Updates from the Reserve – May 2017

Written by: Kathleen
Published: 23rd May 2017

We are pleased to announce that May has been our busiest month so far for visitors to the estate and we could not be happier! We encourage and welcome all plot owners to visit their plot and come and have a look around the reserve. It really is a great experience. Our volunteers are constantly working hard to keep up with the demand.

To take advantage of our meet and greet service you must buy a ticket then book online. Please note that bookings for June and July are already taking place so we urge you to arrange this as soon as possible!

 

Ronnie and Ronnie are on the Move

By now, you will be well aware that our two saddleback pigs are thoroughly enjoying their residency. They have completed their task of trampling the bracken, and have recently been moved to another area to begin the process again. A video has been captured of the move; it shows our Reserve Ranger Stewart leading them to their new home:

On the completed area, we will plant butterfly and bee-friendly wildflowers such as cosmos, desert willow and bergamo bee balm (say that three times fast!). We have £500 worth of seedlings and are hoping to inject some colour on the reserve. Native bog land grass on our estate is ready for the wildflowers. Of course, we will also be planting the Scot’s Pine in November and update you when the process begins.

 

Busy Bees

We try as often as we can to get residents local to the reserve area involved in some of the projects we take on. Webster Honey kindly took up one of the tasks along with Reserve Ranger Stewart- and it was all about the bees! As a team, they went around to the schools to see if the children would help decorate the bee’s new home (which they did a fantastic job of), but they also gave a brilliant presentation of the importance of the declining bee.

All of our colourfully decorated hives are now back on the reserve, and the actual bees will be in their new homes in a few weeks time! There was a delay in getting the bees into their settlement due to a long, wet winter. Summer is quickly approaching so it is the perfect time for the move. The children will be able to see their artwork on the reserve once the bees have settled in.

 

World Whisky Day – Saturday 20th May

May 20th marked World Whisky Day; a day all about enjoying whisky (responsibly of course) alone or with friends, wherever you are in the world!

Whisky is the generic term for distilled spirits created from mashed grains. Other type of whisky include Bourbon, Scotch and Rye, the difference depends on the type of grain used.

Popular ways of drinking the famous beverage are:

• Neat – At room temperate in a whisky glass, the “purest” way to drink it
• With water –  This dilutes the alcohol and thus prevents it from anesthetizing tastings, allowing all of the flavours to be enjoyed
• With ice – Some prefer to enjoy the taste of whisky at a refreshing temperature

Let us know how you enjoy drinking your Whisky this World Whisky Day!

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About the author

Written by: Kathleen