Hi all from Emily
Come down to Saltholme this September and you’ll find that birds of prey fever has taken over the centre. We are currently backing the RSPB ‘Bird of Prey Campaign’ which is trying to stop the illegal persecution of such amazing birds as the peregrine and merlin that frequently visit our site. Birds of prey have been legally protected for over fifty years but their persecution continues and the highest number of reported incidents since records began was tragically as recent as 2007. At Saltholme we are joining the RSPB campaign to try and stop this persecution by inviting everyone that comes through our doors to sign a pledge card, marking their concern. Hopefully the volume of these names will show the government that stricter enforcement of the laws protecting these birds is necessary. Come down to the centre today if you would like to add your support and help make a difference, or go to www.rspb.org.uk/birdsofprey where you can sign a pledge online.
Staff at Saltholme have always been proud of the stunning centre in which we work and now we’re celebrating winning lots of different awards for the centre! The centre has
been awarded ‘gold’ in the Green Tourism Business Scheme, the national sustainable tourism certification scheme for the UK. We scored a fantastic 88% and were judged on a wide set of criteria including commitment to sustainability, use of locally–sourced food and waste management. On top of this, we have also been awarded ‘Best Educational Building’ in the Northern Building Excellence Awards from LABC. The Northern region’s architects gave Saltholme a RIBA (Royal Institute of British Architects) Award for architectural excellence and the centre has topped the sustainability category of the region’s Constructing Excellence Awards. So lots to celebrate at the moment! With British Food Fortnight starting 19 September it’s a great reason to come and check out our centre for yourself, if you haven’t visited yet, and a great excuse to call into our café to try some of our locally produced grub. And we have just heard that we have been awarded five stars in the Tees Valley Food Hygiene Awards; that’s full marks.
Finally, over the next few weeks more of this years and next years upcoming events will be added to our online Events page, so keep an eye on it to find out the latest. Highlights include a theatrical event called ‘What the Raven’s Know’, a repeat of our very popular Valentine’s evening meal and a ‘Hogweed’s School of Wildlife Wizardry’ for our younger visitors.
We update the sightings page regularly; please click on ‘Recent Sightings’ to view it. I’ve just heard that the first migrating pink-footed geese have arrived, which is a month earlier than we would normally expect them.