Welcome to the autumn edition of Dorset ... - Dorsetforyou.com

help maintain this important landmark. Maintenance of the figure involves weeding out thistlesand grasses encroaching onto its surface and removing from the hillside Portland limestonescalpings spread over the figure as part of the Challenge Anneka TV programme.Team GB would surely be proud of the back bending, muscle straining effort that the BAEvolunteers and Rangers put into the work. And, as the figure is best viewed from WeymouthBay, the challenge is now on to get the figure ship-shape for the 2012 Olympics.Welcome to the New Apprentice TeamWe have seven Apprentice placements this year, six of which we have filled. Our apprenticeplacements are valuable additions to the teams and support the work of the Rangers on theground. This year’s apprentices are:Charmaine Randall – North DorsetJosh Wood – Coast (East)Mark Lee – Coast (West)Annabel Shipley – Durlston Country ParkRussell Goff – Conservation Ranger TeamKeeping count on the Castleman TrailwayThis autumn, sensors will be installed on the Castleman Trailway to determine both the levelsand type of visitors’ use. The Castleman Trailway will be a trial site for a new acousticinduction loop. This device is able to distinguish between cycle and pedestrian use and, whenused in combination with other sensors, will be able to indicate the levels of cyclist, pedestrianand equestrian use on sections of the Trailway. The information from these sensors canestablish the current use of the route and any changes in the use due to improvements to theTrailway. This will then help support the need for additional resources for the route. Thesesensors have been funded through the South East Dorset Heathland Mitigation InterimPlanning Framework. For more information on this route visit the website on the link below.http://www.dorsetforyou.com/index.jsp?articleid=386532The Milldown gains a Green Flag AwardYou may remember from the Spring 2008 edition of the newsletter that the Milldown, inBlandford, applied for a Green Flag Award. Well we are pleased to tell you that it wassuccessful! The Green Flag Award is a national standard for parks and green spaces inEngland and Wales. It has to be renewed on an annual basis so it keeps us on our toes andmakes sure that the quality of the site is maintained. Congratulations to the North DorsetTeam for gaining the award! For more information on the Milldown visit:http://www.dorsetforyou.com/index.jsp?articleid=386481Cside – the new GIS for Dorset CountrysideLast year, the decision was taken to develop a new Geographical Information System forDorset Countryside. Rights of Way needed to replace CAMS (Countryside AccessManagement System) which was not meeting the needs of the team due to its technical faultsand lack of support, whilst Rangers did not have a single system to manage projects andrecord information. The new system, temporarily named Cside, is being developed by DCC’sin-house GIS team. Cside is browser based, making it accessible to all staff with a PC andbroadband connection.The Rights of Way team has already started to use Cside to record reported problems andwork carried out on rights of way. The GIS team are working closely with the Rights of WayGIS Officer to resolve any errors found and to improve the system in response to userfeedback and requests.Cside will also be adapted for use by Dorset Direct, enabling Customer Services Officers toinput rights of way problems reported by members of the public directly on to the system. Amodified version of the system will also be available to the public so that problems can bereported online. Cside will be developed further after consultation with staff and will then berolled out to the whole of Dorset Countryside. Cside will replace Dorset Countryside’sfragmented approach to recording geographical data and will improve informationmanagement across the service.

If you have any queries about the project please contact Carol McKay, Rights of Way GISOfficer, tel 01305 221219 or email c.a.mckay@dorsetcc.gov.ukMaking us more accessible – TypetalkCarol McKay recently attended a training session on Typetalk. Typetalk is a service for deafpeople which enables them to make a telephone call using a text phone to a hearing personon a standard phone. Dorset Direct staff members have been attending training sessions sothey are able to receive calls from deaf people. However, they may transfer Typetalk callsthrough to us, so we should all know how to receive these calls. If you are recruiting new staff,remember that Typetalk can also be used by deaf employees provided they have a textphone. More training sessions can be provided for staff; if you are interested in this trainingplease contact Carol McKay.New StaffNick Tarrier has recently been appointed as the Assistant Coastal Ranger for West Dorset.Nick has previously worked with us as an apprentice before moving on to work for theNational Trust.Welcome to Ben Wallbridge who has joined us at Durlston as the new Durlston MarineOfficer.Graham Stanley has joined the North Dorset Team as the new Assistant Ranger. Grahampreviously worked for the Herpetological Conservation Trust down in Bournemouth.Think Before You Print!Using email helps reduce the use of paper - if you do print this email out, please try and userecycled paper and when you have finished with it, pass it onto someone else or pop it in therecycling!Future NewsDon’t forget to drop me line with any news you have so that I can put it into the nextnewsletter. Please use the following email addressdorsetcountryside@dorsetcc.gov.ukDistribution ListIf there is anyone in your organisation who you think would be interested in this newsletter,please feel free to forward it to them.If you would like to be added to the distribution list, please email your details and I’ll makesure your name gets added.If you don’t wish to receive further editions, please let me know and I will ensure you aretaken off the distribution list.