MARPLE NATURALISTS PROGRAMME: 2024-2025 is our 56th season!Are you interested in the Natural World?
Do you want to learn more about the fascinating plants and animals around us? Please join us for indoor meetings at the United Reformed Church, Hibbert Lane, Marple at 7.30pm on the first Wednesday of every month. Non-members £5.00 on the door.
Autumn-Winter 20244 September: George Jones: Derbyshire Wildlife Trust. Derwent Living Forest & The Wild Peak. A pioneering project aiming to improve woodland habitat connectivity and reduce flood risk in the Derbyshire Derwent catchment. Derwent Living Forest will kick-start the creation of a new landscape centred around the River Derwent catchment. The project will work to establish a connection between the new woodlands of the National Forest in the South & the soon-to-be established woodlands of the Northern Forest to the North.
2 October: Linda Lamon: Walking in May’s Wood. After completing a ten year photographic project with a new, native woodland owned by Sir Brian May, Linda Lamon talks about its beginnings and her journey capturing the rich biodiversity with pictures of different species of trees, insects and wildflowers within the 157 acre developing forest. Linda is also a musician and songwriter and presents the images with her own original music. There will be an opportunity for the audience to also view some printed pictures in 3D during the evening.
6 November: Chris Harrop: Tyers Hall: A mixed Yorkshire Farm’s Agri-Environmental Journey. Tyers Hall Farm is a mixed arable and livestock farm on the e Eastern side of Barnsley in South Yorkshire. As well as growing crops and grazing animals, he does lots of nature conservation work. From his woodland and extensive network of hedgerows, to field margins and other ground habitats, he aim to provide wildlife corridors allowing different species to move across the farm. Farms are a dynamic landscape, with various activities throughout the seasons, from tractor work to grazing animals, hedge laying and tree planting or felling.
4 December:
Christmas Party with a Quiz and Derek Clifford will tell us about the Brabyns Park Biodiversity Survey.
Winter-Summer 20258 January: Dr Hugh Jones: Land Flatworms: natives & aliens, the latest news of invaders! Dr Jones is a Scientific Associate at the Natural History Museum, London specialising in land flatworms. Most newly recognised species are introduced species, from Australia or New Zealand, but some are from Asia & Brazil. Some are considered invasive since they harm native fauna.
5 February: Jane Michael: Land of the Midnight Sun: A Journey through The Arctic. Jane’s talk will follow the journey that she and Don took through the Arctic from the Svalbard Archipelago via Jan Mayen Island to Greenland's east coast and on to Iceland. It will include the flora and fauna that they saw during this fascinating trip, some of it iconic such as the polar bear but also some of it very unexpected. The cruise had a strong scientific bias but the history and culture of the areas they visited were important too. It wasn't all hard work, there was lots of time for fun. So come along to find out more about this rapidly changing area.
5 March: AGM & Member’s talk: AGM followed by Group Member Eric Stead who will give us a talk on FLORIDA, a state with a multitude of nature reserves. His trip around the beautiful, swampy state of Florida looking at its varied wildlife and habitats.
2 April: Louise Bentley of Bury & Bolton Swifts: Summer Wings – Saving Swifts, Swallows & Martins. These iconic birds have lived alongside us for centuries as close companions. But how well do we know these summer visitors? Discover more about these magical migrants, as slowly they reveal their secrets to us. Find out why it’s not all bad news & how conservation measures can make a difference to our Swifts & Hirundines. This is an upbeat, highly informative, illustrated & interactive presentation.
7 May: Ron Blackburn: Travels with my Camera - A Lifetime of Wildlife Photography. A photographer from the age of 15, Ron took every opportunity to continue photographing wildlife during his 22 years in the Armed Forces. Closer to home, since then, he has been a wildlife photographer for the last 15 years and has an extensive collection of images and video footage. His images have featured in a publication of the World Owl Trust. He has many stories to tell and he speaks with knowledge & passion.
4 June: To be confirmed.July and August 2025: Summer walks. These popular walks are still to be arranged.
For further information please contact either Jane Michael on 07917 434598 or Deb Cavanagh on 07810 450764 or go to The Naturalists at the Marple Website:
https://www.marple.website/natureOr follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/marplenaturalistsMembership £25 (payable 1/9/24).
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