I spotted this toad near my manure pile this week.
It would be great to build up a record of the wildlife that we see on our site. If you spot something interesting, please let Norman know. Better still, if you can catch a photo or some video please pass it onto him at gfaawebhelper [at] gmail.com.
We enjoyed two visits from the Kaimhill Kids this week. Mrs Rennie’s Class 4/5 were with us on Wednesday for a work session including veggie sowing and planting out, creating flower baskets for the Octagon and building nesting boxes and bug boxes. Thanks to Stuart, Gill, Jacqui and Graeme.
Photo Credit: Jacqui Coutts
Photo Credit: Jacqui Coutts
Then on Thursday we had the first running of our new biodiversity treasure hunt with Mr Whimster and Mrs Mellis and their Primary 3 class. I think we can say a good time was had by all – despite the glum faces during the initial briefing!
Photo Credit: Stuart Oram
Thanks to David for pointing out this beautiful Elephant Hawk-Moth visiting on his plot recently. What a stunner! Otherwise known as Deilephila Elpenor (that’s easy for you to say!)
We are keen to build up photos and information about all the wildlife our site supports. If you have any photos or information about sightings please send them on to me or Norman.
My thanks go to Sandy Menzies over at the Slopefield Site for alerting me to this opportunity for plotters.
My Harvest is a university-led UK research project that is looking to recruit individual plotters to help them learn about the contribution allotments make to food production nationally.
In their own words:
The research team at the University of Sheffield are working with members of the public growing food in allotments, gardens and other own-growing spaces across the UK to understand the yield of typical UK staple fruit and vegetable crops.
By providing the team with the area of land you use to grow a crop and the weight of the crop you harvest you would be:
1. Contributing to a first national estimate of own-grown food production in the 21st century.
2. Helping us to understand how much allotment and garden space we need in the future to ensure sufficient access for the growing number of people living in our cities and towns.
The research project has a number of partners:
If you would like to know more, or want to take part, head on over to the My Harvest Homepage.
Our Community Sunday activities got off to a rather chaotic start today , with the usual suspects in very frisky and somewhat indisciplined form. Peter for one seemed to be re-living a past experience of some peasant revolt or other.
Luckily, once he was done resting his fork, Phil stepped in, quickly establishing his front-line HQ and demonstrating strong and stable leadership (where have I heard this phrase before?) he started issuing orders to the troops from his mobile management communications device.
He soon had the team whipped into shape. As you can see this made a world of difference.
The phrase, Dads’ Army meets the Women’s Land Army somehow springs to mind. However, great progress was made on the Wild Flower Area Mark II and it was a great pleasure to welcome Priscilla and her family on site.
All in all it was another great Community Sunday. Thanks to all who pitched up and apologies to those (many) others who yet again missed out on getting their photos taken.
The weather seems to be set fair, so we are hoping for a bumper turnout for this week’s Community Sunday – 21 May.
Coming along is a great way to meet other plotters and get up to date with what’s going on around our site. We have a lot happening right now and many helping hands make for light work.
I hope we will see the regulars and some new faces on the day. As always, there will be coffee and cake (about 12.30) in the sunshine and plenty opportunities for a natter during and after the activities.
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