SUN 2nd / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

SUN 2nd / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location TBC / Task TBC
Dorset Wildlife Trust - East Dorset Group
Tasks mainly involve work on Sopley Common and on Troublefield (if conditions permit). Tasks include scrub clearance, pine and sycamore control, path clearance etc. Meet at the Ramsdown car park (Grid Ref: SZ130972) at 10:00 AM. [MAP] Contact Jon Crewe Tel: 01202 549377 Mob: 07733 123651.

SUN 2nd / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Townsend Nature Reserve, Swanage / Clearing Burnet Rose
Dorset Wildlife Trust - South Dorset & Isle of Purbeck Group
For further details contact Bernard Franklin Tel: 01305 786201 Mob: 07711 304412 (after 6pm).

SUN 2nd / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Brownsea Island, Poole / Rhododendron Clearance
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Catch the boat from Sandbanks - please ring for timings. Contact Richard Proctor on Tel: 01202 693039.

MON 3rd / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

TUE 4th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

WED 5th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical conservation work to conserve and enhance this very special place. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking

WED 5th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

WED 5th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Great Ovens Heath, Nr Wareham / Fencing
BTCV
Meet at Filleul Road which is off Miles Avenue, which is off the A351. Grid Ref: SY929900 [ MAP] nearest post code BH20 7AP. Alternatively catch the BTCV minibus from Dorchester Train Station at 09:30 AM. Contact Kirsty Bourton Tel: 01202 632101 Mob: 07740 899722 e-mail: dorset@btcv.org.uk.

WED 5th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Great Ovens Heath, Nr Wareham / Fencing
HCT
Meet at Filleul Road which is off Miles Avenue, which is off the A351. Grid Ref: SY929900 [ MAP] nearest post code BH20 7AP. Joint task with BTCV. Contact Graham Stanley on Tel: 01202 391319 or Mob: 07810 770569.

THU 6th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston Castle
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical work to help with the restoration of historic Durlston Castle. The Castle is currently being re-developed as an environmental visitor centre for Durlston and as the main visitor centre for the Jurassic Coast. Volunteers are involved in work in and around the castle as part of the re-development. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

THU 6th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

THU 6th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Upton Heath, Poole / Habitat Management
Dorset Wildlife Trust - Urban Wildlife Volunteers
Carrying out tasks involving general heathland management such as pine control, path maintenance, scrub clearance, etc. Gloves, tools and baked potatoes supplied. Meet at the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Lane, Corfe Mullen BH21 3RX Grid Ref: SY978948 [MAP] For further information contact the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre on Tel: 01202 692033.

FRI 7th / 10:00 AM - 2:30 PM
Dorset County Council & Island Conservation Volunteers
Portland / Task TBC
Everybody welcome to come for all or just part of the day. Tools and gloves provided. Contact 01305 823789 or 07973 907760 for further details.

FRI 7th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

SAT 8th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Route Marking
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with route marking for the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

SUN 9th / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Avon Heath Country Park / Task to be Confirmed
RSPB
Meet at the work base at Birch Road in North Park (Grid Ref: SU 131 035). It is advisable to phone to check on meeting place if you have not heard directly beforehand. Contact Toby Branston Tel: / Fax: 01425 472975 Mob: 07801 344024.

SUN 9th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Various Tasks
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are required to help with the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Help is needed with car park marshalling, booking in desks, checkpoints, sales stall, refreshments & first aid. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

TUE 11th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Collecting Signs and Route Clearance.
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with clearing up after the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

TUE 11th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Holton Lee, Holton Heath, Nr Poole / Various
BTCV
We’ll be building racks in the shed and moving tools over from Buddens Farm. Meet at the Holton Lee Car Park Grid Ref: SY960913 [MAP] nearest post code BH16 6JN. Alternatively you can catch the BTCV minibus from Wareham train station, pickup at 9:45 AM. Contact Kirsty Bourton Mob: 07740 899722 or James 07764 655686, e-mail: dorset@btcv.org.uk or office Tel: 01202 632101.

