Friends of BedgeburyMagazine Issue 6Autumn/Winter2015 www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Welcomeby Katherine Jary, Friends Manager As I write this, we are coming to the end of another busier than ever summer season at Bedgebury. During this hectic period of play and cycling, picnics and tree-top adventures, it is perhaps easy for many of our members and visitors to overlook the asset that makes Bedgebury truly unique among the many outdoor recreation venues in the South East and the UK: the National Pinetum. Those of you who visit regularly for quiet walks and beautiful scenery will know that the Pinetum is a peaceful haven of extraordinary trees, diverse ecology and stunning views, but how many of you know about the important seed collecting, propagation and planting activities that Bedgebury undertakes with its international partners and the massive contribution that we make to the international tree conservation effort as a result?

As the information (or “interpretation” as we refer to it) so stunningly displayed on the wall of the new enclosed atrium at the Visitor Centre will tell you, Bedgebury is the product of, and a modern day hub for, a plant hunting tradition that dates back centuries. Our own plant hunter, Dan Luscombe, is in the USA this autumn with partners from Oxford and Westonbirt to collect seed from many rare and endangered broadleaf and conifer species. My Forestry Commission colleagues and I are often asked why teams from the UK travel the world to collect seed for storage and propagation here in the UK when they could perhaps be popped in the post to us by locals! The truth is that Bedgebury and our international partner organisations have unique and important skills and expertise that are rarely available locally. Consequently, if we want to contribute to the Millennium Seed Bank and continue our role in ex-situ tree conservation efforts, we must travel the world.

The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum will be paying for this year’s USA expedition using funds raised from donations, sponsorship and membership subscriptions. We will also be sending one of our own team, Luke Wallace, to help Dan and his colleagues record the trip and share it with our stakeholders. The Friends’ fund-raising efforts have been supporting these expeditions for years and we are very proud of their many extraordinary outcomes. Previous expeditions to New Zealand, Australia, China, Vietnam, USA, Spain, Serbia, Turkey, Japan and Chile have all yielded important seed collections, and many have produced some exciting firsts in the plant world. Included among these are the 18 seedlings of Xanthocyparis vietnamensis (a conifer endangered in its natural habitat) that have been propagated in our nursery, and which were so beautifully displayed on the Guardians of the Areng Valley Exhibition boards this summer. These seedlings are the only ones of this species in the world to have germinated successfully from wild-collected seed, a phenomenal achievement for the small team here at Bedgebury.

We will, therefore, take a little time in this edition to tell you about some of the amazing Pinetum stories that have only been possible because of our members’ financial support whilst sharing with you the Forestry Commission’s preparations for the 2015 USA expedition.

Friends of BedgeburyMagazine Issue 6Autumn/Winter2015

Cover: The bark of the Scots Pine Pinus sylvestris.

The Scots Pine is one of just three conifers that are native to the British Isles. This is not many when you consider that in just one square mile of California, known as the ‘miracle mile’, 18 native species can be found. A team from Bedgebury will be heading to California and other states in the Pacific Northwest this autumn on a seed collecting expedition that is being funded and supported by the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum.

www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Editors: Katherine Jary and Luke Wallace

Proof Readers: Elspeth Hill, Jeanette Armstrong and John Gordon

Contributing Photographers: Fraser Allen, Luke Wallace, Laurence Herring, Edward Parker, Katherine Jary and Daniel Luscombe.

Contributing Florilegium Artists: Pearl Bostock and Helen Hiorns.

Design: Fraser Allen

Printed on FSC certified paper.

Welcome 1

Editor’s Letter 2

Introducing… 4

The Friends’ 2015 Survey 6

Corporate Volunteering 7

The Meadow Grasslands of Bedgebury Pinetum 8

Meet the Operations Team 12

Sport at Bedgebury 14

Events and Activities 16

Fungi at Bedgebury 19

A Brief History of Plants 22

Philip Drury – Bedgebury’s Propagator 25

Bedgebury’s 2015 Expedition to the USA 28

Bedgebury and our Partners 30

Membership Information 32

Notice Board 33

Vietnamese Golden Cypress Xanthocyparis vietnamensis

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Team will take over, giving the young trees all the care and attention they need. Find out about all the individuals behind this sterling work on pages 12 and 13.

Over the winter period, you may notice the odd area of grassland in the Pinetum that has been left untouched. This is a form of careful management that helps to support the wider ecosystem and the diversity in the meadows which we see each spring and summer. You can read about our meadow grasslands on pages 8 to 11. Whilst you won’t see wildflowers in our grasslands at this time of year, you will find a multitude of different fruiting fungi. It is important to remember that Bedgebury operates a “No Picking” policy for our fungi, and our experts explain why on pages 19 to 21.

Of course, Bedgebury isn’t just about plant conservation or a place for people to enjoy botanical specimens and wildlife. For many, the trees are simply a picturesque backdrop for some hi-octane mountain-bike riding. On pages 14 and 15, David Cole, the Manager of Quench, discusses the role that Quench plays in delivering the quality mountain-

biking experience that so many of our visitors enjoy, whilst Mark Luckhurst, Bedgebury’s Active Forest Coordinator, outlines the various sporting activities and groups that are available on site. For all our non-sporting events and activities this autumn and winter, including several Forestry Commission children’s events, information on the forthcoming Gruffalo Orienteering Trail and our festive plans for the Christmas period, turn to pages 16 and 17.

Whatever your reason for visiting Bedgebury, trees are sure to feature somewhere. Indeed, it is our internationally important collection of trees that makes Bedgebury truly unique. It is, therefore, sobering to think that the seeds collected by the team in the USA this year won’t reach their full potential in the Pinetum for centuries. At a time when Shakespeare was still writing plays and Galileo had just built his first telescope, some of the biggest trees you see in the Pinetum today were just getting started. It is impossible to imagine what the next generation of Bedgebury trees will see during their lifetime…USA seed-collecting expeditionLake Quinault

Editor’s Letterby Luke Wallace

“Trees are your best antiques”Alexander Smith – Books and Gardens 1946

We know that humans are capable of destroying habitats with some efficiency, but that when we put our minds to it, we are similarly capable of restoring nearly all habitats to their full potential. Grasslands, heathlands and wetlands (all of which can be found at Bedgebury) are good examples of fully functioning ecosystems that can be created within a person’s lifetime. Forest environments, however, are the only examples of terrestrial habitats that take longer to form than any human lifespan. Forests are, of course, defined by mature trees and creating a world-leading collection of mature trees is the goal of the team at Bedgebury Pinetum.

In this edition of the magazine, we consider the journey from seed to tree, as explained by the team at Bedgebury who are responsible for collecting, growing and maintaining some

of world’s most threatened plant species. The Forestry Commission’s new Manager, Patrick West, starts this edition by sharing his thoughts on the Pinetum and his objectives for Bedgebury, as he starts his new role (pages 4 to 6). He will be instrumental in planting the metaphorical seeds for the future of Bedgebury.

