Garden Waste
Have you seen lawn clippings and tree cuttings whilst walking in the woods?
You may answer ‘Yes’.
Why is it not good practice to dump garden waste in the woods? After all you may think it will rot down/compost and provide nutrients to the soil.
What you may not realise is the impact that this can have on the flora and fauna of the land where waste is left. It can lead to the introduction of parasites or disease included with cuttings, waste, and autumn leaf fall.
Have you spotted any of the following whilst walking in the woods?
The purple flowering Rhododendron Ponticum, Crocosmia, Bamboo, and the lovely Buddleia Davidii, also known as the Butterfly Bush? These are just a few of the invasive species that have made their way into the woods.
Your garden waste could also introduce non-native species in the woods. These non-native species can take over and prevent the native plants from flourishing. Some can remain dormant for many years; potato peelings/seeds for 3 years, and Japanese Knotweed for up to 20 years.
So please dispose of your garden waste in an environmentally safe way. The local authority provides a kerbside collection of garden waste via bins and bags. You can also take your garden waste to the Household Waste Recycling centre. We are fortunate to have such unique woodland on our doorstep. Please help to keep it free from non-native invasive species.
Here is a link to some shrubs that are surprisingly considered invasive:
Conservation Report – June
On Sunday, 13th June, we held our last volunteer conservation working party for a couple of months. It was a successful session and as we continue to remove Rhododendron. There is more space for a greater variety of native plants to grow. One native species which grows well in the woods is wild honeysuckle.
The bark from wild honeysuckle is used by dormice for nest building. We have not seen any dormice but will keep a look out!
You will see that we are edging the areas where we have worked with some of the dead wood and fallen trunks. This to encourage everyone to use the existing pathways so that the newly cleared areas are given a chance to establish.
Edging Edging
You can see in this photograph how the plants have begun to thrive next to one of the dead hedges we built.
You might also notice that we have left the stumps of the rhododendron standing quite high. WBC will be cutting them closer to the ground and applying a pesticide to complete the process.
Thank you to everyone who took part.
Stephanie Mckay – Conservation Officer FOFH
Conservation Report – May
On Sunday, 16th May, our Conservation Group met once again. Fifteen people attended, which included 4 Committee members of Friends of Fox Hill. We ensured Government guidelines were adhered to by splitting into 3 groups, each one with a leader.
Our aim for the morning was to remove more Rhododendron and create space for a greater variety of trees to grow.
All the brash was stacked along the verge by the Dorset Way entrance. WBC Countryside Service will shred it and the chippings will be used in our next session to improve the main pathways.
In addition, we managed to fit in a short session of Himalayan Balsam removal, another invasive plant. Rhododendron and Himalayan Balsam both have attractive flowers. However much we remove them, there will still be plenty left to admire.
Stephanie Mckay, Conservation Officer FOFH
Tim Lloyd, our Chair The Working Party briefing The Working Party Clearing Rhododendron Brash A dog walker is interested in the activity Stacking the Rhododendron brash The Rhododendron brash waiting to be chipped by the Council in a month’s time
Conservation Working Party
Our next Conservation Working Party of 2021 will take place on Sunday, 16th May from 10am – 1pm. Please come and join us, meeting at the main Dorset Way entrance for Fox Hill woods.
This session will focus on removing Rhododendron as the season for coppicing has passed. It is also possible that we will begin removing Himalayan Balsam, which is an invasive plant.
Please wear clothing with long sleeves, long trousers, sturdy shoes, and bring a pair of gardening gloves. Don’t forget to bring something to drink, and eat, if you so wish.
The event will follow the current Government guidelines regarding COVID-19. We regret that no children under the age of 16 are permitted due to insurance restrictions. All work carried out is with the approval of Wokingham Borough Council.
If you would like to attend, or need more information, please contact us by sending an email to events@friendsoffoxhill.org.
Spring Working Party
We had an amazing turn out for our conservation session in the woods yesterday, and achieved a great deal. A big thank you to all those who gave up their time to help.
