251 August 2015 - Gryffe Advertizer

www.advertizer.co.uk august 2015
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Get Outdoors Weekend 2015
To mark our 50th year, Ramblers Scotland
is encouraging everyone to get outdoors
during the bank holiday weekend on the
1st, 2nd and 3rd August 2015.
As part of ‘Get Outdoors Weekend’ you can
explore Scotland on foot and be in with a
chance of winning one of our great prizes
- there’s over 100 including a two night
stay for two in 5 star luxury at Gleneagles
Hotel!
So put on your walking shoes, there’s lots
and lots of great walks available to you
over Get Outdoors Weekend which you can find via the
link below!
Before you go on any led walk, please ensure you contact the walk leader prior to
the walk to let them know you’d like to come along. This will help them keep track of
numbers and also make sure the walk is suited to your ability. They will also know to
look out for you on the day and take care of you on the walk.
Don’t forget to take a photo and enter our prize draw! There’s a world of walking out
there, we hope you enjoy!
Visit www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/get-outdoors-weekend-2015.aspx for route
maps & full information on everything that’s going on.
Brighter Bridge of Weir -
Some Summer!
The weather’s been so bad recently it’s been difficult to believe
it’s summer. But it is indeed the holiday season and some of the
regulars are away soaking up the sun, if they
managed to find it.
Those of the team that remained included two
walking wounded who have just returned to
the front. A couple of weeks ago - remember
that day when it wasn’t too cold, too wet or too
windy? - they were out feeding and watering
the barrier baskets and planters throughout
the village. (We’re going to put a ‘Frequently
Asked Questions’ page on our website: one of
the most frequently asked is “Watering? After
this weather?!”) But yes, in spite of the recent rainfall the planters
and barrier baskets still need watering. It’s because the plants are in containers and
their overhanging foliage doesn’t allow the rain to penetrate to the soil.
Growing in restricted areas means that they need to be fed as well. In open ground,
soil nutrients get replaced by, for example, decomposition of surrounding vegetation,
but there’s not much of that in some of the spaces we’ve planted up, and none at all
in the baskets or planters.
At this point, we’d like to add a note for those of our residents partial to late-night, al
fresco dining: It is specialised plant food that we provide. Our plants are fussy about
what they consume and fast food is of no use. So, thanks anyway, but please don’t
leave the remnants of your takeaways
and their containers in and
around our planted areas. And the
plants don’t smoke, so no cigaretteends
either please. (We realise
that this note is unlikely to apply to
readers of The Advertizer, but if you
know someone who may benefit from
the information, please pass it on.)
There, that’s better. Always good to
get something off your chest. Here’s
hoping for some summer in August.
Summer has been a bit to and fro this year
with warmth and sunshine one day, to thunder
and lightening the next! The ducklings have
grown and can no longer fit inside the ground
feeders at the Reserve’s Visitor Centre. The flowers are all out
in full bloom (we even have a plant in our garden that smells like
curry!). Out on the water, two Mute Swan families can be spotted
through the scopes and there have been numerous sightings of
Osprey’s.
At the centre, we still have a family of Swallows nesting
underneath our tower, and we’re expecting some new products
in our shop, so watch out for those. You could even ask our
new Retail Manager Ashley if you’re struggling to find our new
products.
As the summer holidays continue, so do our special kids’
activities: Make Your Own Mondays and Funtime Fridays. Each
even is run twice the same day (11am - 1pm or 2pm – 4pm).
Upcoming events include a Minibeast Safari and our Holiday
Hike. Please contact the centre for more details.
And last, but by no means least, we have our Play Time event
where you can bring along all the younger members of the
family to see what the Reserve has to offer them. Come and try
our natural play area, get faces painted or try some other fun
activities – all for FREE!
For more details or to book, please contact us at: 01505 842 663
or email: lochwinnoch@rspb.org.uk