Island Life June July 2015 June July 2015 | Page 59

COUNTRY LIFE New members are required Ca mera trapping for wildlife T J oin People’s Trust for Endangered Species for an exciting new training day at their wonderful Briddlesford Woods reserve this summer. During this exclusive day course you will learn all about mammal watching using camera traps. Experts will guide you through the best methods and latest equipment to improve your wildlife watching and recording skills. Join them on Thursday June 18 at Briddlesford Woods near Wootton Bridge. For more details and to book your place visit www.ptes.org/events or call 02074 984 533. he Isle of Wight Local Access Forum (LAF) is an advisory body established under the Countryside and Rights of Way Act 2000 to provide independent advice on the improvement of public access to land on the Island for the purposes of open-air recreation and enjoyment. Forum members are volunteers and are appointed by the Isle of Wight Council to represent interests of walkers, cyclists, horseriders, and rural business/land owners. Meeting quarterly, members are required to act in an unpaid capacity for the benefit of the local community and to contribute their experience and knowledge and assist in formulating creative and challenging ideas on ways to improve public access and open-air recreation for the benefit of all. The LAF is looking to recruit new members, if you would like further information and an application pack please contact the LAF Secretary, Jennine Gardiner, Rights of Way Assistant, Isle of Wight Council, County Hall, High Street, Newport, Isle of Wight, PO30 1UD. Or you can e-mail: [email protected]. The closing date is August 1 2015. Depending on interest and number of applicants it may be necessary to hold informal interviews. A cou ntry ma n's dia ry W ow, what a show of wild flowers we have had! It started with the snowdrops, then wood anemones and the bluebells were the best I’ve seen for a long time. In fact I would go as far to say that they have all been the best I have ever seen! This has been a real boost for me as I was beginning to feel that it had been a long, drawn out winter, something I have never felt before. That said, we do seem to have achieved a lot. One of our more recent jobs was to improve the popular edible hedges around Toms Eco Lodges at Tapnell Farm. They are keen to encourage their guests to get close to nature and one of their projects was to plant fruiting hedges comprising raspberries, gooseberries, logan berries, black and red currents and fruit trees around