Sapling planting

Woodland Work Parties (January – March, 2014) and Village Green status

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Over the winter all work parties have been able to take place despite the poor weather conditions removing fallen trees/boughs as a result of the challenging winter storms. Much has been achieved, especially with the thinning of the trees as had been advised, thus opening up the canopy and allowing more light to the woodland floor which will hopefully allow an opportunity to increase the diversity in plant life. At some stage we need to tackle to the prolific ground ivy…..

Last weekend volunteers were joined by the local Montessori Pre-school (Whitecliffs) and their supportive parents to plant the saplings (previously donated by the Woodland Trust). These had been nurtured over the winter on our behalf. The pre-school regularly use the woodland for Forest School activities and is an excellent opportunity to encourage a positive interest in nature and wildlife in the young.

Finally the Friends of Montefiore Woodland were delighted to learn from Ramsgate Town Council this week that it had been successful in its application to protect the Woodland from future development, by having the land registered as a Village Green.

As RTC state;

“The new Village Green status won’t affect the day to day work of the volunteers or Council, but in the long term whatever happens in the rest of Ramsgate there will still be a piece of woodland for residents and visitors to visit long into the future”.

Our next work party is scheduled for Friday 11th April from 10am – 4:30 pm (weather permitting) and we have been fortunate in obtaining the use of a chipper once again from Brandon Hire at a discounted rate.

We are most grateful to them for their support with this community woodland. The following week Wednesday 16th April we have a further work party planned as we are hoping to spread the resulting chippings along the pathways.

So if you are free for anytime during these hours we will be pleased to see you! (It may be useful to bring a spade and wheelbarrow along, too).

AGM photo

2014 Annual Report from the Committee

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What a difference a year makes when you have an enthusiastic team of volunteers working in a woodland. Members of the public using the woodland frequently remark on the improvements and the fact that the area now feels safer and more welcoming.

The wildflower meadow blossomed over the summer, producing a wide range of wild flowers, which in turn encouraged many species of butterfly to visit. The meadow was mown at the end of the season and the cuttings spread in various areas of the Woodland.

Members of the public were invited to join us for the Butterfly Day in August, when we participated in the Big Butterfly count.

This was followed in August by a Bat Walk and Moth Evening, which were very well attended. Both events organised by Sue Smith.

Sponsored bird and bat boxes were installed in the woodland and monitored throughout the season. There was little take up by the birds but hopefully this year will be better now that they have had more time to choose their nesting sites.

Some trees, which were deemed to be unsafe or unhealthy, have been removed together with some of the fast growing saplings.   This allows more light into the lower levels, encouraging a greater diversity of wildlife. Dave Welch Is using some of the larger pieces of wood to construct rustic seating and log piles are created to provide shelter for wildlife. The loan of a chipper from Brandon Hire was greatly appreciated. The resultant wood chippings were used to improve the pathways. We were given 30 small native trees by the Woodland Trust and these have been planted by various members of the community. A further package of hedging plants has been applied for.

Thanks to a generous donation from the Montefiore Arms we were able to purchase and plant up a clearing with native bluebells.

The Group’s efforts were acknowledged by Kent Wildlife Trust with a Bronze award from their ‘ Wild About Gardens Scheme’.

Councillors Fenner and Poole assisted in applying for Village Green status from KCC, which will protect the land from development by builders.

Several members of the Friends’ group have been involved in designing an interpretation board which is currently being made and which will be installed just inside the woodland. The cost of the board has been funded by Thanet District Council and Kent International Airport Consultative Committee.

The Woodland is being used on a regular basis by the Forest School from Whitecliffs Nursery allowing the children to engage in a range of activities fostering a greater knowledge and appreciation of wildlife.

The committee continues to meet on a regular basis in the Montefiore Medical Centre and additional work schedule planning meetings are held from time to time.

We are greatly encouraged by the number of volunteers who regularly attend the work parties and appreciate the improvements they have made to the woodland. We are also grateful to supporters who have made donations to the Friends of Montefiore Woodland. Particular mention must be made of the very generous donation from the Montefiore Action Project when that organisation was wound up and the balance of their funds transferred to the Friends of Montefiore Woodland group.

People using the woodland frequently remark on the improvements and the fact that the area now feels safer and more welcoming.

A big thank you also goes to our supporters who regularly monitor and record the wildlife – birds, plants, butterflies, trees and bats.

All in all a very successful year for the Woodland project.

Lisa Hunt

Chair

MAP donation

Generous donation surprises and delights the Friends.  