The most significant endeavour for the Pinetum team in 2015 will be the seed-collecting expedition to the Pacific Northwest region of North America. Dan Luscombe, Bedgebury’s Dendrologist, explains why these annual collecting trips are so necessary and why they chose the Pacific Northwest for their efforts this year (pages 28 and 29). Once the collected seeds have been brought into the UK and have undergone a few important procedures, they will then be ready to begin the propagation process. To explain the complexity and challenges involved in seed propagation, we have spoken to Philip Drury who has been the Pinetum’s expert propagator for 18 years (pages 25 to 27).

Once the seedlings are large enough, they will be planted in the Pinetum and the Operations

Autumn Heather

Trees are sure to feature

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Introducing…Patrick West Bedgebury Manager

I started my career with the Forestry Commission in 2008 taking a job in a community woodland programme based in East London, south west Essex and north Kent. I spent a very enjoyable six years managing and developing a 520-hectare estate and working with charitable and private organisations to create new woodlands for people to enjoy.

When the chance came to join the Bedgebury team, I felt it was an opportunity to jump at. I was already aware of all the interesting work taking place at Bedgebury and felt it was something I wanted to get involved in. It also meant moving back to a part of Kent I know well, having grown up in the Tunbridge Wells area.

As I write this, I am approaching the end of my first six months with the Bedgebury team. I took over from Dominic Robinson at Easter, when he left to take up an exciting new role in our National Team. Dominic’s contribution to the continuing success of Bedgebury should be recognised, particularly the effort he and the team put in over the long winter months to refurbish the Visitor Centre and create our fantastic new Bedgebury Café.

I am fortunate to have taken on a job that allows me to get involved in all aspects of Bedgebury. The task of managing and developing the home of the National Conifer Collection alongside a high profile visitor attraction is an exciting challenge and I am looking forward to the years ahead.

What has struck me most during my first few months is how each week is very different from the last and how there is always something new on the horizon. Another aspect of Bedgebury which is not typical of the Forestry Commission is the relationship with the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum. Their support, both practical and financial, allows so much more to be done than would otherwise be possible.

The launch of The Guardians of the Areng Valley photographic exhibition took place during my first few weeks at Bedgebury and has left a lasting memory. The Pinetum is the perfect setting for these photographs and our preparations and the launch gave me a great introduction to Bedgebury.

The Forest Live concerts swiftly followed in June with two brilliant nights of music in the Pinetum. So much hard work goes into organising these concerts each year and their success is the result of a great team effort including the support of a large group of willing volunteers.

I have quickly learnt that Bedgebury is unique; it offers something for everyone. I have spent my first few months trying to understand what makes Bedgebury so special for our visitors and listening to the many different ideas about where and how we should invest our time and energy in the future. What is clear to me is that we want to do more at Bedgebury. Our task this autumn will, therefore, be to sit down, reflect on what we have already done, and think about how best to continue our role in the conservation of conifer trees whilst providing an exciting day out for those seeking more energetic activities. I look forward to telling you more about these plans in the future!

I have quickly learnt that Bedgebury is unique;

it offers something for everyone.

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Corporate Volunteeringat Bedgebury

Work with your colleagues on one of our challenging and vital landscape and conservation projects, then pause

for lunch in the Bedgebury Café and enjoy the stunning views before embarking on a challenging tree-top

adventure with Go Ape™ or an exhilarating mountain bike ride with Quench Cycles through Bedgebury forest.

If you are responsible for Corporate Social Responsibility in your organisation, why not give us a call on 01580 879271

or e-mail volunteer@bedgeburypinetum.org.uk.

Let us help you develop your Corporate Social Responsibility programme at Bedgebury to offer your employees a unique, fun, challenging and memorable

alternative to traditional team building activities.

The Friends’ 2015 SurveyThe Friends of Bedgebury are important. We’d like to know a little more about you and what you think of Bedgebury, whether you visit every day or only from time to time. However frequent your visits, your views are important in helping us to shape our future decisions about your membership and the charity.

Whatever you have to say, we’d love to hear it.

We would be grateful if you would take the time to fill in this short, confidential questionnaire by following the link from our website:

www.bedgeburypinetum.org.ukAs a thank you, members completing the survey will be eligible to enter a prize draw for £200 (in your choice of John Lewis, Amazon or Marks & Spencer vouchers). The survey will close for submissions on 30 November 2015. For the detailed terms and conditions of the survey and prize draw, please see our website.

Thank you.

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The Meadow Grasslands of Bedgebury Pinetumby Luke Wallace

Meadow grassland has to be one of the most quintessentially attractive landscapes in the British Isles. It is also one of the most threatened, with a 97% loss of this habitat since 1930 – a staggering amount! This significant loss of meadow grassland is mainly the result of intensive farming (involving activities such as the mass application of chemical herbicides, large-scale drainage and the ploughing of grasslands for arable crops) which has had a detrimental effect on the natural environment in many ways. The upshot is that beautiful wildflower-rich grasslands have practically vanished from our countryside, along with the species that rely on them and the ecosystem services they provide. Here in Kent, ‘The Garden of England’, wildflower meadows can now only be found in places where they are specifically managed; places such as the National Pinetum at Bedgebury.

Bedgebury Pinetum started life in 1836 as the parkland of Bedgebury House, when displaying fashionably exotic plants in immaculately mown gardens was a growing fad of the time. The impact of all-year mowing in the Victorian era was negligible because so much grassland biodiversity still thrived in the British countryside and, as the lawnmower had only been invented a few years earlier, it must have been a remarkable and enticing new way to tame one’s estate. The irony of this is that the resulting transformation of the surrounding countryside

has meant that places like Bedgebury Pinetum, which once strove to suppress meadow grassland, now act as a sanctuary for this habitat and its precious wildlife.

Every year, large areas of the Pinetum are left unmown during the growing season. This is a concerted effort to promote the site’s two main types of meadow grassland; mesotrophic (associated with soils of a neutral pH) and acidic (soils with a low pH). If you imagine a line running down the centre of Dallimore Valley, from the car park all the way through to Marshal’s Lake, everything on the left is mostly mesotrophic and everything on the right is generally acidic. One of the reasons for this is that most of the land to the left was once agricultural and is, therefore, more fertile. Here, the dominant grass is Yorkshire Fog which is accompanied by wildflowers such as Knapweed, Rosebay

Willowherb, Bird’s-foot trefoil, Vetch and Clover – all of which are important food plants for many of our favourite invertebrates, such as butterflies and bees.

