Water: Sam Taylor-Heard

Sam uses the River Wye to illustrate the work of the Environmental Agency in protecting and conserving a resource that is essential to all life on earth - water.

*Click the photograph above to access a slide show of Sam's work at the Environmental Agency.

 

Swans: Peter Martin and Ellen Kershaw

Most people admire swans. Peter and Ellen from Swan Rescue will talk about
these beautiful and majestic birds, and explain how humans threaten them,
either deliberately, or unintentionally by changes in their environment.

Visit to Bristol Zoo

On a warm sunny day in March, members of the Science and Natural History Group visited Bristol Zoo.

Apart from strolling around the Zoo admiring the animals and the floral displays, we had booked a session in the Education Department. We were ushered into a large room, draped like a tent.

On the floor were a number of objects, many representing animals in danger of extinction, such as snake skin bags, fur coats, a turtle, a piece of coral. Other objects represented Conservation, for example wooden articles from sustainable forests.

The objects prompted us to discuss many ways in which animal species may be threatened by man’s activities. An opportunity to hold a rare cockroach reminded us that conservation is not just about large animals; small creatures also have important roles in the environment.

Rosa with snake

*Click the photograph above to access a slide show from the visit to Bristol Zoo

Dan-yr-Ogof Caves

In a recent Channel 5 program these caves were voted the most spectacular natural feature in the British Isles. This trip will involve a number of steps.

 

Kew Gardens

*Click the photograph above to access a slide show from the visit to Kew Gardens and a tour of the Herbarium building.

 

 

Porthcawl

An opportunity to explore a number of habitats, including cliffs, rock pools and a sandy shore, in the peaceful atmosphere of Rest Bay; or just spend a day at the seaside.

*Click the photograph above to access a slide show from the visit to Porthcawl.

10th Anniversary Pageant 2005

*Click the photograph above to access a photo album of the 10th Anniversary Pageant

Green Waste: Paul Quayle

Have you ever wondered what happens to the cardboard and garden waste that is collected in white bags? Paul is the man to tell us. He is the Waste Strategy Officer for M.C.C.

photo: Paul Quale, Waste Strategy Officer for M.C.C; his assistant and our Convenor Dorothy Witcomb

At the September meeting Paul Quayle, who is the Waste Strategy Officer for Monmouthshire County Council talked about the need to recycle waste. He described an impressive scheme in which garden waste is composted and then eaten by worms, which produce fine nutritious compost, which will be sold in garden centres.

Vaughan Fleming amazed us with his images of Fungi from forests in South America and Britain, from his garden and in the house on jam and bread.

Weird species included the Slime moulds, which creep around like huge amoebae, and luminous fungus on trees.

The Physics of Movement: Kay Flatten

How forces around us shape our lives.

Kay Flatten (left) gets the class working out as part of her demonstration. Our Chairman Peter Shreeve believes in leading from the front and to prove it takes the seat next to Kay.

 

Badgers: John Kennett

Some people love badgers, others want to kill them. John is the secretary of the Gwent Badger Group; a group of people dedicated to the welfare of these amazing creatures.

 

 

 

Visit to Lyme Regis

*Click the photograph below to access a slide show of the visit to Lyme Regis

Dr Colin Dawes poses for a photo after he had taken a group of us on a guided tour along the beach to see some of the fossils that Lyme Regis is famous for, thank you Colin and Dorothy for a fascinating day out.

 

 

FIELD TRIP TO PORT EYNON

In July 2004 a joint expedition by members of the Science and Digital Imaging groups visited the picturesque village of Port Eynon at the tip of the Gower. We saw the Salt House where for several centuries salt was extracted from seawater, and which may have been a smuggler's headquarters. An oyster shell prompted tales of a once flourishing oyster fishery. Later some members explored the rocky shore, discovering a number of interesting specimens including edible seaweeds, many recently shed crab shells, sea anemones and dog whelks with their cocoons.

*Click the photograph below to access a photo album of the Field Trip to Port Eynon.

Visit to Pentwyn Farm near Monmouth

In June we visited Pentwyn Farm near Monmouth, which belongs to the Gwent Wildlife Trust. The unspoilt hay meadows were thick with flowers, bringing back happy memories to many of our members. There were massed ox-eye daisies, greenish hay rattles, blue eyebright and thousands of spotted orchids in various shades of purple and white. After the hot meadow we were pleased to take a coffee break in the cool medieval barn. Thank you to Jemma for a wonderful morning.

*Click the photograph below to access a photo album of the Visit to Pentwyn Farm near Monmouth.

It was all those things plus the tranquillity of this meadow with it's wonderful selection of wild plants, nature has given us, which we know are being preserved for future generations.

Visit to The Helicopter Museum Weston-super-mare

*Click the photograph below to access a slide show of the visit to The Helicopter Museum
Weston-super-mare.

Members of the science group were fascinated by a collection of over 80 helicopters. Sizes ranged from tiny remote control machines to the huge French Super Frelon. Sinister war machines such as the Russian "Hind", which once bristled with weapons; contrast with the luxurious Westland Wessex from the Queen's flight. A sleek Westland Lynx holds the Helicopter World Speed record of 249mph; in contrast a 1950s gyrocopter from America, which has no engine, is towed behind a speedboat. One small 'copter was built in a garden shed, others cost millions.

We would like to thank the two Mikes who enthusiastically guided us around this impressive collection, which is lovingly maintained by volunteers.

 

Visit to Clearwell Caves

*Click the photograph below to access a slide show of the Visit to Clearwell Caves

In May the Science group visited Clearwell caves. This is a natural system of natural limestone caves, which has been enlarged by mining. People have used the caves since prehistoric times to obtain earth pigments and iron. The marks of ancient tools can be seen on the rocks, also numerous items from the industrial period when whole families worked the iron. The mine is still used to extract pigments reds, yellows and violet, these are useful to artists, as they do not fade. The caves are also used for discos and Father Christmas' Grotto.

