SLP Events Guide Winter/Spring Complete_Layout 1 19/12/2013 14:28 Page 1

Event Programme Winter/Spring 2014 www.seftonsnaturalcoast.co.uk

Sat 4th January Sat 11th January Sun 12th January Tues 14th January Wed 5th February Thurs 6th February Birding bonanza Churchtown Walk Meet the grazers The hunt for Stock handling course Motor racing lecture 1 Heritage and health walk: Join local historian Gladys Opportunity to come and see the a dune enigma Limited places available for Martyn Griffiths brings a new to – Meet Armstrong at St Cuthberts livestock at – where do Heritage and health walk: potential volunteers to learn about lecture on the history of motor Plough roundabout 11am, walk for a fascinating walk around they come from, why are they to Ainsdale – meet Birkdale Station, looking after livestock on the racing in Southport and the coast down coast enjoying thousands of Churchtown and a glimpse into its here? No dogs allowed. Wrap up 10.30am. The hunt for one of our Sefton coast. Booking essential. at the Atkinson. Booking essential. birds at Marshside. Bring remarkable history. warm, wellies may be required. rarest and smallest plants, the near binoculars. Ends Southport train mythical Petalwort! Walk ends at station. Ainsdale Station.

Fri 7th February Sat 8th February Tues 18th February Sat 22nd February Thurs 27th February Sun 2nd March Another Place and Shipwreck Walk Orienteering Shipwrecks Motor racing lecture 2 – Big tide walk Marshside wartime history Join expert Martyn Griffiths in a Have a go at orienteering on the and prehistory Sir Henry Segrave Join the RSPB on a guided walk Heritage and health walk: Crosby search for the famous and coast at Lifeboat Road. This is a Heritage and health walk: Meet Fascinating lecture at the Atkinson across the marsh as the tide comes to Hightown – meet Crosby enigmatic shipwrecks of Ainsdale fun activity for all the family and for 10.30am, Station, for a by Peter Cowley on a motor racing in. Meet Marine Drive car . Lakeside Activity Centre at 11am southern shoreline. all ages and abilities. walk out onto the sands to search hero. Booking essential. Charges apply. then head north, passing the Iron for shipwrecks and prehistoric Men and WWII history of our coast. footprints. Walk ends at Ainsdale Walk ends at Hightown Station. Station.

Thurs 6th March Thurs 6th March Sat 15th March Sun 6th April Sun 6th April Fri 11th April Signs of spring Shipwrecks of Squirrel search The Tidal time travel Migrants galore Heritage and health walk: the coast lecture Heritage and health walk: Traverse RSPB guided walk with the North Heritage and health walk: Ainsdale to Hillside, meet Ainsdale Expert Martyn Griffiths explains the to Freshfield. Find out how Meet Lifeboat Road car park, Civic Society to discover the Ainsdale to Birkdale, meet Ainsdale Station, 10.30am. Join us for a engrossing stories of some of the our Red Squirrels are faring. Meet Formby, 10.30am. Discover the rich history of Marshside and Station, 10am. Look for summer walk through the dunes in search most famous shipwrecks on the Formby Station, 1030am. Walk new Ravenmeols Trail with Reg management and wildlife on the migrants in the dune system. Walk of signs of spring. Sefton Coast at the Atkinson. ends at Freshfield Station. Yorke of Formby Civic Society. RSPB reserve. Meet 10am at the ends Birkdale Station. Fogbell on Marshside Road.

Tues 22nd to Sun 13th April Fri 18th April Sat 19th April Thurs 24th April Fri 25th April Sat 26th April Birkdale Scrub Natterjack Walk Natterjack Walk Marine Natterjack Walk Dune management Join expert Phil Smith as he Join Pete Gahan and listen for Join the rangers on a night time archaeological dig Join the rangers on a night time Heritage and health walk: Dune assesses the habitat at Birkdale “Birkdale Nightingales” on the search for the marvellous An attempt to excavate a mystery search for the marvellous management – a chance to inspect following the conclusion of the National Nature Reserve at Natterjack Toad on the Sefton wreck on the coast – subject to Natterjack Toad on the Sefton the scrub clearance work in the winter programme of scrub Ainsdale. coast. approvals. Booking essential. coast. Birkdale dunes. Meet Hillside clearance. Station, 10.30am.

Sat 26th April Thurs 1st May Sun 4th May Sat 10th May Sun 11th May Sat 17th May Natterjack Walk Marshside Dawn Chorus Reptiles in focus Go Shrimping! Medicinal Herbs Join Pete Gahan and listen out for Fishermen lecture 5am start on National Dawn A fascinating talk and a chance to Always a popular event – join of the dunes “Birkdale Nightingales” on the "The Marshside Fishermen and Chorus Day! Hear nature’s get up close and personal with Martyn Griffiths on Ainsdale Herbal medicine week – a guided National Nature Reserve. Their Families", a story of a fishing symphony in the dunes with a some captive animals if we are Beach. Booking essential, have a walk through Birkdale LNR looking village and the folk who built it with ranger. lucky. go at shrimping the traditional way. for medicinal herbs with our local Gladys Armstrong at the Atkinson. expert.

