www.carpenterswood.org.uk

friends of

*  NEXT WORK SESSION  *

Thursday 10th May

(Then 26th May)

10.00

"Come and join us - all welcome"

"In the Bleak Midwinter" (February 2012)

24 March '12 - work team in action

Before	During
After	Team

Photos: David Walker

*  *  *        The latest email message(s) to members       *  *  *
from Chair of the Friends, Barbara Green:
(scroll down for some previous messages)

09/05/12

Dear Friends,

We are due to meet this Thursday 10th, weather permitting, altho' I am away and Tony and Lesley will not be able to make it either.  If the rest of you are keen to go ahead I suggest you meet at the Whitelands Avenue entrance at 10.00am as usual - Stephen will provide the tools (one way or another!).  Bramble cutting is still needed along a number of the bridleways and footpaths so make sure you wear some good gloves!

Hope to see you all soon,

Barbara

ps  I am also keen to get our 'village' group together some time to weed the shrub beds in the village centre again.  Watch this space!

31/03/12

Dear Friends,

I am forwarding a list of issues raised at our committee meetings which will inform the new 5 year plan for the woodland. This list will be forwarded shortly to Three Rivers and to the Countryside Management Service for consideration in drawing up the new plan. If there are any other issues you would like to add, please let me know in the next week or so, so that they can be included in the list.

best wishes,

Barbara Green                                        

Chairman of FOCW

10/03/12

Dear Friends,

Herewith minutes of our meeting on 1st March.  It was a very useful meeting, as you will see from the discussions.  I will be forwarding a list of Actions to be considered for the new 5 Year Plan in due course.  I will also post these on our notice boards in the woods.  Our next session is Saturday 24th March.

Best Wishes,

Barbara

4th April 2011: Simon Hewitt & Tim Sawyer (on left) Royal Forestry Society inspectors for the "Excellence in Forestry 2011"  competition.

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On 11th/12th May 2011 a work-party of the Friends prepared the four corners of the central

crossroads of the village and planted new shrubs, receiving praise and thanks from shoppers.

Photos by Tony Edwards

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HILLAS WOOD

Photos by Tony Edwards

April 2011.  Hillas Wood is the Westerly of the three areas of Carpenters Wood.

This looks like hard work!	Look - no holly now!

Clear view 1	Clear view 2

Job done	Bluebells on their way

Volunteers (and adviser) planning ahead after a morning's work

CLICK HERE FOR

*  *  *      BARBARA'S BULLETINS      *  *  *

Email messages (for reference by Friends) from Chair of the Friends, Barbara Green

 

Work parties usually meet at 10am on the first
Thursday and the third Saturday of each month

07/03/12

Dear All,

If you are interested in any of the Countryside Management Service courses mentioned below please contact Alex direct.  Priority will be given to volunteers.

Many thanks,

Barbara

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: Alex Laurie <Alex.Laurie@hertscc.gov.uk>
Sent: Tuesday, 6 March 2012, 16:57
Subject: Forthcoming training for FOGs

Hi All, We have some spaces available on training and events being held as part of the Oxhey Woods Access & Interpretation Project in South Oxhey, as follows:

Woodland Archaeology, Saturday 31st March

The event will start at 10am with a talk at South Oxhey Library.  From about 11am until 3.30pm there will be a tour of the woods to look at the many surviving archaeological features.

Places are limited so please email us to book your place.  Much of the event will be out of doors, so please bring warm waterproof clothing and suitable footwear, and a packed lunch.

Woodland Wildflowers, Saturday 28th April

The event will start at 1pm, meet in the Nature Reserve car park, the event will be out of doors, so please bring warm waterproof clothing and suitable footwear.  Places on this event are not limited, but please email us if you plan to attend so that we have an idea of numbers and can contact you if there are any last minute changes.

We also have a provisional date for a volunteer task leadership training day on Wednesday 11th May, in South Oxhey.

Please email me if you would like book places on any of these events.

Kind Regards,

Alex Laurie, Projects Officer (Alex.Laurie@hertscc.gov.uk)

Countryside Management Service (CMS)

The Old Dairy, Bedford Road, Ickleford, Hitchin,

Herts  SG5 3RR.

01462 459395 (Comnet 46820).  Postal Point CHN107

http://www.hertslink.org/cms

03/01/12

Dear Friends,

I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.  Now we are all (nearly) back to normal, I wanted to get some new dates in the diary for the coming half year.

I have made some changes to our usual first Thursday, third Saturday due to holidays already booked, so I hope this doesn't inconvenience any of you, but let me know if the new programme looks too difficult for you and we can consider some changes.  Not everyone can make every date, we just do our best.  Anyway, here goes:

                                    2012 Dates

            THURSDAY                                           SATURDAY

             12th Jan                                                  21st Jan

9th Feb                                                   25th Feb

            1st March (Committee Mtg to follow)       24th March

            5th April                                                 21st April

            10th May                                                26th May

            7th June                                                 23rd June

            5th July                                                  21st July

Please note that there will not be a session this week (5th Jan).

