06 October 2008, Monday
Volunteers Needed in Alexandra Park
As part of a project to improve habitats for the ducks in Alexandra Park the Rangers, with the help of volunteers, have started clearing some of the Rhododendron at the rear of Harmers Wildlife Pond.
This is just some of the work carried out by the Hastings Ranger Service with the help of volunteers but there is still a lot to do and we can’t do it all without your help.
If you have a interest in conservation, would like to help improve our green spaces or would just like to meet new people and get fit while having some fun please get in touch.
Hastings Ranger Service - 0845 274 1050
Filed Under: Old Roar Gill & Coronation Wood
Posted by: Nick Hennessey
16 September 2008, Tuesday
Secrets of Old Roar Gill
At the top of Alexandra Park is one of Hastings best kept secrets, a little known Local Nature Reserve called Old Roar Gill. At the bottom of the Gill (a steep sided wooded valley) runs a stream that over the years has carved out the soft sandstone rocks to form its own rugged beauty.
In August each year the Rangers run a children’s event through the Gill following its narrow winding paths and walkways. Along the trail the children and adults (they don’t get away with it) learn, explore and have fun. This year was no exception with 9 children and 5 adults the group identified trees, learnt how long rubbish takes to decompose, used their senses to spot many animals and viewed the woods through the eyes of a bird or a bug.
For forthcoming Ranger events go to the events listings page.
Next event is Halton Church Yard Bulb Planting on Sunday 12 October, 10-12noon, meeting at Egremont Place.
Filed Under: Old Roar Gill & Coronation Wood
Posted by: Stuart Alexander
11 September 2008, Thursday
Ecclesbourne Meadow Under Threat
Ecclesbourne Meadow, part of the Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, is under threat from a bramble and scrub invasion, which is set to strangle the wildflower-rich grassland.
To save the meadow Hastings Borough Council has joined forces with the Friends of Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, Natural England and the High Weald Meadows Initiative.
Fund-raising by the Friends group and part funding by Natural England will help provide fencing around the meadow so animals can be brought in to graze the land and rid it naturally of brambles and scrub.
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Councillor Peter Finch, lead member for Community Well-Being and chairman of the park’s management forum, said: “The meadow is a stunning resource and it would be very sad to see it disappear under a blanket of bramble and scrub. This fencing will help keep animals in but there will be gates installed to allow people to walk through the meadow as before. We have no intention of obstructing rights of way for anyone and believe the self-closing gates will prove very successful. We anticipate that work will start later this month.
”The meadow comes under the Council’s countryside stewardship agreement and is very important to us. These types of cliff top meadows are very rare indeed, as most get converted to arable land or for intensive pasture. This meadow, with its wild flowers, attracts rare and scarce bees that breed here on the cliffs including the long-horned bee, which has greatly declined in number in Britain.
“The Friends group works very hard and is involved in a number of conservation projects. To join them, call into the visitor centre in the park.”
Filed Under: Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
Posted by: Andy Phillips
18 August 2008, Monday
Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve Update
Heathland restoration:
The Highland cattle have done a superb job in Warren Glen over summer reducing the dominance of bracken and producing pockets of acid grassland which over the years will grow bigger and eventually create a large bank of acid grassland with patches of heather.
The bracken and gorse seedlings have been cut in the braken scraped area to further stress the bracken and control the gorse seedlings that have been a big problem this summer. This cutting will have to continue for the next few years until the problem has diminshed enough for it to be controlled by grazing.
The colonisation of the bracken scraped area by ground nesting bees, wasps and beetles has been exceptional with large aggregations of ornate-tailed digger wasps (Cerceris rybyensis) and green tiger beetles. The reptile numbers also continue to grow with four species of reptile now using the area with especially good numbers of slow-worm and grass snake.
You can follow the results of the monitoring by viewing the reptile monitoring spreadsheet regularly.
Ecclesbourne Meadow:
Fencing of Ecclesbourne Meadow will start soon so we can introduce grazing which is essential to restore this meadow which is being badly affected by bramble encroachment. A mixed grazing regime of cattle, sheep and ponies will produce a botanically rich flora with good structure free of scrub.
Fishponds Meadow:
This meadow, currently the best quality of the meadow areas within Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve, is being cut soon with the hay used to seed a botanically poorer area of semi-natural grassland near Saxons Pond.
Arable Management:
The re-seeded arable margins are developing very well in places with good develop of red clover and vetches needed as a nectar and pollen source for bumblebees and solitary bees such as long-horned bees. The wild bird cover strips have also developed well and are especially colourful this year as dwarf sunflowers were included in the mix, but more importantly the quinoa, kale and other seed-bearing crops in the strips are developing well and should produce a bumper crop of seeds for finches and buntings over autumn and winter.
The bare ground under the crops in the strips and in the main body of the mixed crops of barley, wheat and oats have been colonised by carpets of knot-grass, redshank and other arable weeds which in themselves are very improtant producing big oily seeds essential for skylarks and dunnocks over winter. (Note: Dunnocks are not traditionally thought of as farm birds but the bird ringing studies of the farm fields over winter have been showing how important the wild bird strips are for the dunnock population at the site.)
Filed Under: Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
Posted by: Andy Phillips
15 July 2008, Tuesday
Highland Cattle at Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
A total of 25 Highland cattle are presently grazing within Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve as part of our ongoing management to restore maritime heathland and revert arable back to semi-natural grassland.
Nine animals are in the field between the Helipad and North's Seat. A path runs through this field so please keep your dog on a lead as you cross this field as the animals will become more inquisitive as they get used to people walking through the field.
Another 16 are present in the larger grazing compartment in Warren Glen. They are young animals and the bracken is quite tall at the moment so are difficult to spot but they are currently doing a good job knocking down the bracken while looking for grass. These animals will be moved into the smaller grazing compartment and then into the field between Brakey Bank and Warren Wood. They will also graze the two fields adjacent to Coastguard Lane.
Filed Under: Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
Posted by: Andy Phillips
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