Wild Colerne Chairperson’s report AGM 18[th] November 2024
Wild Colerne (Charity number 1197970) was formally established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation 17[th] Feb 2022 with the following objectives agreed with the Charity Commission -
To promote, for the benefit of the public, the conservation, protection, and improvement of the natural environment in Colerne parish by:
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Enhancing habitats for native wildlife, including its flora, fauna and other taxa to promote biodiversity
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Providing information to raise public awareness of the magnitude and causes of biodiversity loss.
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Promoting actions to mitigate biodiversity loss and the impact of climate change on the natural environment.
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Facilitating community support for biodiversity protection by promoting nature themed activity.
We are inspired by Frank Entwistle whose foresight gave Colerne village the legacy of 'Frank’s Wood'.
Current Trustees:
Dorothy Robertson (Chair) Ian Butterworth (Treasurer and data protection lead) Duncan Robertson (Secretary) Mike Rogers (Safeguarding lead) Chris Woods Keith Mortimer.
Our constitution requires that 1/3 of trustees stand down each AGM in rotation and stand for re-election if they wish. Duncan Robertson and Keith Mortimer are standing down. Duncan Robertson is standing for re-election. Rachel Dutton is standing for election.
If you are interested in becoming a trustee please contact the Trust via Email info@wildcolerne.org
Our Policies on Safeguarding, Inclusion, Health and Safety and Data Protection are reviewed by the Trustees each year and can be viewed via the website (or on request).
Steering Committee
Trustees plus Karen Brzezcki, Catherine Dixon, Rachael Dutton, Jane Mellet, Susi Bancroft and Katie Butterworth.
Membership and Social Media Communication
Subscription paying members: 19 Wild Colerne email list: 155 (35 new).
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Wild Colerne Facebook membership has grown from 219 to 277.
Wild Colerne also has an Instagram and Tik Tok account.
Our website wildcolerne.org includes lots of wildlife and biodiversity information, an Event Diary, Photo Gallery, Nature News and Nature’s Calendar blogs.
Examples of links with others
Colerne CE Primary School’s Eco School projects Colerne St John the Baptist Eco Church work Wiltshire Climate Alliance Cotswold Wardens Corsham Area Hedgehog Rescue
Wild Colerne is represented on the Parish Council’s Working Group for Climate and Biodiversity.
Funding support 2023/24
We are grateful to the Wildflower Society for a grant of £500 to fund our wildflower work with Colerne Primary School.
Projects and activities
Wildflowers were our main focus this year
“In England, on average one plant goes extinct per county every two years”.
Our Aims for the year were:
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To draw attention to the wonderful wildflowers in our Parish to reduce “plant blindness” in our community.
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To build the connection with wild plants which comes from a knowledge of plant names and their stories.
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To highlight the silent disappearance/decline of our wildflowers, why this is happening and implications for the survival of our insect pollinators, birds and bats.
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To highlight the importance, and cumulative size of gardens as vital habitat for our struggling wildlife.
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To help normalise the more nature friendly garden and verge management which is vital for helping our wildlife survive.
1. Wildflower patches projects
1 in 5 of our wildflower species are at risk of extinction. There are 20 million gardens in the UK – a lot of potential wildflower habitat.
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100 packets of native wildflower seeds, funded by a donation were given out at a Wild Colerne stall in the Market Place in March. Children from Colerne Primary School painted the seed packets. The seed mix included annuals for results this Summer, and perennials. We hope people will be encouraged to give space for wildflowers in their gardens. We look forward to receiving feedback next year.
2. Walk to School Wildflower spotter sheet
Flowers based on a list compiled by Izzy Dixon, a former pupil on her walk to Colerne Primary school (along a route taken by many of the pupils). We are grateful to Liz House, who kindly volunteered her time to do the formatting work. The school gave out one to every family in July with an email to encourage use over the holidays. Printing funded by the Wildflower Society. 3. School Wildflower growing
Mike Rogers helped the Eco monitors from each class to sow King’s Coronation wildflower seeds in the school grounds. The seeds included uncommon annual species such as corncockle. The results were stunning
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4.School Wildflower Painting Workshop with wildflower hunts
In June we took groups of Year 5 children to learn about wildflowers they found in the school grounds. Photos of their findings were used in a Wildflower Art Workshop led by local artist Hope Blamire, who volunteered her time to help the children create some stunning artwork. Materials and botanical eye lenses funded by the Wildflower Society.
5. A weekly “Start the week with a wildflower” blog on our social media
6. Wildflower sewing project – a glorious alter cloth in the making.
Collaboration with Colerne Eco-church. Thanks to Susi Bancroft for her teaching.
Swifts
The young bell-ringing team welcomed the return of our swifts in May with filming by Aleksander Domanski. Many thanks to Roger Haynes and the ringers for establishing and continuing this tradition.
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We continue to look for Swift nests on evening Swift walks - for protection and to inform best places to site swift boxes
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Logistics explored for possible installation on swift boxes in the church tower next year.
Wild Colerne Nature Day June 23[rd]
The Market Place and churchyard were filled with Nature themed stalls. Beautiful hand-drawn wildflower illustrations were on display in the church, and a slideshow of local nature photos with birdsong.
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Children’s Activities
May: “make a swift” crafting on our May Fair stall. August: Free nature activity session at the rec.
December: Wild Colerne and the SHINE group at Colerne church are jointly hosting a tree at the Christmas Tree Festival in December. Our tree will have a “nature and sustainable Christmas” theme with the children making the decorations.
Talks/films
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June: “Life in our Brooks” explored the good, the bad and the ugly of our waterways. The village Hall was packed.
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October: A water themed Film night at the Liberal Club.
Monthly nature walks
Monthly Bird walks, Tree appreciation and Butterfly walks, plus Bat walks. Moth Trap reveal
Thanks to Keith Mortimer and Chris Woods for leading and sharing their knowledge.
Monthly pub socials for informal nature chat.
Some Plans for the future
a) School
We are again joining forces with Colerne Primary school. The theme will be butterflies and moths. Lots of fun to be had looking for munching caterpillars and the adults in flight. A follow on from our wildflower project, highlighting and creating what they need to support their whole life cycle.
b) Wildwaters River Festival May 31[st] to June 15[th]
We are joining 12 other Councils, including Box, along the River Avon and its tributaries to celebrate our waterways and highlight the urgency of restoring our river’s health. Ideas welcome for water themed activities/talks/films to include.
c) Climate and biodiversity themed films and talks.
d) We hope to produce Tree Trail walking maps, with assistance from Bob Child
This will be a two-year project to identify which trees to include, prepare the maps for printing. This will require funding.
Nominations of favourite trees to include, or ideas on funding welcome.
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Starting balance £813 Income Subscriptions £130 Donations £40 Events £83 Grants £2,500 Total £2753 Expenditure Equipment £1137 Insurance £100 Venue Hire £50 Speaker fee £25 Total £1312 Balance carried forward £2102