For those who can join us on Sunday 13th for our last work day of the year, we will be meeting at 11.00 a.m. at the Burwood Avenue entrance to surface some more of the steps until lunch time.We will then move to the Woodland Way entrance to cut some more firewood.
After all the work and excitement involved in putting on the Foxley Woodland Day in May, notification of and reporting on the mundane workdays has slipped a bit. However, on Wednesday 22nd and Thursday 23rd July, the Friends will be joined by our reguar collaborators Croydon BTCV, who will assist in replacing Nature Trail waymarker posts, meeting at the charcoaling area along the top path from Woodland Way at 11am. On the last Wednesday of the month workday on 29th July, any of this work remaining will be completed together with strimming and more importantly raking to expose the seed bed in The Glade, meeting at Woodland Way at 10 am. On the Sunday workday on 9th August the Friends intend to do any preparatory work necessary [such as cutting back trees etc] in advance of a major work program by our long-time partners DCMP who will be starting work with us on Monday 10th August at 10am resurfacing a further section of the lower path, approximately from the beginning of Foxley Wood proper at the bottom of the field, for about 250 metres towards the big Beech tree glade. This will involve heavy machinery, tons of scalpings and a great deal of raking and rolling [!], and will take up to two weeks to complete. Meeting at the Burwood Avenue entrance, any assistance for this gig will be most appreciated, and could be useful to anyone pursuing related NVQ's or CPD, as part of the remit for DCMP which secured the funding for this from Awards For All was that they also provide training in path construction techniques to volunteers during the work. Finally, the Friends wil as usual be present with our displays, activities for children and the Tree ID quiz at the DCMP Banstead Countryside Show on Sunday 13th September.
Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above
On the Sunday workday on 14th December the Friends plan to continue work in the coppicing area between the Glade and the top path, meeting at Woodland Way at 11am. We hope to consolidate work begun by the volunteers from KPMG, and attempt to sort some of the coppice products for sale. Work to prepare the area intended for the charcoal demonstration next May will also be in progress.
Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above.
On both the midweek workday on Wednesday 29th October meeting at Woodland Way at 11am and also on the visit planned on Friday 14th November of a substantial number of volunteers from a major accounting corporation, organised by Community Service Volunteers, we intend to continue extending the existing hazel coppice area in preparation for infill / replacement planting of hazel next spring. And on Sunday 16th November we will be joined once again by our friends in the Croydon Conservation Volunteers, whom we like to reward with cakes and donuts, some come along if only to join us for tea! Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above
For our Sunday workday on 12th October the Friends plan to complete the coppicing between the Glade and Woodland Way, meeting there at 11am and then continuing if possible with clearing an area a little further along the top path in preparation for a public activity next year. We have an intense program of work lined up for the next year to meet various deadlines so any assistance of any kind, even just being there as moral support, or not being there but providing admin assistance, will be very welcome.
Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above
On Wednesday 27th August the Friends will be completing the construction of extra steps above Burwood Avenue, meeting there at 11am and also working alongside DCMP on the new path.
On Tuesday 26th August the Downlands Countryside Management Project team will be starting 2 weeks work in Sherwood Oaks Field, surfacing the path running down from the pond and the gate in Foxley Road to the steps above Burwood Avenue to make a new safe pathway 2 metres wide. Because it is quite a steep slope in places, this will involve the construction of ''grykes'' to carry away surface water run-off. The team will be using some heavy machinery - a Bob-Cat loader/digger; a dumper to carry the scalpings and a roller and/or wacker plate. The only place that the loader can get large enough access to deliver these is to the Woodland Way entrance, so that is where we will meet at 10 am. There is an additional task to be carried out over the period of moving the spoil heaps from the previous surfacing exercise along the top path along the field. As ever, any assistance would be most welcome, and this task could be a very useful learning experience both for us and anyone else interested in joining us. If so, Please contact Carl Roche, Chris Parker or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above.
On the Sunday 10th August monthly workday, the plan is to meet at 11 am at the Northwood Avenue entrance to carry out strimming in the Glade to leave a sward more amenable for public use in the holidays, especially around the picnic table and benches, and by hard raking of the arisings to also scarify the soil surface to expose some of the existing seed bank and allow fresh seed from the spring and summer flowers to reach the soil for germination. If this job is completed then a patrol along the lower path cutting back any encroaching vegetation will be made and the final section of the scalloped edge to the path running down the boundary between the wood and Sherwood Oaks Field will also be strimmed and cut back. If this also is completed then vegetation next to the steps leading down to the Burwood Avenue entrance will also be cut back. Nothing like being ambitious! Any help or interest is always welcome. If you are thinking of joining us or would just like to comment, complain or compliment - please contact Carl Roche, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above.
