Woodland Trust - Winter 2006 – Volunteer newsletter edition 4

8/14/2019 Woodland Trust - Winter 2006 Volunteer newsletter edition 4

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VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER

Feeling helpless in the face of the graveinternational problem of global

warming? Don't. You can contribute in a

very real way to the fight against climate

change as an individual and as a supporter of

the Woodland Trust.

It is now widely accepted that climate change

will affect all natural environments, is

potentially very destructive and can be

attributed to human activity.

The Trust's head of campaigns, Ed Pomfret, is

unequivocal;Greenhouse gas emissions are

the greatest threat to the natural world and

to humanity and our Government is not doing

nearly enough about it.We are campaigning

to change Government policy on this.

The Trust is asking all of us to take a pledge

to do two things. Firstly, reduce our own

carbon emissions by such simple methods as

cutting back on motor transport, using

energy efficient light bulbs, turning down the

thermostat and changing to green energy

(see page 8 for more tips).

Secondly, by getting people to write to the

Prime Minister and their own MP, urging

them to work towards getting national

greenhouse gas emissions down.

Supporters can very easily make their views

known to politicians via the Trust website

(see below). But it would be better still ifthey could also send more personal

communications to those in power and

encourage family and friends to do the same.

The Woodland Trust has signed up as a member

of the I Count campaign, a coalition of over 30

organisations. It has millions of supporters and

it is pressurising the Government to slash the

UK's global warming gas emissions.

I Count launched a book explaining the 16 steps

you can take to cut your own carbon emissions.

You can also sign up to count online at

www.woodland-trust.org.uk/campaigns/climate

Winter 2006

www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved

The heat is on

News pages 2 & 16

Volunteer of the Year winners

Speakers bulletin page 3

Ancient trees page 4

Recording your discoveries

Phenology page 5

BBC Springwatch update

In the woods page 6

Free training for walk leaders

Less is more page 8

Go green the easy way

Out of the woods page 10

Sian Lloyd exclusive

In business page 12

Community Woodland

Network page 13

Frequently asked

questions page 14

Lyme disease latest

Volunteer

opportunities page 15

Be inspired

Getting in touch page 16

continued on page 12

NickCobbing/StopClimateChaos

It is now certain that

climate change is the

greatest threat to our

environment.What

on Earth can we doabout it? Mandy

Hillier explains

INSIDE


2/16

Dear friends

Here at the Woodland Trust we are

doing all we can to put climate change

at the top of the political agenda. It is

without doubt the biggest challenge to

face the UKs ancient woods right now.

We felt sure you, as Woodland Trust

volunteers, would share our concern so

this issue will tell you what were doing

about it (page 1) and how you can help.

Climate change seems like a colossal issue

but you will be surprised at how much can

be achieved with very simple changes in

our daily lives.There is one incredibly easy

thing we can all do (if you dont already)

which would cut the UKs entire domestic

energy use by 1 per cent. Find out what it

is on page 8.

On a lighter note, but staying with the

weather, weve got an exclusive interview

with TV meteorologist, and Woodland

Trust volunteer, Sian Lloyd. Read aboutwhat inspires her and why she believes we

need all the help we can get on page 10.

Finally, wed like to extend an extra special

thank you to Jason Martin (page 10),our

new voluntary assistant editor, for all the

help hes given us with this issue.

But we realise that hes not the only one

out there doing sterling work for the

Trust.Thank you all for everything you are

doing to keep woodland alive.

Best wishes

The volunteers team

PS If you have any green tips, please get in

touch with Sallyanne our editor (see page

15).Wed love to hear them and share

them with everyone else.

2 email: [email protected] tel: 01476 581111

NEWS

And the winner isThe levels of commitment, effort and passion displayed by the Trustsvolunteers are truly remarkable. Every year the Trust recognises this

through its Volunteer of the Year awards. The task of choosing

the winners this year proved extremely difficult.

Well done to the following.

From left to right: Carl Hughes,Merle Dekanski, Julie Reynolds

and Karen Lifford

WTPL/JamesSimpson

Voluntary warden, Jim Monahan,recently accompanied our woodland

officer, Paul Young, to collect the

runner-up prize for Ledmore and

Migdale in the prestigious Scotlands

Finest Woodlands award. It was

presented by Scotlands rural affairsminister, Rhona Brankin, at a ceremony

in Edinburgh. Jim provides a valuable

resource for visitors to these woods

in the Highlands, as well as a watchful

pair of eyes for the Trust.

