At the group’s AGM on Saturday 11 March, after 12 years as Chair, Dave Thompson announced he was stepping down. Dave’s huge contribution over the years was acknowledged by the meeting and the search started for a new Chair. Dr Pamela Tompsett, a founding member of the HMCG, was recognised for her valuable contribution to…
Free for under 18s and HMCG members. £4 for others. Meet at Hallowarren Barn, Carne. SW 7729 2487 A very rare opportunity to stroll through a fabulous 15 acre woodland garden and wildflower honeypot meadow with owner Amanda Loxley. There will be a circular walk through the unspoilt woodlands early summer flowers time finishing with…
A hint of warm weather and we flock to the beach and where nicer than the little beaches around the Helford where the dog can come too and there is a wealth of fascinating wildlife to see in our rockpools.
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Spiny starfish. Image: Ruth Williams.[/caption]
You can have your own display board for a small donation, contact coordinator for details.
Sunday 16th March saw a group of us down on the beach at Prisk, with scientific adviser Angie Gall to have our first ‘teach on the beach’ session to improve our identification skills ready for the summer season. We concentrated on Seaweeds this time, gathering a good selection of species to take back with us…
David Thomson and Charles Richardson have installed one of the New Interpretation Boards at Durgan, immediately creating interest as you can see from the photo.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Helford Voluntary Marine Conservation Area in 2013 we are replacing the old HMVCA boards around the river. There are currently 11 of these boards at key access points on both sides of the river. This is the new style of board, designed by Sarah McCartney at the Cornwall…
Fishing nets, fuel cans, plastic bags, sacking and even a garden fork were all dragged from the Helford River, along with other assorted rubbish, by volunteers from the Helford Marine Conservation Group on Saturday 10th November. The kayak rubbish pick up was declared a brilliant success by organiser Jes Hirons, despite the showery conditions and…
Anita and Mike Langshaw were treated to a magnificent sighting of an Osprey whilst kayaking in Frenchman’s Creek on the 1st of October. They saw it fly from a tree being closely followed by crows. It landed again but flew off before Mike could get his camera out for a good shot, although he has…
Volunteers from Cornwall Wildlife Trust were recently treated to some incredible finds during a county-wide survey of life on some of our most important rocky shores. The ‘shore search’ survey was carried out at St Agnes, Polzeath, Looe, Fowey and Helford over four days, which saw some of the lowest spring tides of the year.
Helford VMCA’s Elizabeth West was at the Falmouth Marine School’s Fresher’s Fair on Friday 28th September armed with banners, leaflets and lots of enthusiasm! Elizabeth was representing the Helford VMCA and ensuring new students at Cornwall’s ‘College of the Ocean’ were informed about the work of the VMCG, our events program, marine surveys and volunteering…
21st August 2012
The weather didn’t bode well for our Rockpool Ramble event at Prisk on Tuesday 21st August, with heavy showers hitting hard as we drove to our meeting point. However, by the time we all assembled at Mawnan Church car park the sun was shining and the afternoon turned out to be warm and beautiful. We were a small group with only three families from Helston, Truro and Perranporth, and a keen naturalist from Penzance who very kindly recorded our day’s findings for the Environmental Records Centre for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly. I was also joined by three enthusiastic members of the Helford Marine Conservation Group – Paul Garrard, Dave Thompson and Rhiannon Pipkin.
1st July 2012
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Helford Marine Conservation Cruise. Image: Pam Tompsett.[/caption]
6th June 2012
Bar beach, Helford Passage
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What’s beneath your feet? Image: Pam Tompsett[/caption]
14 January 2012
‘A sewn boat? What’s that?’ ‘Well, it was a way of constructing boats in the Bronze Age, about 2500 BC, before nails had been invented. With the tools available at the time, bronze axes and adzes, logs would be split and fashioned into planks, to be stitched edge-to-edge with fibres from yew branches. Moss was used for caulking.’
Our speaker, Andy Wyke, was well qualified to tell us. As Boat Collection Manager at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall, he has been one of the prime movers in a project which will use ancient tools to build a 60ft replica Bronze Age boat at the museum this summer (Apr – Sep), in an open workshop on view to the public.
31st March 2012
Of the 7 species of marine turtles, 3 are seen regularly in UK waters: the Leatherback, Loggerhead and Kemp’s Ridley turtles. However, Britain also has interests in overseas waters, such as the Caribbean, and so the work of the Marine Turtle Research Group of Exeter University, based at Tremough, encompasses the world’s oceans. For our speaker, Dr Matthew Witt, the principal study area has been the beaches of Gabon, West Africa. Secluded and little frequented, (although with oilfields offshore), these are the nesting grounds for the world’s largest population of Leatherback turtles.