WED 12th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical conservation work to conserve and enhance this very special place. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

WED 12th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Collecting Signs and Route Clearance.
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with clearing up after the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

WED 12th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Holton Lee, Holton Heath, Nr Poole / Path Creation
BTCV
Help Matt with work on Holton Lee. We will be joined by staff from the Environment Agency. Meet at the Holton Lee Car Park Grid Ref: SY960913 [MAP] nearest post code BH16 6JN. Alternatively you can catch the BTCV minibus from Dorchester South train station, pickup at 9:30 AM. Contact Kirsty Bourton Mob: 07740 899722 or James 07764 655686, e-mail: dorset@btcv.org.uk or office Tel: 01202 632101.

THU 13th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston Castle
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical work to help with the restoration of historic Durlston Castle. The Castle is currently being re-developed as an environmental visitor centre for Durlston and as the main visitor centre for the Jurassic Coast. Volunteers are involved in work in and around the castle as part of the re-development. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

THU 13th / Time TBC
Swanage & Purbeck Area / Collecting Signs and Route Clearance.
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Volunteers are needed to help with clearing up after the Walk for Dorset's Wildlife 2007. Contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

THU 13th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Upton Heath, Poole / Habitat Management
Dorset Wildlife Trust - Urban Wildlife Volunteers
Carrying out tasks involving general heathland management such as pine control, path maintenance, scrub clearance, etc. Gloves, tools and baked potatoes supplied. Meet at the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Lane, Corfe Mullen BH21 3RX Grid Ref: SY978948 [MAP] For further information contact the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre on Tel: 01202 692033.

THU 13th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Peregrine Woods, Christchurch / Scrub Removal
Christchurch Borough Council
Continuing the gradual removal of the rhododendron understorey from wet alder woodland. We will be stacking material to burn later in the season. Wellies useful. Meet at the junction of Peregrine Road and De Havilland Way, Grid Ref: SZ181925 [MAP] nearest post code BH23 4DG. Under 16’s please bring an adult. As usual, remember to wear old clothes and bring a packed lunch if you’re staying the day. We provide hot and cold drinks and other refreshments. Contact Christchurch Countryside Service on 01425 272479 or e-mail: countrysideservice@christchurch.gov.uk.

SAT 15th / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Piddles Wood, West Dorset / Various
Dorset Wildlife Trust - North Dorset Group
For further details contact Lucie Cowles on 01202 468622 or 07967 597571.

SAT 15th / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Powerstock Common, West Dorset / Scrub Clearance
Dorset Countryside Volunteers
This has once again become a regular site for DCV tasks. In recent years great changes have taken place on the reserve. Introduced plantations of spruce and pine have been removed, dense scrub has been cut back and livestock now graze extensively over the area. Now unenclosed rough pastures with scattered trees mix with small woods and scrubs, and in parts there are larger woods enclosed from grazing animals with flower rich clearings. Perhaps more than any other reserve in Dorset this gives the landscape a medieval character. We shall be carrying on from the task last winter on the old Bridport railway line. Trees and scrub have closed over the embankment creating a somewhat uniform and shaded tunnel through the woodland. Our job is to cut out long bays on each side of the embankment to let in sunshine and provide a more varied woodland edge for plants, insects and breeding birds. Meet at the reserve car park Grid Ref: SY546973 [MAP] nearest post code DT2 0EJ. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

SUN 16th / 2:30 PM
Kimmeridge Bay, Purbeck / Beach Clean & Litter Survey
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Help with the quarterly beach litter survey and tidy up. All equipment provided. Free parking and refreshments provided. Meet at the Marine Centre by the slipway, Kimmeridge Bay Grid Ref: SY909787. Contact the Fine Foundation Marine Centre on 01929 481044.

SUN 16th / 2:30 PM
Worbarrow Bay, Purbeck / Beach Clean & Litter Survey
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Help with the quarterly beach litter survey and tidy up. All equipment provided. Follow the signs from the car park at Tyneham. For further information contact the Fine Foundation Marine Centre on 01929 481044.

SUN 16th / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Arne, Purbeck / Beach Clean
RSPB - Arne
Join us to do your bit for Britain's beaches and marine life by helping with a beach clean along Arne beach and shoreline. Fresh air, exercise and beautiful views. All welcome and all training and equipment is provided. Meet at the RSPB Arne nature reserve car park, near Wareham, Dorset. Grid Ref: SY972877 [MAP] Post code BH20 5BJ.