Jackie Buckley South East

Peter & Judy Westgate South West

John Heathcotte Midlands

John Langridge North

Don Jones/Liz Harvey Wales

James Christie Scotland

Dot Blakely Northern Ireland

Les Perrin Central Office

Margaret Anderson Speaker

Peter Vince Project

David Farrier Corporate

Paul Mabbot Phenology

David Goymour Public Affairs

Olwyn Spencer Administration

Talented scouts marking

happy one hundredthIts been a hundred years since the Scouts

movement was first set up by Lord Baden-Powell

and the Woodland Trust is helping them to

celebrate. In spring 2007,were going to work

with Scouts all over the country to start planting

100 new centenary woods.

This is a great opportunity for them to learn all about woodland

conservation and contribute to our Tree For All campaign,

helping us to hit our target of involving one million

children in planting 12 million trees.

Finding 100 new places to plant a native wood is a tall

order, so if you know of a piece of land that might suit,

please contact the volunteers team.

Scouts...

.

.

.for trees

GaryTrundell/SBUKGroup

Joint overall winners of the

Kenneth Watkins Memorial Medal of the year 2006

Peter and Judy Westgate

There is one incredibly easy

thing we can all do which would

cut the UKs entire domestic

energy use by 1 per cent.

Ledmore and Migdale one ofScotlands Finest


3/16

SPEAKERS BULLETIN

Awareness of the Woodland Trusts work is given a huge boost by our speakersnetwork. We have over 100 voluntary speakers all over the UK. If you would like to

join them, or know of an organisation or group that would like to book apresentation, contact the volunteers team or email [email protected]

In August, 14 voluntary speakers enjoyed an eventin Grantham to celebrate the 15th anniversary of our

voluntary speakers scheme.

Our apologies to those of you who couldnt make it because

of the distance. We would love to have held events all overthe country but decided you would probably prefer us to

save the money for the woods.

A little bit of history

VOLUNTEER NEWSLETTER 3

Still celebratingWeve come a long way in 15 years. The first request for a

voluntary speaker talk was received on 22 July 1991. By the

end of the first full year of the scheme, 91 talks had been

given, to over 2,678 people, who in turn donated a total of

709 to the Trust.

If all the people who have heard a Woodland Trust voluntary

speaker were to sit in the new Wembley Stadium (should it

ever be finished), they would more than fill it. Between 1991

and 2005, 2,902 talks had been given to a total audience of

94,000 and donations received exceeded 45,000.

Hello and goodbyeIn September this year, Nick Sandford handed over the

administration of the Voluntary Speakers Scheme to Julia Peet.

Nick has taken up a new role in the Public Affairs Department

as a regional policy officer. For more about Julia, see page 16.Time to spare? See volunteer

opportunities on page 15.

Keep talkingCross fertilisation is one of the best ways of getting more

requests for talks.

Seasoned speakers will already have picked up that many

people who attend talks are a member of more than one

group, club or society. If they like the talk, they may well

recommend the speaker to another group. This word of

mouth method works particularly well with organisations like

the Womens Institutes, for example.

You may well be members of such groups yourselves. If so,

why not suggest to your booking secretary that they contact

the Woodland Trust to request a talk? Just call the main

Woodland Trust number and ask for extension 264, and leavea message. Messages are checked every day.

Rec

ord

breake

rs

Largest number oftalks in a year

Ian Hammerton from Kent gave 40 talks

in 1999. Ian was the winner of the first Voluntary

Speaker of the Year award in 2000.

Largest donation receivedTom Chadwick, received a donation of 500 at a conference

of funeral directors in Perth.

Most travelled speakerProbably Tom Cole of Sussex, who has given talks as far afield

as Cumbria, Devon and Norfolk. But competition is stiff forthis one. Cameron Low, our speaker in Glasgow, has travelled

to the Isle of Lewis and Inverness. And, not to be outdone,

Pam Farley, from St Albans, is going to Australia later in the

year and is booked to talk to a branch of the Australian Plants

Society in Ararat,Victoria.

Editors note We do encourage our volunteers

to travel sustainably (see pages 8 and 14).

Rec

ord

breake

rs

WTPL/DMorris


4/16

. . . to draw up

the treasure map

The national database of ancient trees can be seen via thetreasure map on our website at www.ancient-tree-

hunt.org.uk

The Ancient Tree Hunt is already underway. More than 6,000

ancient trees have been mapped so far. That means you can

use the map to find the trees that have been recorded to date

near to where you live or work.

There are plenty more ancient trees out there, just waiting to

be discovered and recorded. Will you join in the treasure hunt?

ANCIENT TREESWeve teamed up with the Ancient Tree Forum to celebrate ancient trees and doall we can to conserve them. Read about whats happening in this section and

youre welcome to join the discussion forum by logging onto

www.ancient-tree-forum.org.uk orwww.ancient-tree-hunt.org.uk


Treasure hunters wantedAn ancient treesmakeoverIf you havent checked out

our website for treasure

hunters (www.ancient-

tree-hunt.org.uk) recently,

then the next time you do,you might well find a new

look and fresh feel to it.

