2009 has been a relatively quiet year with no major projects. Instead we have done various minor works which have been carried out by committee members – digging out the leat from the Hodge Brook to the pond (Nigel Emerson), continuing the Yellow Rattle trial (Nigel Emerson and Julie Harland) and making a start on modifying the entrance gate to make it easier for parents using double buggies (Gary Mountjoy).
The flow of water through the leat to ensure a constant supply of water to the pond will be an ongoing task and playing around with mechanical diggers will hopefully always make this job appealing despite the hard grind.
The second year of the Yellow Rattle trial was much more interesting than the first as we used fresh seed which made germination more successful. The first signs are that this could be a useful method of suppressing the dominant grasses and allowing the stronger growth of flowers.
The entrance gate modifications are in response to requests by people visiting the site and we are grateful to Gary for leading on the re-design. We are currently trialling an adaptation which we hope can both provide easier access for buggies but also deter unwanted visitors with motor bikes etc.
As for major projects, we are starting to think about replacing the boardwalk from the pond to the Stamford Brook as the lead in time for obtaining grants is always lengthy. Happily there have not been any further treads which have needed replacing so there is no absolute urgency but we are v aware that this is one of the Wildlife Area’s biggest assets and we must be ahead of the game. The next design will also need to comply with latest directives on accessibility and safety.
Another major expense will be the replacement of the ride-on mower which is now 9 years old. I hope I’m not tempting fate to say that we haven’t had any significant problems to date thanks to the maintenance skills of Roy but it is always in the back of our minds that it won’t last forever...
On the northern boundary adjacent to Pirbright Cottages, the Association has been involved in two legal issues. Firstly, the question of whether the green lane should be re-classified as a Byway Open to All Traffic (BOAT) which has yet to be resolved. Secondly, an encroachment onto the land leased by the Association south of Brook Cottage which has also yet to be resolved. The Committee has decided to walk the boundary of the Wildlife Area every year so that we can take timely action under the terms of our lease with GBC.
As always, we are very grateful to Pirbright Parish Council who are continuing to include the Wildflower Meadow in their Paths and Greens contract which is an invaluable contribution. To that we add the excellent practical support from the small band of volunteers who keep the green path network mown and the site tidy and also undertake various small projects such as digging out the edges of the spine path. This has been supervised and led most efficiently by Roy Johnson and Nigel Emerson.
On the social front, we had good weather for our Summer BBQ last July and the children enjoyed the cuddly animal hunt organised by Lynda Farrena. We hope to make a children's activity a regular feature.
In June, we again entered Pirbright Church’s Open Day Scarecrow Competition with a charming Pinocchio designed and constructed by the very talented Ann Mountjoy, one of our members. She won 2nd prize – v much deserved!
We were also entertained by a lively and fascinating talk on otters at last year’s AGM by Chris Matcham from Surrey Wildlife Trust.
The Wildlife Area continues to be a popular place to visit - from the regular local visitors to a wider range of groups who find us from our website. We also receive appreciative emails and letters which give us encouragement.
On the membership front, there are 177 members plus 37 U16s. Once again, almost every member has indicated a willingness to donate either time or money, the great proportion of which is gift-aided and has added a further 28% through reclaim from the Inland Revenue. More detail on this later from Julie Harland.
The only sadness in the year has been the death of Dennis Tubb who has been one of our most loyal volunteers for any job but particularly as the master mower of our green path network. He will be sorely missed.
Looking into 2010, we are planning to:-
As always, I would like to finish by thanking the hard-working Management Committee, all those who have contributed by helping with maintenance jobs around the site and all our members who give us generous donations to keep us afloat and encourage us with their positive comments.
Catherine Cobley
March 2010