Friends of Bedgebury Magazine Issue 8 Autumn/Winter 2016

Free to £1 members

Friends of Bedgebury Magazine Issue 8 Autumn/Winter

2016 www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk Friends of Bedgebury Welcome Magazine Issue 8 by Katherine Jary Autumn/Winter We all love Bedgebury, but I’m certain that our reasons for doing so differ. The Friends’ charitable objectives focus on the Pinetum, tree knowledge and tree conservation, 2016 but we know that this is only a small part of the story of Bedgebury. To achieve our objectives, we want to celebrate everything that is special about Bedgebury, and especially the Pinetum, and to let everyone know that it is more than just an internationally important and unique tree collection. Welcome 1 Bees at Bedgebury 22 Editor’s Letter 2 The Old Man of Kent 24 The Pinetum makes our job really easy! It is an extraordinary place. Framed by its majestic conifer specimens, the Pinetum is also full of wonderful broadleaf tree favourites creating What is a BioBlitz? 4 Pine Cones 26 a woodland environment that is home to a huge array of rare and endangered flora and Conservation in Action 6 Another Flower in our Bouquet 28 fauna; from our elusive grizzled skipper (Pyrgus malvae) to the now emblematic firecrest (Regulus ignicapilla), the delicate English eyebright (Euphrasia anglica) to the bold and The Gruffalo at Bedgebury 7 Our Partners 30 beautiful violet webcap (Cortinarius violaceus). The list of rare or nationally important Some Wild Flowers at Bedgebury 10 Membership Information 32 species at Bedgebury is a long and exciting one. Events and Activities 14 Looking for Gift Ideas? 33 The Sport of Canicross at Bedgebury 20

This magazine is free to members. Grizzled skipper Firecrest English eyebright Violet webcap However, a donation of 40p would pay for the cost (Pyrgus malvae) (Regulus ignicapilla) (Euphrasia anglica) (Cortinarius violaceus) of printing it. A donation of £1 would enable us to Editor: raise funds for something you love at Bedgebury. Katherine Jary. In this edition we will celebrate the stories from August’s BioBlitz; an event which served to Proof Readers: showcase Bedgebury’s biodiversity in all its glory. With so many successful BioBlitz events now Cover: Elspeth Hill, Rachel Mason having taken place all over the country, some of which were featured on the BBC’s Springwatch and John Gordon. Common toad (Bufo bufo). earlier this year, we hope that this event will become a permanent fixture in the Bedgebury Contributing Photographers: calendar. Keep an eye on our website for details of the next BioBlitz planned for 2017/18! Despite the rain and wind, our visiting public and wildlife experts Luke Wallace, Sue Buckingham, weren’t deterred at this year’s 48-hour Bedgebury BioBlitz! Ian Beavis, Mark Clixby, The experts, once again, added an enormous amount to our Mina McPhee and David Jenner. understanding of Bedgebury’s unique wildlife composition. If you Love Bedgebury, and wish to support and promote the site’s Contributing Florilegium Artists: biodiversity and conservation efforts, there are a myriad of ways However, it was our citizen scientists who recorded the site’s Sandra Fernandez, Helen Hiorns, you can help. Donate to the Friends, become a member, attend an reptiles at this year’s BioBlitz. It’s always nice to find amphibians Pearl Bostock and Julia Groves. event or sponsor a signature tree, Pinetum bench or new mosaic on site as they are having a tough time of it, being in decline both block, and you will be able to make your mark at Bedgebury. Visit in the UK and globally. Common toads, which are not quite so Design: common these days, were found on both Bedgebury BioBlitz days. Fraser Allen. www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk to find out more! Printed on FSC certified paper. 1 Editor’s Letter by Katherine Jary

‘... And it is that range of biodiversity that we must care for BioBlitz, on pages 28 to 29 we explain the On pages 14 to 18 you can find a complete origins of our Florilegium and the important list of our events this autumn and winter, - the whole thing - rather than just one or two stars.’ role they play at Bedgebury. including details of this year’s Christmas David Attenborough in Victoria Martindale’s tree sales and festive activities on page 17. No Friends’ magazine or biodiversity theme We also have a feature on pages 20 to 21 ‘Is it worth saving the world’s most worthless species?’, IUCN. would be complete without Bedgebury’s from parkrun Canicross runner and regular conifer conservation stories and unusual dog-walker, Jenny Lee, on why she thinks At Bedgebury, the work undertaken in the more to our work than just this. In doing our conifer facts. Find out how maths makes its Bedgebury is the perfect place for runners Pinetum does, inevitably, seem to focus work in the Pinetum, a glorious landscape way into the Pinetum on pages 26 to 27 and and dog lovers all year round. on only one star of the plant world, the containing several BAP (Biodiversity Action read our tribute, on pages 24 to 25, to the conifer. However, whilst at Bedgebury our Plan) designated landscapes, we are doing Old Man of Kent, sadly felled this summer. With wider conservation objectives in mind, principal purpose is to collect the seed of much more to promote biodiversity and threatened conifer species and to propagate conservation than our work with conifers We hope that, in time, some of the grand fir and a desire to support all things tree- those that might survive our temperate suggests. DEFRA has defined our ‘Lowland dry seeds collected in the USA last year will grow related, the Friends continue to promote climate, our tree expertise is sought by acid grassland’, ‘Purple moor grass and rush to replace the Old Man. To help members and support all the Pinetum’s flora and organisations all over the world, with seed pastures’ and ‘European dry heath’ habitats, understand the importance of the Friends- fauna. Whether or not conifer conservation from all sorts of rare or endangered plant and their associated species, as some of funded, Bedgebury-led 2015 USA expedition, is your first love, we believe that there is species collected on our collaborative the most threatened in the UK. By protecting we gave them the chance, in March, to hear something in the Pinetum to enthuse and expeditions. Not only has Bedgebury made the Pinetum and promoting a conservation about the expedition from two of the team’s engage all our members and visitors. the news with the propagation of the conifer, message therein, we are doing our bit to intrepid explorers, the Forestry Commission’s We will continue to support and promote Xanthocyparis vietnamensis, but also protect the important range of biodiversity in Dan Luscombe and the Friends’ Luke Wallace. everything the Pinetum has to offer with the critically endangered Japanese birch, these rare habitats. On page 6, two of the Friends’ members events, activities and news stories to help Betula chichibuensis. However, there is This August, the Pinetum played host to who attended the event explain how they everyone understand the role of Bedgebury Pinetum BAP Habitat Map a BioBlitz, a wildlife-recording event that feel about their Bedgebury membership as and the importance of our tree collection. succeeded in showcasing the Pinetum and its a result of this inside view of the Pinetum’s extraordinary biodiversity. The purpose of the conservation work. BioBlitz process is explained by ecologist Luke Wallace, on pages 4 to 5, along with details of some of the most notable finds by our citizen scientists and biological recorders. On pages 10 to 13 and pages 22 to 23 respectively, botanist To read Victoria Martindale’s article follow this link to the IUCN website: Sue Buckingham and invertebrate specialist Ian Beavis, share some of the Pinetum’s special http://www.iucn.org/content/it-worth-saving-world%E2%80%99s-most-worthless-species bee and wild flower finds from the summer. If you want to do your bit for biodiversity, supporting Bedgebury and the work of the For our younger readers, on pages 7 to 9 Pinetum with your time as a volunteer, your membership, or a sponsorship or donation, can we take a light-hearted look at the role of the make a difference. Gruffalo in the biodiversity of British woodland Key: environments as ecologist, Emma Brown, We hope that by understanding a little more about the extraordinary Pinetum environment, Purple moor grass and rush pasture introduces us to the real creatures behind the our members can work with us to protect it, by redirecting cyclists to the forest, protecting Lowland dry acid grassland book and explores their lives at Bedgebury. For flora and fauna from damage (intentional or otherwise) and encouraging dog owners to keep those who enjoyed seeing our botanic artists, European dry heath their dogs on leads in the Pinetum. We are protecting far more than just the trees in this lovely Bedgebury’s Florilegium, in action during the space and your help really makes a difference. Come along to the next Bedgebury BioBlitz in Semi-improved lowland meadow 2017/18 to join the fun and find out more!

