LEAVES— AUTUMN 2019 The Newsletter of the Epping Forest Conservation Volunteers

Please send any comments or contributions to the editor, Mark Solomons, at msolomons@msn.com

To see this newsletter online and in full colour, visit http://www.efcv.co.uk

The website also provides more information on tasks and events, campaigns and forest news.

For information regarding EFCV contact Brian McGhie (01992 573514) or Kevin Mason (020 8529 9273)/ efcv2@yahoo.co.uk

Dates for your diary - AGM and Xmas dinner! See the noticeboard

Cover: Purple hairstreak butterfly in Furze Ground from our June 23rd task.

Goldings Hill and Wake Valley hold water.

Bogs within woodland are often in danger of

drying out, even ones kept wet by reliable

springs. The problem is they are invaded by

bracken, birch, bramble and eventually large

trees, namely, hornbeam, oak and beech.

Damp areas are always going to provide a

good seed bed for trees that will suck them dry

when the springs that created the bogs fall low.

Removing trees and unwanted plants is where

the EFCV comes in. Call it bog maintenance if

you will!

A recent task at the Field Centre Bog Complex

was a big success, with a very large turnout for

a Tuesday. We received a very appreciative

email from Ken Adams thanking us for

opening this sphagnum bog. We also received

a thank you from Jeremy Dagley for the work

on Sunday 25th at Sunshine Plain South.

Indeed, for all the work undertaken in the last

twenty years on this site.

A challenging new (to me) pond task awaits us

on November 24th. Sited close to the

Snaresbrook Road car park, the pond is known

as Frying Pan or Round pond. It is surrounded

by trees and scrub encroaching what little

water is left. If you blinked going past, you

would miss it! A classic recovery job for us to

look forward to!

Please try to attend our AGM at the View at 7.30 on Friday, September 27th. Our speaker, the Superintendent of the Forest, Paul

Thomson, will talk about current and future plans for Epping Forest. See you all there!

Brian McGhie

I am writing this on a very hot day. The

temperature outside is 30 degrees, I don’t like

it! Are record temperatures in Europe this

summer a portent of things to come? Huge

fires in the Amazon rainforest and Siberian

Taiga (boreal forest), our planet’s two biggest

continuous blocks of trees, is disastrous news

for local wildlife, native peoples and possibly

the entire world. Often referred to as the

“lungs” of the planet, if these two areas

diminish or even disappear because of logging

as well as fire, what chance has any living

creature, humans included, of survival?

I fully expect more people stopping to query

why we fell and cut down trees on tasks in or

close to the more public areas of the forest. We

must remember to take our white board out on

tasks to inform passing members of the public

the reason for our conservation/habitat

management work, as well as engage with

people personally. As I have mentioned before,

most people think of trees every time the

subject of nature conservation crops up.

Fortunately, deciduous woodland burns like

wet asbestos (Rackham 1986) and Epping

Forest is unlikely to burn down anytime soon.

But dry grassland and heath does burn well

with plenty of broom and gorse present as

demonstrated on Wanstead Flats last year. The

broom is coming back with vigour and rosebay

willowherb (fireweed) is doing very well. It

should be remembered that areas such as Long

Running and Deershelter Plain are at risk

during hot spells and school holidays!

No doubt, Epping Forest and the surrounding

districts are drying out. Most small seasonal

ponds have completely dried up, probably

permanently. Most ditches are just slightly

damp and muddy, even after heavy rain. The

local water table, especially in the north of the

forest appears to have fallen considerably.

Only large ponds, such as Baldwins Hill,

KATE MARTIN - 12th April 1937 - 3rd April 2019

Long time member and friend Kate Martin sadly passed away earlier this year. Peter Vaughan

shares his fond memories.

Back in April we learned that a long time

member, Kate Martin, had died.

Kate will be remembered as a regular on our

Sunday tasks, always coming with her

husband, Dick. They were a friendly, genial

couple who made, and kept, friends easily.

Coffee and lunch time were always fun and

informative when Kate was there.

As the Christmas task approached each

year, Kate always offered to bring something

for the BBQ and helped with anything that

needed doing on the day.

Linda and I went to Kate’s funeral and talked with her sons who confirmed how much she enjoyed working

with us and doing her bit for the countryside that she loved.

Kate and Dick are pictured on an EFCV visit to Wildwood, Kent, in August 2009.

‘MEAT’ THE NEIGHBOURS!

