May 2013

		01	Retrofitting – Realising the Advantages Thursday 2nd May CITB–Construction Skills NI, Nutts Corner Training Centre, 17 Dundrod Road, Crumlin, BT29 4SR Cost: £85 plus VAT (£75 for CIH members) NI Climate Change Bill Pre–consultation Discussion Thursday 2nd May Skainos, Newtownards Road, Belfast Free 02	Crisis and the Northern Ireland Heritage Revolution of the 1960s Friday 3rd May Monuments and Buildings Record, Waterman House, 5 – 33 Hill Street, Belfast Free Celebrate Nature Friday 3rd May An Tath Dubh Hall, Moneyneena Free 03	Rare Breeds Poultry Fair Saturday 4th May Florence Court Fermanagh Normal Admission, Members Free Bluebell Walk Saturday 4th May Downhill Demesne and Hezlett House Normal Admission, Members Free Antiques and Art Fair Saturday 4th May Mount Stewart Normal Admission, Members Free Dawn Chorus Morning and Bird ID Saturday 4th May Murlough Nature Reserve Keel Point, Dundrum, BT33 0NQ Free 04	Himalayan Balsam Control near Drum Bridge Sunday 5th May Lagan Valley Regional Park near Drum Bridge Free Vintage Fete Sunday 5th May Springhill, Moneymore Normal Admission, Members Free 05
Cot Trips Monday 6th May Crom, Fermanagh Adult £3, Child £2, Member Adult £3, Child £2, Spring Garden Walk Monday 6th May Mount Stewart Adult £10, Child £5, Member Adult £10, Child £5 06	07	Leaf–Beetles Wednesday 8th May Crom, Fermanagh £10 08	A Sense of Place: Sense in Place Names Thursday 9th May Naíscoil Charn Tóchair, Tír Chiana, Machaire Rátha Free 09	Evening Walk at Helen’s Bay Friday 10th May 7pm Free Fifth Annual Maguire History Weekend Friday 10th May Enniskillen Castle Museums £100 (£80 for Friends of Fermanagh County Museum) Series of Natural History Courses Friday 10th May Field Studies Council Derrygonnelly TBC 10	Minnowburn Dander Saturday 11th May Minnowburn No Charge. Donations Welcome Four Seasons Walks – Spring is in the Air Saturday 11th May Murlough NNR Normal Admission, Members Free Dog Agility Saturday 11th May Castle Ward Normal Admission, Members Free 11	Apple Fest Sunday 12th May Ardress House, Ardress Road, Portadown Normal Admission, Members Free 12
13	14	KPMG Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Event Wednesday 15th May Queen’s University Management School, Riddel Hall, Stranmillis Road, Belfast Free Information Day at Mourne Grange Wednesday 15th May Mourne Grange, 169 Newry Road Kilkeel Co Down BT34 4EX Free 15	Teachers Information Afternoon Thursday 16th May Speedwell Trust, Parkanaur Free 16	Candlelit Tour Friday 17th May Castle Coole Adult £15 All Ireland Bird Conference Friday 17th May La Mon Hotel £55/€65 RSPB members £65/€80 adult non–members £25/€30 RSPB Wildlife Explorers members £30/€35 child non–members 17	Wild About Nature – Dawn Chorus Saturday 18th May Castle Ward No Charge. Donations Welcome Belfast Walking Festival / NWMRT Saturday 18th May Divis and the Black Mountain N/A Spring Dunes Saturday 18th May Portstewart Strand Adult £2, Child £1 Down Heritage Network Conference Saturday 18th May Down County Museum Free 18	Plant Propagation Sunday 19th May Wildflower Nursery at Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Belfast Free Country Fair Sunday 19th May The Argory, Moy Normal Admission, Members Free 19
20	21	22	International Development Awards 2013 Thursday 23rd May Parliament Buildings, Stormont Free Learning Outdoors: Enriching the Curriculum and Inspiring Children Thursday 23rd May Conference Hall, Main Building, Stranmillis University College Free National Identity – Making ‘Census’ of a new Northern Ireland Thursday 23rd May White River Hotel, 20–22 Main Street, Toomebridge, BT41 3TQ Free 23	BioBlitz 2013 Friday 24th May Colebrooke Estate, Co. Fermanagh TBC 24	Basement Gallery Art Exhibition Saturday 25th May Castle Coole Normal Admission, Members Free Art in the Garden Saturday 25th May Mount Stewart Normal Admission, Members Free Presentation on oil and gas extraction, fracking and the Lock the Gates Movement with Dr Mariann Lloyd–Smith Saturday 25th May The Long Gallery, Parliament Buildings, Belfast Free 25	Country Fair Sunday 26th May Florence Court, Fermanagh Normal Admission, Members Free Jazz in the Gardens Sunday 26th May Mount Stewart Normal Admission, Members Free 26
Cot Trips Monday 27th May Crom, Fermanagh Adult £4, Child £2 27	28	29	30	31