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Prior to the Friends of Montefiore Woodland being formed, there was a group known as MAP (Montefiore Action Project) over-seeing the Woodland site. This group was active between 1999 and 2008 and their initial concern was regarding prospective development of the site prior to the building of the medical centre, as well as clearing rubbish and caring for the area. Since taking over the management of the site The Friends found and repaired nest boxes installed by MAP, which had been built by pupils from the then, Hereson School.

Recently MAP contacted the Friends wishing to meet and donate their remaining funds to the Friends of Montefiore Woodland.  The two groups met on Tuesday 4th February at the Montefiore Arms Public House, which is where the group used to hold their meetings. (Thanks to Andy for his hospitality.) Members from both groups discussed the work within the woodland, past, present and future. The chairman of MAP, Steve Ward, surprised and delighted the Friends Group with the extremely generous donation of over £6,000 to support continuing maintenance of the Woodland area.

The Friends of Montefiore Woodland are extremely grateful and see this as an act of confidence in the group’s aims and an appreciation of the work carried out by our volunteers.  We hope to prove our selves to be worthy recipients and will ensure that the funds are best applied for the maintenance of this valuable site.

The Friends continue to hold twice monthly work parties the next planned being Sunday 23rd February between 10am – 1pm (weather permitting). All are welcome for as little or as long as you are free!

For more information visit our website: www.montefiorewoodland.org.uk

Forest School

Fine weather for fruitful November work parties (Sunday 17th November and Wednesday 27th November (the last for the year).

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Several saplings that had been nurtured by individual members over the summer were planted (helped by the visiting Forest School from White Cliffs Montessori Pre-School) along with 1,000 native English Bluebells (kindly donated by Montefiore Arms earlier this year). These were planted in an area where the trees had been thinned to allow more light through the canopy. Many plants and animals rely on sections of woodland being cut down from time to time, to encourage diversity.

It was surprising how quickly the bulbs were planted although it was commented that the woodland could have absorbed 10,000!!! We look forward to seeing these in bloom next spring (although the first flowering may be less than in subsequent years).

Unsightly prunings were cleared, much of which used to continue the dry hedge for nesting birds and other animals next spring. Remaining logs were piled as homes for the wee creatures in the hope that they will not be disturbed, but left for the wildlife. Larger pieces have been kept for more rustic furniture planned to be created in future months. For more information visit: http://montefiorewoodland.org.uk

October work party – chips away

October work party – chips away!

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After the worst storm for many years, the Friends of Montefiore Woodland held a productive work party on Wednesday 30th October in glorious autumn sunshine.

A priority of the group this autumn/winter is to thin some of the woodland thus opening up the canopy to allow more light through to the floor thus hopefully encouraging diversity in flora. Thanks to Dave and Ron, an area had recently been cleared, resulting in a pile of wood needing to be chipped.

The Friends of Montefiore Woodland would like to thank Brandon Hire for their community support on Wednesday with the loan of an industrial chipper to assist with this task. They kindly arranged for the chipper to be delivered and collected and the use of this machine made an enormous difference! The members present at this extended session were impressed at how speedily it cleared the wood plus the resulting chippings improved the pathways.

Meanwhile additional members set to work removing ground ivy in preparation for the Bluebell planting at our next work party on Sunday 17th November between 10am and 1pm. Do join us if you are available!

Kent Wildlife Trust Award

Montefiore Woodland – receives Kent Wildlife Trust “Wild about Gardens” Bronze Award.

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Montefiore Woodland was recently awarded the Kent Wildlife Trust (supported by TDC) “Wild about Gardens” Bronze Award.

Dave Welch and Nick Rankin, volunteers from the Friends of Montefiore Woodland, were pleased to attend the presentation on Tuesday 15th October at the Trinity Resource Centre at Margate. (See attached photo Dave Welch being presented with the award).

Montefiore Woodland held a very successful first work party of the Autumn on Saturday Sept 29th where much was achieved, the wildflower meadow received its inaugural cut and the clippings were removed to ensure low nutrient levels in the soil to suppress coarse grasses. Preparations began to clear the area adjacent to the pathways for November’s Bluebell planting, as well.

The Woodland’s next work party is planned for Wednesday 30th October between 10am – 1pm (weather permitting). Tasks include: wood stacking for chipping, the removal of small shoots from trees and to continue to clear the area alongside the edges of the main path of ground ivy in preparation for next month’s Bluebell bulb planting.

Look forward to seeing you there for as long or as little as you are available!

