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How wild is your garden?

Post date: Thu, 14/09/2017 - 14:51

Devon Wildlife Trust is offering gardeners in Exeter the chance to have their patches honoured as a wildlife friendly garden. The Trust’s  formal Wildlife Gardening Awards are aimed at encouraging Exeter people to help with the city’s varied and important wildlife. The scheme is free to enter and open to members of the public, schools, housing associations, community groups and businesses based in Exeter. The charity plans to present Wildlife Gardening Award plaques to gardens which are able to achieve six nature friendly criteria from a list of 25 which have been drawn up.

Is there an elm tree near you?

Post date: Thu, 14/09/2017 - 14:50

The Conservation Foundation is searching again- and people throughout the country can help.

Ever since the 1970s when a wave of Dutch elm disease swept across the UK and millions of trees were lost, most people assumed that all elms had been infected.

In 2007 The Conservation Foundation began searching for healthy, mature elms which had survived. Had they had the disease and recovered? Were they resistant to it? Or had they simply avoided the disease somehow?

Plant fair returns to Athelhampton this weekend

Post date: Wed, 06/09/2017 - 14:42

The popular plant fair  returns to the picturesque grounds of Athelhampton House  on Sunday, 10th September.

More than 20 independent nurseries and specialist growers offering a wide range of plants as well as local craft and produce stalls all in a beautiful setting. The event is organised by Plant Heritage Dorset Group. There’s light refreshment and full dining facilities available.

Government must ban bee-harming pesticides

Post date: Fri, 01/09/2017 - 19:45

The Government must act to permanently ban bee-harming pesticides says Friends of the Earth as new research from Royal Holloway University released suggests that pesticides are a risk to bumblebee extinction.

The research showed that queen bees exposed to neonicotinoid pesticides were 26per-cent less likely to be able to start a new colony.

Friends of the Earth is urging the UK government to back moves in the EU to permanently extend current neonicotinoid restrictions to all crops – and commit to keeping any ban post-Brexit.

Is there an elm tree near you?

Post date: Thu, 31/08/2017 - 09:43

The Conservation Foundation is searching again - and people throughout Somerset can help.

Ever since the 1970s when a wave of Dutch elm disease swept across the UK and millions of trees were lost, most people assumed that all elms had been infected. 

In 2007 The Conservation Foundation began searching for healthy, mature elms which had survived. Had they had the disease and recovered? Were they resistant to it? Or had they simply avoided the disease somehow?

Garden visits come out tops

Post date: Thu, 31/08/2017 - 09:20

Visiting gardens is now the most popular attraction in England, according to the results of VisitEngland’s Annual Attractions Survey.

The survey, which gathered information from more than 1,500 English attractions, found that outdoor attractions performed particularly well, with gardens showing growth of eight per-cent.

First ‘hedgehog housing census’

Post date: Thu, 24/08/2017 - 14:16

The first national Hedgehog Housing Census has been launched by Hedgehog Street, a nationwide campaign set up by wildlife charities the British Hedgehog Preservation Society and People’s Trust for Endangered Species to help combat the ongoing decline in native hedgehog population numbers. This survey is in partnership with the University of Reading and Warwickshire Wildlife Trust.
 

A new home for Parks & Gardens UK with Hestercombe Gardens Trust

Post date: Wed, 23/08/2017 - 14:40

Parks & Gardens UK, the archive of historic designed landscape sites has a  new home with the Hestercombe Gardens Trust based just outside of Taunton. In September last year Parks & Gardens UK with Hestercombe Gardens Trust received £97,900 from the Heritage Lottery Fund to secure the future of the P&GUK database and website of historic designed landscapes.

175th celebrations begin for The Romsey Show

Post date: Tue, 22/08/2017 - 08:39

The Romsey Show, one of the oldest agricultural shows in the country and the largest one-day show in the South of England celebrates its 175th anniversary on Saturday, September 9th.

The Romsey Show started in 1842 and will take place at the historic Broadlands Estate.

To kick off the anniversary festivities, everyone’s invited to an evening of entertainment at a ‘picnic in a tent’ event at the Showground on Saturday, 2nd September.

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