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).”

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)!

February (waterlogged)

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

Volunteers taking part in the previous event in January

Following on from the very popular Sunday volunteer event in January, the next one is this coming Sunday, 9 February.

Colin Gray writes:

“Our task on Sunday will be close to the new viewpoint site where we were working at the January task.  This time we will be clearing the old and tatty chestnut paling fence and cutting back vegetation along the fence line in preparation for new stock fencing. Be prepared to work among and around bramble as there is a lot in this area and it can be very unfriendly!”

For further information and booking (which is essential as the tools and resources needed have to be planned beforehand), please contact Hart Countryside Services – details here.

See this post for some surprising and interesting historical information on the viewpoint site (which includes the picture below).

Finally, the weather forecast (at the time of writing) is quite reasonable! The screenshot below is taken from the BBC Weather website.

The Fujitsu team at Fleet Pond

Rachel Jones, Hart Countryside Ranger, writes:

“A group of Fujitsu employees came out for their annual team day to Fleet Pond on Monday 20 January. They helped us clear pine saplings off the heath, an important part of the conservation work there.

Wood Lane heath is a ‘wet heath’ that was designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation because of its heathland vegetation and it’s notable species.

Lowland heathland is classed as a priority habitat under the UK Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP). Fleet Pond Local Nature Reserve/SSSI has small areas of this habitat that has nationally suffered great decline in the last 200 years.

As well as a specific grazing regime, work by volunteers is needed to keep control of the pine tree saplings that threaten to take over the heath from the surrounding woodland.

A beautifully clear start to the day (if a little cold)

The photographs show the start of the morning which was beautiful but cold! Before everyone headed off for lunch, enormous progress was made clearing the majority of the saplings.

Thank you to the team, and their leader Carol Dunford, for all the good work carried out. Most of the volunteers had not been to the area before and travelled from London and Ealing, oh and Kings Road, Fleet!”

Clearing out the scrub, with the pond in the background

David Pottinger writes:

Here are some photos from the very popular volunteer event that took place on Sunday 12 January, over 35 volunteers were present!

As explained in a previous post, Natural England has approved the construction of the new viewing platform on the eastern side of Fleet Pond and the task for Sunday was to clear scrub and saplings from the construction site and any that would interfere with the view over the reeds.

As you can imagine, with such a large team an enormous amount of work can get done in a relatively short period of time (one morning). So these conservation tasks really do make a big impact on the general upkeep of the Pond. The following photos show some typical activities:

The larger items of wood were gathered together to form a habitat for insects

Felling trees, hard hats required!

Hopefully these photos give a good feel for the sort of work carried out in our regular Sunday volunteer sessions. A collection of photos from a wide variety of volunteer events in 2013 can also be found here.

If you would like to join us in our conservation activities, please contact Rachel Jones for further information and booking – contact details here.

Photo credits: the top two and bottom photos are courtesy of Kim Byrne, with the others kindly provided by Rachel Jones and Colin Gray.