Sunday picnic and pond dipping

Zooming in on the critters

Sunday Aug 1^st 2010

12 NOON

The amazing Hi-Tech Wild-Trek pond dipping laboratory, creatures like dinosaurs projected on screen.

2pm

Our Mayor, Councillor John Clark, opens the Pond Observation Platforms sponsored by Tesco, surrounded by wildflowers sponsored by Veolia.

HAVE A PICNIC ON THE MILLENNIUM GREEN!

Primary School Goes Pond Dipping

Students from Victoria Gambier’s class at Whitchurch CofE primary school have prepared this report…

Recently, the year 5/6 Kestrel class visited the Millennium Meadow which was full of high tech equipment to identify the living creatures in the ponds and stream in the peaceful meadow. We split into 3 groups to rotate round the exciting activities including: pond dipping, stream dipping and sketching.

We all met a man called Richard, and he guided us through the day and made the creatures that we caught and, with all his high tech equipment, was able to put them on to a large screen. He could make anything 50 times bigger.

Pond Dipping Platforms Installed

The two pond dipping platforms that we won a grant for in April (see report HERE) were installed this weekend by local firm A&M Hardy.

The hot weather brought out many families to the Meadow – many of them took the opportunity to go bug hunting in the streams and conduct some science measurements from the new platforms. Read more »

Wildlife Observational Platforms To Be Installed

The two new platforms for the Meadow will be similar to this sample.

The Whitchurch Millennium Green Trust was granted a prestigious Tesco/Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust award to install two wildlife observational platforms.

The platforms are similar to those shown in the picture; they are made of recycled material and are very durable.

They will be installed on two of the Meadow ponds by the end of May by a local contractor.

We are proud that our efforts were recognised by Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust and found worthy of their fabulous initiative:

“With the ever increasing pressure on every square inch of our fragile aquatic environment, the Wessex Salmon and Rivers Trust, in association with Tesco Stores Ltd, have formulated an initiative, in the form of an environmental award, to encourage and support projects aimed at either creating, preserving or reinstating areas of this valuable, but diminishing, wildlife resource.”

Hi-Tech Pond Dipping Attracts Hundreds

Getting ready for some investigations...

There was a huge turnout for the Hi-Tech pond dipping that took place on 19th August 2009!

Well over 200 people came to the Meadow to take part in the fun day out with a serious purpose: to investigate the biodiversity of the ponds and streams.  This was the second visit by the Hi-Tech Wild-Trek technology caravan – be sure to read all about the first visit, its scientific findings and watch a video HERE.

Zooming in on the critters

Packed inside the caravan was technology that could transform mini-beasts into mega-monsters (at least on the wide-screen).

Dr. Richard Osmond sifted through the numerous samples gathered by the boys & girls, moms & dads, grannies & grandpas, neighbours and visitors who braved the raging (cold) stream and (muddy) pond to fish out something other than fresh-water shrimp (over 10 million on last count!).  The most mesmerising creature shown on the screen was a leech which had numerous baby leaches on its belly.

A scientific report on this visit will be published here shortly.

The Meadow's own monster, the rare eco-snake, was spotted trying to steal people's lunches.

Some people reported seeing an eco-snake lurking around the Meadow – did you see it?

Please contact us if you have some photos of your visit that you’d like us to display here (especially if they show the crowds who attended).

Bugs, Critters and Caterpillars

Don’t forget that the Hi-Tech Wild-Trek returns this Wednesday! You can practice your pond-dipping skills on this cool website: Microscopy-UK

Meanwhile, a local Whitchurch caterpillar expert has been monitoring the mating of various amazing caterpillars on The Millennium Green.

He is optimistic that the hybrid creature will display some of the characters displayed by the parents.

If you see a creature showing any of the characteristics below let us know!

Maybe you’ll spot one on Wednesday?

Hi-Tech Wild-Trek Returns in August 2009

Close-up of a Hawker found during the high-tech pond dipping on the Meadow in May 2009

The Meadow will be visited by the “Hi-Tech Wild-Trek” again.  It was great fun back in May and its sure to be again!  (The list of critters he found then, is HERE).

Its a magic trailer full of equipment linked to microscopes and computers – a giant projection screen enlarges all the tiny creatures that are being examined.

The event will be led by Dr. Richard Osmond, an ecologist and a great enthusiast of natural history and education. Read more »

May Day Hi-Tech Pond Dipping

High-Tech Wild-Trek portable science lab visits the Meadow.

The Meadow was visited by the “Hi-Tech Wild-Trek” this past Saturday, 2 May 2009. Its a magic trailer full of equipment linked to microscopes and computers – a giant projection screen enlarges all the tiny creatures that are being examined.

Dr.Richard Osmond demonstrates how to best collect samples from the Meadow's stream.

The event was led by Dr. Richard Osmond, an ecologist and a great enthusiast of natural history and education.

The large screen display made monsters out of the mini-beasts caught in the Meadow’s two ponds, the stream and its old sluice.

Families examined what they had collected before taking the samples back to the lab.

The aim of the visit was to find as many different animals as possible and create a list to show the amazing biodiversity within the Meadow’s waters.

Read more »

May Day Celebration with Pond Dipping and Crowning of the Carnival Queen

A very special May Day celebration will happen this year on Saturday, 2 May 2009.

Three activities are all rolled into one fantastic day out on the meadow.

From 10am to 4pm there will be a mobile science lab on the Meadow.  Go and catch some thingies in the pond and bring them back to the lab, where you can have them magnified and displayed on a large screen.  Who’s going to find the most weird creature?

In the middle of the day there will be dancing around the May Pole (dress up!).

And then there will the official crowning of the new Whitchurch Carnival Queen!

Please come and join in all the festivities!