Geological discoveries Tufa and speleothems in Cornwall Seashore ...

Fox Club joins Cornwall Children’s UniversityFox Club has been validated as a Learning Destinationfor this new initiative run by Cornwall Council’s Out ofHours Learning team.The Children’s University is a national project, fundedby the Department for Education, which recognises theachievements of young people who take part in highquality learning activities outside school hours. It is opento all aged seven to 14, but is looking to include childrenas young as five and older students (up to age 19) in thenear future.The Project validates any activity which:• is about learning or developing skills• is undertaken voluntarily outside school time• relates to a subject which can be studied at a highereducation institution• raises aspirations and broadens students’ horizons.When children take part in ‘validated’ activities,such as those in the Fox Club events diary, they willearn a Children’s University sticker for each hour ofparticipation. These hours will be recorded in theirPassport to Learning, provided by schools, and whenthey reach certain milestones, they will receive Children’sUniversity certificates:• 30 hours of participation wins them a Bronze Award(presented in school)• 65 hours of participation wins a Silver Award, and• 100 hours of participation wins a Gold Award plus a medal.(Silver/Gold graduation ceremonies are held at a localuniversity).Fox Club events will be publicised on the Cornwall Counciland Children’s University websites and hopefully, as childrenenjoy our activities, they will join the Trust as well.Further information can be found at www.cornwall.gov.uk/outofhourslearning and www.childrensuniversity.co.uk.Alison Forward, Education OfficerYoungsters graduate from the Children’s University at Doncaster.Photo by Children’s UniversityCamborne/Redruth Natural History Society: a fond farewellThe Society has formally disbanded after almost 55 years of valuable wildlife research, education and surveywork in Cornwall.Members of the Society andCornwall Wildlife Trust, which theSociety helped to found and to fundin 1962, met at Allet in Octoberfor a sad but celebratory event tomark the ‘retirement’ of the Society.Membership had dwindled in recentyears: valued members had died, andothers are now in their seventies.On behalf of the Society, SecretaryElizabeth Jackson presented acommemorative plaque to theTrust. The Society’s Treasurer, BrianJackson, handed over a cheque tobe divided between the Trust’s Bat,Farmland Bird and Marine Appeals.The Society’s archives will be storedin the Library at Allet.The Camborne/Redruth NaturalHistory Society was founded in 1956by local naturalists and others:Dr Ken Hosking, Dr Frank Turk(later the Trust’s first President),Mrs Stella Turk, Mr CG Packwood,Mr W Glasing, Mr DE Horton,Dr and Mrs Mike Robinson,Miss Rosaline Murphy, Mr BCHarry, Mr Charles Halford, Rev. JEBeckerlegge, Mr Vaughan Tregenza,Mr Leonard Andrew, Mr EG Ing,Mr F Hayman (local MP), Mrs AVHayman and Mr Ken Williams, whowas the Trust’s first Hon Secretaryand, assisted by his wife Margaret,served as such until 1985.The Society’s aims were “to studynatural history, to stimulate interestand to disseminate knowledgethrough lectures, discussions, fieldwork, demonstrations, exhibitionsand films”. Members made a verysignificant contribution to Cornwall’sBiological Records Unit, now theEnvironmental Records Centre forCornwall and the Isles of Scilly(ERCCIS) based at Cornwall WildlifeTrust headquarters.On behalf of the Trust, Chairman,Howard Curnow thanked the Societyfor its support, “We have come along way since 1962 and on behalfof our staff, trustees and manyvolunteers, thank you”.Rowena Millar, Editor, WildCornwall and Wild ScillyKay Hocking, Elizabeth Jacksonand Howard Curnow with thecommemorative plaque. Photo by SteveJones, www.cornishnature.co.ukIssue 114 Spring 2011 Page 19