Hockley Woods (Autumn 2013)

It would seem Autumn is now underway, as the leaves begin to change colour and nature's harvest appears in the form of berries, nuts and seeds. Something else is making its presence known now too, popping up in the yet-mild and moist conditions: fungi!

A common sight in Autumn, fungi can burst through the
leaf litter to appear literally overnight!

Here are some images of Hockley Woods in Essex, a delightful place for a walk. The woodland trees include oak, hornbeam, hawthorn and sweet chestnut, and all seem to be growing and throwing down their respective seeds, berries and nuts with impressive abandon just now. These trees of the woodland, a mix of maiden and coppice, shelter the mycological interest which is very much evident now too. On a brief morning walk through the woods three weeks ago I saw a gratifying wealth of fungi, and captured some photos of them to both share here and to aid later identification!

Hockley Woods in Essex is an area of ancient woodland
which still shows the effect of Medieval management.

A "Blusher" Amanita rubescens and an "Amethyst
Deceiver" Laccaria amethystina stand side by side.

Another "Blusher" mushroom standing tall in Hockley Woods.

If this gets you excited about Autumn, perhaps you'll be pleased to hear that we have a dazzling display of colour to look forward to from the trees as they turn over the coming weeks. According to Brian Muelaner, the National Trust's ancient tree advisor,“Summer conditions have been ideal for a perfect autumn show”. If you'd like to find out more about why the weather this year has been just right for Autumn colours, the Guardian have an article here.

The Independent have also published an autumnal article, featuring the top 10 best Autumn walks of the UK. So, if you are looking for inspiration for your next walk, you can visit the article here!

Barnet Green Gym: Zero to Launch

TCV London Health Manager, Chris Speirs (front centre), and Cllr Robert Rams
of Barnet Council (front right), discuss the exciting new project which launched today!

Today was one of those milestones, the kind that are really worth shouting out about. It was the official launch of TCV's new project the Barnet Green Gym. This project, the first Green Gym in the borough, is in partnership with Barnet Council, who are very much on board. Councillor Robert Rams has spoken up in support of the project: "“It is fantastic to see an initiative such as the Green Gym in Barnet and I wish it every success in Barnet" said Councillor Rams (see article here). He also came along to the launch event today, and enjoyed his morning judging from his tweet!

Great morning with the #greengym in West Hendon Playing Fields pic.twitter.com/cfF8OlMQ9p

— Cllr Robert Rams (@CllrRobertRams) September 11, 2013

So what is a "Green Gym" anyway? Green Gyms are a fantastic idea that unite environmental and social aims, projects that get local people active and healthier but also achieve nature conservation at the same time. Local people learn skills and help to look after their local green spaces. Win-win! Yesterday's task involved cutting back some blackthorn bushes near the orchard area, and creating beetle habitats in the cleared space. Volunteers made the habitats by digging down and installing logs in an upright position, mimicking dead tree stumps that are important habitats for many invertebrates including Stag Beetles (a protected species here in the UK).

Barnet Green Gym group, with Project Officer Gareth Chalmers
(centre, in blue) and Volunteer Officer Tom Heenan (left, in green)

The project has been in progress at the West Hendon Playing Fields site since June, following the award of a grant from the Big Society Innovation Bank (read more here). Taster sessions have been taking place every Wednesday since the start of July... until today's Official Launch: the Barnet Green Gym is now officially open! I have been very fortunate to be involved from an early stage, assisting Gareth Chalmers (the TCV Project Officer) with a site survey in June and then helping on the weekly volunteer sessions. We have tackled a wide variety of tasks already, from maintaining footpaths and managing woodland areas to creating wildlife habitats. The project has really been building up steam, it's been fantastic to see the number of volunteers increasing and their involvement in the project increase too as the weeks have rolled by. TCV have been getting different organisations on board, for example a contingent of volunteers joined us today from the Martin B Cohen Centre for Wellbeing. It's inspiring to see the amount of people supporting the project, and the benefit people are getting out of the volunteer tasks as well.

Unfortunately my involvement in the project will be coming to an end now, as I pursue other goals. The Barnet Green Gym has been very close to my heart though, and I will really miss my Wednesday work session with the volunteers. It's not only the volunteers that feel the benefits of the fresh air, exercise and friendliness every week! If you are interested in the Barnet Green Gym, you can find out more at www.tcv.org.uk/london/green-gym-london/barnet-green-gym, or find out more about Green Gyms generally (and find one near you!) on the TCV website at www.tcv.org.uk/greengym.

