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Events 2012 |
Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest | ||
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Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest tel: 01580 879820 Area: Kent |
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| Main Gardens-Guide page for Bedgebury here |
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Events 2012 - Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest web www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury |
Regular events & activities Cycle Coaching - all year Health Walks - every Friday morning Green Gym - every Friday morning Archery - from April to October Go Ape - from March to November Forest Drums - May to September (first Friday of the month) |
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Audio trail Winter trail Regular events & activities |
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Blondie announces Bedgebury date for 2013 Blondie emerged from New York’s celebrated new wave scene producing innovative music with their rock/disco, reggae and hip-hop influenced songs. Fronted by pop icon Deborah Harry, their ground-breaking material brought them a stash of hit singles such as ‘Denis’, ‘(I’m Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear’, ‘Picture This’, ‘Dreaming’, ‘Union City Blue’ and ‘Rapture’. Few acts can match their 20 year span of No 1’s from ‘Heart Of Glass’, ‘Sunday Girl’, ‘Atomic’, ‘Call Me’, ‘The Tide Is High’ to ‘Maria’. Their singles success complemented by 40 million+ album sales that include classic recordings like ‘Plastic Letters’, ‘Parallel Lines’ and ‘Eat to The Beat’ has ensured worldwide superstar status for this pioneering band. Special guest each evening will be The Lightning Seeds performing an acoustic set of their perfect pop songs like ‘Pure’, ‘Lucky You’ and ‘Change’. Forest Live is an independent programme organised by the Forestry Commission bringing music to new audiences without commercial branding or sponsorship. Income generated from ticket sales is spent on improving the local forests for both people and wildlife. With everything required for a great night out, including full catering and bar facilities, the gigs are renowned for their relaxed atmosphere. Blondie with special guests The Lightning Seeds will be performing: Friday 14June - Sherwood Pines, Nr Edwinstowe, Notts. Tickets £36.00 (subject to booking fee) go on sale at 9.00am Friday 7th December from the Forestry Commission box office tel 03000 680400 or buy online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music
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Blondie at Bedgebury |
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The Electric Forest |
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The Art and Science of Autumn But why do leaves change colour? What makes a maple leaf turn fiery red, a beech become golden or an ironwood transform through a rainbow of colours to deep plum purple? Chris Reynolds, Curator of Bedgebury Pinetum, explains the science behind changing leaf colour: "Different chemicals in leaves control the colours we see. During summer the leaves are packed with green chlorophyll, which harnesses energy from sunlight to combine water and CO2 to create sugars (plant food). "However, once the tree shuts down as it prepares for winter, the chlorophyll breaks down and other coloured chemicals take over. Carotenoids (which give carrots their colour), anthocyanins and tannins give the instantly recognisable colours of autumn, making leaves appear yellow, red and gold. “Because of the less than glorious summer we have experienced this year, we expect to see prolonged autumn colour well into November due to the mild, damp weather conditions and no shortage of water.” This year everyone can follow how quickly our woodlands are changing colour and help us keep this up to date. Using the Forestry Commission’s interactive online autumn colour map it’s easy to find the best colour near you, as each wood is rated from green to golden. www.forestry.gov.uk/autumn 1. Autumn provides a real opportunity for photographers, as the trees in brightly coloured autumnal leaf provide the most vivid of images. A great time to start a new hobby! 2. Use photography to gain insight into different types of woodlands - from native to conifer plantations. Great fun and a great way to learn. 3. In more formal gardens such as Bedgebury Pinetum, think about how deliberately the landscape has been designed. Photography can reveal an intentional pace and a story to the planting. 4. Look out for contrasts in colours and textures which provide many a striking image - the deep red of a Japanese maple with a backdrop of dense, dark yew or laurel, or ferns nestling against tree bark. 5. Seek out intricacy and aim to come away with a wide variety of images, from close-ups of maple leaves, to dramatic landscapes of golden oaks and beeches. Why not share your autumn photos by posting them on the Forestry Commission Woods and Forests Facebook page, or the Forestry Commission’s Flickr group? You can find your local Forestry Commission woodland this autumn by visiting www.forestry.gov.uk/autumn |
