CAMEL

St Michael's churchyard at Porthilley on the north bank of the Camel Estuary was the venue for a branch committee meeting combining a survey of the flora and fauna of the site with an update on ongoing items within the our area.

This will be the third report that we've completed toward the Trust's Living Churchyards project, and possibly our last as there seems to be very little interest generated amongst the clergy and their associated Parochial Councils within the North Cornwall (Camel) region. Having surveyed the sites and presented written reports with minor proposals toward improving the areas to the respective parties, it has been most disheartening to have received no feedback whatsoever.

Bird sightings have included a black redstart at Camelford, two whooper swans on the Camel Estuary and a bittern at Walmsley Sanctuary.

A roe deer was found dead beside the A39 at Otterham Station and, more encouragingly, there were some more sightings of "live" roe deer at St Kew.

Again the Camel Group was at the "cutting edge" when, after raising the issue at a previous meeting, the committee discussed the ever-increasing problems posed to the county by the spread of Japanese knotweed. This has now "snowballed" rather successfully and has resulted, after several meetings, in the Japanese Knotweed Management Programme. It now involves many outside agencies along with the Cornwall area Environment Agency, which is sponsoring Loughborough University to produce the Japanese Knotweed Manual.

Our patch has also seen the reintroduction of the large blue butterfly onto an area of North Cornwall coastline. Following a six-year period of habitat preparation by the National Trust, which has included scrub clearance, grazing management and the planting of over 4,000 thyme plants, large blue butterflies have been reintroduced at a site in North Cornwall. In late June this year, twelve adults (ten females and two males) were released, ending an absence from the county of 27 years. The main release, however, took place two weeks later when 300 hand-reared larvae (from eggs) were put out for "adoption" by ants of the species Myrmica sabuleti. The butterflies and their eggs were obtained from a very successful site belonging to the Somerset Wildlife Trust. Adrian Langdon

LAUNCESTON

Parish Co-ordinators on our survey project are assimilating sufficient information to encourage local volunteers to participate. We want to be in a position to start collecting data in the spring of 2001. A website - www.Parish-wildlife.org.uk - should be up and running by the time that you read this. It will provide all the background to the project, as well as presenting the individual surveys and a means of sending collected data to the Parish Co-ordinators. With time it will grow into an information source on the status of our local environment.

Still on technical matters, we would like anyone who would like to be kept informed of Launceston Group activities to send us their e-mail address. Send it to brian.stringer@justwright.com and we will send you up-to-date information about a week before any event.

Our autumn Apple Day for the younger members of the group was very successful. As it seems impossible to interact with schools, due to increasing pressures on the curriculum, we are going to set up more outdoor events to encourage children to express an interest in wildlife conservation. Starting in April, there will be regular Family Nature Strolls of about three miles on the last Sunday afternoon of every month. These will visit each of our local parishes, in turn, and provide activities for children in a stimulating outdoor environment. Please mark the family days on your calendar and join in as many other activities in the diary as you can. Brian Stringer

The Launceston Group is keen to make use of modern technology to keep people informed, as is the Trust in general. A world of wildlife information is out there to be explored by computer.

Illustration: Sarah McCartney

autumnal walk through Godolphin Woods but we had to abandon our course when the water reached within two inches of the top of my wellies and was still rising. In places the woods resembled a mangrove swamp with all the trees rising out of the water. But this is November, so let us hope that by the time you get to read this in January/February 2001 things will be different. Oh for one of Shakespeare's winters, "when icikles hang by the wall".

The weather put paid to the first of our working parties at St Erth Pits, where we are hoping to improve the access and recreate some of the open glades that have been claimed by the brambles. We shall try again later in the month but we've also planned some more for the spring, so that gives you able bodied time to hone your tools ready for action.