On Saturday 5 September a rather tentative morning sun eased its way through a cold start, and led on to a most fabulous, warm, sunny and friendly Nature Scavenge event at Hazel Hill Wood!
The event, organised by Kate Steele, our Conservation and outreach officer and hosted by Marcos Frangos, is a first in what will become a more regular feature in Hazel Hill’s 2016 programme, inviting local Natural History experts to visit the wood, to survey the flora and fauna, and share their knowledge with the team at Hazel Hill as well as with wider users of the wood.
My warmest thanks to the Salisbury Natural History Society and to Natural England represented on the day, and specifically to John Muggleton, James Macpherson, David Burton, Penny Theobald, and to Phil Allen – all of whom garnered their many years experience of ecology, insects, birds, funghi and much much more and shared all of it with such open generosity.
Big thanks especially to the children who participated and, for me, made the day such a pleasure: Emma Burton, Theo & Raphaela Frangos who became so immersed in the details of what they were discovering, their enthusiasm was infectious. I have never seen so many funghi laid out on a table, with so many shapes, smells and colours – and to see them being studied so meticulously.
So what happens next? Over the coming weeks we’ll be gathering the results of our day’s survey and our intention is to invite participants to help us co-create fun ways to share this fabulous knowledge; that might be via blogs, articles in future Hazel Hill Newsletters, sharing images on our facebook pages.
Our Nature Scavenge day reminded me of what a precious place the wood is – if we just take a moment to pause amidst the busyness of our lives, to look at the amazing diversity of species that share the woodland with us. Thank you all!
Marcos