Bourne Conservation Group's Website

Welcome!

Welcome to the Bourne Conservation Group's website. From here we co-ordinate our activities, and provide a way for you to get in touch with us for more information. If you would like to know more about the group, use the menu on the left to look at some details of the group's work so far, and plans for the future.

Our volunteers assist in the maintenance and improvement of public open areas and rights-of-way centred on The Bourne, Farnham for the benefit of residents and wildlife.

Make a difference! Come and join us!

Opening the Batting

Over the weekend 14th-15th April our Group commenced a new project on a little known site on The Ridgway known as Battings Garden after the benefactor who gave it to Farnham in 1933. It has been maintained in a neat and tidy condition by Waverley Borough Council but its potential value is not being realised. This was recognised by a near neighbour to the site, Jon Austen, who conceived a possible enhancement project last year but was unable to get it started. We have now joined forces with Jon to help get it moving.

The main task over the weekend was to tackle the inevitable laurel that was becoming very intrusive. As the photograph shows a significant mountain of cuttings was amassed which the Council has kindly promised to take away for us. It is noteworthy that, situated on a busy crossroads, Battings Garden is a difficult place to work on due to the complete absence of suitable parking space. However, this position with heavy traffic and the resulting noise and air pollution nearby makes it a very desirable place to provide habitat for wildlife. That is what we shall be concentrating on in future sessions, attempting as usual to balance what is attractive to people with improving biodiversity. An exciting challenge for the rest of the year.

Big Spawn Count

Our Committee member Lisa Malcolm has co-ordinated our response to Pond Conservation’s survey. She adds her thanks to those of the national organiser:

A huge thank you for taking part in this year’s Big Spawn Count. So far nearly 900 people have completed the survey, which is fantastic. I wonder if we can crack the 1000 mark?

The survey is now closed, and Pond Conservation are now analysing the results.

It’s been great to read your findings and learn about the varying ponds out there, and their inhabitants. From a bath tub in an allotment, to an urban pond at a Community Centre, proving that home sweet home can come in many different shapes and sizes!

So, once again - thank you, from all of us at Pond Conservation and the Amphibian and Reptile Groups of the UK. We’ll be in touch soon with the grand results.

Pond Conservation is the UK national charity dedicated to protecting the wildlife of our freshwaters: ponds, rivers, streams and lakes.

Toad Watch – Helping a Priority Species

With the milder nights from the end of February, amphibians have woken up and started their migration to ponds to breed.

Three privately owned ponds along Boundary Road outside Rowledge village are known to be breeding ponds for toads, frogs and newts. Boundary road is, thankfully for the amphibians, a quiet road without too much traffic. However, as the amphibians start their migration at dusk, which at this time of year coincides with rush hour, some casualties are inevitable.

Working with Surrey Amphibian and Reptile Group (SARG), the Bourne Conservation Group has been out in our high visibility jackets walking up and down Boundary Road most nights for about 1-1.5 hours since 20th February. No amphibians were found on the 20th and 21st, probably because it was too cold – toads and frogs have a preference for 7oC or more (or very wet) to migrate. From 22nd Feb, toads were seen on the roads – mainly males sat upright looking for females.

Typical numbers have been around 10 live toads found per night.

An exception was the 23rd February which was a particularly mild night - 27 males and 3 females were captured and safely released in the hedge lines close to the ponds.

Whilst not many female toads have been seen so far (possibly because they do not hang about on the roads), there has been a noticeable increase in female frogs since 23rd February. Newts are harder to spot on the road, so far only 1 smooth newt has been saved.

In total, from 22nd February – 3rd March, 70 male and 3 female toads have been saved (sadly 20 have been found squashed, although the nightly squashed numbers are dropping), 8 male and 13 female frogs (2 squashed), 1 smooth newt (1 squashed). We will continue to watch the site for another week or so, when all of the toads, newts and frogs should be at their breeding sites. Follow our “Toad Watch” progress on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks to Martin, Fiona of BCG and Daniel of SARG for their work and support on “Toad Watch”. All records will be given to SARG so that they can gain a countywide view of amphibian migrations.