SUN 16th / Time TBC
Ocean Bay, Swanage / Beach Clean
Durlston Country Park
Help keep our seas and beaches clean. Meet at Ocean Bay (north end of Swanage Beach) Grid Ref: SZ031796. Phone Tel: (01929) 424443 for details.

SUN 16th / 2:00 - 4:00 PM
Lulworth Cove & Durdle Door / Beach Clean
Lulworth Estate
Volunteers are needed to join in our events during National Beachwatch weekend. Help us protect marine widlife and keep pur beaches clean. For more information contact the Heritage Centre on 01929 400587.

SUN 16th / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Brownsea Island, Poole / Rhododendron Clearance
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Catch the boat from Sandbanks - please ring for timings. Contact Richard Proctor on Tel: 01202 693039.

SUN 16th / 10:00 AM
Upton Heath, Poole / Task TBC
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Carrying out tasks on one of the smaller DWT reserves. Gloves & tools supplied. Meet at the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Lane Corfe Mullen, Wimborne BH21 3RX. Grid Ref: SY978949 [MAP] The entrance to Beacon Hill lane is easily missed but it is almost opposite the Holme Bush Inn For more information contact Steve Davis on Mob: 07970 552659.

SUN 16th / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Powerstock Common, West Dorset / Scrub Clearance
Dorset Countryside Volunteers
This has once again become a regular site for DCV tasks. In recent years great changes have taken place on the reserve. Introduced plantations of spruce and pine have been removed, dense scrub has been cut back and livestock now graze extensively over the area. Now unenclosed rough pastures with scattered trees mix with small woods and scrubs, and in parts there are larger woods enclosed from grazing animals with flower rich clearings. Perhaps more than any other reserve in Dorset this gives the landscape a medieval character. We shall be carrying on from the task last winter on the old Bridport railway line. Trees and scrub have closed over the embankment creating a somewhat uniform and shaded tunnel through the woodland. Our job is to cut out long bays on each side of the embankment to let in sunshine and provide a more varied woodland edge for plants, insects and breeding birds. Meet at the reserve car park Grid Ref: SY546973 [MAP] nearest post code DT2 0EJ. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

TUE 18th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Purewell Meadows, Christchurch / Various
Christchurch Borough Council
Path maintenance, mowing and tidying plus leafleting some of the local households in an effort to cut the amount of fly tipping occurring on the site. Meet at the Burton Road entrance to Purewell Meadows LNR, Grid Ref: SZ171933 [MAP] nearest post code BH23 3AL. Under 16’s please bring an adult. As usual, remember to wear old clothes and bring a packed lunch if you’re staying the day. We provide hot and cold drinks and other refreshments. Contact Christchurch Countryside Service on 01425 272479 or e-mail: countrysideservice@christchurch.gov.uk.

WED 19th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical conservation work to conserve and enhance this very special place. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking

WED 19th / 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Garston Wood Nature Reserve / Task TBC
RSPB - Arne
Training and equipment provided. Meet at the Garston Wood reserve car park. Grid Ref: SU003194. Contact Jack Edwards at the Arne Nature Reserve office on 01929 553360. [MAP]

WED 19th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Hambledon Hill / Event Preparation
Natural England Green Team
An opportunity to get in touch with your artistic side and help preparation for the 'enclosure' performance on Sunday evening. Meeting place to be arranged. Contact Richard Frost Tel: 01202 883084. Mob: 07756 864796.

WED 19th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Portland / Various Tasks
BTCV
Help Lynn with various tasks on Portland. Meet at the viewpoint car park next to the prison / Portland Heights Hotel. Grid Ref: SY690730 [MAP] nearest post code: DT5 1LF. Alternatively you can catch the BTCV minibus from Dorchester South Train Station, pickup at 9:30 AM. Contact Kirsty Bourton Mob: 07740 899722 or James 07764 655686, e-mail: dorset@btcv.org.uk or office Tel: 01202 632101.

