Nora will be back seven weeks today.

Imagine that! She was back on Saturday, March 24th last year. Who knows, she may even be earlier this year.

March 24th, 2012. Nora returned and looked in excellent condition

We've started work on the new 360 Observatory. The temporary walkway to the Observatory site is being put down as I write - this will enable us to access the site quickly with materials and workmen, rather than wading through some tough reed beds.

This is where we need your help. You may remember in previous blogs me saying that we will have two volunteer opportunities every day, with perhaps something on a bigger scale as a one-off event like The Big Pull. We will start off as early as Monday next week, with two volunteers required per weekday to start with.

A temporary walkway to the Observatory site

Our new contractor is Thomas Taylor (he also built the Observatory on Cors Caron near Tregaron a few years ago). Tom has agreed that two volunteers can help in the boardwalk phase of the new build each day to compliment his team. The type of work can broadly be spilt into two main categories:

1. Physical work requiring reasonable strength and agility. For example, lifting existing boardwalk, putting it on a trailer and re-laying it nearer the Observatory site.

2. Less demanding physical work such as fence wire cutting, moving tools, transporting light materials in a wheelbarrow. For example - the same type of physical demands that would reasonably be required to do general gardening.

Fancy helping out?

Sadly, the electronic diary software that I wanted to set up on the website has proved too expensive to install, so we will do this the old fashioned way. Dyfi Osprey Project volunteer Carol Swales, who lives practically next door to Cors Dyfi reserve, has kindly agreed to be the main contact and coordinator for the volunteer stage of the boardwalk build (thank you Carol!). Carol has had several meetings with Tom and is right up to speed with where we are at.

I'm away next week, but after that expect things to get back to normal with loads of blogs, updates, and a load of new stuff to tell you about. Exciting times ahead.

Won't be long now….