**Don’t forget The Big Spawn count – see www.pondconservation.org.uk/bigponddip/BigSpawncount for details**

New Residents for the Old Churchyard

The half-finished loggery in the Old Churchyard became the focus of a great deal of attention on the 21st February after a call was received from one of our members, Bryan Snashall, working on a building site at Weybridge. He had discovered a number of large grubs in the roots of a tree deemed unsafe and being removed. From a verbal description we thought these were probably stag beetle larvae which do begin their lives underground, living on dead wood, especially oak. This identification was confirmed next day when a photograph was obtained but that did not solve the problem of what do about them. The professional advice was that, ideally, they should be left in their present home, but after further consideration this was ruled out because of the nature of work on the site. The feasibility of moving them was then established, provided the dead tree roots could be moved with them.

All the preparations were then made and at 4.00pm on Friday Bryan arrived at the Old Churchyard in his van completely filled with logs, bags of loose deadwood and four buckets of larvae carefully buried in deadwood and sawdust. While unloading was taking place we were amazed to find two fully fledged stag beetles amongst the larvae as they do not normally emerge until May. In the gathering gloom of the late afternoon, assisted by Bryan’s complete family, the loggery was reshaped and filled with the deadwood before returning the larvae to their natural environment. The two male stag beetles were given temporary accommodation overnight before cooperating in a photo session on Saturday morning after which they too were returned to the loggery.

So, our new loggery has been populated in a very speedy and unusual way thanks to Bryan’s sharp eye and quick reaction. We did all we could and hope the larvae will survive. If they do so they may continue underground for several more years before emerging as stag beetles. Despite its fearsome appearance the stag beetle is quite harmless and is, like so many of our other species, in decline due to predation and loss of habitat. There are lessons to be learned from our exercise in the last week. The first is to act with great care when having a tree removed from your property. The second lesson is to note the immense value of deadwood to wildlife. It is not only stag beetles that live in rotting tree stumps, all sorts of other creatures also depend on it. So, please leave tree stumps in the ground and a few log piles tucked away in corners of the garden. They can make attractive natural features.

For more information go to:
Info on Stag Beetles : http://maria.fremlin.de/stagbeetles/larva-guide

Wildlife garden in Middle Bourne Lane

We were pleased to be invited by the Surrey Wildlife Trust to contribute an article for their Surrey Nature magazine on our wildlife garden in Middle Bourne Lane. It is due to be published shortly and will be the first in a series of articles designed to show readers how they can take action to help wildlife in their gardens. The editor was particularly interested in the hibernaculum we built in the community garden and considered that it would be useful to make public the details of how to set about constructing it. So, we wrote a separate article on the subject which Surrey Wildlife Trust have made into a most attractive piece of artwork. The pictures of Martin and Didi carrying out the task on a rather wet Sunday morning in 2008 of course greatly add to the interest of the piece which you can see here.

On that same wet Sunday Karen played a major part in constructing the logger in Middle Bourne Lane as our picture shows.

Withy cutting for the Old Churchyard

A withy is a tough flexible branch of willow or osier used for binding bundles, fencing and hurdle making. As part of completing the current stage of our project in the Bourne Old Churchyard we are going to replace the laurel hedging in the north-east corner. We will replant the hedge with more wildlife friendly species like hawthorn and blackthorn, but while these plants are becoming established we need to build a withy fence, like the one around the pond. We already have holly stakes that were cut in Burnt Hill Wood last Sunday and recently a team of our members went withy cutting near Godalming, under the guidance of the Waverley ranger Ian Baldwin. The owner of an area of wetland in the Wey Valley has planted numerous willows, which are cut annually to provide a sustainable crop of withies. Working parties from various conservation groups earn bundles of withies in return for help with cutting them. There will be further sessions - it is a highly recommended way of getting out in the fresh air, keeping warm, and making a really useful contribution to our projects.

Major milestone for The Bourne Old Churchyard project

The Bourne Conservation Group has been working on the recovery of the charming Old Churchyard in Vicarage Hill for the past three years and it is now probably looking better than at any time in memory. There are two main reasons for this: the first is the removal of the invasive growth of brambles, laurel and sycamore saplings that were rapidly taking over, and the second is that most of the fallen monuments are now once again upright.

Recent work has included a major tidying up of the ruin of the old Sexton’s Hut in the south west corner. As the picture shows, the surviving brickwork has been stabilised to create something that will be an attractive feature and also serve as a reminder that this was once the active graveyard for The Bourne tended by a paid employee who used his little hut to store his tools and perhaps as a shelter in bad weather. A ‘Bug Wall’ has been installed - a small rustic wooden structure to provide starter homes for spiders, beetles, wood lice and many other creatures.