Our recent task on Sunshine Plain South saw some new volunteers as the forest’s herd of resident cattle

came to see what we were up to. But far from being innocent bystanders to the ecology of the forest,

these magnificent animals help create even more diversity thanks to what they leave behind. For more

detail on this, see the next page for a fascinating insight into the life of the simple cowpat. Picture, be-

low, by Peter Smith.

FRESH COWPATS ARE NATURE’S OWN SMOOTHIES

*After the forest’s cattle ‘joined’ us on our recent task at Sunshine Plain (see previous page), we thought this may of interest. It is from The Guardian’s Nature Diary, written by Jeremy Dagley, Head of Conservation at the City of London and republished with kind permission.

A large herd of cattle has been let into an uncut field. Among the down-covered thistles and tall grasses, the cows, in bovine contentment, are spattering their dung freely. Just ahead of me, a cowpat lands on the

ground with a celebratory slap. Nature’s nutrient-rich smoothie is packed with part-digested flower-stalks, seeds and grasses. Within minutes this glistening patty of insect fast food has become a complete miniature habitat.

Early arrivals include half a dozen greenbottles (Lucilia caesar), which have been biding their time nearby. They’re laying eggs within minutes but they scatter as a large noon fly lands.

With its gold-leaf face mask, gloss-black body and orange delta wings, this Mesembrina meridiana (pictured left) is fly royalty.

However, it’s the tiny sepsid flies, (pictured below) cavorting crazily through the surrounding grass stems, like troupes of circus acrobats, that steal the show. Launching themselves into the cowpat arena, these shiny ant mimics scissor their iridescent

wings in extravagant semaphore, refracting flashes of violet and ruby, before the males mount the females, circling away in a com-ical rodeo. Stock still, as if entranced by their craziness, minute lesser dung flies (Copromyza) patiently await mates.

This dipteran dung world is significant not only for its diversity but for its biomass. One average-sized cowpat may contain 1,000 insect larvae, and in a summer grazing season one cow’s dung could support a million flies. However, flies don’t have this nutritious world to them-selves. I watch water scavenger beetles (Sphaeridium scarabaeoides), (pictured right) dropping out of the air, like armoured raindrops, into fresh cowpats. They make the first tunnels, helping dry and sculpt the dung. I uncover Colobopterus dung beetles working more fibrous patches, encumbered with fungivorous mites hitching a lift to join the food fest.

Aerated dung, baked in the sunshine, attracts a more cosmopolitan clientele. Grasshoppers and flesh flies sunbathe on the surface crust, crab spiders lurk in its crevices, while Myrmica ants nurse grubs in

tunnelled interiors. Meanwhile, predatory rove beetles rove. Most eye-catching of these is Ontholestes murinus, (pictured right) its body hairs scattering ever-changing, distracting patterns of glittering bronze.

At a time when intensive cattle farming has become an environmental threat, the vital role of extensively grazed cows in supporting invertebrate (and insectivo-rous bird) biodiversity should be remembered. In this International Year of the Fly, it’s also something to cele-brate.

Pictures by Jeremy Dagley.

*To see the original Guardian article, go to: https://bit.ly/30F6mc6

EFCV summer outing to Wakehurst Place, Sunday 9th June

This year’s summer outing for the volunteers was to Wakehurst Place in Sussex. We have not held a summer

outing since 2016 when we went to Copped Hall, while in 2014 we paid a visit to Wildwood in Kent and previously

to Waddesdon Manor, Sheffield Park and the Romney, Hythe and Dymchurch Railway.

This particular venue was chosen mainly to visit the gardens and enjoy the various attractions but also to meet up

with our friend Elke Taylor who has recently moved from Ongar to Horsham, close to Wakehurst.

Seven of us set off bright and early arriving without any delays just before 11 o’clock ready for a coffee and cake

and to meet up with Elke, followed by a guided tour and history of the gardens.

The mansion dates from 1590 and was built by Sir Edward Culpeper. It originally had a complete courtyard but

has been altered many times over the years and currently it is an e-shape.

The grounds cover 535 acres in the high weald and is an area of outstanding natural beauty. Needless to say, we

did not see all of it.

The gardens were largely created by Gerald Loder (later Lord Wakehurst) who purchased the estate in 1903 and

spent 33 years developing the gardens He was succeeded by Sir Henry Price, under whose care the Loder plant-

ings matured, Sir Henry left Wakehurst to the nation in 1963 and the Royal Botanic Gardens took up a lease from

the National Trust in 1965.

The house itself is not really big enough to interest the National Trust so when the Royal Botanic Gardens offered

to take over the management of the gardens, the National Trust were happy to lease it.

