End to End Nature Care

Minutes of meeting held on 16^th December 2015

9:00pm at Fiddlesticks, 44 Strawberry Lane, Tolleshunt Knights

Present: Simon Taylor (Chair), Shirley Taylor, Wilson Kerr, Ann Kerr, Allan Gray, Sharon Gray, Jackie Nesbitt, Martin Andrews, Sue Ellen, David Atkinson, Andrew Moss, Jane Moss, Richard Dale

Apologies: None

Business:

1. Churchyard Herpetofauna survey.

David reported 28 visits during 2015, from 28 April to 4 November.

10 visits produced nothing; 6 had mice; 2 had toad; One visit had 4 shrews, another 3. There was one vole and one mole. Grass snakes were found on 6 occasions, including one occasion where 4 snakes were present.

2.         Winter Evening Programme:

Proposed for 2016-17:

                        Jen Litherland (has a talk on Florida)

                        Quiz (now an annual event – thanks to Andrew)

                        Members’ photography evening.

3.         Summer 2016 Programme:

a.         James Abbott is proposing an outdoor astronomy night in Silver End as part of the 90^th anniversary event. Probably 15^th or 16^th April. It was proposed that Nature Care do a Birdwatching walk, probably for Sunday 17^th.

b.         Other proposals for inclusion in 2016: tufa spring hunt; NPMS (include Salcott this year); glowworm surveying (maybe hunt on other sites?); Sue Manning in Witham again?; Trafalgar Wood; hairstreak butterflies in Silver End (June – check); mothing with Richard Gerussi; moth pheromones; Cambs with Nigel Cooper; more flora surveying (monad work for Essex flora); river dipping at Watery Lane; birds at Layer Breton causeway.

4.         AOB:

a.         Simon to chase up Jean Cairns as she has group library items on loan but has not attended any recent events. Others will keep an eye open for her locally.

b.         Dates must be arranged for finishing and erecting owl boxes.

5.         Date of Next Meeting:

As part of  2016 summer social.