With the loan of Hope Nature Centre’s mobile water tank (thank you Caroline) and armed with as many watering cans and buckets as we could muster, FoSCP set about watering the new hedge in Simpson’s Field. Not quite a work party, more a socially distanced rescue mission.
Please don’t light fires in the park; our woodland is tinder dry.
Continue reading “Woodland fire”
By Sunday morning, after people had anticipated the easing of lockdown and celebrated it with picnics and Saturday night parties in the copses, the park was strewn with rubbish. Ian and Pat, on their regular Sunday morning stroll, picked up dozens of empty drinks cans and enough general trash to fill a big black bin bag.
Continue reading “Weekend littering”
I took the chance this afternoon to drive to the park and park on that bit of verge by the entrance. There were three cones across the entrance at 1pm but only two when I left at 2:30! Somebody is still breaking the rules.
Continue reading “Checking the park”
Up to the park early this morning with Pat. Glorious blue skies, dew on the cobwebs and birds singing.
Continue reading “Walk in the park”
By Ian Bushell
For the last couple of Sundays, I have been looking for Spanish squill among the bluebells. I have gone early and used the allotment entrance to the park.
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Our native species of bluebell (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) is threatened by the spread of Spanish squill (Hyacinthoides hispanica), a similar species imported into our gardens from southern Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.
By Ian Bushell
Southwick Country Park has a number of veteran oaks and ten ancient oaks. There are no hard and fast rules about when and why an oak tree becomes classified as veteran or ancient; in different environments and soils oaks grow at different rates and girth is only an indicator. Here the underlying Oxford clay provides an excellent medium and the trees are large and shapely.
Continue reading “The Park’s Veteran Oaks”
One of the Decorative Bridge’s panels has fallen out.
Continue reading “Broken bridge”
The Covid-19 lockdown has interrupted our plans for the five disease resistant elms donated to the park by Butterfly Conservation as part of their rescue plan for the white letter hairstreak butterfly.
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by Ian Bushell
I took my permitted exercise at the park over lunchtime. There were just eight cars when I arrived at noon and only fifteen when I left an hour later. People were well spaced all around the park; everybody seems to be taking the new regulations seriously.
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Coronavirus or no, trees have to be planted.
Continue reading “Planting trees”
A gallery of pictures from Tuesday’s work party.
The county’s contractors have fixed the main gate, adjusted the lower entrance into Lambrok Meadow, put in a brand new oak gate post, and installed some new dragon’s teeth in the car park. Very nice.
The Friends have recently planted 150 primrose plug plants in one of the wooded copses in the Village Green area.
Continue reading “Primroses”
“Bimbled round the park this morning. Somebody is still trying to drain the boggy area in Lambrok Meadow but I reckon we can repair the damage easily enough. I wish whoever it is would give it a rest.
Continue reading “Bimbling”
We are too inclined to view floods negatively. We assess them in terms of the disruption they cause or the financial cost of repairing the damage they do to our property. But in natural ecosystems, such as our park, floods play an important role in maintaining biodiversity.
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Buddy, a handsome and very energetic springer spaniel, one of our volunteers, who regularly brings his human, Louise, to FoSCP work parties. Thank you Buddy .
Another of the park’s canine fans:
Tomorrow will be the second Wednesday of the month and FoSCP’s first work party of the year. Come and join us; come and help us look after the park and its wildlife.
The Met Office says it will be cold, there is always a chance of rain and we know it will be muddy but the company is good, the conversation enlightening and there will be coffee and biscuits at half time. We meet at 9.30am in the car park, wellied and waterproofed, and we work until midday. New volunteers will be very welcome.
Background. The following programme of actions was taken as an outcome of the review of the park on 27th January 2013 by the Wiltshire Countryside Team and Friends of Southwick Country Park. It is intended that this is a living document: a record of previous projects and tasks conducted, and an update of works carried out during 2019, a review of the park in general, and suggestions for possible future progress.
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Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 