Congratulations to Dave for being officially recognised for all his work at the Volunteers Fayre.

Spring Report at Montefiore Woodland

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Congratulations to Dave for being officially recognised for all his work at the Volunteers Fayre.

Congratulations to Dave for being officially recognised for all his work at the Volunteers Fayre.

We have been pleased to welcome new members of all ages this year, including an IB student from Dane Court Grammar School. These new members have been especially useful for the spreading of donated wood chippings along the footpaths (thanks must be expressed to Southern Services for the loads they have delivered to us) and the recent cutting back of the highly invasive Alexander plant. Many encouraging + grateful comments have been received from members of community during these monthly work parties. They include “the woodland is a pleasure to walk through”. This appreciation makes all our efforts worthwhile!

The demolished section of our boundary wall, following a recent car accident, saw the removal of the bus stop, bench and importantly TDC’s waste bin. The down side of this led to the overflowing of dog waste + litter to the 2 bins within the woodland. Special thanks must be given to Dave Welch, a long standing member of the Woodland, who regularly oversees the area + kindly cleaned this unfortunate mess. He also waved down a passing TDC waste collector who kindly emptied both bins for us. We are hoping to be placed on their list for regular collection of waste, watch this space… At the Volunteers Fair at Westwood Casino in April, Dave was publicly recognised for his unstinting voluntary support at our woodland. Members of the committee represented The Friends + were impressed by the sheer number of voluntary groups + activities that are active across Thanet! All of which should be applauded for their generous giving of time + effort!

Our spring Events included celebrating Earth Day in April. Sing to the trees was enjoyed by all ages from young ones to wise ones in our local community + our thanks go to Colleen for the suggestion + leading this session. It was good to participate in a global celebration. The session ended with the sharing of moths trapped in a local garden the previous night. The participants were especially delighted to see a colourful Lime Hawk Moth + the children enjoyed assisting in the releasing of these mysterious creatures.

Thanks must also go to Peter for his close monitoring of the plants that grow within the Woodland. His patchwork trial of the sowing of Yellow Rattle within the wildflower meadow has been successful + is flowering as this is written. Further patchworks will be created in the Autumn.

Forthcoming events include Montefiore Woodland monthly Bat Walks (we contribute data to the National Sunset Bat Survey) which are held on the last Friday of each month. The first of which will be on Friday 30th June. Meet in the clearing at sunset at 8:45pm (weather permitting). We then enjoy a casual stroll around the woodland along the public footpaths to King George VI Park + back. Last year we were not disappointed + enjoyed excellent sightings of local bats – guided by our useful bat detectors. The following Bat Walk will be on Friday 28th July.

We also participate in The Big Butterfly Count during our 5th August work party (10am – 12 noon) at which participants can enjoy the viewing of the contents of a moth trap from the previous night.

Finally on Friday 25th August we are delighted to welcome back the knowledgeable Shirley Thompson from Kent Bat Group who kindly led our inaugural Bat walk in August 2013. We all enjoyed this stroll so much it has become a regular summer event! Shirley also looks after bats that are in need of specialist care and attention + during her last visit we were delighted she brought along a furry little friend for us all to see at close hand. We are keeping our fingers crossed she may be accompanied again…..?

Please note all of our events are free although we are grateful for any donations.

For further information on all Activities and Events see our website for more details http://www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk/

Enjoy the summer + we hope you may be able to join us at one/ more of our activities….?

Friends of Montefiore Woodland – 2017 Annual Report from the Committee

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This year we celebrate 5 years since the formation of the Friends of Montefiore Woodland Group.

I am sure that everyone will agree that year on year the Woodland has shown considerable improvement thanks to the efforts of our volunteers.

Work parties have focused on controlling invasive sycamore, brambles, ivy and Alexander.  This has allowed space for the planting of a variety of native hedging plants and wildflowers.

I always find the Woodland sessions friendly and enjoyable but numbers attending have been worryingly low at times. However last month we welcomed several newcomers who we hope will continue – many hands certainly do make light work.

The nesting boxes have been maintained and several are occupied just now. Pat and Gerry Short continue to top up the bird feeders, which attract a variety of birds to the site.  We are trying to find ways of providing water for wildlife, as there is no water supply on the site. The Friends group participated in the R.S.P.B. Big Garden Bird Watch, recording 38 birds of 14 different species.

