All posts by David Pottinger

Sunday Volunteer Task – 9 December 2012

Conservation, Volunteering

Colin Gray writes:

“The task for Sunday 9h December will be dependent on water levels but if there is no heavy rain before Sunday we will be working in the Northern (or Hemelite) Reedbed. There are more alder and sallow saplings around the edges of the reedbed to remove and a lot of cut reed to burn. Again the weather will dictate if a fire is possible.

We need a northerly, westerly or north westerly wind to carry the smoke across the pond. A southerly or south-easterly wind would carry smoke over the railway line which would be a danger to trains and very unpleasant to passengers on Fleet Station. If all the weather signs are in our favour a good fire will give us the opportunity to bake a few potatoes.

So please keep fingers and toes crossed for favourable weather!”

Meeting arrangements:

We meet at the Countryside Workshop, Old Pump House Close (next to 65 Kenilworth Road) at 9.00 a.m. for a 9.15 start. Signposted directions to the site are available if anyone comes late.

Volunteers will need old clothing, waterproof if rain is expected, protective gloves and wellington boots (we have a supply of gloves and boots if you do not own these).

Current volunteers comprise a wide range of ages of both genders. We’re a very friendly bunch and we’re always keen to receive new volunteers, including students on the Duke of Edinburgh and Trident schemes.

Further details are available from:

Task Co-ordinator:
Colin Gray at 01252 616183 or colin@fleetpondsociety.co.uk
or
Task Leader:
David Buckler at 01252 521282 or david.buckler@talktalk.net

Warning – Temporary Unpleasant Odours At The Pond

Conservation

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Colin Gray writes:

“The contractors have started work on the two large temporary islands in Brookly Bay (see pictures above and below). Once built, these islands will be used to store further extracted silt until it dries sufficiently to be removed by barge to Boathouse Corner and then transported to Bramshot Wood for use in a heathland restoration project.

The extensive silt dredging in Brookly Bay will stir up a lot of methane and other unpleasant smelling gases which have been forming in the rotting vegetation that makes up most of the silt in Brookly Bay.  These are harmless but will create unpleasant smells for visitors. The prevailing westerly wind should ensure most of this smell will be carried away across the Pond but an easterly or south-easterly wind could carry these smells over residents in Brookly Gardens, Avondale Road and adjacent roads. Warning notices and leaflets for local residents are being prepared.

The stakeholders in the Fleet Pond Restoration Programme (Hart District Council, Fleet Pond Society, Natural England and the Environment Agency) would like to apologise to local residents for any unpleasantness they suffer over the next month or two while the silt is dredged and left to dry.”

This issue has also been communicated on the Countryside Service Blog.

If you require more information, please email the Countryside Rangers at countryside@hart.gov.uk or phone 01252 623443.

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Photo credits: Colin Gray

Walks With Buggies – Fleet Pond

Walks

I came across an interesting article on the ‘Walks With Buggies‘ site (picture above) that features Fleet Pond Nature Reserve (select the Region Hampshire). The description of the walk is usefully detailed and the walk itself gets a 5 out of 5 rating!

The web site was set up because:

Marie and her family live in the beautiful county of Dorset. Marie founded the idea while walking in the Peak District in May 2007. She became increasingly frustrated with the lack of freely available information on walks suitable for those with access challenges and after some research decided to create www.walkswithbuggies.com

The site has been mentioned in The Sunday Times as well as BBC News.

Here’s a brief extract from the description of the walk round the Pond:

Walk to the end of this car park area and you will come to the road that you drove in on. Turn left and in front of you will see a trail marked with a red, blue and yellow post.

Walk along here on a compact path and you will come to a large lake. In front of you is a viewing area. This is the start and end of this circular walk. You need to make sure you take note of this place or you could miss your turning back to the car park at the end of the walk.

Turn right here and follow the yellow and blue trail, which is a walk around the lake. You will come to some steps on your left that leads up to the station. Walk past these and you will come to a small hump wooden bridge. This has a small lip on and off it.

The article on the pond walk was written in 2007 and there have been numerous improvements to the accessibility of the pond since then, including better bridges.

If you’ve taken a buggy around the pond recently, we’d be interested to hear your views (please leave a comment below).

Picture credit: here (taken from the web site above).

HSBC Volunteers Help Improve Fleet Pond

Conservation, Volunteering

Fleet Pond On A Beautiful Sunday Morning

Mina Bhogaita, Branch Manager of HSBC Camberley, writes:

Debbie Stephens, our Branch Community Champion, had the good idea of organising an HSBC volunteer event at Fleet Pond. She contacted Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society, to progress this and HSBC were welcomed with open arms!

The HSBC Team

So it was that on a cold, frosty but beautifully blue-skied Sunday morning last October, a team of 10 HSBC volunteers took to the Pond to help out with the FPS conservation event for that day. All the HSBC staff very generously took the time out of their busy weekend schedules to join in but greatly enjoyed the event and there were smiles and laughs all round!

A Tree About To Come Down

Cutting Shrub At The Edge Of The Reed Bed

This was the first such community project that the staff at Camberley have been involved in, and even though it was quite hard work, everyone had a really good time and were very satisfied with the final result. I’m very proud of my team and we’re all very glad that we’ve been able to make a positive difference to such a beautiful and natural location.

I’d also like to say a massive thank-you to the people from FPS and to Rachel Jones from Hart Countryside Services for making our volunteering day such a big success.

There’s No Smoke Without Fire! Burning The Shrub (From A Distance)

Click on all photos to enlarge.

Photos: David Pottinger