BRANCHLINES AND OLD SCHOOL WOOD
Working Parties will resume on most Wednesday mornings after the summer break. The September Saturday working party is due on September 26th. I will not be there myself but the work must go on!
Volunteers meet as usual at 9.30am by the benches on the main track. Various tasks including aftercare for new trees, keeping paths and rides clear, perhaps some raking up; enjoying the fresh air, company and wildlife!
NEW VOLUNTEERS WELCOME. All tools and training provided. 11am refreshment break; bring a drink and dress for the weather.
Update.
Smart new entrance signboards with a site map are now installed. These tie in with a new nature trail leaflet available on the parish wesite. Many thanks to Helen Senior for all her work on the design and production and Paul Clover for help with putting them in place.
My last article was written during a rainy June week; the smaller ponds were refilling after the exceptional spring drought. Now, the weather extremes have continued with another prolonged drought – all the ponds have dried up and, despite watering them, most of the trees planted in the last 12 months have died. The new chalk bank enjoyed the sun but needs rain for the seeds that we sowed to germinate. It was at least a good summer for butterflies and insects in general with our first record of Marbled White.
Our 25th ANNIVERSARY PICNIC was held on Saturday 4th July from 11.30am on Church Meadow in the wood and the new signboard was unveiled.
HAY DAY took place on Saturday August 22nd, the annual social event when we rake up the newly cut hay with refreshments in the church mid morning.
Forest School resumed in the summer term, with children from the village school spending some Friday mornings in The Glades. This area is out of bounds for dogs and should not be used for campfires or barbeques especially in view of recent wildfires across the country.
David Taylor
ST LAWRENCE CHURCHYARD
Working Party, Saturday September 12th
We would value your help with ongoing general maintenance. Meet 9.30am in the churchyard. All tools provided, no special skills needed, and we stop for a chat and refreshments at 11am. It’s good for your mental and physical health to be outdoors with nature. Various tasks are waiting to be done.
This date coincides with the annual ‘Ride and Stride’ historic churches annual sponsored event so the church will be open too.
Many thanks to Ray Ackers and Paul Clover for maintenance work on the shed and outdoor woodwork.
Hay Day was on August 22nd, when we were due to rake up newly cut long grass in cooperation with Old School Wood.
Our church is in the ‘diocese’ (administrative area) of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich. They have a website which includes information on churchyard management for the benefit of people and wildlife. In the older part of the churchyard we have war graves and protected trees. Important and uncommon wild flowers include burnet saxifrage, meadow saxifrage and wild clary, which thrive in grassland managed as meadow. The new graveyard is mainly lawn. Prohibited items are being removed in line with regulations.
Please keep dogs on leads in the churchyard. Dog poo in the church wheelie bins makes them pretty smelly, so could it go in the dedicated bin on The Street opposite the Old School House please – only 30 yards away.
David Taylor
