A local attraction: Brownsea Island Nature Reserve

After a break for the winter, the beautiful Brownsea Island Nature Reserve opens at weekends from 19th February to 27th March, from 2 – 4pm.

From the 2nd April the island will then be open daily, with regular boat services from Sandbanks and Poole Quay.

Brownsea Island is owned by the National Trust and is the largest of eight islands in Poole Harbour, Dorset. The Nature Reserve is located in the northern part of the island and is managed by Dorset Wildlife Trust.

The Reserve has hosted the BBC’s Autumn Watch programme and is a truly wonderful place to see wildlife in Dorset. It has a variety of unspoilt and peaceful landscapes, ranging from lakes and woodland, to lagoons, cliffs and beaches. It’s a very important habitat for birds, especially large flocks of visiting wildfowl over the winter, and is one of the few places in southern England where it’s possible to see a thriving red squirrel population.

In 1907 Brownsea Island hosted the first Scout camp, led by Lord Baden-Powell. Today the campsite and hostel provide activities such as orienteering, archery and sailing to youth and educational groups.

For more information on opening times and details of boat services to the island, see the Brownsea Island Nature Reserve website.

If you’re planning a trip to Dorset, we offer a choice of wonderful eco-friendly bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation, in an outstanding location, with spectacular views over the Jurassic Coast. Please contact us for more details, or to book accommodation.

50th anniversary of Dorset Wildlife Trust

2011 marks the 50th anniversary of the Dorset Wildlife Trust.

From small beginnings in 1961, the trust has grown into the largest nature conservation body in the county; managing 42 nature reserves, covering 1300 hectares of the most important wildlife havens. They have 25,000 members and an army of active volunteers who help with tasks such as path creation and clearance, scrub clearance and hedge laying; as well as recording & monitoring wildlife on nature the reserves.

Here are some interesting facts about wildlife in Dorset, from Dorset Wildlife Trust:

• Dorset has the greatest biodiversity, for its size, of any county in Britain


• Dorset has a 10km square containing more plant species than any other in Great Britain


• Otters are now found on all Dorset’s river catchments


• Dorset is the only site for Britain’s rarest spider, the ladybird spider


• Dorset has all 6 species of British reptile as well as some alien invaders!


• The first breeding little egrets in Britain nested on Brownsea Island


• Dorset’s seagrass meadows are the only site in the country where both British species of seahorse are known to breed.


• Dorset is the only place in the UK where the anemone shrimp has been found

They encourage participants to register and obtain sponsorship, and there are prizes! All those that visit 21 or the full 42 reserves will receive a certificate and commemorative badge, and there will be special prizes for the fastest, largest group, highest fundraisers, the youngest participant and ‘anything else that captures our attention’.

At the end of this milestone year they will be holding a Golden Jubilee Concert at the Lighthouse, Poole, on Saturday 3rd December 2011. This promises to be a fantastic evening with internationally renowned conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner, and the acclaimed Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra.

You can keep up to date with Dorset Wildlife Trust on Twitter @DorsetWildlife and Facebook dorsetwildlifetrust.

In keeping with Dorset Wildlife Trust’s conservation work and wildlife protection, we support and promote sustainable tourism and offer sustainable holiday accommodation in Dorset. Please contact us to book your eco-friendly holiday.

Rainy day activities for half-term

Whatever the weather, Dorset is a fantastic place to spend half term with your children but just in case you need some inspiration for rainy day activities; here’s a small selection of what’s available for half term.

Bridport Arts Centre has a half-term workshop in Film-making on Monday 21st February, 10.30am - 3pm. 7 – 11 years olds can enjoy a day making animation film with film-maker Martha Moopette.

Haynes International Motor Museum Yeovil, in Somerset, is expecting an Alien Invasion on the 25th February – “get up close and personal with some of the most famous sci-fi characters and props from the small and big screen, but remember not to let them out when you leave!” The museum also has one of the UK’s largest speedway collections, an outdoor military vehicle collection, display halls with over 400 cars and bikes dating from 1886 to the present day plus interactive displays; as well as a themed adventure playground, activity room, soft play fun bus and activity packs.

