Registered Charity No 1108814
Volunteers Newsletter - October 2008
Hello All
A combination of great people working and beautiful weather ensured a spirit of great optimism and purpose prevailed on The Common this morning with results to match; thankyou everybody. The next working party is Saturday 25th October meeting 9:00am at Warren Road. Contrary to the published duties, we shall continue on Area 1 where you can expend all your aggression on the larger willows and other trees.
Somebody left a spade behind this morning. It's got a large black plastic handle and is now standing by the back door of Welland House (alongside the Beck) waiting to be reunited with its owner.
Regards from John
Volunteers Newsletter - September 2008
Hello All
The Trustees had a long and very thoughtful Committee meeting this month when we made some big decisions about the coming season's work and we are keen to keep you informed. Incidentally, you are welcome to join us at any of these meetings. Dates are all published on the website.
These are all meeting at the car park and the intention is to tackle several jobs such as: riverbanks, boardwalk edges, sinking boards that need underpinning, etc.
There's good news about the work this winter. Trustees realise how hard the raking and dragging work is, after all we do it too, and are always looking at ways to make things easier. We want to make enough time to give some attention to other parts of The Common for which we are equally responsible as, although the SSSI has to get priority, it is only half the total acreage of the six sites that together make up the commons of Southrepps.
We are also concerned about the changing nature of the SSSI and have taken advice on re-drawing the various parts to take account of how certain rare species are proliferating. For example, a healthy population of Tubular Water Dropwort has been recorded on Southrepps Common since at least 1880 although it is now on the endangered list nationally; so that is clearly something we must look after. There's a picture of the small leaf on the left so please take care not to step on it. Perhaps more important is that the plant, especially the round seed head is poisonous, so avoid touching it.
We thought two radical new things were going to happen but at the eleventh hour they fell through. We were hoping to team up with the new community composting scheme in Trunch but, although the organisers were keen to take our waste, Norfolk County Council wouldn't give the credits that the scheme relies on. The other thing which we only withdrew from after very careful consideration was to set aside a whole area of reedbed to be managed commercially. Whilst superficially attractive, it would have meant too much of the Common would have been left bare all at once, to the detriment of bird-life, and it would have seriously reduced our ability to adjust maintenance routines in the future.
The good news is that we have secured a firm commitment from the Probation Service Unpaid Work Unit to do all the raking and dragging for us this winter. They should carry out the work in October or November in a single 2-3 week period and although David, John or myself will have to cut sufficient each day, at least it lets all of you of the hook.
So, the next three working parties will involve general tidying up. But immediately after that we have to deal with the willows in the East Warren Rd. area. Regular coppicing has only encouraged them to come back even stronger and the time has come to get the roots out; certainly easier said than done.
Next time I write it should be with a full calendar of working party dates right through to next Spring, and I will give you a map showing the various areas so you can identify more easily what's going on. Our botanists are still surveying parts and changes have to be agreed by Natural England.
Hope to see you at forthcoming working party, unless it's the type of rain that makes it silly.
Regards from John
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