Saturday 28th May will see a Wildlife Discovery Day at Shaftesbury Lake hosted by the parish councils of South Swindon, Nythe, Eldene and Liden along with the Friends of Shaftesbury Lake and RSPCA Oak & Furrows.
The Wildlife Discovery Day event is taking place between 10am and 2pm on the Park South side of the lake and has been organised to highlight the importance of the wildlife in and around the Shaftesbury Lake area and spread awareness for how residents and visitors can be mindful of the animals and plant life around the lakes.
There will be various activities on offer, including pond dipping, activity stands, face painting and more. Swindon Police will also be attending to answer any questions and will have a police car on site to show to children and anyone interested.
Assisting the Parish Council with the running of this event are the Friends of Shaftesbury Lake, who are a volunteer group who help with the maintenance and upkeep of the lake. The group was formed in 2018 by Gail Collins and Pam Jones, who shared a common goal: “To improve the area for people and wildlife.” The work of the group is supported by both South Swindon Parish Council and the Nythe, Eldene and Liden Parish Council, and is run solely by volunteers.
Chair of South Swindon Parish Council Chris Watts said: “When the Parish began in 2017 the lake was in a sorry state and had been bereft of investment for many years. South Swindon Parish Council have since invested the best part of £60K into the Lake area, including new inclusive platforms, paths, bins and a noticeboard, including the lake as a start finish point the Parish 8-mile green trail.
“This commitment to the lake has paid off with volunteers stepping forward to become stakeholders and working positively with the Parish to drive further improvements in partnership. It is this collaborative working that has made the lake a cherished asset for the local community.”
Pam Jones, member of the Friends of Shaftesbury Lake volunteer group said: “The Wildlife Discovery Day came from a resident’s suggestion that education may help with regards to the attacks on the swans and geese. On their behalf, I approached the Parish Councils, Oak and Furrows and Wiltshire Wildlife Trust, hoping all would be supportive of the idea, and I hoped they could put an event on to education/inform people, not just about the swans or the geese, but the area in general.
“Most problems with wildlife, and natural areas, isn’t down to malice, more that people don’t generally understand how to care for wildlife and/or the environment. It’s clear that many people are interested and want to learn. Obviously, there will always be one or two individuals whose mindset will never be changed, no matter how much education or information is shared.
“The lake is in some ways, a victim of its own success. The nicer the area looks, the more that people will visit it, and they see the variety of wildlife we have, but they don’t always know how they should behave. Signs have been put up asking people to enjoy the area responsibly, i.e., don’t let dogs off the lead to chase the birds with their young, keep a safe distance etc. But an event like the one this month, will reach more people. Hopefully they will be engaged and invested, and this knowledge will then be passed on to others. My personal hope is that people have a greater understanding of the wildlife, and realise that the lake is the animals’ home, and we humans are just visitors so we need to respect the area. We are incredibly lucky to have such a variety of wildlife, insects and flora.”
If you would like to volunteer and assist in the running of this event, please get in touch with South Swindon Parish Council at: events@southswindon-pc.gov.uk