TedGreen

Get up close and personal with your

tree by measuring its girth in hugs.

The easiest way to provide a record of your ancient

tree is to download the forms online via our website

www.ancient-tree-hunt.org.ukor if you dont have internet

access, call the ancient trees team via our main switchboard.

We need some basic information about

you, the date of your record, and where

you found your tree.You can click on a map to automatically

convert its location into a grid reference.You can then add as

much information as you wish about your tree. Wed especially

like a digital photo of it but this is by no means essential.

Another thing you can do is tell us if you have visited one of the

trees already shown on the website that may have been recorded by

someone else just a click required. We are also very keen to have

stories about the trees so we can start to build up a mini website

for each tree, detailing its local, social and

cultural importance as well as its biodiversity.

It really is easy and you dont need to be an expert to do it. For

more detailed advice and guidance on how to record your

treasures, please refer to the surveying and recording information

on our website.

How to record your find

JonParsons

JonP

arsons

The value of trees is a hot

topic these days, with

increasing concern about

the impact of climate

change.

Ancient trees are a highly

valuable part of our natural

heritage; in fact theyre a

national treasure.

We want to ensure that

theyre protected for the

benefit of future generations -

of people, plants and animals.

To help us to achieve this,

we need to create acomprehensive record of

exactly where each ancient

tree is within the UK the

definitive treasure map!

Thats where you come in.

Were looking for more

willing treasure hunters to

join in and add to our

treasure trove a national

database of ancient trees.

Page edited by ancient trees volunteer, Phil Marshall

Thanks to help from the

Heritage Lottery Fund,weve

spent the last few months

building a brand new website

and recording system, live

from January 2007.

Yes, weve been giving

ancient trees a makeover!

It really is easy and you dont

need to be an expert to do it.


5/16

In this issue wed like to pay tribute

to the thousands of young people

who are also volunteering data for

the phenology project. At the

time of writing, there are over

18,000 children, families,

teachers and group leaders

registered to record through

Nature Detectives.

Nature Detectives offers

children the chance to

become recorders usinglots of fun and educational resources

to help them along the way. Many of those who

have taken part have done so through their school and we have

been offering training for teachers wanting to turn their students

into wildlife experts.

Even without the training,

being a Nature Detective is a

cinch with a simple spotters

guide provided free to each

child that takes part.

This is a brilliant way to get

children interested in nature

and all our feedback shows

that their enthusiasm knows

no bounds.

If you know of a child or

school whod like to take part,please ask them to visit

www.naturedetectives.org.uk,

where theyll find loads of free

wild fun, including games,

puzzles, craft ideas and recipes.


The UK Phenology Network

now has a higher profile than

ever before. TVs Springwatch

andAutumnwatch

programmes fronted by Bill

Oddie and Kate Humble have

urged millions of viewers to

take part in the joint

programme surveys, run in association with the BBC.

This year, we had a whopping 101,300 records for the

Springwatch survey, including over 1,000 by text message for

the first time. As well as providing valuable scientific data, this

helps us to build peoples enthusiasm for the natural world andrecruit more supporters. In fact, technically, every new

recorder is a new volunteer.

So, what did all those records tell us? Well, 2006 saw a colder

spring than recent years. The previous four years had all been

warmer and so it was much closer to the norm for the last

30 years. As you might expect, nature responded accordingly

and all the natural events being recorded, on average,

happened later than in 2005.

Recorders had a good variety of species events to look outfor; the emergence of the red-tailed bumble bee, the arrival of

the swift, hawthorn bursting into bud and the appearance of

frogspawn, the peacock butterfly and the seven-spot ladybird.

The results have given us another fascinating insight into natures

response to the weather. Examples include the peacock

butterfly continuing to expand its range into northern Britain

and concern over the number of dead frog reports. It is thought

that many of these casualties may be due to more time

spent in the water as a result

of the cooler weather.

For a look at the

full results of

Springwatch

2006, visit

www.bbc.co.uk/springwatch

Springwatch update What over 100,000records have told us

As the Volunteer Newsletter

goes to press we are busy

collating the results of the 2006

Autumnwatch survey. Early

signs show that, once again,

thousands of people are out

there surveying for us. By the

time you read this, Springwatch

2007 will be set up and ready

to go so, for your chance

to take part, log onto

www.naturescalendar.org.uk.

What next?

CourtesyBBC

PHENOLOGYThe UK Phenology Network gathers crucial information about howclimate change is affecting UK wildlife by recording the timing ofnatural, seasonal events. Run in partnership with the Centre for

Ecology and Hydrology, there are now over 40,000 recorders.

Childs play for nature detectives

The results have given us another fascinatinginsight into natures response to the weather.

BBC Springwatch presenters Simon King,

Bill Oddie and Kate Humble


6/16


IN THE WOODSOur woods are some of the most spectacular natural places in the UK.

