Diary Reports - 2008
20 January 2008
We cleared all the brambles along the fence of the otter reserve from the wooden footbridge to the clump of oak trees.
We removed all the netting from the bales both sides of the path at the top of the bluebell wood, and trimmed all the brambles along the path in the Central Meadow from the wooden footbridge to opposite the pond. We then spent half an hour discussing future workparties and meetings.
17 May 2008
One member spent the morning pulling Himalayan Balsam.
The others cleared nettles around the noticeboards either side of the Rugby Club, trimmed back plants growing over the path and around our two benches, where they found £1.10 which was banked as a donation. They removed low branches from several oak trees to improve access for walkers and for the mower later in the year. They also trimmed vegetation encroaching on the boardwalk and the wooden bridge, and branches were trimmed from trees in the Otter Enclosure
A large branch in the Tilmore Brook which was forming a rubbish trap was cutup and removed, and litter was collected from the Brook.
14 June 2008
11 volunteers attended, together with Justin from Hampshire Paths Partnership who brought tools and mechanical equipment, and Ben with his digger, and Bernie. A District Councillor also joined us for a time and lent a hand with barrowing gravel - he was supposed to be presenting us with a grant cheque, but the EHDC photographer arrived later.
At the start we took photographs of volunteers wearing the Action Earth tabards, in order to claim a £50 grant.
This was a most successful morning. Work was done from the Pumping Station end of the site, and we laid gravel over membrane on the worst of the muddy patches along the Tilmore Brook path, before it turns into the woodland. The excess mud was dug out before laying the membrane.
The gravel had to be barrowed a long way for this work, and everyone worked tremendously hard and with great teamwork. The full load of 8 tonnes was laid before 1.00p.m.
20 July 2008
We had advertised a Family Fun Morning, and 18 visitors came, about 10 of them children.The pond dipping was very popular, and only one family had time to do the 'Hunt the colour challenge'. They all left after about one hour. We ensured they all used antiseptic hand gel before leaving, and gave the children stickers for taking part. We then sampled the pond life from various places in the pond and recorded our findings (see Surveys). The exciting result was the number of immature newts.
15 November 2008
Jamie led the workparty. We thinned brambles in the Central Meadow from the seat next to the wooden footbridge, along the path to opposite the boardwalk. We cut scallops alongside the river, then removed brambles from base of trees in the Central Meadow.
Julian and Roger checked the remaining bird boxes. Only three were still in good condition, although one was poorly secured and Peter took it home to repair. The others had all been chewed by squirrels or damaged by woodpeckers, and No.1 could not be found at all.