Find out what is going on in the British countryside this month and the really wild events taking place near you.
Events this month...
Vulture Awarness Day, Eagle Heights
Eagle Heights are having a fun day on September the 1st for International Vulture Awarness Day were we are raising money for the conservation trust Vulpro in RSA. There will flying displays, prize draws, archery along with talks much much more.
The event will be starting at 10.30 until 5pm
When: 01/09/2012
Until: 01/09/2012
Location: Eagle Heights, Eynsford, Kent
Ticket Price: Adults £9.00 OAP £7.50 Children £5.50
Phone Number: 01322 866577
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]The Birdlife of Portugal - talk at WWT London Wetland Centre
2.30pm – 3.30pm
Join Portuguese birding expert João Jara for a fascinating talk on the birdlife of Portugal.
Portugal is a country with enormous potential for birding: the mainland Portugal bird list includes more than 400 species, including Black-winged kite (right). This rich biodiversity is reflective of Portugal’s geographical position (Lisbon is about 38º N) and means that there is an abundance of species always present in each season; wintering species from the north, fascinating Mediterranean resident species and a range of passage migrants and breeding birds from sub-Saharan Africa.
Continental Portugal has a long coastline which brings a feast of seabirds and passage migrants. Despite being a relatively small country, Portugal boasts an excellent range of habitats from wetlands, estuaries and saline flats, to wooded hills, steppe-like plains and rocky outcrops; in practical terms, this means that any of these varied habitats can be reached without the need for lengthy travel.
Booking essential: please call 020 8409 4400.
When: 02/09/2012
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre
Ticket Price: £3 + admission to the Centre.
Phone Number: 020 8409 4400
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Essex Farmland Bird Conservation Conference
This conference is jointly organised by the Essex Birdwatching Society, the RSPB and Stow Maries Aerodrome Wildlife. All proceeds will go towards creating a local site for he conservation of Turtle Doves. This species has declined by 79% in the past 25 years and if action is not taken then it could be extinct within 10years.
Eminent speakers from county and national conservation organisations will be present to talk about the welfare of our beautiful farmland birds.
On Sept 9 there will be a visit to a local farm that is leading the way in wildlife conservation.
For info on the programme of lectures, the farm visit and booking procedures please contact
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]The cost is only £8 per person.
When: 08/09/2012
Until: 09/09/2012
Location: Stow Maries Aerodrome, Essex
Ticket Price: £8
Phone Number: 01245 355132
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Introduction to wildlife photography at WWT London Wetland Centre
10am - 4pm
Confused or frustrated by the buttons and settings on your camera and want to really take control of your photographic creativity? This is the course for you. Photographer and author Iain Green will guide you through your camera’s various automatic settings - and then show you how to turn off the 'automatic ' mode but still get fantastic photos.
The day will begin with an illustrated session about understanding your camera and the basics of composition, followed by a practical photography session outside, looking at the local flora and fauna. Due to small course numbers there will be plenty of time for 1-2-1 tuition.
This course is suitable for users of all types of camera and the content will be tailored accordingly and to the needs of course attendees.
Through the day Iain will guide you through key camera techniques and photographic skills such as:
- Using shutter speeds to capture action and movement
- Understanding apertures and how to control the depth of field in close-up or landscapes
- Achieving correct exposure in different lighting or settings
- Effective composition, to add impact to your images
£49pp. Booking essential: call 020 8409 4400. Iain's wildlife photography courses at London Wetland Centre are extremely popular and places fill up very quickly, so we advise you to book early.
When: 08/09/2012
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre
Ticket Price: £49pp + admission to the Centre
Phone Number: 020 8409 4400
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Mark Avery: Fighting for Birds - talk at WWT London Wetland Centre
2.30pm
Join conservationist Dr Mark Avery for this fascinating talk on protecting nature.
Drawing on his 25 years working at the RSPB, Mark spells out the challenges we face in protecting nature, based on his provocative, amusing and authoritative book which has recently been published.
He tells us how he got a job in nature conservation and some of the highs and lows along the way. This talk will range from buying nature reserves to battling GM crops and from reintroductions to eradications. Mark was involved in decision-making in nature conservation at the highest level and can tell the inside story of what nature conservation really involves. There will be a question and answer session so come along to get your questions and gripes about nature conservation addressed by an expert.
Mark will be signing copies of his new book, Fighting for Birds – 25 years in nature conservation.
The talk is free with admission but places are limited. Please call 020 8409 4400 to reserve your place.
When: 08/09/2012
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre
Ticket Price: Free with admission. Booking essential.