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Forest Days Out Offer Value for Money for Families In response, the Forestry Commission is encouraging families to get out and about exploring their local forest – a perfect, value for money day out. The Public Forest Estate in England already hosts over 40 million visits every year and offers excellent value for money. It has 177 walking trails, 106 cycling centres, 28 visitor centres, 24 campsites, 16 art installations, 73 equestrian facilities and 15 forest drives! Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest, in the High Weald of Kent, is a perfect example. As well as the world's best conifer collection, it has wonderful picnic sites, outdoor play areas, cycle tracks and miles of beautiful walks - all for just £8.50 per car-load! People can find out where their nearest forest is by visiting www.forestry.gov.uk/england or by downloading our free ForestXplorer app www.forestry.gov.uk/mobileapp For regular visitors, Bedgebury offers a Discovery Pass which includes free parking for a whole year as well as a range of other benefits – visit www.forestry.gov/pass for details. Forests are also great places to visit whatever the weather. Even if the great British summer lets us down forests are still fun places to be. A canopy of trees provides the ideal shelter from the rain and sometimes exploring on foot or two wheels is even more fun when it’s muddy! Pam Warhurst, Forestry Commission Chair, says; “All over the country there are Forestry Commission woodlands open every day where families can be out and active at very little cost. The recent report by the Independent Panel on Forestry highlighted the value that forests can add to people’s lives and our aim at Forestry Commission England is to get as many people as possible in to our forests having fun whatever the weather and regardless of what is in their wallets.” |
The Public Forest Estate in England already hosts over 40 million visits every year and offers excellent value for money. |
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Charities support major improvements to Bedgebury nursery Gerald Williams OBE, Chairman of the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum, comments: “The refurbishment of the Bedgebury nursery will provide greatly improved facilities and conditions for producing quality plants for the Pinetum, using seed collected on our expeditions all around the world. The enhanced nursery will also be an invaluable reso urce for the newly-launched Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project.” The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum facilitated the project, with substantial donations from Dulverton Trust, The Garfield Weston Foundation, CHK Charities, The ES Hogg Charitable Trust, The Tory Family Foundation, Felix Dennis, Keith Stewart and Kent County Council. Improvements to the nursery include new sheds, beds and poly tunnels, more effective protection against wildlife and the elements, an improved irrigation system and refurbishment of existing buildings. Chris Reynolds, curator of Bedgebury Pinetum comments: “We have focussed on the most cost-effective use of the funding, with robustness and longevity as the priority. The end result has drawn positive comments from all our visitors to the nursery. I would like to express my thanks to the Friends and the other charities who have generously supported the project.” |
 Dan Luscombe, Bedgebury National Pinetum's Assistant Curator at the refurbished Bedgebury nursery |
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Forestry Commission’s Forest Xplorer app comes to Android Want to stay in the forest a bit longer? Also new for 2012, you can now get back to nature with Camping in the Forest sites or, if you would prefer a bit of luxury, find Forest Holidays cabins on the app too. And don’t forget about the award-winning handy tree identifier! The educational and fun app includes a photo gallery, UK common tree identifier and unique 3D tree illustrations. Users can identify a tree using its bark, seed or leaf within just a few clicks. Pam Warhurst, Forestry Commission Chair, said: “Forest Xplorer is an absolutely fantastic app which can not only help you find out information about your local Forestry Commission Forest Park but also helps you learn more about the trees around you. We have been so pleased with the success of the app and since its launch on iPhone last year, it has been rated as one of the top 500 apps in The Sunday Times!” Spencer Pettit, Camping in the Forest’s Business Development