2 3 What is a BioBlitz? Highlights from August included: by Luke Wallace

Anyone who was on site in August, will know that Bedgebury held a successful and engaging BioBlitz event… but what exactly is a BioBlitz and what are the benefits?

‘Bio’ (life) and ‘Blitz’ (to do something quickly Mnolf / CC-BY-SA-3. and intensively) together make ‘BioBlitz’, a The sea of lilac created by The experts were awed by an Cychrus caraboides, a collaborative race against the clock to discover devil’s-bit scabious was aerial display of bats as they specialist snail-hunting as many species of plants, animals and fungi spectacular while locally rare scooped insects off the lakes. beetle with a thin, elongated as possible, within a set location and over a English eyebright, golden- Common pipistrelle, soprano head designed to penetrate defined time period (typically 24 hours). Such rod and dodder were all Pipistrelle, brown long- snails’ shells events usually involve a group of scientists, recorded on site eared, noctule, natterer’s students and naturalists who work together and daubenton bats were all with members of the public to record the seen or heard species they find. First developed by Sam Droege in the USA in 1996, BioBlitz events are now held regularly in many countries and have been taking place in the UK since 2006 (coordinated by the Bristol Natural History Consortium as part of the National BioBlitz Network). BioBlitz events BioBlitz events allow us to recognise and share the fact have gained international recognition as an that the Pinetum is not only an internationally important Acinia corniculata, a exciting way to encourage the exploration of tree collection but also harbours a unique composition nationally endangered our natural spaces and offer an informal, fun of wildlife that is just as special as the trees themselves. fruit fly, about whom little is way to create a snapshot of the variety of life Only by understanding Bedgebury’s biodiversity can we known in the UK that can be found in an area whilst providing help to conserve it. an opportunity for participants to share If you want to learn more about the Pinetum and its trees their expertise and enthusiasm for nature. and wildlife, come along to the next Bedgebury BioBlitz Importantly, a BioBlitz can help to break down planned for 2017/18. Or why not join one of our Pinetum- the barriers that exist to engagement with based walks or talks? Take a look at pages 14 to 18 for science by giving the public an opportunity to our autumn / winter schedule of events. Profits made contribute to a genuine scientific survey. by the Friends from such events are used to support During the May 2014 Bedgebury BioBlitz, over conservation projects in the Pinetum. 400 wildlife records were noted in a 24-hour For a more detailed review of the BioBlitz period. This year, our 48-hour BioBlitz was well visit the wildlife blog on our website: attended and yielded some exciting finds of www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/pinetum/wildlife both flora and fauna despite the intermittent Early morning bird ringing provided an rain and wind which tried to mar the two days. opportunity to get up close to a marsh tit, a red The monochromatic listed bird on the British Trust for Ornithology’s markings of the black list of Birds of Conservation Concern. arches moth 4 5 Conservation in Action The Gruffalo / CC-BY-SA-3. Schwartz Danielle by Friends’ members, Susie Shelton and Liz Kemp Take a quick glance at the trees and shrubs at Bedgebury in our gardens or parks and we glimpse by Emma Brown a small part of the world’s plant diversity. Over the centuries, non-native plants have Many of our readers will be familiar with been introduced to the UK from around the endearing characters in the Gruffalo the globe, and the quest to bring back story. The journey of the intrepid Mouse and examples of new and often endangered (spoiler alert!) his meeting with the Gruffalo species still continues today. is brought to life by Julia Donaldson’s storytelling, Axel Scheffler’s illustrations and Did you know that some of your membership the Forestry Commission’s themed trails. fee contributes towards global tree But the Gruffalo is not just a tall tale. In this Common dormouse (Muscardinus avellanarius) conservation? In March, some Friends of article we meet the real creatures behind the Bedgebury Pinetum attended an inspiring book and explore their lives at Bedgebury. The red fox (Vulpes vulpes), who first steps up morning to learn more about the vital Dan Luscombe sharing Pinetum stories with conservation work taking place. First there walk attendees As Mouse walks through the trees, coming to entice Mouse to his underground house, was a 40-minute presentation given by across Fox, Owl and then Snake, he sidesteps is the biggest predator at Bedgebury and Following the talk, the group were led out into Luke Wallace, one of the team who travelled their invitations to dinner by inventing the the largest type of fox in the world. It uses its the Pinetum by Acting Curator Dan Luscombe to the Pacific Northwest coast of the USA terrifying Gruffalo. Mouse is certainly right to senses of smell, hearing and mainly sight for a fascinating guided walk. Highlights in September 2015 on a seed-collection be cautious - everyone wants him as their to locate prey before pouncing. Its almond, included seeing behind the scenes in the expedition. Luke stressed the importance of main course! In the wild, predators and their cat-like eyes help pinpoint prey and its propagation area, surprisingly small for such collecting seeds from their native habitats prey are in a constant evolutionary battle. long tail steers as it leaps up to five metres important work. The poly-tunnels housed a rather than just propagating from established They must out-wit, out-run or out-smart each through the air. Yet Mouse might have found large number of rare seedlings such as Betula trees in known collections. This helps the other, just like Mouse out-wits his predators a vegetarian dinner waiting for him if he had chichibuensis – a Critically Endangered birch conservation of different species by ensuring in the story. While we now take this theory for accepted Fox’s invitation. Foxes prefer to hunt from Japan. Dan also gave us details about genetic diversity. In addition, seeds from trees granted, thanks to the work of Charles Darwin only in the twilight hours and are omnivores, a wide range of trees from Pseudotsuga growing in their natural habitats may have and others, this was not the commonly held choosing berries, stems and roots over mice menziesii (Douglas fir) and Sequoia developed adaptations to changes in the belief until the 18th century. Before this ‘age of during the autumn. sempervirens (coast redwood), to the beautiful environment, and may have better resistance enlightenment’, it was thought that animals Hamamelis mollis (Chinese witch hazel). to pests and disease. had remained unchanged since their creation As Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum we felt at the dawn of time, rather than evolving in Memorable specimens from the trip included proud to be supporting such vital work. ways that mean they eat, or avoid being eaten. Pinus longaeva (bristlecone pine), the oldest known living organism on earth with one tree Several types of rodent make their home at estimated to be 5,065 years old. Another rare Bedgebury, including the common dormouse tree was the Cupressus bakeri, seeds of which (Muscardinus avellanarius), the wood mouse will be cultivated at Bedgebury. (Apodemus sylvaticus) and the yellow-necked mouse (Apodemus flavicollis). In order to The USA expedition and its crucial conservation collections were possible because of a grant avoid unwanted attention, such as dinner made by the Friends to the Forestry Commission in 2015. The Friends funded this grant with your invitations, they are active in the open only at subscriptions and with donations received in memory of our late Chair, Gerald Williams OBE. night. However, the phrase ‘quiet as a mouse’ Friends’ grants in 2016 enable this work to continue. We would like to thank all of our members does not ring true. Their vocalisations are not for supporting Bedgebury’s international plant conservation efforts. If you want to do more, heard by human ears because they squeak at please just get in touch. E-mail us at [email protected] or make a donation via a very high frequency. Nevertheless, the ears our website: http://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/memberships/legacies/make-a-donation/ of predators are fine tuned to this and could Red fox cub (Vulpes vulpes) detect Mouse even in the dead of night. 6 7 But there is no doubt that Owl, the next water while hunting, and are often seen in the / CC-BY-SA-3. Walling Steven character in the Gruffalo story, would want to ponds and lakes on site. In autumn, the young make a meal out of Mouse. Owls are so well emerge from their eggs with their predatory adapted to finding small rodents in the dark senses fully formed and ready to stalk rodent that they strike like well-oiled killing machines. prey. This reptile has a unique weapon in its Their rounded wings carry them silently, while armoury. The heat sensing pits on its snout their neck swivels up to 270 degrees to locate enable it to find a mouse by sensing its body their prey. Feathers around their face create heat. It could literally hunt with its eyes shut, if a shape like a satellite dish to magnify the it had eyelids! sounds below. Even their ears are specially adapted. One is placed higher on the skull than the other, an asymmetric design, so that prey is pinpointed by sensing at which ear the sound arrives first. And that is without even mentioning their excellent night vision. Owls Wild boar (Sus scrofa) at Bedgebury, including the tawny owl (Strix aluco) and the elusive barn owl (Tyto alba), all pose a definite threat to Mouse.