Many who enjoy them also offer time to help care for them, in all sorts of ways.

When development happens near a wood, it can be

a delicate operation requiring careful handling by

everyone involved. Our woodland officers have many,

scattered sites to look after, so keeping a very close eye

on day to day activities isnt always an option.

In the case of The Glen at Heads Nook in Cumbria, the help ofvolunteer Bernard Widdowson was critical in keeping damage

to this wood to a minimum when Network Rail needed to

carry out some extensive felling on their adjacent land.

Bernard was there every day, monitoring the contractors

work, reporting what he saw to the woodland officer and

thus ensuring that the proper protection procedures were

correctly adhered to. In this case, without Bernards help,

unnecessary felling would have occurred.

Now the work is over and, thanks to Bernards vigilance,

maintenance that could have been devastating has had muchless impact. Woodland officer, Jackie Dunne said,We simply

couldnt have done it without him.

See back cover for more information about saving woods

under threat.

John Northoverprofiles the work

of a volunteer whose unusual training

is helping the Trust to find answers to

a natural problem

Tucked away in the midst of Dorset

farmland lies Horse Close Wood, one

of the Woodland Trusts more secluded properties,

which now has the good fortune to be under the

watchful eye of volunteer Tony Malkin. With a formidable

track record in professional deer management,Tony is making

a study of the impact of the local

deer population on this mainly

deciduous wood.

Deer can cause considerable damage

to woodland and, in some cases, can

counteract the valuable work being

done by the Trust to conserve ancient

woods.There are very mature oaks

on this site that need to be looked

after, as well as the younger coppiced trees. Roe deer have

been seen in Horse Close Wood, sika deer may be occasional

visitors and muntjacs may also be seen.

Unfortunately, intervention

by others on nearby land

can not only force the deer

to seek sanctuary in the

wood in greater numbers

than would be

usual, but if mature

bucks are removed

then the younger

ones create moretree damage in the

process of

establishing their

superiority. Its our

long term objective

to get a balance between woodland regeneration

and deer conservation. said Tony.

Undoubtedly Tonys studies will, in due course, assist

with the conservation of other valuable woodland

owned by the Trust.

JaimeNeedler

Keeping on track

Thedeerstalker

JaimeNeedler

RoyBatell

Three species of deer have been spotted in Horse Close Wood.

Muntjac deer

Horse Close Wood


7/16


Woodland wardens wanted see page 15

Name:

Robert John Cousins

Volunteer role:

Attending events, helpingout, teaching children

about the environment and

how to plant trees

Location: Bangor,

County Down

The part I enjoy most is...

Giving something back by teaching children about

what I know.

I chose to help the Woodland Trust because . . .Now Im retired, I have a lot of spare time and I

always enjoy working with nature.

Other things I do with my time are . . .

Painting, walking, photography.

My ideal natural place is...

The Highlands of Scotland or the Mournes.

The woods look best in. . .

Autumn. Its fresh and cool and there are no flies!

My green tip

Get fewer cars on the road by sharing lifts and

using public transport. Like me!

C L O S E U PMuddy and loving itWoodland Trust chief executive, Sue Holden, explains why

volunteering since a young age has been an inspiration to her

I just love getting my hands dirty and being outdoors. I really

enjoyed the opportunity as a Guide and Ranger to do bits of

conservation volunteering. Id also done a fair bit of outdoor

volunteering for my parents who bought a ruined cottage in

Wales when I was 14. Family holidays became building and

gardening work.

At 17, I did the Duke of Edinburghs award scheme which

included a weeks residential activity. I chose a National Trust

conservation holiday at Scotney Castle in Kent. I have some

funny photos of me covered in mud as we cleared out a very

slushy pond.

Over the next decade I probably did a dozen different working

holidays, including visits to Marsden Moor and the Carneddau.

During this time, I did the leaders training and then led a number

of weeks, including a conservation week for people over 50.

My most memorable conservation volunteering has been at

Aberglaslyn in North Wales, staying in a log cabin halfway up a

mountain with no facilities whatsoever. The main task in

Aberglaslyn is clearing rhododendron there are huge areas of

ancient woodland

completely swamped by

this invasive shrub.

Clearing rhodey forests is

hard but satisfying work.

Coming right up to date,

as I write this, I have justreturned from a

volunteering weekend at

Wentwood, our recent

acquisition in Newport.

A group of staff gave up

their weekend to tackle a

plantation of small

conifers which the project manager was keen to remove.

As with previous volunteering experiences, it was inspirational

work, even with a broken leg! Removing a dozen or so larch

from a small circle would reveal a collection of broadleaf

saplings just waiting for enough light and space to flourish. It

demonstrated perfectly how restoration of woods planted

with conifers really works.

