Holt Copse Conservation Volunteers

Newsletter No. 5

There's an old saying that "all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy". Last year when we started to get our group organised, I had a feeling that we would only get together at the work parties and there would be no opportunities to enjoy the fruits of our labour. However, I'm sure many of you have, like me, sensed that this will not be the case. This issue of our Newsletter is mostly about our "fun" activities and I see these as important as our work in the Copse in Winter.

Tree Survey

I was very disappointed to miss this but was away on a course at the time. However, six people went to the Copse on June 14th, despite the miserable weather, to carry out our group's first tree survey. Nic Hopkinson sent in this report:

We had a stimulating time, coming to realise that tree identification is rather more than looking up a leaf in a reference book. We used as our base the species list produced in the 1980's. We were unable to trace the Downy Birch, Field Maple or Wild Service Tree but at least the Field Maple is now known to be in a part of the Copse not visited during our survey. Any information on the other two would be most welcome.

We did find four species not on the previous list - hornbeam, horse chestnut, rowan and pedunculate oak. The first three were young trees and could have taken root after the 1980's survey. However, the oak was quite mature and should have been on the old list. It was the identification of oaks that we found most difficult and the pedunculate oak gave particular problems as it was on the old list but not in our reference books. The group felt that another survey, in the Autumn when the fruits, nuts and berries were to be seen, could help to refine the survey results.

The results of the survey will be typed up and put in our surveys file for future reference. Those of you who would like to see the Field Maple, there's a mature specimen just inside the Copse on the right of the main path at the Jubilee Avenue end. There are two trees in the garden to the right of the main path at the Jubilee Avenue end that have leaves similar to the Wild Service Tree. However, one's a London Plane and the other is an ornamental tree having green and orange flowers. I had previously wondered if one of these was the Wild service Tree of the 80's survey but they have now been "eliminated from my enquiries".

Training

I have been in correspondence with Sally Oldfield, the Community Conservation Officer (Berks) for BBOWT (BBONT's new name). Sally has responsibilities for providing various forms of assistance to groups like ours with particular reference to surveys. Attached to this Newsletter is a copy of a letter I recently received from her. I have already indicated that we would support all of the subjects mentioned for Spring, Summer and Autumn training and I will follow this up to see if there would be any cost to the Group. Irrespective of costs I propose that, subject to practicalities and limitations on group size, we invite other local conservation groups, eg., the Ruscombe group, to share the sessions with us.
Please give me feedback and opinions so that I can ensure that we don't waste Sally's time if a subject is not going to receive our support.

Bat Walk

I am going to liase with Tony Vetta and Sally to set things up for one of two possible Saturday evenings - August 19th or 26th. This will mean that dusk is not too late to preclude young people attending and we won't finish long past my bedtime! Interestingly, on July 6th, a neighbour found a Noctule bat on the ground by the "bridge". It had a young bat attached to its underside so we do appear to have a Noctule bat maternity roost in the Copse.
Please let me know whether you will attend the Bat Walk. Numbers are limited but as Tony and Sally will be taking the trouble to bring bat detectors we must ensure we don't let them down. Also, efforts can be made to get sufficient support through other groups if we know the HCCV will be short of attendees. Please advise if you can make both evenings or which evening you prefer if you are only available on one day.

For my money, this promises to be such an interesting evening it will have to be something very serious to keep me away!

Dorothy Morley Conservation Award

In July we had a visit from the two judges. It was on a Monday, during the day, and set up at very short notice so I didn't have time to see if any other member wanted to be there. The judges, Moira Cullen and Margaret Cubley, took some photographs, toured the Copse and asked a number of questions including what we would do with the money if we won. The latter caught me on the hop but I managed to say that we wanted our own tools, some explanatory signs for the general public and would like more training. The results of the competition are to be made known in August.

Resources Library

Nic Hopkinson told me that he is concerned that he often receives magazines, details of events, etc., but we don't have a mechanism for circulating them to other members. This coincided with me receiving a pack of four tree identification wall charts, and a number of identification leaflets for bats, churchyard butterflies, farmland birds, native trees, woodland fungi, and wetland wildlife. These were courtesy of Sally Oldfield at BBOWT.

Is there a member who is prepared to hold our "library", produce and maintain an index of the items held, and to make them available to members on request? The alternative is for any member who receives a document that they think might be of interest to others in our group to let me know and I'll put a note in the Newsletter. Then, anyone who wanted to borrow documents could contact the holder direct. Borrowers would be honour bound to return them in a reasonable time.

Please contact Nic (6, Copse Drive) or myself (45, Marks Road) if you wish to volunteer.

Jack Meatcher

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