Grass snake (Natrix natrix)

And what of the Gruffalo? Did the Bioblitz team find evidence of a massive living creature with poisonous warts, purple spines, knobbly knees and orange eyes? Not quite! But could large animals like him be returning to some forests of the UK in new species introduction programmes? The tusks of the wild boar (Sus scrofa) are not an uncommon sight in some of England’s forests where small populations of feral wild boar have become established as a result of escapes and deliberate releases from wildlife collections and wild boar farms. Beavers (Castor fiber), If you enjoyed the Bedgebury BioBlitz this summer, please keep recording the flora and Tawny owl (Strix aluco) considered by some to be a keystone species fauna you see on site. E-mail us at [email protected] with a picture and for healthy forests, are being monitored in the time, date and location of your sighting and we will record it on the Bedgebury wildlife Mouse could join frogs and toads on the plate licensed reintroduction feasibility studies or wild flower blogs for other enthusiasts to enjoy. We might even use one your photos in of the last predator, Snake. The grass snakes taking place in Scotland and elsewhere. a future magazine, like the grass snake image used here that was submitted by a visitor (Natrix natrix) found at Bedgebury may Even the majestic lynx (Lynx lynx), once native in 2015 for listing in our wildlife blog. Notable sightings will be forwarded to the Forestry be green, as in Axel’s drawings, or darker to the British Isles, is being considered for Commission for official recording. To read our wildlife and wild flower blogs, visit our website: shades of brown. Harmless to humans, they reintroduction. Perhaps Mouse will meet a www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/pinetum/wildlife can wind their way expertly across land or forest legend sooner than he thinks! 8 9 rarer pale pink flowered cross-leaved heath, In early summer, the sandy grassy slopes in Erica tetralix, prefers wetter boggy places. the Pinetum are speckled yellow with four- Some Wild Flowers at petalled flowers of tormentil,Potentilla erecta, a low-growing plant whose roots were once Bedgebury used to treat toothache! by Sue Buckingham Throughout the year you can see many wild flowers as you walk amongst the conifers at Bedgebury Pinetum. Many of them are typical of lowland heath which, because of modern development, has declined dramatically during the last 200 years making it an internationally protected habitat and one which is especially rare in the county of Kent. This makes Bedgebury an important place to see wild flowers.

Dwarf gorse, Ulex minor, is a late species, not flowering until August. In fact it’s said that when the gorse is not in bloom, kissing is out of season! That is because one or other species of gorse is in flower pretty well throughout the year. As its name suggests, If you look carefully among the heather dwarf gorse is a low-growing species, no flowers, you can find the parasitic plant more than a metre tall. dodder, Cuscuta epithymum, with its red stems and clusters of tiny white flowers. Here it is seen attached to a plant of gorse, whilst at Bedgebury it gets all its nutrition from its host Heath milkwort, Polygala serpyllifolia, often plant heather. grows with tormentil, though it is much scarcer in Kent and can be found on no more than a couple of dozen sites.

Bell heather, Erica cinerea, with its red-purple English eyebright, Euphrasia anglica, is one On high, dry areas the poor acid soils are flowers and whorls of needle-like leaves, can be of Bedgebury’s very special species. It is suitable for heather (or ling), Calluna vulgaris. found in similar places to ling, whilst the much endemic, which is to say that it doesn’t occur 10 11 outside the UK, and is currently found in yellow of golden-rod, Solidago virgaurea, fewer than 200 locations. The eyebrights (and provide a wealth of colour and plenty of food there are many species) are part parasitic, for the insects of Bedgebury’s precious flower- obtaining their water and minerals from a rich grasslands. host plant, usually a grass species.

