Walking 4 Wildlife

Pete Bradshaw, Mike Dilger, and me.

Working for wildlife brings me into contact with many special people; staff, volunteers and the general public. I have had the pleasure of meeting some famous conservation personalities and of doing silly things for the press (standing in a London pond with Michael Palin comes to mind). The Trust’s Walk 4 Wildlife, held in the lovely Sapperton Valley on Sunday, managed to combine most of the above.

Over 400 Trust supporters and 40 dogs gathered in The Daneway Inn garden to register for the 5 mile amble through some of the loveliest countryside in the England. This is not an exaggeration and the reaction of most walkers, many of whom had never seen the five nature reserves on show (Daneway Banks, Siccaridge Wood, Strawberry Banks, Three Groves Wood and Sapperton Canal) was of pure pleasure.

TV personality Mike Dilger, The One Show presenter and an all-round nice guy, added an extra layer of fun to the event. Mike is a very knowledgeable and passionate naturalist who bubbled with fun and enthusiasm for the four very generous hours that he spent with us.

Mike managed to discuss ancient woodland indicators, his new-found love of beetles and the rigours of TV filming schedules without flagging. He is a genuinely interested person and everyone who met him came away with their own version of his warm smile.

Jan Ryder and Pete Bradshaw were the two Trust staff who had spent the most time on planning and organising the event. However, another 15 staff and Trustees contributed to the smooth running of the day. Much fun, information and love of the natural world was shared on this inaugural Walk for Wildlife. I had a great time and saw my first dipper of the year (thanks to Mike’s keen eyesight). Richard Goodfellow of The Daneway Inn was also kept busy. Our hungry walkers made a significant dent in his larder and I believed his claim that he had never cooked so many chips in one day!

…. and no, I did not ask anything about Christine Blakeley!