The gardens contain the national collection of birches and the volunteers were able to admire the different birches

rather than just cut them down which normally happens on Sundays. We learnt that there are 53 different species

of birch in Europe and Asia. The gardens are also home to the national collections of Hypericum, Nothofagus

(southern beech) and Skimmia.

Our one and a half hour tour took in the mansion’s walled gardens and the collections of mature trees and plants

of seasonal interest. We were particularly impressed by the large number of common spotted orchids

(Dactylorhiza fuchsii) in the meadows.

After a pleasant lunch outside in the sunshine we were free to walk around the grounds on our own. Elke and

Mary chose to enjoy the view and a nice cup of tea.

The rest of us went down the hill to the Loder nature reserve following the red route around the Ardingly reservoir.

It is a very steep walk down to the lake mainly through a variety of woodland hazel and bramble. This is left to

provide habitat for native hazel dormice and we did see one of the many dormouse boxes.

In the afternoon Elke kindly invited

us back to her new apartment for

tea and cake. She was an excel-

lent host showing us around her

new ground floor flat and garden

and made lots of cake for us,

some of which returned and was

distributed at the next task.

In the late afternoon we returned

back to our part of the world

though delays and tailbacks meant

it was quite late when we got

back.

Report by Kevin Mason.

Picture by Spencer Cleminson.

Sunday, 5th May, Birch Wood Peter Smith & John Fisher (16 volunteers) Continuing work started in April to create open glades necessary for adder habitat, clearing small and medium oak and hornbeam. Tuesday, 14th May, Leyton Flats Kevin Mason & Patrick Milne (13) Birch regrowth removed and some oaks cleared but with care to avoid any nesting birds and a blackbird’s nest was discovered. Sunday, 19th May, Bury Wood Brian McGhie & Steve Ford (16) Continuation of a previous task to create a wildlife corridor linking Pear Tree Plain with Almshouse Plain. Sunday, 26th May, Dulsmead Hollow Brian McGhie & John Skerry (12) Bracken pulled, birches felled and other trees and branches were removed from the bog to prevent it drying out. Sunday, 2nd June, Long Bog Spencer Cleminson & Steve Ford (14) In hot and humid conditions the bog was dammed using the remains of two large fallen trees while willow was coppiced to remove shading. Tuesday, 11th June, Rats Lane Bog Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell (15) Small trees and overhanging branches cleared to remove shading and prevent the bog drying out. Logs were used to dam up the stream. Sunday, 16th June, Cuckoo Pits Peter Smith & Spencer Cleminson (12) Small trees and saplings were removed from around the flooded pit. Flowering march cinquefoil was seen and left alone as well as lady fern while a wild bee colony occupied a hollowed out tree nearby. Sunday, 23rd June, Furze Ground Peter Smith & Patrick Milne (10) Using mattocks on birch stumps and heavy duty gloves on bramble we cleared an extensive patch. Two common lizards, a painted lady and the purple

hairstreak on this issue’s cover were spotted. Sunday, 30th June, Debden Slade Brook Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell (17) Small trees cleared from either side of the stream to let more light on to it. The pictures below (by Peter Smith) show the scene before and after the work.

Sunday, 7th July, Two Tree Island Spencer Cleminson & Peter Smith (18) Our annual day out at the seaside (pictured on next page) with local volunteers where we laid all 164 faggots provided and, hopefully, avoided sunburn. See the picture on the next page. Tuesday, 16th July, Strawberry Hill Pond Kevin Mason & Patrick Milne (11) Bracken pulling in the morning and coppicing gorse and willow around the pond in the afternoon. We spotted a terrapin and grass snake in the pond and a sparrowhawk flying by.

SUMMARY OF TASKS - 5th May - 25th August, 2019

SUMMARY OF TASKS (CONTINUED) Sunday, 21st July, Dulsmead Hollow Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell (14) Continuing from May’s task, a lot of bracken was pulled out of the bog and overhanging birch and willow removed. Sunday, 28th July, Thames Valley Bog Spencer Cleminson & Steve Ford (11) Bracken overshadowing the wood horsetail was removed and a number of lady ferns revealed. A large holly thicket was also cleared. Sunday, 4th August, Jack’s Hill Bog South Brian McGhie & Kevin Mason (14) Willow was cleared to allow more light in and large logs used to dam the bog to keep water levels high. Tuesday, 13th August, Field Studies Centre Bog Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell (16) A one-off task to open up a boggy sloping area close to the centre, small and medium sized birch and hornbeam were felled along with a large holly and some sycamores. Sunday, 18th August, Warren Hill Spencer Cleminson & Peter Smith (16) Regrowth scrub removed from the colourful heather along with small trees, mainly birch but some oak, hornbeam and sweet chestnut.