Manager, said: “Our 20 Camping in the Forest Sites are located on Forestry Commission land in idyllic locations across the country and we’re delighted for them to be featured in the Forest Xplorer app. We look forward to continuing to work with the Forestry Commission to help promote and care for our country’s woodlands.” Forest Xplorer features: • Find your nearest forest by current location or by activity • Information on Forestry Commission England Forest Parks * *NEW* Find Forest Holiday sites (luxury cabins in the heart of the forest) * *NEW* Find Camping in the Forest sites (get back to your roots and camp in the woods) * *NEW* event finder. Find hundreds of events across England * Picture Gallery * Directions, facilities and things to do * Downloadable PDF trail maps * UK common tree identifier Forest Xplorer is available on iPhone and Android devices, and can be downloaded from the iTunes store and the Android Market Place. Find out more and download it for free at www.forestry.gov.uk/mobileapp |
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Forestry Commission Live Music is an independent programme bringing music to new audiences without commercial branding or sponsorship. Income generated from ticket sales is spent on improving the local forests for both people and wildlife. With everything required for a great night out, including full catering and bar facilities, the gigs are renowned for their relaxed atmosphere. Commenting on the tour, Will Young said, “The forest gigs have a great reputation for their atmosphere so I’m really looking forward to performing my songs in such unique settings.” Tickets £35.00 (subject to booking fee) go on sale at 9.00am Friday 16th December from the Forestry Commission box office tel 03000 680400 or buy online at www.forestry.gov.uk/music More details - www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury or 01580 879820 Wild Life Games starts off with a mini-beast hunt to find as many types of grasshopper as possible and finishes with some light-hearted environmental games, some against the clock. Adults are welcome to join in! Tuesday 21st and 28th August. 10am – 12 noon Age 5+ years. £6 per child. Booking essential, numbers limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Shelter Building is a collaborative effort to design and build survival dens. Using timber poles and natural materials in a forest setting, this will be truly a hands-on session. Thursday 23rd & 30th August. 10am – 12 noon Age 9+ years. £4 for each participant (children and adults). Booking is essential as numbers will be limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the whole event. |
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The Twits come to Bedgebury Live open-air theatre returns to Bedgebury National Pinetum this summer and tickets are already selling like hot cakes. On Wednesday 29th August, Illyria will be presenting an ingenious staging of much-loved children's classic The Twits by Roald Dahl (adapted by David Wood) in Bedgebury's picturesque Walled Garden. "This is our fourth year of open air theatre." Says Cath Weeks, Bedgebury's Learning & Interpretation Manager. "The Twits is a show that all ages can enjoy and promises to be a highlight of the summer holidays. Everyone can bring rugs or fold-up chairs and settle down to watch a fun show in a peaceful and atmospheric setting." The show starts at 2.30pm and runs for one and a half hours, with a 20 minute interval. Talking of hot cakes, refreshments will be available and picnickers are welcome. There is easy parking close by. Tickets priced at £9 for children and £12 for adults are on sale from April via the Forestry Commission Box Office on 03000 680400. |
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Family fun at Bedgebury this summer Hands on Nature is a touchy-feely day for young children to look at nature’s colour, camouflage and texture in a race against the clock. Tuesday 24th and 31st July, 10am – 12pm, 5+ years, £6 per child. Booking essential, numbers limited. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Family Map Challenge returns again to Bedgebury by popular demand. Pop in and try your hand at map-reading for about an hour and a half - it’s fun and challenging for adults as well as youngsters. Thursday 2nd and 9th August, 10am start, 7-9 year olds, 1pm start for age 10+ years. £2.00 per participant - children and adults. Booking is not necessary for this event, but children must be accompanied by an adult.
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Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest (Kent)
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Forest Xplorer App for Android and iPhone
TASTEFEST Food & Drink Fair Come and enjoy the flavour of Kent & Sussex at Tastefest, the Courier's festival of food & drink in Bedgebury's arena and Walled Garden . Saturday 18th & Sunday 19th August.