Environment Group Email: [email protected]

Meeting on Friday 22th May 2020 Online via Zoom

Minutes Present: Sheila Collings, Claire Wallen, Richard Wallen, Catalina Estrada, Annie Hill

Apologies: Martyn Towle

1. Outstanding actions from previous meetings: The following are outstanding actions that are pending until the next meeting.

Action: Catalina to buy event shelter

2. Treasurer’s report: Information passed to Claire by Treasurer, Martin Towle including values until last bank statements (April) show WEG has a total £529.30. This includes £76.50 from Forest Lottery paid between January and March. A more up to date report by Sheila shows extra £28 paid in April for a total of £138.50 paid by the BFL since the start of the lottery game. Warfield Parish has also given WEG £250 award from the annual grant in early May. The latter amount is not included in treasurers report.

The group discuss the need to open the online banking services for WEG’s account to get up to date statements and decrease the use of checks to reimburse expenses. Going to the bank is not convenient in most cases and is especially problematic under lockdown restrictions.

Action: Claire to chat about this with Treasurer

3. Lottery funds update: Discussed above. See Annex 1

4. Recent events

i. Hedge maintenance Feb 8th: Ten adults and one child helped removing weeds and adding wood shavings into the hedge planted in November 2018 at Larks Hill by WEG and volunteers. The event lasted for about 2 hours and receive assistance from the BFC ranger.

ii. Larks Hill orchard pruning Feb: Training in tree pruning was received by WEG members in Jealott's Hill Community Landshare, 25th January 2020. After this Sheila organized four pruning sessions in the mornings of 6th, 18th, 22nd and 25th of February with 5, 8, 3 and 6 volunteers respectively. The team included WEG

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members that have replied to Sheila with interest in this activity. Ten hours work achieved pruning of 19 apple trees in Larks Hill orchard!

iii. Activities cancelled for lockdown. March WEG meeting, March GB Spring Clean, April Newts survey and Larks Hill hedge maintenance, May Jealott’s Hill Friends and Family day.

5. Activities for the remainder of 2020: We discussed that with government advice changing constantly is difficult to plan in advance whether the coming events can be carried out. Most likely events before September will be cancelled (see calendar). A decision was made to also cancel the AGM meeting planned for 20th July. Instead, the Chair and Treasurer will produce annual reports to made public in WEG website.

We discussed the possibility to go ahead with pruning of plum trees from Larks Hill. This could be done with people’s own tools and doing trees that are far from each other or in different days.

Actions - Sheila will email with pruning suggestion to interested party. - Sheila will check if there is a new date for the Great Britain Spring Cleaning - Sheila will check if trees are available from the Woodland trust for planting in the last stretch of Larks Hill hedge (Nov).

6. AOB: Sheila let us know that all WEG litter pickers have been borrowed by members to clear trash in their own time. We discuss the possibility to do some activities online for members like a nature quiz or sharing of pictures.

7. Date next meeting: Wed 25th September, TBA.

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2020 WEG Events Calendar - DRAFT

2020 events Time Details Venue Leader calendar Date Fri 31st Jan 20.00 – 22.00 Meeting Chair’s house Claire Sun 12th Jan 10.30 – 13.00 Conservation event – Hayley Green Wood Claire Rhodo bashing Sun 8th Feb 10:30- 14:00 Conservation event- Larks Hill car park, Claire Hedge Maintenance Harvest Ride Map here Larks Hill (pruning, weeding, mulching) Wed 18th March 20.00 - 22.00 Meeting Chair's House cancelled Sat 21st March 10.30-12.30 GB Spring Clean Larks Hill car park, Claire cancelled Harvest Ride Map here Fri 17th / Sat 19.30 - 20.30 / Newt survey Thomas Lawrence Adrian 18th April 7.30 - 9.00 Brickworks Newt cancelled Reserve RG42 2FG Sat 18th April 11:30-13:30 Larks Hill maintenance Larks Hill car park, Sheila cancelled Harvest Ride Sat 16th May TBD (what TBD – JHCL Friends and Jealotts Hill Community Claire cancelled activity?) Family day Landshare (or Westmorland Pavilion and Park RG42 3QP) Fri 22nd May 20.00 – 22.00 Meeting Online

Sat 13th June 12.00 – 16.00 Village Fete Stall at Memorial Catalina/ cancelled Ground Sheila 22nd, 23th, 25th and TBD Beavers litter picking Around Beavers HQ, Annie 26th June Bullbook area cancelled Sat 11th July 11:00 – 13:00 Hedge Survey Avery Lane Claire cancelled Mon 20th July 20.00 – 21.30 AGM Community cancelled Centre Fri 7th August/Fri 20.50 – 21.30 Bat waterway survey The Cut – Jocks Lane Claire 21st August and Garth Meadows cancelled Sat 12th September 19.30-21.30 Bat walk Westmorland Pavilion Claire and Park RG42 3QP Fri 25th Sept 20.00 – 22.00 Meeting Plough and Harrow

Sat 10th Oct 10.00 – 12.30 Bird box maintenance TBC Sheila COMMITTEE ONLY Weds 4th 20.00 – 21.30 Meeting Chair’s House November Sat 28 Nov TBD Hedge planting (30m Larks Hill car park, Sheila left0 Harvest Ride Jan 2021 TBD Plant trees Hailey Green wood

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Total - £138.50