Mansfield & Ashfield Local Members Group

Life at the Lodge

Here I am again, writing an article for our newsletter. But this time, far from being in Nottinghamshire and regularly visiting the beauty spots of Ashfield, I am your “foreign correspondent”, now stationed in Bedfordshire! Why Bedfordshire? Well, I am in the lovely position of having got a job working for the RSPB, based at their UK headquarters at the Lodge in Sandy.

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time as vice-chair of our local group, and editor of this newsletter. And it has stood me in good stead. The experience I gained whilst being part of the great team that helped bring new life to our local group directly contributed to me being offered the job with the RSPB. So many thanks to everyone who has been to our events, given us feedback, help or advice. I now work in the Countryside Conservation Advisory department, who give help and advice to farmers and landowners on how they can help all wildlife, especially through habitat management.

Now, back to the Lodge. For those of you who are not familiar with it, the Lodge is a beautiful 19 th century house, surrounded by woodland, heathland and glorious formal gardens. The trees hum with all types of birds, including great spotted woodpecker, green woodpecker, treecreeper and, at the moment, the lovely sound of nightingale, blackcap and garden warbler. The heathland is alive with butterflies and weird and wonderful insects, and the ponds are heavy with the spawn of natterjack toads – quite a scarcity in the UK. In the summer we also have a flock of Manx Loghtan sheep grazing the heathland and grassland. And I am privileged enough to be able to stroll around this wonderful place in my lunch break!

If all this sounds idyllic to you, then you’ll be pleased to know that the Lodge is one of the RSPB’s reserves, and the grounds are open to the public. So if you fancy a day out a little further afield than the Midlands, then why not come and see this wonderful place for yourselves – it’s less than two hours away from north Nottinghamshire, and well worth the trip! For further details, why not visit the website at www.rspb.org.uk.

Sarah Kelly

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