NATURE NOTES - SEASIDE

Whilst out and about on the local beaches in Kent this summer, you may come across some objects on the shorefront that you may have not seen before. These oddities may well actually be natural wonders that are native to the UK.

Below we have five images of examples of these. See if you can figure out what each of them is, and then scroll down to the bottom of the Notice Board to find out what they are!

Image No. 1

Image No.2

Image No.3

Image No. 4

Image No. 5

Calling all walkers and cyclists!

Do you enjoy exploring the countryside of the Romney Marsh? Would you like to walk or cycle a route of the Marsh or surrounding area and help keep it in good condition?

The Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership has 19 circular walking routes, on public rights of way, and 5 cycle routes on the quiet lanes. Each walk and cycle explores the wildlife and history of that area; from the smuggling heritage of Dymchurch to the ruined churches around New Romney and the wildlife along the Royal Military Canal.

We need volunteers to walk and cycle the routes, checking that routes are clear, signposted correctly and bridges and stiles are safe. You may like to do a single route as a one-off or do a series of routes in a particular area; perhaps you would like to adopt your local route and walk or cycle it on a regular basis.

The route packs have been published to encourage local people and visitors to explore the Romney Marsh countryside; the more people using the footpaths and lanes the more likely they will be better maintained in the future! So just choose a route, with walks and cycles from Hythe to Appledore to Lydd to New Romney, there is something for eveyone in the Shepway area!

If you are interested please contact Mark or Owen at the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership on 01797 367934 or e-mail: mail@rmcp.co.uk

SOUND MIRRORS - Guided Tours

There will be one final guided walk of the year to view the Sound Mirrors on the 26th of September at 2pm. The walk is free of charge and there is no need to book, although we do ask for a donation. The meeting point will be at Lade car park on Coast Drive (half way between the Pilot Pub and Romney Sands) (TR 085 208) and we will walk to the Sound Mirrors and back.
Please note that this is a 'Grade 5' walk, as we will be walking across the shingle, which might be hard for some people.

For more information, please see the event listings on the relevant dates below, or contact RMCP on 01797 367934 or 07770 670316. Email: mail@rmcp.co.uk

GENTLE BIKE RIDES FOR OVER 50'S

The Romney Marsh Countryside Project and the Romney Marsh Day Centre in partnership have launched a programme of special, gentle guided bike rides for the over 50's starting and finishing at the Day Centre, Rolfe Lane, New Romney. These free bike rides will be led throughout the spring and summer.
The dates are all on a Wednesday and they will start at 10.00am and they will take 2 hours. This means we will be back for lunch/cup of tea at the Centre if you wish to stay afterwards. Please book if you wish to have lunch, no need if it is a well deserved cup of tea and biscuit.
The remaining cycling dates for this year (2010) are - 11th and 25th August and the 8th and 22nd September.
The RMCP will be leading these free bike rides and with the Romney Marsh being such a bike friendly landscape this means all the bike rides will be on the flat. The routes will be on quiet country lanes and we will bring the spare tubes and kit in case of any breakdowns or punctures. The length and duration of the bike rides might vary due to the weather or if we are enjoying ourselves.

CYCLEFIT 2010

On Sunday 20th June, just under 100 cyclists came together to cycle a stretch of the National Cycle Route 2 from New Romney in a short, circular route around the Romney Marsh, for Cyclefit 2010.

The cyclists experienced good weather, enjoyed a stop in at Newchurch Village Hall before arriving back in New Romney, and many thanks goes to the expert hands of Romney Cycles who helped with back up, and Sainsbury's who were kind enough to donate some free fruit to the cyclists for their journey. We were happy to see so many children taking part in the event.

If anyone would like more information on upcoming cycling events in the local areas, please contact Owen Leyshon or Mark Tuson of the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership on 01797 367934 or 07770 670316.

DUNGENESS TO GREATSTONE MANAGEMENT PLANS THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

This spring, the Romney Marsh Countryside Project has been asked to write three important management plans for the area. The first is the next five year plan for the Dungeness National Nature Reserve which includes Dungeness and the coastline up to Greatstone and blocks of land around Greatstone Primary School. This plan follows on from two previous plans dating back to the late 1990's completed by Natural England. The second management plan involves a large area of shingle and bushes known as the Long Pits/Crane Ponds which are owned by a gravel company called CEMEX. The area covers 120 hectares of land stretching from the top of the Power Station approach road, across to the entrance to the Dungeness Estate and down nearly to the Old Lighthouse. The area is well used by dog walkers, anglers and birdwatchers and is now heavily scrubbed over in bushes and brambles. These plans will be completed later this spring and we welcome any comments, thoughts and ideas from residents and visitors if they wish to get involved. With both plans, the Romney Marsh Countryside Project would hope for local involvement whether through helping on site, keeping an eye out or reporting any problems or by informing us of any interesting wildlife sightings. For further information on any of these two management plans please contact Owen Leyshon, Romney Marsh Countryside Project on 01797 367934 or mail@rmcp.co.uk or try looking at the websites www.rmcp.co.uk or www.dungeness-nnr.co.uk

NEW BUSH CRICKET FOR KENT DISCOVERED AT DUNGENESS

In late September 2009, Owen Leyshon found a bush cricket which he identified as a Sickle Bearing Bush Cricket in the grounds of the Old Lighthouse at Dungeness National Nature Reserve. Sickle Bearing Bush Cricket (Phanenoptera falcata) was first discovered in Britian at Hastings Country Park in September 2006 when a breeding colony was found on the cliff top. The species was expanding its range across Europe and was predicted to colonise Britain. This individual was a female, which can be told by the upturned thick ovipositor. The species can be told from other green bush crickets by the length of the wings which stretch out well past the body, the minute dusting of black spots all over the body and wings. The eyes have a red colouration and the also the size of the creature. This record is the first for Kent, although the species is predicted to expand in southern Britain in the forthcoming years. After some photos were taken and confirmation made from national experts the female was released back at Dungeness Point. Let us know if you come across any interesting grasshopper or cricket sightings...keep looking.

