by Ian Bushell
Continue reading “A walk in the park”A walk in the park
The path through the new clearing is finished.
Continue readingHaymaking time
Before the end of June, the park’s tenant farmer will be cutting the grass for hay and for silage. The work will extend over several days but which days and for how long will depend on the weather. When the work is due to begin, Wiltshire Council will put up notices at all the gates to warn park users, and on the website we will try to keep you posted.
Please be careful when there is farm machinery in the fields, particularly if you have children with you, and please, please will dog walkers take extra care. Our farmer knows how the park is used and will keep his eye open for children and exuberant dogs but most of the work will be done by contractors who may not be expecting either.
Stay safe.
FoSCP
A buff tailed bumble bee collecting nectar from hogweed at Puddle Corner while, in the background, the Friends of the Park clear a fallen willow from the path.
Trimming footpaths
Some members of FoSCP put in a morning’s work party and then some.
Read on for the detailsScooping poop
Please pick up after your dog.
We hate to nag but last weekend was particularly bad; there were complaints from several people:
Continue reading “Scooping poop”Incident@Lambrok
Incident@Lambrok is how the Environment Agency titled its report on the week-long torrent of heavily sedimented, chlorinated water that Wessex Water let flood from a broken water main, through the Lambrok down to the Biss, taking in Southwick Country Park and its precious freshwater biota on its way.
Continue reading “Incident@Lambrok”Burst water main
The Lambrok is filled with the sediment from a burst water main further upstream near Southwick Court, where the footbridge crosses into Spring Gardens. Wessex Water cannot fix it until Tuesday; they are waiting for a new part to be delivered.
The Environment Agency has made Wessex Water turn down the water pressure so that less sediment is being washed into the stream. Hopefully there will not be too much damage to our Lambrok’s biota; we are particularly worried about the waterfly nymphs that live on the gravel stream bed.
FoSCP
What really happens to the plastic bottles thrown away in the park?
One or another of the Friends walks around the park pretty much every day and picks up rubbish as he or she goes. Most of what we pick up is plastic and most of the plastic is in the shape of bottles.
Here is a short video to explain what happens to a plastic bottle after it is thrown away.
Dog owner of the week
Dog of the week, Coco, who has trained Joyce to pick up not just for himself, but sometimes for other less fortunate dogs whose humans have failed them. Well done Coco for your altruism – and a gold star for Joyce, dog owner of the week.
Wednesday work party
We cleared the stream by the wooden bridge; it had clogged up and we feared the little pond was becoming stagnant and would threaten the wildlife there that needs running water.
Continue reading “Wednesday work party”
Picker uppers out for a run: Mandy and Stanley wearing matching outfits and helping us keep our park poop-free. Thank you!
The vandalism continues
The fence around the Lone Oak is gradually being pulled apart. It is happening late in the evening, usually on fine days, when there are only a few people around; a group of teenage boys, some on bikes, come to the park specifically to break things and at the moment this fence is their target. Seven or eight of the planks have been pulled away now and one of the uprights has been damaged.
Continue reading “The vandalism continues”
Picker Uppers of the week: Jo and Milo. Thank you both for helping us look after the park.
Ragwort
Ragwort is extraordinarily successful; all the “injurious weeds” named in the 1959 Weed Act are.
Continue reading “Ragwort”
The Park’s Veteran Oaks
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”The vandals are back
It must be summer, the vandals are back.
Continue reading “The vandals are back”SCP – PROJECTS PROGRAMME
UPDATE – JANUARY 2019 by Ian Bushell
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 .
This is an update of works carried out during 2018, a review of the park in general, and suggestions for possible future progress in 2019.
Good News from the Park
by Sarah Marsh
The Friends met up one Saturday morning in March to join in the annual Great British Spring Clean. This is the third year we have done a thorough litter pick whilst the vegetation is at its lowest, and we can get into areas not accessible in the summer months.
Continue reading “Good News from the Park”
There has been a lot of noisy forestry work going on in the park for the past few weeks. We have had both enquiries and complaints.
Continue reading
Dudley, dog of the week; a beautiful fox red labrador who has trained his owner to be one of the park’s picker-uppers. Cheers Dudley.
More dogs:
Wednesday’s work party
By DKG
A chilly start to the day with a cold North Easterly breeze greeting the FoSCP in the car park.
Continue reading “Wednesday’s work party”
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 