Osprey Chicks hatch at Arne as new Sculpture unveiled at Ham Common

Arne, which is near Wareham Forest has recently been under the microscope as BBC Springwatch set up base at the RSPB Arne Nature Reserve. Viewers were treated to closeup views of the Ospreys which have set up home there and last month saw three new arrivals to the nest as the new chicks hatched. Coinciding with all the activity on Arne, across the bay in Ham Common new signage and a sculpture were unveiled at the Ham Common Lookout, near Hamworthy which gives great views of White-tailed Eagles and Ospreys. The lookout was installed in partnership with Birds of Poole Harbour and Haven. BCP Council’s landscaping team undertook the work and are pictured below with councillors and members of Haven.

Climate action: Woodland Trust appeal to residents to water young ‘street trees’

Rising temperatures and dry spells are leading to an increasing loss of new street trees, but the nation can do its bit urges tree groups.

The Arboricultural Association is joining forces with the Woodland Trust and local authority tree officer associations to rally the UK public to water their new street trees using recycled rainwater or grey water, such as washing up water.

According to the Met Office 2022 was the warmest on record and the UK’s total rainfall persistently below average for the year creating challenging conditions for newly planted and younger trees to thrive.

Catherine Nuttgens, head of the Woodland Trust’s urban tree programme, explained:

“Trees are crucial to our well being by cooling our towns and cities and improving air quality so we need to not only plant more but look after those we already have.

While in rural settings newly planted saplings and woods can take care of themselves and adapt, the challenging conditions presented by living in the built environment means trees in our streets and urban areas need a bit more TLC . It’s a fun job to do with the kids or make it a post tea time routine to water the trees . It can rally community spirit too if estates or streets club together.”

0.1% of people in BCP were denied the opportunity to vote in recent local elections

If you were one of the 62,355 people who turned out to vote in the May 4 local elections, you would have been asked, for the first time ever, to provide proof of identity before being handed a ballot paper.

There were fears prior to the elections that many would turn up to vote and be unable to due to the new requirements, leading some, including Labour’s Wes Streeting to publicly question whether requiring ID was good for democracy.

The elections were therefore closely monitored by the Electoral Commission with figures being recorded during the day for those who turned up to vote without an acceptable form of identification.

On the day, out of the 62,355 voters that turned up at polling stations in BCP, just 223 people didn’t initially provide photo ID, with 148 of those later returning with a form of acceptable photo ID and subsequently issued with a ballot paper.

This left 75 people that did not return to the polling station and so didn’t vote. This amount equals 0.1% of those that attended a polling station - a figure much lower than many anticipated.

The overall turnout across BCP was 30.62%