The Nature group has now been running for some 5 years. It has some 20 active members and normally meets once a month at the Community Centre, where we enjoy short presentations on a variety of different topics, often related to the wildlife in the local environment, and much informal discussion. However, some of the best meetings are when we go on a field trip to discover that wildlife at close quarters. In March we explored RSPB Burton Mere on the Wirral. In May, we visited, Fenn’s, Whixall and Bettisfield Mosses, a National Nature Reserve between Whitchurch and Wrexham. In July, we had the pleasure of re-visiting a moth trap run by our members, Cliff and Norma, in a rural setting near Kelsall.

We have 2 objectives within the group. One is to open members’ eyes to the breadth and depth of nature; the other is to make friends. A particularly helpful approach is our use of WhatsApp, on our mobile phones, which allows us to keep in touch between those monthly meetings. This App is now plastered with a diversity of photos including a hornets’ nest, wildflowers, garden and shore birds, fungi, and butterflies; the list goes on. Although most photos come from local gardens and woods, holiday shots from far and wide pop up frequently. We have a serious approach to sharing and identifying wildlife but there is always an underlying sense of humour in our posts, putting smiles on members’ faces.