Waterworld
15th Mar 2016 by jools
Orchid Glade is still under water, but that did not deter Laurie Forsyth from making his March visit to see what’s unfurling on site. You can read his report in the Seasonal Diary.
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March arrives at our Fromus reserve
11th Mar 2016 by jools
It’s all about the water at the moment. Lots of it at our Fromus Reserve, and you can read Laurie Forsyth’s update in the Seasonal Diary.
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February at Fromus
3rd Mar 2016 by jools
A series of traffic-related obstacles prevented the (almost) indefatigable Laurie Forsyth from getting to our Fromus Reserve this month. So we have two “guest-bloggers” – Janey & Rose – who share their observations of the site in February 2016 in the Seasonal Diary. It was a muddy experience for both of them, and if you can ID this scat (below left) you will make Rose a happy lady!
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February in Orchid Glade
22nd Feb 2016 by jools
Wendy Cope might find February “chill and drear”, but you can find some heart-warming prose and signs of burgeoning life in Laurie Forsyth’s February report from Orchid Glade in the Seasonal Diary.
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Better late than never!
15th Feb 2016 by jools
You can now find January’s report for Orchid Glade in the Seasonal Diary, courtesy of the unfailing Laurie Forsyth. Additionally, Jerry Bowdrey’s records from our Fromus Reserve in 2015 are now up on the Species Lists page. There are some local and notable species amongst them!
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January
21st Jan 2016 by jools
New year, new postings: Laurie Forsyth has been to see our old friends Kestrel, Buzzard and Mrs. Bullfinch at Simpson’s Fromus Valley, and tells us all about it in the Seasonal Diary.
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Big Garden Birdwatch
10th Jan 2016 by jools
Happy New Year!
It may seem grey and gloomy and wet, and as if nothing much is happening in January, but we DO have the RSPB “Big Garden Birdwatch” to look forward to the last weekend of January. Set yourself up with a cosy observation post and count the birds – what could be nicer than a spot of backyard twitching?
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Merry Christmas!
18th Dec 2015 by jools
The weather outside may not be frightful, but Christmas is certainly coming nonetheless. We wish you a very warm and wonderful Christmas and a superlatively merry New Year. Don’t forget – you can still finish off your Christmas shopping by visiting our stall at the Snape Maltings Farmer’s Market tomorrow.
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Orchid Glade and Simpson’s Fromus Valley in December
17th Dec 2015 by jools
Laurie Forsyth has been a most faithful guardian of our reserves this year. Every month he has diligently visited, documented, photographed and reported upon the sights, sounds and seasonal changes wrought at Orchid Glade and Simpson’s Fromus Valley – along with the weather! We have a wonderful accumulation of information, imagery, species identification and often pure poetry in the Seasonal Diary, where you can now find the last two reports of the year. We invite you to review this gorgeous display, and join us in thanking Laurie for a wonderful collection of vignettes to tempt phenologists for years to come.
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NEW BOOK!!!!
10th Dec 2015 by jools
In time for Christmas presents and on sale at the Greener Sax Winter Fair this Saturday we are publishing a NEW BOOK – "Simpson’s Fromus Valley and Kelsale Park: A Guide to the Earthwork Features of the Reserve". It is number 2 in our educational series. Written by John Rainer, our historian and archaeologist, with a foreword by Dr. Rosemary Hoppit, it is a fascinating mix of historical detail, painstaking research, hard scientific data and wonderful images exploring the amazing earthwork within the Simpson’s Fromus Valley Reserve near Kelsale. Read more about it on Our Publications page.
Every Guardian is entitled to one free copy, with extra copies available at £10. Sign up as a Guardian and receive one in your welcome pack, or come along to the Fair and sign up on the day to get your book.
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First snow
23rd Nov 2015 by jools
The first snow of the season has settled and melted away in more rain and the temperature has really dropped. Prior to this, Laurie Forsyth wandered around the Fromus reserve noting the seasonal changes, and his illustrated report is now in the Seasonal Diary. The snow finally tells us that Christmas is just around the corner, and THAT means the Greener Sax Winter Fair on 12th December in the Market Hall. Do please come and visit us – have a chat about being a Guardian and also buy some useful goodies!
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November in Orchid Glade
19th Nov 2015 by jools
November is wet and warm, and Laurie Forsyth has been rootling around Orchid Glade finding interesting fungi, amongst other things, in the Seasonal Diary.
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Autumn colour in Orchid Glade
31st Oct 2015 by jools
It’s October, the cattle have finished grazing the aftermath of the hay meadows and Laurie Forsyth had a colourful trip to Orchid Glade, which you can read about in the Seasonal Diary. Autumn colours lead inexorably on to winter leaflessness, but all is not lost! You can look forward to a splash of colour at GreenerSax's Winter Fair in December, when will be there with our usual mix of cards, pictures, produce and, of course, the 2016 Calendar (pictured below). [OOPS! MISSING IMAGE]
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In praise of hedgerow
25th Oct 2015 by jools
The sloe gin (traditional method) is quietly making itself in Kilner jars in the cupboard, the wild plum chutney is maturing in sterilised jars, the golden bullace jam is tucked away to remove temptation and only a small sample of blackberry jam has been demolished… so far! The Fromus Reserve hedgerows provide an abundance of beautiful nutrient dense berries for the wildlife and humans alike. If you’re lucky there will be some produce left at the Greener Sax Winter Fair! [There are more recipes in the 13th September 2013 blog! – Ed]
For now, content yourself with reading Laurie Forysth’s account of his most recent trip to the Fromus Valley meadows, where the red poll grazed and he was enchanted by the bird-life. It’s all there in the Seasonal Diary.
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September reports
7th Oct 2015 by jools
You can now read all about the changes in our reserves in September in the Seasonal Diary, and we have a new set of moth recordings from our last open day on the Species Lists page.
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Weekend Forage!
8th Sep 2015 by jools
It’s that time of year again – the hedgerow is abundant with berries waiting to be picked and preserved. At SFPT, we always leave some for the birds but there are enough for you to come blackberry-picking while you enjoy the autumnal delights of the reserve this Saturday 12th at Fromus Valley.
