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!

Winter 2012

Life continues on. I have been keeping busy with volunteering, teaching Karate, and working some more on my photography in spare time. I have also been hunting for a full-time position in nature conservation, and I thought I should share some of the recent happenings, so here goes.

I have been looking for a new job for three months now, and have had three interviews so far. While I have been unsuccessful with these three applications, I received some very positive feedback. Employment is still slow at the moment generally, so although it could be disheartening to have been unsuccessful I am looking at the positives and taking the feedback as a good sign. Keeping busy with volunteering has kept me happy and motivated as well as adding to my experience, so I am trying to keep up my volunteering at various places.

Aigas House, Inverness-shire

The most recent interview I had was actually all the way up in Inverness-shire in Scotland, a fortnight back. Although it was a long way to travel, it was nevertheless a useful experience. The staff at the Aigas field centre were very welcoming, I had the chance to see some beautiful scenery and wildlife (even sat in a hide hoping to see pine martens for a few hours, although none obliged), and I also came away feeling I had performed well in the interview process. When I look back in time three years I can see I have come a long way since graduating from University, and the skills, knowledge and experiences I have gained make me a strong contender for some of these positions. The interview process up in Scotland was an all-day affair, which was a first for me, and included a walk/talk element that encouraged me to evince my identification skills as well as a panel interview and a test of my interpretation skills. Being tested in this way showed me that my own progress has been substantial. The interviewers also told me that I gave a very good interview, even though I didn't gain the position. This, and the high calibre of my fellow interviewees, made me feel proud to have reached the stage I am at now. Patience is a virtue, as I have learnt, in the often competitive environmental fields of work.

Sunrise views from the train, on the return journey through the Cairngorms

Over the past few months I have been devoting some time to volunteering at the Epping Forest field centre; with the extra time I have available, it has been a great pleasure to reacquaint myself with the centre, various duties, and the staff there. While working in my previous Ranger job I would stop by the centre from time to time, but the nature of my job didn't allow me to commit much time to volunteering so it was very sporadic during that period. The staff are so friendly, and very skilled environmental educators to boot, so it is a pleasure to work alongside them and assist them where possible in their teaching. I have also put some time into the Grounds Action team, helping to maintain the centre grounds. Most recently, I attended the "Seasonal Celebrations" to help visiting families with festive arts and crafts. It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas!

Natasha making a wreath

Wreath ready for decorating!

In other volunteering, I have also been back to Greenwich Peninsula Ecology Park near the O2, a couple of times so far. I was volunteering there last year under the Volunteer Officer scheme through BTCV (now TCV), and being curious to see how the park has changed in a year I headed back for some volunteering. I helped out as part of a work party, maintaining the site habitats, as well as helping with Natasha at a festive event more recently. This "Winter Fair" event was fantastic fun, and very successful, attracting a large number of visitors. The two of us helped with the wreath-making activities in the afternoon, and helped to clear up after the event. The Ecology Park is looking really well, and there have been a number of improvements such as new habitat boxes around the place since this time last year.

Finally, I have been out to try volunteering with EFCV - Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers, who are a lovely bunch that provide some essential muscle in managing Epping Forest (including its tree, grasslands and ponds!). Hopefully I will find some more opportunities to get out with this group, and help to conserve the Forest that I grew up next to.

So, on reflection, since September I have been ranging far for job interviews as well as getting stuck in with volunteering close to home. Not a bad way to spend my days while I am looking for a full-time position, I feel.

Best wishes for Christmas and the New Year everybody!
T