 |
Basingstoke Conservation Volunteers | |
| Hands-on help for local wildlife | ||
|
Calendar of Events - July to October 2007
It is a good idea to contact the organizer or task leader of the events before attending so that
we can cater for numbers and arrange lifts if needed.
All telephone numbers are Basingstoke area (01256) unless the code is given -
you should also be able to contact the leader during the 2 days leading up to the task
on the leader's mobile phone (the number is in the newsletter).
Meet at 10am at the project site or at the toolshed at 9.30, unless other times are given.
The numbers are OS grid references of the meet up point for the projects.
Some of the sites are difficult to find, so if it's your first visit to a site,
we'd recommend meeting us at the toolshed and then following the leader
(who should know where he/she is going!) to the site.
Details in red are changes from the programme published in the newsletter.
Details of the programme until October 2007 are below.
We have some diverse summer jobs lined up, ranging from stock management at Noar Hill
to stream improvement at New Alresford to hay-making at Pamber Forest. Hopefully by the time these
tasks arrive, summer will finally have arrived too! As we move into September, coppicing is back on the
agenda, and at the end of the month we have what should be a great residential task lined up - dry-stone walling
in Durlston Country Park on The Isle of Purbeck in Dorset.
For the social animals amongst you, we have a pub evening, a hunt for silver-spotted skipper
butterflies, a relaxing walk including a pub lunch and much more...
The tables below give a quick overview of when events are happening - click on the month
name in a table's header to jump to details of events happening during that month,
or click on the date to jump straight to details of that event.
Hover your mouse over the 
icon to get brief pop-up info on the event.
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Colour key : | Social | project | Meeting |
| June 2007 | |||
| social | Sat 2nd | Portsmouth Trip | Spinnaker Tower |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Mike is organising this trip to Portsmouth to enjoy the sights and
hopefully to include an ascent of the Spinnaker Tower.
We'll be leaving Basingstoke at 10am.
Contact : on 01635 268482. |
|||
| project | Sun 3rd | Fleet Pond | Benches, Banks and Fences |
|
Fleet Pond is Hampshire's largest body of fresh water,
which in the past served as a fish pond and as a power source to drive a mill.
Today it is an important wildlife habitat, especially the reed beds,
with breeding Reed Warblers in summer and often Bitterns in winter.
We will be fixing two picnic benches in place, modifying a bank to protect
it from mountain bikers and repairing a fence.
Meet at the main car park next to Fleet railway station. Leader : on 420818. |
|||
| social | Thu 7th | Old Burghclere | Fly Orchids |
|
Last month gave us Green-winged Orchids at Headley Gravel Pits, and now we're off to
Old Burghclere Lime Pits to see the fly orchids, along with many other flowers that
make this site a real treasure in the summer. Dave can provide a lift from Basingstoke
at 6:30, or you can meet us at the entrance at 7pm. We plan to retire to Mike's house
after the visit to enjoy a takeaway.
Contact : on 420818. |
|||
| social | Sat 16th | Down Grange | BCV is 20 |
| We've hired the Down Grange Walled garden to mark the group's 20th anniversary. We hope to track down past members and invite them along, so it should be a great day. Start time is 4pm with a barbecue. Please send an e-mail to by June 1st if you'd like to join us. | |||
| project | Sun 17th | Pamber Forest/Inham's Copse | Deer fencing |
|
Pamber Forest is one of the best ancient woodlands in the north of Hampshire.
It is valuable for plants, reptiles and birds, but has been famous for insects since
it was visited by Victorian naturalists.
During the winter three areas of coppice were cut and the coppice restored in an
area of Inham's Copse.
BCV will be fencing off the opened areas before the flush of spring shoots attracts the attention of Roe Deer. If the weather is sunny this will be a good time to see some of the butterflies that the habitat management in the forest is benefiting. Contact the task leader to confirm which entrance we will be using. Leader : on 843960. |
|||
| social | Fri 22nd | Silchester Common | Nightjars |
|
A two-headed beast is this one. Start off with a friendly drink at the Calleva Arms in
Silchester, before Graham leads the way around the border between Pamber Forest and
Silchester Common as we hunt for the elusive and mysterious nightjar.
Meet at the pub around 8pm. Contact : on 01189 700155. |
|||
| July 2007 | |||
| project | Sun 1st | Pamber Forest | Haymaking |
|
A grassy area, created when a pipeline was routed through the Forest,
forms an important habitat for creatures which rely upon it, either for food or cover,
such as meadow brown butterflies and grasshoppers,
as well as containing a variety of nectar plants.
The area is cut in mid-summer, and BCV will be raking the grass up and stacking it in giant heaps.
Meet at Impstone Road (SU 616 621).
Contact : on 01635 268482. |
|||
| project | Sun 15th | New Alresford Pond | Stream Work |
|
A brand new site for BCV, the lake is a haven for waterfowl and site of special scientific interest,
but rarely viewed, except from the road, because there is no public access.
BCV will be working with the site manager to clear invasive plants from the side of a stream,
after which we should be able to have a look around.
Phone the task leader for details of the site meeting point.
Leader : on 01189 700155. |
|||
| social | Sun 22nd | Basingstoke area | Summer walk |
|
Dave will be leading this walk, which will be in the local area of Basingstoke and about 8 miles.
We will be stopping for a pub lunch.