Other recent work, with the excellent co-operation of neighbours to the site, includes installation of a rainwater tank and removal of five dead Scots Pines, leaving substantial stumps to provide feeding stations for woodpeckers.

In addition to conserving the heritage of the site, a principal aim of the work has been to preserve and enhance its biodiversity – a delicate balancing act. To that end four bat boxes have been installed and about 150 wildflower plug plants were put in last autumn. Birds have been doing well, encouraged by the feeders kept topped up by one of the neighbours. There were quite a few butterflies this summer and we have seen grasshoppers for the first time. The slow worms have done particularly well. The introduction of the pond in 2010 has opened up the possibility of extending the range of wildlife and it was particularly pleasing to see toad spawn and newts appearing within months of the water being let in. Moths too can be seen in abundance by those venturing into the graveyard at night. For them, perhaps the most impressive sight has been the copper underwing moths (pictured) which love to slumber in the roof of the lychgate: over 20 have been seen together on warm summer nights.

The biodiversity work was made possible by funding from the Orchid Trust Fund, managed by the Community Foundation for Surrey. The Group is making plans for the next phase of the project, which will include completion of restoration of the monuments, further removal of invasive plants and setting up a long-term programme of maintenance that will keep the site in its present condition.

Newsletter Winter 2011-12

You can read our latest news by downloading our Newsletter here

Renovation of Taylor’s Steps

Taylor’s Path is a little known right-of-way that runs from Gravel Hill across to the bottom of Old Church Lane. Access from the A287 is difficult, even hazardous, which means it is not well used but it is nevertheless an attractive path. We have diligently maintained it over the years and have been frustrated by the flight of steps at the west end forever being hidden by earth and debris. Therefore in August 2011 we resolved to make a big effort to prevent this happening in future. In two hard, mid-week sessions we dug out the steps and, with the help of Nicky Scott of Surrey County Council, removed the equivalent of two skip loads of earth. Then began the tricky task of erecting a wooden retaining wall down one side to prevent soil spilling back onto the path. For this we drew heavily on the expertise of Bryan Snashall. Under his guidance the main work was completed on Sunday 20th November while a second team under Lisa Malcolm tackled pruning work on paths in the Greenhill Road area. The woodwork on the steps was completed a few days later and Taylor’s steps are at last in good shape again. Job well done!

But why are they call Taylor’s Steps? They commemorate a former resident with the wonderful name of Montague Brook Wilbraham Taylor (1844 – 1897). After retiring from the Army in India he lived in the rather grand house known as Aveley Hill which is the large House half way up Gravel Hill with a boundary running along the footpath. The original dwelling on the site was a much smaller one referred to by Henry Sidebotham as Bourne Cottage. Montague Taylor became concerned about the time the youth of the village spent in the pubs, notably the Fox and the Happy Home just across the road. He therefore commissioned the building of a mission hall providing more wholesome fare including evening classes, coffee and, for the girls, sewing classes. The building (shown in the photograph as it was in about 1900) remains to this day opposite the Fox as Taylor’s Hall, now used by the Scouts. It is good that this local benefactor is remembered by the hall and the footpath.

The Bourne Conservation Group has a new logo!

The Group has been working on various projects in the Bourne for almost 10 years but now has introduced a new logo which offers a modern look for the group and helps to identify the good work that the Bourne Conservation Group is locally involved in. The logo has been designed to represent the Bourne’s features with its landscape, trees, water and wildlife and it is these features on which the BCG focuses its work. BCG is very grateful to all members who contributed ideas and for the professional help that was given.

Bourne Conservation Group on Facebook

Have you visited our Facebook page? We have some excellent photos of wildlife taken locally by our members and you welcome to add yours, including any requests for help with identification. We would encourage all our members and friends to use the page as a way of keeping in touch with the Group.

Annual Report 2010-11

The Bourne Conservation Group’s Annual Report for the year 2010-11 can be downloaded here. It is being presented to members at our AGM to be held on Sunday 4th September at 12 noon. Further details are available from info@bourneconservation.org.uk

Membership

The Bourne Conservation Group is always looking for new members. Membership is open to adults with an interest in the natural environment and wildlife of the Bourne and who are prepared to spend a modest amount of time on conservation work. Membership is free.

If you are interested, you can download an information leaflet here. For those who are unable, for whatever reason, to be an active volunteer, why not join us as a Friend? Further details are on the ‘Join Us’ page.