Committee Minutes – 1st July 2024

Minutes of a meeting of the Ryburgh Wildlife Group Committee held at Stone House on July 1^st 2024

Present: Mike Rundle (in the chair), David Cooling, Nick Parsons, Gill Waldron, Barley Wilson.

Apologies: Neil Dandy, Ian Wilson.

1. Minutes of the meeting of May 7^th were approved.
2. Financial Report. The bank account stands at £2122.16 as of today. Expenditure has been on Nature Watch, thankyou gifts for the Farm Walk and insurance renewal.
3. Meeting with NWT. This is confirmed for July 16^th, 10 am at Mike’s house. There was discussion about the agenda, the importance of the NWT’s ability to facilitate liaison which might lead to joint action with other groups was stressed. Mike will prepare an agenda.
4. Nature Watch and Farm Walk
   1. The farm walk had 13 members, lasted over 3 hours, John and Guy Savory took the group round two fields including a woodland area and reclaimed pond. He explained his approach to farming and conservation, there was a good deal of interest and discussion. There was general enthusiasm from both the Savorys and the group to have another walk elsewhere on the farm. Gill to obtain potential dates later in the year.
   2. There was a variety of responses from committee members who participated in the Nature Watch as to how worthwhile an activity it was, especially in view of the extensive effort involved, which was borne disproportionately by only 2 or 3 committee members. Although this was to some degree inevitable given the specialised skills of those members, it was agreed that it would be overambitious to repeat it next year in the same form.  An activity focussed on the observation and recording of wildlife sightings in the village, culminating in a ‘keynote talk’ was agreed to be worth pursuing but will require more detailed planning and more committee availability if it is to be more successful. We cannot control the weather which was extremely unhelpful especially over the opening weekend, ruining the moth trap and bat watch. Positive aspects included interest in bug hotels including Stibbard nursery and a valuable meadow area which has been set aside in Little Ryburgh churchyard.  For further discussion.
5. Kettlestone Liaison Barbara Wyvill has again requested assistance re church yard flora – Barley will contact. Barbara has written to suggest further ideas of collaboration. The committee is mindful of the need for RWG to focus on our villages and the danger of spreading ourselves too thinly, and it was agreed that Mike will reply to the effect that we will wait until the outcome of the NWT meeting before progressing those ideas.
6. Keys for the hide After repeated evidence of unauthorised entrance to the hide and anti social behaviour causing some damage, Steve has locked the hide and it is currently closed to visitors.  Although the hide and scrape are visited by few members, free access is part of the membership agreement, and so a solution to this problem must be found. In the interim, Mike will hold keys and David will inform members when these are available. For further  discussion at the next meeting.
7. Meeting with Crisp Neil and Ian are arranging a plan to survey their land, they were pleased to receive a copy of Ian’s species list for the flora of West field. They have agreed to fund a bug hotel outside their main house, based on a beer barrel supported by planters.  There has been no evidence of the press release that was suggested by Crisp – Neil to clarify. It is proposed that Crisp be invited to become Corporate Members of the RWG, perhaps Ian, Neil will invite them?  Their gantries are providing a jackdaw roost for an increasing number of birds, is this causing them a problem in maintenance and cleaning? Might they be able to help with more expensive projects such as pond reclamation?
8. Biodiversity policy. Mike to meet with Chris Buxton who is the PC member with responsibility for this.
9. Sennowe and Pond reclamation. There was unanimous support from members to pursue the idea of reclaiming the pond in the field along Mill Road as suggested by Sennowe. Mike to have further discussion with Fergus. The gate on the railway line has not been repaired and RWG offer of help has not been taken up. Since it was agreed that this is a road safety issue rather than a wildlife one, it is suggested that the gate repair is a matter for the Parish Council to pursue.
10. Future Events a further farm walk by John Savory – Gill, a date for a walk in Sennowe estate, hopefully to include the reclaimed ghost pond on the estate,   Barley to get date from Peter Trent re a history walk round the village. There was interest in the testing of the Wensum by the Norfolk Rivers Trust at the Nature Watch, perhaps potential for a talk? In the meantime, the results to be put in the newsletter David, Barley.
11. AOB
    1. Nick has been invited to a meeting of the Norfolk and Norwich Naturalist Society liaison group at the end of August. He will attend as an RWG committee member, it might make a useful contact for the future.
    2. Natalie Douglas from NN Living magazine has asked for an article (100-150 words) on the RNNW, as a result of reading Nick’s article in ‘Tern’. David will do content and find photographs, maybe from those submitted. As a result of the discussion Gill to enquire about a shop promoted calendar on the lines of those which have been done featuring local artists – probably for 2026 to allow seasonal photographs to be taken.
    3. Barley expressed great appreciation for the shop window display by Moira – Gill to pass on our thanks.

Date of next meeting – Monday August 19^th, 7.00 pm, Stone House.