Many thanks for the interest you’ve shown in Fleet Pond Blog this year. We’ve been fortunate in having had over 177,000 visits since it started in July 2008!
We’ve lots of ideas for posts for 2018 that we hope you’ll find interesting, so please stay tuned. Also, if you have any requests for topics, we’d be very happy to hear from you…
Until then, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Fleet Pond Ranger, Nick Mafarlane, plus Sunday volunteers (October event)
There will be a volunteer event at Fleet Pond this coming Sunday and all are welcome to attend (see below for registering). To give a flavour, pictures from a previous event can be found here.
On Sunday 10 December we will be doing further work to widen the link between Fugelmere Marsh, Bog Myrtle Glade and Wood Lane Heath. This will allow easier access and flyways for flying insects and bats boosting diversity of food sources. Soil here can be very wet and muddy so wellingtons are recommended or strong waterproof boots.
This is our last task before Christmas so we would welcome festive food contributions to put us all in good (non-alcoholic) spirits! A warm drink as usual will be provided mid-morning.
We meet as usual at the Countryside Workshop, Old Pump House Close, Fleet, GU51 3DN at 9.00 a.m. Please park in Kenilworth Road as parking is very restricted at the workshop.
For further information and booking for this event (which is essential as tools and resources have to be planned beforehand), please contact Hart Countryside Services:
Phone: 01252 623443 Email: countryside@hart.gov.uk
The Sunday volunteer tasks are supervised by a Hart Countryside Ranger together with members of Fleet Pond Society.
From Visit Hampshire:
Fleet Pond is the largest freshwater lake in Hampshire. The nature reserve has 141 acres of varied habitats including heathland, woodland, reedbed and marsh, and is home for many species of birds. This walk takes a full circuit of Fleet Pond and offers excellent views. The path crosses Brookly Stream, one of the two feeder streams into the lake and passed by the oldest section of Fleet Pond’s woodlands which has good specimens of oak and Scots pine. The perfect walk for capturing those autumnal colours on your camera.
Route distance: 2.5 miles
Start point: Fleet Pond Car Park
You can find detailed information on a variety of walks around Fleet Pond here.
If you’re taking your camera, why not consider entering the Fleet Pond Society photographic competition? The theme this year is
‘Beauty and the not so…’
See here for competition details.
There will be a volunteer event at Fleet Pond this coming Sunday and all are welcome to attend (see below for registering).
The task for Sunday will be the clearing of scrub and having a seasonal bonfire on The Dry Heath by the nature reserve car park. We expect to have potatoes to bake as a reward for all the good work!
Warm waterproof boots are recommended but wellingtons should not be necessary.
We meet as usual at the Countryside Workshop, Old Pump House Close, Fleet, GU51 3DN at 9.15 a.m. Please park in Kenilworth Road as parking is very restricted at the workshop.
For further information and booking for this event (which is essential as tools and resources have to be planned beforehand), please contact Hart Countryside Services:
Phone: 01252 623443 Email: countryside@hart.gov.uk
The Sunday volunteer tasks are supervised by a Hart Countryside Ranger together with members of Fleet Pond Society.
Here are some photos of volunteers from the previous event on Sunday 8 October:
The above picture was spotted in the Guardian, under ‘The Week in Wildlife – In Pictures’ (see here). The photo is of a female wasp spider guarding her egg sac and was taken at Fleet Pond nature reserve.