Introduction

This edition of our Newsletter takes us from the autumn season

where the work of the coppicing group begins, to the season of new life and

joy which starts in spring. We would like to show you how our woods are

changing during this beautiful time and what needed to be done to help

them develop when they all wake up from the winter snooze. Thanks to

Stuart we also continue with the Fixed Point Photography part 2.

In this Newsletter we also put a note which we would like you to accept as an invitation to our

Annual General Meeting. Not having a separate piece of paper makes life so much easier for

members who deliver our newsletters.

Agy O’Brien

Friends of Ashenground & Bolnore Woods

Annual General Meeting

which will be held

at 14:00 Sunday 7th February 2016

Ashenground Community Centre

Southdown Close

Haywards Heath

RH16 4JR

Annual General Meeting – a message from the Chair The meeting will start with the usual business including a review of our

activities this year, plans for the coming year, and elections of officers &

committee members. If you are interested in joining the committee (or

helping in any other way) please let me know.

After the formal part of the AGM, Michael Blencowe, Sussex Wildlife

Trust’s Community Wildlife Officer, will talk about the Butterflies and

Moths of Sussex – a lovely reminder of summer in these dreary winter

days.

Our subscription year ends on 31 December, so renewals are due now.

Please see the separate notice from the treasurer.

Thank you for your support of ‘Friends’ over the past year. I hope very

much to see you on Sunday 7 February.

Lorraine Maynard (07802 16227

FRIENDS OF ASHENGROUND AND BOLNORE WOODS

conservation, protection, enhancement, enjoyment

NEWSLETTER SPRING 2016

Why are our woods changing? (Part 2)

From the last newsletter ..." Our woods are changing, and most of the change is caused by

people..."

In this issue, let's look at an example. One of the most beautiful times of year in the woods is when

the spring flowers are blooming, but even bluebells will stop blooming if the woods get too dark, and

historically Ashenground Wood in particular had become very dark - older members remembered it

as a much brighter place than the dark woodland it had become.

To let light into the wood, and improve it for species like dormice which need an active understory, in

2007 FoABW led a plan to create a new glade in its centre. To do this, four giant oaks had to be

felled (subsequently much of the timber was used in the woods and for sculptural work in Bolnore

Village) to allow the hazel and other species to regenerate.

These picture show how successful this has been, with the glade now a mass of green regeneration,

and soon we shall need to think about coppicing the hazel in patches to give the varied age range

which is best for wildlife - and it will allow us to refresh the beautiful bluebells once again!

Central clearing, Spring 2008, felled trees

visible where clearing created Central clearing, Spring 2010, hazel

regeneration clearly visible

Central clearing, Spring 2011, after 3 years

very good, strong, regeneration visible

Central clearing, Spring 2012, limited

coppicing has been done to encourage hazel

Central clearing, Spring 2014, after 7 years,

the clearing is now dense regeneration

Central clearing, Spring 2015, and the

bluebells are still just visible. More coppicing

needed soon? Can you help us!

Stuart Meier

– 2 –

Leaves are falling - the nature is preparing for winter

Beginning of

autumn - our

woods are

changing. Trees

are more relaxed,

the sap has

stopped rising,

leaves change

colour, and fall to

the damp ground below, getting ready for

winter. During the warm seasons the trees use

the chlorophyll in their leaves to convert the

energy in sunlight using carbon dioxide and

water to make glucose, which can be stored.

The oxygen which gives us our lives is

produced as a by-product of this process –

photosynthesis. As autumn progresses we

witness this beautiful transformation. The

colours change - simply because chlorophyll

included in green leaves is lost, allowing us to

see the dyes of autumn. Thanks to Mother

Nature every year our eyes are treated to a

spectacular colour feast. During the winter

photosynthesis becomes difficult or sometimes

impossible due to frozen earth and lack of

sunshine. Come spring time the stored

nutrients will boost new life in the trees and

produce green healthy leaves and springy,

strong branches. Late autumn brings a lot of

changes not just for the trees but also for all

animals living in the surrounding woods. While

we estimate our heating bill for a new season,

a lot of our small wild neighbours collect fruits

and seeds to help them survive during our cold

winters. Ashenground and Bolnore Woods

offer a big variety of food resources for our

lovely woods’ tenants. The woods supply

squirrels, hedge hogs, mice and many other

animals and birds with hazelnuts, beech seeds,

acorns and a lot of delicious berries. While

walking through the woods you may be lucky

enough to have a peep at how busy the

animals are. It takes a lot of hard work and

courage to fill their stores with food which the

forest supplies for them and their families

through the harsh winter conditions.

