WOODCHIPS
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Competition
  • WoodChips Blog
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO

    WoodChips Blog

A rare spider from The Lagoon area

27/4/2019

Comments

 
A male Philodromus rufus was discovered on the bark of a Willow tree at The Lagoon last Tuesday. It has been confirmed by international experts.
Comments

Tuesday 23 April

22/4/2019

Comments

 
On Tuesday we will start preparing The Lagoon site for re-seeding. Meet at the Holly Lane car park at 10:00hrs.
Comments

New for the site - the Red Ant (Myrmica rubra)

21/4/2019

Comments

 
Comments

Fire and water

19/4/2019

Comments

 
This week there were contrasting scenes at Stagbury and, a short distance away, at the newly planted lagoon beside Outwood Lane.

Stagbury's mega-hot bonfire made short work of some of the piles of dead bramble and other brush we have been hacking and slashing. Due to the recent dry weather it went up like a rocket every time material was added, so the fire was kept small(ish) to avoid it spreading over a wider area. There's plenty of fuel left for another burn-up!

Meanwhile the lagoon was an oasis of calm where, after only five days since the water plants were installed, there were already signs of life. Besides some water skaters,  we counted no fewer than 18 Marsh Marigold blooms.
Flowers only 5 days after planting.
Comments

Another important species from Lord's Wood field.

16/4/2019

Comments

 
The Nationally Notable A spider, Salticus zebraneus, has been recorded from the trunk of an old oak tree in Lord's Wood field.
Picture
Comments

Tuesday 16 April

15/4/2019

Comments

 
The task for Tuesday 16 April is to continue to reduce the bramble and scrub present on Stagbury field. Meet at the Holly Lane car park at 10:00hrs.
Comments

Greening the lagoon

12/4/2019

Comments

 
Today, as part of our ongoing project to 'green' the chalky drainage lagoon beside Outwood Lane, the WoodChip volunteers installed 12 metres of pond plant matting around the shallow end. The pre-planted coir matting, in 2m x .5m strips, contains a mix of the following British native marginal plant species:
Carex acutiformis (Lesser Pond Sedge) 
Juncus effusus (Soft Rush)
Lythrum salicaria (Purple Loosestrife)
Iris pseudacorus (Yellow Flag Iris)
Caltha palustris (Marsh Marigold)
Myosotis scorpioides (Water Forget Me Not)
Ranunculus flammula (Lesser Spearwort)
Alisma plantago-aquatica (Water Plantain)
Mentha aquatica (Water Mint). 

The biodegradable matting was laid half in the water and the other half secured to the bank with stones and sharpened sticks. The matting holds the plant roots in place until they become established.
 
In addition, we put in some Marsh Cinquefoil, Brooklime, and Water Soldier. Plus over 50 bunches of free-floating Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) were added to the water as oxygenators.

The matting and Hornwort plants were supplied by 
britishpondplants.co.uk.
Big thanks to the Downlands Trust for providing the funds for this worthwhile conservation project.

It's already having an effect. As we finished the work, a water skater appeared and several birds came down to investigate the planting. Later, a frog was found in the area surrounding the lagoon. Sadly, it had only one hand but was otherwise normal!

The water plants are intended to complement the wildflower seeding and planting we have already carried out on the walls of the lagoon, with more to come. In the flatter area outside the fence some invasive species have been sprayed or dug out to provide patches of bare soil. These will also be seeded with wildflowers, this time provided by Reigate & Banstead Borough Council.
Watch this space for updates on all the new growth in due course.
Comments

Friday 11th April

11/4/2019

Comments

 
This is addressed mainly to those who have already volunteered for this task, which takes place at the drainage lagoon beside Outwood Lane. 

We are installing British native pond plants around the edge of the shallow end of the lagoon (see pic). These marginal plants are growing in coir matting which will be transported to the site.

Depending on time and the numbers of volunteers, we will also be removing some invasive plants from the area surrounding the lagoon, in preparation for wildflower seeding in May.
Please bring some garden forks or other digging tools to help with this task.

Meet at Holly Lane car park at 10am.
Picture
Picture
Example of pond plants and coir matting.
Comments
<<Previous
    Picture
    Community Woodlands Award


    ​Who are we?

    We are a self-funded group of volunteers looking after our local countryside in Banstead Wood and Chipstead Valley. We  extend a warm welcome to those  who would like to help maintain this important green space for the benefit of everyone. Here you will find details of WoodChips weekly tasks and activities. Check back soon  to see what we're up to!

    Archives

    March 2022
    February 2022
    October 2021
    June 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

Picture

​
​Give us a call

01737 363013‬


Send us an email

woodchips1@btinternet.com
See blog for latest info
The content on this website is subject to copyright of the WoodChips and their volunteers. Please get in touch if you wish to use any of the text or pictures.
  • Home
  • About Us
  • The area we cover
  • Featured creatures
  • Our Butterflies
    • Butterfly Blog
  • Toolkit
  • Photo Competition
  • WoodChips Blog
  • Countryside Videos
  • CONTACT/MORE INFO