It was inspirational work,even with a broken leg.

LEARNING TO WALKAfter a successful trial in autumn 2006, in 2007 well once

again be looking for volunteers who would like to sign up

for training to be a guided walk leader.

We have set up a database, much like our voluntary speakers

scheme, where we can match up leaders with requests for

guided walks that come our way.

Although the details of the 2007 programme are yet to be

finalised, we think the format of the training will be similar; a

one hour guided walk and one hour of classroom training.

At the end of the session, you decide whether you would like

to sign up to the scheme.

If youd like to take part, please get in touch with the

volunteers team.

CourtesySueHolden

WTPL/RosannaBallentine

I just love getting my hands dirty. Sue

volunteering at 17


8/16


9/16


10/16

10 email : volunteers@woodland-trust .org.uk tel : 01476 581111

OUT OF THE WOODSTheres no end of opportunities out of the woods.

This issue we look at roles in the public eye.

A fine outlookTV meteorologist and Woodland Trust volunteer in Wales, Sian Lloyd, shares her passions

I am never happier than when walking in the great outdoors. I do a lot

of hillwalking and there is no greater sight than indigenous trees looking so right

in their natural setting. Lembit* and I just enjoyed a fabulous walk by the highest

waterfall in Wales, Pistyll Rhaeadr. We stood by the waterfall and watched the

dappled light play through the trees of a stunning beechwood below.

*Lembit Opik, Sians fianc and Liberal Democrat Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

There is a wonderful completeness to the act of a child planting a tree.

I came along to a planting at the Trusts Wentwood Forest and the kids were

so enthusiastic and loved getting their hands dirty. It was great to see kids from

the Valleys as well as rural areas. I hope it will spark a lifelong love of trees. They

can visit their tree over and over again and bring their children to see it in 30

years time.

All charities are worthy but I cant do everything Im asked to do.

You have to go for the ones that mean something to you. Ive been working

with the Woodland Trust for around three years and Im struck by what great

partners they are. They do excellent work with the community, children, local

authorities and many others.

It amazes me what the Woodland Trust manages to achieve. I work with a lot of charities and the Trust does so much

with the resources it has. In Wales they just have a handful of staff. They really do need all the back up they can get from volunteers.

Name: Jason Martin

Volunteer role: Assistant

editor of the Volunteer Newsletter

Location: Near Grantham,Lincolnshire

The part I enjoy most is... I am thoroughly enjoying

my time with the team but I am looking forward to

seeing the finished result more than anything else.

Other things I do with my time are... I am a student

studying ecology and environmental management. I

also enjoy reading, playing badminton and the great

outdoors. I have climbed Mont Blanc and completedthe Three Peaks Challenge, scaling Ben Nevis, Scafell

Pike and Snowdon, all within 24 hours. I am currently

in training to take part in a volunteer conservation

fundraising project in Africa.

My ideal natural place is... I recently travelled around

South East Asia and fell in love with Cambodia and

the reserve surrounding the Ankor Wats (temples ofan ancient civilisation). The scenery was spectacular

and unsullied; the biodiversity truly amazing.

The woods look best in... autumn. I paint and draw

when I get the opportunity and the array of colours

in autumn are splendid.

I chose to help the Woodland Trust because .. .

Our family regularly visits the local woods. My three

year old daughter, Matilda, loves creepy crawlies and

birds. The opportunity to volunteer and be involved

in something as integral as the newsletter is a

privilege and my way of giving something back to

the Trust.

Green tip Think twice before buying a cheap flight.

C L O S E U P

M

arkCavendish

Sian at a recent Trust event


11/16


Virtual nativesVolunteer, Lizabeth Henderson

describes her experience of updating

the definitive guide to British trees

online, www.british-trees.com.

Its almost poetry

Imagine the sceneAlways loved trees.

Offered to help the Woodland Trust.

Wandered the woods and loved the work.

Met an interestingly wide range of other volunteers.

Phone rang.

Could I help update the Native Trees website?

BUTI know nothingbut

Could you find out?

If information from books is OK, Id LOVE to.

Trail through bookshops and websites. Fascinating.

Thirty sources found. I was off.

New bookcase bought for study.

First tree to be tackled, my belovedWalnut,Juglans regia.

Seven hours of nose in books.

Study out-of-bounds to family!

Happy ME!

Submitted info under headings:

Shape, leaves, flowers, fruit, bark, height, spread, phenology

(what?), uses past and present, similar species, folklore,

history, propagation and growth.

Wonderful to have the excuse to learn so much.

Some academic discipline!

Copy submitted to editor to check.

Some changes (my spelling!).

AND THEN the website had a new entry.

WALNUT; but non-native thats not a good start

on a native trees site.

No problem to Woodland Trust. Just gratitude for

my efforts.

Encouraged, I startedTHE ASPEN.

