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April 2019 - Whilst having a run around my local area I stopped to look at the great work being done by Devon Wildlife Trust to preserve and help the bats. You can find out more information here: https://www.devonwildlifetrust.org/what-we-do/our-projects/devon-greater-horseshoe-bat-project

Bus to Pendine and walk home spotting butterflies on the way and collecting any human dropped plastic on the way. Saw lots of painted ladies and meadow brown butterflies. Eventually near Amroth a common blue and near Pendine a speckled wood butterfly. First blackberries of the season enjoyed on the way today 6th August.

School Summer holidays 2019: Today we attended the first ever South Downs National Park Youth Action Day. It was a plastic pollution action day at Seven Sister Country Park. We all met at the visitor centre and then headed down to the estuary and beach. Armed with rubbish bags and pickers it was our job to tackle as much rubbish and plastic as possible. On the surface the area seemed to be pretty litter free, but as you looked closer it was astonishing and frightening how much plastic was embedded amongst the salt marsh vegetation and in the soil. In particular the micro plastic nodules which were just every where. Whilst the day brought home the reality of the plastic problem we face as humankind it was nonetheless inspiring and enjoyable. We also met other youth volunteers and staff from the South Downs National Park Authority.

We eventually found the geocache at the coordinates on the app - but it has been fun visiting the monument itself. We also found natural beauty nearby.

We went to Slidderyford Dolmen beside Murlough Nature Reserve looking for a geocache. It wasn't there but nearby at the side of the road - but it was fund climbing all over this ancient Portal Tomb or Cromlech.

We explored a new area of Murlough and enjoyed the range of wild flowers on a lovely sunny day

We found out that the threatened Marsh Fritillary Butterfly thrives in Murlough, living on the flower of the Devil's Bit Scabious - We went out into Murlough at the start of May and we found the flower, we found the butterfly and we found hundreds of their hairy black caterpillars - unfortunately the only one we photographed is from a different species entirely. We'll have to go back!

In April the YMCA Newcastle M-Power group decided to take on the John Muir Award. We have so many beautiful places to choose from that we took some time to consider which wilderness area to explore. Murlough Nature Reserve - A 6000 year old dune system and an Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Specific Scientific Interest. Tollymore Forest Park - With hills, woods, managed forests, rivers and miles of walking trails Donard Wood - The Gateway to the Mournes