Category Archives: Conservation

Sunday 9 March – Fifteen Herons Flying

Conservation, Plants and Animals, Volunteering

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The ever popular baked potatoes being prepared

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… and then enjoyed

Rachel Jones, the Countryside Ranger, writes:

“Another great turn out for the Fleet Pond Society Volunteer March Sunday!

Wow what amazing weather! We were all rewarded with Brimstone and Peacock butterflies, and we counted up to 15 Herons flying over the Islands!

The aim was to clear as much brash as possible from along the footpaths at Fleet Pond. These extra branches and logs were from the recent storms and previous volunteer parties. With the logs, the team made log piles in the woods which will be valuable dead wood for insects.

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Taking a well earned coffee break

The brash was pulled out of the Eastern marsh now thankfully the area is just about dry enough to venture out there! Terry and Nick worked on the view point and it’s looking great! There was lots of interest from passers by.

We have a team out on Fugelemere Marsh burning all the brash, some dragged from the marsh and some from nearby footpaths. We also reduced the huge pile off the dry heath.

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Well, that’s one way to get the job done!

There is still much to clear and tidy but this was a really great effort from all and we are very grateful to all our volunteers.”

Ed. Some excellent pictures of herons at Fleet Pond can be seen on the Fleet Pond Society Group Pool on Flickr – see here.

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Dedication – working on after the main event has ended…

Ed. If you are interested in the butterflies that can be seen at the Pond (as mentioned above), why not take a look at these articles by Peter Martin?

Butterflies At The Pond – 2013

Butterflies Around The Pond – Have You Seen Any?

Photo credits: David Pottinger and Rachel Jones.

Volunteer Event This Sunday – 9 March 2014

Conservation, Volunteering

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Having a well-earned baked potato at the end of the volunteer task in February

IMPORTANT UPDATE:

Rachel Jones, the Countryside Ranger, has added an update to this post (that was published yesterday, where it said that the task would be centred on the Dry Heath):

“As the Dry Heath fire site is still flooded I have set up a fire site on Fugelmere Marsh (by Sandy Bay). There are plenty of branches to clear nearby as well as further away for those that want to stretch their legs and follow the tractor!

There is work needed along the Fugelmere fence line so tasks close by as well as a great fire and spuds 🙂

See you all at the workshop for 9:15 am, we will not have the Dry Heath as our base, but Fugelmere instead.

The area is firm but a bit muddy and it would be best to wear wellies.”

If there are any major changes to the weather, this task may of course need to be modified. If you are in any doubt, please contact Hart Countryside Services (details below).

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Map showing the locations mentioned in this article

Why not come along for some fresh air and exercise, as well as having the nice feeling that you’re doing something really useful for the community?

To get a flavour of these volunteering activities, please read about the previous task here (see also picture above).

For further information and booking (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

BT Volunteers Help Out At The Pond

Conservation, Volunteering

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The BT Volunteer Team plus Rachel Jones (front right)

Rachel Jones, the Countryside Ranger, writes:

“Last Friday British Telecom (BT) came to Fleet Pond to help with the conservation work as part of their giving back to the community via volunteer work.

They worked especially hard clearing a large portion of the encroaching birch saplings off the rear heath land habitat. They enjoyed being out of the office and in the outdoors doing a valuable task!

Also Fleet Pond Society were working at incredible speed erecting the new Eastern Viewpoint platform. We all worked as one large team as some of the BT volunteers got stuck into digging out the new pathway to the view point in preparation for the surfacing that will go on top.

Ranger Rachel was very grateful for all their hard work despite the showers!”

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Hard at work on the pathway leading to the new viewpoint (see also here)

Sunday 9 February – Mending Fences And Hot Potatoes

Conservation, Volunteering

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Enjoying a tasty hot potato at the end of the task

Rachel Jones, the Countryside Ranger, writes:

“Despite a VERY poor stormy forecast we still had a great turnout for the FPS Sunday! A few new people worked really hard and got stuck in as part of the team. We had 3 tasks going on so there was some choice.

The main task was clearing bramble and branches off the old fence line along the North Eastern track (see below). A fair lot of pine saplings were pulled up on the railway heath and more Eastern View point work was done by laying more sleepers.

A great fire burnt up from previously cut scrub, and the pine trees that the Fujitsu volunteer team had cleared were tractor and tailored over by Geoff and Carol with helpers, to pop on the fire.

Michael and David Buckler managed the fire and we all got hot spuds at the end (see above). Many thanks to Mavis Gray as well as to Terry’s portable oven!

A huge thanks to all involved and please remember to book in with me if you want to come on the next meeting (few days before at least, thanks).”

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Busy mending fences

Ed. The area that we worked on in January was completely waterlogged due to the downpours. It’s interesting to compare the before and after pictures (see below)!

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February (waterlogged)

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January (the same area)

The schedule for the coming Sunday volunteer events is:

  • 9th March
  • 13th April
  • 11th May
  • 8th June.

As there is a summer break, the start date for the next season is 14th September 2014.

Why not come along for some fresh air and exercise, as well as having the nice feeling that you’re doing something really useful for the community? 

For further information and booking (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

Improving The Wildlife Diversity At Fleet Pond

Conservation, Plants and Animals

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Plan for the Fish Exclusion Zone (click to enlarge; feature legend on rhs)

Colin Gray, Chairman of Fleet Pond Society, writes:

Fleet Pond Society’s Clearwater Campaign will be providing funds for measures to enhance the wildlife diversity of Fleet Pond.

Two projects are planned:

Project 1: Reed Relocation (Eastern Side)

The new line of islands along the eastern side of the Pond will be planted with reeds taken from one of the main existing reedbeds. Brookly Reedbed has reached a maturity where there is little water within the reeds. A series of channels cut into this reedbed will help invigorate the reeds and bring water into the bed providing new habitat and feeding areas for the wildlife within the reeds.

The reed rhizomes (roots) removed in this way will provide stocks to plant on the eastern islands. This will widen the area of reed on the eastern side and provide reeds that grow in shallow water, ideal habitat to reedbed birds like the Water Rail and, who knows, might eventually attract the return of the Bittern, not recorded at Fleet Pond for many years.

The island closest to Sandy Bay will be planted by volunteers as the dredging pontoons cannot negotiate the shallow water so close to the beach.

Project 2: Creation of a Fish Exclusion Zone (Western Side)

The second project is the creation of an area of open water segregated from the main Pond by a permeable curtain. The curtain will allow free passage of water but will restrict the ability of fish to enter the zone. Fish will be removed from this new zone by the use of netting and electro stunning. The latter method stuns the fish for a short time so they can be carefully netted and relocated in the main Pond.

The objective is to permit the natural regeneration of aquatic plants and invertebrates safe from fish predation to create a reservoir of these vulnerable species to restock the main Pond when the dredging work is completed.

Removing fish will allow zooplankton (tiny creatures like daphnia for example) to thrive. These feed on the algae that is in suspension in the water and which is partly responsible for the very cloudy nature of the water. If the algae are removed in this way it helps to clarify the water allowing light to reach the seeds in the base mud of the pond. A further aid to regeneration of aquatic plant life.