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Last updated: July 2, 2008, 6:05 pm

July 2008

Last Month's Events

A smaller work party last month, but we made good progress on a number of tasks, including trimming back of ash re-growths in the laid hedge, general path clear-back, stream clearance, and opening up a new path by the chalk stream. We also welcomed another new volunteer, Duncan, to the Group, and Oliver put in an appearance for light duties again after his period of absence through ill-health.

Next Work Party (6th July)

There is an urgent task that needs to be performed, and I am hoping that one of you may be able to help by sizing up the task and buying some appropriate wood. One of the picnic benches has been vandalised again - it is the one furthest away from the bridge and needs two new 'slats' for the table surface.

Would anyone have the time to size the pieces of wood and buy them ready to be installed on Sunday? We can recompense the expense from our kitty if you get a receipt for the wood.

I am afraid that the other tasks on offer at the July work party will be those we usually end up with in summer - keeping paths open and clearance where necessary of 'overgrowth'. Possible tasks for the next work party include:

• Remove barbed wire by Pinney's
• Continue chalk stream clearance up towards church and onto side tributary
• Open up path by chalk stream
• Remove rubbish and debris from main river and cut windows through buffer zones
• Remove succession growth (e.g. willow) and rubbish in pool above stepping stones
• Cut back nettles and growth around picnic benches
• Litter pick
• Place any uncleared logs on habitat pile by Pinney's

Unfortunately, I have to drop my daughter over to Stansted Airport on Sunday, so I will be there to kick things off, then disappear, and hopefully will be back before the end, depending on traffic.

Other Activities & Notes

Willow spiling by the ford

We held a meeting on 18th June to start preparations for what we hope will be our major project this winter - willow spiling the river bank near the ford. We talked through a number of things:

• Richard and I need to ensure that the Environment Agency and St Albans District Council are lined up behind us for this work. I sent a letter shortly after the meeting to our lady at the CMS, Petrina Llewellyn, as she is acting as the interface between Richard and I and the EA and SADC. Both the EA and SADC need to give permission for the work to proceed. SADC also need to give permission for me to seek a grant to pay for materials. And the EA need to confirm how far out into the river the spiling should be set.
• Originally, we were going to use hazel stakes, but recent advice from Tom suggests that elm, alder or sweet chestnut would be longer lasting when submerged in water. As elm and alder are likely to be difficult to source, we are expecting to use sweet chestnut. To ensure that we get good quality stakes, we are planning to use the grant to pay for these.
• We are hoping that we can source the willow withies (which are woven between the stakes) for free using a combination of the Reserve and Rothamsted. We plan to start cutting these from November and may decamp up to Rothamsted for a work party to cut them if people are OK with that.
• We are also considering using hazel at the base between the stakes and the bank to prevent erosion by river movement of the subsoil that we backfill the gap with. We may be able to get this for free or have to use the grant for it.
• We need backfill which we are hoping to get for free (as we only need rough subsoil).
• We will do some minor cutting back of growth in October where we are going to spile just so as we can get good access to the bank.
• Heather will organise publicity of the project.

An update after the meeting: I received a reply from Petrina indicating that she had been in conversation with the EA and SADC, and would update myself and Richard when she returns from holiday this week. I should have more news by the time of the next work party.

First Aid Course

I sent a note earlier in the month about a first aid course that had been offered to us. I received a good response, with a number of you expressing interest. However, what I missed the first time round is that there is a charge for the course of £20 per person.

It seems right to me that we should have a couple of people in the Group whom we have invested in to formally train. The only way that I could really choose who these two people should from the ones that volunteered was by selecting the most regular attendees at work parties in the recent past.

For that reason, I am going to suggest that we look to fund Renata and Steve, with Adrian as a back-up if either of these decides not to go ahead. However, if the others who volunteered would still like to go ahead, paying their own way, that of course would be fine. Here is a summary of what is covered within the £20 course. If you need help understanding what the acronyms stand for, Wendy is pretty knowledgeable in this area.

First Aid for Sports: E.L.S

Aims & Responsibilities (safety)
Primary survey D.R.A.B.C
Unconscious casualty
C.P.R - Adult & Junior
Choking
Head injury (concussion)
Heart attack
Types of Wounds & Shock (control of bleeding)
Sprains & Strains
First Aid Kit Contents

Course duration is four hours and is £20 per person.