Long story short; recently determined efforts by allconcerned to enable the update to be done online.

Complex and not yet sorted but excellent to be part of

a team whose dedication is to

TREES!

The producersThis Volunteer Newsletter comes to you after weeks of preparation by a

dedicated team, most of whom are volunteers themselves

The proofreaderCalling Frances Nichols busy is anunderstatement. She is an independent

assessor for several organisations,

provides human resources advice to a

small charity and her hobbies include

riding, walking, ornithology, gardening,

playing tennis, travelling and visiting art exhibitions.Yet, she still

finds time to proofread the Woodland Trusts Volunteer Newsletter

from her home near Great Missenden in Buckinghamshire.

Ive supported the Trust for a long time and now have more time

to help it practically. she says I am inspired by the beauty,

tranquillity and sense of antiquity in our woods.

The illustratorDrawing a cartoon is always a pleasure. says

Bennet Aldous, a cook from Moorsholm in

Cleveland.

I spent many hours down my local Woodland

Trust wood walking the dog and any place that canbe so peaceful and beautiful is worth protecting.

I saw this as an opportunity to pay back the debt

I owed for that pleasure.

You can see examples of Bennets art on pages 8 & 14.

ThejournalistLondoner, David Goymour, offers the Trust over 40 years

experience in professional journalism.

But the articles he crafts for the Volunteer

Newsletterare a world away from his usual pieces;

It's a bit different from the writing I usually do,

which is mainly about the hospitality and tourism

industrypeople start to be especially

interesting when you get them talking about the things they really

enjoy doing.With Woodland Trust volunteers, the interest

becomes a passion.

Davids clear on why woods matter,We consume oxygen and

create carbon dioxide; trees consume carbon dioxide and give out

oxygen. That must be a basis for friendship, mustn't it?See page 13 for Davids article in this issue.

For a full list of volunteers helping

with the Newsletter, turn to page 16.


12/16

Old phones and empty inkjet cartridges may

be worthless to most folk, but theyre very

valuable here at the Woodland Trust. We

receive 2.50 for every mobile phone

recycled, and 1 for each inkjet.

To make the recycling of these items extra

easy we have freepost envelopes available.

Call 01476 581112 and well send one to

you as well as any extras you want to give out to your friends and

colleagues, or even to put in your staff canteen.

As well as bringing in valuable funds for the Trust,

the inkjet cartridges you recycle will be one

less of the 54 million that are thrown into

landfill each year. If we could recycle just

1 per cent of the estimated 60 million

unused mobile phones, we could plant

300,000 trees.


As you might expect, the Woodland Trust is doing

everything it can to ensure our ancient woods can face

up to the rigours of climate change. We are working

hard to protect, buffer, expand and restore this

irreplaceable habitat.

Fran Hitchinson, the Trusts conservation policy officer,explains,The first step is to protect the fragments of

ancient woodland that remain.We then restore those

that have been degraded, particularly by plantations of

non-native conifers.

We also look to expand existing woodland by creating

new woodland, or other habitat next to it. This helps

to buffer vulnerable woodland habitats making them,

and the species populations that live in them, more

resilient. They can then cope better with external

impacts, like those associated with intensive land useor climate change.

There are many ways that others can help us with this.

New agriculture schemes such as Environmental

Stewardship in England, encourage land management

which will benefit wildlife and existing habitats. Closer

to home, even gardens can act as buffers for adjacent

woodland. People can join together to protect and

extend woods. Our Community Woodland Network

can offer help and advice online. (see opposite).

In the fight against emissions, the effects of climate

change have to be mapped and measured for forward

planning and persuasion, and here the Trust's work in

running the UK Phenology Network is crucial. Run in

partnership with the Centre for Ecology and

Hydrology, the network has more than 40,000

recorders who help monitor and evaluate changes to

nature's events.

So we can all have a go at being Superman and save the

world. And, as with so many things, it can start at

home with small efforts to cut, save and recycle, just as

the Trust is doing to green up its own internal

operations (see page 8).

Act nowVisitwww.woodland-trust.org.uk/campaigns

and click on climate change

Find out more about the Community Woodland

Network on page 13

Become a phenology recorder see page 5

Green up your act! More on pages 8 and 9

Buy the I Count book for 16 steps you can take

to stop climate chaos

continued from front page IN BUSINESS

Get credit for your cardsWere on a missionto smash last years Christmas CardRecycling figure of 82 million. Its going to be quite a challenge, so

were not too proud to ask for your help yet again.

As well as sticking your own cards

in the special bins at WHSmith,

Tesco and TK Maxx, and telling

your friends to do the same, you

can call 01476 581112 to request

a poster for your local shop,

community centre, library or

doctors surgery. Alternatively the

posters can be downloaded atwww.woodland-trust.org.uk/cards

This years scheme, which runs

during January 2007, generates

revenue for the Trust thanks to

councils giving us their recycling credits.

