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Enhance our local ecology General meetings Meetings News Pinned

Avoiding the insect apocalypse

  • Date: Tuesday 15th October at 7pm
  • Place: Calne Library
  • Cost: Free (no need to book)
  • Speaker: Jeremy Percy

You have probably noticed the reduced number of insects this summer. Our environment and food supplies depend on insects to pollinate plants. Come along and find out why this really matters and what we can do to help.

This event is run in association with Friends of the Marden Valley

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Enhance our local ecology Wildflower Planting

Wild Flower Gardens

On Tuesday 23rd April Paul Jupp from ‘Meadow in My Garden’, will be joining us at Hillcroft Gardens to do some work and plant some additional seeds in the wildflower beds. We’ll be there from 10.00 until 1.00 – if you can help for an hour or so we’d really appreciate it – especially the first couple of hours. If you have a scarifier or rake (not a leaf rake) you could bring that would be great.

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Enhance our local ecology Wildflower Planting

We’re planting bulbs!

Saturday 18th November we have 1500 bulbs to plant at The Rec! Meet by the wildflower area. Bring dibbers and trowels if you have them. Please share our Facebook post about this to your local friends.

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Champion greener energy use Enhance our local ecology General meetings Influence sustainable transport Meetings

Wiltshire Local Plan

Sustainable Calne held a public meeting on Wednesday 18th October 2023 to discuss and share thoughts on the Wiltshire Local Plan as it relates to sustainability in Calne.

Resources from the meeting will be posted here along with our response to the consultation.

How to respond

https://www.wiltshire.gov.uk/article/8048/Current-consultation-Reg-19-autumn-2023

Our notes

Wiltshire Council Resources

Wiltshire Council held a public consultation event at Calne Library on Monday 16th October 2023. They also held an online webinar, and have made the video available:

Wiltshire Council video of Local Plan Review webinar.
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Enhance our local ecology General meetings

Local Wildlife Walks David Sawyer

Local Wildlife Walks – talk by David Sawyer on May 24th 2023

This presentation was a real feast for the eyes – spectacular photos of our local wildlife! Huge thanks to David for this talk. If you missed it here are a few of the 75 photos – all taken locally – and a summary of his talk.

David showed us some wonderful photos of local wildlife. He talked about how his wildlife observations start at his home near the centre of Calne in a residential area. In his garden he sees an array of birds, small animals such as snails and frogs, and a variety of insects. David also described two of the walks he does, going from his home to observe different species – though his special interest is in birds. Going from Calne out along Low Lane and following the cycle path to The Penn Ponds he showed us photos of a range of species that can be seen – best time is early morning but not exclusively. Views of kites and several different gulls are common here. The other route is going along Wenhill Lane and onto the footpaths to Bowood Lake – this can be a circular walk taking in Studley and the cycle track. A little further away, but still walkable if you have time, is Morgan’s Hill where the chalk grassland is home to a rich variety of flowers, butterflies and birds.

David reported that he has seen over 90 species of birds within the Calne area – showing that we don’t need to travel far to enjoy the wonders of wildlife – and also how important it is that we protect the green spaces both in and around the town.

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Enhance our local ecology General meetings Walking and cycling

Wildlife on Your Doorstep and AGM

Wednesday 24th May at Marden House – AGM at 7.00, talk at 7.30

The Sustainable Calne AGM will be held on Wednesday 24th May at 7.00 at Marden House. This will be followed by a talk at 7.30 entitled:
“Wildlife on Your Doorstep – nature photography from your home.”

Local wildlife expert and photographer, David Sawyer, will talk about the local wildlife walks he takes – and some of the species he sees. He will also give some tips for taking good photographs – while ensuring the wildlife is not disturbed.

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Avon Needs Trees Enhance our local ecology Project meetings

Visit to Hazelands

Sunday 30th April – 10.00am at Hazelands wood

A chance for a tour of Hazelands near Studley. The tour will start at 10.00am for about an hour.

You will need to wear wellies and the site is rough ground.

You can leave after the tour or stay on to do some conservation work on the trees already planted.

The day is being led by Russell and Sue from Sustainable Calne.

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General meetings Wildflower Planting

Growing wild flower meadows in our gardens and public spaces

Monday 3rd October 2022 – 7pm (Marden House)

Tried growing a wildflower area in your garden and found it was harder than you expected?

Our next meeting is on Monday 3rd October 2022 at 7pm at Marden House. There will be a free talk by Paul Jupp of “Meadow in my Garden”. Find out about perennial and annual mixes. What bulbs can be under planted? Can the mixes be of different heights?

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Avon Needs Trees Enhance our local ecology

New Woodland for Calne

Thanks to the National Lottery Heritage Fund, local ‘ANT’ charity is celebrating its first land purchase, and has unveiled ambitious plans to create new, permanent woodland.

The 34 acres purchased, Hazeland, is in the river Avon’s high catchment area, near Calne, Wiltshire. New woodland here will bring benefits to the whole region – more habitat for endangered species, natural flood management, a space for public learning and recreation, as well as critical carbon capture to help combat climate change.

Read the full press release below