The number of staff based at the Romney Marsh Countryside Partnership offices, dramatically increased in August 2018 (from 2 staff to 3), as we welcomed our new Romney Marsh Ranger, Steff D’Agorne. This position has been created thanks to funding from Natural England and Folkestone and Hythe District Council. Steff will be working at three main sites within the Romney Marsh: Greatstone Dunes, New Romney Warren and the Dungeness National Nature Reserve.

In addition to these three sites, the Romney Marsh Ranger post will provide further green tourism and other opportunities including leading guided walks and cycle rides, plus attending key events across the Marsh.

Since starting Steff has attended the ‘wildlife and countryside’ themed Lydd Village Fair at All Saints’ Church, Lydd.  Whilst leading bug hunting at the Fair, she discovered a fantastic sycamore moth caterpillar which had been blown off one of the sycamore trees in the churchyard.

Each Tuesday she leads conservation volunteer tasks on the Romney Warren: clearing back and maintaining the site’s pathways to ensure they are safe for visitors, as well as updating/repairing the infrastructure on the site. During one of the tasks in August she discovered a beautiful blood-vein moth sitting alongside the pathway.

Most recently, the Romney Marsh Ranger led a ‘Running with the Ransleys’ guided walk (one of the walks from our Royal Military Canal walks pack), on a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon. This walk passes through Hamstreet Woods, where there were good views of foraging marsh tit, before heading up over farmers’ fields and down towards the Church of St Mary Magdalene, where two of the Ransley brothers were buried.

If you would like to join the Romney Marsh Ranger on one of the RMCP guided walks/cycles or volunteer task days, do get in touch by contacting us at: mail@rmcp.co.uk or 01304 241806.