subject matter, this one-day workshop with Daniel Bridge guides you to the best results from your camera. £40 per person. Thu 1st Nov 2012 19:30-21:30 Owl Evening Thurs 1st Nov Owlwise' evening run by Phil Eckett. Come and find out about owls and see them in the visitor centre. £6 per adult, £4 per child. Sun 2nd Dec 2012 10:00-12:30 Introduction to Birds Sun 2nd Dec Join David Petts for an enjoyable introduction to bird watching. See what winter migrants have arrived. Please bring binoculars if you have them. £5 per person. Sun 9th Dec 2012 10:00-13:00 Christmas Walk Join us for an approx 6 mile walk starting and finishing at Hanningfield Visitor Centre. We will be walking through lovely local countryside and returning to the centre for home made soup and a roll and mince pies. £7 per person. Location Hanningfield Reservoir Visitor Centre
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