Our view from Two Tree Island - pic by Peter Smith

Sunday, 25th August, Sunshine Plain South Peter Smith & Patrick Milne (11) In temperatures approaching 35 de-grees, thick birch scrub was removed from the heather which appeared to have spread further since previous vis-its. Lizards were spotted earlier in the day before both they, and our volunteers, sought shade from the heat. The volunteers were watched by the local herd of cattle - see previous pag-es for pictures and Jeremy Dagley’s ar-ticle. However, this also proved to be a bit of a shock...literally. Having found a dis-carded electronic collar that had fallen off one of the cows, it was returned to the Warren but not before Spencer re-ceived a mild shock from it as he car-ried it across the buried loop near the Epping New Road. We are delighted to report that no damage was done though it did revive Spencer a bit!

EFCV NOTICEBOARD

EFCV TASK INFORMATION

W e meet at 9.30am at The Warren, the City of

London's Forest headquarters. This can be

accessed from the Epping New Road between the

Warren Wood pub and the Robin Hood roundabout.

The gate is manned from approximately 9.15am. We

aim to leave for the site promptly at 9.45am. If you

intend to go straight to the site, it is essential you

inform the task leader in advance, so we can bring

enough tools and equipment for everyone. Let the

task leader know if you will need a lift to the site.

Wear old clothes and sturdy boots (preferably

reinforced), and bring refreshments. Hard hats,

gloves and waders will be provided. On Sundays, we

usually return to The Warren at about 3.30pm; mid-

week tasks tend to finish a little earlier. Help with

putting away the tools is always appreciated – please

don’t always leave this to the same people. Please

advise task leaders of any medical conditions,

including allergies, of which they should be aware.

EPIPENS

I f anyone uses an ‘EpiPen’ please can you let the

task leader know and bring a spare with you.

TETANUS INOCULATIONS

T he soil in the forest can harbour tetanus and it is

therefore in everyone’s interests to ensure that

their anti-tetanus inoculation is up to date.

EDITOR’S ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

T hank you to Spencer Cleminson for all his help, guidance and contributions, to Kevin Mason,

Peter Vaughan, Brian McGhie and Peter Smith for words and pics, Jeremy Dagley for letting us use his Guardian column, Mark Dewell for putting this online and to everyone else who helps. Please keep sending me pictures and articles. Comments welcome.

EFCV COMMITTEE MEMBERS

C hairman – Brian McGhie; Treasurer – Kevin Mason; Secretary – Ruth Moore. Other

members: Spencer Cleminson, Steve Ford, Peter Smith, Mark Solomons, Peter Vaughan.

23/10/19 Queen Victoria, Theydon Bois, Brian to book

21/11/19 Royal Oak, Chingford, Ruth to book

22/01/20 Bald Faced Stag, Buckhurst Hill, Spencer to book

LOCAL EVENTS

Work Days at Gernon Bushes, Coopersale. Some Tuesdays; info: Brian McGhie (01992 573514). Work Days at Roding Valley Meadows. Meet Tuesdays & Wednesdays 10am at Grange Farm, IG7 6DP (please note new venue). Info: 020 8500 3094. Work Days with Epping Forest Countrycare. Thursdays; call Countrycare on 01992 788203 for details. Epping Forest Visitor Centre Events or information on Epping Forest events please call The View on 020 7332 1911. Epping Forest Heritage Trust run a variety of walks in the area. For further information please call Tricia Moxey (01277 364522) or www.eppingforestheritagetrust.org.uk

CHRISTMAS DINNER - DECEMBER 17TH

Yes, it’s that time of year already. This year’s festive feast will at The Bull, Theydon Bois, on December 17th. Get there for 7.30pm for dinner at 8pm. If you wish to attend, please pay a £10 deposit by November 30th to organiser, Ruth Moore, by emailing her at ruth4366@gmail.com.

Please let us know well in advance if you need a lift.

AGM - Sept. 27th Please can as many of you as possible come to the AGM later this month. As in previous years it is at the View on the date above, starting at 7.30pm. This year we will be giv-en a talk by Paul Thomson, superintendent of Epping Forest for the City of London Cor-poration. He will be talking to us about the past 12 months in the forest.

It is important that we have a good attend-ance for this important meeting to discuss both the past 12 months and the year ahead. Hope to see you all there.

