Neptune and the Seagrass – conservation conversations at Middle Beach, Studland
Middle Beach, Studland 10am-4pm
We will be joining Neptune once again – a beautiful seahorse sculpture created by artist Eilidh Middleton with a day of marine conservation talks and free family fun at Middle Beach, Studland.
Standing proud above Middle Beach during the summer months, Neptune looks over towards the bay, Dorset’s largest seagrass meadow and the Voluntary No Anchor Zone.
Join us for FREE 20 minute marine conservation talks at:
11am, 12noon, 1pm, 2pm and 3pm
With the recent install of our additional eco-moorings, this is an opportunity for all ages to come along and view our display eco-mooring and talk to members of the Studland Bay Marine Partnership to find out how eco-moorings are protecting our precious marine habitats.
Look for the beautiful seahorse sculpture Neptune and the big blue Dorset Coast Forum gazebo and you have found us!
It has been so helpful to have been able to connect with so many of the community in North Swanage at our events in April and I am delighted to say that we are holding the next event in the programme on Wednesday 19th June 7-8.25pm online via Zoom.
Co-hosted by Ross Fitzgerald, Associate Director of Geomorphology at Jacobs, who are working with Dorset Council’s FCERM team on the programme, the aims of the event will be to further:
Introduce the Coastal Transition Accelerator Programme (CTAP) and what it can and can’t deliver.
Summarise options that might attract funding at Swanage North Cliff.
Encourage the community to contribute to ideas for options.
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DCF News
Future Studland – Join the Conversation
DCF project officer Elaine and partners from the National Trust have launched the Future Studland Plan this week. Future Studland will span the peninsula from Shell Bay to Old Harry Rocks, and include the beaches, roads, services and habitats, as well as the village itself in a bid to write a holistic plan for the next 20-50 years. Early stages of engagement have included workshops with key stakeholders and local business tenants. In July there will be two drop ins at the Village Hall in Studland where residents and the public are invited to have their say.
Studland Bay Marine Partnership
The partnership is delighted to announce that installation of all 87 eco-moorings is now complete and are regularly being used by visitors coming to the bay by boat. In May, research and monitoring divers from the University of Southampton recorded and observed seagrass regrowth in the voluntary no anchor zone, a direct result of the benefits of eco-moorings. See the video on the website here
We continue to discuss challenges and opportunities for the programme with the community and with stakeholders. Our next event is online on Wednesday 19th June 7-8.15pm. Ross Fitzgerald Associate Director of Geomorphology at Jacobs will present more detail on coastal erosion, the CTAP programme and options for using the EA funding available as well as collating proposals from the community.
To book your place please contact sara.parker@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk
To support development of the Outline Business Case (OBC), DCF led a stakeholder workshop and a public drop-in event, both of which were well attended. Thank you if you were able to attend one of these events! DCF have collected feedback on what is important to people, and how funding for adapting to coastal change can best benefit the community.
The project team are now working on shortlisting options for the OBC, incorporating feedback from the engagement events. DCF will be holding more engagement events as the project progresses. For more information, to sign up for updates, or to provide further comments on how you think the fund could be used, visit the project page.
We are working with Litter Free Dorset and have launched a new survey to discover how and where you spend your beach days. We want to know all about your top beach spots, favourite activities, and thoughts on litter and water cleanliness.
Your input will help to inform issues such as beach access, facilities and water quality monitoring in the future. So dive into our survey right now!
