25 Year Plan for the Environment Meeting with Michael Gove, MP and Daniel Raven-Ellison
On 2nd November, the Natural Surrey Heath event took place in front of a full house at Camberley Theatre. The event was supported by the Trust, the Camberley Society and others including Surrey Heath Tree Wardens.
Mike Swaddling, the Trust's Marketing Manager was MC, while Colin Wilson, our Vice-Chair, set the scene with a description of the appalling losses in wildlife in recent times. He told us that The 2018 Living Planet Report, produced jointly by the World Wildlife Fund and the Zoological Society of London, shows that habitat loss and degradation, overfishing, pollution, and soil degradation have resulted in 60 percent drop in the populations of non-human vertebrate life forms.
Michael Gove then took over the same theme and the action on the environment the government is pursuing through the governments 25 Year Plan to Improve the Environment. Amongst other things, he talked about Natural Capital and the need to appreciate what we have and look to enhance it, and this was a recurring theme throughout the meeting. Natural Capital is the world’s stocks of natural assets which include geology, soil, air, water and all living things. It is from this natural capital we derive a wide range of services, often called ecosystem services, which make human life possible.
Marc Turner and Adam Wallace of Natural England talked about what is being done in Surrey Heath by Natural England to support Nature. The main theme from them was the need to recover some of what has been lost and for all of us to value nature more as Natural Capital.
Daniel Raven-Ellison, guerrilla geographer, urban explorer and inspirational founder of the London National Park City Project then inspired us with a talk about the vision and movement to make the capital greener, healthier and wilder. He spoke of the need to make many small actions to improve nature around us, such as caring for our urban gardens, so they can be a great resource for wildlife.
A short panel session took place and finally, a call to action for all of us was made by Colin Wilson. We all have to understand Nature is in serious trouble and we must take action to start repairing our losses now.
This theme will be continued urgently by the Trust and Natural Surrey Heath because our whole eco-system is under threat and only massive support from the public will ensure action in time.
Walks
2 guided walks are planned for November 2018.
The first will be on Saturday, 17th November, starting from the Wellington Statue car park in Aldershot, GU11 1QA, and heading up to Caesar's Camp - length about 5 miles. Our walk leader Paul promises not only the spectacular view from the top but also visits to the main ponds and the reservoir.
Then a week later on 24th November, in an event to mark National Tree Week, Paul will guide you around the new Wellesley Woodland areas - again about 5 miles. It covers the three main areas of the newly accessible woodlands and runs for a while along the canal. The starting point is again the Wellington Statue.
Both walks start at 10 a.m. No booking is necessary so you can just turn up on the day, but keep an eye on our Facebook page (see below) for further details.
A guided walk will take place between Christmas and New Year. Further details will be published soon.
In winter and after wet weather, we advise you to bring suitable clothing and wellington boots or stout walking boots to cope with muddy sections.
Please keep checking our Facebook page for news and full details of these events.
Exclusive Member Only Winter Birdwatching Tour
On December 5th, the Trust invites its members to a special day of finding winter birds in our Valley. Aided by experts and hopefully some benign weather, we will visit a minimum of three top birdwatching sites by bus and will enjoy a prepared hot lunch along the way.
Places are limited for this event, so early registration is recommended. Further details and booking information is here.
Events in 2019
We are currently planning an exciting programme of interesting new events for 2019. Please keep checking our Facebook page for news and full details of those events.
Our Annual General Meeting
Our AGM will take place on 14th March 2019 at 7.30p.m. at the Sandhurst Community Hall.
We are pleased to announce that our guest speaker will be Anne Brummer, 2018 winner of the Animal Hero Awards. Anne runs Harper Asprey Wildlife Rescue Centre in Surrey, which last year cared for more than 1,600 creatures. She also runs the Save Me Trust with Dr. Brian May, which exists to give wild animals a voice. Anne will talk about the Amazing Grace campaign, which is trying to save our native hedgehogs.
Further details will be published soon.
Help Us Run Our Events
The Trust is run by a small team of dedicated but busy volunteers. Help with running events is very welcome – we always need help with collecting donations/charges, handing out BVCT leaflets, or acting as back marker to walks. If you can help, please get in touch by emailing new-events@bvct.org.uk
