According to the familiar saying, the best time to plant trees was 25 years ago: the second best time is now. After years of clearing scrub and old rotten trees from the Knoll, we have begun a programme of new tree planting, kindly supported by a grant from the Downlands Trust.

This area near the Ramblers Rest has also been known as the Nuttery and still has some ancient Walnut specimens, among other fruiting trees. The scrub clearance not only saved the old trees but has resulted in a brilliant resurgence of dormant wildflowers throughout the site.

WoodChip activities are all about teamwork. While some of our volunteers worked on clearing and burning the arisings from our autumn tasks, others began to plant a mix of Walnut and Hazel in the open spaces across the site.

​All the young saplings will be protected by tree guards, stakes and mulch mats for their first years of life. We reckoned this would deter most creatures looking for an easy snack, but this didn't allow for the appetite of our canine colleague Treacle (see pics).

Veronica Beccabunga may sound like an Italian politician's playmate, but is better known as the perfectly respectable Brook Lime, a wildlife-friendly marsh lover now making a home near the Bulrush end.

While engaged in the soothing, if impossible, task of scooping up duckweed, it became clear that we will need to reduce the clump of Bulrush before next year, together with a little selective weeding along the banks, particularly the Buddleia that is putting down its long roots in several places.
Graham Kenward