THU 20th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston Castle
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical work to help with the restoration of historic Durlston Castle. The Castle is currently being re-developed as an environmental visitor centre for Durlston and as the main visitor centre for the Jurassic Coast. Volunteers are involved in work in and around the castle as part of the re-development. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

THU 20th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Upton Heath, Poole / Habitat Management
Dorset Wildlife Trust - Urban Wildlife Volunteers
Carrying out tasks involving general heathland management such as pine control, path maintenance, scrub clearance, etc. Gloves, tools and baked potatoes supplied. Meet at the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Lane, Corfe Mullen BH21 3RX Grid Ref: SY978948 [MAP] For further information contact the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre on Tel: 01202 692033.

SAT 22nd / Time TBC
Hambledon Hill / Event Preparation
Natural England Green Team
Appease the ancestors by helping with the preparation for the performance on Sunday Evening. All willing volunteers welcome on Sunday. Please contact Julia for more information on 07842 120585 or Ian on 01202 841026.

SAT 22nd / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Lankham Bottom, Nr Cattistock / Habitat Management
Butterfly Conservation - Dorset Branch
An opportunity to join in with the practical management work on this important downland reserve, including at 2pm Family Wildlife Walk. Meet at the reserve entrance off the minor road to Cattistock from the A37, Grid Ref: ST607004 [MAP] nearest post code DT2 9PH. Park inside the metal gate. For further information please contact Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767, or email nigelspring@yahoo.co.uk.

SAT 22nd / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Langton Herring / Walling
Dorset Wildlife Trust
This weekend we are joined by our friends from Association Orchis and we shall be celebrating 10 years of twinning success by our two organisations. As part of the weekend events a task has been arranged near this picturesque village which enjoys commanding views to the Fleet and Chesil Beach and then the open sea beyond. A rough lane leads down to the shore where the sheer scale of Chesil Beach becomes truly impressive, sweeping away toward the horizon in each direction. The village is on limestone, a hard rock that was used for building stone and which gives the villages in this area their distinctive character. In the surrounding countryside there is a mosaic of drystone walls. Built centuries ago by clearing limestone rocks from the land to provide sturdy, stockproof fields. They do need occasional maintenance and many are now in a state of partial collapse, their usefulness to farmers having been replaced by barbed wire. We shall be restoring a length of wall and thereby helping to maintain the local character of the countryside. Experienced volunteers will be on hand for guidance. Meet on Coastguard Road, Grid Ref: SY609823 [MAP] nearest post code DT3 4JB. Please be prepared to park in the village as space on this lane is tight. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

SUN 23rd / Time TBC
Hambledon Hill / Event Preparation
Natural England Green Team
Appease the ancestors by helping with the preparation for the performance on Sunday Evening. All willing volunteers welcome on Sunday. Please contact Julia for more information on 07842 120585 or Ian on 01202 841026.

SUN 23rd / 9:30 AM - 4:00 PM
Garston Wood Nature Reserve / Task TBC
RSPB - Arne
Training and equipment provided. Meet at the Garston Wood reserve car park. Grid Ref: SU003194. Contact Jack Edwards at the Arne Nature Reserve office on 01929 553360. [MAP]

SUN 23rd / 10:30 AM - 4:00 PM
St Catherine's Hill, Christchurch / Various
Christchurch Borough Council
Mixed task, removing invasive scrub and Piri-Piri Burr from the heath. Chance of fire depending on weather and wind direction. Meet at the Marlow Drive entrance to St. Catherine’s Hill. SZ141953 [MAP] nearest post code BH23 2RH. Under 16’s please bring an adult. As usual, remember to wear old clothes and bring a packed lunch if you’re staying the day. We provide hot and cold drinks and other refreshments. Contact Christchurch Countryside Service on 01425 272479 or e-mail: countrysideservice@christchurch.gov.uk.

