Can you help our trees during the drought?
From 5 April 2012, there will be a hose pipe ban in South East England after two unusually dry winters which have left aquifers, reservoirs and rivers below their normal levels. With little forecasted rain and a ban on hoses, this does not bode well for newly planted trees whose roots have not yet fully established.
With the help of volunteers, the council has planted many young trees which will be very vulnerable without water. Some of these trees are close to your homes and parks and others are in less accessible locations. During the hose pipe ban we are calling on you to use your waste water to water any young trees that have been planted near to where you live.
For advice on tree watering, take a look at the attached briefing note from The Tree Council.
We would ask you to please avoid watering trees with bath or washing up water that has a high soap content, especially if you are near to a water course. For more information on how you can help please contact Nicola Williams by emailing nicola.williams@basingstoke.gov.uk or phoning 01256 845616.
Spring has arrived and with it the bugs, bees and flowers are out. A walk through the boroughs parks and woodlands will reveal early emergences such as the orange tip butterfly basking in the sun and bluebells and wood anemone out in a fantastic bloom.
Look out for wildflower areas near you and as you travel round the borough. Not only will you see spring bulbs and wild flowers on roadside verges but many green spaces in Basingstoke have been managed for increased wild flower variety and richness over the last few years – and the results of that work are visible now. Check out the green spaces near you.
The borough has a variety of habitats such as calcareous grassland and fenland that support a wealth of wildlife. We are lucky enough to have species such as the dormouse, brown long eared bat, Dartford warbler, striped lychnis moth and large populations of great crested newts right on our doorstep. Unfortunately species such as these are under threat on both a local and global scale from the effects of habitat loss, climate change and pollution. There are ways in which we can all help stop these pressures – one of these is through conservation!
Opportunities for Conservation Volunteering
Are you interested in your local environment? Do you have a passion for conservation and wildlife? Then read on!
Read the attached article about the benefits of volunteering.
There are opportunities for you as an individual, a family or a social group to join the groups of volunteers already working in the following areas:
Black Dam Ponds and Crabtree Plantation
Chineham
Cliddesden
Glebe Gardens, Victory Park and King George Vth Playing Fields (Brookvale)Kempshott
Mill Field Local Nature Reserve
Oakley
Old Down, Kempshott
Overton
Popley
South View
Conservation Work Parties
A list of conservation work parties 2012 can be found in the Work Party Schedule.
For more information on becoming a volunteer, visit the individual pages for each conservation group or call Katy Hooper on 01256 845649.
Employee volunteering
Are you looking for an opportunity to volunteer with your colleagues? Did you know that there are at
least three ways of doing this?
Local conservation groups
Our conservation groups have a diverse range of activities that you could help them with. If you would like further information, please contact Katy Hooper on 01256 845649.
Employee Volunteering Network
By becoming a member of the Employee Volunteering Network a scheme being coordinated by Basingstoke Voluntary Services, you could help local charitable organisations and groups. Staff from Unum, pictured here have helped many groups over the last few years.
Because our conservation groups are members of the network you can help our conservation groups with activities such as path maintenance, coppicing, surveying, and tree planting. For more information on Basingstoke conservation volunteering, please see the website.
Wildlife Investor Scheme
If you can’t volunteer, your company or organisation could become a member of the Wildlife Investor Scheme which is run by the Wildlife Trust and supports the good work done locally for conservation.
Young People
The Hampshire & Isle of Wight Wildlife Trust runs a number of interesting volunteer programs for young people in the borough. For young adults interested in conservation visit www.facebook.com/NorthHampshireYouthVolunteers and for junior members wishing to get involved visit Wildlife Watch
Wildlife Gardening
In Basingstoke, private gardens make up about 2,500 hectares of land (about 4% of the total area of the borough), a substantial area that has the potential to provide important habitat for local wildlife.
If you are thinking of giving your garden a makeover then why not plant nectar rich flowers or native trees that will look attractive and provide food and shelter for bees, butterflies, birds and mammals? You could even create a small pond to encourage dragonflies and damselflies and provide a home for toads, frogs and newts. Planting trees such as rowan or hawthorn will attract interesting birds to your garden during cold winter months. To find out more contact the Hampshire Wildlife Trust.