Like other parts of the Kent and Sussex High Sedges (like grasses and rushes) don’t have Weald, Bedgebury’s soils and climate have showy flowers but they are often indicative If you are looking for a showy plant, common much in common with the west of Britain. of good habitat. Star sedge, Carex echinata, spotted orchids, Dactylorhiza fuchsii, with their Lemon-scented fern, Oreopteris limbosperma, can be found in several places in the Pinetum. great variety of colour forms and patterns, put is a western species which, though scarce It likes the really wet acid places where on a great show in early June on many of the in the south, thrives at Bedgebury. You can sphagnum mosses grow and it is otherwise a grassy slopes in the Pinetum. recognise it by looking underneath its fronds very scarce species in Kent. As summer draws to a close, the blue flowers at the pattern of its spores. of devil’s-bit scabious, Succisa pratensis, and

You can see many wild flowers as you walk amongst To date some 230 species of flowers and grasses have been recorded in the Pinetum the conifers at and these are just a few of them. To find out more about Bedgebury’s wild Bedgebury Pinetum flowers, visit our wild flower blog:ht tp:// bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/pinetum/ wildflowers-blog-2016/.

12 13 Photography Course (*) Feed the Birds with the story performed along the way and with Friday 21st October or Friday 7th March Wednesday 26th to Friday 28th October regular stops throughout. Events and Starting at 7.00pm, this event is suitable for children Drop in between 10.00am and 2.00pm. Doors close at 3.00pm. aged 8 and over, if accompanied by an adult. Further information, including prices and details of how to book, Activities can be found at www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury. NOVEMBER For more information on any of the events listed, please contact either: Bird Ringing Demonstrations (*) November to February Bedgebury Visitor Centre Information Office on 01580 879820 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury Want to turn great photographs into fabulous The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum images? Join award-winning local photographer David Jenner as he takes a small group round on 01580 879842 or visit the Pinetum and shares his photographic Make your own bird feeder from a pine cone, a www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk expertise. After lunch, David will demonstrate bird cupcake or a pumpkin using bird-friendly Events and activities may be subject to how to turn ordinary photographs into beautiful peanut butter and bird seed. Take it home, hang works of art in a classroom based workshop. it outside and wait for the hungry birds to drop in change. We recommend that you ring either Both courses are aimed at people who have for a treat! of the numbers above before visiting. some photographic knowledge. Suitable for all ages. £2 per child (plus usual admission Bird ringing can help monitor changes in Friends’ Gift Vouchers may be redeemed The whole day session costs £75 per person. The fee for non-members). No need to book. This activity productivity, survival rates, dispersal and takes place in the Education Room at the Visitor Centre. against Friends’ events (marked *). event will start at the Visitor Centre at 9.30am and will migration, enabling us to tackle conservation finish at 4.30pm. A sandwich lunch will be provided. Children must be accompanied by an adult during the Participants should bring their own DSLR, or similar full whole event. issues. Bedgebury’s bird ringer Christine George OCTOBER function bridge camera, and a tripod. will be ringing birds at Bedgebury from November through to early spring on still, sunny, weekday To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some The Company of Wolves mornings approximately once a fortnight. A very restrictions apply. See booking conditions on page 18. Illustrated Photography Presentation (*) Based on the stories by Angela Carter and small audience for each session will have the Saturday 15th October adapted for theatre by Burn the Curtain opportunity to observe wild birds close up. As Hunt the Hidden Boxes Thursday 27th to Saturday 29th October this event is weather dependent, anyone who Monday 24th and Tuesday 25th October would like to attend should register their interest Drop in between 10.00am and 2.00pm. by calling 01580 879842. We will contact interested Doors close at 3.00pm. individuals a day or two before a session is due Have a go at finding hidden boxes by following to take place (once the weather forecast is our trail around the Pinetum. Everyone loves the known) to fill available spaces. adventure of hurrying to find the next hidden box Each session will cost £6 per person. Start times will and every child finds something little to keep. be around 8.00am and the event will last about two Suitable for all ages. £2 per child (plus usual admission hours. The venue will be confirmed closer to the event. Day into night photography is stunning… fee for non-members). No need to book. This activity Photography is not permitted at bird ringing sessions. and complicated to achieve! It shows the starts from the Education Room at the Visitor Centre. To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some transition of 24 hours at one location in a Children must be accompanied by an adult during the restrictions apply. See booking conditions on page 18. single photograph. Intrigued? Local multi- whole event. award winning photographer David Jenner Join us for a unique and exciting theatrical Friends’ AGM will give an illustrated presentation of his work experience. Saturday 26th November and talk through the technique. This is also an opportunity to see some breath-taking images Angela Carter’s classic tale, The Company of Join us at midday for light refreshments and the of Bedgebury across the seasons. Wolves, has been adapted by Burn the Curtain into chance to pose your questions to representatives a promenade adventure for runners and walkers of the Bedgebury management team. Former Ticket price £10. The talk will start at 3.30pm in the and tells the dark and mysterious modern classic Bedgebury Curator, Chris Reynolds, will then host Education Room at the Visitor Centre and will last in a totally immersive and unique way. a guided walk in the Pinetum for attendees. approximately 2 hours. To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some Audience members will follow one of two routes, either Keep an eye on your e-mails and our website for restrictions apply. See booking conditions on page 18. running for up to 5 miles or walking for up to 3 miles, more information in October. 14 15 DECEMBER