I will look for a grant to cover the cost to the Group, as I am sure we will get support from somewhere, but for now, we have sufficient in the kitty to cover the costs.

Could Renata and Steve let me know if they are still interested, and also anyone else who is willing to pay their own way. Thanks.

Support to Youth Offenders Team

We have finalised up with the Youth Offenders Team to provide work for local youths for five Saturdays starting from 5th July. Thanks ever so much to Helen, Darrel and Victoria for volunteering to perform the liaison role on different Saturdays.

The youngsters will work for around 4 hours each Saturday. For the 5th, Richard and I have decided that the best task would be cutting back growth on paths around the Reserve. I popped down today, and this is very much in need of doing, so there is no shortage of work for this occasion. For the following four Saturdays, we may have to devise a plan as we go along, especially as our work party immediately follows the first Youth Offenders session and we may move some tasks along then.

One possible task would be litter picking outside the immediate area of the Reserve (e.g. along the old railway line). However, their first stint will give us a good opportunity to judge how much they are likely to achieve in four hours and what tasks would be suitable for them.

Upcoming Social Events

Renata is progressing plans for the Hatfield Battle Proms and is also looking to book a meal at the Gibraltar Castle. Watch this space.

Batford Nursery School

I contacted the manager of Batford Nursery a few weeks back after a tip-off from Renata, and received the response below. It sounds very promising that we could work with the nursery children to extend their knowledge of the natural world and also give them a good afternoon out. I haven't yet had any further response from Pat, but if we can get something off the ground, I am sure that it would be a positive step for both them and us.

Dear Pat,

Renata introduced me to the idea of some collaborative activities between the nursery and our Group, the Upper Lea Valley Group, a little while ago and I really liked the idea. My apologies that we haven't managed to make contact yet; I did try ringing landline and mobile last week and left a message.

We perform conservation activities on the Batford Springs Nature Reserve and are also very keen to get involved with the local community. Based on what Renata told me, I was wondering if we could start the ball rolling by getting involved in one of your visits to the Reserve with the youngsters - maybe we could organise some form of Treasure Hunt using species as the 'treasure' or give a map to each child with some 'landmarks' for them to find, bring along some refreshments, talk to the children about the Reserve (nothing too heavy of course), that sort of thing.

I have taken the liberty of copying a few people, some of whom I hope might be interested in helping out with something of this nature (as I work, sometimes away from home, I am probably not the ideal person to actually run such an event). Heather, if we get this off the ground, could you do some thinking about the best way to publicise it. Su / Theresa, don't think we would have any issue funding some refreshments from the kitty, but do let me know if you foresee a problem.

Look forward to hearing. If there is any possibility of letting me know your thoughts by this Wednesday, that would be great as we are having a meeting of the Group and could discuss this further then. Indeed, you are very welcome to come along if you had the time; we could discuss this first to avoid you having to sit through a discussion around willow spiling if you didn't want to! We are meeting at the Marquis of Granby pub at 20:00 on Wednesday, in the 'lounge' side (a somewhat loose term I know when you actually see it!).

Ian.

Ian,

It sounds like a great idea. I will need to speak to the school head and the daycare manager as these are the people who do the doing. I will try to get back to you before your meeting, but can't guarantee it as I am reliant on other people. My first thoughts are that it would be a great thing for the daycare as the group is smaller. We run all through the summer holidays and some activities during this time would be ideal. The daycare team are very active in nature and growing, I am sure they will be keen to engage.

I'll get back to you as soon as possible

Regards, Pat.

And finally…

You may remember I commented on the talk I had given at the Harpenden Probus in last month's newsletter. I received this from Heather in response, which made me laugh, so I thought I'd share it with you.

Hello Ian,

Although I thanked you for the newsletter earlier on, at that time I'd not read it, but I have now. As ever it made interesting reading and your last item caused me amusement.

Don't worry about it, I'm sure it wasn't your talk that caused the heavy eyes - wait until you're 60+ and you'll know what I mean! I've had similar experiences when spouting on the same subject but not at the Rugby Club - perhaps it was a different Probus or even another of this type of organisation. Anyhow, I think that the most awkward occasion was when my eye caught a member of the audience who was looking at me through binoculars!

Heather.

Regards,
Ian Salvage, Chairman ULVG