Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers

Newsletter No. 3

Signs of Progress

Although the Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers was formed only last Autumn, already there are signs of the practical benefits to our Copse. Walking up Jubilee Avenue it is possible to see the effects of the coppicing programme and the general scrub clearance.

There have been four work parties so far - one under the guidance of Mike Needham when he worked for the Countryside Service of Wokingham District Council and the others through the Volunteers. The first, in March last year, carried out the initial coppicing at the bottom end of the eastern boundary of the Copse. The opportunity was taken to introduce local residents, many of whom are now HCCV members, to the concepts and techniques of conservation through management. The others, during the Winter, have extended the first area and have started to tackle the problem of laurel and rhododendron.

Our programme of surveys has started with Winter birds. The results were interesting in that some of our regular "stars" such as song thrushes were in short supply. However, there were some solid reasons for conserving our Copse and the adjacent park in the form of bullfinches and a tawny owl.

So, as we go to our first AGM we have some tangible progress in the conservation of the Copse, a lively and enthusiastic core of members, the encouragement of the Town Council (two of whom are active HCCV members), and the support of local environmental groups such as the BTCV. We can only go on to greater things.

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Conservation - Neglect or Management ?

One of the notable things about our first few work parties has been the often heated comments we've received from passing park users. The common factor that has quickly become apparent during these harangues is what seems to be a lack of understanding of the difference between neglect and conservation.

Many seem to believe that conservation is all about leaving the environment to look after itself. For woods and copses to naturally regenerate and to achieve a natural equilibrium. It was good enough in the past so why not now? The difference is essentially one of size and pressure. How often do we see on television some primeval forest looking after itself and thriving? And does the presenter tell us the actual size of the forest he's in? The two answers are "often" and "rarely". The truth is that for forests to achieve that wonderful natural rhythm and balance they need to be at least hundreds of acres in area and preferably hundreds of square miles. On such a scale there can be the essential sequence of life, death and regeneration. The problem in countries the size of Britain is that there are very few areas of wild countryside of that size. Also, we have a population that demands recreational spaces and puts enormous pressures on them through intensive use.

Holt Copse and Joel Park are an example of a small recreational area with a wide range of demands on it, from exercising dogs to children playing to people just walking to the station. The Council cannot afford to just let trees mature, die and fall naturally to the ground, it's not safe with so many people using the area. When a space does open up and seedlings appear, inevitably users will walk through breaking down the emergent growth. The natural cycle of regeneration in these circumstances usually means the spread of tough, dominant species such as bramble, bracken, and laurel. This results in the need to manage the natural resources of the Copse to ensure the control of these dominant species and the nurturing of, often, more desirable but relatively weaker species.

So, in the context of the average urban landscape, to conserve means to manage. In this way, we ensure the maintenance of existing species and, often, allow a wider range to re-establish themselves and flourish. The ultimate aim is bio-diversity.

Bio-diversity Forum

In the last Newsletter we announced the Bio-diversity Forum for the Wokingham District area. Nic Hopkinson was able to attend and sent in this report.

The Forum is a project initiated and organised by Andy Glencross of the Countryside Service of WDC. Its objective is to bring together all the groups in the WDC area who are concerned with (HCCV), or responsible for (WDC and Parish Councils) bio-diversity. Bio-diversity can be loosely defined as the preservation and extension of the full range of habitats and species, both flora and fauna.

The initial meeting was held on the 8th February at Dinton Pastures. The stated aim was "to bring together the groups so that each might benefit from what the others were doing." During the evening, this became, for the short term at least, to updating the Local Biodiversity Plan for the WDC area. These plans are drawn up at various levels, from world to national to county to local. The present local (WDC) plan is very nebulous with only vague aims that are neither monitorable or measurable. It was the intention to revise these aims to be more specific, along the lines of: "to increase heathland habitats by 10 hectares over the next five years".

So, the aims will be revised by:

• Issuing the current plan to all participating groups together with a list of habitats and species that are particularly relevant to the WDC area.

• Members of the groups identifying in which areas they would like to be involved.

• These groups meeting to agree and propose quantifiable objectives for incorporation into the overall plan.

• To take these objectives to the next Forum, planned for next September.

Like most things we'll only get as much out of this idea as we are prepared to put in. Andy Glencross is committed to it and it deserves our support - it is, after all, entirely consistent with the aims of the HCCV. Andy will attend our AGM to give a talk on conservation in a woodland environment. No doubt he will relate it to the Biodiversity Plan.

Don't Forget !! The AGM of the HCCV is on Friday, April 7th, starting at 8.00pm. Location: Emmbrook Village Hall

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