Wickford Wildlife Society 2024 Programme
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Wednesday 17th January 2024 |
Indoor |
Members Evening. Bring along any pictures and/or stories you would like to share; UK or overseas. Any interesting images of wildlife, slides, digital or real exhibits welcome. St Andrews Church Hall - 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. |
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Wednesday 21st February 2024 |
Indoor |
Steve Grimwade – The Birds of Goa. Steve Grimwade of Swallow Birding Wildife Tours will present a talk on The Birds of Goa. Steve is also the Vice Charman of the Essex Birding Society and is a well-known local wildlife enthusiast and keen photographer. Goa is very much a bird watchers paradise, being home to more than 450 species of birds, including 13 species endemic to the Western Ghats. St Andrews Church - 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. |
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Sunday 25th February 2024 |
Outdoor |
Winter Bird Watch - EWT Thameside Nature Discovery Park. Wrap up warm, bring your binoculars and a flask, and join us for a walk around this excellent reserve, looking for winter birds alongside the Thames Estuary. Here there is a stunning and innovative visitor centre built on a former landfill site, with superb views over Mucking Flats SSSI and the Thames Estuary (SPA). There are footpaths and cycle ways in 120 acres of nature park, which will eventually expand to 845 acres. Great birdwatching, insect watching and ship watching too! Meet in Wickford Central Car Park at 9.00am. |
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Tuesday 19th March 2024 |
Indoor |
Inter-Society Wildlife Quiz. We are hosting the Inter-Society Wildlife Quiz this year at the Livingstone Hall, Christ Church, Wickford, SS12 9FW. Come along to support our team and use your wildlife knowledge to perhaps win a prize! Livingstone Hall, Christ Church - 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. |
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Sunday 24th March 2024 |
Outdoor |
Belfairs Wood and Discovery Centre. Join us for an early spring walk looking for woodland Birds and early flowers and insects. Much of the woodland here is officially ‘ancient woodland’; some is more than 1,000 years old, making it the earliest woodland recorded in Essex. The woodlands are home to a number of historic landscape features and a wide variety of flora and fauna, including several nationally-threatened species. Meet in Wickford Central Car Park at 9.30am. |
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Wednesday 17th April 2024 |
Indoor |
Jo Loman – Canvey Wick. Jo Loman, Buglife Canvey Wick Community Warden will present a talk on Canvey Wick. Jo is an enthusiastic educator who is passionate about all wildlife and nature and has worked with several wildlife and conservation organisations. Canvey Wick nature reserve is managed by RSPB and Buglife and is a haven for invertebrates with over 1,500 species having been recorded so far. St Andrews Church - 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. https://www.buglife.org.uk/get-involved/near-me/buglife-east-and-midlands/canvey-wick/ |
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Sunday 21st April 2024 |
Outdoor |
Danbury Common and The Backwarden. Join us for a walk around these NT and EWT reserves looking for Spring Flowers and hopefully we will hear Nightingales and perhaps a Cuckoo. The Danbury Ridge nature reserves are a mosaic of woodlands, heathlands, commons, streams and bogs, a wonderfully diverse range of rich habitats for many species. A particularly special feature of Danbury Ridge is the beautiful plant Lily-of-the valley, where a number of colonies thrive. Greater Butterfly Orchids, Sanicle, Yellow Archangel and other interesting and unusual wildflowers also flourish throughout the reserves. Work is being undertaken to open up and link together the fragile and important heathland areas within the reserves. Meet in Wickford Central Car Park at 9.30am |
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Sunday 19th May 2024 |
Outdoor |
Langdon Nature Discovery Park & Horndon Meadows. Join us for a visit to the new Langdon Nature Discovery Centre, set in a stunning nature reserve of 461 acres which comprises of woodland, meadows, lakes and former plotland gardens. The nature reserve occupies some of the highest land in the county, has some commanding views and offers miles of excellent walks, where an abundance of wildlife can be enjoyed. In the summer you may see Turtle Doves, Nightingales and Woodcock. Plus, there are thirty butterfly species at Langdon including White Admiral, Green Hairstreak, Marbled White and Grizzled Skipper, making this a spectacular reserve for butterflies in Essex. Langdon also offers seven species of wild orchids in bloom in May and June. Later in the day there will be an optional visit to Horndon Meadow Nature Reserve to look for Green Winged Orchids, with several hundred blooming in May. Meet in Wickford Central Car Park at 9.30am. |
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Thursday 20th June 2024 |
Outdoor (Evening) |
Longest Day Walk - Beauchamps Meadow. Join us for an evening walk at this new local reserve followed by refreshments at a nearby pub. This is a joint outing with the Basildon Natural History Society. This reserve is a 26-acre extension to Wickford Memorial Park and includes a 3500 tree woodland area, two inline ponds with over 20 aquatic plants, a 12 feature tree parkland area, a hectare of wildflower meadow, plus an eco-corridor between the main park and extension site. A 200 fruit tree community orchard has also been planted. Meet outside the Wickford Memorial Park café at 7.15pm for 7.30pm start. |
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Friday 5th July 2024 |
Outdoor (Evening) |
