Youth Rangers survive a night in the woods

The ultimate shelter

Last weekend the Eastern Moors Youth Rangers braved an entire night in the woodland below Froggatt Edge.

We’re pleased to announce that despite searing sunshine, pouring rain and an awful lot of spiders, we all survived.

Bolving - what's that all about?

There are not too many interesting things that have come out of Devon but one of them is bolving. 
Bolving is the art of reproducing the sound of the rutting deer stag in the hope of getting a response from the real animals out on the Moor.

Here is an example of exactly that:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a3OB_PBTjfw

The art of bolving has slowly been spreading north and now it has reached the Derbyshire Eastern Moors.  What we now need is a clear Derbyshire champion to set the standard by which all others in the area will be judged.

On Saturday 11th October, Eastern Moors will be hosting their first championship.  The idea is for everyone to go out onto the Barbrook dam facing out into the Moor.  One by one participants, drawn by random, will be able to make their call and try and get a response from our local stags.  Bolving will be judged on the volume, quality and reality of each call and the response received from the wild stags. The winner will not only receive a signed certificate but will also receive a voucher for 2 for a meal at the Grouse near Longshaw.  Have you ever had such an offer for an entertaining  early evening? 
We start at 5.30 and after 2 hours you still have time to do whatever you normally do on a Saturday night!

Here is a short video of the real thing.  Not all these red deer are on the Eastern Moors but they all sound roughly the same:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iU2lGQRZrq0

In addition there will be a display about our red deer on Big Moor and a decorated antler competition.  Deer thrash the bracken, heather, grass and moss with their antlers at rutting time to show their frustration and some of it gets lodged on their antlers making them look particularly rediculous.  Can you or your family replicate this action?

We may have a tug of war so that instead of all the pushing and shoving associated with the rut we will be moving in the opposite direction. This depends as much as anything on the weather!

Hot soup will be provided at Barbrook Cottage and you will get chance to meet similar individuals with an interest and passion for our biggest wild mammal 

Bring out the WILD CHILD

The Eastern Moors Partnership are teaming up with other partners to bring free 'Bring out the Wild Child' forums for people working with children and families across Derbyshire and Sheffield.

This September we are inviting people to join us at one of four forums which will include a screening of the much talked about Project Wild Thing film, the chance to learn some wild time activities from the Wildtime App and workshops for sharing ideas and enabling discussions around the main issues preventing children and families from spending time outdoors in nature, and how we might work together to tackle them.  

To find out more visit http://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/discover-learn/wild-child-forums.

All forums take place from 1pm-5pm and are FREE.

Thursday 4th September - University of Derby, Kedleston Road, Derby, DE22 1GB

To book contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188 or email enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk  

Thursday 11th September - University of Derby, Buxton Campus, 1 Devonshire Road, Buxton, SK17 6RY.  To book contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188 or email enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk

Friday 12th September - Weston Park Museum, Western Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TP. 

To book contact Sheffield and Rotherham Wildlife Trust on 0114 2634335 or email mail@wildsheffield.com  

Monday 22nd September - Chesterfield College.  To book contact Derbyshire Wildlife Trust on 01773 881188 or email enquiries@derbyshirewt.co.uk

To bring this opportunity to Derbsyhire and Sheffield, we have teamed up with Project Wild Thing, Derbyshire Wildlife Trust, Sheffield & Rotherham Wildlife Trust, National Trust, Derby University, Peak District National Park Authority and Derbyshire County Council.

David Bond's “Project Wild Thing” film looks at how children are becoming increasingly detached from nature through lack of 'wild play' time. It follows the publication of the Natural Childhood Report by Stephen Moss, commissioned by the National Trust in 2012.  The report and film have sparked the Wild Network campaign which aims to get children and their parents outdoors having fun together in nature through 'wild play'.   More information about ‘Project wild thing’ can be found at: http://www.derbyshirewildlifetrust.org.uk/sites/default/files/files/PWT_A5PromoLeaflet_Final.pdf

Just a gentle reminder about the coming weekend....

http://youtu.be/7MLRYG5QYnk

Roger

The ultimate natural playground

At the weekend we were treated to a special kind of Wildlife Explorer session. A session offering led activity for those who wanted it and imaginative, creative play in the woods for those who found themselves drawn to the natural playground around them. 

Jenny and Sophie took the group of Wildlife Explorers to a small clearing in the woods, with the aim of creating a future 'woodland craft' site. They suggested some 'clearance' activity for those who fancied pulling up the brambles, followed by making woodland tools ready for future sessions.  Some of the group selected and felled a small hazel tree, from which they went on to make mallets.  In the meantime, a number of children found themselves drawn by the environment around them, ambling off in different directions to tree climb, build dens and construct dams, in what appeared to be their own little woodland world.

The benefits of non-structured activity are endless, and where better to be able to do this than in the ultimate natural playground of the woods? It doesn't need to be a big space, but it does need to be, within reason, unrestricted and free.  Where, under the watchful eye of people who, though careful of a child's safety and wellbeing, believe in allowing children to develop the essential life skill of risk assessing for themselves.

So many of our children's activities are structured, from their school day through to evening and weekend clubs. There is so little time left for them to emerse themselves in an activity that only their mood and environment has chosen for them. We are better at providing this for toddlers, but once a child reaches 9, 10, 11 years and up, we often forget it's importance and significance.  

I am all for structure in the right places and celebrate the opportunities created for our youngsters to learn and experience the things we'd like them to, but we must remember to inject plenty of the one thing that is truly pure and that every child has a right to, and that's real life playtime!

