Following on from our last post, Sara has produced Issue 2 of her Nature Notes:
York Allotments April Nature Notes – by Sara Robin
It is fantastic that we can visit our allotments and keep growing while the lock down continues. I am based on Scarcroft allotments and here are some nature notes of what I and other people have been seeing on the site. No doubt similar wildlife will be turning up on allotments all over York. It would be great if people’s sightings could be recorded on this Butterfly Conservation website. Even the smallest bug or worm will have a part to play and an interesting life cycle. Now we have a bit more time to stand and stare, check out what lives in your compost bin, amongst the leaf litter or what birds are visiting your plot. I’ll start off with some butterfly updates.
Butterflies on Scarcroft have come out of hibernation, so spring is definitely coming. As the next few days will be chilly so we may not see them but keep a look out when it warms up again. In my garden and on the allotment last week, I have seen lots of Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies and a couple of Brimstones. More information can be found on the Butterfly Conservation website https://butterfly-conservation.org/butterflies
Both the Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies lay their eggs on nettles so if you have some in a sunny position don’t dig them up, just keep an eye open for eggs and caterpillars. The Brimstone’s food plant is Alder Buckthorn which I have on my allotment and I did once have their green caterpillars on it so fingers crossed for this year.
Another fairly early butterfly I haven’t seen yet is the Orange Tip, the name is a bit of a clue and the males have lovely orange ends to their wings. One of their food plants is Jack by the Hedge or Garlic Mustard which is found along our paths and on some allotments.
COVID-19
Updated July 2021
The Lockdown in England has lifted but we still need to take care and think about those that are clinically vulnerable to the disease.
Covid -19 – The virus that causes COVID 19 is mainly transmitted through droplets generated when an infected person coughs, sneezes or speaks. Some droplets are too heavy to hang in the air and they quickly fall and contaminate floors and surfaces. Other smaller airborne particles can remain in the air for some time. You can be infected by breathing in the virus if you are within close proximity of a person who has Covid-19.
Click Here to read English Government advice about staying safe and helping to prevent the spread of Covid 19, the advice below is based on the English government advice.
HANDS: FACE: SPACE: FRESH AIR
How can I ensure my family’s and everyone else’s safety at the plot?
Do not attend the plot if you have coronavirus symptoms or a family member is self-isolating, this includes people who need to isolate after returning from holidays abroad.
Continue to sanitise or wash hands regularly, especially before and after touching communal items such as the gate lock. Do not wash your hands in water troughs
I am self-isolating or quarantining and cannot go to the allotment and worried about losing my plot, what should I do?
Please make sure that you inform us if you are unable to visit the site, preferably in writing, so that they can make allowances for your situation.
Tenant Handbook
In order to help new tenants, and to provide an easy reminder for existing tenants, YACIO has produced a new Tenant Handbook to help answer your allotment queries!
Bloom! Flower and Produce Festival
GDPR – Important Information
As you may be aware the law on Data Protection is changing. Since we hold data about all of our tenants we need to be clear with you what data we hold, and for what purpose, and why we think this is legitimate.
We hold data that you supplied to us or to the City of York Council when you applied for a tenancy. This is basic contact information and may include other details such as your age or if you are on benefits. We use this information for the effective administration of the charity and to give us information which forms the basis of the contract (tenancy).
In addition to this we keep records of contacts we have with you; for example if you make an enquiry and we reply we keep a note of that enquiry and what we said in response. This helps us run the charity effectively.
All of this information is held securely on a data base which is ‘GDPR compliant’. This simply means that it is structured in a way that fulfills the requirements of the new laws on data protection. In future we will allow site secretaries to access records only for those tenants who have plots on their sites. If the site secretary cannot access the database we might provide them with basic contact information for tenants on their sites as a printed list. They will keep this information securely.
If you give up your tenancy we will keep some information to help, for example should you reapply for an allotment.
Under no circumstances will we sell on your data to any other organisation.
We are taking advice as to whether there are circumstances under which the Emergency Services or City of York Council (as the Landlord) might oblige us to pass on your contact data.
If you have any concerns about our holding of your data or the use we put it to then do feel free to contact us.