TASK LIST FOR AUTUMN/WINTER 2019/20 Sunday, 6th October - Barn Hoppitt Leaders: Peter Smith & Steve Ford Bramble and small tree removal at the old cricket pitch to help recover acid grassland and anthills.

Parking: Barn Hoppitt CP. GR: TQ398947 Tuesday 15th October - Taylors Ride/Fairmead Leaders: Spencer Cleminson & Steve Ford Coppicing sycamore along the west side within an area of bluebells. Parking: The Warren, Epping New Road. GR: TQ409957 Sunday, 20th October - Fir & Pond Wood Leaders: Mark Smith & Brian McGhie A visit to the Herts & Middlesex reserve to remove bul-rushes from one of our favourite ponds. Parking: Coopers Lane Road. Opposite Oshwal Centre. GR: TL277012 Sunday, 27th October - Alder & Small Alder Pond Leaders: Kevin Mason & Spencer Cleminson Removing small trees & scrub to increase light levels. Parking: Fairmead CP. GR: 409968 Sunday, 3rd November - Little Wake Valley Pond Leaders: Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell Crassula removal to reduce the floating Typha mat. Chest waders for the brave! Parking: Mount Pleasant CP. GR: TQ417981 Tuesday, 12th November - Fairmead Bottom/Ash Ride Leaders: Spencer Cleminson & Brian McGhie Continuing previous tasks to coppice aspen, willow & silver birch . A group from Barclays Bank will join us. Parking: The Warren, Epping New Road. GR:TQ409957 Sunday, 17th November - Warren Hill Leaders:: Peter Smith & Ruth Moore Small tree removal/thinning as part of the wood pas-ture restoration plan. Parking: The Warren, Epping New Road. GR: TQ409957 Sunday, 24th November - Frying Pan/Round Pond Leaders: Kevin Mason & Brian McGhie Tree felling to rescue this ‘lost’ pond by the car park on Snaresbrook Road. Parking: Snaresbrook Road CP. GR: TQ393891 Sunday, 1st December - Goldings Hill Inner Pond Leaders: Brian McGhie & Neil Redgwell Coppicing and removing willow & other small trees. Parking: Goldings Hill CP. GR: TQ429982 Tuesday, 10th December - Bury Wood/Green Ride Leaders: Brian McGhie & Spencer Cleminson Thinning and re-lopping new and recent pollards.. Parking: The Warren or Green Ride. GR: TQ409957

Sunday, 15th December - Strawberry Hill Pond Leaders: Kevin Mason & Spencer Cleminson Xmas BBQ Task! Small tree and old gorse removal. Parking: Earls Path/Strawberry Hill CPs. GR:TQ416967 or walk from Lincolns Lane CP, Epping New Road. GR: TQ410963 Sunday, 22nd December - Bury Wood/Green Ride Leaders: Peter Smith & Ruth Moore Continuation of December 10th task Sunday, 29th December/5th January - Long Running Leaders: Kevin Mason & John Fisher (29th) Leaders: John Fisher & Brian McGhie (5th) Removal of small birch and other trees. Parking: Jack’s Hill North CP. GR: TQ436996 Tuesday, 14th January - Jack’s Hill Plain Leaders: Spencer Cleminson & Brian McGhie Thin/remove young trees, halo veterans, create new pollards & re-lop existing ones. Parking: Jack’s Hill South CP. GR: TQ436996 Sunday, 19th January - Woodman’s Glad/Three Planks Ride Leaders: Peter Smith & Patrick Milne Thinning/removing young trees and creating new pol-lads as part of the wood pasture restoration plan. Parking: Bury Lane or Hornbeam Lane. GR: TQ392957 Sunday, 26th January - Woodford Golf Course/Hatch Plain Leaders: Spencer Cleminson & Patrick Milne Clearing scrub and young trees overshadiowng acid grassland and anthills and clearing scrub to improve habitat for butterflies. Parking: The Pines, off Whitehall Rd. GR: TQ400933 ============================================ Contact Details: Task Leaders & Committee Members:

Spencer Cleminson 07748 530467 John Fisher 07463 763529 Steve Ford 07918 161941 Kevin Mason 07946 520652 Brian McGhie 01992 573514 Patrick Milne 07966 469164 Ruth Moore 07852 668633 Neil Redgwell 07873 219207 Mark Solomons 07710 907234 Peter Smith 0208 989 9890 Peter Vaughan 0208 590 0879

*Work featured in a majority of tasks forms part of the City of London’s Higher Level Stewardship wood pas-ture restoration plan.