Torteval Jubilee Reserve (November 2012)

Torteval Jubilee Reserve

The Rotary Club has just arranged for the repainting of the stone at the entrance to the Queen Elizabeth, Silver Jubilee Bird Sanctuary behind Torteval Church as part of the Torteval Douzaine's plan to clean up this tranquil and peaceful corner.

The Rotary Club has had a long connection with the Sanctuary.  In 1977, it was the Club's jubilee year project for youth.  At the Presidential hand-over lunch that year, when Rotarian Alec Forty took over the chain of office from Past-President Steve Matthews, a Mr Herbert Axell, former warden at Minsmere Reserve in Norfolk and land usage officer for the RSPB, spoke about the project. 

He said that the land, if managed very slowly, could be improved to provide a teaching facility, complete with bird hide where school children and their teachers could observe birds in a natural environment.

It was managed, but very, very slowly until late last year when the Torteval Douzaine decided to make it a Diamond Jubilee project for the parish and invited the Rotary Club to help out once again. 

With assistance from the probation service, the site has been cleared, the gates were made by 2 local students from the College of Further Education and the site will be officially opened as the "Torteval Jubilee Reserve" on the 60^th anniversary of the Queen's coronation early next June.

Simon Wood

November 2012