Affiliated Groups
Park Wood is a small tranquil wood
within walking distance of Waterlooville town centre. Park Wood is a
unique mixture of ancient woodland, meadow and contains the remains of a
lost walled garden. It is managed on behalf of the Woodland Trust by the
Friends of Park Wood who helped to save it from possible housing
development. They hold regular work days to look after the wood and also
have walks and talks throughout the year so that people can better
understand the history and wildlife of Park Wood. The Friends of park
Wood hold workdays on the last Sunday of the month for more information go
to
www.park-wood.org.uk
About halfway on a pleasant
stroll between Emsworth and Wablington can be found Nore Barn
Woods some 6
acres of oak and hawthorn wood. It is a beautiful quiet place to rest and
enjoy the coastal scenery of this part of the Chichester Harbour Area of
Outstanding Natural Beauty. The Friends of Nore Barn Woods meet monthly on
Saturday mornings to manage, regenerate and enhance the wood for the
enjoyment of the many people who pass through it and for the benefit of
wildlife. The Friends have sponsored the construction of paths around the
wood to provide all weather footpaths and they have been busy in the wood
planting English Bluebells, creating glades for wildflowers and
butterflies, planting saplings and coppicing trees to encourage
regeneration. For more information about work days and events go to
www.norebarnwoods.org.uk
Brook Meadow is a lovely old wet meadow in Emsworth
that is designated a Site of Importance for Nature Conservation. Brook
Meadow’s 5 acres of grassland, surrounding woodland and two streams is
home to birds, insects, wildflowers, water plants and animals including
the Water Vole which was made famous as “Ratty” in Wind in the Willows and
is now under threat in the UK. The Brook Meadow Conservation Group meet
twice a month to care for the meadow, its plants and wildlife. A lovely
place for a summer’s evening stroll, Brook Meadow refreshes the senses and
uplifts the spirits. There are plans to make the meadow a local nature
reserve which will help to protect it for the enjoyment of future
generations. More information can be found on
www.hants.org.uk/brook-meadow
The Purbrook and Widley Area Residents Association Environmental Group is promoting and caring for the remaining green spaces in Purbrook and Widley. They meet between 9.30 a.m. and noon on the last Sunday morning of each month and have been improving Sandy Dell a mixture of stream side meadow, neglected woodland and open space. The group has removed tons of rubbish and garden waste and planted bulbs to create an area that local people can once again enjoy. They are now planning to rescue the Penjar pond in Purbrook and restore it so that it can be an attractive feature for people and wildlife. The association holds regular meetings to give local people the chance to raise concerns over issues such as the new west of Waterlooville housing development that will affect the quality of the environment in Purbrook and Widley. For more information visit their website on http://www.pawara.co.uk/
The Bedhampton Conservation Volunteers are working to improve the natural and built environment around Bedhampton. Every spring the Volunteers are involved in brightening up the streets with floral displays and hanging baskets. Volunteers have helped to improve the verges on the roads through Bedhampton by planting bulbs and trees. They are removing rubbish from local green natural spaces and improving pedestrian access around the village. The group is now taking on the management of prominent roadside woodland - Little Park Wood that is in a neglected state in order to improve it as a visual amenity and for the benefit of local residents and wildlife.
Wecock Farm Green Gym provides opportunities for people to care for the woodland and natural environment around Wecock Farm as well giving people a good way of staying fit and healthy. Mainly known for being a typical 1970’s council estate Wecock Farm includes a large wood along with plenty of green open spaces that need caring for. The Green Gym team of volunteers meet every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 9.45 a.m. at the Acorn Community Centre in Kites Close, Wecock Farm to care for the natural environment and make the estate a more attractive place to live. The volunteers encourage the local residents and schools to help too. For people living in the area Green Gym is a good way to meet new friends, stay fit and improve their lives and surroundings.
