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Pets
INTRODUCING BRITISH DIVERS MARINE LIFE RESCUE
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British Divers Marine Life Rescue (BDMLR) is a nationwide charity dedicated to the rescue of marine mammals - seals, porpoises, dolphins and whales – around our coastline. The organisation has over 2500 volunteer ‘Marine Mammal Medics’, ready to respond to any of the 2000+ callouts the charity’s hotline receives every year.
With emphasis about going to the coast for mental and physical health benefi ts this can unintentionally bring with it greater confl ict between people and wildlife as they compete for space. Climate change also appears to be having a growing impact on our wildlife, with some species like dolphins shifting their distribution around the coast as sea temperatures change.
BDMLR Medics also deal with whales, dolphins and porpoises when they are stranded alive on the beach. Like seals, they can sometimes be in poor health, but other times may simply have been caught out by fast moving tides or enclosed areas like estuaries. After expert veterinary assessment, these animals can be refl oated back into the sea if deemed suitable. Marine Mammal Medics and rescue equipment are also based near Alfreton. In 2018 it was found that Midlands medics formed the link between East and West coast rehab centres and medics often relay seal pups through Derbyshire. Almost thirty seal pups had travelled through the area this year alone, for vital treatment and rehab before being released. Midlands medics also respond to rescues on the coastlines, this included seven Sperm Whales which stranded Christmas Eve 2020, a four metre Basking Shark and two Porpoises. One of the porpoises was named by the coastguards as Annie. Annie stranded at Chapel St Leonards in August 2020 and medics from Tibshelf responded to the urgent call out. With heavy rain, thunder and lightening they made it to the coast as night fell. It was found that not only had Annie stranded, but she was pregnant and in labour on the beach. Medics entered the water with Annie and with coastguards holding onto the medics to try and stabilise them in the two metre waves crashing about them, Annie was given medical aid and assessed. Medics and coastguards clung to each other in the terrible weather, shielding Annie from the worst of the battering sea for more than an hour, whilst crews from RNLI Skegness battled their way through the storm. Annie was gently loaded onto the lifeboat and with medics on board she was taken out to sea where the water was much calmer, here she was re-assessed before being lowered gently over the side. Both Annie and her baby survived.
If you are interested in joining our team then please check out our website on www.bdmlr.org.uk for more information.
It takes a stout heart to brave a cold winters day for a dog walk but once you get going it’s amazing how much better you feel with a lung full of fresh air and a few miles under your belt. This month’s walk was first featured 3 years back but ranked highly as a winter walk because of its length, varied terrain and good paths, although there are a few muddy bits but try and find a walk without some mud at the moment!
A moderate walk with a varied terrain. The route should take around 2 1/2 hours. There are some stretches along roads, so take care. And of course, as usual at this time of the year there are some uneven and muddy parts so a good pair of boots or wellies is highly recommended.
4 1/2-MILE CIRCULAR WALK FROM RINGWOOD
START: RINGWOOD PARK CAR PARK, HOLLINGWOOD. S43 2JH (CAR PARK ENTRANCE AT JUNCTION OF CHESTERFIELD ROAD & INKERSALL GREEN ROAD)
1. Standing with your back to the car park entrance continue straight ahead to the far end of the car park to bear left to climb some steps. Keep straight ahead, firstly with a fence on your right then a lake. 2. Continue ahead, staying close to the lake for some distance. Eventually you will continue with a tall metal fence on your left. After a very short distance and where a smaller metal fence on your right begins, pass through a gap on your left and continue ahead with a metal fence on your right. 3. Keep ahead, going through woodland and the footpath will begin to climb. As the path begins to level off you come out of the woodland, continue with trees on your right and pasture on your left. After some distance continue back into woodland. 4. Cross over a wooden footbridge, climb some steps and then continue straight ahead to climb a 2nd set of steps. At a major intersection of footpaths ignore the path on the left and straight on and instead bear slightly right to take the footpath going down some steps. Continue down a 2nd set of
steps and cross over a wooden footbridge. 5. Climb some steps then continue straight ahead ignoring a path to the immediate left.
Continue ahead and keep left staying close to a chain link fence on your left. 6. Continue until reaching a split in the path.
Then keep right and continue along the same level passing a marker post on your left.
Continue straight ahead for some distance along the same level passing another maker posts on your left. 7. At a third marker post ignore the footpath going steep downhill to your right and continue straight ahead, then at a split in the path ignore the path to the left going uphill and keep right staying on a path that is relatively level. 8. Keep ahead for some distance to pass another marker post on your left and then a little further on, continue to pass another marker post on your left. After this marker post, ignore a path to the left and then continue for a short distance before dropping downhill to a cross a bridge. 9. Continue uphill through woodland. Eventually the footpath levels with a stream in the small gully on your left. The footpath begins to climb once more and you will pass a farm building on your right. Upon reaching a large metal gate directly in front of you, pass through a gap to pass by the gate, ignore a marked footpath on your left and continue straight ahead onto a road. 10. Continue along the road and then take the 1st road on the right called ‘Brooke Drive’. Continue along ‘Brooke Drive’ for some distance and then around to the left. At a
T-junction turn right along the road for a very short distance and then take the 1st road on the left called ‘Recreation Road’. 11. Continue along Recreation Road as it becomes a lane. At the end of the lane bear slightly right of some double gates along a marked footpath with a hedge on your right and a wall on your left. 12. After a short distance pass through a metal chicane and to a T-junction. Turn right along the lane, ignore a marked footpath on the left and continue ahead. After some distance you will come to 2 houses one on each side of the lane. Immediately after passing the house on the right, turn right along a signposted footpath. 13. Continue to enter a field and keep ahead with a hedge on your left. At the far side of the field to pass through a gap in the trees.
Continue straight ahead across the centre of another field to pass through a gap adjacent to a large metal gate. 14. Keep ahead to reach a main road. Cross over and turn right and continue for some distance until reaching house number ‘151’ on the left and immediately after turn left onto a lane and signposted footpath. 15. After some distance pass by a telegraph pole on your left keep ahead to head gently downhill. Immediately after passing beneath some power cables and just prior to entering some woodland turn left onto a footpath. 16. Keep on the footpath to pass a pylon on your left. Then pass a marker post on your left and enter the woodland. Follow the footpath and pass another marker posts on your right.
After a short distance cross over a stile and into a field with open views to your right. 17. Continue ahead ignoring a marked footpath going uphill to your left. Keep ahead to drop steep downhill and cross over a footbridge.
Climb some steps and continue along the edge of another field passing by an aerial/ mast on your left. 18. Just just prior to reaching some houses turn right and head downhill along the edge of the field. Near the bottom of the hill and then upon reaching a stone structure on your left, turn left to exit the field. Turn left along the lane and then turn right along a main road. 19. Continue along the main road past a bus shelter and then downhill to reach a large metal gate on your right. Pass through a gap next the metal gate and follow a footpath going downhill. Pass by a BMX track on your left and continue until you have a lake directly in front of you. Follow the tarmac path to keep the lake on your right and cross over a bridge back into the car park.