Sue Smith does a weekly butterfly transect from April to September and the Friends group also participated in the national Butterfly count. Peter A. continues to record the species of flora to be found within the woodland.

Full details of plants, birds and butterflies recorded in the Woodland can be seen on our website www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk/

The wildflower meadow remains fenced off to protect it from being impacted by overuse by some dog walkers.  The meadow was maintained by Dave Welch who also strimmed other grassy areas.

Bat walks on summer evenings continue to be popular attracting people of all ages.  After each walk a request is made for voluntary donations, which are forwarded to the Kent Bat Group in support of their work.

Over the year several loads of wood chippings were acquired and spread along the footpaths to make them more user friendly and to deter people from trampling other areas.

The collection and removal of rubbish and dog waste continues to be a problem.  The council does not collect and it falls to be dealt with by Dave Welch.

A further annoyance is the graffiti on the wall at the bottom of the site.  This has been painted over in the past and thorny hedging plants planted in front of it as a deterrent.

We are very grateful for the donations, which we have received from supporters this year. Special mention is made of the generous amounts received from WWW Martin and the proceeds of the quiz night held at the Elephant and Castle public house.  These funds have enabled us to buy more plants and tools for the work parties.  The daffodils we planted last autumn have put on a brilliant display this spring.

We also owe thanks to the Montefiore Arms who kindly allow us the use of a room for our committee meetings.

Sue and Peter Smith do an excellent job in keeping the website up to date and looking good. We also have a face book presence, which receives a surprising amount of hits.

Most of all we must thank our committee members and the volunteers who give their time and effort to maintaining and improving this little haven which has come to be valued and enjoyed by the local community.

Lisa Hunt

Chair

Friends of Montefiore Woodland

Chippings

Daffodils by Info Board

The hardy team who were spotting the birds within the woodland on 28th January, 2017

Montefiore Woodland’s Big Garden Bird Watch results + Pub Quiz generous donation

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Seven hardy members met for the RSPB’s largest national survey in the world, the Big Garden Bird Watch on Saturday 28th January. During which the sunshine emerged shining welcomed winter warmth on members and new buds and catkins are appearing. We suitably placed ourselves in the four corners and clearing for the bird count, following which we re-convened to collate the following results: 38 birds of 14 Species: 5 Ring necked Parakeets, 2 Starlings, 2 Blackbirds, 3 Bluetit, 1 Great-tit, 2 Collared Dove, 2 Robin, 1 Long-tailed tit, 8 Feral Pigeon, 1 Woodpigeon, 2 Wren, 1 Jay, 2 Magpies + 6 Goldfinch. Plus: 3 squirrel.

An interesting find of another tarmac path was discovered under some of the undergrowth near where we hope to create a Chris Packham wildlife washing up bowl pond! We will investigate this further during our future work parties.

Our next work parties are on Saturday 4th March + Saturday 1st April 10am – 12 noon (weather permitting). We meet in the Clearing in Montefiore Woodland and proposed tasks will be clearing and creating the washing-up bowl pond area, revealing the hidden path removing unwanted Alexander not to mention on-going ivy /side shoots from trees and litter collection.

Recently, we received a surprise email inviting members to attend a Quiz at the Elephant + Castle Public House as we had been nominated to receive the funds raised that evening as the chosen community group for that night. Six members of the Woodland Committee formed our team and we all remarked on the friendly and welcoming atmosphere we were given by the organisers. Despite not coming high on the scoreboard at the end of the evening, we still left feeling winners, thanks to the generous donation we were presented by the organisers at the end of the evening. We understand this group have a Pub Quiz every first Wednesday of the month and many regular quiz followers support them and they meet at various hostelries in the locality. All funds raised from the evening are donated to a nominated community group and they have been active for nigh on 20 years! They must have been quietly raising a lot of money for community groups in that time! Not to mention the time and effort that must have gone into the planning of these!

Their next Quiz Night is on 1st March, 2017 at the Royal Navy Club if you wish to attend.

Contact Mary: mary.rubie@sky.com for more details.

For more information on our activities at Montefiore Woodland in general visit our website http://montefiorewoodland.org.uk/

Finally, if you haven’t visited the woodland for a while, may I suggest you do so and enjoy the peace and tranquillity of this little oasis.

