April 2009 on
More recent stories

March 2008
Harlow Woods SSSI status improves
Harlow Marshes - ditches and pools dug out

January 2008
"Forest Funtasia" - Nature Reserve Warden Project Officer
Harlow Wildlife Projects formed
Woodland management work at Parndon Wood
60 Years Wood
Desmoulins whorl snail
Harlow Renaissance Hotspots! Competition

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March 2008

Harlow Woods SSSI status improves

With the acceptance by Natural England of a new management plan for the Harlow Woods SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest), the status of the SSSI has been raised from "unfavourable - declining" to "unfavourable - recovering". The SSSI covers Parndon and Hospital and Risdens Woods. This is culmination of several years work, in particular that of Glenn Mulleady, Biodiversity Officer, in the the last year.

A key part of the plan has been the restarting of coppicing in Hospital and Risdens Wood. Something approaching a hectare has been coppiced in the last month by Kier Harlow; it looks drastic but is essentially the same as management carried out for centuries. The only difference is that instead of removing the cut wood for firewood much of it has been chipped on site, thus returning the nutrients to the soil. One concern is deer browsing of the regrowth: the calculation is that with a large area close to housing with open public access the pressure won't be critical. Other parts of the plan include dredging the pond and opening up old rides and establishing new ones, including one for which Harlow Wildlife Projects is seeking funding - see below.

Coppicing of another plot in Parndon Wood should be completed shortly. The deer fence is now working as intended with deer numbers within the fenced area reduced so as a trial no individual protection of stools is being done this year.

Harlow Marshes - ditches and pools dug out

With funding through Hertfordshire Groundwork Trust a number of projects requiring a mechanical digger have been carried out on various parts of the Harlow Marshes nature reserve.

• On Parndon Moat Marsh some shallow pools have been scraped out in the area marked out earlier by HCV around the boardwalk with aim of improving the site for (BAP) biodiversity action plan species desmoulins whorl snail.
• On Marshgate Spring the drainage ditch running through centre of the marsh has been dug out to remove accumulated silt; the pool created along the other ditch behind the road safety training centre (where HCV cut some reeds last September) has been enlarged with gently sloping edges to be better for marginal plants.
• At Maymeads Marsh the area in front of the hide has been dredged to maintain this as an area of open water for the bird life that uses the area.
• Finally, on the Stort water meadows a length of drainage ditch running across the meadows from the end of the Maymeads area has had a build-up of vegetation removed.

January 2008

"Forest Funtasia" - Nature Reserve Warden Project Officer

"Forest Funtasia" is one of three projects of the Harlow Children's Play Strategy. The project aims to provide safe play opportunities for children and young people by providing greater access to a safe natural environment. The project seeks to attract more children to Parndon Wood Nature Reserve and to make greater use of its facilities and resources. Activities such as pond dipping, mini beast hunts, opportunities to explore, and craft workshops will be arranged. A key part of the project will be to extend the opening hours at times when children are available to come by providing after school activities and access during the school holidays.

Funding has been obtained for three years from the BIG Lottery Fund. This will be combined with the agreed funding for the seasonal nature reserve warden at Parndon Wood to fund a 3-year near full-time post when averaged over a year combining the roles of nature reserve warden and Funtasia project officer. The project is intended to start from 1st April.

Harlow Wildlife Projects formed

Following an approach by Harlow Council to HCV last year with a view to securing additional funding for nature reserves and green spaces in Harlow through fund raising and grant applications by an independent community group, several HCV members have got together to form a separate organization, Harlow Wildlife Projects, for this purpose. The group from the outset has a formal constitution in line with Charity Commission requirements so that it can readily apply for charitable status if its income should rise above the threshold for compulsory registration. If successful it may prove advisable to become an incorporated body, e.g. a company limited by guarantee.

The first application has been made to the BBC Breathing Places campaign in respect of a project to open up the rides in Hospital and Risdens Wood. The volunteer input will be by HCV tasks or wildspace! volunteers etc. A range of other funding sources are being considered for further grant applications including the BIG Lottery Awards for All scheme and the Landfill Tax trusts.

The group is open to anyone to join. Any help with looking into funding sources and putting together grant applications would be most welcome. The HWP website is under construction. Please see contact details to get in touch.

Woodland management work at Parndon Wood

Some of the standard oaks are being felled to open up the canopy. The density of oak has for many years been too high leading to slow regrowth of the hornbeam after coppicing. It is this woodland type of hornbeam coppice with oak standards which is a prime reason for the wood being declared a Site of Special scientific Interest (SSSI), and it is the slow regrowth of the coppice which has led to Natural England declaring the site to be in a poor condition. The plan is to fell some 100 selected oaks around the wood over the next 5 years. With funding from Greenarc 4 have been felled and milled on site to make waymarker posts, slices for rustic benches, and construction material for use around the nature reserves. Another 23 good quality oaks are earmarked for furniture making which will raise £7,000 for the wood.

Glenn and the Wildspace! volunteers have been removing invasive birch from various sites around the wood. Again this will hopefully improve the regrowth of the hornbeam coppice. Some limited coppicing of hornbeam has taken place either side of the entrance track and along the stream near the conservation centre; this will let light in to the forest floor and allow a greater biodiversity in these areas. The coppicing regime will continue this winter season with another plot.

60 Years Wood

HCV started the planting of a new wood to link Parndon wood with Hospital and Risdens Wood across the top of the cemetery. The wood has been named 60 Years Wood to mark the 60th anniversary of Harlow new town.

Desmoulins whorl snail

Harlow Renaissance Hotspots! Competition

Not all the £5,000 prize money was needed for the Cooks Spinney project, so some of the money has been channelled into Church End pond which was a runner-up. This will pay for some work to improve the paths around the pond.