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With the Wildlife Group fungi competition ongoing until the end of October it is worth reflecting on what fungi are and why they are so important to us. Most people think of fungi as the familiar mushroom or toadstool sticking out of the ground and, so far, competition entries have followed this line. But just as an apple is […]
» Read moreSo what might connect a Wenvoe garden with the small island of Craigleith in the Firth of Forth? The answer – Tree Mallow. Gardeners will be familiar with the various Mallows grown in gardens and sold by Garden Centres. Or you might have tasted Marshmallow flavoured originally with an extract from the root of the plant that grows on […]
» Read moreYou will see the logo of the Wildlife Group on noticeboards, leaflets, posters and social media. But what does it represent and why? The 6-petalled flower is Spiked Star of Bethlehem, also known as Bath Asparagus. It is related to garden asparagus and used to be eaten. More common in the Bath area there are records of it being […]
» Read moreWe often refer to the Marble Gall at our talks and on our walks and usually comment that they are regularly confused with Oak Apple Galls which we have never seen. On the Orchard Walk in May we saw one for the first time and this was on the border of a patch of woodland near New Wallace Farm. Seen […]
» Read moreThe discovery of a small plant of Mistletoe growing in a front garden in Wenvoe was quite notable as it is only the second recorded for the Vale of Glamorgan. That is not to say that there will not be some growing elsewhere but if it is, it has not been officially recorded. Whilst the Wildlife Group have been […]
» Read moreWe mentioned Lichens in a previous issue of Whats On and with the launch of the new Lichen Trail down at Goldsland Farm in the next few months it is worth reviewing why they might be on interest to anyone. As soon as you walk out onto the pavement you will find yourself treading on round or irregular white and […]
» Read moreA recent BBC item highlighted the problem of birds crashing into windows mistaking them for openings or seeing a tree reflection with tragic consequences. The city of Toronto in Canada sits on a major migratory bird route and every year is witness to huge numbers of bird deaths due to this phenomenon. They have now changed their building rules so […]
» Read moreOUR FEATHERED FRIENDS The recent spell of cold and snowy weather couldn’t have come at a worst time for our native birds. By March stocks of natural food such as berries are dwindling at a time when birds are needing to be at their healthiest to breed and raise their young. When food is scarce especially when covered by […]
» Read moreYellow Fish? In Wenvoe? We hope so, sometime in April or May. So what is this all about? The Yellow Fish campaign involves using a stencil to spray-paint yellow fish alongside street or storm drains. This UK-wide project is already underway and its purpose is to draw our attention to street drains and the need to prevent them getting […]
» Read moreThe last two years has taught me many things. We moved to a new house on a new estate almost at sea level without a single mature tree in sight. The only regular avian visitors were the gulls on the weekly waste collection day. Their cousins, the magpies paid occasional visits but the smaller birds were not tempted into […]
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