2012 has certainly proved to be one of the busiest and most successful years in recent times with several projects receiving funding and completed – an enlarged and more user-friendly entrance gate, a replacement pond-dipping platform and pond boardwalk and a re-landscaping of the wider pond area.
This time last year, I reported that we had received the excellent news that that we were to receive the maximum award of £10k from the 'Awards For All' Lottery scheme for the replacement of the pond dipping platform and board walk. In January, we also had an approach from Johnsons Wax in Frimley Green to see if we needed their financial help. Needless to say, we jumped at this opportunity as it was great timing to do a major dredging of the pond area before the boardwalk and dipping platform work commenced. In a v short 'window', we secured a grant of £5k from Johnson Wax, renegotiated our contract with Southdown Landscapes and managed to get work started by the beginning of March to minimise the ecological impact. In addition to the pond dredging, we took the opportunity to reduce the numbers of trees in the wider area around the pond to enable more light to infiltrate the water and created two wet area scrapes for smaller invertebrates between the pond and the Stanford Brook.
On 26 August, we held a Gala Opening and Summer BBQ when we were delighted to welcome Cllr Jenny Jordan, the Mayor of Guildford, to officially 'open' all our newly refurbished features including the front entrance area. She was a very appreciative guest and was hugely impressed with all the changes and enhancements in the whole Wildlife Area which she hadn’t visited for over 10 years!
In November, we were also highly honoured to receive the top environmental award in Guildford Borough from the Guildford Society at an award ceremony at the Guildhall. This was the icing on the cake of a very exciting and successful year!
Elsewhere in the Wildlife Area, we have been busy experimenting with improving our wildflower population in the enclosed area thanks to the hard work of Steve Hull using his machinery to clear 3 patches for cultivation. This was coupled with much devoted labour in her garden and greenhouse by Barbara Carr to produce hundreds of plug plants which were then transplanted to provide a very colourful attraction in the summer months. This project is being continued and expanded this year. Other work has been carried out at the front of the site where we have installed a heavy duty retractable bollard to increase our security. We have also put in some hard graft to clear the weeds around the front hedge whips to help them to grow more strongly.
For the first time for v many years, we were not given a grant by Pirbright Parish Council to carry out the annual mow of the Wildflower Meadow. This was part of their measures to cut expenditure and keep the parish precept increase under 2%. We hope that this important contribution with be reinstated next year. We are fortunate indeed to enjoy excellent practical support from the small regular band of volunteers who keep the green path network mown and the site tidy. This has been supervised and led most efficiently by Roy Johnson and Nigel Emerson.
It is v encouraging to see how 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 to cheer us on our way. Our membership tally during 2011 was 177 members plus 36 U16s. Once again, almost every member has indicated a willingness to donate either time or money, the great proportion of which is gift-aided. More detail on this later from Julie Harland.
I need hardly say that we would always welcome suggestions from our members too.
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
April 2013