Come and celebrate the beauty and biodiversity of one of the Island's rarest habitats at the Isle of Wight Heathlands Week 6th - 12th September.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust will be running several special events over the course of next week at sites across the Island giving you the chance to explore and find out more about some of our hidden heathland treasures.

Activities as follows:

Tuesday 7 Heathlands week: Botany and battery at Bouldnor Forest 10am - 12.30pm We'll explore Bouldnor Forest looking at the Flora, Fauna and archaeology of this historic part of the Island's northwest coast. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Wear old clothes, wellies and waterproofs. No dogs please. Leader Richard Grogan, Wildlife Trust Tel 533180 Meet Follow to forest parking site near track from main road to SOL training site GR 378 896 Cost Donations welcomed.

Wednesday 8 Heathlands week: Heathland
at St George’s Down 10am - 12.30pm A walk along the Bembridge Trail to look at heathland restoration at St George’s Down. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Wear wellies or stout footwear. No dogs please. Booking essential Leader Richard Grogan, Wildlife Trust Tel 533180 Meet Newport Golf Club GR 511 872 Cost Donations welcomed.

Thursday 9 Heathlands week: Heathland Haven 10.30am - 1pm A walk through the countryside at Cranmore including the Wildlife Trust’s nature reserve at Ningwood Common to look at wildlife and heathland restoration. Wellies advisable. Five stiles to negotiate Leader Chris Archbold Tel 529199 Meet Ningwood Recycling Centre GR 401 892 Cost Donations welcomed.

Sunday 12 Heathlands week: Isle of Wight heathlands day 11am - 3pm A celebration of the Isle of Wight heathlands, with walks and activities to show off the natural and cultural heritage of these wonderful wildlife havens. Part of the West Wight Landscape Partnership initiative. Children must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Wear wellies or stout footwear. No dogs please. Booking required Leader Wildlife Trust. Tel 533180 Meet Jubilee car park, Mottistone/ Brighstone GR 420 845 Cost Donations welcomed.

Despite the early showers, visitors turned out in their hundreds for the annual Fort Victoria Foray – the biggest and best yet held on the 19th August at Fort Victoria Country Park near Yarmouth.

With activities at the Fort, in the woods and on the beach there was enough to keep families busy for hours, with many staying for the whole day. 15 conservation, traditional crafts and arts organisations provided a whole range of activities including woodland crafts, forest skills, woolspinning, facepainting, bird feeder making, rockpooling and storytelling plus lots more.

On the day visitors were encouraged to explore the Naturetrail around the Country Park, observe and photograph wildlife and report findings back to the Naturespot team, who ran the Island’s first BioBlitz event at Go Wild in the Woods in June earlier this year. There were experts on hand to help people identify their finds with both visitors at the event and also followers online being updated of the growing species tally throughout the day.

In total, an amazing 358 species were recorded from the event which is an incredible achievement in such as short space of time. Some of the highlights included a huge poplar hawk moth and a Jersey tiger moth, recorded by Ian and Cath Fletcher who ran moths traps overnight.

Huge thanks to everybody who took part in the day and congratulations to the Isle of Wight Council’s Countryside Rangers for organising such a great event, looking forward to the 2011 Foray!

Images from left to right: Volucella, a large hoverfly, 11 spot ladybird, Jersey tiger moth, Poplar hawk moth

The Isle of Wight Biodiversity Partnership have supported a special Wildlife Award category in this year’s Wight in Bloom competition as part of the International Year of Biodiversity celebrations happening across the globe throughout 2010.

Gold, silver and bronze wildlife awards were presented to the three best wildlife friendly gardens in the competition at the ceremony earlier this month at the Riverside Centre.

A wildlife friendly garden is one planted to encourage wildlife and may incorporate a range of flowers or habitats which ideally provide shelter and food for a wide range of species such as birds, mammals, insects and amphibians throughout the year. Gardens cover about 6% of the Island which potentially provides a great resource for our wonderful wildlife.

The expert judges – Dave and Hazel Trevan on behalf of the IW Natural History and Archaeological Society and Nick Webb, IW Council Countryside Ranger were extremely impressed by the standard of the entrants and variety of gardens which included school wildlife spaces, community projects, businesses and private individuals - all having excellent features benefiting wildlife.

The overall winner receiving the gold award was Northwood Primary School whose enthusiasm for their wildlife space from both the pupils and staff clearly impressed the judges along with an outstanding diversity of habitats and good use of water recycling and composting.

They were closely followed by the Vectis Road allotments (VERA) in East Cowes – a community allotment where plot holders work closely together. Highlights here included the community beehive and impressive organisation of the site as a whole.

The bronze award was given to Afton Park Apple Farm who demonstrated that businesses can also do their bit for biodiversity. The nature trails, long grassed areas and multitude of wild flowers providing ideal food for insects as well as a wonderful setting for a cup of tea and a slice of cake scored highly!

Nick Webb says “The gardens the judges visited were truly inspirational from the variety of habitats at Northwood Primary School, the beehives and range of planting at Vectis Road allotments to the beautiful flower rich garden leading to the extensive orchard and meadows at Afton Park. These sites demonstrate that gardens can be beautiful and also havens for wildlife with the right design and management. Well done to all the entrants and keep up the good work.”

For more ideas on wildlife gardening and to add your garden to England’s newest communal nature reserve visit www.bwg.naturalengland.org.uk.

Images left to right: Gold winnners - Northwood Primary, Silver winners - Vectis Road Allotment holders & Bronze winners - Afton Park Apple Farm.

The cherry on the cake for our successful Island BioBlitz event was a new species being discovered on top of the amazing final species count of 447!

The Myrid Bug, Hallodapus rufescens was discovered by Dr. David Biggs, an expert from the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society. Dr Biggs had to enlist the help of the UK's top bug expert and a specialist book dating from 1923 to confirm the bug's identity.

Read the full story here.

Come along and join in a day of fun, free wildlife activities as we celebrate the Island's coast and countryside at the annual Fort Victoria Foray on Thursday 19th August 2010.

Amongst the activities this year are fossil hunting, rock pooling, wildlife gardening and willow weaving. There will also be walks in the woods and on the beach where we need you to help record all wildlife that you encounter for the naturespot activity.

So please bringing your own digital camera or camera phone so you can show us what you've spotted on the day!

The event runs from 10.30am - 4.30pm and is free. There is an overflow car park available and a free shuttle bus will also be provided from Gas Works Lane near Yarmouth Road bridge.

Further information about the day can be obtained by contacting Richard Temple at IW Council Parks and Countryside by calling (01983) 823893 or by emailing richard.temple@iow.gov.uk.