This week, Urban Green Newcastle spent the afternoon visiting our Field Studies Room at Gosforth Nature Reserve. Together they heard more about NHSN, discussed how both organisations could collaborate more in the future and took time to explore the reserve.
The day started with cake and coffee as staff from Urban Green took their seats in our newly opened Field Studies Room for a celebration of their achievements. They heard about the history and activities of the NHSN from Director, Clare Freeman, and took time to explore both the Ridley and Beck hides during their visit to the reserve.
While discovering the reserve, the team discussed opportunities for future events and collaborative working with NHSN with the aim to protect biodiversity and engage as many people in the North East as possible with nature. In addition, the hides proved very popular, and the team were given an opportunity to broaden their bird identification skills, with Swallow, Snipe and Gadwall making an appearance. Management of the reserve and conservation activities undertaken by NHSN volunteers to improve the diversity of both flora and fauna were discussed on a special nature reserve ‘walk and talk’.
UGN Staff enjoying the view and birds at the Beck hide.
The room was perfect for our needs and in such a beautiful location!
Barbara Hooper, Director, Parks and Allotments, Urban Green Newcastle
NHSN would like to thank the team at Urban Green for their visit, for their enthusiasm for learning about Gosforth Nature Reserve, and for their thoughts and ideas on future events and engagement activities.
If you are interested in our collaborative events, NHSN, Urban Green Newcastle and Northumberland Wildlife Trust will be hosting BioBlitz events throughout the summer. The first will take place on 23 July at Tyne Riverside Country Park and the second on 5 August at Heaton Park. There will be family-friendly activities, a bee hunt and lots of wildlife recording.
Additionally, the Field Studies Room proved to be the ideal place to host this event. With a maximum capacity of 30 people, toilets, a kitchenette and Wi-Fi it offers the perfect venue for small-scale events, meetings and courses. If you’d like to find out more about using our Field Studies Room, see here.