[FoNC] Newington Cemetery update

[Ellen-Raissa]

Dear Friends,

Spring is here and the cemetery is looking particularly wonderful. The bluebells are still looking handsome in various shades of purple, the blossom is out on the fruit trees and the horse chestnuts are magnificently in candle. We have not had a chance to do a bird survey yet this year, but from the constant calls and song, the signs are promising for a good year for nesting.

In other news, I met Per, a local zoologist and all-round bug fan, hunting moths in the cemetery the other day. He showed me some tiny horse chestnut leaf-miner moths, which have only recently been seen in Scotland, and we also spotted a green longhorn, sunning itself on headstone. There are  lots of meadow brown, speckled wood and ringlet butterflies around, but if you spot anything unusual, please let us know.

This month's working party is meeting this Monday (16 May, 10 am at the cemetery gates) and we are going to be doing some path repair (you might have seen the large bags of gravel) and hopefully, digging out some nasty giant hogweed that is invading from the railway. Please come and join us if you can - every volunteer at our working parties makes a real difference.

Finally, we are at last able to start planning some in-person events. We hope to host our own doors open day in September and also to run our annual fungi foray, as well a family activity in the summer. I will send out more information when we have it.

Best wishes for a more optimistic spring,
Ellen-Raissa and Friends of Newington Cemetery
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