Hunt Park Nature Reserve

Our Northern Working Party were on site over the weekend of 9 -12 June when 21 volunteers (spread over the four days) set about installing the bank protection over three separate lengths of Cranleigh Waters. The logistics for the event were difficult. With no secure site compound to deliver materials to, all the specialist materials (coir rolls and mats, gabion wire etc) had to be left at elsewhere and Dave Evans had to build an artificial pond to keep them from  perishing before arrival at Shalford.

With our usual impeccable timing, this week's schedule was to coppice the willow bed in the Park, and as it turned out, we were trying to roll out a carpet of weed-suppressant material with storm Doris raging over our heads. Having secured one end it soon unravelled and flew away every time we tried to pin it down. At last the task was achieved and we moved on to the coppicing work.

A huge effort by our volunteers today in planting a very long hedge to mark the park's boundary on the Bramley side. Mike was very chuffed with all the hard work by our Mid Week Working Party.

We have now planted some 2500 saplings, so far, which has created over 700 metres of new hedge which is in " double rows ". Much better for nesting birds and wildlife in general.

Some of the trees and plants are :

I blame the publicity department: no sooner have you put up a new poster then they come along and give you another one. This week we walked the bounds in the pouring rain, noticing for the first time that the ivy on the footbridge is growing nicely (so beneficial to bees and birds) and is beginning to outgrow its posts. The rabbits have eaten most, but a “Golden Heart” is growing steadily – so they obviously don’t like the flavour of that one. The water level in Cranleigh Waters was well up, and the flow quite strong. Will we get some flooding this year?

It was a busy day in Hunt Park for the regular members of the team. During the morning we set off for the Osier bed in the park with the intention of extending it to allow for a further row of willows. The photo shows 2 members of the team reinstating the plastic mesh to protect the new plants from deer, and then chicken wire - not to ward off chickens (a species we have yet to see in Hunt Park) but the pesky rabbits. Late morning it was back to the compound to continue clearance work ready for the hoarding to be removed and the site returned to its original state.