             Hope to see you on 12th Jan, weather permitting.

Best wishes,

Barbara

20/09/11

Dear Friends,

Attached (below) are the minutes of our last Committee meeting on 1st September.  I hope these are clear but if you have any queries, or suggestions, please email me.

best wishes,

Barbara

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Dear Friends,

Although I am no longer on the District Council, I have decided to continue as Chairman of the Friends of Carpenters Wood, for as long as you want me to be involved.

Due to inclement weather today (Saturday, 18th June) we decided to have an 'indoor' meeting to discuss how things were progressing and to think about forward planning for the woodland.  A new 5 Year Plan is due to be written at the beginning of 2012 and 'The Friends' are an important part of the planning process, having first-hand knowledge of the woodland.  A few ideas were put forward but nothing will be finalised until the New Year, so if you have any suggestions of things you think need doing, then let me know.

Our new notice boards are now up, so look out for notices soon.  The boards are to be used specifically for issues related to the woodland, so we are not looking to include local events other than those where the woodland group has some involvement.  If there are any things you think should be in there, let me know.

We are struggling to get a group together to organise and man a 'Friends' stall at the Village Day Fair on the Common on Saturday, 9th July.  Is there anyone out there who is prepared to take this task on?  We have all the leaflets ready and waiting for distribution but need someone to offer to organise a stall.  If you are able to help, email me.

Now here are dates for the next meetings, for your diaries.

Thursday                                                                     Saturday

7th July                                                                         16th July

4th August                                                                     20th August

1st September (Committee Meeting after session)          17th September

6th October                                                                   22nd October (changed)

3rd November                                                               19th November

1st December                                                                17th December

5th January                                                                   21st January

2nd February                                                                 18th February

1st March                                                                       17th March

I think that will do for now.  We are struggling to find new members to help us out with the volunteer tasks.  If you are able to help, if only occasionally, please let me know!

best wishes,

10/03/11

09/12/10

Dear Friends,

Just thought I would send you a photo of the Late Night Evening - attached (thanks Stephen)!

As you may know, we are scheduled for major thinning works in the two Larch plantations in Hillas and Carpenters Woods in January.  Three Rivers have commissioned a logging company to do the work, and they are currently undertaking the same work in Bishops Wood, which is the woodland area opposite the Green Man pub, between the A404 and White Hill in Rickmansworth, if you are interested to see it for yourself. 

I visited Bishops Wood with Daniel Monk and officers from Three Rivers today to get some idea of what impact this will have in our woodland.  The machinery is substantial and obviously, as a result, the woodland does look a bit of a mess and the tracks and bridleways do get churned up during the operation.  Because of this TRDC will be undertaking a leaflet drop about our thinning in Carpenters Wood to let local residents know what is happening, and I have offered the services of the Friends Group to deliver some of these. 

However, experience from similar works in other woodlands in the District show fairly rapid recovery of the area once the work is completed.  You can view some photos of the work in Bishops Wood on the TRDC website to get some idea of what is involved, click on Bishops Wood on the front page.

This thinning work is long overdue and is essential to help return our woodland to its natural state, allowing the indigenous broadleaf trees to grow up in place of the Larch.

Next week we will also be having a look at the Ash plantation near the barrel arch which has been due for thinning for some years now.  It is hoped that work can also go ahead on this area soon, but I will let you know how the meeting goes next week.

We have one more volunteer session before Xmas, which is Saturday 18th December - I hope the weather allows us to get out!

If I don't see you, have a lovely Christmas and New Year.

with best wishes,

07/09/10

Dear Friends,

Attached are the minutes from our Committee Meeting which took place on Thursday afternoon, after our first volunteer session of the Autumn.  Our numbers seem to have dwindled over the summer, so only three (and a half with Tony and his poorly shoulder!) turned up on Thursday.  It was a glorious morning and we tackled a small patch of holly and made a noticeable impact, which was gratifying.  Tony used the strimmer along some of the paths which are beginning to get overgrown. Please take time to read the minutes if you can, as a number of important points were raised. I will be keeping you informed of any developments particularly in relation to TRDC involvement.

Please come back to us, all our usual volunteers!  And any new ones out there.  We need you!

With kind regards,

Barbara

Treasurer's Report 2010

03/06/10

Hi Everyone,

Thanks to those of you who came on the walk with John Morris.  It was extremely interesting and inspirational, and I think we all learnt a lot - it was good to have features which are normally ignored pointed out and explained to us.  And the weather was beautiful!  I will, in due course be doing a short report on his visit for the website, with lots of lovely photos!  (Click link above)

I am enclosing (below) a draft of the Carpenters Wood Leaflet for your comments.  Can I have these within the next few days as Alex has to get back to the designers soon.  I think it all looks very good!

