South Hill resident Linda Scott is a photographer and wildlife enthusiast. Here are some wonderful photos she sent to us recently:
Gorgeous wildlife photography
Category Archives: Wildlife
A Newsletter produced by and for the Parish of South Hill
Latest Newsletter!
Read all about it!
Newsletter number 100, May 2022
In this 100th edition of the South Hill Connection:
- 100 editions, 15 years – a trip down the Connection memory lane
- In-depth articles from advertisers and users of the Parish Hall
- Photos from the Connection Easter Egg Trail
- Parish celebrations for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee
- Parish Hall news and AGM details
- Horticultural Show – early details
- Volunteers needed for Community Speedwatch
- Latest from the St Sampson’s, SHARE, Recycling for Charity & Parish Council
And much more…
Next Edition will be a Jubilee Special. If you’d like to make a contribution, please email editor@south-hill.co.uk or call THE NEWS DESK. Ali 07305 044049 or Areina 07788 300025.
Please email editor@south-hill.co.uk or call THE NEWS DESK. Ali 07305 044049 or Areina 07788 300025
Newsletter full version – click here… and Condensed version here (with no adverts and fewer pictures, for slow internet connections!)
Please tell us what you think of it by contacting editor@south-hill.co.uk
Archived newsletters (all of them!)
can be found in our public Google Drive folder – here…
Some news articles are also posted here as a blog on our News page. The latest will always be at the top. If you want to search for news articles you can do so using the Search box on the right, or by selecting a News Category from the drop-down list.
Business advertisers can be found on our Local Business page
South Hill Bat Project Update – helping bats and humans share their space
South Hill Bat Project was thrilled to be nominated for an award from the Bat Conservation Trust, for work with Bats in Churches. Church Warden Miranda Lawrance-Owen stated how affirming this was for the work being done with our bats.
The campaign to help local bats keep the roof over their heads, was launched in August and has had an amazing response.
An article in the church Times stated:
Just before the £30,000 project to repair the roof began at St Sampson’s, South Hill, in Callington, near Saltash, it was discovered in May that two families of bats, pipistrelles and regionally rare Natterer’s bats, had set up a maternity wing in the roof. Work was suspended for a survey, and subsequent alterations to the plan to accommodate the legally protected animals.
Judith Ayers, project coordinator said:
“The £6,000 target is becoming a reality with £3,700 already secured through our sponsor a bat campaign. We now have bats named Eeyore, Sampson, Daisy, Brent, Acrobat, Batman and many more. Supporters are from all around the globe, with intertest as far away as Melbourne!”
There has been welcome support from celebrity Chris Packham, well know naturalist. He has personally sponsored a bat and named it Botham, as he said in his Tweet “he was quite handy with a bat.” His support and sharing on his social media has considerably increased the amount raised and the profile of the campaign.
St Sampson’s Church, South Hill where the project is situated, has recently received it’s bat mitigation licence and the urgent roof works have now begin, being sensitive to the resident bats who have finished breeding for this year. Some bat boxes have been sited to house any bats found in the roof, whilst works are being done, with an ecologist to oversee their safety.
The first bat talk has taken place with local bat expert Tony Atkinson telling the packed church all about the amazing habits of bats. There was even a special fly by of two bats as he was finishing speaking. The whole evening was bat themed with bat cakes and crocheted bats to buy. And to make the evening extra special it was announced that Tony had won an award from the Bat Conservation Trust. More talks, a bat walk and a bat box building workshop are planned for the spring.
You can donate on our Just Giving page South Hill Bat Project -helping bats and humans share their space. – JustGiving then send an e mail to stsampsonssouthhill@gmail.com to receive your certificate or, by sending a cheque made out to ‘The Rector and Church Wardens of South Hill – to Judith Ayers, Southview Barn, 83 Launceston Road, Callington, Cornwall PL17 8DS.
For further details of South Hill Bat Project, helping bats and humans share their space.
contact Judith Ayers judithayers@yahoo.co.uk or St Sampsons Unlocked | Facebook or St Sampson’s, South Hill – A Church Near You
Survey – South Hill Community Jubilee Orchard
Welcome to South Hill Community Jubilee Orchard’s participant survey.
This survey will help to inform whether there is enough local support for a new community orchard.
Survey link: https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/M6RDR58
A proposed view of how the community orchard might look
This new space is owned by South Hill Parish Council, near Golberdon, and would be a new area that the local community can access. It will be a joint project between the Council and SHARE.
Continue readingSHARE – Out and About Again
Lethytep Conservation & Wildlife Haven
Philip and Faith have transformed 52 acres of meadows, lakes and ancient woodland into habitats that they manage for wildlife. The amazing wildflower and hay meadows are managed the old-fashioned way using only carefully-timed grazing and cutting, resulting in a rich and varied habitat. Though probably not financially viable as a working farm, Lethytep is a valuable resource for biodiversity and wellbeing and is open to visitors by arrangement and on planned open days in June and July each year.
Continue readingFamily Quiz – Hedgerows in April
Grow a Tree to plant in 2023
Coads Green 7 mile walk
Big Farmland Bird Count
Last year saw a record-breaking count, 140 species of farmland birds over 1 million acres. But there are still many farmers and land managers who have yet to get involved.
3 reasons to make 2020 the year of your first Big Farmland Bird Count (BFBC):
1. You might learn something about your farm You know your farm better than anyone. You know your crop rotations, your livestock movements, your wet and dry fields. But what do you know about the wildlife on your farm? If you have never set time aside to consider this, the BFBC is the perfect opportunity. 30 minutes to look at your farm from a different perspective might help you to appreciate both the pleasure of being a custodian of our countryside, and the business opportunities of paid-for environmental management.
2. Results us to champion the great work farmers do in caring for the environment CFE partners such as the NFU and GWCT use data on the great work you do to promote farmers’ interests with government and the public. The more data we have to make the case for support for farmers, the stronger this case will be. The information gathered by the BFBC is a unique snapshot of bird populations on farmland which adds another tool to the toolbox for championing the farmed environment and you, the farmers who care for it.
3. You might enjoy it! The mental-health benefits of taking time out to appreciate the natural world are well documented. Add to this the sense of pride you can take in creating and caring for farmland bird habitat and those 30 minutes in a busy week will be time invested, not time wasted. You are your farm’s most valuable asset; think of the BFBC as a ‘maintenance period’ for yourself.
Don’t be put off by the thought that you might not recognise some bird species. You probably know more than you think (robin, starling, goldfinch…) and GWCT have a handy guide for some of the trickier ones. If in doubt, take a camera with you. Take a snap of any you’re not sure of and look them up. The RSPB ‘identify a bird’ tool will whittle down the options by size, colour, beak etc.
You can register, download your guide and count sheet and send in your sightings at www.bfbc.org.uk. There are even some prizes up for grabs, so don’t forget to submit your results.
Eat Local Ice Cream, support British Farming
The hot weather is also a great excuse to eat more ice cream to stay cool!
Do you prefer a cone or tub, single or double scoop, sauce or no sauce? Whichever way you choose to eat your cool treat this summer, be sure to back British farming. Supporting the industry has never been more important, so what better way than to treat yourself than with a scoop of British dairy ice cream on a warm summer’s day!
Here are some local producers, many encourage site visits, so why not go explore them.