Volunteers warm up at the first official Green Gym session today

The group get ready to work, with a wide range of tools and tasks

Tom Heenan and volunteer Lynne cut the blackthorn down to size!

Newly created loggeries add wildlife value to the site!

Volunteers Week 2013

Springing into Action!

Yesterday marked the end of Volunteers Week 2013, an annual event which celebrates the contribution made by millions of volunteers across the UK. So, I am writing about some of my recent volunteering experiences, and including some info on how to get involved yourself!

On Friday 30th May, I joined The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) for a 'Waltham Forest Green Gym' session at Lloyd and Aveling Park in Walthamstow. On this particular day we were helping to care for the trees in the community woodland to-be, some plantings of various native tree and shrub species that were put in place by members of the local community. While the trees are still quite young, it's important to keep down grass and other aggressive plants, that can actually out-compete the trees in their early years! To this end, we were weeding, raking and mulching, with some light pruning of dead wood from some of the trees too. We were lucky to have beautiful weather for the volunteer day: the forecast was for highs of 21 degrees Celsius in the London area, and although this looked unlikely when we started in the morning, the cold spell finally broke and the temperature suddenly jumped up around 10 degrees as the clouds dispersed! It began to feel like a Jungle down in the grass, and with the recent growth of the trees in the past weeks it began to feel like a real forest, especially with everyone crouching down to pull grass!

Volunteering can be very sociable, and there were both familiar faces and less familiar, friendly all. The Waltham Forest Green Gym has a mix of ages and backgrounds, plus the very helpful leaders (such as Lisa, Trudi) and the Project Officer (the man himself, Gareth). The day also included a tea-break at half time, with bananas shared around!

Waltham Forest Green Gym volunteer days run on Fridays, but there are also opportunities with BAT (Biodiversity Action Team) East to get out and get stuck in to some conservation work. Find out more at TCV volunteering in the Waltham Forest area here.

Happy volunteers at Waltham Forest Green Gym

On Sunday 2nd June, I persuaded my girlfriend to join me for some volunteering in Epping Forest with the Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers (EFCV). This group help the City of London Corporation to manage the extensive and varied habitats of Epping Forest, London's largest open space.

The fine weather held for the volunteer task on the Sunday, which took place on Warren Hill, behind the Forest HQ not too far from Loughton. Our task for the day was woodland maintenance - careful work (because of nesting birds) felling Sycamore trees, as they are taking over some parts of woodland, and management of the Forest aims to keep a more balanced and diverse assemblage of species. Also, being on the edge of a grassland, our work to control the Sycamore trees also benefits the lowland heath species that might otherwise become crowded out by trees eventually. A Forest isn't necessarily all woodland, in fact many include a range of habitats (the term originally referred to an area set aside for Royal hunting!). In Epping Forest, a number of grassland areas would have been traditionally been kept open through grazing. Lowland heath is internationally rare now, and the UK has 20% of the globe's share of this habitat!

EFCV are a very welcoming bunch, an active and mixed group of people. They are very knowledgeable too, and they were willing to share their knowledge - Spencer Cleminson, one of their leaders, helped me to refresh my felling skills, and to introduce Natasha to this activity! We had an excellent day out in the woods, the weather continuing in its warm theme but with plenty of shade trees to keep us cool. This is a lovely part of the forest too, and surprisingly not very busy with people. Why not get up there and explore it for yourself? The hill has a pretty aspect, and the woodland has some more open parts with old oak pollards in addition to the thicker woodland areas.

EFCV run work parties on alternate Sundays, plus the occasional weekday too. Find out about the group and their upcoming here.

On Thursday 6th June, I took myself up to the Epping Forest Field Centre at High Beach - where there are environmental education, grounds maintenance, and admin volunteering opportunities. On this occasion I started the day with some grounds work, clearing some of the plants that were overgrowing the paths around the centre grounds (especially the stinging nettles as they don't mix well with children!). I then helped tutor and team leader Hannah Rose with a local primary school group, who came to the field centre to learn about minibeasts. The children explored life in the pond first, dipping with nets to see what lives beneath the lilies. Then we all headed over to a woodland area to explore the terrestrial minibeasts on the forest floor and beneath logs. Needless to say, with the Field Centre grounds in the heart of Epping Forest, there were plenty of creepy crawlies for the children to find and learn more about!

Once all this excitement was over and the children returned to school, I assisted Gin Cameron who is in charge of the Grounds at the Field Centre. We were building mini biomes from plastic drinks bottles, which would be stocked by a visiting group on another day with soil and water and plants. This would then create an ecosystem in miniature.