Agy O’Brien

When was the last time you saw a hedgehog?

British hedgehog numbers have plummeted from some 30 million in the 1950s to around 1 million

today, so the chances are that you haven’t seen one for a while.

There are thought to be a number of reasons for the hedgehog decline including the move towards

tidy, sterile gardens isolated from one another by impenetrable fences which restrict movement.

Other factors include intensive agriculture including loss of hedgerows, pesticides reducing the

availability of food, land development, road construction, lack of shelter in our towns and suburbs,

predation, and climate change affecting hibernation.

In addition to helping to conserve the valuable hedgerow habitats in and around Ashenground and

Bolnore Woods, you can also help hedgehogs in your own gardens.

The Peoples Trust for Endangered Species and the

British Hedgehog Preservation Society have launched

the ‘Hedgehog Street’ initiative, which is encouraging

people to make their gardens ‘hedgehog-friendly’. This

includes ensuring small (13cm) holes in any fences to

give hedgehogs access to a network of other

hedgehog-friendly gardens.

For more information on what you can do to help our

prickly friends, please check out the ‘Hedgehog Street’ website at http://www.hedgehogstreet.org

Patrick Burke

– 3 –

‘Four men went to mow’ meets ‘One wheel on my waggon and

I’m still rolling along…’

Four men, one petrol mower, some hand tools, and heavy rain forecast. What

could possibly go wrong? After a couple of hours of successful cutting back

the undergrowth along Railway Shaw, the rain was increasing and we decided

to ‘call it a morning’. Just as we crossed the brook, the undergrowth fought

back and the mower developed a mind of its own trying to go round in circles.

On closer inspection we realised that one of its two wheels had been

punctured by an inch-long blackthorn spike. It’s not easy trying to drive a

lopsided mower. Fortunately we were able to detach the unwieldy cutting

blade and carry it back in our wheelbarrow. That made it a bit easier to

reverse the body of the mower half a mile back to base for repairs. It added

some extra excitement to an otherwise uneventful morning of mowing.

Patrick Burke

2016 Subscriptions A reminder that the annual subscription renewals fall due on 4th January.

The committee is very grateful to those who pay more than the minimum of £5.

Paying by standing orders reduces administration costs. If you do not already pay in this way, an addressed

envelope has been provided; please do one of the following.

* Pay by bank transfer to account no. 10021310, sort code 60-10-26, giving your surname & initials as reference

* Set up a standing order by requesting the appropriate form from me.

* Send me a cheque, payable to FoABW.

Thanks for your continuing support.

Peter McKerchar, Membership Secretary & Treasurer

Spring reminder Mid Sussex Marathon is going to take place

between Saturday 30th April and Monday 2nd May

2016. FoABW will help to monitor the part of the

route through our woods on Sunday 1st May making

sure the runners stay on paths and routes. This part

of the event usually takes around 2 hours between

10 am and 12 pm. You’re more than welcome to join

us.

As the spring is our door step we would like to kindly

remind our residents to consider the beauty that

comes with the new season. Our wood’s

undergrowth will boost with new life. Plenty of

bluebells, crocuses and daffodils will create the

colourful carpet all over again. Please remember to

stay on paths and do not disturb this beautiful spring

scenery.

The Coppicing Group A new coppicing group has been set up by the Friends of Ashenground and Bolnore Woods to look after our

woods this winter. It will meet twice monthly. If you want to know how ancient woods are managed, or to meet other local people who care about the environment, come to the Thatched Cottage at 10am on the 1st Sunday and the 3rd Saturday every month, for 2-3 hours. Come when you can!

Please wear suitable boots/shoes. We supply the hand tools needed. For more details please call Stuart on 07711 741947 or Gill on 01444 415339.

– 4 –

Published by Friends of Ashenground and Bolnore Woods,

c/o Gill Rogers 59 Sussex Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4ED tel: 01444 415339

c/o Gill Rogers 59 Sussex Road, Haywards Heath, RH16 4ED tel: 01444 415339