Wednesday, 6 February 2013

Polecats and Corks

Two outstanding wildlife films will be shown on Wednesday 20th February starting 7pm and introduced by their creators.

MASKED RAIDERS The Polecat Story.  Created by Geoff and Heather Gartside and narrated by Mike Salisbury. This dramatised film tells the story of how, by the end of World War One, polecats were brought to the very brink of extinction in Britain. What could have caused such a rapid decline and what is happening to the polecat today? The answers are intriguing!

Using dramatised re-constructions and little seen archive material, this film beautifully documents the intense, long running battle between gamekeepers and polecats. It's what almost caused the polecat's demise as a British mammal and their recovery from that dire situation is a story of survival against the odds.

CORK - Forest in a Bottle. Created by Mike Salisbury and narrated by Monty Don.  The Cork Oak forests of Southern Portugal, the Montado, form one of the most significant and beautiful wildlife areas in all of Europe.  Without coming to any harm, Cork Oaks can be stripped of their bark every nine years to be made into the billions of stoppers we use to close our wine bottles. The economic value of traditional cork production has protected this ancient landscape and its rich wildlife until today but more and more use of plastic stoppers and metal screw caps could bring huge changes.

This film follows a season in the remarkable natural history of the Montado and in the life of cork farmer Francisco Garrett who cares passionately about conservation.  He asks whether the future of so much wildlife could rest on the seemingly trivial choices that we might make as consumers of wine.

Wednesday 20th February at Y Caban , Brynrefail, Llanberis.

Two-course meal: £10 and booking is essential. Serving 6pm.
Watching the films: donations on the door (suggested minimum donation £3 for members, £5 for non-members).

Contact Snowdonia Society for more details: 01286 695498 info@snowdonia-society.org.uk

1 comment:

  1. It's good that polecats are making a comeback in the wlld along with pine martins, many were killed by gamekeepers in the 70's where I live in Norfolk
    they used to hand the daed ones on the barbed wire after they were trapped
    and killed, now in certain parts of England the stoat and weasles are becoming rear, many have been shot out or killed by cars, with the introduction of nght sights they have little chance, the rats have increased with the decline of them, they really should be decleared a protected species
    and criminal penalties imposed for people who kill them, the main reason they were killed was because they can kill pheasants bread for shooting and
    other animals when hungry, but we must remember they were there before the introduction of commercial farming and as as a native species of wildlife
    must be protected.

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