As as you can see, there was a lot of variety in my day at the Field Centre. No two volunteering days there are the same! If you're interested in volunteering, you can aim for particular roles (such as Teaching Assistant, Ground Worker) or help with a wider variety of tasks instead. Find out more about volunteering at the Field Centre here..

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There are endless possibilities when it comes to volunteering. It can be sociable, satisfying, educational and career-enhancing. Why not try it for yourself? If you are thinking of volunteering, the organisations I wrote about in this article are excellent choices. Another option in this area would be the Redbridge Conservation Volunteers - just a short journey away in Redbridge, and some tasks taking place in Epping Forest district for example Woodford and Chigwell. There are a range of practical tasks, workshops and family events in the Redbridge area; find out more here.

The Conservation Volunteers (TCV) are also active across Britain, so it is worth checking for volunteer tasks in your area, wherever you are!  Find out more about volunteering with TCV generally here. 

Day out in Dedham Vale

Earlier in the Spring (Sunday 14th April), Natasha and I travelled up to Dedham Vale with her parents for the day, to make the most of the fine weather. Dedham Vale lies along the border between Essex and Suffolk, running alongside the River Stour, and includes some beautiful scenery immortalised by Constable and Gainsborough. See my photo blog about the day on the Heenan Photography website.

Beautiful English countryside, beloved by Constable

Footpaths to Dedham indeed!

A pumpkin in a fetching hat

It was a fine day for walking and wildlife-watching. We parked up near Flatford Mill, and ate a picnic lunch on a convenient picnic bench on the grass nearby, covered with lichens, and with the sounds of Great Spotted Woodpecker and other birds calling in the background brought to us on the warm breeze. Then we visited the RSPB Flatford Wildlife Garden, a fascinating place which only opened in the June 2011. The Wildlife Garden has matured since I visited last (shortly after it opened); the trees and flowers have established well and the place looks fantastic.




This was a very new project for the RSPB back in 2011: Liz Cutting, Administrator for the Stour Estuary Reserves, said that this was their "first dedicated wildlife garden". Liz was very enthusiastic about the Wildlife Garden, adding "it's a different type of venture". The aim is to show people what they can do in their own garden to make a difference; "gardens cover almost 3 times as much land as all RSPB reserves put together" said Shirley Boyle, RSPB Flatford Project Officer. This highlights the importance of reaching out beyond reserves to engage the public, using people power to make a difference.

Liz Cutting discusses the new Wildlife Garden

From the RSPB Wildlife Garden we crossed the River Stour, briefly pausing on the bridge to watch the antics of the waterfowl, and the people in boats, on the river. Then we walked beside the river, along on Essex side, on the footpath to Dedham village. There were sights and sounds of canada geese, mallard ducks, more woodpeckers, crows... And lots of whomping willows! The riparian strip showed some alder as well as crack willow, both trees that don't mind getting their feet wet. A plenitude of people were out enjoying the day; some were walking, some with dogs, others on boats and in kayaks. Willow warblers and their downward-trilling song. Hares were running and fighting in a field next to path as we neared Dedham; they romped just on the other side of the hedge, which was budding up and blossoming in places.

Blackthorn busting into blossom in the hedgerows

Whomping willows and a plenitude of people

We walked into Dedham past the Marlborough Head pub, where ate a pleasant meal on a previous occasion while Natasha and I were down here on an otter course! We walked on through the village, and paid a visit to the Dedham Art and Craft Centre (this has an interesting architecture, as it was previously a chapel! High arched ceiling, stained glass windows, and some headstones on the front lawn). We walked back past Dedham Hall and Dedham Hall farm, and here we saw the hares again. We had a view of the same field from a different side, and much closer! There was also much evidence of birds nesting in the thick shrubby hedge lining the path and in the branches arching above our heads.

We arrived back at the Stour by the old river weir, and returned to Flatford along the river with its contorted, pollarded, fallen and dead willows. Some were very impressive in size! The flooding on the Suffolk side as we neared Flatford Mill added a sense of an endless river landscape, although the waters finally gave out to low hills dotted here and there with old weatherboarded buildings in the distance. Mallard ducks were noisily pairing up; the males were trying to anyway, the females seemed less than interested in their advances! We also saw swans feeding on the vegetation at the edges of the river.

Family stroll along the Stour, watching wildlife

All around us nature was getting into the swing of Spring. A song thrush gave throat to its loud lyrical repetitions. The pussy willow flowers bright with yellow pollen, and the catkins drooping on the crack willow. By a stream on our right, red dead nettles almost belied their name with an attractive, deep purplish-red.

