Burton Conservation Volunteers SOCIAL EVENTS As well as a busy work schedule, we also have social events throughout the year including walks for charity and for fun, theatre trips, quizzes, and the annual Christmas Party. We also combine weekend social trips with conservation work: last year we spent a weekend working at a National Trust site in Shropshire.

SOCIAL EVENTS GUIDE 2009-10

Our major walk this year was on Britain's newest long-distance path, The Geopark Way – a 109-mile trail which runs from Bridgnorth in Shropshire to Gloucester Cathedral, taking us through the Severn Valley Country Park and over the Malverns and the Worcestershire Beacon. A good variety of terrain and landscapes, excellent weather, and good cider along the way! Click here for pictures from the walk (and various links).

Ideas for 2010 include the Speyside Way and/or the Great Glen Way.

Shakespeare’s Globe

Arranged for Saturday 5th September but now fully booked.

Jo will also be organising her Gourmet evenings and will keep you informed on these.

Go Ape – fancy swinging through the treetops? Go Ape have opened a course at Cannock Chase. We could organise a session if anyone’s interested. £25 per person, groups of 15 or less. www.goape.co.uk

	NEW YEAR WALK Sunday 4th January 2009 Our first event of the year was a nice varied 10-mile circular walk starting in Alrewas, and taking us via the edge of Yoxall village and later Fradley Junction. The walk included sections of the Way for the Millennium (a trail which extends across the width of Staffordshire), the River Trent, and the Trent & Mersey Canal. The route also took in various National Forest plantations and one or two previous BCV task sites, notably the steps at Jerusalem Hill and our plantation at Milnholme Pingle by the old Yoxall Bridge. It was bitterly cold (don’t be deceived by the shorts in the picture!) with sub-zero temperatures for just about the whole day, and the Fradley reservoir was completely frozen over, but at least it meant the ground – normally muddy in places – was good and firm.
The highlight was the lunch stop halfway round where Lynn and Mike supplied hot soup and jacket potatoes which were much appreciated by everyone. We also had time to stop later for tea & cakes at the excellent Fradley Junction café (or a beer or two at The Swan for those who preferred). It was a good turnout of 18 people, and we even had a guest appearance from Mark for the first section, as the route happened to pass his house and Shane managed to drag him out! Top picture: Setting off from Alrewas Above: Swarbourn Meadow viewpoint Right: Canal towpath between Fradley Junction and Alrewas

DALES WAY (May 2008)

Ten members of the Burton Conservation Volunteers, ably assisted by our driver Martin, completed an 82-mile trek along the Dales Way.

The walk starts in the Yorkshire town of Ilkley, and runs alongside the beautiful River Wharfe for the first two or three days, with the odd section of limestone upland along the way. After a tougher day of 16 miles over the Pennines we soon arrived in Dentdale. The walk then follows the Dee, Lune and Kent valleys, with a few rolling hills in between, giving some fine views of the Lakeland fells in the distance. The walk finishes at Bowness on Lake Windermere.

Read a day-by-day report of the walk on Shaun’s website.

MAMMAL WALK (Feb 2008) The latest small mammal walk, on the Shobnall to Horninglow section of the Trent and Mersey Canal, only revealed two animals present in the 39 humane traps laid along the canal path, which was some way short of the success rate of previous surveys. Maybe it was the bitterly cold conditions, or it could be because we were a little over-generous with the amount of food and bedding material crammed into some of the boxes. The mammals we did find were both wood mice – one male and one female. One very encouraging find though was evidence of otters at the Dallow bridge, indicated by remains of droppings around three weeks old.

Pictures from the previous mammal walks: Branston Water Park (Feb 2006) Trent Washlands (Nov 2006)

WALKS FOR 2008

The Welsh 3000’s (all 15 Welsh peaks over 3000 feet) over the first May Bank Holiday weekend – good training for the Dales Way! The walk splits nicely into three sections – one section each day. For a description of the walk go to http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/m/sp/walk_b_3002.php.

A weekend in the Lakes camping in Langdale with an ascent of Jack’s Rake on the Saturday and a scouting trip down the Dales Way on the Sunday. March 14th to 16th. For a description of the Jack’s Rake ascent go to http://www.walkingbritain.co.uk/walks/walks/walk_b/2042/.

DALES WAY WALK May 23rd to June 1st 2008 (Whitsun half-term week). The Dales Way is a long distance footpath of around 80 miles from Ilkley to Bowness-on-Windermere. Click here for the rough itinerary. Dales Way website

The Great Glen Way walk (originally planned for February 2008) will be put back until a later date when more people are available.

