Download PDF - Nature in Cambridgeshire

Technical CommitteeMr D. Wells reports as follows:This year brought a large number of sites suggested by members as possibleareas ofinterest to theTmst. Allthese sites have been seen. but some reouire-to be visited at a different time of the year before making a final decision onfuture action. It is most encouraging to know that at least one ParishCouncil is actively considering the creation of a parish nature reserve fromone of the sites. Owners of some of the sites have had the relevant interestexplained to them, and have agreed to maintain this if at all possible.Advice on the suitable management of a number of areas has been given.As more areas are set aside for nature conservation so the demand formanagement expertise increases. The committee are investigating thepossibility of initiating small-scale field experiments to help in the formulationof management plans. It is hoped to arrange the first of these on theDevil's Dyke.Isle of Ely CommitteeMrs H. While reports as follows:Early in the year Mr K. G. Pratt resigned as Secretary and Mrs HilaryWhile took over his post. The committee is now affiliated to the MarchFurther Education Centre, which provides us with a roomin which to meetand enables us to display notices, etc. We now have 21 members.Socially we have been active-a sherry party at the Ely home of Mr andMrs A. C. Hull at which Dr F. H. Perring spoke, a film evening arrangedby Mr R. Wilson at the Sir Harry Smith School, Whittlesey, and a mostsuccessful wine and cheese party for the Isle members at March, organisedby Mrs While, at which Dr Walters gave an interesting talk with slides.Seventy people attended this last meeting in November, and it is hoped tomake it an annual event.With regard to our sites, Bassenhally Pit now has its own printed guideand Norwood Road has produced a folder containing a guide and specieslists. Manea clay pit has been confirmed as an official site, and the GreatOuse River Authority has agreed that a Trust notice board should beerected. With regard to Roman Bank, Leverington, earth is no longer beingremoved, the proposal for erecting overhead cables has been refused, andnothing more has been heard about the erection of a radio mast. A letter ofprotest was sent to the public meeting in September about the NorfolkCounty Council's proposals to fill in part of Well Creek.To help with publicity, the committee now possesses its own set of displayboards and a sub-committee is engaged in collecting suitable displaymaterial. The committee looks forward to a busy E.C.Y. 1970 and wel-9