Geological discoveries Tufa and speleothems in Cornwall Seashore ...

ParSt Blazey/ParAddressPostcodeNature reserves newsNowodhow an gwithvaow naturWilderness The TrailBy public transportHow to get toYou can make a day of visiting Helman Tor usingpublic transport and catch The Atlantic CoastNew Wilderness Trail openStaff and volunteers have finally finished the last big linkin the chain to complete the circular Wilderness Trail walkaround Helman Tor Nature Reserve, south of Bodmin.A timber footbridge has been constructed largely fromoak felled as part of the management of Devichoys WoodNature Reserve.Line (the Newquay Branch Line) railway fromPar, alighting at Luxulyan. Leaving Luxulyan to thenorth and heading towards Luxuyan Quarry youcan then fo low National Cycle Route 3 whichgoes straight past the entrance to BreneyCommon. This is less than 3 miles (4.8 km) easyThe bridge enables walkers to link up Red Moorwith Helman Tor and Breney Common bywalking through farmland to the north of theTor. With some waymarking work still to do,the trail is ready to walk. A leaflet detailingthe route is available from the Trust officeor at www.cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/helmantor.walking, or you could put your bike on the trainand cycle it in about 20 minutes. Helman Tor isanother mile further on by road. From the top of Helman Tor it is 6 miles(9.6 km) mostly downhi l, to Lostwithiel from where there are morefrequent trains - this makes a nice circuit with a choice of pubs and cafes atthe end!By carIf you are driving into the area, some of the parking options are shown onthe map, although there are no formal car parks. Helman Tor NatureReserve is 2.5 miles (4 km) south of Bodmin, 2 miles (3 km) to the northwestof Lostwithiel. Here are directions to Helman Tor itself from theA30, though this is not the only place to start walking from: From the A30/A391 (Innis Downs) roundabout south of Bodmin, turn north to Lanivetand take the first right under the A30 bridge. Take the first left up the hillshortly after the bridge. After about ½ mile turn right at Reperry Crossand immediately take the left fork to Trebe l Green. Keep right past thegrass triangle and shortly after a sharp right bend, there’s a narrow left turnwith granite posts either side. At the top of this road is Helman Tor withsome parking on a rough car park – SX062615.RocheBugleA30A391WildernessTrailPLuxulyanA390BodminPB3269B3268A30LostwithielBodmin ParkwayA390Help protectCornwall’s wildlifeCornwall Wildlife Trust is the leading local charity working toprotect and enhance Cornwall’s wildlife and wild places. We arepassionate about all aspects of nature conservation and workonly in Cornwall. We want to help everyone enjoy nature, sowe hope this leaflet inspires you to go to The Wilderness Trailand experience wildlife up close!We depend on support from people who care aboutCornwall’s wildlife and you can support us by becoming amember. If you too believe that Cornwall’s wildlife should beprotected, please consider joining us. You will be part ofsomething wonderful.To join:Go online to cornwallwildlifetrust.org.uk/joinPhone us on (01872) 273939Send the form below to: Cornwall Wildlife Trust, Five Acres,Allet, Truro, Cornwall, TR4 9DJThank you.I/we would like to support conservation work in Cornwa l by joining Cornwa l Wildlife Trust.Membership rates:Ordinary £ 22Senior citizen / student / unemployed £ 13Family: parents plus 4 junior members of Fox Club £ 27Monthly direct debit £ 2/monthThese are the minimum membership rates, but remember the more you give the morework we can do to protect the wildlife of our county.Membership subscription £Donation £Total £I enclose a CHEQUE / PO made payable to CORNWALL WILDLIFE TRUST orPlease debit my VISA / ACCESS / MASTERCARDHelman TorNature ReserveWilderness The TrailCard no Expiry dateSt Austell FoweySignature Name(s): Mr / Mrs / MissPhotography by Cornwa l Wildlilfe Trust, Ben Hanley, Sarah McCartney, Jean Paton.I lustration by Sarah McCartney. Design by Sheila McCann-Downes.Wilderness trail final.indd 1 06/05/2010 09:33:38Telephone EmailDirect Debit forms are available on request from Andrea Toy, Membership Manager, on(01872) 273939. Registered Charity No. 214929. Registered Charity Name Cornwa l Trustfor Nature Conservation Ltd.I wish a l donations I’ve made to Cornwa l Wildlife Trust since 6th April 2000 and futuredonations to be Gift Aided until I notify you otherwise. (To qualify for Gift Aid, what you pay inincome tax or capital gains tax must at least equal the amoun that we wi l claim in the tax year.)Protecting Wildlife for the futureVolunteers Andy (left) and Ben puzzle over the tricky job ofassembling the solid oak end seat. Photo by Sean O’HeaThe finished bridge.Photo by Sean O’HeaHelp for habitats at Helman TorContractors have been employed this winter to carry outscrub clearance over four of the sites that make up ourHelman Tor Nature Reserve. Approximately ten hectaresof scrub will have been cleared by the end of winter.The work aims to restore important heathland habitats,benefiting species including the marsh fritillary butterfly,and to reveal hidden archaeological features.The view up to Helman Tor from the car park gate.Photo by Sean O’HeaFirebreaks for Rosenannon DownsIn an effort to restrict the damage caused by uncontrolledburns, 3.5km of firebreaks have been cut on RosenannonDowns Nature Reserve, south west of Wadebridge.Firebreaks have been cut for the last four years using theTrust’s flail collector, which enables the vegetation to be cutvery short and removed. Each firebreak requires four passeswith the tractor, totalling 14km of cutting! Uncontrolledburns have happened here for many years, leading to alack of diversity in the age of vegetation and subsequentlya relatively low diversity of wildlife. The firebreaks offerconvenient routes for walkers, and a lone lapwing whichstalked the tractor while the breaks were being cut!The Trust’s trusty Massey Fergusson on Rosenannon DownsNature Reserve, with Doom Bar in the background.Photo by Sean O’HeaThe reserves team are looking for wildlife enthusiasts to survey nature reserves this summer. If you have the skillsand would like to get out onto some of Cornwall’s best wildlife hotspots, then go to ‘Nature reserves’ on the Trust’swebsite or call Nick Marriott on (01872) 273939 ext 249.Page 4 Issue 114 Spring 2011