Christmas Wreaths (*) Thursday 1st December Saturday 3rd December (parent and child session) 10ft & BUY YOUR BRITISH-GROWN CHRISTMAS 12ft Trees 100% SANTA APPROVED Limited IS COMING! Availability CHRISTMAS TREE Buy your 100% Santa FROM BEDGEBURY approved Christmas ENJOY FREE ADMISSION TO THE PINETUM AND FOREST AND THESE OTHER BENEFITS* tree at Bedgebury FREE CHRISTMAS TREE SAPLING FREE STANDARD BIKE INNER TUBE and join us for TO PLANT AT HOME WITH A WITH EVERY CHRISTMAS TREE* CERTIFICATE OF AUTHENTICITY* Festive Forest Fun on FREE PRIZE DRAW ENTRY TO WIN PRIZES BELOW* Saturday 10th December FREE MINCE PIES • Bedgebury - guided walk with tea and cake WITH EVERY CHRISTMAS TREE* • Café - £40 voucher Get in the mood for Christmas as you create a Drop in between 10am and 3pm unique and personal Christmas wreath for your 10% DISCOUNT IN THE • Friends - membership home! Talented local florist Suzanne Price will for Christmas activities, which BEDGEBURY GIFT SHOP* • Go Ape - £75 family ticket teach you techniques and tricks of the trade that will include: will help you make your wreath a work of art. All the Winter materials for your wreath are included in the price. • Card making Specials Menu @ The session on Saturday is a parent and child session, • Making Christmas decorations Luxury Bedgebury where all paying adults can bring one child aged 8 or Wreaths OPEN FOR SALES ON Café over with them at no extra cost. The course costs £45 • Decorating a gingerbread tree per person. The sessions will take place in the Education For Sale Friday 25th November – Sunday 27th November Room at the Visitor Centre. Each session will start at • Following our seasonal tree trail 10.00am and will last approximately 3 hours. Friday 2nd December – Sunday 4th December To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some • Eating yummy mince pies! restrictions apply. See booking conditions on page 18. Friday 9th December – Tuesday 20th December FROM 10AM TO 4PM (UNTIL NOON ON THE 15TH DECEMBER) Festive Christmas Activities JOIN US FOR Please visit the Forestry Commission website www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury or call the Information Office on 01580 879820 for more information nearer the time. PLENTY OF Call 01580 879820 or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury New for 2017 CHRISTMAS for more information A new children’s adventure activity (to replace the hugely popular Stick Man Trail) will be coming to Bedgebury in 2017… We can’t say any CHEER! more now, but further information will follow on the Forestry Commission website and on site *Terms and Conditions nearer the time! Visit the Forestry Commission website for more information.

A small fee will be applicable for some of the activities. 16 Donate... and make your mark at Bedgebury! JANUARY AND FEBRUARY sandwich lunch will be provided. You can book single days. Donate... and make your mark at Bedgebury! To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some restrictions apply. See booking conditions below. Bird ringing: a presentation following by a winter bird walk (*) Birdsong (*) Saturday 21st January Wednesday 29th March Thursday 2nd February NEW!NEW!

What is bird ringing and why does it matter? Local nature guide and bird behaviour specialist Local bird ringer Christine George will give an Simon Ginnaw will lead a series of workshops on illustrated presentation on bird ringing and will bird behaviour and how to identify them by their then lead a guided walk through the Pinetum at song. Over the six sessions, Simon will unravel the roosting time. Learn about the birds that can be complexities of bird song and help you identify the found at Bedgebury in the winter and, with luck, different species as you walk through the perhaps catch sight of the rare hawfinches that Pinetum. This course is a mix between classroom overwinter here. based learning and walks. Sessions will run Tickets cost £12 per person. The event will start at the Visitor fortnightly starting on Wednesday 29th March. Centre at 1.30pm and will last approximately 2.5 hours. The series of 6 workshops costs £72 per person. Each To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some session will start at 2.30pm and last for approximately restrictions apply. See booking conditions below. 2 hours. The other sessions will run on 12th/26th April, 10th/24th May and 7th June. MARCH To book your place please phone 01580 879842. Some restrictions apply. See booking conditions below. Art Workshops Thursday 23rd March – Drawing Course (*) Booking Conditions Friday 24th March – Watercolour Course (*) All events are held at or will start from the Visitor Centre unless otherwise specified. Full payment is required to reserve places on all events. No refunds can be offered for failure to attend Whatever the occasion, say what you want and show how much you care… any course. Whatever the occasion, say what you want and show how much you care… As each stunning hardwood mosaic block gains a donor, the Love Bedgebury mosaic in If excessively adverse weather is forecast, a As each stunning hardwood mosaic block gains a donor, the Love Bedgebury mosaic in cancellation email will be sent three days before the Visitor Centre will grow to reveal the beautiful and emblematic Larix laricina design. the event. If you are unable to attend on the proposed alternative date, you will be offered a Love Bedgebury - be part of something amazing! Do you want to try botanical illustration but don’t full refund. Love Bedgebury - be part of something amazing! know where to start? Our drawing and watercolour Dogs are not permitted at any of the events listed. courses are the perfect way to indulge your interest For more information visit our website in art. The courses will be led by Pearl Bostock, a Events involving a walk may not be suitable for hugely talented botanical artist and founder those with limited mobility. www.lovebedgebury.org.uk or call 07970 249199. member of the Bedgebury Florilegium. She will Available for a minimum donation from £100 per block. Different sizes and depths available. show you how to get started and share tips and Available for a minimum donation from £100 per block. Different sizes and depths available. techniques to help you progress. As a charity, the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum takes your membership subscriptions, donations, event fees and gifts andAs a makescharity, themthe Friends available of Bedgebury to the Forestry Pinetum Commission takes your as membership grants for projectssubscriptions, and activities donations, across event the fees site. and These gifts Each day costs £75 per person and will be held at the grantsand makes are to them intended available to engage to the people Forestry with Commission trees and, asin particular,grants for theprojects Pinetum. and activities across the site. These grants are to intended to engage people with trees and, in particular, the Pinetum. Visitor Centre from 9.30am to 4.30pm. All materials and a Registered charity number: 1113325. Registered charity number: 1113325. 18 Bedgebury is a popular location for spaces. Don’t forget to order a dog biscuit Canicross due to the stunning scenery and with your slice of homemade cake – you The Sport of Canicross also for the following reasons: have both earned it after all! 1. Running trails – Bedgebury offers miles at Bedgebury of diverse trails and surfaces which can by Jenny Lee be used all year round. Hilly, flat, wide, narrow, grassy, hard-packed, twisty, Canicross is one of the fastest growing dog sports in the country and is essentially cross straight, shady and exposed all challenge country running whilst attached to your harnessed dog. The dog is encouraged to pull into the Canicross team in different ways and the Canicross harness which connects to the runner via a belt and a bungee line. The runner keep routes fresh and interesting. is therefore assisted, allowing them to run further and faster, and the dog gets a great mental and physical workout. 2. Free running opportunities – novice dogs at the start of their training can Before heading to Bedgebury to run with be rewarded with unattached time in your dog, in a flurry of wagging tail and joyful between short bursts of training. Free barking, what needs to be considered for you running can also be used to warm up 4. Group running – Bedgebury Pinetum and your dog to run safely in the forest? and cool down your dog and to give parkrun started in March 2016 and opportunities for socialisation. Whilst 1. Age of your dog – for most breeds 12 welcomes Canicross runners. The 5km timed Canicross does focus on the dog being months is a reasonable age to start run starts near the Go Ape hut and is a well on-line there are sections of the forest running. At the other end of the signed and clearly marshalled route, with a where dogs can run and play unattached spectrum you need to be aware couple of cheeky hills and gorgeous scenery. although regard must be had to local that dogs do slow down with age The parkrun is held every Saturday morning residents and their cars, walkers, horse and can be more likely to suffer at 9am. It is a great way to build your riders and cyclists. with arthritic joints. 3. Running harness – if you are running with confidence and experience of Canicrossing your dog then your dog should be wearing in a bigger group. Kent Canicross also hold 2. Fitness level – it is important 3. Visitor facilities – after a Canicross run a harness. Dog’s necks are physiologically social runs across the county with several to build up your doggy miles there is the welcome option of the Visitor similar to ours in that they accommodate the going from Bedgebury each year. Details of carefully so that your dog Centre café. The café will shortly offer a trachea, oesophagus and thyroid gland, so their runs can be found on the can adjust physically to the dedicated newly-glazed dog area with enhanced pressure when pulling a runner picnic tables, water bowls and dog tie-up Kent Canicross Facebook page. higher level of exertion. Start from a collar and lead can result in neck gently and take advantage injures, discomfort and breathing difficulties. If you would like to enhance your life and that of your dog then do come along to Bedgebury of the great diversity of trails Forest and have a go at Canicross. and surfaces at Bedgebury to 4. Running temperatures – the Canicross protect sensitive paws. season runs from September to May. An Jenny Lee is the owner of Joggy Doggy Limited and heads up a team offering Canicross Fitness Classes and outside temperature above 18 degrees can Canicross Personal Training Sessions to runners and their dogs through local parks, woods and footpath trails. Joggy Doggy Ltd has branches in Kent, Hampshire, Cumbria, Oxfordshire, Edinburgh and Flintshire and was put your running dog at risk of overheating. the first Canicross Group to be Run England affiliated. In between Canicross races Jenny can be contacted at Photographs courtesy of www.joggydoggy.co.uk and on 07584 438973. Houndscape Photography Dogs at Bedgebury • Dogs are very welcome at Bedgebury • Dogs are not permitted in the Visitor • We encourage you to let your dog off the Centre, toilets or Bedgebury Café lead in the wider forest (except assistance dogs) • Dogs must be under close control at all • Please pick up after your dog and place times and on a lead in the car park, around the bag in one of the many dog bins the Visitor Centre, Pinetum & play areas provided near the car park and play areas, and in the Pinetum • Sorry, but no dogs are allowed on the Singletrack MTB trail