SUN 23rd / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Langton Herring / Walling
Dorset Wildlife Trust
This weekend we are joined by our friends from Association Orchis and we shall be celebrating 10 years of twinning success by our two organisations. As part of the weekend events a task has been arranged near this picturesque village which enjoys commanding views to the Fleet and Chesil Beach and then the open sea beyond. A rough lane leads down to the shore where the sheer scale of Chesil Beach becomes truly impressive, sweeping away toward the horizon in each direction. The village is on limestone, a hard rock that was used for building stone and which gives the villages in this area their distinctive character. In the surrounding countryside there is a mosaic of drystone walls. Built centuries ago by clearing limestone rocks from the land to provide sturdy, stockproof fields. They do need occasional maintenance and many are now in a state of partial collapse, their usefulness to farmers having been replaced by barbed wire. We shall be restoring a length of wall and thereby helping to maintain the local character of the countryside. Experienced volunteers will be on hand for guidance. Meet on Coastguard Road, Grid Ref: SY609823 [MAP] nearest post code DT3 4JB. Please be prepared to park in the village as space on this lane is tight. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

MON 24th / Time TBC
Hambledon Hill / Event Preparation
Natural England Green Team
Appease the ancestors by helping with the preparation for the performance on Sunday Evening. All willing volunteers welcome on Sunday. Please contact Julia for more information on 07842 120585 or Ian on 01202 841026.

WED 26th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical conservation work to conserve and enhance this very special place. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

WED 26th / 10:00 AM - 3:30 PM
Chesil Beach, Weymouth / Various
BTCV
Come and Help Don Moxom with various tasks. Meet at the Chesil Beach Centre, Weymouth. Grid Ref: SY668755 [MAP] nearest post code DT4 9XE. Follow the A354 from Weymouth to Portland. The car park and centre is 300 metres on the right from the Ferrybridge Public House. Alternatively you can catch the BTCV minibus from Dorchester South Train Station, pickup at 9:30 AM. Contact Kirsty Bourton Mob: 07740 899722 or James 07764 655686, e-mail: dorset@btcv.org.uk or office Tel: 01202 632101.

WED 26th / 10:00 AM
Duncliffe Wood, Shaftesbury / Various Tasks
Woodland Trust
Everybody is welcome, however children under 16 years of age must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times. The event is also suitable for dogs but they must be controlled at all times. Please ensure you wear suitable clothes and footwear. Meet at Grid Ref: ST826222 [MAP] nearest post code SP7 0AA. Car parking is available at the site. Contact Ian Hounsell, Tel: 01747 841089.

THU 27th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Durlston Country Park, Swanage / Various
Dorset County Council & Friends of Durlston Castle
Join this friendly volunteer group to carry out practical work to help with the restoration of historic Durlston Castle. The Castle is currently being re-developed as an environmental visitor centre for Durlston and as the main visitor centre for the Jurassic Coast. Volunteers are involved in work in and around the castle as part of the re-development. Meet at the Visitor Centre Durlston Country Park. For more details, contact Ali Tuckey (01929) 424443 or visit www.durlston.co.uk For insurance purposes volunteers need to be Friends of Durlston which costs from £15 per year but does have other benefits such as reduced cost car parking.

THU 27th / 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Upton Heath, Poole / Habitat Management
Dorset Wildlife Trust - Urban Wildlife Volunteers
Carrying out tasks involving general heathland management such as pine control, path maintenance, scrub clearance, etc. Gloves, tools and baked potatoes supplied. Meet at the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre, Beacon Hill Lane, Corfe Mullen BH21 3RX Grid Ref: SY978948 [MAP] For further information contact the DWT Urban Wildlife Centre on Tel: 01202 692033.

THU 27th / 10:00 AM - 1:00 PM
Slop Bog, Ferndown / Various Tasks
Slop Bog Guardians
Work parties are held on the last Thursday of every month. All tools and gloves are provided and a ranger will supervise the tasks. Would-be volunteers are invited to meet us at the Redwood Drive entrance, Grid Ref: SU074016 [MAP] nearest post code BH22 9UJ. Contact the guardians on 01425 483809 or e-mail: enquiries@slopbog.org.uk

FRI 28th / 9:00 AM - 4:00 PM
Avon Heath Country Park, Ferndown / Various Habitat Management
RSPB
Tasks vary throughout the autumn / winter, but will usually involve scrub control of birch, small pine, mixed broadleaf and gorse. We usually have a bonfire and packed lunch out on the heath. We will also be doing a limited amount of mature tree felling and need people to help drag and burn the brash. Currently we are removing and stump treating birch regeneration across the whole park (well the worst areas anyway). For more information contact Toby Branston on Tel: / Fax: 01425 472975 Mob: 07801 344024 or e-mail: toby.branston@rspb.org.uk.

