Dorset and West Hampshire Area

Co-ordinators

David and Jean Morgan: contact via david.morgan@arocha.org

Events & News

Future Events:

Blashford Lakes

25 February 2012

Blashford Lakes (nr Ringwood)

After two very successful previous visits to Blashford (near Ringwood), we are returning for another combined day of practical conservati... (read more)

Hilfield Friary weekend

25 May 2012 – 27 May 2012

Hilfield Friary, Dorchester

Another Hilfield Friary weekend  with Sir Ghillean Prance (Chair of ARI and Chair of Eden Project) and Andy Lester (A Rocha UK Conservati... (read more)

Further details re times, arrangements, etc, will follow, but do put these dates in your diary now and plan to come if you can! If you are interested in these events but don’t already receive group mailings, please let us know if you would like to be kept in touch by contacting us: david.morgan@arocha.org.

In the Dorset & West Hampshire area, there is currently an active group in East Dorset (Wimborne/Poole/Bournemouth/Christchurch area), a group recently started in the New Forest and plans to explore interest for a group based in West Dorset & East Devon.

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Other Events in our Area

East Dorset District Council is doing its bit to try & keep stuff out of landfill. Its ‘Give or Take Days’ around the county encourage people to donate reusable items which others can then take away for free. Next dates are:

All events run from 9.30am - 12pm. Items can be dropped off from 9am. Last drop off time is 11am.

Warm regards,

David & Jean Morgan

Local group leaders

01202 883504

david.morgan@arocha.org and jean.morgan@arocha.org

Reports of Past Events:

Blashford Lakes - Take Two

Sticking to the 'don't-change-a-winning-formula' maxim, the Dorset & West Hants Friends in Action group returned in January for their second visit to a nature reserve near Ringwood: a morning work-party got involved in cutting back laurel; more Friends came at lunchtime, which included a fascinating presentation by Andy Lester on a year in the life of a family of swallows.

After lunch Andy and Reserves Officer, Bob Chapman, took two groups to woodland and lakeside hides to observe over-wintering birds, including the largest flock of goosander in the south of England and (the undoubted star of the show) one of only five great white egrets known to be in the UK at that time.

For more detailed birding info from the reserve, have a look at the blogspot  on the Blashford Lakes website.

Living Lightly - Christian Living that doesn't cost the Earth

Ruth Valerio was the featured speaker at two A Rocha-linked joint-church events in Dorset during November as 'Living lightly: Christian living that doesn't cost the earth' went 'on the road': first to Wimborne, then to Uplyme. Ruth's talk majored on virtues (humility, frugality, generosity, justice, courage, hope, patience and love) and her hearers were challenged to put these into practice in day-to-day choices about food, shopping, travel, energy-use and waste, and in seeking to influence national and international decision-makers. There was plenty of interaction at both venues as members of the audience came up with environmental issues, shared practical eco-tips, took part in a Q&A session and then had an opportunity to reflect and record personal aims to 'live more lightly' in the year to come. Responses were very positive: 'encouraging and balanced', 'refreshingly different' and 'very inspirational' summed it up pretty well!

Dorset & West Hants group go ‘Wet and Wild’

‘I’ve caught a slug, Mummy. I’m so excited!’ Six-year-old Lois was one of a large and enthusiastic group of children and adults who enjoyed a varied and informative morning at Longham Lakes in Ferndown, Dorset, on 25 September. Under the expert and encouraging leadership of locally-based naturalist and A Rocha Friend, Dominic Couzens, activities included a bug-catching competition for the children (wildlife postcards as prizes), bird-watching, pond-dipping, butterfly-catching, and the inspection of mammal traps (empty because it had been too cold overnight) and moth traps (many different species). Adults’ comments included: ‘well organised but with a lovely, informal atmosphere’, ‘good pace’, ‘right balance between humour, anecdote and information’. Spot on then. As Lois’s twin, Ben, said: ‘I loved the Wet and Wild day. When can we do it again?’

