Category Archives: Volunteering

Volunteer Event This Sunday!

Volunteering

Fleet Pond Society organises and runs a series of volunteer conservation activities at the Pond (programme for 2008/09 is here).

The next conservation task is this coming Sunday, October 12.

If you have never been before and fancy trying it, please just turn up (details here) or else give Colin Gray a call on 01252 616183, who will be delighted to provide additional information.

Speaking from personal experience, new volunteers are made very welcome and there is a very nice friendly atmosphere overall. Tools and advice are available – you even get tea/coffee and cakes in the mid-morning break!

Interestingly the volunteers have a very wide range of ages, backgrounds and interests. To give a flavour of this, we will occasionally provide ‘spotlights’ on volunteers to explain their motivations for getting involved and what they get out of it.

Hopefully this will be an additional motivation to readers of the blog to come along and give it a go – it’s a very rewarding way of spending a Sunday morning!

Start of Volunteering 2008/09

Photography, Volunteering

Here is the list of forthcoming volunteering days for Fleet Pond. They are held on the second Sunday of each month and run from September to June. All members of the public are very welcome to attend.

Sunday 14th September 2008- Fugelmere Marsh (clear alder and sallow)

Sunday 12th October 2008- Gelvert Marsh (remove alder)

Sunday 9th November 2008- Coldstream Marsh (removal of sallow/alder)

Sunday 14th December 2008- Gelvert Marsh (or Coldstream Marsh)

Sunday 11th January 2009- Dry Heath (remove birch saplings)

Sunday 8th February 2009- Dry Heath (remove birch saplings)

Sunday 8th March 2009- Gelvert Glade (removal of birches)

Sunday 12th April 2009 – TBA

Sunday 10th May 2009 – TBA

Sunday 14th June 2009 – TBA

All tasks start from the Countryside Workshop, Old Pump House Close (next to 65 Kenilworth Road), Fleet at 9.30 am. All tools are provided. Please wear old clothing and strong waterproof boots or wellingtons. Protective gloves are available and wellingtons can be supplied for young volunteers. A warm drink and a tasty snack is supplied mid-morning (but bring your own supplies if staying much longer than midday).

Tasks usually stop around 1.30 or 2 pm but we can continue after lunch if enough volunteers decide to stay (this is relatively unusual). For further information, please see About section above (which includes a map of locations).

Many people take photos at Fleet Pond and then post them on the web – the picture above is an example.

Volunteers’ Conference (HIOW Wildlife Trust)

Volunteering

The Hampshire and Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust is holding a Volunteers Conference on Friday 12 September in Winchester Guildhall (10.30 – 15.30). The meeting will include a guided walk along the Itchen as well as a talk by Guest Speaker Chris Packham, the well-known TV presenter, photographer and author. Chris is also the Patron of The Fleet Pond Society.

The Water Vole artwork above is by Greg Poole (the Wildlife Trust is currently running a Water Vole Appeal).

CSV Action Earth 2008

Volunteering

Action Earth provided grants of up to £50 (funded by Morrisons) to assist groups in England, Scotland and Wales to carry out environmental projects. The projects ran from 1st March through to 31st July 2008.

There were 22 projects in Hampshire and two, Banking on Safety and Go Mud-Free Meandering, involved Fleet Pond Society.

Here’s a photo of the volunteers in their fetching plastic tabards!

If you fancy participating in such activities, please contact the Chairman, Colin Gray (details in the About section of this blog).