Committee Minutes – 11th March 2024

Minutes of a meeting of the Ryburgh Wildlife Group Committee held at Stone House on March 11^th 2024

Present Mike Rundle,(in the Chair) David Cooling, Nick Parsons, Ian Wilson, Gill Waldron

1. Apologies Neil Dandy, Barley Wilson
2. Minutes of the meeting of February 5^th were approved
3. Financial Report As of today there is £2707.63 in the bank. £121.39 was spent on 4 signs to encourage traffic to slow during litter picking. It is possible that the PC might cover that expense. Mike will enquire.
4. Membership Report 2 new memberships, possibly 2 won’t renew. David
5. Litter Pick Despite the good weather there were only 8 volunteers on the day, picking was restricted to Bridge Road up the hill to the Norwich Road. Mill Road had been cleared the previous day and there is a possibility that the Maltings might provide volunteers to clear the Fakenham road from the village to the Dereham junction.  Thanks were given to Mike for organising it all again, including the bags, hoops and pickers. If the Group organises it for next year, thought is to be given to extending the participation, although it isn’t safe to have too many, nor families with children. It was suggested that perhaps free membership to the RWG for a year might be an offer to members of the public.
6. Biodiversity Plan and the Parish Council. There is no published agenda for the meeting due on Wednesday 13^th, so no way of knowing whether it will be discussed.
7. Meeting with Sennowe and draft licence The arguments in favour of a licence for the scrape use are that it gives both sides confidence in the agreement and makes for better relationships. Steve Cale’s reservations were considered but after brief discussion the committee agreed that the draft form of licence should be  sent to Fergus for approval. Mike
8. Correspondence with Crisp. No response from Crisp. Neil to press for one.
9. Correspondence with NWT . No response from Ella or Helen. Gill to resend.
10. Future Events
    1. No reply from John Savory re Farm Walk date – Gill to chase up.
    2. Date of Sennowe Walk to be fixed according to Steve’s availability Ian subsequently reported that Steve will fix the date directly with Tom.
    3. Spring Nature Walk plan – Perhaps to be the Ryburgh and Upper Wensum Valley Wildlife Week with a programme of events – bat detector walk, moth trap evening, some information about butterfly watch, birds, hedgehogs, flowers on the verges to be in a flyer for the public and the membership. It was suggested that Barley might compile a programme. Dates are still to be determined because of potential synchronization with Nick Acheson’s talk and Hall availability but the second week in June is likely. Plans to be finalised at next meeting but a date must be agreed for Nick A as soon as possible – (Nick, and all)
11. AOB
    1. Bug hotels Ian happy to make more but cost of packing materials especially cane will make them about £60 each. This was agreed
    2. Community Woodland Now that the trees have grown to provide sufficient shade cover, it is time to plant bulbs. Native species, bluebells, aconites, wood anenomes, snowdrops and wild daffodil bulbs are available in a mix of 1,000 for a cost of £366. This was agreed. (Ian subsequently amended the estimated cost at £266, bulk discount reduced the actual cost to £260, delivery in about a fortnight). A family bulb planting day to be arranged Ian, Barley and the woodland is a possible focus for child activities such as making a beetle bank.
    3. Nick was congratulated on his article in Tern, and it will go on the website. He has had no feedback as yet.
    4. The newsletters have now been loaded onto the website. The facebook page remains a conundrum which David is sorting out.

DATE OF NEXT MEETING, MONDAY APRIL 8^TH AT STONE HOUSE