Pond Day - 8th September 2016
A Pond work party took place in September with around 18 volunteers from the Pirbright Institute who brought
waders, rakes, etc and one volunteer came aptly attired in his wet suit. Both our site managers, Roy and Nigel, our
Secretary, Barbara and member Roy came too. Nearly all the abundant 'Water Soldiers' were cleared and some other non-native
species were removed but native reeds, bullrushes, water lilies and water bean plants were left in the pond.
We will still need to continue to control the invasive species but it gets easier - the work done last year meant there
was less to remove this year and hopefully we will notice a difference next year. The control of the Himalayan Balsam will also
need to continue next year as there is so much of it growing.
Thanks to Nigel for providing hot drinks and biscuits.
Check out more pictures in the Gallery
This year we were invited to hold the Association's BBQ at The Fox pub, courtesy of the landlord Ray Peyre. Members and neighbours (past and present) were first taken on a guided walk around the nature reserve with our Chairman, Catherine, pointing out recent tasks undertaken by our site managers and volunteers from Pirbright Institute. We could also see for ourselves the outcome of the yellow rattle trial and appreciate the freshly mown paths - a task made so much easier since the purchase of the new mower.
It was wonderful to see so many people enjoying their lunch in the sunshine in the garden at The Fox - our thanks to Ray and his staff and see you next year!
This year's AGM took place on Tuesday 5th April at St Michael and All Angels Church in Pirbright. The Chairman's report will be available online soon.
The AGM was followed by a presentation on 'Snakes in the Grass' by Brandon Murray of the Pirbright Institute.
The newsletter has been circulated to members and residents during January. Click here for the on-line version.
The Wildlife Area is an ideal place for families to visit and have picnics. Running a wildlife area inevitably involves a delicate balance of priorities - protecting and encouraging wildlife and also providing an area which gives pleasure to visitors and residents alike. Most of these are reflected in our Fox Corner Country Code.
Dogs are a particular issue. If uncontrolled, they can alarm wildlife, disturb nests and leave unwelcome excrement anywhere on the site. Groups of children are encouraged to visit to enjoy pond-dipping and mini-beast hunts. For their sake, it is vital that they do not come into contact with the results of dog-fouling. At one stage, we felt that it would be a good idea to ban dogs altogether but after representations from local people, agreed that they could be allowed but strictly only on leads.
We respectfully, but firmly, ask you to abide by this particular rule.