SURREY’S magnificent heathlands are being celebrated with a series of activities, talks and walks that starts today.
Surrey Wildlife Trust and Thames Basin Heaths Partnership are combining to stage Heath Week 2021, enabling people to discover the delights of some of the finest remaining examples of lowland heath in the world.
With the pink and purple heather coming into full bloom, there are opportunities to explore and learn more about Chobham, Horsell, Whitmoor, Wisley and Ockham commons, Brentmoor Heath at West End and Lightwater Country Park.
Visitors can discover the wonderful worlds of species that live on the heaths, such as the mysterious nightjar, glow worm, bee wolf wasp, heath tiger beetle, emperor moth and many other mammals, insects, reptiles and amphibians.
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The annual Heath Week, being held this year for a fourth time, is designed to encourage people to explore and appreciate the county’s vast wilderness of heathland, which is one of the most ancient and characteristic British landscapes.
Spanning areas in Surrey between Farnham and Godalming in the south to Woking and Camberley, Chobham and Cobham, much of the county’s heathland has international significance as part of the Thames Basin Heaths Special Protection Area.
Thames Basin Heaths Partnership is an initiative of local authorities, land managers and nature conservation bodies across the special protection area, which includes parts of Surrey, Hampshire and Berkshire.
Surrey Wildlife Trust is responsible for conservation and biodiversity on areas of countryside owned by Surrey County Council.
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The partnership’s communications officer, Sarah Bunce, said: “We love sharing the magic of heathland during Heath Week. So, if you’ve been taking your local heath for granted, please come along and take part in some of our events. We’d love the opportunity to share a little bit of magic with you.”
Charlotte Magowan, from the wildlife trust, added: “We are blessed in Surrey to have so many different heathlands across the county to explore. On a warm summer’s day in July and August, heathlands are incredibly beautiful, with the sweet smell of heather and pine warmed by the sun, bees buzzing and insects humming.
“They offer adventure and a place to get closer to nature and, at night, you are transported to the tropics with the magical churring and wing clapping of the nightjars as they catch their prey on the wing and display to females.”
Events during Heath Week range from the opportunity to meet firefighters who tackled the major blaze on Chobham Common in August last year to an online coffee morning revealing the mysterious life of the nightjars that breed on our heathland.
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There is the chance to hear and see these birds, which migrate to the UK from southern Africa, on Horsell Common, and reptiles can be encountered during a drop-in roadshow on Ockham Common.
Insects, butterflies and “other things with wings” can be discovered at Horsell and Chobham.
A guided walk on Chobham Common, exploring the location of the Chobham Common Great Camp in 1853 and the possible site of the legendary treacle mines, rounds off the series of events.
For the full programme and details of Heath Week events, and to book places where required, visit https://www.tbhpartnership.org.uk/heath-week/
A TASTER OF HEATH WEEK EVENTS
Sunday 25 July: Zoe’s Sensory Scavenger Hunt, Lightwater Country Park, 11am-2pm.
Tuesday 27 July: Heath Week Herbivores, Whitmoor Common, Salt Box Road Car Park, Guildford, 11am-2pm.
Tuesday 27 July: Three Churrs for Horsell Common nightjar walk, 8pm-10.30pm. Booking essential.
Wednesday 28 July: Mysterious Nightjars Online Coffee Morning, via Zoom, 10am-11am. Booking essential.
Wednesday 28 July: Heathland’s Smaller Creatures, talk via Zoom, 7pm-9pm.
Thursday 29 July: An Insect Walk on Horsell Common, starting at Sandy Track Car Park, 2pm-4pm. Booking essential.
Thursday 29 July: Butterflies and Other Things with Wings, Staple Hill Car Park, Chobham Common, 10am-3pm
Thursday 29 July: Wildfire Roadshow, Roundabout Car Park, Chobham Common, 11am to 2pm.
Thursday 29 July: Wildfire Roadshow, Horsell Common, 11am-2pm.
Friday 30 July: Reptile Roadshow: Boldermere Car Park, Ockham Common, 11am-3pm.
Saturday 31 July: Great Camp Guided Walk, starts Chobham Place Woods, Chobham Common, 2pm to 4pm. Booking essential.