However, the acidic grassland to right of this line, and throughout much of the Pinetum, is a much rarer type of habitat in the lowlands of Britain, and contains more specialist wildlife. Some of the most striking wildflowers to be found in these areas are the orchids. In summer, large areas of the Pinetum are carpeted in white, pink and purple Common-spotted Orchids. Look closely among the Orchids and you can find some even more

Devil’s-bit Scabious flowers – an important food plant for so many insects

‘Stripy Pyjamas’ of the Yorkshire Fog – a diagnostic feature of the species

Honey bee on Knapweed

Conops quadrifasciatus

Places like Bedgebury Pinetum now act as a sanctuary for this habitat and its precious wildlife.

98

remarkable species, Euphrasia anglica being one such example. This beautiful, tiny flower has not been found anywhere else in the world apart from in Britain where it is found mainly in the south. Furthermore, it parasitizes the roots of the dominant grasses, limiting their ability to outcompete other species, which helps to improve the floral diversity.

As if the orchid flowering spectacle wasn’t good enough, once they have set seed and wilted away, the last dominant wildflower of the season comes to life, the Devil’s-bit Scabious. The thousands of perfectly-spherical mauve flowers create stunning landscape views across the Pinetum, comparable to the early-spring bluebell display, and on a warm and sunny day you would be hard-pressed to find a grassland

teaming with more invertebrates. In turn, this invertebrate biomass provides much needed food for the Pinetum’s birdlife, including one of the site’s rarest breeding birds, the Spotted-flycatcher, which arrives in Britain relatively late in the season. Of course, it’s not just birds that need this vital food resource; amphibians, reptiles and mammals will all take advantage of this biomass.

On the surface, managing these grasslands is fairly straightforward: simply cut the grass at the end of the flowering season and then leave it to grow and bloom in the following spring and summer. However, there are underlying nuances to maintaining healthy meadows that are not always appreciated. One of the key strategies to improve wildflower diversity and abundance is the removal of cuttings after mowing. This is crucial in keeping the soil impoverished as this will limit the dominance of generalist species that otherwise would outcompete more specialised and rarer species. There are also other considerations, such as leaving areas unmown over the winter period. Some invertebrates and ground flora require areas to be untouched for one or more years to complete their lifecycle. Other invertebrates, as well as amphibians and reptiles, simply need this habitat in which to overwinter. For bird watchers, one very evident benefit of unmown grass is the protection that it offers small mammals, a food source for birds of prey, and who couldn’t be lifted by the sight of a hunting Barn Owl on a winter’s afternoon?

From an anthropocentric but pragmatic viewpoint, the loss of wildflower grassland is bad news and pollinators are probably the best illustrator of this point. It is becoming clearer that a whole host of invertebrates are crucial to the pollination of our crops and the general health of our countryside. In the UK, at least one third of food production is dependent on pollinators. The contribution that bees, hoverflies and other pollinating insects make to our food production and economy is fundamental and irreplaceable.

Moreover, by maintaining long grassland at Bedgebury, not only are we supporting pollinators but we are reducing soil erosion, mitigating flood and drought events, increasing the uptake of pollutants and indirectly improving the health of the botanical collection (greater biodiversity means more predators which can effectively control pest species).

In the end, there’s always a balance to be struck and closely mown grass certainly has its merits. It does, after all, make it easier to have a picnic on a summer’s afternoon! However, the long grasslands at Bedgebury should never be thought of as the result of neglect or as an environment that detracts from the beauty of the place. In fact, this couldn’t be further from the truth! As well as their utilitarian benefits, meadow grasslands encourage people to explore, be inspired by, and generally engage with the associated bountiful wildlife. If we are to change attitudes, and therefore improve the future of our natural spaces, we must preserve these vital ecosystems. As these precious environments dwindle, it is imperative that places such as Bedgebury protect and promote, not just global tree species, but native wildflower meadows for future generations.

Euphrasia anglicaHoverfly in meadow grasslands

In the UK, at least one third of food production is dependent on pollinators.

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For more information on volunteering at Bedgebury visit: http://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/home/volunteering/ or www.boarsonbikes.co.uk/monthly-trail-build/

Meet the Operations Teamby John Allen, Operations Manager

Dan ‘DJ’ JenningsDJ is our Recreation Ranger and is responsible for the safety of the cycle and play facilities at Bedgebury. This, as you can imagine, involves a lot of paperwork, but you will also find Dan inspecting, fixing and maintaining

the play and cycle facilities. Dan is also the

key liaison between the Bedgebury Forest

Cycle Club and the Operations Team, helping

the Cycle Club with their trail building days

and related logistics.

With large scale changes having taken place in the Operations Team over the last 12 months there is now a new operational

dynamic at Bedgebury. Two team members have left us: Kevin Cooper, a long-serving craftsperson, has gained a job as a technical trainer for the Forestry Commission and James Roberts has joined the Forestry Commission’s Forest Services Plant Health Team (see page 21 for James’s contribution to the Fungi debate). With this change, and the resulting team restructuring, the dynamic of the team has changed, and, with it, our responsibilities. The Operations Team at Bedgebury has become “all-embracing” and, as such, is now responsible for the maintenance and development of the fabric of all the “built” and natural estate. You will find us working in the nursery growing critically endangered plants, building and maintaining cycle and play facilities, maintaining the grounds and collections as well as acting as a liaison between the Forestry Commission’s Forest Civil Engineering Team and the Forestry Commission Estates Department. To cover this multitude of activities, we have individual specialists responsible for certain key areas:

Dan Luscombe

As a world-leading conifer expert, Dan is the site’s Dendrologist. He sits on multiple committees including the Collections Working Group, The IUCN Specialist Conifer Committee, The Arboreta Advisory Committee

and many more. He is our resident plant expert and is responsible for deciding what is to be planted in or removed from the tree collection. These decisions are made using our Acquisition and Accession Policies which highlight the plants that are needed to complete the collection. Dan also manages our plant database for the site.

Julian Dormady

Julian, one of the

stalwarts of our

team, specialises

in the maintenance

of the Pinetum. Julian is a highly

skilled arborist and

machine operator

and is responsible

for supervising

works in the Pinetum as well as looking after

our machinery fleet. He also is the key link

between the Operations Team and the Friends’

Operational Volunteers, a critically important

element of the Operations Team at Bedgebury.

Philip and Fiona….

Philip is focused on

the stratification and

germination of new

planting stock for the

collection and we talk

about some of his

work in a little more

detail on pages 25

to 27 of this edition.

Often working with

critically endangered

species, Philip’s work

is at the leading

edge of the Forestry

Commission’s

arboreta

responsibilities and their management of

future timber species. Fiona works in the

nursery helping Philip to raise new plants for

the collection, but can also be found toiling

with other members of the team as they

maintain the Pinetum and forest.Warren, Bruce and Piers…

You will find this team out amongst the collection and the recreation facilities in all weathers! They have the unenviable task of keeping the grass cut (an area of 26 hectares or 260,000 square metres each time) as well as helping to manage the collection and maintain the recreation facilities.