SAT 29th / 10:00 AM -
Alners Gorse, Nr Sturminster Newton / Log Cabin Building
Butterfly Conservation - Dorset Branch
Alners Gorse has a plantation of pine and spruce which we would like to clear to improve the wildlife habitat, so we are going to use the timber to construct a field shelter for the grazing animals there. We are looking for people to join us and learn the basic principles of log cabin construction. Please book in advance. There will be soup, baked potatoes and hot drinks cooked on a bonfire. Park on the verge well to the west of the 30 mph and Hazelbury Bryan village signs and meet at the reserve entrance at Grid Ref ST736100 [MAP], nearest post code DT10 2AH. For further information please contact Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or 07981 776767, or email nigelspring@yahoo.co.uk.

SAT 29th / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
West Bexington, West Dorset / Reed Cutting
Dorset Countryside Volunteers
This reserve extends back from the shingle ridge of Chesil Beach, through an area of reedbed and wet meadow and into drier meadow and scrub. The combination of habitats is great for a wide variety of plants and birds. Nearby is the small lagoon of Burton Mere, trapped behind Chesil Beach in a small coastal embayment. The whole area demonstrates how coastal habitats evolved as Chesil Beach rolled back onto the coast west of Abbotsbury as the sea re-flooded the English Channel after the last ice age. On this visit we will be helping with some experimental cutting in a reed bed using a fancy new cutting machine. The idea is to improve the vigour of the reed since each year’s build up of dead plant litter can slowly create drier conditions, weakening the reed and encouraging scrub invasion. For those of us with less inclination to fiddle with the reed cutter or collect any reed that may get cut, there is some scrub that requires our usual attention with bowsaw, lopper and bonfire. Meet and park in field at Grid Ref: SY533868 [MAP] nearest post code DT2 9DF. NB: The entrance to field parking is easy to miss between buildings on the right side of the road on the way down through West Bexington to the public car park. Look out for DCV signs just past Tamarisk Farm. This can be a wet and windy site – bring your wellies. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

SUN 30th / 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Brownsea Island, Poole / Rhododendron Clearance
Dorset Wildlife Trust
Catch the boat from Sandbanks - please ring for timings. Contact Richard Proctor on Tel: 01202 693039.

SUN 30th / 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM
West Bexington, West Dorset / Reed Cutting
Dorset Countryside Volunteers
This reserve extends back from the shingle ridge of Chesil Beach, through an area of reedbed and wet meadow and into drier meadow and scrub. The combination of habitats is great for a wide variety of plants and birds. Nearby is the small lagoon of Burton Mere, trapped behind Chesil Beach in a small coastal embayment. The whole area demonstrates how coastal habitats evolved as Chesil Beach rolled back onto the coast west of Abbotsbury as the sea re-flooded the English Channel after the last ice age. On this visit we will be helping with some experimental cutting in a reed bed using a fancy new cutting machine. The idea is to improve the vigour of the reed since each year’s build up of dead plant litter can slowly create drier conditions, weakening the reed and encouraging scrub invasion. For those of us with less inclination to fiddle with the reed cutter or collect any reed that may get cut, there is some scrub that requires our usual attention with bowsaw, lopper and bonfire. Meet and park in field at Grid Ref: SY533868 [MAP] nearest post code DT2 9DF. NB: The entrance to field parking is easy to miss between buildings on the right side of the road on the way down through West Bexington to the public car park. Look out for DCV signs just past Tamarisk Farm. This can be a wet and windy site – bring your wellies. Contact Brian Thompson on 01305 889728.

SUN 30th / 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
Lydlinch Common / Habitat Management
Butterfly Conservation
Lydlinch is part of an area crucial to the Marsh Fritillary, and conservation work is vital to ensure that the habitat is kept suitable for its survival at this site. Meet in the lay-by just outside the village on the Sherborne to Sturminster road, Grid Ref: ST736137 [MAP] nearest post code DT10 2HZ. Contact Colin Burningham 01935 873219.