Friends of Montefiore Woodland Annual Report 2026 given by Chair at AGM

The Friends of Montefiore Woodland Group was formed in 2011 which means we have now been managing this woodland site for 15 years. The area continues to be recognised and valued as a tranquil green space, enjoyed by the community and the various species of wildlife.

We continue with our efforts to improve the wildflower meadow, trying out different strategies to reduce the grasses and increase the number and variety of native flowering plants.

Thank you to Dave Welch for cutting the grass at the end of the summer and organising the resultant hay gathering. Also to Trevor Cooper for grass cutting.

Sue continues with the weekly butterfly transect from April to September. The Woodland group also participated in last year’s national Big Butterfly count and look forward to the same again this year.

Sue and Dave regularly monitored the bird boxes during the nesting season which showed an increase on the previous year. Statistics are submitted to BTO Nest Record Scheme.

 The Big Garden Bird count appeared to show the numbers of birds were slightly down on the previous year.

Following the recommendations of various experts it was decided that we would stop putting out feed for the birds as there is a plentiful supply of insects and berries within the Woodland. The cost of bird food continues to rise and funds are needed for other items.

Pat and Gerry were thanked for their continuing support over the years.

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

Monthly Woodland working sessions continue to be friendly and enjoyable occasions. Members enjoy sharing knowledge and information as well as knowing that their efforts really do make a difference.

Most sessions have continued to be quite well attended this year with probably an average of 10 volunteers per session. We are always aware of the need to recruit new members, especially more younger people to help with the many tasks involved in woodland management. Ivy needs to be kept under control to prevent it from smothering the trees and damaging the surrounding walls. The invasive Alexander plant is a big problem as it tends to dominate the woodland preventing a wider variety of flora establishing. We do cut back as much as possible as well as digging out the very deep tap roots and removing seeds. We can see that some progress has been made with this. Then there are the brambles which grow at a tremendous rate.

We are pleased to retain some for the benefit of wildlife but there is the need to keep the pathways clear. Never ending tasks.

Thank you to Dave for organising the delivery and spreading of wood chippings along the footpaths making them more user friendly and deterring people from trampling other areas.

Under the guidance of Dave, our tree specialist, some trees which were dangerous or diseased have been removed with the help of tree surgeons directed by Ramsgate Town council. The remains of these trees are left to rot down in the woodland as they provide excellent food and shelter for wildlife.

The hornbeam we planted as our coronation tree is thriving as well as the native oak which had been grown from an acorn by volunteers Phil and Irene.

The native hedge planted along the edge of the wildflower garden is also thriving and putting on good growth.

Bat walks on summer evenings through the Woodland and George VI Park are increasingly popular with people of all ages thanks in part to items published by James Bothram. There is no charge to those attending but after each walk a request is made for voluntary donations, which are forwarded to the Kent Bat Group in support of their work. This year we were able to remit £84.27 to that group.

Sue and Peter Smith continue to do an excellent job in keeping the website up to date and looking good. We also have a face book presence which is useful for announcing current events and sharing information on wildlife issues.

We are very grateful for the donations received from supporters this year including the donation of … from Cllr Tony Ovenden and regular payments from our treasurer Jeffery Frampton.

We appreciate the support received from Ramsgate Town Council and were very pleased to be supplied with Hi-viz vests printed with ‘Montefiore Woodland Volunteer’. This will help to promote the work parties and identify volunteers working in the Woodland.

The lock up container they provided us with for storage of tools and equipment is a great asset. We have not yet managed to get it painted but further efforts will be made.

We are pleased to continue our links with the Montefiore Heritage Group. Members attend their talks and particularly enjoy their concerts held annually in the Synagogue.

We also thank the Petticoat Lane Emporium for the use of this room for our meetings.

Most of all we must thank our committee members and the volunteers who give their time and effort to maintaining and improving the Montefiore Woodland.

Lisa Hunt

Chair, Friends of Montefiore Woodland.