The area where we have previously worked is now more open to sunlight. There is evidence of a wider variety of plant species beginning to grow. There is more wild Honeysuckle and several smaller tree saplings, including Hawthorn which is not so common in the woods. Some of the native Bluebell bulbs we put in last December are showing and two different species of butterflies were spotted recently. The Hazel trees coppiced when we first began our work are showing good regrowth. Hazel was traditionally planted to provide an autumn harvest of long straight poles for use as fencing and in agriculture. We have recently been granted permission to coppice some more of the Hazel in the woodland and are following in the tradition of using it to form the posts for our dead hedges. Our dead hedges are lined with a bed of dead wood and then layered with Rhododendron. We are removing some of the Rhododendron as it is an invasive species and stops other native species from thriving. Our hedges are arranged around the area which has been cleared to encourage walkers to take the pathway and not accidentally trample on the wildflowers and small saplings.
In addition to the conservation work a substantial amount of litter was cleared during the morning. Also, a mouse was spotted living in the base of one of our hedges.
Stephanie Mckay, Conservation Officer FOFH
The Working Party The Working Party Bubble removing a tree that has fallen through a Hazel Removing Rhododendron Coppicing Hazel Removing dead wood Building a dead hedge Dead hedge filled with Rhododendron brash New growth being protected by the dead hedges Protecting Bluebells Dead hedge Dead hedge along the path Litter collected Litter collected
Conservation Works
Our first Conservation Working Party of 2021 will be taking place on Sunday, 11th April from 10am – 1pm. Please come and join us, meeting at the Dorset Way entrance for Fox Hill woods.
Please wear clothing with long sleeves, long trousers, sturdy shoes and bring a pair of gardening gloves. Don’t forget to bring something to drink, and eat, if you so wish.
The event will follow the current Government guidelines regarding COVID-19. We regret that no children under the age of 16 are permitted due to insurance restrictions. All work carried out is with the approval of Wokingham Borough Council.
If you would like to attend, or would like more information, please contact us by sending an email to events@friendsoffoxhill.org.
Finding Trees In Fox Hill
Have you ever wondered what types of tree are in Fox Hill? Which tree bark do dormice use for their nest? Which tree was planted by the front door, in Victorian times, to keep evil spirits away? Looking for an activity while walking through Fox Hill woods?
The Finding Trees in Fox Hill map will help you to locate the most common types of tree in Fox Hill. The second page provides information about the trees and some fun facts. We hope that you and your family enjoy the activity.
Note: When printing the document from the link, ensure that under ‘More Settings’ and ‘Scale’ “Fit to printable area” is selected. Alternatively, download to your computer, select ‘Print’ and ensure that “Fit” is the chosen option under ‘Page Sizing & Handling’.
Minutes of Meeting 2021
Further to our Annual General Meeting on, which was held on Sunday, 21st February 2021, please find the link to the Meeting Minutes. Thank you to all those who were able to attend.
The Minutes also give the details of the Committee positions. There are a few vacancies, so if you would like to join, please contact us at info@friendsoffoxhill.org.
For reference, the Committee reports can be found using this link – FOFH AGM Presentation.
We look forward to seeing you during the year on one of our activities.
Notices
NOTICE FOR CONSERVATION VOLUNTEERS 
As a reminder, please note that the FOFH Conservation Working Party planned for Sunday 14th February has been postponed. Our sessions will resume once Government guidelines relating to the current lockdown are lifted.
NOTICE FOR MEMBERS A reminder that our AGM will be held on 21st February 2021, as notified by email on 24th January. A Zoom link will be sent by email prior to the meeting. Any questions to be addressed at the AGM can be sent to secretary@friendsoffoxhill.org by 12th February 2021. Please note there have been no nominations contesting any of the positions for the Committee, whether new or existing applicants, therefore a vote is not required. Results will be given at the AGM.
Annual General Meeting
21 February 2021 at 15:00
Further to our post on Facebook on 16th January 2021, we are pleased to announce that the Friends of Fox Hill AGM will be held on 21st February 2021 at 15:00 via Zoom for our members.
Our presentation is available for everyone to read and can be found using this link – FOFH AGM Presentation.