20 21 Bees at Bedgebury by Ian Beavis, Research Curator at the Tunbridge Wells Museum & Art Gallery Bedgebury is not just about trees and woodland. The Pinetum supports a rich variety of freshwater and open habitats, each with its own special range of plants and animals. Particularly important from a conservation perspective are areas of flower-rich grassland and heathland. Both are habitats which have declined disastrously in the wider countryside as a result of agricultural ‘improvements’ in the post-war era. In the agricultural landscape, old ‘unimproved’ meadows rich in wild flowers and associated insect life have for the most part been ploughed up and replaced with a monoculture of rye-grass that excludes most Andrena labiata Colletes succinctus other plants. For example, females of the little red-girdled another mining species. Each of these has its mining bee, Andrena labiata, characteristic own dedicated cuckoo bee species that lays Bees, being dependent on nectar and pollen include the extraordinary long-horned bee, of flower-rich grassland, mainly gather its own eggs on the food store that the female from flowers for feeding and foraging for their Eucera longicornis, in which the males have nectar and pollen for their nests from mining bee has prepared – the little yellow young, are among the groups of insects that remarkably long antennae that are assumed germander speedwell. Similarly Melitta and black Nomada rufipes is associated with have suffered most from the loss of open to be used in courtship display. They can be leporina, a white-banded species, feeds the Andrena and the curious white and red flower-rich habitats, and their survival in places quite conspicuous in May or June, making and forages mostly on white clover. Knowing marked Epeolus cruciger with the Colletes. like Bedgebury gives us a glimpse of what we their persistent, low, mate-searching flights these preferences can be a reliable way of have lost from the countryside at large. over the red and white clovers on which both spotting particular species. sexes feed. Like many solitary bees, the long- Bedgebury supports at least 11 of Britain’s horned bee nests in deep burrows which it 25 species of bumblebees – most of which excavates in the soil. are social insects like the familiar honey- bee, living in colonies with large numbers Many solitary bees have distinct – and of sterile females or workers who rear the sometimes exclusive – preferences for the offspring of a single queen. However, there flowers on which they feed and forage. are also the interesting cuckoo bumblebees whose females take over already established colonies. Queen bumblebees emerging from hibernation and searching for suitable nest sites are usually the earliest bees to be seen in spring or even late winter. One of the scarcer Nomada rufipes bumblebees to be found at Bedgebury is Andrena fuscipes These cuckoo bees can regularly be seen the heathland bumblebee Bombus jonellus, In July and August the dominant heathland feeding at heather flowers along with their which in its more prolific second generation flowers, common heather and bell heather, hosts. The small yellow flowers of tormentil forages mostly from heather. attract their own special suite of solitary bees that commonly grow alongside heather also – including the heather mining bee, Andrena The remainder of Britain’s 250 or so bee have their own special bee – the rare tormentil fuscipes, whose blue-grey males patrol the species are termed ‘solitary’ – because in mining bee, Andrena tarsata - which has heather clumps persistently on sunny days, most cases the females make their own possibly its only Kent site at Bedgebury. individual nests without any collaboration, and heather colletes, Colletes succinctus, and without any ongoing care once the nest has been stocked with nectar and pollen and the eggs laid. A wide variety of solitary If you were lucky enough to see any of Bedgebury’s nationally rare or scarce bees during bees can be seen at Bedgebury, several August’s BioBlitz, or any of the other amazing flora and fauna to be found in the Pinetum, you will of them nationally scarce and rare, with understand why protecting the Pinetum’s biodiversity is so important. Support the Pinetum with a range of flight periods extending from your membership and join the Friends on a walk again soon to explore more of the Pinetum’s February to October. Spring-flying species Eucera longicornis trees, wild flowers, bird life, butterflies or fungi.