Chippings

Report from 2016 AGM

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Friends of Montefiore Woodland – 2016 Annual Report from the Committee

I am very pleased to be able to report on another successful year for the Friends of Montefiore Woodland.

Regular work parties have been held throughout the year, which has enabled us to continue to preserve and improve the area.

Numbers attending the work parties have dropped off and we need to recruit more volunteers if we are to keep up standards.

Work has included thinning out sycamore saplings and cutting back or removing brambles and Alexander as well as some of the ivy.  This will allow more diverse species to flourish. Native plants including bluebells, foxgloves, primroses, celandines, daffodils and cowslips have been introduced. Litter is cleared on a regular basis and new waste bins have been installed.

Dave Welch has obtained several loads of wood chippings, which have been used to very good effect on the pathways.

We thank Travis and Perkins for their gift of builders bags which are most useful for clearance work.

It was decided that the fencing around the wildflower meadow be kept in place as the ground was becoming impacted due to over use by some dog walkers. The meadow flourished over the summer months and was cut back in November.  Disappointingly the yellow rattle did not appear but we are hoping that this was due to the previous mild winter. We are grateful to Peter for keeping a record of flowers and plants in the woodland. Full details can be seen on the Woodland website: http://www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk/

Sue Smith does a regular butterfly transect over the summer months and her records can also be viewed on the website.

We participated in the National butterfly count in July when 10 different species were recorded.  Dr Francis Burgess recently donated 6 Purging Buckthorn which have now been planted in an effort to attract Brimstone butterflies. Buckthorn is the sole food plant of the brimstone butterfly which is known for its ability to travel miles to find the bush to lay its eggs on. The reintroduction of the buckthorn bush paid dividends for local brimstones in Suffolk. http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/natureuk/2011/07/brimstones-and-buckthorn.shtml

Buckthorn flowers provide nectar which seems particularly attractive to bees and hoverflies. Later in the year, shiny black berries provide a valuable source of food for birds. A number of moth larvae are also occasionally found on these bushes.

Pat and Gerry Short continue to fill up the bird feeders on a regular basis. Requests have been made for contributions towards the cost of bird food on the following lines : £2 will buy 1kg sunflower hearts, ,£2 1kg Niger seeds, £2.50 1kg peanuts and £5 will buy 50 fat balls. We find that some people who are unable to carry out the physical tasks are pleased to show their appreciation in this way.

We participated in the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch in January when 45 birds of 12 different species were recorded.

Bat walks were held over the summer attracting a good number of people of all ages.  There were sightings of bats on every occasion. A collection of voluntary contributions enabled us to remit £20 to the Kent Bat Group who were very appreciative of our efforts. Again full details can be seen on the Woodland website.

During the year the wall to the back of the Woodland was made secure and shrubs planted in front of it.  Jim Webster did an excellent job of painting over the graffiti.  Council repairs to the flint wall are still outstanding, however, new bins have been erected at both entrances.

I would like to thank Sue Smith and Peter for the excellent job they do in maintaining the website – always a pleasure to browse through it.

I would also remind you that we now have a Face book presence, which is useful for sharing information with members and other organisations.

The committee continues to meet regularly in the Montefiore Arms and we thank them for their hospitality.

Lisa Hunt

Chairman

Marbled White big butterfly count July 2015

big butterfly count report 19th July, 2015 + Work Party

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Following rain at breakfast, it was pleasing to see the sun appear and become an ideal day for our scheduled big butterfly count.

Our count today was as follows:

2 Large White,
7 Small White,
2 Marbled White,
1 Small Skipper,
3 Gatekeeper,
7 Meadow Brown,
5 Speckled Wood,
1 Red Admiral, (on Buddleia by Paydens)
1 Peacock, (on Buddleia by Paydens)
1 Silver Y Moth

The big butterfly count is a nationwide survey aimed at helping us assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has rapidly become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies.
Butterflies and moths are an important element of the food chain and are prey for birds, bats and other insectivorous animals (Blue Tits eat an estimated 50 billion moth caterpillars each year).

Butterflies and moths have been recognised as indicators of biodiversity. Their fragility makes them quick to react to change so their struggle to survive is a serious warning about our environment.

big butterfly count survey takes place from 17th July – 19th August, 2015. Simply count butterflies for 15 minutes during bright (preferably sunny) weather during the big butterfly count. This time of year is chosen because most butterflies are at the adult stage of their lifecycle, so more likely to be seen. Records are welcome from anywhere: from parks, school grounds and gardens, to fields and forests.
For more information:
Many thanks to the members who came along today.
Springtime in woodland

Spring Report from Montefiore Woodland.

