Diary Reports - 2006
15 January 2006
It was a mild, dry day, cloudy with a light wind. Julian & Lindsey led the workparty. We cleared a lot of brambles on the top of the Mount, opening up a large area behind the old grass bales. Peter, Alf and Julian cut down a large branch overhanging and obstructing the Tilmore Brook Path. A dead hedge was constructed to take the timber and brambles.
18 February 2006
Cold, but dry. Peter led the workparty. We cleared a diversion on the Tilmore Brook Path, preparatory to laying gravel in the summer. We cut back an area of brambles at the top of the path leading from the Tilmore Brook into the Western Meadow, enabling walkers to avoid the mud. We checked for frog spawn - none in the scrapes, but the pond was churning with sexual activity! Masses of frog spawn being produced.
18/19 March 2006
It was unbelievably cold with a bitter east wind blowing straight at us. Sunday the sun came out, but the wind didn’t drop. Underfoot deep mud. We built a pond-dipping platform and boardwalk, which was the largest project we have undertaken. Shaun and Chris (from Hampshire Footpaths Dept) planned, instructed and worked with us on both days. Several volunteers had to be rescued from the mud. On Sunday we had to finish at 6.30pm, by which time it was too dark to continue, so Shaun and Chris came back on the Monday to finish the last few planks on the boardwalk. Volunteers worked incredibly hard - quite awe-inspiring! We also moved bucket-loads of frog spawn from the scrapes and nearby puddles into the pond. There were already masses in the pools around the pond - a bumper year.
12 April 2006
Dry with bright sunshine. This was held mid-week, because the regular date for April fell over Easter. Roger led the workparty. We sanded all the timber on the new boardwalk, and built an earth ramp from the meadow onto the end of the boardwalk to permit access for wheelchairs. A large branch on the edge of the Tilmore Brook path was sawn and stacked into a habitat pile.
21 May 2006
Although it rained steadily all morning, we voted unanimously to attempt the planned tasks. Julian & Lindsey led the workparty. We were unable to construct the seat (using timber cut by Jonathan West), because persons unknown had stolen the oak seat plank. Peter fixed a commemorative plaque to the rail of the pond-dipping platform. We had another attempt at making the approaches to the stone bridge more able to support the mowing and baling tractors. Last year, the tractor drivers said the willow on the dry meadow side was in the way, so we cut it down. We stacked the logs and brush underneath another very large willow close by.
17 June 2006
An extremely hot day. Jill led the workparty. 10 tonnes of gravel was laid on the path from the pumping station alongside the Tilmore Brook. Ben Spraggon gave a lot of help with his mini-digger, and Peter Spears from Hampshire Paths Partnership brought the necessary machinery and worked alongside volunteers. VERY hard work in the heat.
22 June 2006 - CHAMPAGNE PARTY
We held a champagne party on the dipping platform for members to celebrate the official opening of the boardwalk. Very successful and thoroughly enjoyed by all.
16 July 2006
Another sunny, very hot day. Peter led the workparty. We pulled a lot of Himalayan Balsam in the Central Meadow. We also cut back invasive brambles along the river bank. New notices were pinned on all three noticeboards.
19 August 2006
A warm, not particularly sunny morning. Julian & Lindsey led the workparty. We pulled lots of Himalayan Balsam from between the bramble patches on the top of the Mount. A lot of the balsam was taller than we were - it’s a shame it’s not a cash crop!
16 September 2006
A warm, overcast day. Pat led the workparty. We cleared logs placed by persons unknown on the path from the playing fields down to the stone bridge, which were highly dangerous. These were dug into the soil near the stone bridge to provide an alternative route in winter when the mud returns. We cleared path edges either side of the wooden footbridge and levelled the path, preparatory to laying gravel next month. We trimmed oaks, removed willow saplings from the meadow opposite the otter reserve, and pulled yet more balsam on the Mount. Anne was stung by a wasp - our first casualty. We will now add anti-histimine cream to our first aid box.
21 October 2006
Unfortunately the pathwork had to be cancelled - too much rain and the site was too wet to cope with wheelbarrows loaded with gravel. Peter led the workparty. We trimmed trees along the path in the Western Meadow, and cut the binding from the bales left on the Mount after mowing last month. We dug a load of shingle from the Tilmore Brook and filled the mud patch at the end of the diversion path. Used another barrow-load of shingle to fill the mud patch where the path joins the Western Meadow. We will watch to see if this experiment was worthwhile.
19 November 2006
Sun shining, but very wet underfoot after torrential week during the week. Jill led the workparty. It had been planned to burn off the garden refuse thrown over the Pulens Crescent fences, but there were insufficient volunteers to clear the refuse and take care of the bonfire. We trimmed back a lot of vegetation along the Tilmore Brook Path. We also surveyed the erosion in the brook, and estimated that we need to reinforce about 15metres of the bank - this would need about 25 large stakes and branches to weave. It was thought the branches could be found in the woodland. Jill delivered notices to houses in Pulens Crescent asking them not to dump garden refuse.
16 December 2006
Dry, sunny with a blue sky. Julian & Lindsey led the workparty. Using a manure drag (crome), we removed some of the smaller branches which had fallen into the pond. We then sampled the wildlife in the pond with a dipping net, investigating the catch in some shallow white plastic trays. We identified Lesser and Greater Water Boatmen, Mayfly larvae, Water lice and Water Fleas (Daphnia). The only pond weed identified was one of the Duckweed species.