Operational VolunteersThe Wednesday Wild Crew, The Sunday Group, The Labelling Team and The Boars Trail Builders are critical to operational delivery at Bedgebury. From collection management to building new cycle trails, their work is incredibly important to the site.

The Operations Team at Bedgebury has become “all-embracing”

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Sport at Bedgeburyby Mark Luckhurst, Active Forest Coordinator

I joined Bedgebury in January this year as an Active Forest Coordinator, funded by Sport England which is keen to increase participation in sports in the forest. I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know the numerous sports enjoyed by many at Bedgebury. It is difficult to go into as much detail as I would like for these sporting activities, such is the wide variety, but I’ll have a go!

Running in the forest is well catered for. We have a 5km marked trail and a 10km unmarked trail (maps available from the Visitor Centre). If you fancy some company, then join our friendly Bedgebury Forest Running Club, which caters for all abilities and meets for a run on Wednesday mornings. If you sign up for a course of 10 running sessions, you will be eligible for a £10 discount on your Friends of Bedgebury membership subscription for the year. For more information on the running club contact Sam on bedgeburyforestrunners@gmail.com or 07908 320058.

Mountain biking is equally well supported by the Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club which hosts regular Saturday and Wednesday rides for adults, ladies only and junior groups. Of particular note is the increasingly popular Junior Club on a Saturday, which caters for

two levels of ability. For more information visit www.boarsonbikes.co.uk. All of the cycling at Bedgebury is brilliantly supported by Quench Cycles, a professional bike hire, sales and repair shop. Visit www.quenchuk.co.uk/ for more information.

If you would like to try something a little less familiar to most, then orienteering is great fun and worth considering. There are four possible routes in the forest from the very easy to the more difficult, with maps available from the Visitor Centre.

If you have been inspired by the latest Hollywood blockbuster, ‘The Hunger Games’ then there’s always archery! Our archery courses are run by Arcus Archery, who cater for any ability level from the age of six. Sign up for an hour’s instruction or join one of their ‘have a go’ sessions. For more information visit www.arcusarchery.co.uk or ring Rob on 07856 924934.

Once you’ve completed your chosen activity, had a full body work out and enjoyed lunch in the Bedgebury Café, then it’s time to exercise your mind and soul. For this, take a stroll by the lakes and take a look at the multitude of rare trees in the Pinetum. Or you can just lie back, relax and look at the sky.

The Forestry Commission is working to encourage more people to get active in woods and forests in England, and is developing opportunities for people to take part in

sports and exercise. If you’ve recently completed sport and exercise (as an individual or as part of a group) at Bedgebury, please complete this short online survey at www.pages05.net/forestrycommission/activeforests to help us to develop the forest experience. As a thank you, all completed surveys will be entered into a draw for the following prizes: £500 worth of Forest Holiday vouchers, a mountain bike or a Discovery Pass.

I started Quench because I wanted other people to love cycling as much as I do. Quench Cycles’ mission statement, which is built around this principle, is:

“To get people cycling, allowing them to engage with and discover the thrill of the outdoors by creating accessible adventure through fun, excitement, education and challenge.”

We’re well known for providing bike hire, but we have expanded our fleet further and upgraded our standard bikes so that they all now have 27 gears, front air suspension and hydraulic brakes. We also have a good selection of full suspension bikes and electric bikes to hire and buy.

In addition to bike hire, and in line with our mission statement, we offer a wide range of complimentary services to enable you to keep cycling. These include free bike ‘health’ checks; servicing and repairs; parts and accessories; courses, coaching and tuition; and birthday parties.

Amongst other things, we have been working closely with a number of schools providing riding opportunities for their students, as well coaching and moderation for students’ GCSE PE modules. Our midweek “Real Spin” ladies’ cycling session continues to prove popular as a way of enjoying cycling and getting fit in a social, non-competitive environment.

Behind the scenes, we have been working with the Forestry Commission supporting the trail development work, and we are delighted that this has now come to a conclusion with all of the trails now open. The bike club continues to help maintain and develop the trails at Bedgebury with some new ones planned and under way. If you fancy getting involved, please take a look at the website. www.boarsonbikes.co.uk/monthly-trail-build/

Emma and I recently attended The Business Excellence and Forum Awards, an international business conference involving businesses from across Europe, where we were delighted to be finalists in two categories: Best Retailer and Best Community Impact.

Finally, we were pleased to be ranked by the Association of Cycle Traders among the top 25 workshops in the country for the number of qualified mechanics in the business. We actively support the apprenticeship programme and have qualified more than 10 young people with great transferable skills. Our latest additions to the team are Paul, who is currently working on his apprenticeship, and Matt, who is already qualified and who has joined us with a wealth of previous experience. Pop in and say “Hi” to them. The team is always on hand to offer help, advice and support on anything cycling related, whether you’re new to cycling or an experienced pro.

David, Emma & the team @ Quench

www.quenchuk.co.uk01580 879694Open 7 days from 8am

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Events and Activitiesby Sandra Styles, Events and Marketing

For more information on any of the events listed, please contact either:

Bedgebury Visitor Centre Information Office on 01580 879820 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury

The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum on 01580 879842 or visit www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Events and activities may be subject to change. We recommend that you ring either of the above numbers before visiting.

October 2015

Sunday 18th October at 1.30pm and Monday 19th October at 9.30amFungi Walk

Bedgebury Pinetum and forest remains one of the best places in the south east for fungi and offers a stunning array of mushrooms each autumn. As we discuss on pages 19 -21, as well as being beautiful, our fungi provides the Forestry Commission team with an insight into tree health. As a result, Bedgebury operates a “no picking” policy for fungi.

We are delighted to be able to offer our popular guided “Fungi Walks” again this year led by Bryan Bullen of the Kent Wildlife Trust. Each walk will begin at the Visitor Centre with a brief talk on the different types of mushroom and the ways to identify them, before we take

you into the Pinetum to see what the 2015 season has to offer our fungi enthusiasts.

This walk is suitable for adults and older children and will cover a variety of terrain in the Pinetum. Quiet, well behaved dogs on leads will be welcome. The price is £20 per person and normal admission charges apply. Payment is required on booking.

For more information or to book your place, please call 01580 879842.

From 19th OctoberThe Gruffalo Orienteering Course

Friends and families with younger children will have a great time discovering our fantastic forest on this fun Gruffalo Orienteering Course.

The Orienteering Course is free, but an accompanying map to help you find the twelve way-mark posts can be purchased for only £1.50. Just follow the map and answer some simple questions using the pictures that you find on the way-mark posts along the way.

26th OctoberSeed-foraging Walk

From 10.00am until 11.30am

Find acorns, holly berries, sweet chestnuts and acer seeds and pull apart cones to find the seeds so loved by squirrels. Make your own recycled seed pot and plant your seeds to take home, and then watch them as they grow next spring.

Suitable for all ages. £4 per child. Booking is essential as numbers are limited. Pre-book your place on 01580 879820 for free vehicle admission. This event takes place in the classroom at the Visitor Centre. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the whole event.

