Sunday, 30 October 2022

Lesser Calamint - an unusual local flower

13th October 2022 - whilst working with the Wildlife Trust Conservation team, clearing the summer sward from the Old Railway Cutting to encourage the chalkland flowers next year, Iain Webb pointed out two clumps of flower that he had left. These were Lesser Calamint, a relatively unusual, or at least often overlooked, flower species in Cambridgeshire.


There are two species of Calamint, Lesser Calamint and Common Calamint, both of which grow in similar chalky wayside habitats - like the old railway cutting - and it takes a trained eye to distinguish between them. Interestingly however, according to Graham Easy writing in 1993 in Nature in Cambridgeshire, No 35, pp65-67, these two species come into close proximity within the Abingtons.


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The Aims of Abington Naturewatch

At their meeting on 9 April 2005 the members approved this revised version of the aims of Abington Naturewatch:

  • To monitor and record the wildlife (fauna & flora) within the borders of the Abingtons;
  • To encourage protection of our wildlife, maintain its quality and foster its diversity;
  • To promote awareness of the richness, potential and problems of the natural environment of the Abingtons;
  • To cooperate in improving access to the local natural environment for the benefit of all Abington villagers.

Pat Daunt, Founder

The organisation is informal and communication is by email if possible; members are notified of events from time to time. Contact details are maintained by a small "project team". There is currently no membership fee as costs are covered by voluntary contributions at events.

Members are encouraged to report notable sightings of flora and fauna within the Abingtons to the appropriate sector coordinator and an illustrated record is published annually.

A map of the area covered, with some features noted, is available here: http://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?ie=UTF8&hl=en&msa=0&msid=213774935674882866424.00000111dca2be9f06ab8&z=13>

For more information or to join, please contact David Farrant on (01223) 892871.

Contributions to our records should be sent to sector contacts or either of the above. Photographs may also be submitted to Andy Merryweather (amerryweather61@gmail.com)