Dorset Countryside No 155 February - April 2011 Volunteers Reg Charity No 1071723 www.dcv.org.uk Who we are, what we do, where, why and how . DCV is . A DCV day lasts . A practical conservation group run by volunteers since 1972 doing practical work in the 10.00a.m. – 5.00p.m. approximately countryside that would not otherwise be done Lunch and drink/biscuit breaks are included Volunteers are male and female, from all walks of life and from all over the county FINDING DCV . Work is seasonal, e.g. woodlands in winter - hedgelaying, coppicing; in summer dry stone Maps with the task programme (at the back of this walling, clearing ponds, footpath work newsletter) show the locations of task sites Organisations we work for include: Dorset Look for DCV’s yellow arrows near the worksite or Wildlife Trust, Heritage Coast Project, Natural red and white tape or the DCV information board England, Amphibian & Reptile Conservation may show an explanatory note We work at weekends throughout Dorset If unsure of the worksite try to arrive by 10.00 to No super-human strength or special skills meet other volunteers. The worksite may be some needed, or attendance on every task or even for way off. Lost? give us a call on 07929 961532 the whole weekend - any time is a bonus FOOD, DRINK & ACCOMMODATION DCV offers . Practical care for the environment Occasionally, we hire a village hall, cook supper, Opportunity to learn new skills - training given visit the local pub and sleep overnight - karrimats Use of all necessary tools plus training available! N.B. Book with Peter a week in advance Accommodation on weekend tasks The charge for a weekend, including Saturday Beautiful countryside, social events, fun & evening meal, lunch Saturday and Sunday, companionship breakfast on Sunday and accommodation, £3.00 DCV provides free hot/cold drinks and biscuits YOU should bring . during the day - bring your own mug if you wish On residentials, all volunteers are welcome to come Stout footwear (steel toecaps if you have them) for the evening meal and pub whether working both Old clothes (wear layers) days or just one Tough gloves (we have some to sell/lend) Halls offered by DCV provide separate male and Waterproofs, sun block, sun hat, insect repellent female toilet/washing and changing facilities If staying overnight – a change of clothes, sleeping bag (air bed/camp bed if you wish) Up to date tetanus jab Note: If you have a medical condition or allergies Goggles, if you wish, to protect your eyes of any sort, please carry a card and bring necessary medicines. If you wish, bring this to the Reaching a task . attention of the task leader. Please complete the “in case of emergency” details at the end of the If you need / can offer a lift, phone Peter Warren newsletter, and bring on task. 3 days before a task Lifts from Wool station (toolstore is nearby) All youngsters are welcome, but should be accompanied by a responsible adult. EDITORIAL Winter‛s dark days are gradually fading and Spring is definitely on its way as we saw at Loscombe recently. Catkins on the hazel, snowdrops and primroses in the lane. Late winter can be a magical time of year as nature bursts forth, the sun has more strength and on mild days it is a pleasure to sit around on task at break times just quietly watching nature. DCV has sadly lost two very good friends this winter. Gordon Hobday, our dedicated tools officer and William Keighley, who DCV first met as a National Trust warden and with whom we worked many times on the Cerne Giant, and in his retirement as a DCV member. They will both be greatly missed. There was a recent case in the news of a girl diagnosed with Rickets, through lack of vitamin D. Our bodies are supplied with this vitamin through food and sunlight. We can‛t get it through a window but we can get it outside even on a cloudy day in winter. Yet another benefit of coming out on task even for only half a day. Being outdoors lifts the spirits, from melancholia or even seasonal affective disorder and working with the hands is known to satisfy our creative urges, so what better way to combine the two. It‛s time to renew your DC V mem bership. Still a bargain at £3 for an active member - costs go towards not just printed copies, but also supporting the web pages. Your membership form is enclosed with this newsletter - please complete it and return to Peter Warren. With the increasing price of fuel, now well over £5 a gallon (pushing £6) we ought to th ink m ore and m ore about car sharing. It‛s no t difficult to arrange and can be pleasant company. If you are a regular volunteer you may already have phone numbers of others. Or one can use the excellent email service DCV has through [email protected] and ask if anyone is willing to car share and what day/time one is going. It can be awkward sometimes when we want to arrive late or finish early but it‛s all about com prom ise . if you are offered a lift, please make a contribution towards petrol costs. Not Quite the Coordinator’s Report … again Reports on tasks from the previous quarter Task cancelled due to snow! including digging iris from a “Christmas tree task”, the That’s something we hear very pond, laying a young willow important point being to hide rarely in Dorset but, during the hedge in an innovative style and your tree once you have chosen coldest December on record, the installing a hanging gate. Early it. Our illustrious coordinator inevitable happened. November saw us up by the carefully chose his young pine, Purbeck Ridge at Knowle Hill for put it in a “safe” place, only to Yes we’ve certainly had our our last Keystone Project task - find later that someone had share of highs and lows this last and the challenge of looking after thrown it on the bonfire! three months. Autumn began for three widely spaced fires at the us with a downpour on the same time. Snow then returned with a Goathorn Peninsula and with vengeance and though Dorset, only three volunteers present, More scrub on the Trailway at as usual, was let off lightly limited impact was made on the Ashley Heath, then at Noon Hill compared with the rest of the pines and gorse surrounding the (welcome back Andy as a task UK, it caused serious problems oil well. Maybe it was the leader) then the big freeze set in. in the north and west of the impossibility of a bonfire that put Bluebell bulbs were ordered for county. Our last task of the year people off: BP certainly would Upton Wood but luckily, was to be at Lankham Bottom, a not have wanted a second major compared to last year’s crop, we deep valley in West Dorset. DCV disaster in 2010! were planting them well inside hates to admit defeat, but access the wood where the ground had was impossible. For all this, task This low turnout was not a remained soft. The only frozen attendance has actually gone up portent of things to come. A item was a certain young a little in the last quarter despite - notable milestone was reached volunteer’s hands and feet! He or maybe because of - the at Upton Wood on a glorious promised to wrap up warmer weather. The new year has got Indian summer day: the main next time. off to a good start - fifteen came part of the wood is now along to Lorton Meadows on the rhododendron-free. We even Well done to the six volunteers - first Sunday - let’s try and keep found the odd apple tree hidden two new members among them - this up. away in the depths - delicious! who did a full day at Holt Heath Back to the Castleman Trailway on the first Saturday of This is not the easiest of times at West Moors though not for December, undeterred by for DCV: we are all the poorer for hedge laying this autumn, just freezing rain falling on top of wet the sad loss of Gordon. I am scrub bashing, then back to snow. Despite severe weather grateful to Richard for having Springhead to continue revetting warnings another twelve came had a towbar fitted to his vehicle, the lake and repairing the on the Sunday. It is a tribute to thus ensuring there are still three boundary fence. What a poor the hardiness of DCV people that of us able to tow the trailer. So, turnout on the Sunday though they are prepared to turn out in our goals for 2011? We need despite - or perhaps because of - all weathers. Thankfully more leaders, naturally, plus a another Indian summer day. conditions improved for the tools officer with a very hard act A good turnout (considering the weekend of the annual to follow. A challenge - but one location) on the last day of Christmas Dinner, which was as we can overcome, I am sure. October for Broadoak Land successful as ever. The Cooperative, who gave us a accompanying pine clearance at Chris Huggill variety of rewarding jobs Newton Gulley was also our Coordinator’s Report Normally it falls to me to been looking at how other been purchased for a trial run report on the tasks for the volunteering organisations and will be available on request previous programme but on this operate and the guidelines to members at the forthcoming occasion Chris kindly available from the BTCV and tasks.