Committee Minutes – January 8th 02024

Minutes of a meeting of the Ryburgh Wildlife Group Committee held at Stone House on January 8^th 2024

Present  Mike Rundle (chair), David Cooling, Neil Dandy, Nick Parsons, Barley Wilson, Ian Wilson, Gill Waldron.

1. Minutes of the meeting on November 6^th were approved.
2. Financial Report The current account stands at £2804.39. There remain some outstanding expenses from the anniversary talk on 18^th
3. Membership Report 67 households have membership, 2 or 3 didn’t renew and 2 stated their intention not to renew – there are 2 new members.
4. AGM and Quiz Friday 2^nd The hall has a regular booking for Friday evenings, the Blue Boar provisionally agreed to host –(subsequently confirmed by Mike). 6.45 arrival, AGM 7.00-7.30 Quiz 8.00. Meal of sausage/mash available at BB, cost not yet known.  All committee members  confirmed that they would stand for re-election, members to be invited to stand if wish – maximum committee number is 12. David’s draft boards for the AGM were approved, to be printed at Willow Tree Mike.  Helen to be approached about providing the quiz as before Ian. Teams of up to 4, £1 a head. Open to members and guests.
5. Biodiversity plan and parish council This cannot be progressed in the current absence of a Parish Council.
6. Trees for Connectivity Mike circulated by email on January 8^th to committee members a draft letter to Tom Cook and Charlie Temple-Richards proposing that the ‘Trees for Connectivity’ project of the NNDC and NCC would be an appropriate way to celebrate the 25^th anniversary of RWG. There was debate about the number of trees that the Group might apply for, and various locations outwith the Sennowe Estate which might be suitable for additional planting. There was unanimous support for an application on biodiversity and landscaping grounds in addition to the valuable long term role which trees have in absorbing carbon. The letter was approved.
7. Any Other Business
   1. a) the useful meeting with community officers of the NWT was reported on and the notes of the meeting to be circulated to all NWT to be emailed to propose a follow up meeting in March Gill
   2. b) the facebook page is not up to date, this might be redesigned . David It is important that copies of the minutes and the newsletters are available on the website – Tim Colman will post anything we send him.
   3. c) The replacement commemorative pear tree was not planted in December but will be in January by the ‘Bug Hotel team’ ( Ian, Neil, Mike)

DATE OF NEXT MEETING Monday 5^th February, 7.00 Stone House