Locals from all over Ashford enjoyed a week of events in August. At Leacon Road riverside sculptures were repainted by the Millennium Volunteers improving the appearance of the riverside walk. The YMCA and Stour Valley Art Trust held a Wild Art day at Watercress Fields, the children explored the river, grassland and woodland areas in the morning and took part in an art workshop in the afternoon. The day finished with the launching of their floating pieces of artwork on the river. The Kent Bat Group conducted a walk around Singleton Lake and Buxford Meadow and recorded four bat species, the daubentons bat were particularly enjoyable to watch flying acrobatically over Singleton Lake catching insects close to the water. Intrepid locals stayed up late to record moths at the site, mercury-vapour traps were used and 35 species were identified and recorded.

Millennium aid

Young people from the Millennium Volunteers helped to clear the riverside at Queen Mothers Park of invasive Himalayan Balsam. Himalayan Balsam is recognisable with bright pink flowers and reddish bamboo like stems, it flowers until October but seeds disperse readily when ripe allowing it to spread along rivers and streams shading out native vegetation. There is plenty more work to do at Queen Mothers Park next year. If anyone wants to help please contact Rosemary.