Facebook Posts Visible Again

You can see our   posts again, here!

In 2018 Facebook changed its rules, and it stopped us showing posts from our Facebook group. But that’s now fixed, well sort of – there are limitations – it doesn’t show anybody’s name, and multimedia are links rather than being shown. But it’s better than nothing!

But why not just take the plunge and join our group page at www.facebook.com/groups/ELCVPosts/.  NB: In my view, all these scare stories about data harvesting are a global strategic storm in a teacup, or better a thimble!

Giant Hogweed Program Gathering Pace

Our Giant Hogweed program is gathering pace. To support the farmers who are doing the actual treatment, we now have around 20 volunteer spotters. On Monday half of us met for basic training. The other half were due to meet tomorrow, so we've switched that to doing it over skype/phone.
The good news is that hogweed spotting - apart from the value to the community, the exercise, and being good for your mental health - is something you can still currently do (if you remember the 2 metre rule)!
Links to all the relevant info here https://www.elcv.org.uk/links/

Mud on the Tyne

Last week we sorted out a really muddy part of the footpath on the Tyne, downstream from Hailes footbridge. We improved the drainage by cutting 2 new channels across the path, burying plastic pipes, and covering them over. It was messy work, but by now it should all have dried out (I'll check when I get back from holiday!)

Wanted: Your Help Spotting Giant Hogweed!

It may be attractive to look at, but Giant Hogweed can cause a very nasty burn. So we are eliminating it from the entire length of the river Tyne. But we need your help with spotting and recording the plants, so that the farmers who deal with them know where to look, and don't miss a single one (one flower can easily produce hundreds of new plants).

No experience is necessary - you'll quickly get to recognise the plant, and ideally we go out in pairs. You just need the odd half day free over the spring/summer, and be willing to get your wellies dirty! See the full story at //www.elcv.org.uk/tasks/invasives/the-program/

 

Will you help?

Email us at

hogweed@elcv.org.uk

 

Prizes!

How much do you know about Giant Hogweed?

Complete the quiz and win a prize!





Hogweed Quiz

Get them all right and you win a fantastic prize!

Get any wrong and you still win a prize!

Improve your chances of winning by
first viewing our Hogweed page

What Prizes? Depends how many right answers you get:
>90%: You may spot for THE project whenever you like
80-90%: 1 free THE-Spotting training day
<80%: As many THE training days as you like!

Email us at hogweed@elcv.org.uk to claim your prize

ELCV AGM

The Annual General Meeting of the East Lothian Countryside Volunteers charity will be held on Friday 13th (lucky us!) December at 2pm in the Haddington Town House, Main Hall (upstairs).
There will be reports on what the ELCV has achieved over the last year, plans for the future, and (re-)election of trustees for the committee (see agenda)
We are looking to recruit two or three new trustees, especially one to represent the Levenhall group, and to appoint one trustee as Secretary. If you are interested in any of these worthwhile posts, please let us know beforehand, eg by email to contact@elcv.org.uk
All volunteers are welcome to attend, although to take part in any voting, or to become a trustee, you need to be a registered member of ELCV. If you aren't a member, but would like to be, simply email contact@elcv.org.uk.

Path Wardens Christmas Walk & Lunch

The traditional Path Warden walk and Christmas lunch is on Thursday 19th December. The walk 🚶‍♀️🚶‍♂️ will be somewhere around Haddington and lunch 🍷🍰will be in The Waterside Bistro. We have booked the room upstairs again, so we can have our usual rowdy 🎉 time!  £24.90 for two courses or £27.90 for three courses. Jenny has offered to put together a Duncan-style pub quiz and Nick will do his best to persuade Neil to buy us a round of drinks!! If you haven't yet told anyone you are going please email Nick or Jenny asap.

New News

You have probably seen this before in an email, but in case not...

 

With the sad demise of the monthly BBF email the only way to get recent news about volunteer activity is from facebook - either the ELCV page or the Rangers one. Which are great sources - but if you'd rather not be on facebook at all, or know someone who isn't, we also duplicate the key items on this ELCV Website News page. However this only happens every week or three, so to save you keep checking, we have started a system that can automatically email you when there is a website news update (just like facebook does). To sign up for this go to this website page to subscribe. Or just wait for the quarterly ELC 'magazine' Mud In Your Eye!