Flower walk

Six spot burnet on mouse-eared hawkweed

Dorset and West Hants group members enjoyed the beauty of God's creation in glorious June sunshine on the chalk downland of Hambledon Hill in North Dorset. The views over Dorset were stunning but the afternoon's focus was on the micro-environment of ground-cover flora and its native fauna. The flower walk was under the expert leadership of group member and botanical enthusiast Pam Marchant. 

For more details of the walk click here (application/pdf, 122.0 kB, info).

Full house for climate justice event

Close on 400 people packed into St John’s Church, Wimborne, Dorset, on November 10th for a presentation by internationally renowned climate scientist Sir John Houghton.

Entitled ‘Climate justice: What would Jesus say at the Copenhagen summit?’, the evening engaged with the scientific realities of climate change, the biblical principles shaping a Christian response, plus options for practical action. It was organised by members of the environmental groups at St John’s and Wimborne Minster, and supported by A Rocha, Christian Aid and Tearfund.

Sir John, whose c.v. (as well as membership of A Rocha’s Council of Reference!) includes stints as Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Oxford, Director General of the Met Office and 14 years on the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, did not mince his words. Despite (largely US-inspired) mis-information campaigns, the science regarding anthropogenic global warming is unequivocal, and the impacts of climate change – already being felt in some parts of the world – will be devastating, resulting in millions of environmental refugees. He emphasised that rich countries, whose wealth has accrued through cheap carbon-emitting fossil fuels, have a moral imperative to reduce the environmental damage they cause and to assist poor countries to develop sustainably and to adapt to climate change – a responsibility that was actually signed up to by world leaders as far back as 1992 at the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro.

Addressing specifically the Christian imperative suggested by the title, Sir John urged the largely church-going audience to take seriously the biblical commands to care for the earth and to care for the poor. He also encouraged them to pray for the Copenhagen climate summit, in particular for the US delegation, whose stance is crucial for progress to be made towards any international agreement.  

Many of those attending completed Tearfund and Christian Aid campaign cards to send to their MPs and also signed up for the Stop Climate Chaos Coalition demonstration, ‘The Wave’, in London on 5 December. The A Rocha stand did steady business, with plenty literature being taken. And 100% renewable energy suppliers, Good Energy, should be getting a good number of new subscribers…

So – what would Jesus say at Copenhagen? To developed nations like ours, he would no doubt include what he said in Luke 12 v 48: ‘Much is required from the person to whom much is given.’

Background

A Rocha Friends in Action – Dorset/West Hants

This is what the group decided in terms of going forward as A Rocha Friends in Action in our area. 

We will hope/aim to:

• meet up as a whole group two or three times a year for sharing/mutual support/prayer/activities and discussions with an environmental focus

• produce and distribute a ‘newsletter’ to keep each other informed of activities undertaken/prayer requests/forthcoming events/publications and news items of interest

• foster smaller geographical clusters of group members, in particular to get involved in practical projects already established by other conservation bodies in each local area: obvious clusters so far would be Christchurch, Poole/Wimborne and hopefully west Dorset

• help one another in spreading the creation-care message in our churches or via local joint church groupings (e.g. Churches Together in Christchurch)

• consider ways of stimulating environmental interest and concern in the wider community, e.g. art exhibition featuring themes from nature

• share news of activities of neighbouring A Rocha Friends’ groups (e.g. Hampshire)

• explore ways of being part of the wider A Rocha family

If you would like to know more about the group, do get in touch. Email is best, at david.morgan@arocha.org.

Hope to hear from you.

David & Jean Morgan,
Local A Rocha group leaders.

Past Newsletters - to give you some idea of the groups activities

ARLocalNewsletterMay11 (application/pdf, 808.9 kB, info)

ARLocalNewsletterJan11 (application/pdf, 245.3 kB, info)

ARLocalNewsletterOct10Wim (application/pdf, 209.6 kB, info)

ARLocalNewsletterMay10 (application/pdf, 249.2 kB, info)

ARLocalNewsletterJan10 (application/pdf, 304.9 kB, info)

ARLocalNewsletterAug09 (application/pdf, 41.1 kB, info)