BBOWT in January 2022

This is a great time for visiting all local reserves, for example tree spotting at Dancersend, birding at College Lake and Weston Turville Reservoir, or simply a fast walk round the Lakes without spending time on the Tufted Duck, Pochard, Wigeon and Teal that have flown in from the Arctic asking to be admired. When you get back to the café at College Lake you can take a bowl of hot soup out into the hide and see them in comfort or keep warm inside with some retail therapy in the excellent shop. The reserve and facilities are open except for Mondays and Tuesdays from 10 am till 4pm after a short Christmas break ending on 1 January. Use the online pages for College Lake for more details including Nature Tots sessions on 12 and 13 January.

There is a lot of conservation work to be done in winter so feel free to sign up at volunteering@bbowt.org.uk. There are two online talks coming up – Tuesday 18 January at 7.45pm with Dr Helen Read of Burnham Beeches on ‘Ancient Trees and all that rot’ focussing on the important wildlife of old rotten trees, then Tuesday 22 February at 7.45pm when we have Laurie Jackson talking us through the rewilding project at Knepp in Sussex. Booking is essential for both talks at www.bbowt.org/events. Talks are at £5 to cover costs and you will be redirected to Eventbrite for booking.

Richard Birch