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Unfortunately, the inclement weather resulted in some of our winter / spring work parties being cancelled. Despite this, visitors to the woodland during January and February may have enjoyed seeing the Winter Heliotrope in bloom and more recently the daffodils. Some of which were planted in memory of a member who regularly gave a generous donation when he had a small premium bond win. Thank you, Derek!

Another delight in early spring is the appearance of the primroses on a bank towards the lower end and is also peppered with forget-me-nots. It is hoped to extend along this bank further in the future.

Twenty-one Foxgloves have been planted in various areas and these will hopefully flower and seed, so look out for their blooms in the weeks to come….

The donated Bluebells from Montefiore Arms is sparse but will hopefully multiply and spread in time. The committee urge members and the local community to stick to the paths and keep dogs on leads to avoid these delicate flowers from being trampled.

The Cowslip or Queen Anne’s Lace is at its best at the moment and the entrance to the woodland from Dumpton Park Drive is looking very pretty with these delicate blooms. However, not the same can be said of the Alexander, which is highly invasive, and we aim to limit its spread as much as is possible. However, Mother Nature can have other ideas as is shown by the spread of the ground ivy which is another plant we hope to deter in time… Another reason the thinning of the trees during the autumn/winter months is important to continue to enable more light through the canopy to deter the ivy’s growth.

The saplings planted so well last year by our younger helpers from the former Whitecliffs Nursery Forest School are growing well and some are beginning to blossom, which is pleasing.

Our wildflower meadow within the clearing has its protective fence surrounding it again this year as regrettably loose dogs and footfall will so easily depress the growth of any seedlings. This area can be a sheltered suntrap and many species of insects, particularly butterflies, can be seen. Butterflies already spotted this year include: Red Admiral, Small Tortoiseshell, Peacock, Small and Green-veined White, Speckled Wood and Holly Blue.

Hopefully many more will visit in the months to come especially when we hold our big butterfly count on Sunday 19th July weather permitting between 11am – 1pm (if not Sunday 26th July).

The dawn chorus is at its best at the moment and many birds can be heard. Listen out for the summer migrants: Chiffchaff, Blackcap and if you are lucky you might hear a Willow Warbler, as well as our resident birds Wren, Great and Blue-tit, Robin, Dunnock, Blackbird as well as the Great Spotted and Green Woodpeckers. The bird boxes within the site may be of help to the breeding birds but they also use the scrubbier areas of brambles and wood stacks.   How many species of bird can you spot near our feeders?

Our next work parties are on Sunday 31st May and 21st June weather permitting (10 –12 noon) where we will be trimming side shoots especially Sycamore, Brambles and removing Alexander and Cow Parsley from paths.

Our popular monthly Bat Walks (meet in the clearing) will continue this summer on the last Friday of the month, the first being Friday 26th June – 8:30pm (again weather permitting).

Finally if you haven’t visited for a while, may I suggest you do so and enjoy the peace and tranquility of this little oasis.

Information Board unveiling

Unveiling of the Friends of Montefiore Woodland’s new Information Board.

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Friends of Montefiore Woodland gathered for the unveiling of their new information board last weekend, (Sunday 17th August, 2014). Chairman, Lisa Hunt, explained that the Friends had been working together on the construction and erection of the board for some time, drawing on the knowledge and expertise of the members. She went on to thank Mark, Sue, Martin, Peter, Keith and Nick for their contributions. Donations for the funding of the board had been received from Ramsgate Town Council, Kent International Airport Consultative Committee (KIACC) and the previous Montefiore Action Project. The unveiling was performed by a hard-working member, Dave Welch, together with some of our youngest members.

There was also a seed and plant exchange stall and an informal celebratory picnic in the clearing adjacent to the wildflower meadow. This provided an opportunity for members and their friends and families to socialise and celebrate all that has been achieved by the volunteers during the past two years.

Councillor Michelle Fenner (Sir Moses Montefiore Ward) thanked the volunteers for all their hard work in this very special little woodland in its unique position within an otherwise urban environment. She emphasised that, having been granted Village Green Status, Montefiore Woodland is now protected against potential future development and will remain a green open space and woodland for local residents.

