Adders awakening at Dalby

We’ve already spotted two different adders on the same day this week in the forest.

Adder at the top of Heck Dale

The Forestry webpage on adders is here http://www.forestry.gov.uk/forestry/adder

Adders are common snakes on the North York Moors generally and their presence demonstrates a healthy environment.

There is a thriving population in Dalby Forest and they are quite shy animals and will tend to move away from noise and movement. They are, as a rule, not aggressive but they do have a nasty bite (and most people who are bitten will have been so while trying to handle them or actually stepping on them).They are more active on warmer days and start to hibernate when the weather gets cooler. They really are unlikely to be encountered so we really got lucky to see two thanks to the arrival of the Spring sunshine.

Hope you get to spot one too but of course they are wild animals, so what you shouldn’t do is pick them up!

 

April’s work task

This month we did some more pruning by the visitor centre as well as laying more woodchip by the new pencil maze at the park. We had a good turn out as it was then followed by our AGM. There are lots of exciting plans afoot and activities to get involved in, so watch this space!

Peter gets stuck in!

Jeni and her shears

Shovelling wood chip!

The new pencil spiral maze at the park

Our 2015 AGM meeting at the visitor centre