Montefiore Woodland Bat Walk

Montefiore Woodland’s Bat Talk, Walk and Moth Evening – 10th August 8pm – 10:30pm

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Sue Smith 20th August, 2013

Approximately 70 people of all ages, enjoyed this fascinating evening (which coincided with National Moth Nights 2013) discovering more about these mysterious, nocturnal visitors to our local area, thanks to the knowledge shared by the two visiting specialists Shirley Thompson from Kent Bat Group www.kentbatgroup.org.uk and David Gardner – Butterfly Conservation/Kent Moths www.kentbutterflies.org/

Shirley began our event with a talk and shared many interesting facts about bats living in Kent especially Common Pipistrelle which were later identified as the species residing in the area, thanks to the Bat Detectors she had kindly brought along for the visitors to use during our walk to and from King George VI Park and around Montefiore Woodland itself.

Much to the delight of many, especially the children, she had even brought along a two bats that she is at present rehabilitating!

Bats use high frequency calls normally beyond the range of human hearing to build up a sound picture of their surroundings.  This echolocation system enables them to wing their way through the dark night hunting the tiniest of insects.  A bat detector makes these echolocation calls audible to humans – and because different bat species hunt different prey and are different sizes, they make different calls thus helping to identify them.

During the walk we were all able to hear (via the Bat Detectors) and see at least five different Pipistrelles on the wing as they were hunting their insect prey.

Once we had returned to the Woodland, David Gardner, Moth specialist from Butterfly Conservation had set up his trap. With his UV lights powered by a generator he had brought with him, many moths of all shapes, sizes and colours were being lured towards his trap. David then placed individual moths in a pot and identified them sharing much information about each species, whether they reside locally or are migratory and other interesting facts, at the same time passing them around for visitors to observe at close range. Interestingly, there are 58 species of butterfly to be found within the UK but over 2000 species of moth and some are even more stunning than butterflies!

Many pleasing comments were heard from visitors leaving the woodland and emails sent to: montefiorewoodland@gmail.com including:

 

“We found the Bat/moth walk & talk on Sat evening fascinating, thank you!”

 

“The moth expert was a fascinating man who made his subject matter really engaging for the whole family”.

 

Some of the visitors (many of which had lived in Ramsgate for many years) were completely unaware of this area available for the community to enjoy!

 

The Friends of Montefiore Woodland would like to thank specialists David and Shirley for kindly supporting this event (free of charge) and helping to make this an interesting and memorable evening!

 

For more information about Montefiore Woodland: http://montefiorewoodland.org.uk

 

big butterfly count 2013

big butterfly count 2013

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Last Sunday 21st July, the Friends of Montefiore Woodland supported the big butterfly count by holding a butterfly count within the woodland. This is a nationwide survey aimed at helping to assess the health of our environment. It was launched in 2010 and has become the world’s biggest survey of butterflies!

“Butterflies react very quickly to change in their environment which makes them excellent biodiversity indication” www.bigbutterflycount.org

Despite the poor spring weather this year, seven species were recorded including: Large White, Small White, Meadow Brown, Gatekeeper, Speckled Wood, Red Admiral and Comma.

On Saturday 10th August the Friends of Montefiore Woodland are holding an exciting special FREE event: Bat Talk, Walk and Moth Evening at 8pm – 10:15pm.

We are delighted to be joined by Kent experts Shirley Thompson (Kent Bat Group) and David Gardner (Butterfly Conservation/Kent Moths).

Come along to this interesting evening and find out more about these beautiful, mysterious, nocturnal visitors to our local area.

For further details visit our website: montefiorewoodland.org.uk or contact: montefiorewoodland@gmail.com

 

Montefiore Arms donation

Montefiore Arms’ donation

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Many thanks to Andy, Landlord of the Montefiore Arms Public House (recent winner of this year’s Camra Thanet Branch Pub of the Year) for generously donating £176 from a Raffle to the Friends of Montefiore Woodland for the purchase of spring native bulbs for which the Friends are very grateful! We would like to develop a carpet of bluebells, especially as this species is under threat from the sturdier Spanish bluebell. We look forward to purchasing and planting these and other plants in the autumn and are sure the local community will gain much delight from walking through the woodland and seeing these in bloom in future years!

Holly Blue NB Black dots on underside

Butterfly Day in support of Save our Butterflies Week (18th – 26th May)

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Last Sunday 26th May, Montefiore Woodland held a successful Butterfly Day to support Save our Butterflies Week (18th – 26th May). This was an opportunity for members of the public to learn about the species of butterfly that can be seen within the woodland and in the local area! Despite the poor weather this spring, by mid-day the sun emerged from the clouds and the butterflies took to the wing to the pleasure of the steady number of visitors that attended this event. In total varying numbers of six species were seen including: Speckled Wood, Small, Large and Green-Veined White, Holly Blue and Comma.