She added “We recognise the importance of this piece of woodland for Ramsgate and urge the public to look after it and to help the Friends of Montefiore Woodland in any way they can.”

NB The video of the information board unveiling can be found at this link https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w7gXWxpvDFU

The final Twilight Bat Walk for this summer is planned for Friday 29th August at the earlier time of 8pm (meet in the Clearing). The previous two walks have been well-attended and we all enjoyed using the bat detectors to gain several sightings.

Our Autumnal work parties resume on Sunday 12th October 10am – 1pm collecting litter, strimming the wildflower meadow (plus removal of cuttings), clearing of ground ivy and general tidying of the area .The next FMW committee meeting is on Thursday 25th September, 2014 at 7pm at Montefiore Medical Centre.

For more information visit www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk

Thanks to Nick and Dave for benches.

A second bench

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Members have continued to hold regular work parties and much has been achieved. Thinning of the trees has allowed the canopy to open letting light through to lower levels, hopefully encouraging a greater variety of feeding and nesting opportunities for animals and for diversity of flora. The bluebells planted during the autumn had their inaugural bloom adding colour and perfume to the area along with the flowering Cow Parsley hopefully these bulbs will multiply in years to come.

Three benches have now been positioned close to the wildflower meadow and have been welcomed by the local community. The meadow is in full growth and has encouraged a range of butterflies and insects to the area – a first sighting of the Orange-tip butterfly was seen in May and Marbled White and Small Skipper have also been seen recently as well as the more familiar butterflies. Once again the members will survey the numbers for the national Big Butterfly Count on Sunday 27th July between 12noon and 1:30pm and a general tidy up is planned for the same time.

Following the success of last year’s Bat walk, the Friends decided to contribute to the National Sunset Bat Survey by holding monthly Twilight Bat Walks, the first being Friday 27th June. It was a beautiful evening, ideal for this walk. Again this was well attended and with the aid of the recently purchased bat detectors several bats were seen much to the delight of those present. Our next Twilight Bat Walk is on Saturday 26th July meet in the clearing at 9pm. (weather permitting)

For more information visit our website: http://montefiorewoodland.org.uk

Ring-necked parakeet Photo John Keith Ross

BBC programme Spring Watch film in Woodland

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Thanks to a member of the Friends bird feeders are regular stocked with seed and birds can be seen visiting these, including the controversial Ring-necked Parakeet. Recently a cameraman from the BBC programme Spring Watch was in the area recording these birds and who knows footage may be used during the forthcoming series?

Our next work party is planned for Sunday 1st June 10am -1pm (weather permitting) and activities this summer include Big Butterfly Count (and tidy up) Sunday 27th July, 2014 and following the success of last year’s Bat walk, the Friends have decided to contribute to the National Sunset Bat Survey by holding monthly Twilight Bat Walks, the first being Friday 27th June meeting in the clearing at 9pm.

For more information visit our website: http://montefiorewoodland.org.uk

LATEST NEWS: Montefiore Woodland was used on the progamme!

Richard Taylor-Jones filmed there, twice!

Village Green Status

Montefiore Woodland safeguarded as a community asset – Village Green status

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A woodland area in Ramsgate has been given Village Green Status. This means Montefiore Woodland is now protected against potential future development and will remain a green open space and woodland for local residents.

Councillors Michelle Fenner and Alan Poole for Sir Moses Montefiore Ward are delighted with the outcome.

They had organised the land transfer from Thanet District Council to Ramsgate Town Council negotiated funding for its maintenance and were instrumental in setting up the Friends of Montefiore Woodland (FMW) in 2011.

The councillors supported and provided funding to FMW and requested Ramsgate Town Council apply for Village Green status.

A statement from Councillors Michelle Fenner and Alan Poole thanked the Montefiore Action Project for donating their funds to FMW.

It added “We recognised the importance of this piece of woodland for Ramsgate and throughout the last few years we have delivered on protecting Montefiore Wood as a community asset for all to enjoy. We urge the public to look after it and help the Friends of Montefiore Woodland in any way they can.”

Future events include a work party collecting litter, chipping wood, removing ground ivy and clearing the area on Friday 11th April at 10am. There is a FMW committee meeting on Thursday 24th April at 7pm at Montefiore Medical Centre.

For more information visit www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk