NATURE NURTURE PROJECT
The Nature Nurture Project is a project designed to help local children and young people to connect with nature. It is funded by the HiWCF Flourishing Communities grant, and will allow groups of young people to design their own project at Harmony Woods.
We also wish to thank TNL https://www.tnlcommunityfund.org.uk/ for generous funding that allows us to employ supporting staff.
Read a monthly roundup of the sessions here: www.andovertrees.org.uk/blog-list/2023/10/nature-nurture-2023-24
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VOLUNTEER CONSERVATION DAYS
We have a volunteer workday every Monday morning throughout the year, except bank holidays, and the second Saturday of every month. If you would like to join us for practical conservation work looking after the woods and be part of a friendly team, get in touch with terri.forbes@andovertrees.org.uk.
Visit our 'Digging It' blog to find out what our Volunteer Conservation Teams have been up to recently: https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/blog-list/diggingit2
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NATURE IN HARMONY EXCHANGE PROJECT
Our team of young environmentalists who make up the Nature in Harmony Exchange Project (NIHEP) are all aged between 13 and 18 and meet on the second Saturday of each month in Harmony Woods for activities related to ecology, conservation, and woodland management.
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NATURE EXPLORERS - EASTER
It was with great excitement that we prepared for our Easter activity sessions and it was wonderful for us to enjoy the signs of new life with so many young people.
During the week, our older explorers carefully explored the woods and the pond, and then discovered the joys of foraging! Our youngest explorers created clay owls, nests built in the trees and wonderful charcoal paint creations.
Read more here:https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/blog-list/2024/4/22/nature-explorers-easter-2024
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Happy Earth Day! As the world celebrates Earth Day, Andover Trees United and National Geographic Learning have joined forces to embark on an exciting collaboration aimed at environmental conservation and sustainable development.
This Earth Day (April 22nd) Andover Trees United’s Volunteer Conservation Team and National Geographic Learning came together to begin improvements to the eastern end of the Diamond Woods. Earth Day is all about environmental protection and what better way to demonstrate that than creating fencing out of natural materials to help not only protect the endangered Skylark during their nesting season, but also beginning to prepare the eastern end of the wood ready for calcareous (chalk) meadow creation.
Read more here: https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/news-list/2024/4/23/happy-earth-day
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TREE ID SESSION - CITIZEN SCIENCE
We had our first Citizen Science session of 2024, focusing on tree identification, led by our Ecology Intern Katie. By looking at specific parts of each tree, such as teh buds, flowers and leaves, the group walked around the woods identifying as many trees as they could. This included species such as Hazel, Wild Cherry, Field Maple and Rowan.
We are looking forward to the next Citizen Science session, whihc will focus on Bird ID. For more information or to sign up to future session please contact our Ecology Intern Katie to find out more - katie.sell@andovertrees.org.uk
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This month, in a bid to raise several thousand wildflower plants from seed, we have begun seed sowing on the allotment and delivering wildflower sow and grow kits to local households. The wonderful children from the Skylark federation created some beautiful artwork of our native wildflowers, before lending their helping hands to sow hundreds of red campion seeds. It was lovely to have so much help from children, staff and parents. We look forward to seeing them at Harmony woods in the autumn to plant out the flowers.
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Youth members help at A-fest
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We attended A-Fest on Sunday, and what a fantastic turn out! It was amazing to engage with so many members of the community, both old and young! We really loved hearing all your thoughts on climate change and your hopes for the planet's future. Thank you to all the organisers for having us. We hope to see you again next year!
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Sat 18th May - Citizen Science - Bird ID (email katie.sell@andovertrees.org.uk for more information)
Fri 24th May - IMPORTANT FUNDRAISER Supper with the Auction of Promises (see above)
Sat 25th May - Craft Workshop - Mosaic coasters
Sat 1st Jun - Voices in Harmony Workshop - (see below)
Fri 14th Jun - Voices in Harmony Rehearsal
Sat 15th Jun - Voices in Harmony Concert
Sat 15th Jun - Citizen Science - Wildflower Walk (as above)
Sun 16th Jun - Nominate us as your chosen charity and Cycle Around the Circuit (email Christopher.lynn36@gmail.com to book - see below)
Sat 20th Jul - Citizen Science - Bug Hunt (as above)
Sun 21st Jul - Carnival time!! (see below)
Volunteer Conservation Days
Every Monday, 10:00 - 1:00
Harmony Woods or Allotment - email terri.forbes@andovertrees.org.uk for more information.