Leader : on 420818. |
|||
| project | Sun 29th | Greywell moors | Alder Cutting |
|
Springs rise from the chalk aquifer to form the headwaters of the River Whitewater,
which is surrounded by a mix of fen and alder woodland.
The rare plants that grow on the fen, including sedges and orchids, get shaded out as the trees grow.
Herbicides are avoided on this sensitive wetland, so BCV will be coppicing alder trees to promote the fen vegetation.
Meet outside the pumping station (SU 723 513).
Contact : on 01635 49304. |
|||
| August 2007 | |||
| meeting | Sun 5th | Calleva Arms | Committee Meeting |
|
All welcome. To be held at the Calleva Arms, Silchester at 5pm.
There will be a short walk on Silchester Common, leaving from the car park at 3:30pm, before the meeting.
Contact : on 420818. |
|||
| project | Sun 12th | Bartley Heath | Fence repair |
|
Hampshire Wildlife Trust has assessed the risk to stock from the foot and mouth outbreak,
and has decided to stop all access to sites with susceptable grazing animals for the time being.
The task at Noar Hill is therefore cancelled.
Instead, we will now be fixing a fence at Bartley Heath. We will be meeting on site at the Holt Lane entrance at 10am (SU 733 535). For those that don't know Holt Lane, it is south off the A30, as you leave Hook heading towards Hartley Wintney. The leader's phone is back in action, so you will be able to phone me on Sunday morning. Contact : on 420818. |
|||
| social | Fri 17th | The Plough | Pub evening |
|
Come and join us for a smoke-free pub evening at The Plough, Little London.
Contact : on 01635 268482 for more details. |
|||
| social | Sat 18th | Local Site | Site visit |
|
Dave will be leading a visit to a local site to see the silver-spotted Skipper butterflies.
We will be meeting at mid-day to drive to a pub for lunch near to the site.
Contact : on 420818 for more details. |
|||
| project | Sun 26th | Ron Ward's Meadow | Fencing work |
|
This site is one of very few unimproved hay meadows left in north Hampshire.
It contains a wide selection of scarce plants and is a great place to see Red Kites and Buzzards due to its wide ranging views.
The hedge planted by the Wildlife Trust when they bought the meadow has grown well but the original fence posts have rotted.
BCV will be removing the old fence, leaving a laid hedge to form the stock-proof boundary.
Meet near the site gate (SU 601 608). Parking limited.
Contact : on 320898. |
|||
| September 2007 | |||
| social | Sat 1st | Mike's House | Food evening |
|
Come and join us for a Harvest Supper theme evening at Mike's house in Ecchinswell.
Please bring some (ideally) home-grown food to share.
Contact : on 01635 268482. |
|||
| project | Sun 2nd | Oakley Pond | Typha removal |
|
The central village pond (SU 573 501), near the "Barley Mow" pub,
is becoming dominated by Typha, commonly referred to as bulrushes.
The Oakley residents have called up reinforcements in the form of BCV to help them with this problem.
Removal of the invasive plants should help to create more diversity within the pond.
Contact : on 420818. |
|||
| project | Sun 16th | Pamber Forest | Coppicing |
|
With the start of early Autumn, the birds have finished breeding and flowering is over
and coppicing starts again.
The stems of hazel and other trees are cut down to the ground and allowed to grow back over the following decade.
Each stage of growth provides different ecological niches for wildlife associated with this ancient woodland.
Phone Graham Dennis on 01189 700155 or the task leader for details.
Contact : on 01962 850045. |
|||
| meeting | Mon 24th | Red Lion Pub | Committee Meeting |
| Join us at the Red Lion Pub at 8pm to plan the autumn/winter events programme. All welcome. | |||
| project | Fri 28 - Sun 30th | Durlston CP, Purbeck | Dry-stone Walling |
|
On this year's residential will be building walls in Purbeck limestone at Durlston Country Park on the "Isle" of Purbeck.
Accommodation will be at a campsite near Swanage, but there will be lots of B&Bs available in the town.
Seabirds like fulmar and guillemot can be viewed from the cliffs and whales are sometimes seen.
We will be visiting at the peak bird migration time and rarities are a possibility.
Contact : on 420818. |
|||
| October 2007 | |||
| social | Fri 12th | Dave J's House | Games evening |
|
Another one of our popular games evenings. Bring along your favourite games. Starts at 7:30pm.
Contact : on 01256 420818. |
|||
| project | Sun 14th | Pamber Forest | Coppicing |
|
The stems of hazel and other trees are cut down to the ground and allowed to grow back over the following decade.
Each stage of growth provides different ecological niches for wildlife associated with this ancient woodland.
Phone Graham Dennis on 01189 700155 or the task leader for details.
Contact : on 01256 320898. |
|||
| project | Sun 28th | Bartley Heath | Tree Felling |
|
The rare Marsh Gentian grows on this wet heathland common.
Following on from last winter’s successful project, once again we will be felling some of the larger trees
to create sunny clearings in the area of secondary woodland,
which is now managed by grazing.
Phone the leader for details of meeting point.
Contact : on 01256 474531. |
|||
| November 2007 onwards | |||
| Details of events from November 2007 onwards will be published in October. | |||
|
Basingstoke Conservation Volunteers | |
| Hands-on help for local wildlife | ||
|