Thanks, again

We've collected more tree seedlings at the school's tree nursery. Thank you to everyone who brought plants they'd rescued from their gardens. As one donor said, “it's good to know they'll be taken care of and allowed to grow, instead of just being thrown on the rubbish pile”.

The photo above is of an opening chestnut bud. We've been given several chestnuts, and although they'll grow into wonderful trees, given a chance, we don't want any more, thank you. There's a list of what we want on a previous post, but chestnuts grow too big and are only suitable as specimen trees on the wood's perimeter. So thanks, but no thanks.

Does anyone want a chestnut? I’ve got several pot grown plants to give away. Email me at nelson.margaret [at] gmail.com if you do (you know what to do with the address – it’s written this way to foil spammers).

The EGGS group will award commemorative certificates to anyone who donates bought trees or money to buy tools or trees. The first certificate will go to Maggie Gardiner, who’s given several trees that were bought with money from a legacy. There’ll be a presentation on our next activity day – to be announced. If you’d like to donate trees in memory of someone you loved, or to mark a special occasion, like a new arrival in the family, please get in touch.

Our thanks to James Hitchcock, James Seeley and their helpers who’ve collected mulching material donated by Peter Austin and stored it at Gate Farm. We’re also grateful to James Hitchcock for the bridge and the two temporary notice boards he made.

The Disability Discrimination Act requires those of us who provide a service to the public in the countryside to ensure that disabled people have access to the outdoors, ‘by all reasonable means’. The term ‘disability’ covers a variety of impairments and conditions – it’s not just about people in wheelchairs. We’ll be consulting local people to find out what problems, if any, they may have that could prevent them from enjoying access to Buckle’s Wood.

We won’t be providing dog mess bins at Buckle’s Wood. There are already bins on the meadow, by the road. No one will empty bins by the wood. Many walk their dogs along the footpath by the wood and there is evidence that some allow their dogs to relieve themselves there, without clearing up after them. Please bear in mind that this whole area is open to the public and the school will increasingly use it as an educational resource. Please clear up after your dogs! Recently, a team of volunteer litter-pickers discovered that dog-walkers had picked up their dog’s mess in plastic bags and then thrown the bags of mess into hedges or onto verges. What did they imagine would happen to it there? Only a small minority of local dog owners behave in this anti-social way. It’s disgusting – please don’t do it.

Photo & illustration (c) M Nelson 2006