There were more than a few crossed fingers earlier this week as the weather forecast didn’t look too good for Saturday afternoon, but in the end, the rain stayed away, the sun popped in and out and it was unusually warm for the time of the year.   We got off to a quiet start, just a couple of visitors in the first 30 minutes, but then things got in to the usual stride and by 5 o’clock, some 70 or 80 or so people had come to visit the woodlands. 

One of highlights is our own honey from the several beehives.  We were worried with the very hot and dry Summer a few weeks ago that this would reduce output, but in the end, our hives produced another large harvest.  On the day we sold 32 jars.  With the money from our refreshment stall, as well as 2 new members, our sales for the day was just over £300, a very impressive amount which all goes in to the maintenance of the woodland.  

In the end, we still had lots of wonderful people, with a mix of regulars and first-timers.  The children had some very creative open-air time with craft making and talks, as well as the opportunity to meet members of the woodland committee and to meet neighbours too!

Sometime last Monday or Tuesday, the 7th or 8th of November, one of the trees that’s immediately to the south of the main footpath that leads from the entrance of the woodland towards The Glade, had fallen, landing and blocking the path. 

As can be seen, the photo above shows just a lot of ivy, but soon after committee member Andrew Slade was in action with a saw to remove the tree.  After a bit of hard work, the tree was cleared, with the wood staying onsite so that it will return its nutrients back to the woodland.  We will be looking at planting native shrubs and trees in its place to help keep the soil from eroding.

Thursday 10th November 2022, committee members Nigel and Lieve completed the annual task of pond clearance, a project to stop the plants from taking over our small pond. Great fun, and an adventurous task. Photos show the 2 in action and how the pond now looks.

Last Sunday, the 4th September, was the latest Westcombe Woodland volunteer morning. Another unseasonably warm day greeted the committee members and volunteers, although turnout was a little quiet, no doubt due to the ongoing Summer holidays.

Lots of flowers were now in fruit, as can be seen in this post. Below are photos of hogweed seeds and elderberries. Blackberries are now past their best.

Maintenance

Part of the maintenance for September involved pruning the hedge, and there are also a couple of photos of committee members Donald Albrecht and Nigel James Duncan hard at work.

Pond update

No one could have noticed the really hot and dry July and August. The water in the pond had really dropped, so volunteers spread 2 tarpaulins over the ground so as to direct rainwater into the pond. There have been quite a few wet days and this has resulted in water levels rising. The water butt near the shed also supplied rainwater via a hose and gravity, as well as rainwater from the water butt near the entrance being added to the pond.

New visitor!

Finally, one of the most interesting observations was the appearance of several cyclamen flowers in the Oak Glade area. These haven’t been planted but appear to have somehow arrived and self-seeded. These are a welcome splash of delicate colour at this time of year.

Given how dry the pond is (no standing water – just mud) we decided to spread tarpaulins to direct any rain that should fall into it. Here are a couple of pictures of the centre of the pond, and Frank and Don having spread the tarpaulins. Now everyone – let’s hope for rain!