Dogs and the wetland scrapes
When we planted up the wetland scrapes in Lambrok Meadow, a reader asked why we try to persuade people to keep their dogs out of the scrapes and how dogs can damage biodiversity.
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Feedback
During lockdown, we noticed more families walking in the park: excited children and their parents, and sometimes grandparents, all eager to get out of the house and take their permitted exercise in our springtime park. As lockdown has eased, the families have stayed; all summer, there have been socially distanced picnickers under the trees and home-schooled children racing wildly through the fields and woods, sometimes with our downloadable activity sheets in their hands.
Continue reading “Feedback”Litter Pickers Inc.
Newspapers, online and off, have been bombarding us with headlines like this one from the Guardian:
Littering epidemic in England
We would just like to say: Not in our park, there isn’t; our park is pristine. Our park goers pick up their litter (and often other people’s litter as well) and put it in the bins.
Thank you.
Pictures by DKG
SOUTHWICK COUNTRY PARK
By Barbara Johnson
This area of beautiful parkland bordered by the Lambrok Stream and situated in the West Wiltshire countryside, has a distinctly rural feel. It is a popular destination for families, walkers, dog walkers and runners and those who just wish to enjoy the fresh air and countryside.
A parkrun, held here every Saturday morning, attracts many people, both young and not so young. Exercise is good for our health and mental wellbeing and so much more enjoyable in such attractive surroundings.
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Diane Wheeler has sent us beautiful pictures of the park in yesterday’s early morning frost.
Thank you, Diane.
Benefits of access to nature
We know that a walk in the countryside is good for us. Physical activity in the fresh air, be it walking, running or conservation work, has been shown to improve our well-being; it can even be an aid in the treatment of mental illness. Some analysis suggests that such physical activity outdoors can reduce the physiological symptoms of stress.
Read onMessage from Alison – January 17, 2020 at 6:36pm
“Just to say what a great website! Bang up to date even though it is the middle of winter – with bullfinch sightings and sounds one might hear in January etc. My Mum is in a home in Trowbridge and I’ll be visiting her from Yorkshire soon so I’ve been looking around local websites for places we might go. So many give the message that yes you might like to visit but not now, wait until spring! – but not yours. Well done somebody!”
Thank you Brian and Chris
Email from Brian and Chris of Southwick, who are moving house.
Continue reading “Thank you Brian and Chris”Walking for Health
A Walking for Health group from Frome sweeps purposefully past our Wednesday work party; they are on their annual outing and probably heading to Hope Nature Centre for their lunch.
Judy’s dynamic warm up group; new runners out in the park for the first time with their coach, Judy. Well done all!
Park Watch
The vandalism in the park began earlier this year than last but at least it began with the destruction of infrastructure rather than with the killing of trees, as it did last year.
destruction of infrastructure 
the killing of trees
Kingfisher
Kingfishers come to the park regularly. Many people associate them with rivers and are surprised to see them here, fishing in our little streams.
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The vandalism spreads
At half term, there was more damage to the trees in the copse at the top of Village Green, fortunately nothing fatal this time but still significant. There was evidence of a camp. The rough grassland, left for wildlife, where we have been planting native daffodils, had been trampled flat in places. We picked up the litter and hoped it was an isolated incident.
Hundreds turn out for special NHS parkrun in SCP
Last Saturday Southwick Country parkrun celebrated the 70th anniversary of the NHS. Hundreds of runners took part, many of them in fancy dress.
This is Cathy Warner photographed by Martin Pearce (flickr credit: dungey2002) and FoSCP is willing to bet real spending money she’s not in fancy dress; she’s running in her work clothes. Well done Cathy; well done everybody.
Here is a link to an article in this week’s Wiltshire Times.
Reasons to scoop poop: £1,000
This is the fourth and last of our spring campaign lectures about scooping poop in the park. Scooping poop may save you a £1,000.
During the few snowy days at the end of the winter, Chris Seymour sent in a series of photographs he took at dawn. A local artist, Anne Lynch, has turned one of them into a painting; thank you for sharing it with us, Anne.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 