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.
March was an exciting time, as with the days getting longer - and with everything crossed, the weather calming down - we were able to welcome the Young Carers back to the woods. The young people were amazing and we truly did have some wonderful sessions. The weather was slightly temperamental...and the minibus got stuck in the mud! - but that aside it was fabulous to see the young people so relaxed in the woods. We saw singing around the firepit, amazing SAS style den building, awesome exploring and wonderful friendships. Here's to the Summer term and making memories.
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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Wed 10th Apr - Start of Sow, Grow, Plant (see below) - Collect your at-home wildflower kit from Augusta Park Community Centre 10:30am - 1pm
Sat 20th Apr - Citizen Science - Tree ID (see below)
Sat 27th Apr - Craft Workshop - Mini craftsWed 10th Apr -
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 below)
Sat 25th May - Craft Workshop - Mosaic coasters
Sat 1st Jun - Music in the Woods Workshop - (email wendy.davis@andovertrees.org.uk to book a place)
Fri 14th Jun - Music in the Woods Rehearsal
Sat 15th Jun - Music in the Woods 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)
Monthly Community Volunteer Conservation Days:
Sat 9th Mar - Harmony Woods - Mulching & 'beating up' trees
Sat 13th Apr - Harmony Woods - We are at the end of winter and heading into spring and, with our Kings Award for Voluntary Service Award presentation just around the corner, there are not only seasonal tasks that need doing, there are now also many important landscaping jobs that urgently need our attention.
If you possibly can, please lend a hand to get our wood and the area around the Cabin looking as good as we can make it.
Thank you
Sat 11th May - Vigo Road allotment - Wildflower seedling potting up
Sat 8th June - Harmony Woods - King's Big Help Out
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We have 'Grow it at Home Wildflower Kits,' Help us to raise 3000 wildflower plants for planting in the wood. All growers get to keep plants for their own gardens. Collect your kit from Augusta Park Community Centre April 10th 10:30am-1:00pm or we can deliver.
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FUNDRAISING EVENT: SUPPER WITH THE AUCTION OF PROMISES 2024
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Support our work and help us to raise essential funds.
Contact liz.scrace@andovertrees.org.uk for tickets, to offer a promise for the auction or for further information
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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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MUSIC IN THE WOODS - VOICES IN HARMONY 2024
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Join workshops led by acclaimed English folk musician Jackie Oates
https://www.jackieoates.co.uk/ and join an inter-generational pop-up choir and sing songs of trees, woodlands and meadows in Harmony Woods.
Workshop Saturday June 1st 9:30-1:30 ~ Rehearsal Friday June 14th 6:30-8:30 ~ Concert Harmony Woods Saturday 15th June (afternoon or early evening - to be decided).
Cost £5 per person ~ 16 years & under free N.B. Dates are fixed, times may change slightly
Contact wendy.davis@andovertrees.org.uk to book a place or for further information.
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Did you know we have TWO live crowdfunding projects? And that this month you can...
INCREASE THE VALUE OF YOUR DONATIONS!
little x little Apr 8th - 12th
Donate up to £40 to either of our crowdfunded projects and Global Giving will increase it by 50% and you can claim GiftAid!
N.B. donations before or after will not qualify for the 50% bonus
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Our School Tree Planting is now in it's 12th year, which is an awesome achievement! This year, we are delighted that some of the schools have taken on the wonderful task of looking after, nurturing and learning about the trees over the course of a year. Smannell and Enham, Clatford CofE, Knight Enham, Portway Juniors and the Skylark Federation have all planted saplings in their nursery beds on their school sites.
The children will then carefully lift the trees in November and transport them to Bury Hill to be planted out in their final position. We hope the children will continue to visit their trees and observe over the decades the wonderful specimens that they will become.
If you are an Andover Trees United Tree planting school and are interested in looking after some trees next year at school, please do let me know on joanna.oliver-hawkins@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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