On our mid-week workday on 30th July we intend to continue clearing the Rhododendron, though further along the path from the Woodland Way entrance [where we will meet at 11.00], working between the quarry and the gulley, and will include clearing vegetation round the planted junipers. We also intend to clear some household rubbish which has been dumped over a garden fence into the wood along the back gardens of Northwood Avenue - and we will be posting notices advising that this is a criminal offence. If evidence can be found identifying the origin or perpetrator then we will seek prosecution. We are likely to be short-handed with only 2 or 3 Friends able to help on this occasion - unless others care to join us... any energetic young people at a loose end now the school holidays have begun? Come and bash some rhodos! Or if you are of a mature disposition, come and chat about what we're doing and give us some moral support. Any help or interest is always welcome. Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above
On our Sunday 13th July workday we will be joined by the Holiday Fellowship Ramblers who have for years regularly assisted us in maintaining the footpaths and other conservation tasks. On this occasion it is intended that the rhododendrons on either side of the path from Woodland Way [where we will meet at 11am] towards the quarry are to be cut back again to the previous points of pruning from which they have been spreading. These are tenacious plants which will be grubbed up again with mattocks on the southern side of the path [after which they still seem able to come back, hence the continuing task], which takes some considerable effort and energy. As always, any volunteers will be welcome, whether to assist physically or in any other way, even if just moral support. Please contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further information - click 'contacts' above
Our June midweek workday is in fact 2 days - Wednesday 25th and Thursday 26th - as we have the pleasure of the company and assistance of the Local BTCV team to help us install the picnic bench and seats at the top of the field using wood felled after the Health & Safety survey and previously sawn to size and shape by one of the Friends. They will also be helping to renovate steps leading down to the Burwood Avenue entrance.
Appropriate clothing and footwear is recommended and tools are provided, but bring your own refreshments. Volunteers to participate in the conservation of this your Local Nature Reserve will be very welcome. Contributions and activity in the group other than manual work are also valued, so do come along to meet us, and our friends in BTCV. Contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further informantion - click 'contacts' above
Our workdays in May 2008 are Sunday 11th at 10:00am and Wednesday 28th at 10:00am
Sunday 11th May we will be meeting at the Burwood Avenue entrance (please click contacts to view a map). Wednesday 28th May we will be meeting at the Woodland Way entrance.
The tasks planned are: - Move log pile and remove vegetation, strim for bench installation
- Remove vegetation from Burwood steps
- Weeding around Junipers
- Renew dead hedges
- Renovate reptile area
Appropriate clothing and footwear is recommended and tools are provided, but bring your own refreshments. Volunteers to participate in the conservation of this your Local Nature Reserve will be very welcome. Contributions and activity in the group other than manual work are also valued, so do come along to meet us and see spring awakening in Foxley Wood.
Contact Chris Parker, Freda Turtle or Anthony Mills for further informantion - click contacts:
Report on Sunday 13th July workday
We were joined by some friends from the Holiday Fellowship Ramblers who assisted in grubbing out and cutting back some encroaching rhododendron between the Woodland Way entrance and the quarry. One might wonder how rhodo gets to grow on a chalk hillside, when it is known as an acid soil indicator. The quarry is the giveaway. When the Bourne valley [which leads to the watershed of the Godstone Gap in the north downs] was being eroded, gravels were deposited on river benches along the valley sides, and just above Foxley Hall is a quarry [later filled in, up to the 1960's, as a municipal tip]where these gravels were extracted. The area above the quarry is also gravelly, hence allowing the rhodo's to thrive. This is micro-geologically similar to a rare habitat known as chalk heathland, though it does not exhibit the characteristic heathland flora. Only the pestilential rhodo's....
On Monday 14th, three of the Friends of Foxley assisted the leaders of a local Rainbows group in conducting a guided [!] tour of the wood and the Nature Trail.
Report on 2nd Sunday workday 8th June
Only 2 Friends were able to attend this Sunday, but they managed to achieve several tasks:-
1] In the Glade the path to and an area around the picnic table and benches was strimmed and raked and the vegetation trailing over the path along the edge was cut back;
2] Sherwood Oaks Field - the area at the top of the field where the new picnic table and benches are to be installed later this month [with assistance from BTCV] was strimmed and raked, and several of the "scallops" [curving bays along the edge of paths cut to increase the length of woodland edge] on the lower part of the path along the boundary between the field and the wood were strimmed and raked. One more scallop remains to be done;
3] the vegetation around the noticeboard at the Northwood Avenue entrance was cut back so that it could be seen. Anthony Mills
Report on the April mid-week workday:-
On Wednesday 30th April, the Friends met at Woodland Way to complete the coppicing of old hazel stools in the area which has also been interplanted with new stock. The Friends braved lashing rain showers and muddy conditions to cut and clear the last and largest of the old hazels, and also relocated part of a dead hedge to expand an area which we plan to use for demonstration charcoal burning at a later date.
It was a long, wet and tiring day, but they were happy to see the job started months ago now almost completed. All that needs to be done to finish it is to tidy up the stool [which was cut at a comfortable height for handsaws] with a chainsaw. I am glad my colleague will be doing this as 'stumping up' is the job I hate most, it being almost inevitable, however careful one is to clear debris, that the saw will catch on an unseen stone or soil trapped in a crevice, ruin the tooth edges and require substantial filing to re-sharpen them. So have fun with that, Chris!