27th and 28th OctoberHunt the Hidden Boxes

Drop in between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Doors close at 3.00pm.

Have a go at finding our hidden boxes by following our Autumn Trail. Everyone loves the adventure of hurrying to find the next hidden box and every child finds something little to keep.

Suitable for all ages. £2 per child (plus admission fee per vehicle). No need to book. This activity starts from the classroom at the Visitor Centre. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the whole event.

29th and 30th October Feed the Birds

Drop in between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Doors close at 3.00pm.

Make your own cone feeders from bird friendly peanut butter and bird seed. Take it home, hang it outside and wait for the hungry birds to drop in for a treat!

Suitable for all ages. £2 per child (plus admission fee per vehicle). No need to book. This activity takes place in the classroom at the Visitor Centre. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the whole event.

November 201515th November, middayUSA Expedition Presentation and PinetumWalk with Dan Luscombe and Luke Wallacefollowed by the Friends’ AGM.

Join us to hear Dan and Luke share with members the highlights of the 2015 Friends-funded USA seed-collecting expedition before leading a USA themed walk around the Pinetum.

This event will take place from the Education Room at the Visitor Centre. Light refreshments will be served during the presentation and AGM. The presentation and guided walk will be free to members attending the AGM.

19th to 21st NovemberThe Wealden Times Midwinter Fair

The Wealden Times returns to Bedgebury Walled Garden to stage their Midwinter Fair. As well as stands selling vintage and contemporary treasures for home and garden, there will be a fabulous Food Area selling gorgeous locally produced food and drink to cater for the most discerning palate.

Further details and booking information can be found via the Wealden Times website: http://wealdentimes.co.uk/

December 2015New Children’s Trail Coming Soon!

An exciting new Children’s Trail will be coming to Bedgebury in December! Check our website and Facebook pages throughout November for more information.

Christmas Tree Sales and Festive FunTurn to the back page of this magazine for more information on this year’s Christmas tree sales and festive activities.

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Fungi at Bedgebury

Parrot Waxcap Hygrocybe psittacina

Did you know…

There are a further 2,000 acres of forest at

Bedgebury. This is where you will find our

commercial timber, our walking and cycle

trails, Go Ape and the children’s play areas.

Did you know…The Pinetum is the only place on the planet

where ex situ conifer conservation is being carried out on a landscape scale.

Love Bedgebury?Want to share your love of Bedgebury and support all the amazing things we do?

To find out more, visit www.lovebedgebury.org.uk

Larix laricina Tamarack from an original watercolour by Pearl Bostock

Did you know…The National Pinetum, one of the world’s finest and most complete collections of conifers, is a 320 acre site containing 12,000 trees and shrubs with origins from across the world (from over 1,800 different species), many of which are rare, endangered or historically important.

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“Bedgebury operates a strict no picking policy for fungi”

Fly Agaric Amanita muscaria

Taking care of our Fungiby Bryan Bullen of the Kent Wildlife Trust

I’ve been asked to contribute my thoughts on collecting fungi at Bedgebury, a subject which is close to my heart as a mycologist and leader of guided walks, at the Pinetum and various other sites in Kent, over the last 20 years or so.

From an educational standpoint, I always try to convey to people, young and old, the sheer pleasure of discovering the huge variety of beautiful macro-fungi hiding in our still rich countryside.

The latest estimate of larger fungi species in these lands, as noted in the Checklist of the British & Irish Basidiomycota, is more than 3,700, so there is plenty of scope for learning, and even for finding species new to Britain.

Bedgebury is a particularly exciting and interesting site for investigation, principally because of its great diversity of tree species. This leads to the presence of many mycorrhizal species of mushrooms and toadstools, which tells us of the special symbiotic relationship between the trees and the fungi.

The richness of the fungal community in places like the Bedgebury Pinetum and my own special “patch”, a country park in North Kent, brings with it, however, its own problems. Ever greater numbers of the public, seduced by media coverage of foraging for mushrooms by individuals like Antonio Carluccio for instance, are now pillaging these “hotspots”, to the point where hardly any specimens are to be found after a certain point in the autumn. In a modern and diverse 21st century Britain, there is an increasing tendency for foraging on a commercial scale, so exacerbating the situation. Commercial foraging of this kind may be sustainable in many large forests across the continent, but not on our tiny

island. Only a few visits to smaller and more vulnerable sites such as Bedgebury can effectively denude the area of mushrooms.

I am all in favour of making use of Nature’s own larder; however, unless there is some form of enforceable restriction on collecting mushrooms, the pleasure of just seeing what is there is denied to the majority - not to mention the issue of depriving a broad swathe of wildlife this valued food resource.

At the end of the day, while mushroom foraging does not kill the organism outright, it does reduce its ability to reproduce, so that the stock is weakened and eventually destroyed. Unfettered picking is not sustainable from an educational and social standpoint, and takes away from a place such as Bedgebury much of its attraction in the autumn season. I rest my case!

Flowers of the Woodsby James Roberts, Biosecurity Officer – Arboriculture, Forestry Commission England

Saprophytic, pathogenic, parasitic fungi may not sound like everyone’s idea of a delicacy. However, give them names such as Chicken of the Woods, Cauliflower fungus, Pheasants Back and Beefsteak fungus and you could be forgiven for imagining a woodland Sunday roast scenario – a mushroom meat feast. As foraging becomes an ever more popular past time, we are seeing an increase in the numbers of people who are wandering about in search of a mushroom feast.

Despite their names, these mushrooms are, however, the fruiting bodies of saprophytic, pathogenic, parasitic fungi and, although many do sound tasty, (Pheasants Back is definitely one to miss), they are an essential indicator of the health and the structural integrity of a tree.

Chicken of the Woods Laetiporus sulphureus is a brown rot fungi that can turn the heart wood of a tree brittle; this causes the tree to rapidly lose strength making it potentially unstable. Cauliflower fungus Sparassis crispa is another brown rot fungi (one that can be found in the Pinetum) and is an essential indicator that brown cubical rot is occurring around the buttress and roots of certain trees. By monitoring the progress of these fungal fruiting bodies over a number of years, the Bedgebury Operations Team can begin to get a clear picture of what is going on inside the tree and, if necessary, take remedial action to make the tree safe.

If enthusiastic foragers get to these tasty sounding mushrooms and hungrily consume them before the Operations Team can record what’s going on, then the Operations Team can be left without the information they need to build up this important diagnosis.

Picking mushrooms should always be done responsibly; any mushroom book will begin by saying that. This is not possible at Bedgebury because picking mushrooms involves removing the evidence of decay in trees and prevents the Operations Team from doing essential safety surveys effectively.

The only way to enjoy these fungi responsibly is to leave them where they are and enjoy them for what they are - flowers of the woods.

