Trust in the Forest Jan 09

Trust in the Forest January 2009 Issue 7 Welcome to the Spring Issue of Trust in the In this edition: Forest • Free things to do in Epping Forest Happy New Year to you all! At this time of future, as part of this you will find attached • Making a Difference the year we are busily tying up 2008 and a membership questionnaire which we ask • Feeding Birds in your planning for 2009. 2008 was an excellent you to complete and return to us. This will Garden • year for the Trust not only were we working help us to ensure that membership Weird and Wonderful • with some great and enthusiastic groups, continues to benefit our members and the Ash’s Nature Notes • Early Land use and Laws in increasing awareness of the Forest and Trust. Epping Forest helping to conserve areas of the Forest, we • Dates for your diary- Sept also celebrated 30 years of Epping Forest 2009 looks like being a year of new to March Centenary Trust. challenges and exciting new As we move into 2009 we are looking to projects. develop new plans and projects for the Membership Renewal Yes its that time of year again and we hope you will continue to support the work of the Trust into 2009. Please complete and return the enclosed Associ- ate Membership Form, along with the Membership Survey. Your continued support is much appreciated. Forest Hands Event - Saturday 17th Jan 10.30—2.00pm Volunteers needed to help us with the challenge us on 0208 508 9061 or email us at of improving the habitats at Warren Hill. Join us [email protected] . for a day of practical conservation work, a great chance to get the new year’s resolutions off to a good start or at least to burn off some of the Christmas excesses! We will be working on Warren Hill clearing invasive Sycamore trees. As usual we will provide a barbeque lunch, all the tools and equipment as well as guidance and instruction. There will also be a short afternoon craft activity for children. The activity is open to all ages and abilities and we welcome new volunteers. If you are interested in coming along or would like further information please contact Trust in the Forest Page 1 Free things to enjoy in Epping Forest With all the talk of the ‘Credit Crunch’ I think it may be a Chingford Plain, the long grass and scrub provide time when the value of Epping Forest really comes to the opportunity to see Kestrels, Jays and Green fore. As a place for recreation, relaxation and getting Woodpeckers. back to nature; Epping Forest is a fantastic resource. Historical Sites With this is mind I have put together some ideas for The history of the Forest can be brought to life by getting out and about in the Forest on a shoestring. visiting some of the following sites: Armed with a map of the Forest there are a wealth of free opportunities. Loughton Camp, Iron Age hill fort, the earthworks are quite distinct and with a bit of Walks imagination you can get a feel for life in the Maybe the most obvious suggestion but the benefits of a Forest during the Iron Age. Amesbury Banks good walk should not be underestimated. A short walk also has similar ancient Earthworks well worth a fitted into a busy day can help to relax or focus the mind. visit. A bit of fresh air works wonders! Take a stroll around Wanstead Park, take a stroll around the your closest bit of Forest; wherever you go in the Forest landscaped grounds and visit the Temple (now there is lots to be discovered. open every weekend to learn more about the For a longer walk pack a flask and try exploring a history of the park). different place in the Forest: The Hunting Lodge on Chingford Plain gives a Furze Ground around to Copley Plain and Dulsmead great opportunity to learn about the Tudors. Hollow is a interesting walk past some fantastic Copped Hall is also worth a visit to see the ‘Coppards’. fascinating restoration work taking place, the Search for the Lost Pond, a lovely tranquil spot. surrounding land is also a good spot to see Deer. Gilberts Slade across to Canada Plain and Bulrush Playing Pond, a walk through some grassland spots good for The Forest is a great place for playing, the open space spotting wildlife. gives rise to lots of imaginative ideas for games, fallen Fantastic Views trees become dragons, grassy plains become race The Forest boasts some great view points and while the tracks. Why not use fallen branches and twigs to build trees are bare this is the best time to see them. Try the a den or camp. following spots: Bike Rides Pole Hill, Chingford for great views across London, Dust off the bikes in the shed and have a ride through also Yardley Hill and Yates Meadow for views the Forest, the surfaced rides in the Forest offer further to the East of London great routes that take you through a range of habitats Big View, walk up Claybury Hill from the carpark and a range of terrains. Here are some suggestions: near the Woodbine and Volunteer pubs. Great views From Chingford Plain to Fairmead Road via across to Waltham Abbey Grimston’s Oak, a muddy but relatively flat ride. Birch Wood, Theydon Bois for views across the From Earls Path Pond towards Warren Hill, a Forest fairly flat and not so muddy ride. Staples Hill and Warren Hill for views across From Earls Path on the Up and Down ride to High Loughton to the Roding Valley. Beach, a more strenuous ride as the name Copped Hall, views across the North of the Forest suggests and with plenty of mud! Bird Watching Exploring There are some great bird watching opportunities to be The Forest covers a vast area and even working here found in the Forest: for years there are always unexplored areas, looking at Connaught Waters, for bigger birds some common a detailed map of the Forest there are some and some less so, see if you can spot the solitary fascinating names given to the sites; Genesis Slade, Pochard. Drum Maids, Comical Corner, The Four Wantz, Trueloves and Wormleyton Pits. My new years Long Running, for a chance to see Woodcock, Siskin, resolution is to discover these places and explore new mixed flocks of tits, Gold Crests and Fire Crests. areas of the Forest. Trust in the Forest Page 2 Making a Difference One of the things that makes our who work with him on a daily basis. He method of boundary setting was to use jobs such a joy to do is seeing the was particularly observant during the a tree, for most sessions he would difference that visits to the Forest session and didn’t wonder off but made stand by a tree always making sure he can make to group and individuals. sure that he was always ahead of us could see us and what was going on when walking. with the activities. Occasionally he Ryan* is a sixth form student who would momentarily break away from comes out to Epping Forest every his tree and briefly join in the activities week to work on various Awareness The second session we had in the Forest then he would rush back to his tree. and Conservation tasks. Ryan is When he does this it is almost as Autistic and says very few words but though he is playing a game, he understands clear instructions. Prior to always laughs and smiles and joining his current school has previous particularly likes to touch or grab your school used to confine him to a small hair as I painfully discovered on one class room through out the day session! because of his habit of running off. Ryan was so used to the confinement As the weeks went on it became that the staff at his current school soon obvious that the Forest experience noticed that during the school day he was very beneficial to Ryan, he enjoys was constantly looking for the being outdoors even though it lacks boundaries. Being in the playground, obvious boundaries, and he has in such an open area made him demonstrated aptitude to certain tasks uneasy, he would pace back and forth especially when it came to stacking Using a Kelly Kettle to make a hot drink along the fencing like a caged animal. the trees that were cut down during the sessions. He was very good at was a team building session doing Forest sessions began for Ryan and stacking piles; in fact he was the best shelter building. The group worked well his class in September, and the staff in his group at doing so as he is very on the shelters and used a fallen Beech from the school were wondering what organised and likes the trees to be tree as support to prop dead wood and he would make of a Forest straight and tidy. branches up against for their shelter. environment without boundaries? In Ryan didn’t get involved in the actual the first session I took the group on a Ryan is a perfect example of how the building but instead chose to observe the Forest walk, this was the first time that Forest environment can benefit an groups every move from upon the fallen any of the group members had ever individual; he gained confidence in Beech tree. Ryan had found his boundary been to a Forest, they relished the himself from the experience whilst in the Forest for this session by not whole experience.

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