Phone Number: 020 8409 4400
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]George McGavin: To The Ends of The Earth
Zoologist, explorer, lecturer and television presenter George McGavin celebrates Derbyshire Wildlife Trust's 50th anniversary year by joining us to present his family lecture at the University of Derby.
When: 08/09/2012
Until: 08/09/2012
Location: University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby
Ticket Price: £5 adults, £2 children, £10 family ticket
Phone Number: 01773 881188
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Reptile Walk at WWT London Wetland Centre
11.30am – 1pm
Join our reptile enthusiast to look for some of the shyer residents of the reserve. Find out how and where to look for reptiles and hear fascinating facts about these often misunderstood animals.
WWT London Wetland Centre is home to three of the UK’s native reptile species: common lizard, slow worm and grass snake. The common lizards bask on bridges and log piles around the Centre, but thanks to their size and camouflage they’re easily missed by visitors. Their legless relatives, the slow worms, prefer to warm up underneath logs or “reptile refugia”, squares of felt or corrugated metal left out for them in secluded corners of the reserve. And our largest reptiles, the grass snakes, are often seen swimming across
the Centres pools and ponds.
On this special walk you have a good chance of a reptile encounter, but even if you don’t you’ll have an enjoyable tour seeing London Wetland Centre from a different perspective.
When: 09/09/2012
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre
Ticket Price: £6pp plus admission to the Centre.
Phone Number: Booking essential: please call 020 8409 4400.
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Trevor Beer's PenMaster Exhibition
When: 14/09/2012
Until: 31/10/2012
Location: The Highmoorland Visitor Centre, Princetown
Phone Number: 01822 890414
Wildlife Day
11am - 3pm
A day of celebration of all wild things here at the Sanctuary, with selfguided walks throughout the Weston Valley with James on-hand to help with tricky identification! Choose your route, pick up your guide and off you
go!
When: 15/09/2012
Until: 15/09/2012
Location: the donkey sanctuary, sidmouth, ex10 0nu
Ticket Price: £1 per guide.
Phone Number: 01395 573156
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Bird of Prey Photography day
Run by profesional photographer and conservationist Lewis Phillips. These days are set up for people whom are all standards. Lewis guides peolpe through the day talking about compersition, lighting and camera controls. Lewis also gives talks on all species of bird that is ccaptured on camer from habitat to how the species are doing in the wild.
Birds used White tail Sea Eagle, Steppe Eagle,falcons aand owls.
For more info visit
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]or
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]When: 16/09/2012
Until: 16/09/2012
Location: Eagle Heights, Eynsford, Kent
Ticket Price: £50
Phone Number: 01322 866577
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]An Evening With Jonathan & Angela Scott
When: 18/09/2012
Until: 18/09/2012
Location: Lichfield Garrick Theatre
Ticket Price: £15 and £17
Phone Number: 01543412121
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]'Living with Leopards' - a talk with Jonathan & Angela Scott
Wildlife presenter, Jonathan Scott explores the challenges for communities sustaining a living on the borders of Yala National Park, Sri Lanka and the Masai Mara Reserve in Kenya. The impact of living with leopards – arguably one of the most charismatic of the ‘Big Cats’ - will be highlighted through Jonathan and Angela Scott’s compelling narrative and awe-inspiring imagery of this most secretive predator.
Respected naturalists, authors and passionate conservationists, the Scotts have travelled to the most remote regions, documenting the last great wilderness areas on the planet.
The event is being organised by wildlife charity Friends of Conservation (FOC) and proceeds will go towards wildlife conservation protection and community support at Yala National Park, Sri Lanka.
Doors open 6.30 pm. Talk begins 7.15 pm and evening ends around 8.45 pm.
To book online, please go to:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Alternatively, call the number below or email
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]When: 19/09/2012
Until: 19/09/2012
Location: Royal Geographical Society, London SW7 2AR
Ticket Price: £ 15.00
Phone Number: 020 7348 3408
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Pollyanna Pickering Talk - Giant Pandas and Sleeping Dragons
Pollyanna is delighted to extend an invitation to join her for a special evening at the Guide Dogs Training School. Guests will enjoy a welcome drink and light buffet, and have the opportunity to learn more about the work of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Pollyanna will then present her most popular talk about her journey into the Tibetan Borderlands to study and paint Giant Pandas.
Accompanied by her daughter and business partner Anna-Louise, she journeyed into one of the remotest areas of the Tibetan Borderlands in her quest to paint one of the most beautiful and elusive of all animals. The two became the first two western women ever to travel into one of the mountain reserves, where they were lucky enough to be able to work in a small hospital for sick pandas, bringing them into remarkably close contact with the animals. This enchanting talk tells the story of their journey - from the hardships and frustrations to the lasting friendships made in this enigmatic and beautiful country, and shows the spectacular paintings which resulted from the trip.