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A Brief History of Plantsby Luke Wallace

Let us skip the first two and a half billion years of the Earth’s history from when organic compounds in our early atmosphere made the transition to single celled organisms via the creation of nucleotides, RNA and DNA. For the sake of brevity, we will also have to gloss over the adaptive radiation of early multicellular organisms that would eventually lead to the colonisation of the land 425 - 475 million years ago. These stories could not be done justice here!

Mosses, Liverworts and Hornworts (known as Bryophytes) were the first terrestrial plants to emerge, still very much reliant on water to complete their reproductive cycles. Whilst the Bryophytes were expanding in abundance and diversity in this strange new land-based world, lineages of algae evolving alongside would give rise to the first vascular plants, i.e. plants with lignified tissues (ones that have become woody) that are able to conduct the transportation of water and carbohydrates. These tissues also allowed for more rigid structures, taller plants and defensive chemicals giving them a competitive edge going in to the Carboniferous period. However, early vascular plants still required wet environments for reproduction which limited

their success on land. Today, these plants only survive in the groups known as the Club mosses, Whisk fern, Horsetails and, a group I am sure we are all familiar with, the Ferns.

It is in a small number of Fern species that we first see the production of separate male sperm cells and female egg cells, the earliest known plant lineage capable of this biological phenomenon. This is thought to be crucial to the evolution of seed-bearing plants. Simply put, up until this point plants produced identical sex cells and relied on water to bring these together. The separation of these sex cells into larger, nourishing, protected female seeds and small, fertilising male pollen grains eliminated the need for water in reproduction. Male pollen grains could simply be blown, or transported via animals, to the female reproductive cells. Therefore, they could thrive in environments deprived of liquid water and radiate across the land unlike their heavily water-reliant relatives. As with the earliest vascular plants and their newly evolved advantages, the first seed-bearing plants would have been pioneers in new environments. Evidence shows that during the Permian era (leading on from the Carboniferous), the number of seedless vascular plants diminished in species whilst a

new group, the seed-bearing gymnosperms, came to dominate. Placed in this group is Ginkophyta (Ginkgo biloba being the only extant member of this group), Gnetophyta, Cycads and, of course, the Conifers. For the most part, gymnosperms did relatively well throughout the Permian, Triassic and Jurassic periods, exhibiting much more diversity and abundance than we see now.

However, during the Jurassic, another group of plants were rapidly growing in dominance and by the Cretaceous this new plant superpower was ready to supersede the gymnosperms. They were of course, the angiosperms, or ‘flowering plants’. Angiosperms could do everything more effectively in temperate climates, including photosynthesis (because they had bigger leaves), seed dispersal and pollination. For example, the evolution of flowers attracted a variety of animals that could transport pollen with greater efficiency and effectiveness, driving much evolutionary change and achieving some astonishing animal-plant relationships.

Gymnosperm pollen, on the other hand, is predominantly windborne which is relatively ineffective and wasteful of resources. That said, gymnosperms have retained some advantages over their flowering relatives. In general, they are still much better equipped to compete in cold climates and, given the chance, they can outreach, outweigh and outlive angiosperms. Additionally, conifer abundance has always outweighed that of angiosperms in the expanse that is the northern forests. Nevertheless, angiosperms went on to become the most prolific plant group ever, and by some distance too, with approximately 235,000 species having been described to date. The number of extant

Ginkophyta

Evidence shows that during the Permian era a new group, the seed-bearing gymnosperms, came to dominate. Placed in this group is Ginkophyta, Gnetophyta, Cycads and, of course, the Conifers.

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gymnosperm species is only around 1,000, with conifers being the largest group at roughly 600 species. Trends on a geological timescale would suggest that conifers are heading towards an evolutionary dead-end; however, we as humans cannot practicably live by such a time scale. The fact is that, if a species still exists, it is winning its own battle for selection among an ocean of genetic variation and extreme competitiveness.

Out of the four groups of gymnosperms, Bedgebury National Pinetum has three. Of course, conifers (Pinophyta) are the most abundant so constitute the majority of the specimens but several Ginkgos (Ginkophyta) can be found on the site, including in Dallimore Valley. You may also find the one member of Gnetophyta we have (Ephedraceae) behind the Visitor Centre.

Philip Drury – Bedgebury’s Propagatoran interview with Luke Wallace

“I only came to feed the ducks,” Philip tells me. “I got chatting to Jeff Philips (the then propagator at Bedgebury) who told me they needed someone to assist in the nursery. I told him I was available to help. I went to feed the ducks and Jeff went to the office. When I returned to my car, there was a note on the windscreen. It said ‘The job is on’.”

Although Philip had been visiting Bedgebury Pinetum since 1963, the first visit being when he was only one and a half years old, it wasn’t until 1997 that this chance conversation led him to become a member of staff at Bedgebury. Back then, everybody was already aware of Philip because he had been intensely studying the Pinetum’s Canada Geese since 1994! These days, he spends most of his time in the Pinetum’s nursery, patiently growing some of the world’s most threatened tree species. However, what this role actually entails and what has been achieved in Bedgebury’s modest propagation unit deserves some explanation.

“I’ve been making magic potions to make plants grow since I was 11 years old”.

Inspired by John Wyndham’s ‘The Day of the Triffids’ and determined to grow his own monstrous plants, 11 year old Philip set about germinating grass seed by trialling different soil mixtures and natural fertilisers. He was unsuccessful in growing Triffids, but would go on to hone his scientific skills as an electrochemist, whilst retaining his insatiable curiosity and passion for plant propagation. It would be these key ingredients that would change everything when he arrived at Bedgebury in 1997.

Did you know…Some of the seed we collect on our expeditions across the world is stored at the Millennium Seed Bank at Wakehurst Place. However, some seeds can’t be stored there, such as the seeds of the Monkey Puzzle Araucaria araucana, so Bedgebury also provides a “living seed bank” for such species.

Ephedraceae

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“There are still so many unknown variables in plant propagation,” Philip explains. In the past, most of the seeds at Bedgebury were germinated using a standard compost mixture, similar to what can be bought in any garden centre. This was suitable for a lot of species, and still is today, but many others would require something different. Philip noted that some species that could not be germinated in the nursery could be grown in his own back garden. Obviously, this garden soil had constituents that benefited certain species. It was time to start making magic potions again.

To try to isolate the key mineral and chemical components of the various soils for specific species requires trials, lots and lots of trials, which can take years to complete, often throwing up more questions than they answer, which in turn requires yet more trials. Has it all been worth the effort? “I’m a victim of my own success,” Philip remarks with a

smile on his face. His methods have resulted in more trees than he is able to maintain but, as a consequence, numerous endangered trees and shrubs have been propagated at Bedgebury that otherwise wouldn’t have grown. Picea breweriana (Brewer’s Spruce), for example, is just one of several threatened conifer species that only prosper in one of the specially-created soil mixes.

