Wildlife Circus

On Friday team members from Natural England and DEFRA,  from  the south-east and London regions, descended on Tolworth Court Farm Moated Manor on an awayday; to assist us with the ongoing management of the site. Elliot gave a tool talk, prior to participants extending the dead hedge along the boundary with the Hogsmill footpath. Materials were procured from a local woodsman who delivered to us before the day began.   Hazel faggots  and stakes were unloaded and taken to an area under where the previous group - a Duke of Edingburgh award scheme- had finished. By the end of the day our compost toilet had a coat of protective paint and the hedge had increased substantially in length. dead headge Panisha and Robbie painting the compost loo    Participants were surprised at the amount of bird life present as we watched jays,  woodpeckers and kestrels; as well as a number of small birds such as goldfinches.   Many thanks to particip...

Dead hedge   The Environment Trust has been undertaking habitat management at Tolworth Court Farm Moated Manor with a number of participants from two Challenge group events.  They have cleared large amounts of debris left last year after the willows were pollarded. The initial clearance  was undertaken by the company employed by the electricity generator, to keep the area under the pylons clear of tall vegetation. Some of the brush has been used to make a dead hedge (above) that will create habitat as well as secure the site,  preventing access from the road.   Dismantling the compost toilet Fingers crossed we will soon  have our own compost toilet. This has been donated from a site in Twickenham. It was  carefully dismantled last week and hopefully we will be able to put the pieces back together again! A reptile survey has commenced with 30 x felt squares -1 x 50cm- placed at three transects around the site. A student ha...