Winter Newsletter 2019 – Christmas and more!

Jolly Christmas Task and 30th Anniversary of WCCP!

In December WCCP celebrates its 30th anniversary! Why not come on a special Christmas task and 30th anniversary celebration at Folkestone Warren on Sunday 15th December? We’ll be clearing non-native scrub in the grazing enclosure to encourage the return of chalk grassland and will stop at lunch time for festive food and mulled wine. Please book a place by Thursday 12th December for catering purposes and please let us know if you would like a lift (or could offer a lift) via [email protected] or 01304 241806.

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Upcoming guided walks and volunteer tasks

We have plenty of events going on over the Festive Season. Here are just some of them:

Thursday 26th December 2:00pm

Boxing Day Wild and Wonderful Weather.

Come along on a gentle guided walk and discover some of the amazing Hoe weather. MEET: Site Management Office, Samphire Hoe (pay and display car park) CT17 9FL.

Sunday 29th December 10:00am

Bashing and slashing encroaching scrub.

Dungeness volunteer task. MEET: Dungeness Old Lighthouse/RHD Light Railway car park. Dungeness, TN29 9NP (TR 085 187)

For more events, visit the WCCP website: www.whitecliffscountryside.org.uk

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News from Romney Marsh!

At Dungeness recent volunteer tasks have focussed on improving habitat for Autumn Lady’s-tresses, a tiny orchid that specialises on short, herb-rich grassland. Careful habitat management by RMCP staff and volunteers has worked wonders for the endangered Red Hemp-nettle (see photo to left) with 1824 plants being recorded on RMCP monitored sites in 2019, up from 1499 recorded in 2018. Meanwhile, at Romney Warren volunteer tasks have focussed on opening up seasonal ponds to improve habitat for great crested newts.

To find out more about upcoming events and volunteer tasks on the marsh visit: www.rmcp.co.uk

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A Perfect Christmas Gift for £5 and under

If you’re looking for a gift for Christmas why not buy one of our publications. We have:

The Miners Way guidebook

A Rich Seam guided walks pack

Romney Marsh Meanders cycle rides pack

The Royal Military Canal guided walks pack

Shakespeare Cliff: A People’s History

If you would like one please contact: [email protected] or phone us on 01304 241806

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Our Finest Dour

The Our Finest Dour project has now been running for one year! We have trained volunteers, run pop up river labs and most children in Barton and White Cliffs primaries know how important it is to Dover.

The new River Dour Centre has now finished and will officially open in spring 2020. Thank you to all who are volunteering their time to clean up or monitor this special chalk stream.

To stay in touch with news on the River Dour check out @ourfinestdour on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.

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Rare long-tailed blue butterfly seen at Folkestone Warren

It was another excellent year for butterflies and moths at our Folkestone sites. Record numbers of the rare Straw Belle moth were seen at Folkestone Downs  and Folkestone Warren and good numbers of the Adonis Blue were seen during the summer.

The butterfly highlight of the summer was the appearance of the rare Long-tailed Blue at Folkestone Warren. The photo on the left was taken by volunteer butterfly transect recorder, Tony Poole.

If you would be interested in helping record butterflies on the downs then please do contact Alfie Gay at [email protected] or 07734 777380

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Welcome to Flora!

In August we welcomed Flora Haynes as a new ranger in the WCCP team. Flora will be based at Samphire Hoe and helping out at other sites in the Folkestone and Dover area.

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Lots of school groups at Samphire Hoe!

This year over 1800 pupils have had fun at Samphire Hoe on their school visits. Activities have ranged from rock pooling to minibeast safaris and stone age adventures.

The Hoe is open every day over the festive season. Why not come on the Wild and Wonderful Weather Walk on Boxing Day?

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Join in volunteering at Whinless Down!

The main grass bank at Whinless Down will be the focus of scrub clearing this winter, in order to keep the chalk grassland an open habitat, free from shade, to benefit the specialist butterflies, moths and other wildlife. Volunteers tasks are on the 3rd Tuesday of the month.

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