I ask Philip if there are any tree species which have been particularly tricky to propagate. He nods slowly. “Tsuga mertensiana, the Mountain Hemlock. I wasn’t able to grow this species successfully for 17 years.”

As well as trialling various soil compositions, two other advances have contributed to the increase in propagation knowledge at Bedgebury. The first is technological. Before seeds even arrive at the Pinetum’s nursery, they are now x-rayed to determine which contain viable embryos. This gives Philip and the team key information to help them determine the probability of germination success. The second advance is one of technique. Almost all plant species that produce seeds will begin their life in a dormant state, awaiting the correct stimuli that will trigger their germination. For the majority of species growing in temperate zones (which

is where most conifer species are to be found), subjecting the seeds to moist and cold conditions will be the trigger that is needed. Known as stratification, a better understanding of this technique in recent decades, combined with the considerable knowledge gained through personal experience, has greatly benefited Bedgebury’s propagation success.

As Philip points out, success is not due to any one thing: “It is down to the whole equation, with the methodology used being just as important as the right soil mixture.”

It is important to mention that all propagation at Bedgebury is carried out using seeds collected from the wild. Raising species from cuttings or by using grafts does little to aid conservation. Propagation from wild-collected seed conserves the variation in the gene pool and is just as important as conserving the phenotype (the physical manifestations of those genes). It’s also worth mentioning that

A Picea breweriana seedling – this North American native is vulnerable due to its small, fragmented populations

Carry on reading to find out more about our 2015 seed-collecting expedition to the USA, or visit http://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/pinetum/ to see where Dan Luscombe and the team have collected from in the past.

Did you know…

Conifers make up 30% of the world’s forests; 211

of the world’s 615 conifer species are threatened

in their natural habitats. We grow between 320

and 330 species of conifer at Bedgebury.

Did you know…Louisa Lake was so named to commemorate Louisa

Hope, the wife of Viscount Beresford, the Duke of

Wellington’s Field Marshal. Bedgebury was acquired by Viscount Beresford in 1836.

for Philip’s trials to be successful, hundreds of seeds are needed from each species. This is why the seed-collecting expeditions that members of Bedgebury staff undertake are so vital, both to support and develop Philip’s work and for global tree conservation efforts.

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Bedgebury’s 2015 Expedition to the USA

Dan Luscombe is Bedgebury’s resident Dendrologist and undertakes seed-collecting trips annually with partner organisations. This year, the Operations Team at Bedgebury are responsible for organising a Bedgebury-led expedition to the Pacific Northwest (USA) with colleagues from The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and Westonbirt Arboretum. This summer we put put some questions to Dan about the forthcoming trip.

Why collect seeds from California, Oregon and Washington State this year?

“Most of the Pinetum’s signature trees, such as Abies grandis (The Old Man of Kent), Thuja plicata and Cupressus nootkatensis come from this area. We don’t have young trees of these species in order to replace those which are reaching the end of their lives and we would also like wild-collected seed from many Pacific Northwest species that we know grow very well here, like the Redwoods and the Douglas Fir. It will also be a great opportunity for us to collect new trees, such as the unique One Needle Pine and the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine (Pinus longaeva), the latter being the oldest living tree in the world. The area is a conifer hotspot so we hope to collect the seeds from lots of different species while we’re there.”

Could we not have the seeds sent over?

“The problem is that others might not be able to collect them in accordance with our specifications, whether it’s collecting them from all the provinces you want, obtaining good-quality seeds in the first place, storing and transporting them correctly or, simply, because not everyone is after these rare and unusual conifers, which is our focus. Oh, and you need to be able to climb trees! It’s not really a task you can ask others to carry out, even if they have the resources and time available.

Importantly, by going to collect yourself, you learn how to grow what you’re collecting first-hand, i.e. the conditions different species prefer. You can read it in a book but it’s not the same. This then promotes staff development which means better care of Bedgebury’s collection in general.”

Who are the partner organisations with whom you collaborate on these trips?

“Generally, we link up with the Millennium Seed Bank, The University of Oxford Botanic Garden, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, Wakehurst Place and Westonbirt Arboretum. Every place has its own niche area, Westonbirt has its maples, Bedgebury has its conifers, but when we all work together, we can achieve so much more.

We also aim to work with organisations in their respective countries who are interested in the same things we are; another reason for making the trip ourselves. For example, Abies bracteata (Bristlecone Fir) will be a good one to collect while we’re over there as we can tie in to a conservation project with The Rancho Santa Ana Botanic Garden (California). Again, this allows for transference of skills, strengthens relationships with international partners and raises the profile of Bedgebury Pinetum.”

What is your motivation for going on these seed collecting expeditions?

“If we don’t collect it and we never plant it, it will never be there. That’s what we have to continuously do at Bedgebury, keep replanting, and, because we’re dealing with issues of conservation, we need to put in (genetic) material that has potential use in the long term.

There are not many things you can do in life where you leave living things behind, such as the Pinetum, for future generations. Having a hand in collecting seeds for the Millennium Seed Bank, which could be used hundreds of years later, is special enough, but when you plant a tree in the Pinetum from a seed you have collected, propagated and grown, you feel like you own a bit more of Bedgebury - it becomes a bit more a part of you. For me, job satisfaction doesn’t come much bigger than that.”

When you plant a tree in the Pinetum from a seed you have collected,

propagated and grown, Bedgebury becomes part of you. Job satisfaction doesn’t come much bigger than that!

There are not many things you can do in life where you leave living things behind, such as the Pinetum, for future generations.

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Charity no. 1113325

‘Supporting the work of Bedgebury and the National Pinetum’

The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum Magazine This magazine is produced twice a year by the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum charity. It aims to inform members about upcoming projects and events. It is also an opportunity to share the wonders and stories of Bedgebury.

Patron HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO

Trustees Mr M Kerr (Chair) Mr J Gordon (Treasurer) Mr K Brookbank Mrs E Goodall Mrs E Hill Mrs R Mayhew Mrs M McPhee Mr M Paine Mr N Pink Mrs E Reid Mr K Webber

Staff information and contact details

Friends’ Manager Staff members Katherine Jary Luke Wallace Isobel Lobo Sharon Booth

General enquiries 01580 879842 friends@bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Membership enquiries membership@bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Volunteering enquiries volunteer@bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

INFORMATIONSite opening timesSeptember 8.00-19.00October 8.00-18.00November 8.00-17.00December 8.00-16.00January 8.00-16.00February 8.00-17.00

Office opening times September 9.30-16.30October 9.30-16.30November 9.30-16.30December 9.30-16.00January 9.30-16.00February 9.30-16.30

General enquiries01580 879820bedgebury@forestry.gsi.gov.ukwww.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury

Staff information

Bedgebury ManagerPatrick West

Operations ManagerJohn Allen

Recreation ManagerMark Clixby

Learning ManagerCath Weeks

DendrologistDaniel Luscombe

Bedgebury National Pinetum is caredfor by the Forestry Commission.www.forestry.gov.uk

We, the Forestry Commission at Bedgebury and the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum, would like to express our gratitude to all our partners. Without their help we would be unable to achieve all the wonderful things we do at Bedgebury.