Katherine

To find out more about Wildlife Explorers, call 01433 637907 or email wildlife.explorers@nationaltrust.org.uk

Bats in Barbrook Valley & Adders on the Moors - so much to see on the moors in May!

www.easternmoors.org.uk

Visit our What's On pages on our website to find out how you can come and join us this year on the Eastern Moors.  From family explorer activities, to adult workshops, family friendly guided walks with additives to Muck In Days, there's a little something for everyone!

 

Red Deer in Love & at War

The Red Deer rut always makes autumn an exciting season and what better place to see this amazing natural spectacle than on the atmospheric Eastern Moors in the Peak District.

This autumn, visitors to the Eastern Moors, found on the edges of Sheffield, were offered two wonderful opportunities to see the red deer with the added bonus of staff and volunteers on hand to answer any questions. On Tuesday 29 October, the Red Deer in Love & at War walk and wonder took people along Curbar and White Edges, with great views of red deer within the stunning moorland landscape.  On Sunday 3 November, the Red Deer Watch gave families an opportunity to feel close to the action, using telescopes and binoculars to view the exciting activity.

Many hinds were seen with this year's calves, along with young males and mature stags supporting spectacular antlers.   Despite the rain, visitors witnessed a bellowing stag and some young males trying their luck.  The rain soaked stags showed they had a similar technique to dogs as they shook their bodies to rid themselves of the shower. 

The Eastern Moors, part of the Peak District National Park, is an upland landscape rich in wildlife, from allusive water voles to captivating adders, golden-ringed dragonflies to the mighty red deer. Katherine Clarke, Visitor Services Manager for the Eastern Moors Partnership, said: “Red deer are our largest British wild mammal but so many people don’t realise they are here on the Eastern Moors. They are so camouflaged people walk straight past them.

“The deer rut is a time where the deer are possibly at their most visible and we want to give people an opportunity to view them at their finest.  We are delighted that so many people joined us to find out more about this stunning beast living right on their doorstep!”

The rutting season takes place from late September to November on the Eastern Moors.  Stags compete for access to the hinds – the female red deer - by engaging in elaborate displays of dominance. Hinds give birth to single calves from late May to June.

As a site with almost entirely open access and a network of bridleways and footpaths, plus internationally renowned climbing edges, the Eastern Moors is a place where people can get close to some of the UK’s most beautiful wildlife.

The Red Deer events proved so popular, we have decided to repeat them next year, with additional events including an evening walk and even a 'bolving' competition, where people can come along and show off their red deer stag bolving (bellowing) techniques!

To find out more keep an eye on our facebook page, www.facebook.com, search Eastern Moors, and on our What's On pages on our website, www.easternmoors.org.uk.

Kick Start volunteering

Volunteering on the Eastern Moors was kick started on Sunday with a highly successful Volunteer Taster Day.  Aiming to recruit willing and enthusiastic volunteers to help with the mammoth task of looking after the magnificent Eastern Moors, the taster day led the team well on their way to achieving their goal.

35 members of the public turned out on the cold but sunny day, and brought along with them their energy and desire to help!  Many spent either a half or full day, having a go at small tree felling in Curbar Woods with Senior Warden, Kim Strawbridge, and surveying habitats on Big Moor with Projects Manager, Rachel Bennett.

The Eastern Moors team are delighted by the response and now have a long list of people wanting to find out more about volunteering.  From practical conservation tasks to improving visitor infrastructure, delivering family events and adult learning to developing websites and social media, surveying visitor perception to designing ‘invisible’ interpretation, carrying out species surveying to monitoring vegetation structure; the volunteering opportunities are endless.

If you think you might like to volunteer with the Eastern Moors team, contact us to find out more.  Email enquiries@easternmoors.org.uk

http://www.easternmoors.org.uk/get-involved/index.html

Ground Beetle Drawing Competition

More fantastic winners from Bakewell's Science, People and the National Park event.  Well done to all the budding artists who took part.

Beetle Drawing Competition - the winners

Science, People and the National Park
Saturday 3rd November at the Moorland Discovery Centre
Saturday 10th November at Bakewell Town Hall
Join the Peak District National Park as they showcase some fascinating scientific research and investigations taking place in the park.
Explore the world of the Hairy Eyed Wood Ant, find out where the adders are hiding on the Eastern Moors and be amazed by the number of different beetles that can be found locally. Discover more about the Companion Stones Project, Peat Depth Investigations and the heavily debated world of Climate Change.
Displays and activities indoors, with outdoor activities if the weather permits!
10.30am - 4pm. Free entry.

Edges Walk - 16th October - Eastern Moors

A wonderfully blustery walk was enjoyed by all on our Edges Walk yesterday.

Thanks to Julia Smith for this lovely rainbow photo taken along the way.

Don't worry if you missed out, we have a Deer Walk this Sunday 21st October. See our website for more details of What's On: www.easternmoors.org.uk

Red Deer Rut Walk
Meet at: Curbar Gap car park
On: Sunday 21^st Oct, 10am - 12noon
Distance: 2 miles
Walk led by an Eastern Moors Partnership warden to see the resident red deer at their best. Rough paths, appropriate clothing and footwear is required and binoculars would be useful.
Cost: Free.
Sorry no dogs.
Booking: Booking essential. Please contact Kim Strawbridge by emailing kim.strawbridge@easternmoors.org.uk Mobile: 07801136356