Weather Baffles Butterflies 21 May 2012

Spring weather baffles butterflies

The spring weather has baffled Britain’s butterflies, with some emerging unusually early due to the warm March and others hit by the April deluge, conservationists said.

Some spring species emerged several weeks early in March, but the wettest April on record and the continuing rain this month has delayed the appearance of many butterflies.

Wildlife charity Butterfly Conservation is warning that if the wet conditions continue it could affect the breeding success of some species later in the year.

Cold, wet weather makes butterflies less active, reducing feeding and mating.

Among those to put in an early appearance were the small blue butterfly, which was seen on March 30 on the Isle of Wight, one of the earliest dates recorded for the species and several weeks ahead of its usual emergence between mid–April and early May.

The wood white, which usually emerges in late April or May, was seen on April 10 in Surrey while the threatened pearl–bordered fritillary was also recorded earlier than usual, Butterfly Conservation said.

But as the wet weather took hold, butterflies started to be spotted later than normal, with the common blue and brown argus appearing in early May rather than being seen in mid–April, which they would be in warm years.

Marsh fritillaries and Adonis blues both emerged in the final week of April in 2011 but were not seen until the second week of May this year.

Richard Fox, Butterfly Conservation surveys manager, said: “Overall, butterflies have experienced an unusual spring so far – the mild winter and very warm March led to some extremely early emergences, but the cold, wet April delayed the emergence of other species.

“The worry about this April is that the butterflies that did emerge will have poor breeding success due to the bad weather. Unless conditions improve in the next few weeks, their opportunities to breed will be very limited and, therefore, we may see population crashes later in the year or next spring.”

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May 2013

Retrofitting – Realising the Advantages

NI Climate Change Bill Pre–consultation Discussion

Crisis and the Northern Ireland Heritage Revolution of the 1960s

Celebrate Nature

Rare Breeds Poultry Fair

Bluebell Walk

Antiques and Art Fair

Dawn Chorus Morning and Bird ID

Himalayan Balsam Control near Drum Bridge

Vintage Fete

Cot Trips

Spring Garden Walk

Leaf–Beetles

A Sense of Place: Sense in Place Names

Evening Walk at Helen’s Bay

Fifth Annual Maguire History Weekend

Series of Natural History Courses

Minnowburn Dander

Four Seasons Walks – Spring is in the Air

Dog Agility

Apple Fest

KPMG Distinguished Visiting Lecturer Event

Information Day at Mourne Grange

Teachers Information Afternoon

Candlelit Tour

All Ireland Bird Conference

Wild About Nature – Dawn Chorus

Belfast Walking Festival / NWMRT

Spring Dunes

Down Heritage Network Conference

Plant Propagation

Country Fair

International Development Awards 2013

Learning Outdoors: Enriching the Curriculum and Inspiring Children

National Identity – Making ‘Census’ of a new Northern Ireland

BioBlitz 2013

Basement Gallery Art Exhibition

Art in the Garden

Presentation on oil and gas extraction, fracking and the Lock the Gates Movement with Dr Mariann Lloyd–Smith

Country Fair

Jazz in the Gardens

Cot Trips

Weather Baffles Butterflies 21 May 2012

Spring weather baffles butterflies