Take part in a moth survey as part of this year's BIOBLITZ being organised by the Queen Elizabeth Country Park
How many species can we find? What do they look like? Why do they like the conditions in our Chalk Pits Nature Reserve?
Join an expert guide to help identify as many different species as we can…
Meet at the Halls Hill Car Park (top of Kiln Lane) at 9pm.
Please bring sensible clothes, shoes, torches etc.
The Parish Council's project to encourage more wildlife in the Chalk Pits Nature Reserve - whilst providing an attractive place for local walkers to pause for a rest - commenced in October.
Funded by grants from Hampshire County Council, the South Downs National Park Authority and Heritage Lottery funding, the pond will form part of a chain of ponds including those in Queen Elizabeth Country Park and Buriton village which will be good for a wide range of wildlife.
With the three years of Lottery Funding drawing towards its close, volunteers are putting the finishing touches to their plans to look after the Chalk Pits Nature Reserve over the years ahead.
A small group of volunteers has been learning about the special species which live on the site – and deciding how best to manage each part of the old chalk quarries.
Activities for all age groups - art activities, bug hunts, family quizzes and guided walks. New for this year: "Life in Leaf Litter" - microscopes will be available so that everyone can see the wide variety of creatures that live amongst the leaves on the floor of the Nature Reserve.
Our guest expert this year will be Dr June Chatfield who has been described by Professor David Bellamy as someone whose work can help people “find that there is another Attenborough, Cousteau, Darwin or Scott waiting inside you, about to be let out.”
June will be providing the expertise for the 'Life in Leaf Litter' activities.
Our guide, Di Mitchell, assured us that birds would be singing in spite of a bit of light drizzle - and she was right ?
A number of intrepid amateur naturalists joined Di for the parish’s birdsong walk early in May, walking up the Hangers Way and into the quarry area of the Chalk Pits Nature Reserve.
We heard Blackbirds calling to each other across the site, a very loud wren – ridiculously loud for their size – Chaffinch, Robin, Song Thrush and Gold Finch.
Spend an enchanting evening in one of our Local Nature Reserves and emerge much wiser about the distinctive bird songs of many of our local species.
Buriton resident and natural history expert Di Mitchell will be leading a guided tour – and there should be opportunities to look at a range of different wild orchids too.
Meet at 6.30pm at Buriton village pond – and please remember to wear suitable shoes as parts of the site are steep.
About 30 villagers and families attended the special event in the village hall in February to learn about how we should manage a special little Nature Reserve like the Buriton Chalk Pits.
Martin Healey, an expert from East Hampshire District Council, gave an illustrated talk complete with a homemade ‘landscape’ and torch. He used these to show how the various lumps and bumps in the Chalk Pits create very different habitats depending on the angle of the sun (torch).
Francesca Concannon's exhibition runs from 1st March to 14th April
A relative newcomer to the area, Francesca Concannon soon became involved in the Buriton Chalk Pits project and has led children’s art workshops as part of community Open Days and also with Buriton Primary School.
As part of the Parish Council's lottery-funded Chalk Pits project, an audio guide is being produced for schools across the area.
The educational resource will explain how the site was used as a chalk quarry and limeworks. As well as a professional narrator, a number of characters are being recorded – each describing different aspects of this local work.
Have you ever wondered why the Buriton Chalk Pits were designated as a Local Nature Reserve? What is it about the habitats there that make it a very special place for some plants and wildlife? Come to the Village Hall for a brief introductory talk by District Council expert Martin Healey before a short guided tour of the site followed by feedback and discussion in one of the pubs.
Please contact Doug Jones (01730 231326 or doug.pam@btinternet.com) to confirm your place - numbers are needed for food in the pub ...
