29 May 2008, Thursday
Exmoor Ponies at Warren Glen - Update
The Exmoor ponies have now left the site. They have done such a good job of grazing the heathland and acid grassland areas within Warren Glen and have been such an attraction for visitors to the nature reserve we will endeavor to secure their return next winter.
Highland cattle are due to be brought down to graze Warren Glen throughout the summer. The combination of bracken scraping, winter grazing by ponies and sheep and summer grazing by cattle is beginning to produce excellent results in restoring the heathland vegetation that has been smothered by dense bracken for many years.
Filed Under: Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
Posted by: Andy Phillips
20 May 2008, Tuesday
Friends of Church and Robsack Woods make ‘Story Circle benches’ for children in Churchwood School.
The Friends of Church and Robsack woods have been making connections with the teachers & children at Churchwood School since the summer of 2006.
This has included taking children out to the woods in the Woodland club, leading class walks and helping to provide art activities in the July 2007 WOOD ART WEEK.
During this year some of the group were engaged in the ‘story circle benches project.’ Over 3 days, the wood was cut and prepared; this was taken from the old coppice area in the wood. Then the benches were constructed and installed in the school wooded area of the playground.
A presentation of photographs of the construction process will be done soon at a school assembly.
It is hoped that the children will be able to sit outside on the benches under the trees and enjoy them for many years to come.
Filed Under: Church Wood & Robsack Wood
Posted by: Mary Dawson
02 May 2008, Friday
Spring Tree Walk – 13 April 2008
Again this event was well attended with over 24 people eager to know more about the trees in Hastings’ premier park - Alexandra Park.
Hastings resident expert Dr Owen Johnson was leading the group through the parks more interesting trees. With over 300 different trees and 10 of them being considered as ‘Champion Trees’ (a large and established example) there was no shortage of examples to point out. The group experienced the smell of chocolate scented leaves and with paper and pen at the ready noted facts about rarities you would not even notice.
For forthcoming events check out the events section.
Next event is a Herb Hunt in Alexandra Park on Sunday 15 June, 2-3pm. Please call 0845 274 1001 to book.
Filed Under: General
Posted by: Stuart Alexander
27 April 2008, Sunday
Exmoor Ponies at Warren Glen, Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve - Update
The exmoor ponies grazing Warren Glen are still within the Brakey Bank field, just west of Warren Cottage. They should still be on site for another three weeks, but that is not certain, so if you plan to visit the nature reserve to see the ponies it is worth doing so soon.
Photo of exmoor pony within Brakey Bank field.
Video of ponies being moved into Brakey Bank field.
The ponies are grazing Warren Glen (as part of a mixed grazing plan including highland cattle, sheep and ponies) to reduce the abundance of bracken, young scrub and coarse grasses to allow a greater variety of wild flowers to grow amongst the areas of maritime heath and grassland within Warren Glen.
Filed Under: Hastings Country Park Nature Reserve
Posted by: Andy Phillips
11 April 2008, Friday
Bat Rescued in Alexandra Park
The Rangers responded to a call from the public about a bat found swimming in Harmers reservoir in Alexandra Park.
The Rangers arrived at the scene to find a local fisherman drying the poor creature out in their tent. Local fishermen Mathew Evans and Paul Lyons noticed movement on the water and fished the bat out to safety with a landing net.
The bat was inspected and identified as a Brown Long-eared Bat the second most common bat species in Britain, it fortunately had no visible signs of damage. 
Due to the protected status of all bats and the fact that it had only recently come out of hibernation and possibly under nourished it was taken to nearby Mallydams a local RSPCA centre.
Staff at Mallydams are keeping the bat under observation and feeding it up before its re-release near to the place it was found.
Stuart Alexander a Ranger for Hastings Borough Council said;
“The bats are coming out of hibernation at the moment and it is crucial they feed and gain back the weight they had lost over winter”
“We would not normally interfere with wildlife but in this instance it was clear that a bat in water during daylight was going to need our help” 
Filed Under: General
Posted by: Stuart Alexander
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