The Wight Summer Walks and events programme is now available.

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust co-ordinate the Wight Winter and Wight Summer Walks booklets.

These contain listings of coast and countryside events on which local experts share their knowledge and special understanding of natural and local history and conservation on guided walks and practical activities for Islanders and visitors of all ages.

It’s a chance to explore the wonderful and unique coast and countryside of the Island during friendly outings in the company of fellow walkers.

The Biodiversity Partnership, together with the AONB partnership, will be holding a Bioblitz event for the third year running.

On Wednesday 25th July we will be at the National Trust carpark at Compton Bay, on the Military Road all day from 10.30 a.m. to 4.30 p.m.
There will be activities looking for clifftop flowers and butterflies, fossils and rock pooling. There will be displays from conservation organisations and iSpot and we will be recording as many different plants and animals as we can find during the day. Come along and take part.

If you are a recorder, please do drop by for a while to spot wildlife to add to our species list, and help others with their ID skills if you like.

Make a note in your diaries, see you down there!

Link: http://www.hedgehogstreet.org/pages/hibernation-survey.html

New hibernation survey starts 1 February 2012

The People's Trust for Endangered Species (PTES) and the British Hedgehog Preservation Society (BHPS) are appealing to people to take part in a new wildlife survey to help determine whether climate change is having an impact on when hedgehogs emerge from hibernation and how this might be affecting their survival.  

Last year, The State of Britain’s Hedgehogs, an independent study confirmed that hedgehog populations have plummeted by at least a quarter over the last decade. The decline of the species is attributed to a number of environmental factors, but with more extreme weather fluctuations recorded in recent seasons, might climate change be another contributing issue? 

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Link: http://www.iwhg.org/competition.html

The Isle of Wight Hedgelaying Competition 2012 is on Saturday 25 February 2012: 1000 until 1500. Prizes will be presented at approx. 1530.

Location: New Barn Farm, Calbourne (on main road towards Newport). Map

Interested in entering? Download the form here.

The 20th Annual IW Hedgelaying Competition is to be held on Saturday 25th February 2012 from 10:00am until 3:30pm. This year’s site is at New Barn Farm, Sunhill, Calbourne, Isle of Wight PO30 4JA, off the main Newport-Calbourne road. (Grid ref SZ43418687). The site is provided by kind consent of Mr. Chris Spence.

Entry is free for competitors and observers; spectators are welcome. As usual there will be a glittering display of prizes and a very good chance of winning one.

Competition website

Lead sponsors this year:
Landscape Therapy; IW AONB;
Hants & IW Wildlife Trust, West Wight Landscape Partnership

The 6th Isle of Wight Recorders’ Conference is on Saturday 28th January 2012

2 - 4.30pm at the Community Centre, Main Rd, Arreton

Speakers

ispot - an online nature community that connects beginners with experts and fellow enthusiasts: Bob Ford, OU south-east region mentor

Submitting your records: Colin Pope Chairman IWNHAS recording Committee

Marine recording projects: Dr Roger Herbert, IWNHAS marine recorder & Bournemouth University

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