But equally importantly, it does a great job of raising the

charitys profile and triggering public interest in recycling and the

importance of doing our bit for the environment.

Phones for us!

For more information about any of our corporate

initiatives, visit. www.woodland-trust.biz

or call 01476 581112


13/16

The Community Woodland Network (CWN) supports community groups thatare managing woodland or creating new woods. It offers advice,

networking opportunities and funding.To find out more, call 01476 581155 or visitwww.yourwoods.org.uk


COMMUNITY WOODLANDNETWORK

Free mini websites for all groupsWith the Community Woodland Networks (CWN)

latest innovation, groups will find promoting their

work and attracting new volunteers easier than ever

before. Free space is now available for all CWN

groups to set up their own mini-website with easy-

to-use templates.

Your website will be added to the CWN site, providing an immediate link to your

group.To get started, email [email protected] and he will go

through the process with you.

Visit other mini websites atwww.yourwoods.org.ukJason Martin

A cut aboveDavid Goymourprofiles a

CWN group whose resourcefulness

knows no bounds

The Bramingham Wood

Volunteers are approaching a

milestone.The group has

established 12 one-acre coppice areas in the 40 acre wood.

Soon, all 12 will have had their second cut. The group was

formed in the mid-1980s when the Woodland Trust took

charge of the wood of the same name in Luton.

Rod Higginson, recently

retired from his job as a

technical manager with

Sellotape, is the group's work

party organiser.In our

regular work parties, we havea hard core of 15 or 16

people, though we see 25 to

30 different individuals over

the course of a year. he says.

Whilst there are one or two younger volunteers, most are of

more mature years and the group is keen to attract more

help. Students do appear, but they tend to disappear when

they have to choose between supporting the woodland work

and earning money to pay their tuition fees.

Ash, hazel and blackthorn are coppiced and wherever

possible, the wood is resourcefully reused. Timber producedfrom the first cuts was sold as firewood. Now, says Rod,We

tend to be cutting

the re-growth, the

produce from which

we sell as hedging

stakes and binders.

This covers the cost

of the hand tools

we use.Keeping the coppice

cycle going is the

group's most

important work, says Rod,

as it helps to maintain the

diversity of the habitat.We

also get involved with

building formal entrances,maintaining the rides and theres always litter-picking sad to

say, a problem associated with urban woodland.

Brash (waste material) from the coppicing is put through a

chipper and used as a surface for footpaths. This helps to

make the paths visible and dog-walkers like it, as they and

their pets get home with less mud on their feet.

The group has between 60 and 80 supporters who each

pay a 2 annual subscription. This helps fund a quarterly

newsletter which goes to members, local government

contacts and schools. They also have their own website

at www.braminghamwoodvolunteers.co.ukDavid Goymour, the author of this article, is profiled on page 11.

Dating back to at least the 13th century,

Pepper Wood teems with wildlife and

history, offering visitors an inspirational day

out. It is owned by the Woodland Trust,

but cared for and managed by a team

of volunteers from the Pepper Wood

Community Group.They celebrated

their 25th anniversary this year by

hosting a family open day at the site.

Event marks 25th year

PhotoscourtesyBraminghamWoodvolunteers


14/16


Lyme disease is an infection passed on by ticks that can affect the skin and

sometimes cause long term serious damage to the heart, joints and nervous system.

People and animals are at risk when visiting countryside UK-wide, often, but not exclusively,

where deer are present.The ticks live where there is shady, moist leaf litter,

tall grass, shrubs or low branches. So woodland, moorland and grassy areas where animals

pass are all areas where you may be at risk.

There are several things you can do to reduce the risk of attracting ticks:

1. Keep your skin covered.Wear long sleeves and long trousers tucked into socks.

2. Wearing insect repellent on clothing, especially on collars, may help.

3. Inspect for ticks regularly during, and at the end of any outdoor activity. In

particular, look behind your knees, in your armpits, groin, navel, neck and head

around the hairline. Check dogs and cats as well.Ticks can be very small and

black or grey in colour.

4. If found, remove carefully using tweezers or a tick remover available from pet

shops. Grasp close to the skin, apply gentle pressure and pull firmly anti-clockwiseand upwards. Keep the tick in a sealed container in case symptoms develop later.

5. See your doctor if a red rash around the bite or flu-like symptoms appear. This

may be between three and 30 days later and, in very rare cases, sometimes

months or years later. Remember though, not all tick bites create an infection.

Please do not let Lyme disease spoil your visits to the countryside as infection is still rare

there are around 500 confirmed cases each year. But do take sensible precautions and, if you

suspect you have been infected, get immediate treatment. The sooner treatment is started,

the better the response will be.