Sat 17th May Sun18th May Wed 21st May Thur 22nd May Sun 1st June Sun 1st June Marshside figure of eight Green Beach safari Altcar Rifle Range Petrified forest Tidal time travel Hightown Dunes Heritage and health walk: Meet Join expert Phil Smith on a guided meadows and new slacks RSPB guided walk with the North Visit Hightown dunes with expert Elswick Rd bus stop at 10am, and walk along the Green Beach, home A rare chance for an evening visit Heritage and health walk: Meols Civic Society to discover the Phil Smith to explore a precious complete a full “figure of eight” of rare plants, amphibians and to the fabulous wild flower Hightown Station, meet 10.30am. rich history of Marshside and part of our coastline. around the Marshside RSPB insects. meadows on the range. Booking Join archaeologist Jen Lewis on a management and wildlife on the reserve, expect nesting Avocets, essential. tour of the dunes and Alt mouth. RSPB reserve. Meet 10am at the Lapwings and more! Fogbell on Marshside Road.

Sat 7th June Wed 11th June Sat 14th June Sun 15th June Thur 19th June Sun 22nd June Blooming summer Altcar Rifle Range Photographic Workshop Pond dip Formby dune loop Devil’s Hole Heritage and health walk:Meet Discover the flora and fauna of the Venture out with photographer Searching for the creatures of the Heritage and health walk: Formby Join Phil Smith for an expedition Ainsdale Station at 10.30am. Walk Altcar Rifle Range on an evening Trevor Davenport as the dunes deep in Ainsdale Local Nature loop, meet Formby Station, 10am. to the Devil’s Hole – the biggest to Freshfield Station through the the guided walk. begin to bloom for summer – bring Reserve. A walk round the Ravenmeols dune blow-out on the coast, but how Natural reserve, looking your camera. system taking in Cabin Hill, the was it formed? out for the specialities of our unique Devil’s Hole and Formby beach. coastline. Ending at Formby Station.

To reserve your place or get further information:

Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership Natural England RSPB Sefton Coast & Countryside Call 0151 934 2964 or email: Call 01704 578774 or visit: Call 01253 796292 or visit: Call 0151 934 2967 or email: [email protected] www.naturalengland.org.uk www.rspb.org.uk/marshside [email protected] Keep up-to-date by visiting: seftoncoast @theseftoncoast

All details correct at time of going to print and are subject to change.

SLP Events Guide Winter/Spring Complete_Layout 1 20/12/2013 13:29 Page 2

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Nautical Archaeological Society Foreshore and Prehistoric Underwater Archaeology Course (28, 29 and 30 March) Footprints A first for the coast – the chance to train for an accredited qualification in marine archaeology, visting wrecks and sites of at Formby interest on the coast. Places on this course are very limited. Events Programme Winter/Spring 2014 Join our expert Ribble archaeologists on a Easter Beach School (8, 9 and 10 April) www.seftonsnaturalcoast.co.uk Marshes Marshside selection of free taster An exciting pilot school holiday project with Sefton Play Council, RSPB sessions taking a closer who will be offering three days of activities for youngsters on the look at the prehistoric coast. Booking is absolutely essential as only a limited Southport Pier footprints on the numbers of spaces for children will be available. EcoCentre Coastal Road SOUTHPORT shoreline at Formby. Queens Jubilee Southport Nature Trail The tracks of animals and For more information please Velvet Trail Archimedes Beach School Training (7 and 8 May) Birkdale people are preserved in muddy contact the Landscape BIRKDALE The chance to train for a widely recognised beach school banks which are occasionally Partnership Scheme on Coastal Road Hillside qualification – a very limited number of places on this course 0151 934 2964 or email exposed when sand blows are available for those who have a genuine interest in the Sands Lake Trail away from them, revealing a landscape.partnership@sefto Ainsdale Discovery Sefton Coast. Centre fascinating glimpse into life n.gov.uk Ainsdale Ainsdale & Birkdale AINSDALE 7,000 years ago. Sandhills All our walks are FREE and For more information on these events and the Stout footwear is essential, as listed here. We meet at the Sefton Coast Landscape Partnership Scheme, Ainsdale Sand A656 is weather appropriate National Trust noticeboard Dunes Road Freshfield clothing. opposite the toilets at Victoria please call 0151 934 2964 National Trust Email: [email protected] FORMBY Road, Freshfield. Lifeboat Road And don’t forget to pick up or visit www.seftonsnaturalcoast.co.uk Formby Point Formby FREE Ravenmeols your identification guide Walk Dates Time Hills to the footprints! seftoncoast @theseftoncoast Cabin Hill

24th January 10.30am Hightown 26th January 10.30am HIGHTOWN 23rd February 10.30am Hightown Dunes A656 24th February 1.30pm and Meadows Hall Road 9th March 10.30am Copy Farm 28th March 1.30pm Sefton Landscape Partnership Partners & Crosby 25th April 1.30pm CROSBY Rimrose Valley Crosby Lakeside 26th April 1.30pm Adventure Centre Waterloo 9th May 1.30pm and Marine Lake Brookvale Seaforth LWT Seaforth & 10th May 1.30pm 20th June 1.30pm Bootle New Strand 21st June 1.30pm Bootle Oriel Road No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means or stored in any information storage and retrieval system without the publisher’s permission. The views expressed in this publication are the personal opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of Sefton Landscape Partnership Members or Officers. Whilst every care has been taken in the compilation of this publication, the Members and Officers of Sefton Landscape Partnership cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of any statement contained within.

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