Tickets are free – please contact Alison Parker 0845 372 7354 or at
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.] to reserve a place.
When: 21/09/2012
Until: 21/09/2012
Location: Guide Dogs Training School Gibfield Park Avenue Atherton Wigan M46 0SU
Ticket Price: Free
Phone Number: 01629558510
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Run for the Wild - 5km Fun Run at Chester Zoo
Run for the Wild on 29th September 2012 and help us raise funds to save Orangutans in the wild.
Our annual family fun run starts at 9am (before the zoo is open to the general public) and takes runners and walkers around the zoo and covers approximately 5km.
This year all money raised will help support our Realm of the Red Ape Conservation Programme.
Registration is £10 for adults and £5 for children. Age 2 and under are free.
To pre-register contact the Development Team at
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]When: 29/09/2012
Location: Chester Zoo
Ticket Price: £10 for adults, £5 for children, 2s and under are FREE
Phone Number: 01244 650229
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]2011 British Wildlife Photography Competition Exhibition
Free exhibition of the winning images from the 2011 British Wildlife Photography Competition, opening on 29 September 2012.From a jelly fish photographed in the icy waters off Scotland, to a brown hare’s early morning adventure in Norfolk, to a grey seal swimming off the coast of Devon, this exhibition demonstrates the rich diversity of wildlife living in Britain today.
The British Wildlife Photography Awards
Established in 2009 to recognise the talents of wildlife photographers, both amateur and professional, practising in Britain, the British
Wildlife Photography Awards now has a reputation as one of this country's most prestigious photographic competitions.
The annual competition highlights the wealth and diversity of Britain’s natural history and the growing awareness of the need to protect our local environment. The competition is unique in that all images must be taken of British wildlife in their natural habitats.
Since its inception, the British Wildlife Photography Competition has produced an impressive selection of outstanding images.
The photographs selected for this exhibition at the Horniman feature the highlights from the 2011 Awards, including the overall winner, ‘Jellyfish in the Blue Sea of Sula Sgier’ by Richard Shucksmith taken at Sula Sgeir, a small island north of Lewis, and the winning shot in the Portraits category of a Fallow Deer from Richmond Park taken by London based professional photographer, Mark Smith
When: 29/09/2012
Until: 24/02/2013
Location: Horniman Museum and Gardens, 100 London Road, Forest Hill, SE23 3PQ
Ticket Price: Free
Phone Number: 020 8699 1872
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]exhibition/exhibition-chapter/the-british-wildlife-photography-awards
Peruvian Amazon Adventures - talk at WWT London Wetland Centre
2.30pm – 3.30pm
James Borrell is a conservation biologist with a passion for expeditions and adventure. In 2011 James spent five weeks living and working deep in the heart of the Peruvian Amazon. From monitoring primates high in the canopy to catching caiman by torch light and photographing rare and elusive cats, James explains the reality of science in the rainforest, whilst living with the highs and lows of life in this unique environment.
How does field research translate into practical conservation measures and what does the future hold for this small corner of the Amazon?
When: 29/09/2012
Location: WWT London Wetland Centre
Ticket Price: £3pp + admission to the Centre.
Phone Number: Call 020 8409 4400 to book your place.
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]Birds in Britain
Join Chris Packham and some of Britain's other leading bird experts to explore the subject of Birtish birds, in association with the British Trust for Ornithology and The New Naturalists.
Talks will cover new developments in the study of bird migration, up-to-date information on bird diseases and how studies of certain species can provide valuable insight into the changing British countryside.
Specific species discussed in more detail throughout the day will be cuckoos, swifts, nightjars, terns and partridges.
Chris Packham says
'The best things in life are birds and in Britain we have some of the best of them. We also have some of the best expertise in unravelling their ecologies, behaviours and their conservation needs. This event aims to celebrate the birds and our rapidly expanding knowledge of them and the BTO are at the forefront of this. Combined with the remarkable New Naturalist legacy and the awesome reputation of the NHM, this promises to be a fabulous day of indoor birding!'
The event is from 10:00- 17:00, doors open at 09:30.
When: 29/09/2012
Until: 29/09/2012
Location: Flett Lecture Theatre, Natural History Museum, London
Ticket Price: £90 for members, £95 for non members
Phone Number: +44 (0)20 7942 5725
Website:
[You must be registered and logged in to see this link.]
Thu Sep 06, 2012 7:33 am
