Kemerton Clippings Issue 25 Kemerton Conservation Trust Newsletter January 2020 John Clarke’s Obituary - by AMG Darby © Kate Aubury his time John acted as a conservation advisor to Overbury Estate and was known locally for his conservation work and citizen science projects. Sadly he became ill in 1996 and for the rest of his life suffered from a series of debilitating conditions which left him increasingly incapacitated. Despite this, he was always full of ideas, and as he lost the ability to carry out physical tasks himself he became increasingly effective in persuading others. He was very successful in getting local landowners and farm- ers to co-operate as was shown by the success of the Carrant Catchment Area Restoration John leading a walk in Kemerton Wood, November 2007 Project, which continues to grow. KCT’s Conservation Advisor John Clarke At the end of his life, although he was weak and sadly passed away on 16th December in pain, he was still working. Last summer he 2019, after a long period of serious derived pleasure from going round Kemerton illness. Here, Chairman Adrian Darby Lake on a motorised buggy and being driven pays tribute to a man who loved nature around Overbury Estate to look at the dense and worked tirelessly for conservation. population of nesting skylarks on Bredon Hill. I first met John Clarke in 1982 when he and his A huge number of family and friends packed St wife Pamela came to Kemerton to act as unpaid Nicholas Church in Kemerton to bid farewell to wardens on my farm. Despite the fact that he John at a memorial service in January, but his had no formal training in nature conservation or lasting legacy is all around us in the reserves he biology he was a very effective self-taught helped create and the nature he protected so naturalist and was a superb finder of nests. He passionately. We shall miss him hugely. and Pamela threw themselves into the task of identifying all the plants and animals to be found at Kemerton, and in this they received enormous support from many local naturalists. He engaged in a number of projects to improve the farm for wildlife and identified the high water table which showed the possibility of creating the Kemerton Lake Nature Reserve. The Clarkes stayed at Kemerton for four years and then moved up to Colonsay in the Inner Hebrides where they had bought a cottage. However, they came back to Kemerton each year for an annual visit which enabled them to keep an eye on the emerging Kemerton Lake. They finally decided to come back permanently in 1994. They worked part time for Kemerton Conservation Trust which had been founded while they were away. During the remainder of PAGE 2 KEMERTON CLIPPINGS ISSUE 25 South Midlands Orchids Under the Spotlight © Kate Aubury an expert on many of the species Lake to see such beauties as that grow on KCT reserves, Common Spotted, Southern particularly at Kemerton Lake Marsh, Bee and Pyramidal Nature Reserve. Orchid, as well as various hybrids, we have a guided The talk was a fascinating, in- walk on Sunday 14th June, depth look at this stunning group starting at 2.30pm which is of plants, with Colin’s scientific free for members and £2 for and academic background in non-members (more details Dr Colin Scrutton giving his talk, evidence through his meticulous Victoria Hall, September 2019 on our website). recording and photographing of On September 24th our each species. Our thanks to Colin for Members were treated to a sharing his passion and wonderful talk on ‘Orchids of The talk covered every species of expertise with us all, it was a the South Midlands’ by orchid which grows in the South brilliant evening. Friend of KCT and orchid Midlands, including all those expert Dr Colin Scrutton. found at Kemerton, and Colin © Alan Marsh helpfully noted nearby public Colin, who is Chairman of the sites for those that cannot be Hardy Orchid Society, and his seen on our reserves. More than wife Angela, who is Secretary one attendee left with a plan to of the same organization, search out and photograph some travel extensively to find and of them in 2020, inspired by photograph hardy orchids in Colin’s wonderful images. their natural habitat both here in the UK and further For those who have yet to come Early Purple Orchard Orchis mascula, afield in Europe, and Colin is on an orchid walk at Kemerton Kemerton Wood, May 2010 Long-term local supporter Bredon Forest School donated Funding Update another £1200 to the Trust in the second half of 2019. These are unrestricted funds which In the second half of 2019 we are used to help with general applied for a number of costs