22 23 heights. The Old Man may be gone but his heirs are waiting in the wings ready to take The Old Man of Kent root in the soil of the Pinetum for the pleasure by Dan Luscombe of our grandchildren and great grandchildren. The circle of life continues! Many readers will have been saddened by the felling of Kent’s tallest tree, The Old Man of Kent, during the summer. The decision to cut Although the Old Man is now absent from down a tree of this stature, not to mention fame, is never lightly taken. the Pinetum landscape, it is hoped that some The Forestry Commission have had the Old Man under observation of the good timber will be used to create a for several years because of its age but the final straw was damage lasting piece of art for the Pinetum. Brushwood sustained during Storm Katie in the spring which highlighted both and other pieces of timber will be made into disease and structural weakness. A further independent survey by mulch and woodchip that will be used around arboricultural consultants Sylvanarb revealed that the tree was the site. The sculpture will be unveiled in 2017. in poor physiological and structural condition and its fate was, unfortunately, sealed. When Viscount Marshall Beresford planted a grand silver fir (Abies grandis) around 1880 on his Bedgebury estate, could he have imagined, in his wildest dreams, the renown and affection this tree would garner more than a century later? At that time it was the latest Keep an eye on our Facebook and website fashionable ornamental tree to hanker after, having been discovered pages for glimpses of the new Pinetum in 1825 by David Douglas on the West Coast of the US and introduced sculpture in progress and for more information into the UK in 1830. on the journey of all the successful collections from the US expedition including the grand fir It is rather poignant, and perhaps fitting, that the Friends-funded seedlings that we hope will one day replace collaborative seed collecting expedition to the Pacific Northwest coast the Old Man in the Pinetum landscape. of the USA in 2015 allowed Bedgebury the opportunity to collect seed from the grand silver fir in Washington State. These seeds have now been successfully propagated in the Bedgebury nursery producing a whole forest in miniature ready to take its place in the Pinetum. Hopefully, in time, one or more of these seedlings will rise to similar

The view from the top of the Old Man 24 25 Pine Cones by Emma Brown The majority of trees in the Pinetum started life as a seed inside a pine cone. Conifers, ginkgos and cycads were making cones to harness the winds for reproduction over 200 million years before insects began to pollinate flowering plants. Their successful strategy has remained little changed since the time of the dinosaurs, as if nature is saying ‘if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!’ Seed cones come in all shapes and sizes. The world record for the longest pine cone is held by the sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana), with a cone measuring a whopping half a metre in length. Meanwhile, the Coulter pine (Pinus coulteri) boasts cones that can This cone from the holford pine (Pinus x weigh in at 5 kilos, the name ‘widow makers’ Pinus coulteri – the ‘widow maker’ pockets for its many seeds, giving them all serving to warn any hard-hat-less husbands the best chance to germinate. holfordiana) is made up of 8 clockwise spirals standing beneath. But the Canadian hemlock (yellow) and 5 anti-clockwise spirals (red). The (Tsuga canadensis), which can grow to be an This division is so exact that it follows the numbers 8 and 5 are consecutive steps in the impressive 50 metres tall, proves good things Fibonacci sequence, a recurring numerical Fibonacci sequence. come in small packages with its petite 2.5cm pattern seen in natural structures from long cones. sunflowers’ seed heads to the curl of snails’ the number of spiral rows in shells. 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21... Each number is both directions, and you Unlike a flower which may multi-task by the sum of the two numbers coming before will always find that having both male and female parts, conifers it in the sequence. This sequence occurs so you end up with two produce separate cones for the two jobs. spookily often in nature that philosophers different numbers The scaly, brown cones you might trip over have considered it proof of a divine creator, from the Fibonacci on your walk are the fallen female fruiting a God who sat down at the drawing board sequence. Whether bodies, in contrast to the more unassuming, and designed plants and animals with this shows you fluffy, pollen-releasing male cones. Female mathematical rules in mind. nature’s exceptional cones remain sticky and green while they Test this out on the next cone you find. efficiency or proves develop on the branches, a process which that God’s hand may take several years, later hardening to Look at the bottom of the cone where it has snapped from its stem, you will see created it, it is just protect the delicate, papery seeds as they plain interesting! plummet to the forest floor. that the scales spiral both clockwise and anti-clockwise around the cone. Count Pine cones are the conifer’s answer to a blossoming flower, and are no less Take a walk in the Pinetum this autumn and winter and examine our fallen cones for yourself. interesting to look at. The mesmerising Who would have thought that maths could be so much fun! Whatever activity you indulge way the scales spiral round inspired their in when you visit us this autumn and winter, remember that by becoming a member of the botanical name ‘strobilus’, from the Greek Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum, you are helping us to support the Pinetum and its wonderful meaning ‘whirlwind’. By positioning their pine cones far into the future. parts in this way, the tree ensures that the Join now at resources in the cones are divided into equal Pinus lambertiana http://bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/memberships/membership-3/become-a-member/ 26 27 Another Flower in our Bouquet by Mina McPhee Fresh from the success of the Ticehurst exhibition, the Bedgebury Florilegium Society has been invited to take part in the Royal Horticultural Society exhibition in February 2017. ‘What is a florilegium and how is it connected to Bedgebury?’ I hear you ask. Well… Identified florilegia have been around since the 15th century when herbals books describing the culinary and medicinal uses of plants were printed containing scientific illustrations of flowers. Then, as new and exotic plants came into Europe in the 17th century, wealthy patrons commissioned artists to record the beauty of these plants and flowers. Modern day florilegia record collections of (often endangered) plants from particular sites. So it should come as no The artist Julia Groves at work surprise that there is a thriving florilegium at Bedgebury which records rare species of collected specimens from across the world. say, is history and Bedgebury now boasts a thriving florilegium with 12 members, all highly The existence of the talented botanical artists. Bedgebury Florilegium is relatively new and it would New artists are recruited by word of mouth not have existed but for the and prospective members are invited passion and determination to submit a portfolio of work that shows of a group of dedicated off their skill. Botanical illustration is a botanical artists. genre that requires accurate and detailed observation and water colour technique According to the Chair of using numerous washes of colour, one on the group, Pearl Bostock, top of the other, to give a deep and intricate it started when she fell in record of the specimen. love with a pine, Thujopsis dolabrata, and wanted All members commit to completing at to paint it. She enquired least one painting per year as part of their at Kew Gardens and was membership, but of course often end up referred to Dan Luscombe, doing substantially more. Bedgebury’s resident You will have an opportunity to see the work Dendrologist at the time. of the Bedgebury Florilegium at the RHS Dan took Pearl on a tree exhibition in February 2017. walk and, while ambling through the Pinetum, they came up with the We’d love you to come along and support idea of introducing artists Bedgebury and its wonderful florilegium to Bedgebury in order at the RHS exhibition in February. Keep an to record the stunning eye on our website for more information collection of trees at the nearer the time. Meanwhile, if you love site. With support from Bedgebury, and love the work of our artists, the then Curator, Chris take a look at the prints of their work that Pinus Reynolds, and Pearl’s artist we offer for sale. A catalogue of available lambertiana contacts, the fledgling work can be found on our website at: ht tp:// from an Bedgebury Florilegium bedgeburypinetum.org.uk/home/retail/. original was born. That was in artwork by 2008…the rest, as they Pinus Pungens, from an original artwork by Sandra Fernandez. Julia Groves 28 29 We, the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum and Our partnerships enable us to be the Forestry Commission at Bedgebury, world-leaders in the diverse activities Our Partners would like to express our gratitude to all our we undertake: from conifer conservation, partners. Without their help we would be mountain biking and helping people to unable to achieve all the wonderful things appreciate and enjoy nature, to helping us to INFORMATION we do at Bedgebury. source funding for all of our valuable work. Site opening times Charity no. 1113325 Our partners include: October 8.00-18.00 ‘Supporting the work of Bedgebury November 8.00-17.00 Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the National Pinetum’ December 8.00-16.00 January 8.00-16.00 Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh The Friends of Bedgebury February 8.00-17.00 Forest Research Pinetum Magazine March 8.00-18.00 GLOBAL TREES CAMPAIGN This magazine is produced twice a year by Fauna & Flora International the Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum charity. It Office opening times Botanic Gardens Conservation International aims to inform members about the work of the October 9.30-16.30 Botanic Gardens Education Network charity and its upcoming projects and events. November 9.30-16.30 It is also an opportunity to share the wonders December 9.30-16.00 Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place and stories of Bedgebury. January 9.30-16.00 February 9.30-16.30 Royal Horticultural Society Patron March 9.30-16.30 The University of Oxford Botanic Garden and HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO Harcourt Arboretum General enquiries Trustees The International Conifer Conservation 01580 879820 Mr M Kerr (Chair) Mr J Gordon (Treasurer) Programme [email protected] Mr K Brookbank Mrs E Goodall www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury Sport England Mrs E Hill Mr M Paine www.facebook.com/bedgeburypinetum Mr N Pink Mrs E Reid The Arts Council www.twitter.com/BedgeburyP Mr K Webber Our volunteers Staff information Staff information and contact details Go Ape Bedgebury Manager Quench Cycles Friends’ Manager Friends’ team Patrick West Katherine Jary Sharon Booth The Kent High Weald Partnership Mina McPhee Acting Operations Manager Ann Waller Warren Stirling Bedgebury Forest Cycle Club General enquiries Bedgebury Café 01580 879842 Recreation Manager [email protected] Mark Clixby Membership enquiries Learning Manager The Forestry Commission Arboreta Advisory Committee: Cath Weeks [email protected] Contributing to the strategic direction of the National Pinetum at Bedgebury and the National Volunteering enquiries Acting Curator Arboretum at Westonbirt. Dan Luscombe [email protected] Lord Howick Mr Roy Lancaster OBE VMH www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk Bedgebury National Pinetum is cared for by the Forestry Commission for people, Mrs Elizabeth Banks DL Mr Giles Coode-Adams OBE VMH (Chair) wildlife and trees. Mr Gavin Grant Mr Malcolm Kerr LLB MRICS www.forestry.gov.uk Mr David Knott Mr Tony Hall

