Bat Haven
A bat walk at Whitehall Meadows in July proved highly
fruitful, with a staggering five species identified. Daubenton’s were
found hunting over the Great Stour, a Noctule passed high overhead, and
two of the more common pipistrelle species were hunting all evening. But
the crowning glory was the detection of Nathusius’s pipistrelle, the
first recorded in Canterbury!
Watery Tales
Saturday 7th August saw crowds gathering in
Canterbury City’s most local of Local Nature Reserves, Whitehall
Meadows. The reason for the multitudes was a day of music and storytelling
organised to get people out into the meadows and enjoy the countryside.
Stories ranged from magical river creatures to tales about Victorian
Country Life. Toe tapping music was provided by Waspjuice, and face
painting and art workshops went on all day. The day was a great success
and it is hoped that a similar event will be organised next year.
Cows in the Meadow
Whitehall Meadows Canterbury City’s closest Local
Nature Reserve is an important site for winter birds and summer plants and
invertebrates. But equally as important is its cultural history. The
meadows were widely painted by Victorian Landscape Painter T. S. Cooper
who painted cattle at the waterside with views of the Cathedral in the
background. To mark this cultural heritage artist Martin Brockman will be
creating cow sculptures, with the help of children from local schools,
using willow cut from nearby Bingley’s Island. The project has been
designed to promote the site as a place for people as well as wildlife and
to reinforce the history of the area. So look out for the willow cows
coming to the meadows soon!
Photography competition in Kent Downs area of Canterbury
What's good and bad about the countryside where you
live? The Canterbury Greenspace Project will be organising a photography
competition asking this question and giving prizes for photographs which
most represent good and bad. They will also be looking for old photographs
to discover how or if the countryside has changed. Look out for the start
of the competition in the local press or contact the KSCP for further
information.
Down the Line
Kingston Parish Council are the proud owners of a little
bit of history! Last year they bought about 200 metres of the disused
Elham Valley Railway, now a beautiful woodland pathway. KSCP have given
the parish council management recommendations, helped to install steps at
the steepest parts and organised wildlife surveys. To celebrate their
success Cllr Martin Vye, Canterbury’s current Lord Mayor, officially
opened the route in May. So far recorded at the site of note are
broad-leaved helleborine, pipistrelle bats and gloworms!
