Barn Owls in Hurst

This year has been excellent for Barn Owl breeding as plenty of small mammal prey were avai lable. The artificial nest boxes were opened and the chicks counted for the Hawk and Owl Trust national survey. The total number of chicks hatched in the parish was 20. One hard working pair managed to raise four chicks in a second brood!

Wild flower planting at Townsend Pond

Wild flowers have been planted around Townsend pond as a first step in the Parish Council's plans to enhance the recreation ground and pond area on the School Road.

At the beginning of November, volunteers planted 140 plug plants of native species around the banks and margins of the pond to give more colour and interest throughout the year. The species were chosen to be suitable for the site and help improve biodiversity.

Flowers throughout the year

Cowslips were planted on the top of the banks and will give a Spring display of dainty yellow flowers. Ox eye daisies were planted on the steeper sections of bank for a summer display. Around the damper pond margins, Meadowsweet and Marsh Marigold were planted. Meadowsweet has fragrant cream flowers in summer and Marsh Marigold (or Kingcup) flowers from March to December and resembles a giant buttercup.

Thanks to our kind donors

The wildflower plants were funded by a donation from Beryl Lambert.

Professor Spedding donated some Loddon Lilies from his garden. These were planted at the far end of the pond in the shade of the trees.

Members of the Hurst Horticultural and Cottage Garden Society will be cultivating Yellow Flag Iris from wild seed. This plant is one of only two native irises. If successful, the new plants will boost the small clump found in the pond beside School Road.

Autumn Clean up/ Pond Planting

A big thank-you top all those who tunred up to help fill the four skips with Village rubbish and who helped to plant the new bulbs in preparation for next Spring.

A special vote of thanks to Mark Etwell and his team from Regency Landscapes, Wokingham Road, for all their help and hard work.

Wayne Smith, Chairman of Hurst PC

UK Ancient Tree Hunt

The work being done by volunteers in Hurst to identify and record our oldest trees is part of a wider project, which was launched in January 2007 with the formation of the Wokingham District Veteran Tree Association. The survey currently being carried out throughout the Wokingham district provides a splendid example of how volunteers c an co-operate with local authorities to forward this enterprise. Maggie Sanderson is the co-ordinator for the Hurst effort and would welcome more volunteers. You can contact her on tel. 0118 934 xxxx.

Rich history

England owes its rich heritage of ancient trees to monarchs from the time of William the Conqueror. Huge areas like Sherwood Forest, the New Forest and our own nearby Windsor Forest were set aside to meet their passion for deer hunting. Forest Law was established to husband these forests.

The next step was the development of medieval parks, attached to the parish boundaries, when local landowners played a role in preserving the trees.

The common people played their part as well, preserving and pollarding trees for fuel and building, and feeding their pigs with the acorns they shed.

As they age, trees become hollow and nurture within them a variety of beetles, fungi and lichen, which also have hundreds of years of history behind them.

Record for posterity

At a meeting of the Wokingham District Veteran Tree Association held on Wednesday, 17th October, Jill Butler, Conservation Officer for the Woodland Trust, gave an inspiring talk on Ancient Trees to an audience of over 70 people.

The Woodland Trust's aim is to record every surviving ancient tree right across England. Incredibly, even trees over 1000 years old - mostly oaks - are being discovered and recorded every few months.

The concern for protecting ancient trees is now spreading right across Europe. Some countries, like Sweden, have in place policies of protection much bolder than we as yet have in England.

Councillor Angus Ross, representing the Mayor of Wokingham Borough, stressed how important it was that members of the public should draw the attention of the authority's tree officers to any instances where they thought a notable tree was under threat.

Full details about the work of the Veteran Tree Association can be had from the secretary, Barbara Stagles, on 0118 9784013 or e-mail jrstagles@btinternet.com.

Our forests are equivalent to the rain forest - they are important for the environment and must be preserved for the future.