Latest news with #Frensham
BBC News
12-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Frensham farm aims to create 'pollinator paradise' for insects
A countryside charity has said it wants to create a "pollinator paradise" for bees, butterflies and other insects as part of a project to transform overgrown land at a Surrey Countryside Regeneration Trust (CRT) said it wanted to use Pierrepont Farm, in Frensham, as a site to grow wildflowers and build insect nesting project is aiming to protect pollinators in the local ecosystem, with many species in decline Hackett, volunteer manager for the CRT, said the work would ensure a "continuous supply of nectar and pollen from early spring to late autumn". She added: "While bees are often the first pollinators to come to mind, many other insects are equally vital. "We anticipate welcoming diverse species of bees, hoverflies, butterflies and moths, various wasps, beetles, and other flies to our pollinator paradise." 'Everyone's problem' Roughly a third of insect species are either extinct or in decline, according to the Surrey Wildlife Bumblebee Conservation Trust also said that 2024 was the worst year on record for bumblebees in the UK, with population figures 22.5% lower than the average for said the issue was "everyone's problem" as the insects were "key pollinators of affordable fruit and vegetables for all". Work at Pierrepont Farm would begin in the winter or early spring, involving clearing the overgrown scrubland and replanting wildflower seeds.A CRT spokesperson said the farm, located on sandy and acidic soil, would be able to provide food for adult and caterpillar insects with the right mix of site would also incorporate areas for ground-nesting bees and host plants for butterflies, moths and CRT is aiming to raise £5,000 to support the project.
BBC News
22-06-2025
- General
- BBC News
Painting by late Frensham artist voted third most loved UK rail art
A Surrey artist's depiction of a goods train leaving King's Cross station at night has been voted the public's third favourite UK railway-themed late David Shepherd CBE, who passed away in 2017, created Service by Night in 1955 as artwork for a British Railways for his love of steam engines, Mr Shepherd's painting ranked third in a global Railway 200 poll held to mark two centuries of the modern artist's granddaughter Georgina Lamb said that "nothing made him happier than standing aboard a roaring steam engine". She said: "His deep affection for these machines brought his paintings to life, turning them into vivid tributes to the craftsmanship he spent his life championing."Mr Shepherd, who lived in Frensham and spent some years near East Grinstead in West Sussex, had a second love which cemented his legacy as an artist. It was Mr Shepherd's wildlife art and care for endangered species that led him to create the David Shepherd Wildlife Foundation (DSWF) in Lamb is also the CEO of the foundation which carries on his legacy. She said her grandfather had a "lifelong passion" for both subjects, which he painted "with equal love and skill".The DSWF, based in Shalford, operates across Africa and Asia to end wildlife crime and protect endangered species in their natural habitat.