GREATSTONE DUNES MANAGEMENT PLAN - THE NEXT FIVE YEARS

The third and final five year plan to be completed this spring by the Romney Marsh Countryside Project is for the Greatstone Dunes, which is owned by Shepway District Council and is also a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Again getting the right balance between the human pressures and the wildlife is vital – with the main thrust of the proposed works over the next five years is to reduce the coverage of the prickly sea buckthorn patches in the dunes and to check the spread of the garden flowers which are throughout the dunes. Issues like dog fouling, fly tipping of garden material and access will also be addressed. For further information on the management plan for Greatstone Dunes, please contact Owen Leyshon, Romney Marsh Countryside Project on 01797 367934 or mail@rmcp.co.uk

GREATSTONE SHINGLE TRAIL

A new trail has been installed by the Romney Marsh Countryside Project which takes you from the Romney Sands Railway Halt/Caravan Park along the Greatstone Beach and across to the shingle behind Merritt Road and Roberts Road, before looping back to the beach and the halt. The Shingle Trail highlights the wildlife you can find and there are a series of information panels, a special bee waymarker disc and a free leaflet to help the visitor explore the area. This trail was supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the Dungeness Shingle and Wetland Project which was completed last year. For more information contact the Romney Marsh Countryside Project on 01797 367934 or mail@rmcp.co.uk

FORTHCOMING EVENTS ON ROMNEY MARSH:

THE GRADING SYSTEM:
To help you choose a suitable walk we have graded some of the walks:
Grade 1 Very easy walk generally on pavements.
Grade 2 Easy walk in the countryside with only gentle hills. No stiles.
Grade 3 Typical country walk with some steeper hills or stiles.
Grade 4 More difficult walking: steep hills or likely to be muddy paths.
Grade 5 Difficult walks eg rocky shores or night walks.

Wednesday 25th August 2.00pm
CYCLE RIDE: MARSH PEDAL

A gentle cycle ride taking us across the Royal Military Canal and into some of the quietest parts of the Marsh. The lanes we will be using were formerly the smugglers' main routes to the relative safety of higher ground. There are a couple of small slopes to go up and down. Donation appreciated.

Sunday 5th September 2.00pm
CYCLE RIDE: A SEA OF CHANGE

A gentle cycle ride taking us across the Walland Marsh and into some of the peaceful parts of the Marsh. Some of the lanes we will be using are on old sea walls, some will have grass growing up in the middle and with the odd pothole, but they will be very quiet. Donation appreciated.

Tuesday 14th September 10:40am
NEW ROMNEY WARREN: POND MANAGEMENT

The seasonal ponds are usually at their lowest water level at this time of year so it is a good time to clear vegetation in order to increase the botanical interest and habitat for invertebrates and great-crested newts.

LEADER: Owen Leyshon, Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership (07770 670316).
MEET: At New Romney Warren Visitor Centre car park, off the St. Mary's Bay to New Romney road (TR 078 261).

Sunday 19th September 11:00am
DUNGENESS: BEACH CLEAN

We will be clearing rubbish from Dungeness National Nature Reserve (NNR) along the tide line. This is part of the Marine Conservation Society National Beach Clean so we will be counting the rubbish as well. The more people turn up the more rubbish we can pick up through the course of the day.

LEADER: Owen Leyshon, Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership (07770 670316).
MEET: At the red and white barrier beyond Dungeness (Old) Lighthouse (TR 088 168).

Sunday 26th September 2.00pm
ECHOES FROM THE SKY

This is the last guided walk out to the Mirrors during 2010. At the back of Lade Pit are the three Listening Devices built in the 1920s and 30s as part of a national early warning system against enemy aircraft. One of only two sites in the world where you can see all three designs, come and hear the fascinating story behind them. Donation appreciated.

NATURAL ODDITIES ANSWERS

Image No. 1 was a cluster of cuttlefish eggs.
These egg clusters get mistaken for seaweed, and their black colour comes from the culltefish's defensive ink. If you see a black cluster of cuttlefish eggs on the shore, please return them to the sea, or put them in a rockpool if one is nearby, as these eggs are most likely still alive and need to be kept submerged.

Image No. 2 was some squid eggs.
These eggs resemble jellyfish tentacles and contain many baby squid each as small as a grain of rice.

Image No. 3 was an alder necklace shell.
This strange object is formed when bands of eggs get laid, washed up onto the shore, and then coated with sand, drying out to form a hard shell.

Image No. 4 was a sea potato.
Also known as the Heart Urchin, this species lives just below the surface of the sand and can be any size from 3-10 cm in diameter.

Image No. 5 was a cluster of whelk eggs.
These eggs clusters are often mistaken for discarded bubble wrap and are quite common in the breeding season around January, after stormy weather washes them up on the shore. An empty cluster will be a grey colour, but when there are baby whelks still in the eggs, it will be yellow.