|
|
|
Recent
work sessions – Hollingbury Rise West
Our
major project during the winter has been to create a hedge along the edge
of Hollingbury Wood where it abuts Hollingbury Rise West. A ‘dead hedge’ or
woven fence was put in place, mostly using materials from our woods, and a
row of young trees and shrubs was planted on either side of it, sheltered
by tree guards. We thank the Woodland Trust for a grant that enabled us to
purchase the trees.
|
|
The
site is quite prominent, and our work has attracted much favourable comment
– and new volunteers as well. The work session in February 2010 included 11
newcomers, and all-time record! We hope that with the area now decidedly
smarter there will be a marked decrease in the amount of litter which has
been disfiguring it in recent years.
|
|
|
|
|
Our
territory is extended
The
boundaries of FHBW woods have not, we think, ever been formally
defined. However, in practice we have taken the road to the Golf
Clubhouse as marking the northern limit of Hollingbury Woods, and we have not
been active beyond the east-west path at the northern end of Burstead
Woods. In both cases there is woodland to the north which forms
a natural extension of our traditional territory. We now have
authority to manage these two further areas, and look forward to developing
suitable plans for them.
|
|
|
|
Bluebells
Some
500 bluebell bulbs were planted in Burstead Wood during Autumn 2009. These
were native bluebells, not the more vigorous ‘Spanish’ type, and have been plantyed well away from our small groups of the latter,
to minimise the chance of cross-fertilisation.
|
|
|
|
Working
with schools
A
great deal of preparation by our publicity officer, Brenda Pollack, and our
Ranger, Dominic Franklin, preceded visits to the woods by children from
Downs Junior School on 1 and 2 October 2009. Classroom sessions had been
held beforehand, involving teachers, teaching assistants, and FHBW members,
so the children had some sense of what to expect and to look for. All
reports have been that the sessions were highly successful, and the
children prepared a marvellous ‘thank you letter’ with individual messages
on ‘leaves’ stuck to a ‘branch’.
This
is an exciting new area of activity for the group and we are keen to make
use of the skills or time of any members who are interested in such
work. If you have, or would like to develop, experience in this area,
please do contact us. Tel 01273 553044 or email pollack.brenda@yahoo.co.uk
|
|
|
|
Big
Draw in partnership with Dupont Art Club
As
part of the national The Big Draw
initiative which is held every October to encourage people to
create and enjoy art, we were joined on 3 October 2010 by members of the Dupont
Art Club who were prepared to sit sketching in the woods despite miserable
weather. Our members were also persuaded to have a go at doing a bit of
sketching, sometimes surprising themselves by what they could achieve. As
one of the objectives of FHBW is to encourage people to use the woods as a
resource, we feel using the natural beauty to inspire works of art is very
appropriate.
|
|
|
|
|
Children
policy
|
|
|
It has
been delightful in recent months to welcome more parents with children to
work sessions. This has required some rethinking of work programmes,
tool provision, and refreshments, and we may sometimes have been a bit slow
in making sure that younger helpers were properly and adequately
welcomed. However, we hope that by now we have adjusted as
necessary. Please let any committee member know if you have
suggestions which would further improve our workdays so far as children are
concerned.
|
|
Whatever
initiatives the committee takes with regard to children it has to remain
the responsibility of the accompanying parent or other adult to ensure that
children are safe at all times, in respect both of their own activities and
keeping a prudent distance from the activities of others. Looking
after their children may well limit the contribution of the parent to a
workday, but the committee cannot, and does not, accept responsibility for
the welfare of children during work sessions.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