The Tank Museum, Bovington, Dorset, is having a special 1940s Experience for half term. Children can take part in fun family activities and learn all about life on the Home Front during World War Two, including rationing and evacuation. There’s even a special wartime menu in the restaurant so your children can be introduced to delicacies such as Spam.

The Fleet Air Arm Museum at RNAS Yeovilton, Somerset, has Pirate Half Term from 21st to 25th February. This sounds like great fun. Children are encouraged to go along in fancy dress if they want to, and will be able to make a cutlass, telescope and eye patch, learn how to speak Pirate, hear Capin' Blackbeard explain the naval origins of many common day sayings and how to live as a Pirate on board ship, and track down the location of the Museum treasure with a secret Pirate Map!

If your children are fascinated by fossils and would like to know more, Lyme Regis Museum’s fossil experts are giving a Know Your Fossils talk on the 20th February at 2.30pm. It’s all about how fossils lived, and how to find identify and handle them.

23rd February is Family Fun Day at Lyme Regis Museum, Bridge Street, Lyme Regis, from 11am to 3pm. You and your children can drop in any time and get creative making fossilised creatures with museum curator Mary Godwin.

For a child friendly and eco-friendly holiday in the UK over half term, please see our website for more information about our bed and breakfast and self-catering accommodation. And don’t forget we’re offering three nights for the price of two during February and March (Monday to Friday only).

What’s on in Dorset: February

Spring isn’t officially with us until the 20th March, but we know it’s on the way because, despite the unusually cold winter, the crocuses and daffodil buds are beginning to show their heads in the garden. We hope you’ve had a good January, and a good start to the new year.

There’s plenty to do in Dorset in February and here’s a small selection of some of the many activities and events available.

Shipwrecks Of Lyme Bay – on the 9th February, at Lyme Regis Museum, diver Nigel Clarke talks about the 200 shipwrecks in Lyme Bay. These wrecks range from war ships to cargo vessels and each has its own unique story to tell.

The much acclaimed film The Kings Speech is showing at The Electric Palace in Bridport, from the 11th to 17th February.

On the 13th of February is the Valentine’s Fayre in the Victorian Hall at Dorset County Museum. This will be “an event celebrating old fashioned romance, sentimental music, dancing, gorgeous vintage teas and heaps of ideas and quality gifts including many from local designers - great vintage day out just in time for Valentine’s Day.”

Maritime Lyme celebrates the maritime life, culture and heritage of Lyme Regis and one of their talks at Lyme Regis Museum is that of Imogen Thomas who talks about a shipwreck believed to have inspired Shakespeare's The Tempest, and about 'Lyme's Greatest Sailor - Admiral Sir George Somers' the 17th century naval hero, founder of the colony of Bermuda. Wednesday 16th February 2.30pm.

The current exhibition at Dorset County Museum is Georgian Faces: Portrait of a County – “A major exhibition of portraits showing the people who lived in and influenced Dorset during the eighteenth-century. Most of the important portrait artists of the eighteenth century, including Sir Joshua Reynolds, George Romney, Thomas Gainsborough and Allan Ramsay are represented. Three of the painters featured in the exhibition, Sir James Thornhill, Giles Hussey and Thomas Beach were all born in Dorset.” This exhibition runs from 15th January to 30th April.

Saturday 19th February, 8pm, at Bridport Arts Centre - a musical performance from the quirky 3 Daft Monkeys. “3 Daft Monkeys weave world music influences around classic folk melodies. With a line-up consisting of Fiddle, 12 String Guitar, and Bass; the band create a stunning blend of upbeat, danceable music, which, despite all its world influences, remains undeniably British”.

Throughout February and March we’re offering three nights’ accommodation for the price of two so there’s no better time for a short break. To book accommodation in Dorset, please contact us. We look forward to seeing you.

Oh, and if you’re planning a romantic break for Valentine’s Day, here’s the West Dorset District Council's top five places to propose J And of course our cosy luxurious self-catering apartments are also just perfect for your romantic gettaway.