Berwick Wildlife Group

Present: Fiona Aungier, Leslie Cook, Molly Hardie, Malcolm Hutcheson.

Apologies: John Inglis, John Rae, Enid Turnbull, M. Williams.

Items	Subject	Decisions to Make	Outcome
1	Minutes of last meeting	Agreed?	Agreed.
2	Matters arising not below	Discuss briefly.	.
3	Recent events.	Berwick is Brilliant . Excellent event, different audience from last year. Thank you all for terrific amount of work before and on day. Wader count - cancelled. LC found some would-be participants. (Have to repeat 21st Feb). Ian Kille's talk.	Berwick is Brilliant . Went well, but miss 2010 – every two years perhaps? Ask Phil McLean to come Jan. 2010 rather than Dec. 09 (FA). Wader count – cancelled (weather). LC/JI fielded some would-be participants. Postponed until 21st. Ian Kille's talk. Absolutely excellent and large audience. Request another. M. Hardie to write thank-you letter. Article in Advertiser Feb 19th p 8. N.B. is time BWG got own digital projector – FA to investigate cost/grant aid.
4	Forthcoming events.	Gill Young's talk 11th Mar. Lichen/moss walk 21st Mar.	Gill Young's talk 11th Mar. Lichen/moss walk 21st Mar. FA to print off posters. Also to query entries into Border Events website – ours seem not to have been approved and added.
5	Summer programme.	Need to timetable: butterflies, bats, bees, Whin Sill grass, trees, insects, etc.	Butterflies, starts Wed 1st April, FA to sort out timetable. Bats, LC still waiting for decision re. Natural England and Borough Council re. possible lighting on railway bridge and associated bat survey. Bees, maybe Wed 17th June followed by Sat 20th June? 10.00am? Whin Sill Grassland, FA to contact Steve Lowe re. requirements. Town Trees, M. Hutcheson to finalise dates (June/July) next meeting. Insects, FA to see if suitable project this year.
6	Lily Pond Area.	Bird boxes: approval from CARA; now require agile climbers.	Bird/bat boxes: approval from CARA and Council ; to be put up Fri 20th.
7	Data.	Progress report on how to keep it and send it to others, efficiently.	JR's progress with this approved, map on Google Earth admired. Thank you John. M. Hutcheson to provide wildlife records for Feb as an Excel table.
8	Displays/talks	Probus Club (talk) 18th March. Bot. Soc. Brit. Isles (Display) 9th May. Events we can join in with	Probus Club (talk) 18th March. Bot. Soc. Brit. Isles (Display) 9th May. All members of BWG have been invited to BSBI spring Conference – 9th -10th May. Send copies of programme to all with next Review.
9	Reports	Bats, Butterflies, Wagtails. Who needs copies?	Bats: LC has distributed hard copies. Butterflies T the M: landowner, NWT. Butterflies Cocklawburn: John Whiteford, Nat. England. Wagtails: Philomena, CARA, NWT. Copies of all our reports (on CD) to go to Eng. Nature, AONB, Town Council, ecologist for Unitary Authority.
10	Shoreline Management Plan	Comments now submitted.	Comments now submitted.
11	AONB and EMS joint Management Scheme Consultation	This can be accessed via http://www.xbordercurrents.com . It is a large (and mostly sensible?) document, response required by 6th March (on line). Suggestions, please.	On whole seems sensible and realistic document – say so, but think they need to emphasise importance of Coast N of Berwick to Scottish Border (including Little Beach) which not in AONB at present.
12	B&NNC EMS mtg Eyemouth 25th Feb	Invite from Aisling Lannin. Who wants to go?	Invite from Aisling Lannin. JR, FA to go. Others welcome. We are to mention problems at Little Beach (bait digging, disturbance of birds, lack of some designations) in "soap box" section. Programme attached.
13	Trees Tesco site.	Letter delivered to Peter Rutherford.	Letter listing suitable trees delivered to Peter Rutherford to go "on file".
14	N. Gas Networks.	Hand-over ceremony with NGN, 11th March, 1.00pm Castle Vale	Grant hand-over ceremony with NGN, 11th March, 1.00pm Castle Vale. Could Committee members please attend if possible for photoshoot – should not take long.
15	Cash to "tackle" neglected areas in town.	Sue Finch contacted re. request that schemes consider wildlife.	Sue Finch contacted re. request that schemes consider wildlife. Sent list of "good" local sites as prepared for BBC.
16	Any other business	.	Save our Squirrels. Several surveys undertaken and planned. Displays (including BWG newsletters) planned for BOG Kelso, Cheviot Centre Wooler, Alnwick Library. Detchant Wood event for BWG (April 19th) now organised. New contact no. for squirrel sightings etc. 07536 076131
17	Date/venue of next Meeting	18th March, then 15th April, Castle Hotel, 7.00pm.	.