Further information can be found at www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk or www.bada-uk.org

Absolutely. Provided you are using this mode

of transport in relation to your volunteering task, the

Woodland Trust can reimburse expense claims for

bicycle mileage at a rate of 20p per mile.

Ive heard that Lyme

disease is becoming more

common in the UK.What is

it and what precautions

should I take?

QQ AA

FREQUENTLY ASKED

QUESTIONS

I'm a firm believer

in sustainable transport

and use my bicycle to

get almost everywhere.

Is it possible to claimbicycle mileage for

when Im volunteering

with the Trust?

QQ AA

BennetAldous


15/16


We welcome contr ibutions to this newsletter.

Short items or ideas for longer articles can be sent to:

email: [email protected]

post: Sallyanne Flemons, Editor, the Volunteer Newsletter,

The Woodland Trust,Autumn Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL

Photographyprojectco-ordinator

Based anywhere

The Woodland TrustPicture Library has many

thousands of pictures of

trees and woodland, but

we have very few pictures

of people involved in our

work. We would like to

increase the selection of

images we have that could

be used in our publications

and on our websites.

We are looking for a

volunteer who could help

the volunteers team to

source these types of

images. All you need is a

computer with email access,

a telephone and ideally

knowledge of photography

and an understanding of the

world of amateur

photography in the UK.

WoodlandwardensVarious sites UK-wide

Our voluntary wardens playa vital role in acting as the eyesand ears of our woods. Some

of our woodland officers have

numerous sites to manage over

a huge area. Without the help

of volunteers, some of the

Woodland Trusts woods can

only be visited a few times a

year. We are looking for local

wardens at sites all over the

UK to monitor them and help

to ensure they are in prime

condition for wildlife and people.

To get a flavour of volunteering

in the woods, see pages 6 7.

VOLUNTEER

OPPORTUNITIESIf youre not already a Woodland Trust volunteer or would like to do more, here is another

selection of volunteer opportunities. There are other suggestions elsewhere in thenewsletter. For more ideas, or for further details about any of the roles below, contactthe volunteers team or visit the website at www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved

research potential acquisition

sites with a view to

developing a compelling case

for a local fundraising appeal.

This may involve finding out

about its history, folklore and

current uses and also

spotting any links with

potential funders.This is a

great chance to join the frontline in the effort to save

important UK woods.

Volunteers taking on this role

will need a computer with

email access.

Researcherfor woodacquisitionappealsBased anywhere

This is a potentiallyfascinating role for someone

with an interest in history, a

passion for woodland

conservation and a flair for

communication.We are

looking for a person who can

work with our regional

development team to WTPL

ChrisMason


16/16

NEWS & CONTACTS


Getting in touch

The Woodland Trust

Autumn Park, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG31 6LL

Tel: 01476 581111 Fax: 01476 590808

BT Textdirect: 18001 01476 581135

email: [email protected]

www.woodland-trust.org.uk/getinvolved

Thanks again to the volunteers who have helped put these

pages together:

The credits

Ramblers step in

to help GeordiesMany groups like to give

something back to the

environment they so enjoy;

Falkirk and Stirling

Ramblers is no exception.

This benevolent group

helped the Woodland Trust

Scotland clear paths and

construct a stile at

Geordies Wood, Glen

Devon. They have done

similar work on other

occasions over the past

couple of years.

Philip Gordon, site manager, said The Stirling and Falkirk

Ramblers have been very generous with their time and have

volunteered for several tasks in the past.

Bennet Aldous, cartoonist

Mandy Brilliant,

proofreader

David Goymour,

feature writer

Lizabeth Henderson,

Virtual natives writer

Mandy Hillier, feature writer

Phil Marshall,

ancient tree page editor

Jason Martin,

assistant editor

Frances Nichols,

proofreader

John Northover,

feature writer

and everyone who completed questionnaires, agreed to be

interviewed or provided images free of charge. If youd like to help

next time, see page 15.

Please recycle this newsletter or reuse it by leaving it in a public

place like a library or doctors surgery.

From the telly to the TrustJulia Peet is now managing our voluntary

speakers and voluntary photographers.

A keen photographer herself, Julia has

also become responsible for the

Woodland Trusts extensive picture

library. She joins us after 20 years

working for Carlton Television.

Stop the lossThe Woodland Trust website of threatened

ancient woods carries information on over 350

ancient woods currently under threat.

The UK's ancient woods have existed for

centuries or longer and, once lost they can

never be replaced.

Work to save these woods can move very fast

and the input of individuals often makes a critical

difference to whether they are saved or not.

To find out the very latest on woods under threat

near you and a simple campaigners guide, visit

www.woodsunderthreat.info.You could be the

person that makes that difference.

PhilipGordon

PhilipGordon

Woodland Trust - Winter 2006 – Volunteer newsletter edition 4

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