A VIP Visit

Graham Dalton, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO), visited Foxglove for the first time today and described the reserve and its activities as inspirational.

His first stop was the hexagonal hide at the lake where he learned a bit about the history of the reserve which was started back in 1992 when the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards returned from the Gulf war and created a small conservation area.

Next, he walked through the scrapes to find out more about the wide variety of habitats that Foxglove has to offer and the different wildlife species that inhabit them.

On arriving at the field centre, the CEO was introduced to some of the volunteers who are the backbone of the reserve and who make a valuable contribution to the running of the LNR. 

Students from Mowbray School also enjoyed a trip to the Covert and helped with the final clearing of brash from the conifer block. Volunteers worked in the plantation too to clear a newly fallen Larch tree, a victim of storm Gareth, then continued to coppice willow in the afternoon. Thank you to everyone for your help today and to all of the people who rallied around behind the scenes to ensure that the day ran smoothly. There are no tea making, washing up, drying up, brushing up fairies just a great team of caring volunteers who go above and beyond. Our sincere thanks go to Whitfield Benson for his photographs and finally, a special mention for Ken who cleaned the hide windows so well that they were positively gleaming in the spring sunshine!