including volunteer grants, some of which we are tools, materials for repairs still waiting to hear about. us to carry out vital habitat etc. £500 of it was used to One grant, for a multi-year, in management works in the replace our brushcutter in the -depth invertebrate survey on deep water and on the islands autumn. We are very grateful Bredon Hill in partnership at Kemerton Lake, as our for their generous support. with Natural England was current boat is reaching the sadly rejected, but our end of its life. We also received another application to Natural £500 donation in September Networks was successful In September we received our from Miss K.M Harbinson’s (more details on page 4) and annual dividend from local oil Charitable Trust, also work has already started on buying club SeSaME. We unrestricted funds, and we this habitat project. receive a dividend of £0.5ppl are very grateful for their from Kemerton members and continued support too. We are currently focusing on for 2018/19 year the dividend raising funds for much- was £21.25. If you buy oil and Thank you to all who have needed volunteer tools and for want to know more, visit their supported us so far this a replacement boat to allow website www.sesame.me.uk. year! PAGE 3 KEMERTON CLIPPINGS ISSUE 25 KCT Governors’ Annual Board Meeting 2019 At least once a year KCT which aims to consider wider © Kate Aubury Governors meet for a Board landscape connectivity in all we Meeting to review the past do. year’s work and set goals for the new year. In addition to Out on the reserves we put in the governors the meeting is new vehicle access bridges in also attended by John Clarke Kemerton Wood (see news in and Kate Aubury, who both brief) and completed the Kemer- report on their activities for ton Wood Wildflower Project the year. This time John (see page 4). Further afield our Governors on a fungi foray, Clarke was sadly too ill to partnership work with Cowshed Woods, October 2019 attend but his wife Pamela, Kemerton Estate and CCARP who has taken over the has continued. The issue of The day before the meeting, Conservation Advisor role vandalism at Kemerton Lake the governors enjoyed a fungi attended in his place. Nature Reserve has been an foray through The Far Park ongoing problem in 2019, and and Cowshed Wood, which are Our work in 2019 was again potential ways to deal with it both part-managed by the affected by John Clarke’s formed part of the discussions. Trust under an agreement continued illness, with more with the landowner, led by of the workload moving to After reviewing the past year, Kate Aubury, our in-house Support Coordinator Kate the governors identified their fungus recorder and Governor Aubury, however we still had priorities for 2020; raising funds Peter Marren. plenty to report on. We have for part-time staff, continuing completed a significant work with CCARP, delivering The 2018/19 Chairman’s number of grant applications, any projects which are success- Report, Annual Accounts, many of which we are still ful in gaining funding, and Conservation Officer’s Report waiting to hear about, with a focussing on citizen science and Support Coordinator’s focus on projects which fit projects on Grass Snake, Yellow Report are all available to within our new ‘Kemerton Wagtail and Little Owl (see page read on our website now in Connections’ umbrella project, 6 for more information). the ‘News & Events’ section. and have not been seen since, News in Brief © Kate Aubury so they were probably just exploring the area. In September 2019 10 large concrete drainage pipes were Frustratingly the last couple of delivered to Kemerton Wood on months has seen the East Hide the back of a lorry, and within targeted as a hangout spot for less than a day, they were used to drinking and using drugs and create 5 bridges where existing after every visit the unknown woodland rides intersected with a troublemakers have left the A newly created drainage pipe bridge, stream. The new bridges are safe Kemerton Wood, September 2019 hide in a state. The police are for vehicles and replace rotten aware and assisting us but the footbridges, allowing better access In late November, some lucky open nature of the site makes for management including the visitors to Water’s Edge Hide stopping such things very regular mowing our warden has saw two otters in the lake, fish- difficult. It is with sadness that to do so they are a great addition ing and playing. Although we we have therefore taken the and, with an estimated lifespan of know otters occasionally visit decision to put a combination 100+ years, a job worth doing.