Diary Reports - 2010
11 December 2010
We deepen two scrapes in central meadow using spades and shovels to remove some of the reeds and dogwood. The first half of this job had been done in December the previous year. We had to break through the one inch thick ice on the second scrape! The reeds and soil removed were left round the edge of the scrapes. The dogwood was replanted behind the new hedge at the edge of the playing field, where a tree was removed some years ago.
Celebrated a successful task with mince pies on a cold & grey day!
20 November 2010
A tremendous days work (9.30 – 3.30) resulted in nearly 1000 new hedge plants planted along the Rotherlands & rugby pitches border. A truly impressive achievement and the first time this type of planting has been done on the reserve.
A good mix of seven different hedge species (hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, field maple, dog wood, dog rose & spindle) were planted along with supporting canes and spiral guards from reserves entrance by the rugby club right round to the blue bell wood.
Many thanks to the Tree Council for the grant and to Friends of Petersfield Heath for the loan of their trailer to make this task possible.
16 October 2010
Work continued in the Tilmore Woods taking out Sycamore trees and saplings which are an invasive non-native species which shade out native ground flora and shrubs.
Logs and brash were sorted into piles to create habitat for the winter. One hazel coppice stool was removed with the resultant poles and whips manufactured into a ‘basket’ to discourage browsing of the new shots by deer.
Debris collecting behind a fallen tree in the Tilmore Brook was cleared to allow better water flow and remove the eyesore. Unfortunately the tree was too large a diameter to remove with hand tools and will have to be removed by chainsaw at a later date.
14 October 2010
Thursday saw eight volunteers from the South Downs Volunteer Ranger Service visit Rotherlands to perform some work along the woodland border with the rugby pitches. Brushcutters, scythes and other hand tools were used to prepare the proposed areas for next months hedge planting which will aid the establishment of the new plants. Several scallops were also cut into some areas to create a more varied structure and warmer areas out of the wind for invertebrates and other woodland edge creatures.
21 August 2010
10th Anniversary Special
The ‘Family Activities Day’ was surprising well attended considering the awful August weather. We had nearly 30 visitors who enjoyed making bug houses and the wildlife tower, looking at aquatic creatures dipped from the pond and participated in both the wildlife and colour chart challenges. The bug houses were taken home by the families whilst the wildlife tower will remain on site for use by wildlife and for visitors to see.
Some Himalayan balsam was pulled as part of the wildlife challenge (cunning!) and by some of the volunteers during the quieter moments.
Visits were also made by photographers from both the Post and the Herald (the local press).
17 July 2010
Pulling of Himalayan Balsam in the region of the pond Peter, Roger, Maureen and Liz did sterling work and with some input from Julian and Lindsey one large pile was collected.
After the workparty the leaders partially covered the pile with black plastic and then camorflaged the plastic with some additional himlayan balsam to screen it.
19 June 2010
Another good turnout on a lovely breezy summer’s day.
The start of the Balsam pulling season started on the River Rother banks behind the Western meadow. A large amount of balsam was pulled and piled high ready for coverage with black plastic sheeting for composting and possible home for reptiles and small mammals!
15 May 2010
Another great turnout on a lovely warm spring day. 6 tonne of path gravel were barrowed, laid and wackered covering about 70m of path, alongside Tilmore Brook near the Western Meadow end.
17 April 2010
A beautiful, warm & sunny day. A litter pick around EHDC resulted in 5 bags of rubbish plus a large traffic cone, and plastic garden chair. All ‘tins’ were checked resulting in 2 field voles. Rubbish, debris and large logs were removed from lower stretches of Tilmore Brook including a sleeping slow-worm in debris above the water!
Orange-tip and peacock butterflies were on the wing plus lots of spawn in the central meadow scrapes.
20 March 2010
A great turnout on a very wet and drizzly day. We installed around 20 bug houses along the tree line next to the rugby pitches both on PTC and EHDC land.
A litter pick around the reserve mainly next to rugby pitches resulted in 8 bags of rubbish plus a large car battery!
Brash from the tree cut down near the rugby 1st team pitch was moved back into the tree line.
20 February 2010
Good turn out again for a new activity for the group, making bug houses out of bamboo harvested from the site, drain pipe and recycled wood. Peter Battersby kindly delivered some already prepared boxes and pipes. All in all 23 bug houses were completed ready for installation next month. Tins in EHDC were surveyed but no mammals were spotted, but there is evidence under one, while the other one had been moved as a bridge over the ditch!
23 January 2010
This workparty was originally scheduled for 16th January but had to be postponed due to the exceptional very heavy snowfall. Considering this postponement, the turnout was again amazing.
We place six refugia ‘tins’ and two felts around reserve to encourage small mammals and reptiles noting their position with GPS.
This was followed by finishing off the dead hedge we started last month to block off a dog access route into the Rother behind one of oak trees in the Central meadow. We continued a new dead hedge the other side of this oak for the same purpose.
