BUCKLAND NEWTON BUTTERFLY Conservation: An exciting week-end awaits you on Saturday, May 5 and Sunday, May 6!

Spring has come at Alners Gorse Reserve and this week-end is packed with activities.

A Barbecue and Moth Trapping event takes place from 7pm on the Saturday.

Camping facilities are available for those wishing to stay overnight which is recommended if you don’t want to miss the happenings early Sunday morning!

Bring your own tent and sleeping bag as well as food and drink to share please.

Sunday’s events start at 4am for 4:30am with The Nightingale Experience.

Booking is essential for this yearly favourite which enables you to take part in a Dawn Chorus Walk, listening to the nightingales and other spring songbirds.

This is followed by breakfast.

At 9am the inspection of the previous night’s moth catch will take place.

Refreshments will be available at 10:30am, this will be followed by a guided walk between 11am – 1pm.

You will be able to see the butterflies and other wildlife of the area.

Please bring your own picnic if you wish to have lunch at the reserve afterwards.

For further information and to book for The Nightingale Experience call Nigel Spring on 01963 23559 or e-mail him on nigelspring@yahoo.co.uk.

PLANT Sale: Come and visit Buckland Newton Village Hall on Saturday, April 28 when one of the ever popular plant sales takes place.

This takes place in aid of Joseph Weld Hospice and starts at 10am.

Home made cakes will be available and a raffle will take place.

CHARITY Poultry Auction: Those of you who have been won’t want to miss this annual auction that takes place at The Gaggle of Geese.

Make a note in your diaries on Sunday, May 27 when it will take place.

Entries open Friday, April 27 and close Thursday, May 24.

There will be a lot of side shows, too, for example a BBQ & Pig Roast, a car boot sale, various craft stalls and an outside bar!

The auction starts at 10am and provides an excellent day out.

For more information call 01300 345249.

LYDDEN Vale Gardening Club: Their next talk at the Village Hall will take place on Wednesday, March 25 at 7:30pm.

Do you have a pond or are planning to create one?

Then this meeting will most certainly be of interest to you, even if you are not a member.

Alan Eason will speak on “Water in the Garden”.

Please call Viviane on 01300 345111.

CERNE ABBAS VILLAGE Hall: Work to enlarge the Meeting Room will start on Tuesday, May 8.

This will take approximately three months, noise levels will be kept at a minimum.

Access to the main entrance will remain whilst the building area will be screened off.

A Portakabin will act as a temporary meeting room and cars should use the public car park opposite the hall – except disabled drivers, for which space will be provided.

Please feel free to call the Bookings Secretary if your event falls into that time.

The Hall Committee would like to reassure everyone that once the work is completed, congestion of the Meeting Room will be much eased and larger events will be able to be accommodated.

CERNE VALLEY BEATING the Bounds: Please note that this annual boundary walk takes place on Sunday, May 13 this year.

Four main walks will closely follow the parish boundaries of Godmanstone, Nether Cerne, Cerne Abbas and Up Cerne.

Food will be available at The Royal Oak in Cerne Abbas afterwards.

Beating the Bounds mimics an ancient tradition of teaching the parish boundaries to the young and has developed into a much looked forward to event with a very good turnout each year.

Keep an eye on this column for more information nearer the time.