Millennium Green Events – Explore in ‘24
January
Big Green Birdwatch Saturday 27th 10-11.30 ish Meet at the Blyth Mews bridge, near the playground.
(What 3 words ///neater.trackers.consented) See results
February
WinterLight! Trail/quiz on the Green – half term 17th-25th Feb.
18 interesting things are hidden along the path – can you find them all and answer the questions? See here for Trail/quiz sheet
Launch in the library – 10.30 Saturday 17th Feb with the OffCut Singers’ – tree songs and much more…
Film and slide show – Halesworth Millennium Green Past and Future... Sun 25th February at the Cut, as part of Halesworth Ash – Big Green Film Day
April
Sunday April 21st – 10.30am – Water voles and otters
A walk along the Green’s waterways with ecologist Penny Hemphill (for many years Suffolk Wildlife Trust’s Water for Wildlife Officer.)
We’ll learn how to look for signs of water voles and otters along any waterway (Footprints, droppings and feeding remains. )
Both these species use the Green’s rivers, dykes and ponds.
Meet at Blyth Mews footbridge in the Town Park (What 3 words ///neater.trackers.consented)
And afterwards…12 noon – a short film show of various riverside mammals who live on or visit the Green. In The Stables behind The Angel.
May
Sunday May 5th – 4.30 am – A Dawn Chorus Walk
An early start to mark Dawn Chorus Day. No need to trek off to ancient woodlands or reedbed reserves – we’ve got a whole host of songbirds who’ll be waking up and shouting right here on the Green. In the company of experts, you can learn to tell a song thrush from a mistle thrush, and a Cetti’s warbler from a whitethroat. How are the songbirds faring? Will we hear more than 20 species? Come and find out.
Plus hot drinks and cakes at the end.
Meet at the entrance to Arthur’s Wood – down the track by the railway bridge in Quay Street. (What 3 words ///songbirds.basics.toward)
For full list of birds heard go to Wildlife on MG 2024
Thursday May 30th (6.30 – 8pm) – Plant Hunting – evening walk
with ecologist and plant enthusiast Dorothy Casey, to look for some of the Green’s early summer wildflowers and compare today’s list with what we know was here 20 years ago. Find out more about why we manage some areas of the Green so intensively and leave others alone.
Meet at the entrance to Arthur’s Wood – down the track by the railway bridge in Quay Street. (What 3 words ///songbirds.basics.toward)
(For list of plants seen, go to Wildlife on MG 2024)
June
Saturday June 15th – Special Bike Event (10 – 4)
Do you want to ride a bike but can’t because of a disability, or as you recover from illness or surgery?
Or maybe as a carer you want to find something fun for your client to do?
With specially adapted bikes and one-to-one supervision Bike Active North Suffolk plan to offer cycling on Halesworth Millennium Green to any adult with a disability.
On 15th June, they will be demonstrating their adapted bikes and will be very happy to talk about your needs. This is your chance to meet the group and their bikes, see how you might make use of the opportunity or how you might help.
The group will be working in a very similar way to the established Norfolk-based group – BikeActive Norfolk. (See website)
PLUS a new trail-quiz and bike sculptures …
Sunday June 30th – Plant Hunting walk (10-11.30am)
with ecologist and plant enthusiast Dorothy Casey, to look for some of the Green’s mid summer wildflowers and compare today’s list with what we know was here 20 years ago. Find out more about why we manage some areas of the Green so intensively and leave others alone.
Meet at the entrance to Arthur’s Wood – down the track by the railway bridge in Quay Street. (What 3 words ///songbirds.basics.toward)
July
Saturday July 20th – An invertebrate “bioblitz” (10-4)
Calling all beetle-, bug-, fly-, etc enthusiasts – we’re asking anyone who’s keen and knowledgeable about invertebrates to come and see what they can find all over the Green.
We have lots of data from former years but we’d love to add to it, and compare today’s total with what we know from the past.
Please get in touch and come and join in. It’s a big place, and very varied, we welcome all the help we can get.
(Entry to White Admiral from Jerry Bowdrey (Gall Recorder Suffolk Naturalists’ Society) SNS Invertebrate Recording Meeting 20th July 2024 10.00am to 4 pm. Halesworth Millenium Green invertebrate survey. Buns and soft drinks provided. Situated in the centre of Halesworth, the Millennium Green is celebrating 25 years in public ownership and to mark this occasion they are keen to update their invertebrate records for the site. This mixed habitat comprises grassland, wetland, a canal, mature trees and a smaller heathy area and SNS Recorders and other specialists should find much to interest them here. To express an interest in attending or for further information, please contact Nicky Rowbottom (nicky.rowbottom@btinternet.com))
August
Wednesday August 7th (7.30-8.30pm) – Bat evening walk
with bat surveyor and enthusiast Alan Miller to look (and listen with detectors) for bats on the Green. Come and enter the twilight world of these airborne insect-predators. Some bats weigh no more than a 2p piece but can pack away 500 insects an hour. Will we find the same species as in our 2016 survey?
If you’ve got a bat detector, please bring it along.
Meet at the River Lane entrance to the Green (near the basketball court) (What 3 words ///chess.supply.shortage)
Saturday August 10th (11 am – 12.30) – Dragonfly Walk
with ecologist and dragonfly enthusiast Neal Armour Chelu. Come and find out more about these amazing little predators who use our rivers, ditches and ponds. We’ll also have a look underwater for their early life stages. All welcome. (Dogs will probably get bored).
Meet at the River Lane entrance to the Green (near the basketball court) (What 3 words ///chess.supply.shortage)
October
Tuesday October 29th (10 – 11.30 am) – Family pond-dipping
Family pond-dipping on the Millennium Green at half term.
Come and discover some weird and wild underwater creatures.
Drop-in session 10 – 11.30 on Tues 29th Oct.
Find the entrance to the Green down the track next to the railway bridge on Quay Street. Follow the signs from there.
(what 3 words ///songbirds.basics.toward)
Regular
Regular work parties happen on Wednesday mornings.
Click here for general information.
Volunteers are hugely welcome, please contact us for more details.