Just one last thing - for those of you who came along today to the walk, I would like to make a donation of £50 from our funds to the Chiltern Woodlands Project (which is the Charity which John Morris works for).  John did not charge us for his visit which lasted nearly three hours and I think this is a good way of thanking him.  I have already emailed him with thanks, of course.  A donation of £3 -£5, or whatever you think reasonable, would be very gratefully received, so if you could pop a cheque or cash to Stephen Ramsay (Treasurer), cheques made out to 'Friends of Carpenters Wood', that would be great.

Many thanks,

Barbara

Carpenters Wood Leaflet (draft)  (pdf - click to access)
 

Friends of Carpenters Wood are a friendly and enthusiastic group of people, who give time when we can to help maintain and enhance the Woods for the enjoyment of all.  Living, as many of us do, within easy reach of the Woods, we have learnt to value the benefits this special area provides – a beautiful, tranquil place to walk and sit, a place for children to play freely, and a marvellous haven for wildlife of all sorts.

So how did ‘The Friends’ come about and where do we fit in?

Carpenters Wood, which is an ancient wood, at least 400 years old, is owned by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) who, with the help of the Countryside Management Service (CMS), manage and maintain it for the community.

Over recent years local residents became aware that some of the routine maintenance tasks were not really happening as frequently as they might, with the result that the Wood was beginning to suffer. Litter was beginning to accumulate, invasive plants like holly and laurel were taking over large swathes of the Wood, and pathways were becoming overgrown.

A flyer, raising the idea of a Friends Group, was produced and delivered to most of the houses closest to the Woods, and a subsequent meeting saw over 40 people attend! From this initial meeting, and with the help of CMS, our first volunteer sessions were set up. Tools were provided by CMS and one of their expert woodland officers, Martin O’Connor, came along to each of our sessions to guide, inform and train us in the necessary skills.

Training courses are available through CMS and a number of us now have been given essential First Aid training. Later this year two of the regular guys will be receiving specific training on brush-cutter equipment – we are not allowed to use any power tools such as chain saws – only CMS or TRDC specially trained staff are allowed to use these. With the help of a Grant, which we bid for and won at the Local Area Forum, we will soon be buying our own tools.

And this is what we have been doing!

Our Friends Group started its first volunteer sessions in July 2008, and we have met twice a month since. We meet every first Thursday and every third Saturday in the month – alternating from weekdays to weekends gives both those who work full-time and those of us who are ‘retired’ a chance to participate. Volunteers come when they can, and we generally have between 6 -12 of us at each session.

Over the last 9 months we have tackled some fairly major work in the Wood. Most of the Autumn was taken up by holly removal. A number of the footpaths had become overgrown with holly which, not only obscured many of the glorious views across surrounding fields and meadows, but also made the pathways dark and gloomy, and a bit ‘spooky’ for solitary walkers. Also the density of the holly meant that the footpaths were in permanent shade and therefore remained wet and muddy throughout most of the year. Removal of this holly along many of the footpaths, which is part of the CMS/TRDC management strategy for the Wood, has transformed these woodland walks. The sunshine now filters down through the lovely Beech trees and the views are wonderful!

More recently we have been marshalling our efforts into thinning out an area of Birch trees which have grown tall and spindly and very close together. This will, hopefully, encourage the Beech saplings planted in the area to grow, and will allow some regeneration of the woodland floor. Maybe even bluebells will start to appear there! In the Spring there is a carpet of glorious bluebells throughout Whitelands Wood, it would be good if these could be encouraged in other parts of the Wood. Maybe we will try some bluebell seed collecting and sowing and see if we can help them along!

Photos: Donald MacLean

For several sessions in early September we concentrated on creating a clearing off the main bridleway which we subsequently named ‘Beech Glade’. This area, which is surrounded by huge and magnificent beech trees, was waist high with bracken and was completely inaccessible. Now there is a small, sunny clearing, with a tree-trunk bench (which took much effort from Martin and his chainsaw!), where walkers can pause and enjoy the moment. This is also a brilliant place for picnicking – in fact we intend to hold our next Committee Meeting in Beech Glade in September!

That brings me to Committee Meetings!

Because the main aim of our Friends Group was to get out into the Woods and do ‘hands-on’ stuff, we did not want to get too bogged down with lots of committee meetings. However, we realised that we needed to be guided by CMS and TRDC and that our contribution needed to fit with the 5 Year Management Plan which TRDC set out for the woodland. So, we only have two Committee meetings a year, one in March and one in September.