Scene of Constable's "The Hay Wain", bereft of its Elm trees

Before departing for the day, I strolled up to Flatford Mill itself, and to Willy Lott's house (the latter the setting for a famous painting by John Constable). With the iconic elm trees in the painting gone from the landscape through the effects of Dutch Elm's disease, I can only wonder if the Ash Dieback disease (Chalara) we are currently hearing so much about will have as dramatic an impact on our countryside in years to come.
 

2013 Conference of the British Naturalists' Association

I attended the 2013 BNA Conference yesterday at Forest School in Snaresbrook, primarily to help out Essex Amphibian & Reptile Group with some pond dipping. They ran pond dipping activities for people attending the conference, alongside bat walks, butterfly hunting and other similar activities that were run on the day by knowledgeable naturalists.

This was my first outing with Essex ARG and my first encounter with the BNA, and I now have a very positive impression of both. Pond dipping took place in nearby Manor Pond, contiguous with Epping Forest; this proximity to the ancient woodland no doubt led to the school's name. This is a pretty pond, and with a variety of wildlife lurking amongst the crack willow and yellow flag-iris it would seem to be a great pond for nature too. Essex ARG in the form of Ray Cranfield and Neil Phillips skillfully netted some of the resident pond-life to show to the curious, and shared their depth of knowledge with everyone. I used my environmental education experience to assist some of the children with dipping the pond too, making sure no-one ended up taking an unplanned dip themselves!

Ray Cranfield and Neil Phillips test the waters at Manor Pond

 

After the pond dipping sessions, we mingled with the rest of the BNA Conference (with the theme of "Wildlife & the Urban Landscape"). There were some fine exhibits and information from various organisations in the school's dining hall (a very fine building; we were watched over by wooden angels carved into the woodwork of the ceiling!). There were also some fascinating and entertaining talks from Professor James Hitchmough and Bill Oddie.

BNA's 2013 Conference, in a grand setting

Me and Essex ARG with Bill Oddie. Photo by Neil Phillips

 I then followed Epping Forest's Senior Forest Keeper, Andrew Gammie, on a nice long walk through some of the nearby Forest. This was great for me, as I got the chance to become better acquainted with this part of the 6,000 acre plus Forest - I don't often venture this far to the south-west when exploring. Having walked an hour to the venue that morning, and including the walk home at the end of the day, this added up to a very fit and active Saturday!

Chigwell Tours

I have started working with a company in Chigwell called Chigwell Tours & Visits (www.chigwelltours.co.uk). Established in 2011, CT&V delivers guided tours and walks in the area of South West Essex. I am currently volunteering, and training to be a tour guide for the season which commences in April.

My voluntary role has involved all sorts of things so far. I've designed a banner stand, and had input into the website, new brochure, and a "sample tour" video. I've assisted with creating the marketing strategy, and have assumed responsibility for social media communications. All this plus a number of admin tasks in the office; quite an interesting range of experiences for me, and working for a tourism company puts a different spin on things.

Tour guiding will be very interesting. I will initially assume responsibility for 'Scenic' guided tours, one of three driving tours run by CT&V (the others being 'Historic' and 'Celebrity' tours). This will include Epping Forest, with a stop at the Queen Elizabeth Hunting Lodge, and also a walk through Hainault Forest. Other possible stops include Epping Forest Deer Sanctuary, Roding Valley Meadows, Fairlop Waters, and Lambourne Hall & Church; the tour explores ancient woodland, rare floodplain meadows, lakes and more! All accessed from a London Underground station, as the pick-up/drop-off point is at Theydon Bois tube station just 20 mins from Stratford.

I have already picked up a lot of very interesting information about the area which, even though I grew up here, I didn't previously know. Would you have thought that there was a Roman settlement in the Chigwell area known as 'Little London'? That Chigwell is London's closest village? Known that Epping Forest, London's largest open space, was known as 'the cockney playground' and 'the lungs of London' after the railway arrived there in the 1800s and allowed those in East London to easily escape the city for a day in the countryside (and the ale houses)? Or guessed that Hainault Forest was ten times its current size in Henry VIII's time, and bigger yet when it was once part of the great Forest of Essex? I am looking forward to starting with the Tours next month and sharing the open spaces in my area with others!

In other news, some of my nature and landscape Photography will be displayed very soon in Buckhurst Hill, in the Parish Council's new Community Gallery project. Read more about this on my Photography blog!