Our partnerships enable us to be world-leaders in the diverse activities we undertake; from conifer conservation, mountain biking and helping people to appreciate and enjoy nature, to helping us to source funding for all of our valuable work.

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh

Forest Research

Harcourt Arboretum, Oxford

Botanic Gardens Conservation International

Botanic Gardens Education Network

Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place

Sport England

The Arts Council

Our volunteers

Go Ape

Quench Cycles

The Kent High Weald Partnership

The Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club

The Bedgebury Café

Mrs Elizabeth Banks DL

Lord Howick

Mr David Knott

Mr Roy Lancaster OBE VMH

Colonel John Edward Kendall MBE

Mr Giles Coode-Adams OBE VMH (Chair)

Mr Malcolm Kerr LLB MRICS

Mr Tony Hall

Our partners include:

The Forestry Commission Arboreta Advisory Committee:

GLOBAL TREES

CAMPAIGN

Bedgebury and our Partners

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Notice BoardGerald Williams OBE

It was with much sadness that we learned that our former Chairman, Gerald Williams, passed away just before Easter this year. Gerald had, until his retirement in 2013, chaired the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum for more than a decade through some of the most interesting and turbulent times in the site’s history. We are indebted to Gerald for inviting the Countess of Wessex to become our patron and for

supporting numerous Bedgebury projects with his time and fund raising efforts.

In 2012, shortly after the success of Gerald’s campaign, with the Friends, to save Bedgebury and the Pinetum from the government’s proposed sale of Public Forest Estate, Gerald

received an OBE for services to the environment, and to Bedgebury in particular.

This edition of the Friends’ Magazine focusses on the work of our Operational Team and in particular, Dan Luscombe, our Dendrologist, and his Nursery Team. The nursery and propagation facilities they enjoy at Bedgebury were rebuilt and refurbished in 2012 as a result of the hard labour of Bedgebury volunteers and using funds raised by Gerald and his team of trustees. As we explain in this magazine, Bedgebury is host to a living gene bank of rare and endangered trees, some of which were propagated in our nursery from seed collected on overseas expeditions. Supporting such expeditions and the related Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project were key to the

Friends’ fund-raising efforts under Gerald’s leadership, and this emphasis continues today. However, Gerald’s activities were also vital in the development of the Visitor Centre and the successful visitor attractions that our members and visitors continue to enjoy.

We would like to thank all those who made donations to the Friends in memory of Gerald. These donations will be used to support the Forestry Commission’s seed collecting expedition to the USA this autumn. Gerald was passionate about Bedgebury and loved trees, so we feel sure that he would have approved!

For more information on the Bedgebury Conifer Conservation Project follow this link:

www.forestry.gov.uk/pdf/bedgebury-conifer-conservation_A4-leaflet.pdf/$FILE/bedgebury-conifer-conservation_A4-leaflet.pdf

Other Trustee News

We have also seen the retirement this year of Paul Jenks and Keith Noakes from our trustee body, with Rosemary Mayhew intending to retire at the AGM this year. All three have volunteered as trustees of the Friends for many years, but now feel that the time is right for them to put their feet up for a little rest! Having said that, we know that Paul will continue to support our Sunday Operational Volunteer Group (when he is not travelling the world in pursuit of his passion for birding) and I am certain that our visitors will still see Rosemary during our busy times “meeting and greeting” as a Visitor Experience Volunteer. Keith was our longest serving trustee, having joined the committee at the charity’s inception, and was our Treasurer for many years. They will all be missed from the trustee body, but we wish them a happy and relaxing retirement.

We have appointed a number of new and enthusiastic trustees since our AGM last November. We will be inviting them to introduce themselves to you to in our spring/summer 2016 edition of the Magazine, but for now you will find them listed on page 30 of this edition.

www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk

Gerald with the Countess of Wessex

The Friends of Bedgebury PinetumBecome a Friend to support the Forestry Commission in its management of Bedgebury as a world-class centre of conifer research, conservation and education, as a landscape of rare and endangered flora and fauna and as a site for high quality, healthy recreation.

The Bedgebury annual membership subscription enables one of two specified vehicles to gain admission to the site all year round* and will entitle you to an e-copy of the Friends’ bi-annual magazine.

* Excluding Christmas Day when the site is closed, or when the site is closed due to adverse weather.

Annual subscription £66 per annum

Friends also enjoy admission to other gardens and arboreta. Included within the annual membership subscription is a free admission pass for the lead member to the gardens and arboreta listed. Additional family members can also obtain an admission pass to these gardens and arboreta for the year for less than the price of a day admission ticket to many of them.

Additional admission cards – £12 per person per annum

Terms and conditions apply. These offers are subject to change or cancellation at any time. Free entry to some gardens is restricted at certain times of the year and in some cases car parking charges apply. Please check their websites or telephone for more information.

Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre01386 701441 www.batsarb.co.uk

Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses0121 4541860www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk

Borde Hill Gardens01444 450326 www.bordehill.co.uk

Brogdale Collections01795 536250 www.brogdalecollections.co.uk

Kew at Castle Howard01653 648598 www.yorkshirearboretum.org

The Living Rainforest01635 202444 www.livingrainforest.org

RHS Garden Harlow Carr01423 565418www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr

RHS Garden Hyde Hall0845 265 8071www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall

RHS Garden Rosemoor01805 624067www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor

RHS Garden Wisley0845 260 9000www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh0131 248909 www.rbge.org.uk

Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew0208 332 5655 www.kew.org

Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place01444 894066 www.kew.org/visit-wakehurst

Westonbirt the National Arboretum01666 880220 www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirtAgapanthus orientalis from an original

watercolour by Helen Hiorns.

Membership Information

Visit only once a month and save more

than £50 per annum

Join or renew NOW

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BUY YOUR BRITISH GROWN CHRISTMAS TREE

FROM BEDGEBURYAND ENJOY FREE ADMISSION TO THE PINETUM AND FOREST*

OPEN FOR SALES ONFriday 27th November – Sunday 29th November

Friday 4th December – Sunday 6th DecemberFriday 11th December – Sunday 20th DecemberFROM 10AM TO 4PM (UNTIL NOON ON THE 17th)

FESTIVE FRIDAY LATE NIGHT SHOPPING EVENT 11TH DECEMBER TO 7.30PM

(More details to follow)

Call 01580 879820 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury

for more information*Free admission for one vehicle per tree purchased on the day of purchase only

**On the day of tree purchase only

Look out for the Winter Specials Menu @ the Café

FREE MINCE PIES AND

10% DISCOUNT IN THE BEDGEBURY GIFT SHOP**