The mines have been worked for 3,000 years and children were used to transport the ore out by carrying a bin on their backs with each load weighing approximately 70 lbs. The rail, truck and winch system was used at a much later date and only in accessible places.

After extracting pigments from the cave wall our guide demonstrates their vivid colours by rubbing them on the back of one of our members hands. Marks of the miners tools can be seen all over the walls and roof of the caves.

Dorothy Witcomb

 

 

Seaweeds

At the December meeting we discussed seaweeds and their uses. Both live and pressed specimens were used to demonstrate the variety of species, some very beautiful. Seaweed extracts were found in a number of products such as ice cream, soft cheeses, toothpaste and tomato fertiliser.

On behalf of our members, Rodney thanked our convenor, Dorothy Witcomb for the fascinating talk and for bringing her collection of pressed specimens including the shopping bag full of products, all containing seaweed extracts. Lastly he thanked her for showing us the wonderful photographs she had taken, while on her dives.

Red Kites

*Please click the below thumbnail images for larger photograph

The photo is of Red Kites feeding at Gigrin Farm, Rhyader and was taken on the 1st of September.

Visit to Flatholm

A group of us have just returned from the visit to Flatholm Island today. As you will see by one of the photos I could hardly stand up to take it.! ' IT WAS ROUGH'

On July 23rd 22 members visited the island of Flatholm in the Bristol Channel. It was a grey showery day, and the waters of the Channel were brown and choppy, but U3A members are known for their adventurous spirit, so we decided not to postpone the trip.

We were surprised to find so much to see on this tiny island. Here Marconi sent the first radio message over water. This event occurred in 1987 when my Grandfather was a child, and was the forerunner of radio, television, satellite navigation and mobile phones.

*Click the photograph below to access a slide show of visit to Flatholm Island

photo: Our members arriving on Flatholm Island

We saw huge gun emplacements, built at great expense and never used. An enormous gun lay idle, too large to take off the island. Gun pits are used as shelters by sheep. They need the shelter because, as we experienced, wind and rain buffet the island, and there is only one tree, a horse chestnut, and that is dead. Rare wild leeks bloom near the emplacements.

Near the top of the island the old Cholera hospital stands derelict. It used to be thought that the wind would blow away the cholera germs, so the hospital was built at right angles to the wind, for maximum effect. The poor sick folk that survived the boat trip probably died of hypothermia.

The old foghorn has been restored by enthusiasts. Enormous machinery generates vast blasts of air, which are expelled through two huge trumpets on the roof of the building. It is sounded once a year and can be heard 10 miles away.

The dominant animals are the gulls, mainly lesser black backed gulls. At first we could not understand why the ground was strewn with cooked chicken bones. Gulls collect them from rubbish dumps around Cardiff. As we walked through the gull colony the birds rose in fury shouting, “GO! GO!”

On the journey back the sea was rougher. Water poured over the open part of the boat, as if someone was throwing buckets of water. We were all thankful to reach land.

I hope that, despite the rough boat ride, everyone enjoyed the trip. It is certainly a fascinating island.

'Fun with Photographs' by Bernard Brown

March 3rd 'Fun with Photographs' by Bernard Brown from the Positive Image Photographic Society in Barry. Bernard does amazing things with photographs. In his world science and photography combine to produce fantasy.

'Visit to NASA'

Keith Moseley from Monmouth School described the history of NASA’s space programme. This was illustrated by his photographs of spacecraft and some of the awesome machines needed to construct and manoeuvre the huge rockets and shuttle craft.

We were interested to learn of some of the science behind the programme and the engineering problems involved. There was also the human aspect, imagine being fired into space curled up in a tiny cabin, unable to stretch or move about.

The January Night Sky

On Monday January 6th we had a fascinating talk by amateur astronomer Chris Dale. He showed us how to use star charts to identify constellations, and recommended web sites that predict the movement of man made objects such as satellites. With this information it is possible to see the space shuttle leaving the space station, and to predict the time and place of bright flashes from mobile phone satellites.

He also revealed the immensity of space by trying to convey the size of the Milky Way, and the distance to 'nearby' galaxies. I was especially impressed by a picture of the number of galaxies in a section of sky that would be covered by holding a 5p piece at arms length. We were each presented with a booklet containing a copy of his power point presentation and a star chart.

 

 

DINOSAURS FOOTPRINTS

*Click the photograph below to access a slide show of Dinosaurs Footprints

photo: Stephen demonstrating dinosaurs footprints.

Stephen Howe a geologist from Cardiff Museum led members of the group along the shore at Sully. First he showed us how the rocks allowed experts to determine the environment millions of years ago.

The red rocks showed that the area was covered by a hot dry sandy desert. Out in the Bristol channel there was a large lake. Near Sully hospital we saw a stony track made by a wadi, a river bed which is normally dry and only contains water after heavy rain.

Long ago dinosaurs walked beside the wadi to drink, after rain the wadi filled with water and overflowed leaving a layer of mud. The dinosaurs left footprints in the mud, the area dried and sand was blown over the prints as they dried. Thus they were preserved, more floods left more footprints. Stephen showed us prints belonging to 4 species, at least 3 predatory dinosaurs walking on two legs and one species of reptile that walked on 4 was probably an herbivore. Experts can use prints to determine the size of the animal and that all the Sully Island animals were walking not running.

After lunch Stephen led us across the causeway to Sully Island and showed us areas where huge forces had folded the rocks, giving text book examples of geological features.

 

© Caldicot and District U3A mmviii