Curry Woods Conservation Trust Positive News

Curry Woods Conservation Trust cwctrust.simplesite.com contact us at cwctrust@aol.com Positive news about the campaign to buy Curry Woods, plant more trees, conserve, and enhance the biodiversity there.

Saturday 15th February 2020 will be remembered for storm Dennis, which brought misery to many. On that day, the CWCT held an open all day meeting to highlight how these dramatic new weather events will affect Curry Rivel and what it intends to do to mitigate these effects. On the same day we also first heard the Met Office describing "atmospheric rivers" – the earth's new higher temperature now allows rivers in the sky; the Met Office said storm Dennis was 2000 kilometers long and held as much water as the Amazon (the river not the internet firm). As that river reaches land from the Atlantic it rises – this leads to it cooling and bingo, down comes the rain.

Did the weather daunt us that day? – No, a spectacularly successful event was held by the Trust and £24912 was pledged, donated or loaned. The following week the Fairfield Trust gave us the result of our application for funds; we had asked for £10000 towards funding the purchase of Curry Woods, they gave us £15000....

Enormous thanks to all those who donated and to Lady Gass, (Chair of the Fairfield Trust). Names, of all who donated and who give permission, will be displayed on a board, at the entrance to the land at Curry Woods. With this wonderful success, we embark on a final push to raise the last £20000 to buy the land. We are confident we can do this and urge anyone wishing to join this massive community project to go to our website, cwctrust.simplesite.com, download a pledge form and a gift aid form (if you pay tax) and fill it in. Please send completed forms to CWCT, The Woods, Hellards Hill Lane, Curry Rivel, TA10 0PW. Don't worry, there is a house there, it's not just a letterbox on a tree.....

Now, exciting news for your diaries, the CWCT is already planning two summer events. On 6th June a distinguished geologist, working as Deputy Head of the International branch of the British Geological Survey (one of the components of the Natural Environment Research Council), will come to talk to us about how the search for rare minerals, to power all those mobile devices and all other artificial intelligence machines, is leading to a massive new wave of mining in many countries, with all the attendant environmental problems. You may think electric cars are a very good thing but the electronics to control them rely on us digging up billions of tonnes of the earth to find the rare minerals – nothing is ever simple. Now is your chance to hear about this new challenge to the environment. 7.30pm in the Old Schoolroom – don't miss it...

Secondly, we are very excited to announce that Mr Tim Schroder has volunteered to open the Burton Pynsent monument to visitors in aid of the trust. The date will be announced later, once planning is further advanced, but it will be in late June or July. For those of you who have not climbed the monument and seen the view from the top this is a treat you must not miss. By this time, of course, the Trust will own the Curry Woods and will be able to conduct walks within the woods on the same weekend, so you will be able to see what your efforts have secured.

Finally do visit the Climate Adaption project display in the Ridgeway Hall, Langport on 29th February.
Watch this space for more information on our upcoming events, showcasing our work on adapting to climate change and enhancing biodiversity in Curry Rivel.

Peter Goodenough
Chair of the Trust.
cwctrust.simplesite.com
contact us at cwctrust@aol.com