Moth Night & Stargazing - Wick Country Park. A joint event with the Friends of Wick Country Park. We will set out lamps to attract moths and have telescopes available if we get a clear sky. We may also have representatives from the Essex Moth Group come along too. Meet at the Pavilion from 9.00pm onwards - booking is essential as numbers are limited – Please email us if you wish to attend: |
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Sunday 15th September 2024 |
Outdoor |
Canvey Wick Reserve. Following her talk in April, Buglife Community Warden, Jo Loman will lead us on a tour of this very special and unusual reserve. Set in a unique ex-industrial habitat, Canvey Wick is an Essex nature reserve that's rich in rare plant and insect species. It is also Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), rich in plants, insects and animals: there are as many species per square metre here as there are in a rainforest. It is an important British site for endangered invertebrates, such as the rare Shrill Carder Bee and Brown-banded Carder Bee. The site is managed by the RSPB in partnership with Buglife and on behalf of the Land Trust. Meet in Wickford Central Car Park at 9.30am. |
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Saturday 12th October 2024 |
Outdoor |
Fungus Foray - Norsey Wood Local Nature Reserve. This year’s Fungus Foray will be at the Norsey Wood Local Nature Reserve where members of the Wickford Wildlife Society will be there to help lead and identify specimens. Norsey Wood is designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) a Scheduled Ancient Monument and a Local Nature Reserve, as an ancient coppice woodland with a wide variety of plants and animals, largely as a result of the varied geology, history and management of the site. This is a joint meeting with the Norsey Wood Society. The Car park is at Outwood Common Road, Billericay, CM11 1HA. Meet at Norsey Wood - 9.45am for a 10.00am start. |
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Wednesday 16th October 2024 |
Indoor |
Liz Huxley - Wild Scotland – Highlands and Islands. Liz Huxley, Wildlife photographer and guide, will present a talk on Wild Scotland – Highlands and Islands. Liz developed an early interest in wildlife and spent 15 years working for Essex Wildlife Trust at Abberton Reservoir Visitor Centre, where she was able to indulge her passion for wildlife and share her knowledge with others. The variety of life in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland is truly extraordinary, from lochs that stretch out to the Atlantic, to the tops of the highest peaks in the UK, and everywhere in between. St Andrews Church Hall - 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. |
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Wednesday 20th November 2024 |
Indoor |
Chris Gibson - Gardening with Wildlife in Mind. Chris Gibson, conservationist and ecologist, will present a talk on Gardening with Wildlife in Mind. Chris is a conservationist by profession, with 30+ years experience of statutory nature conservation in Britain; an ecologist by training; and a naturalist by inclination. His passion is communication, as a lecturer, tour leader, author and broadcaster, trying to convey some of his enthusiasm for the natural world. St Andrews Church Hall - 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. |
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Wednesday 11th December 2024 |
Indoor |
AGM and Christmas Social. Celebrate the festive season with fellow members. All visitors welcome to learn more about our society and enjoy the free tasty buffet! A quiz or short talk will also take place. St Andrews Church Hall – 7.45pm for 8.00pm start. |
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Wildlife Walks at Beauchamps Meadow – Wickford Memorial Park In addition to the events above, we will be leading a series of seasonal wildlife walks around the new nature reserve of Beauchamps Meadow at the Wickford Memorial Park. During these walks we will be recording and counting the wildlife we see/hear, with the aim of building a picture of what wildlife lives and uses this reserve. The walks will take place on the dates set out below starting at 10.30am and are likely to last around 1.5 to 2 hours. |
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Wednesday 28th February 2024 |
Outdoor |
Winter walk and wildlife count at Beauchamps Meadow. Meet at the Wickford Memorial Park café at 10.30am. |
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Tuesday 28th May 2024 |
Outdoor |
Spring walk and wildlife count at Beauchamps Meadow. Meet at the Wickford Memorial Park café at 10.30am. |
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Tuesday 23th July 2024 |
Outdoor |
Summer walk and wildlife count at Beauchamps Meadow. Meet at the Wickford Memorial Park café at 10.30am. |
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Tuesday 17th September 2024 |
Outdoor |
Autumn walk and wildlife count at Beauchamps Meadow. Meet at the Wickford Memorial Park café at 10.30am. |
NOTE - entrance to the hall is at the rear and NOT via the
main church doors.
There is adequate parking in front and behind the Church.
Teas and Coffees are available during the interval.
Doors Open -
7.45pm
Meetings Start - 8.00pm prompt.
Admission - Members £2.00 - Non-Members £3.00
Outdoor Meetings
Unless otherwise specified, outings will depart from the Wickford Central Council Car Park (next to the Co-Op) at the times shown above.
Please note that times will vary according to the location of the meeting. There are sometimes spare places in cars travelling to the different locations, so anyone needing transport can normally get a lift. In case of a change of venue or timings, it is advisable to contact Martin or Marie Singleton on the phone numbers detailed for confirmation of all outdoor meetings.
We aim to arrive back in Wickford at around 1pm but this is
of course, approximate and very much dependant on the wildlife we see on the
day.
If you wish to travel direct to any location, map references
and directions will be provided.
Venue Map
Please click here for local map of Indoor Meeting venues and for normal Outdoor meeting place.