This Newsletter is being produced by Nic. The reason is that Carol felt unwell last week (beginning of the month),was sent to the Royal Berks for tests and was immediately taken to the Radcliffe in Oxford where a tumour on her head was removed! She has come through it well and is hopeful of returning home next week. But she has another tumour and the hospital is running various tests to identify the nature of them, so she may need another operation. If anyone wants to cheer her up with a card or such, she is in Osler Ward, Radcliffe Infirmary, Woodstock Road, Oxford OX2 6HE.
Awards, Awards!
The HCCV (Jack) sent in an entry for the Dorothy Morley Conservation Award for 2002. We were placed first in the first award competition held in 2000. Friday the 16th August saw a visit to the Copse and Park by the judges. One of the judges, Margaret Cubley of the CPRE, had been a judge in 2000 so was very familiar with the work of the HCCV and the location itself. Jack Meatcher escorted the judges as arrangements had been made only the previous evening and the visit had to take place around 4pm to suit the judges. Margaret was very impressed with the boardwalk and was interested to know we'd used a BTCV "approved" design. The fact that the Town Council provided the materials and we provided the labour certainly went down well with the judges - they are always looking for co-operation between the local authorities and conservation groups.
A phone call Thursday 22nd August led to us receiving the news that the HCCV was a worthy runner-up and to be awarded a Highly Commended certificate. The winners were:
1st Prize (£500) - The Pang Valley Conservation Volunteers (Ashampstead Common).
2nd Prize (£250) - Friends of Ruscombe Wood
- Evergreen 2000 (Slough)
Members of the HCCV will be invited to the award ceremony which will be held some time in October at Ashampstead. It is proposed that each entering group brings along a small display of their work and projects.
In the standard letter being sent to all entrants for the award the following paragraph was included:
"The 1st Prize Winners from the year 2000, the Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers, also entered this year and we are grateful for their continued support. This group have continued to build on previous successes, and, as such, obviously impressed the judges in this year's competition. However, for the sake of fairness, and at their own generous request, we did not consider the group among the prize winners this year, and will instead award them a specially commended certificate."
The HCCV (Jack) also sent in an entry for the "Masterfoods Awards for the Environment in Berkshire". The judging is to take place on Tuesday September 17th (time not yet confirmed) and several of us will be present to escort the judges round. If anyone else would like to be there then please contact Jack or Nic for the time and meeting point.
We have entered the Golden Oak category which could give us a prize of £250. However, there is also a "Berkshire-wide Premier Award" of £1000. However, there's a lot of new groups and projects in Berkshire and we're up against some very serious competition this time.
Service Tree
A survey of flora and fauna, carried out in the 1980's, noted a Wild Service tree present in the copse. So far, we haven't had a positive identification of this tree. However, Jack has been out hunting and the nearest contender so far is the tree in the middle of the main track, about 30 yards north (heading towards Jubilee Avenue) of the "lip" of the playing area. The bark is a greenish grey colour, quite smooth, and the leaves are suggestive of a Wild Service tree. We will need to check the shape and size of the fruits in the Autumn. However further investigation indicates that the tree is more likely to be either a Norway Maple or a Grey Poplar - based on leaf shape. If anyone is able to have a look, while leaves are still there, and come up with an opinion it would be most helpful. If it is ‘The Tree’ it will certainly put the Copse on the biodiversity map!
Membership
The group has been in existence now for more than three years. During that time we have seen 25-30 people coming on work parties at least once or having some contact with the group. Last year work party numbers were considerably down on earlier years although still quite healthy. It would be helpful, if only to know how many newsletters are required, to know how many people still consider themselves to be members. Membership does not of itself involve participation in work parties, although we obviously like to see as many people as possible being involved in this way as they are our main raisin d’etre, so if you are unable to participate for any reason please don't think that bars you from membership and still contact us if you would like to continue to receive the newsletter. If you no longer consider yourself a member and feel able to let us know why, particularly if it is because of what the group does (or doesn't) do or the way it does it, please also let us know. If we do not hear from you by the middle of Autumn we will assume you no longer consider yourself a member. Please contact Nic Hopkinson (9019392), Jack Meatcher (9790359) or Colin Melhuish (9783848).
School Contact
We still have a few hundred pounds in the kitty from the D.M. award last year and we may get some more from the Masterfood Awards. Either way we need to spend it. One idea is to try and involve local schools by producung a 'nature trail' with labelled trees and such. We will obviously need to talk to the schools in the first place to see if there is any interest and what ideas they migh have and what could be achieved with their and our efforts and our money and any more we could acquire. If you are interested in being involved in planning this and in the contacting of and talking to the schools, please contact Nic (9019392) in the next month or so.
Departure
For those of us who have got to know Sally Oldfield during the last couple of years, it is with regret that we hear she is leaving BBOWT to take up a post with Bristol City Council as their Local Nature Reserve Officer. Having studied at Bristol University and lived in Bristol for several years, she's pleased to be going back to re-establish her involvement with the city.
I know we will all miss Sally's delightful personality and her enthusiastic support of our conservation efforts.
Work Parties
This will probably be the last Newsletter before our first Work Party on Saturday October 12th meeting at 9:30 usual place so please make sure it is in the diary. The following one is November 9th.