Hollybank Wood is a large wood owned by Havant Borough Council on the edge
of the borough near
South Leigh. The Friends of Hollybank Woods hold work
days during the autumn and winter months to carry out woodland management
work such as coppicing, an old woodland skill that encourages wildlife
diversity in the wood. During the spring and summer months the group hold
walks to discover the wildlife of the wood, these include activities like
butterfly and moth surveys, and bird and bat surveys in the company of
local experts. Join them for one of their regular activities and discover
the beauty of Hollybank Wood. For more information on the Friends of
Hollybank Woods go to
www.hollybank-woods.hampshire.org.uk
The
Friends of Langstone Harbour organisation
was formed in 1997 to promote a wider interest in the harbour and to be a
focus for volunteers to join in its
preservation and enhancement.
A wide range of recreational, educational and conservation
activities are planned often in
conjunction with other local conservation groups. Roughly once a
month there is a work party somewhere round the harbour and they hold two
meetings and publish up to 4 Newsletters a year
Membership is open to residents,
sailors, fishermen, walkers, bird watchers, naturalists, artists,
cyclists, holiday makers and anyone else interested in the care and well
being of
the Harbour. For more information
about langstone harbour go to
www.havantnature.net/langstoneharbour.htm
Langstone is a picturesque village that was formerly the Port of Havant
on the shore of Langstone Harbour
in the Chichester
Harbour Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Langstone is famous
for its harbour frontage with the Old Mill, the Royal Oak and fishermen's
cottages, which have been often featured in drawings, photographs and
paintings.
The Langstone Village Association is dedicated to the preservation and development of the quality of life in Langstone Village and its three conservation areas and works to protect and conserve this beautiful harbour side settlement which is a designated conservation area. For news of association activities and issues in the village go to www.langstone.net
The Langstone Conservation Group meets twice a month on the first and third Monday to improve the well used path network between the lovely village of Langstone and Havant town centre. The volunteers clear litter and rubbish from along the Billy Trail, the Langstone Mill stream and the Lymbourne Stream They have helped the County Council’s rights of way team to replace old worn out stiles with kissing gates to improve access for walkers and encourage more people to use the footpaths around the village. Each September the group takes part in the Solent Beach clean. On the first Monday of each month the group meets at 10 a.m. in the car park at Tesco’s in Havant to clear the path alongside the Langstone Mill Stream. On the third Monday of the month they meet at 10 a.m. at the end of Langstone Avenue on to clear the Billy Trail and Lymbourne Stream.
The volunteers in the Woodsedge Waders meet at by the ponds off Woodsedge Close in Stakes, Waterlooville at 9 a.m. on the second Sunday morning of the month. They care for a small woodland, a grassy glade and 2 small ponds that provide a green lung for local residents living between Stakes Road and the nearby A3M. The Woodsedge Waders keep the ponds pollution free by removing any objects thrown in and maintain a mixture of open water and plants around the edge of the ponds to encourage wildlife as well as maintaining the footpaths and clearing rubbish or dealing with fallen trees in the wood to make it an attractive safe amenity for local people to enjoy.
Slipper Mill
Pond dates from the 1760s and is one of the few reminders of Emsworth’s
industrial heritage. It is now a unique brackish wildlife habitat
maintained for the quiet enjoyment of the public. It is designated a Site
of Nature Conservation Importance, home to many birds and has more
than 120 different plants and trees on
its banks. Fish, especially grey mullet, breed there and many other
creatures live in its muddy bottom including 2 protected mud invertebrates
and an interesting
tube worm.
The Slipper Mill Pond Preservation
Association, a registered charity, is responsible to its private owners
for care and maintenance. Volunteers carry out as much of the work as
possible, helped and funded by the members with the assistance of grants
from Chichester Harbour Conservancy and others. Recent tasks undertaken
include establishing a reed bed as an organic solution to the repair of
the inside of the west bank as well as emergency works to the outer wall.
Events are held throughout the year, and it has become a tradition to have
at least one evening talk and a Christmas Dinner - functions which are
attended with much enthusiasm. For more details go to
www.smppa.org.uk