Monthly Community Volunteer Conservation Days:
Sat 11th May - Vigo Road allotment - Wildflower work and allotment maintenance
Sat 8th June - Harmony Woods - King's Big Help Out
Sat 13th July - Vigo Road allotment- Wildflower Potting On
Email terri.forbes@andovertrees.org.uk for more information.
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CHECK OUT MAY'S CITIZEN SCIENCE BELOW!
Join Katie, our Ecology Intern for 2024 and an avid twitcher!
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FAMILY FUN CYCLE AROUND THE CIRCUIT
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Do you like cycling? Would you like to raise funds for Andover Trees United? Here’s how you can combine the two!
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LET’S MAKE MUSIC! REMEMBERING PAUL SARTIN & SARAH MORGAN
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In 2022 we celebrated 10 years of tree planting, woodland creation, the contributions of 10000 children and the wider community that made this possible by bringing our voices together in Harmony. https://www.andovertrees.org.uk/voices-in-harmony
Led by Paul Sartin, Jackie Oates and Justin Wiggan, new Tree Shanties were written, songs old and new were learned, the late and much-loved folk musician and tree-lover Sarah Morgan was remembered and together we celebrated our young wood in song. Tragically, within two months of the concert, Paul had died, but his music and the memories of working and singing with him live on.
This year, helped by the lovely Jackie Oates, we will start to make good on the promise we made at that first concert to provide opportunities for us to come together in song every year, in the wood, to enjoy and celebrate the natural world and our musical traditions.
PLEASE WILL YOU HELP TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
Join workshops led by acclaimed English folk musician Jackie Oates and help form an inter-generational pop-up choir, singing songs of trees, woodlands and meadows in Harmony Woods.
Workshop Saturday June 1st 10:00-1:00
Rehearsal Friday June 14th 6:30-8:30
Perform Harmony Woods Saturday 15th June 2:30-3:30
Cost £5 per person ~ 16 years & under £2
Contact wendy.davis@andovertrees.org.uk to book a place or for further information.
PERFORMANCE DAY
Bring-a-Picnic, Follow the Flowery Nature Trail, Listen to Music, Afternoon Tea
Tickets £10 – Concessions for children/ families/ seniors will be available
Contact wendy.davis@andovertrees.org.uk to book your tickets or for further information.
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We are entering a wildflower themed LandRover and walking team in the Carnival Sunday 21st July - help needed to create and put together a wildflower bees and butterflies design, decorate the Land Rover and dress up accordingly. Interested or know somebody who might be? Contact amy.inglis@andovertrees.org.uk
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What's your favourite wildflower?
Lowland Chalk Meadow wildflowers are declining in the UK. Did you know that the Diamond Woods has calcareous grassland and is home to many of these endangered species?
We would love to know which of our 6 key flowers in Harmony Woods - Cowslip, Dog-violet, Primrose, Lady's bedstraw, Oxeye daisy, or Bird's-foot trefoil - is your favourite.
Take the poll and have your say! https://forms.gle/163pVAmsrFuz3xGs6
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Our Ecology Intern creates the 'Nature Spot' social media posts to highlight different species that have been seen in the Diamond Woods. The most recent is shown here (click on the image to see it in more detail), and you can see previous ones on our Facebook and Instagram accounts. And if you don't have a social media account, you can still see them on Instagram! Just go to www.instagram.com/andover_trees/
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Current opportunities:
- We would like to hear from experienced people with good species ID knowledge to help the Ecology Intern with surveying birds, pollinators, wildflowers, and butterflies, between April and September, mostly on Sundays. Please email katie.sell@andovertrees.org.uk if interested.
- WANTED! Wildflower lovers to sow seeds at home from April onwards. Kits provided. Help us to raise 3000 wildflower plants from seed to add to the meadows in the wood. All growers will be able to keep a few plants for their own use. Email abbey.sadler@andovertrees.org.uk if interested.
Volunteering with us is a great way to contribute to action against climate change and biodiversity loss, and to make a difference in the local community and we welcome volunteers with many different skills, including:
- General conservation
- IT / tech
- Event organisation and support
- Running creative sessions
- Plant propagation
- Leafleting
- DIY and construction
- Legal advice
- Fundraising
- ... and more! If you have the time, we can use it :-)
We are very happy to arrange volunteering days for corporate groups, particularly during our Schools' Planting Weeks in November / December.
Please get in touch if you can help by emailing volunteers@andovertrees.org.uk. Any specific opportunities will be listed on our Ways To Help webpage as well as in this newsletter.
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www.andovertrees.org.uk
Registered Charity Number: 1167574
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