30 31 Looking for Gift Ideas?

Join the Friends of Looking for gift ideas?

Bedgebury Pinetum Here are some great suggestions for gifts that will give great pleasure and lasting memories to your loved ones. Become a Friend to help us support the Batsford Arboretum and Garden Centre Membership Information Forestry Commission in its management 01386 701441 www.batsarb.co.uk You can now buy Bedgebury Gift Vouchers! These of Bedgebury as a world-class centre Birmingham Botanical Gardens & Glasshouses of conifer research, conservation and can be purchased for any amount and can be 0121 4541860 redeemed against Friends’ membership and education, as a landscape of rare and GIFT VOUCHERS www.birminghambotanicalgardens.org.uk endangered flora and fauna, and as a Friends’ events or in the gift shop. They can even be used to pay for day admission! site for high quality, healthy recreation. Brogdale Collections 01795 536250 www.brogdalecollections.co.uk The Bedgebury annual membership subscription enables one of two specified The Yorkshire Arboretum Available from the vehicles to gain admission to the site 01653 648598 www.yorkshirearboretum.org Information Office. all year round* and will entitle you to an GIFT MEMBERSHIP e-copy of the Friends’ bi-annual magazine. The Living Rainforest 01635 202444 www.livingrainforest.org * Excluding Christmas Day when the site is closed, or when the site is closed due to adverse weather. RHS Garden Harlow Carr Give someone youall love it offers an annual for a whole family year.

0845 265 8070 from the Information Office. Annual subscription membershipgain unlimited to Bedgebury.Available admission For online, onlyto Bedgebury over£66 theythe phone willand or Fixed for another year at £66 per car – www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/harlow-carr fantastic value for the whole family RHS Garden Hyde Hall

0845 265 8071 painted by the talented artists of the Bedgebury Visit only once a month and save up to Florilegium arethe nowstunningOriginal available. botanical artwork WhyBEAUTIFUL and notillustrations printsvisit our of www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/hyde-hall £78 per annum website to see a range of their work?ARTWORK You could even commission a unique work of art capturing Friends also enjoy admission to RHS Garden Rosemoor other gardens and arboreta. 0845 265 8072 E-mail us on [email protected] www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/rosemoor your favourite tree at Bedgebury! Included within the annual membership SPONSOR A subscription is a free admission pass for the RHS Garden Wisley to find out more or to place an order. MOSAIC BLOCK lead member to the gardens and arboreta 0845 260 9000 listed. Additional family members can also www.rhs.org.uk/gardens/wisley

obtain an admission pass to these gardens Why not give someone you love a and arboreta for the year for less than the price Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh 0131 248909 www.rbge.org.uk unique and wonderful gift by sponsoring of a day admission ticket to many of them. to find out more. www.lovebedgebury.org.uk a mosaicblock block will beon engravedour new Atrium with your wall? personal Each Additional admission cards - £12 per person Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew want and show how much you care. Visit per annum 0208 332 5655 www.kew.org message. Whatever the occasion, say what you Terms and conditions apply. These offers are subject to Royal Botanic Gardens, Wakehurst Place change or cancellation at any time. Free entry to some NEW! gardens is restricted at certain times of the year and in 01444 894066 www.kew.org/visit-wakehurst some cases car parking charges apply. Please check their websites or telephone for more information. Westonbirt the National Arboretum 0300 067 4890 www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt Love Bedgebury - be part of something amazing! Join or renew NOW Every gift you buy from us will support the work that we do in promoting tree-related engagement, Agapanthus orientalis from an original research and learning at Bedgebury, one of the finest conifer collections in the world. watercolour by Helen Hiorns. 32 33 The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum are very grateful to Survey Mechanics for supporting the Friends’ 2015 survey with their time, expertise and software. ARBORICULTURE COURSES AND MORE... Would you like to learn more about trees?

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