Musings from the acre At this time of year our diurnal lives are shared with many of our nocturnal friends and it's an ideal time to spot some of them as they wander out into the warm dusk evenings. Over the last few nights I've been out and about and have been rewarded by some truly wonderful sights and sounds. This evening it was the curious call of the nightjar I was after and that found me standing in the middle of a wood as the light dipped with my ears tuned in for it's cicada like call, only it's slightly deeper and more throbbing. It was mesmerising.
A couple of nights ago I was perched above a badgers holt, waiting for an appearance, but to no avail, but I was rewarded by the sight of a hare, something beautiful and quite rare. At night the aural senses are highly tuned and I found that I was very alert and in tune to all the space around me. Bats, owls, rabbits and foxes have all been regular companions and it's a wonderful way to end a day, surrounded by nature so that all life's problems struggle to find bed space for the night in my head. A natural sleeping tonic, highly recommended!
Latest News On the acre we've had two successful moth trapping sessions and so far 22 species have been identified by Alan, who is the acre's expert. The trap is a box, with a powerful light above it, which attracts the moths into the depths below. Once inside they nestle down amongst egg boxes until their early morning release. Moths have some wonderful names but many of them look so similar which makes identification quite tricky. Two stunning moths were easily identified by Alan - the privet and the Hawkeye moth. Another evening trapping session is scheduled for July and this will further our knowledge about the acre's moth population. Further results and photos to follow!
It has been quite some time since we last had a visit from Mayor Pat Evans and her husband David but they came to see us last week. Being one of the mayor's charities has been fantastic for the acre and her fundraising work has paid for the wonderful decking that Men in Sheds are building for us around the pond. Mayor Pat was also bringing the wonderful news that the town council have awarded us £500.00 to purchase a pump/fountain which will help improve and maintain our water quality. It was a lovely visit, on a boiling hot day, and they left with a box of our potatoes, onions and garlic, some of which were used in a lamb kidney casserole which I bet tasted stunning!
Last Christmas seems a lifetime ago but at the Christmas Fayre our Men in Sheds received a commission to build one of their circular tree benches for a client. Despite all the restrictions they duly delivered and much praise and thanks go to all involved, including Mervyn who finished the project at his home. It looks fantastic and the client loves it.
Finally we are down to just a few plants that need planting out and this should be completed this week. A big thank you to Evie and Poppy who spent time planting out the big bed by our entrance and they've done an excellent job with many of the plants already flowering. Elsewhere we have planted out a further sixty corn on the cob and harvested and enjoyed some more of our potatoes. All the crops are doing well and the fruit bushes are bulging and are being picked by the volunteers that are able to come along.
Other News Our neighbouring project The Bishop's Meadow Trust has produced a fun activity trail for families to complete with their children - to access the trail print the downloadable pdf by clicking HERE Please forward to friends and family that may be interested. When they have completed the trail they can email a photo to info@bishopsmeadowtrust.com of themselves on the trail to go up onto the website!
Despite the difficulties we are all facing the acre is still fulfilling its function as a community garden, albeit in a limited way, accommodating closed groups to conform to guidelines. Our yoga club meets outdoors at the weekends whilst our Thursday Gardening Club are looking to start again this week. Men in Sheds continue their diligent work on the pond decking, and other projects such as furniture repair, and we've recently welcomed Trevor to the acre who is a wood carver. Projects are on the go, plants and crops are flourishing, the acre is alive and will be there for all of us to enjoy when the time is right.