LLAMA PANORAMA

The 2008 New Year walk was a bit different: a trek with llamas! After meeting the llamas at their base, and a quick groom and feed, it was off to Catton for a trek around the lovely hillside setting of Catton Park. Five of the llamas came with us, and with around 20 of us they were a bit outnumbered! We took turns to guide the llamas. Some of them were more enthusiastic than others – Mustard the baby of the group was less than keen (as mustard) and needed persuasion to keep moving. We stopped at a nice lunch spot, which also gave the llamas a chance to graze, before returning. An excellent and unique walk. More pictures here.

NATIONAL OSTEOPOROSIS SOCIETY OPEN DAY Below are some pictures of an open day that Lynn held at her house over Christmas 2007 to raise funds for the National Osteoporosis Society. There was lots going on including wellie-wanging (picture 1 is not good due to light differences, but does show a wellie mid-wang), hot beef and sausage sandwiches, mulled wine etc. Thanks to all who supported the event which raised £230 (plus a generous donation of £200) making a magnificent total of £430. Thanks to the generous support of neighbours with their engines and tractors the event had something for all (hopefully?) We also raised an additional £50 from a collection at the BCV Christmas Meal.

Message of thanks from the Osteoporosis Society:

Dear Lawrence, May I first thank you for spending so much of your own time escorting us around Branston Water Park, both sessions were very informative and much appreciated. It was great to meet up with you as you supported us again at the Wellie Wanging event organised by Lynn. As you are very much aware, all proceeds and donations were to a fund that hopes to purchase an ultrasound scanner for Dr Laxminarayan at Queens Hospital Burton. Finally Lawrence I would appreciate it if you could pass on a heartfelt thanks to the Burton Conservation Group who donated £50 to the fund instead of buying Christmas presents, their generosity is very much appreciated.

Take care all, look forward to meeting up again and once again thank you.

Mary and the Burton Branch Of National Osteoporosis Society 

SOCIAL ACTIVITIES 2007
The following social trips took place – pictures to follow hopefully.

· An activity weekend in South Wales – Brecon and Chepstow areas – May Day bank holiday

· A week in Cornwall, late May/early June 2007, staying at a hill farm.

· A 3-day walk along the River Minnow from Monmouth to Hay-on-Wye.

· A trip to London in August to see Love’s Labours Lost at The Globe.

More details here (new window)

Our New Year's walk (Jan 2007) around the Yoxall area took in no fewer than six of our previous work sites en route, including Jerusalem Hill steps and Yoxall Lodge. More details and pictures here.

We enjoyed another excellent Small Mammal Walk (Nov 2006) organised by ESBC and led by the Mammal Society, this time around the Burton Mail Centenary Woodland and Trent Washlands. We found four wood mice, and also some evidence of other species, including harvest mice nests. More details and pictures here.

A rather damp barbecue on the BCV Allotment (Aug 2006). More pictures here.

New Year's walk, Jan 2006. A circular walk from Melbourne, via Staunton Harold and Calke Park.

A training weekend in the Brecon Beacons formed part of our preparations for the River Wye Source-to-Sea challenge (May 2006). More pictures here.

Setting off on the canoeing section of our River Wye Source-to-Sea Challenge (May-June 2006), in which we hiked and canoed the entire 136-mile length of the River Wye in just 10 days, in aid of Saxon Hill School’s sensory garden. Full day-by-day report and pictures on Shaun’s website.

At the end of our 110-mile coast-to-coast walk from Uphill in Somerset to Old Harry Rocks in Dorset (May/June 2005). More pictures and links

A training walk on the Roaches, in preparation for the coast-to-coast walk. We got plenty of practice lifting the buggy over boulders and stiles. (May 2005)

Another training walk, from Staunton Harold Reservoir to Ashby via Calke Park, and back along part of the Ivanhoe Way (May 2005). More pictures here.

BCV usually enters at least one team in the Holy Trinity School Quiz. For reports of previous quizzes, click here.

Sponsored hike on the West Highland Way
and Ben Nevis in 2004, for Saxon Hill Special School. For detailed reports of the walk, visit Shaun's website.

We constructed this five-bar gate and kissing gate during a weekend at Severn Valley Country Park in 2004.

Heather Hike 2004 for Staffs Wildlife Trust on Cannock Chase

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