However, we have drawn up a proper Constitution and have appointed a Chairman, Vice-Chairman, Treasurer and Secretary. This level of formality is necessary since, if we want to apply for Grants from TRDC or any other source, we need to supply evidence of a proper Committee structure, with minuted meetings, audited accounts and a written Constitution.

Our Latest Achievements.

Just recently we have been concentrating on creating this Web site, and producing an information leaflet for distribution locally. The aim of both of these things is to spread the word about our lovely Woods to other local people, as well as to those who are not so local, but may be interested in what we are doing.

We are also in the process of organising guided walks through the Wood. The first of these aimed at showing off the bluebells, should be organised soon (watch this space!) and we have other ideas for evening Bat walks and Autumn toadstool walks as well.

Contact Us!

If you would like to join us as a Friend, please email me at barbara.green@threerivers.gov.uk. We would be delighted to have you along – we are a friendly bunch of amateurs, so no special skills are necessary!

In order to raise money to cover some of our costs, for replacement tools, courses, administration, etc. we are asking for a small voluntary donation of £5 per annum from those of you who would like to support our work but are unable to get involved with our volunteer sessions. If you would like to contribute to our friends group this way you can download a standing order mandate (below).  All the money received will be used to benefit the Woodland – no trips to the Caribbean planned!

Watch this page for regular updates on work carried out and up-coming events.

Councillor Barbara Green
Chairman, Friends of Carpenters Wood

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Illustrated report on the ecology

by Martin O'Connor AIEEM of the Countryside Management Service

(Your browser will open this PDF file in Adobe Reader)

(If you do not have the free Adobe Reader click here)

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New Friend!

It's not unusual to see (or hear the strange bark of) Muntjac Deer in Carpenters Wood
 but on May 16th 2009 Tony Edwards came upon a young Roe Deer near the Farm Road entry.

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This text will be replaced by the flash music player.

Listen to the sounds of Carpenters Wood

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Typical Working Parties

of Friends of Carpenters Wood

(With expert help)

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7th May 2009

May pictures by Donald MacLean

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5 year Action Plan

(Your browser will open this PDF file in Adobe Reader)

(If you do not have the free Adobe Reader click here)
 

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MINUTES OF COMMITTEE MEETINGS

10 September 2009

04 March 2010

02 September 2010

(Your browser will open these PDF files in Adobe Reader)
(If you do not have the free Adobe Reader click here)

 

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Chilterns Newsletter
June 2009

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(If you do not have the free Adobe Reader click here)

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Email Us

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Standing Order Mandate

(Your browser will open this PDF file in Adobe Reader)

(If you do not have the free Adobe Reader click here)

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Related web sites

Chilterns Conservation Board

Chorleywood House Estate

18 woodlands in Three Rivers District

Information on Chorleywood

"The best hometown in UK"

Chilterns Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
 

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Constitution

of

The Friends of Carpenters Wood

The Name

The name of the group is The Friends of Carpenters Wood.

Location

Carpenters Wood comprises three woodland areas known as Hillas Wood, Whitelands Wood and Carpenters Wood. It is a 22.8 hectare mixed woodland situated within the Parish of Chorleywood in Hertfordshire and is within the Chiltern Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The site is owned by Three Rivers District Council (TRDC) and is a designated Wildlife Site.

Objectives

To enhance and improve Carpenters Wood, and to conserve it for future generations.

To involve local people in the enjoyment and maintenance of the Woodland.

To promote public awareness of the Woodland by means of publicity, volunteer groups, local events, and liaison with interested organisations.

To assist, advise and support TRDC in drawing up management plans for the Woodland.

To apply for grants from relevant organisations to fund the above.

Membership

Membership shall be open to anyone interested in taking an active part in the work and aims of the group.

The affairs of the group will be controlled by a Committee elected on an annual basis from and by the members of the group.

The group will meet at least twice a year to discuss its activities, and all members will be entitled to attend.

The group will work in partnership with appropriate officers of TRDC and Countryside Management Services (CMS).

The group will operate an equal opportunities policy.

Finance

Any funds shall be held by an elected Treasurer, submitted for independent inspection and approved at the AGM.

All funds shall be paid into an account in the name of The Friends of Carpenters Wood.

Any cheques drawn on the account, or financial obligations entered into, will need the signature of the Treasurer and one other Committee Member.

The Treasurer will keep a record of all transactions and will present an Annual Report.

If the group ceases to exist, any monies in the account shall go to a registered charity.

Insurance

The group shall have Personal Accident Insurance for its volunteers, and Public Liability Insurance. All members of the group shall, through their actions, ensure the health and safety of others.
 

Alterations to the Constitution

Alterations to the Constitution shall only be made with the consent of a majority of the members of the group.
 

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Email Us
(info@carpenterswood.org.uk)

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Webmaster: Donald MacLean
donald@maclean.org
www.the-life-of.me

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Site updated 09 May 2012

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