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Canford Heath fire: |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860  View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 19 Mar 2006 Just saw this on BBC website: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dorset/4823610.stm A lot of controversy about this heath over the years - house-building, motor bikers etc. I used to work nearby and know it was, maybe still is, a good herp site. Suz |
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John Newton Senior Member Joined: 19 May 2005 No. of posts: 151 View other posts by John Newton |
Posted: 20 Mar 2006 No firm details as yet, awaiting the light of day, but assuredly a huge herpetological disaster - obvious effects on adders/commons/slowwies currently active, but populations of Ca/La/Natrix not yet emerged will be devoid of habitat when they emerge - yet another rescue scenario. Just heard on news that is was started by a group of young kids, seen running away......stuff like this gets to me. John Newton South Yorkshire ARG |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 20 Mar 2006 Nothing changes - and easter will be here soon. It is so depressing; but always reliable. What is the status of actual prosecutions; there were a few pending when I left for SA. Tony |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 21 Mar 2006 I thought of you Tony. I know it's not Studland area but it was once a great place for all sorts of creatures. I see they've now got someone for it. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/dcilorset/4828074.stm I lived in the area in the early 70s and there was a lot of criticism of the housebuilding on the heath then but the local council stated they had no interest in it from a nature point of view. I still have the newspaper cuttings! The height of the flames in the picture on the Beeb website indicates serious damage to anything above or below ground I'd have thought. As I remember it is now surrounded by housing so not sure any reptiles could re-colonise. Very sad. Suz |
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Suzi Senior Member Joined: 06 Apr 2005 No. of posts: 860 View other posts by Suzi |
Posted: 21 Mar 2006 Latest news: Suz |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 21 Mar 2006 Suzi - I also have those same cuttings! I was at a meeting around 1997 or so, and the local authority admitted, that with the conservation climate is as it is now, and if then in the 70s, then the whole Bourne valley would have been left intact - hindsight is a wonderful thing! We have had some terrible fires here in the cape; some were pine and blue gum plantations, and oh boy do those things burn!! One way to get rid of aliens. It is of course sadder when the fynbos burns; although much depends on periodic burning, but not to the extent we have seen during the past few months; and the poor old tortoises 
T |
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arvensis Senior Member Joined: 15 Mar 2006 No. of posts: 445 View other posts by arvensis |
Posted: 22 Mar 2006 They printed an aerial pic in the Mail of the affected area. A very devastating scene. I hope they throw the book at who did it. Mark Hampshire Amphibian and Reptile Group. |
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Tony Phelps Forum Specialist Joined: 09 Mar 2003 No. of posts: 575 View other posts by Tony Phelps |
Posted: 22 Mar 2006 If they bother to prosecute 
T |
- Canford Heath fire |