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Autumn 2006!
Hello!
Thank you to everyone who helped us through the spring and summer and welcome to our new members Margaret and Stephen
White and Trish and Wayne Hyde.
Thank you to the Twinning Association for their generous donation towards the planned wheelchair path.
Dates and minutes from our meetings, held approximately once a month, are kept in a file in the library. Please get in
touch if you would like to join in a meeting.
We still need all the help we can get, both in the woodland and with fundraising & events. Let us know what you'd
like to help with.
What has been happening?
We are pleased to announce that the Community Woodland won second prize at the Devon County Show this year.
The Woodland continues to present beauty during the changing of seasons, an increasing diversity of wildlife, such as
a barn owl, rabbits and deer droppings have been sited. If you spot any new signs of flora or fauna, please let us know!
Each month, people gather to carry out activities in the wood. This has proved beneficial, as seen by the improved fruit
produce in the orchard, following our pruning session last year.
There are a number of rabbit guards still around the base of trees. The majority of these have been removed, stored in
biodegradable black refuse sacks and recycled. There remain more to remove, so if anyone sees any, please, free the tree!
Some of the ditches have been cleared, along with brambles. This will improve drainage within the wood, and stop the
footpaths from becoming so waterlogged.
Forest School activities started at the infant school 14th April 2005. They are continuing to be developed within the
Community Woodland. An outdoor classroom has been established by the junior school, to enable pupils to engage with nature
hands-on. Forest School originated in Denmark, working with children and young people outdoors. They are encouraged and
inspired to grow in confidence, independence and self-esteem, through activities involving achievable tasks.
We had a stall at the infant school fete in May, which was very entertaining. Despite torrential rainfall, many families
attended.
We held a Barn dance at the town hall, which was a fun event, with a bar, and local band and a caller. Soup and roll were
included in the ticket. This event is in high demand, so look out for another!
We have enabled two woodland members to do a Brush Cutting course, and with expanded insurance, we will be able to use
mechanical tools within the woodland.
With thanks to Martin Caddy of North Devon Coast and Countryside Services, we have made hay bundles, and cut several patches
of grass for picnic areas.
WORLD ENVIRONMENT DAY was a success on the 5th June. We planted seeds with pupils from the infant school. Sixty pupils
from the College came to the woodland, and helped with the footpaths, completed a forest forage trail and built an outdoor
classroom for our Forest School activities.
CARBON OFFSET South West Forest (SWF) met with the Environment Agency on 31 July to discuss ways in which SWF's new Carbon
Storage Programme using woodland creation might support the EA in their intention to offset the Carbon they produce from offices
and depots in the SW region.
We are still raising funds to build a wheelchair path in the woodland. Look out for our fundraising events!
Gathering in the Woodland to carry out activities identified in our management plan.
Come and enjoy the outdoors, learn new skills, chat and exchange experiences. We continue to meet on the first Sunday
of every month. Please phone to confirm the following Wednesdays.
Sunday 3rd September 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing / preparing hedge.
Wednesday 6th September 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing / preparing hedge/
Sunday 1st October 10.30am - 1pm Traditional Hedge Laying training,
With North Devon Coast &
Countryside Services.
Wednesday 4th October 10.30am - 1pm tba
Sunday 5th November10.30am - 1pm tba
Wednesday 8th November 10.30am - 1pm tba
Sunday 3rd December 10.30am - 1pm tba
Wednesday 6th December 10.30am - 1pm tba
Meet in the lower car park on Hacche Lane at 10.30am. Please wear old clothes, stout footwear and bring your own lunch
/ refreshments.
Details from: 01769 573415 / Jenni@ndexreg.co.uk our website https://trees-r-us.tripod.com/
We encourage walking without the need to travel first, however, traveling maybe your only option, therefore details of
public transport, car sharing or ring us, to help reduce traffic on our roads: Details at: carsharedevon.com or phone 08700
11 11 99 or Traveline 08706 082608
Events :
WALKING FOR HEALTH: Volunteer walk leader training day on 19th September 2006 in Barnstaple. 7 places available. Contact
Southwest Forest on: 01409 221896 or email: swforest@devon.gov.uk
CARNIVAL 23rd September: Come and join our joviality on the street! If you'd like to join the caterpillar, please contact
Vicky on 01769 579044.
NDW&T (North Devon Walk and Talk) are taking part in the North Devon Primary Care Trust's health promotional event
in Green Lanes shopping centre, Barnstaple on 23 September.
NDW&T hosting series of memory walks on Sunday 24 September, supporting local mental health services as part of the
Alzheimer's Society National campaign.
AGM : Details to be confirmed.
APPLE DAY: Sunday 20th November at Pannier Market, Apple sale organised by Orchards Live. Apple pressing (bring containers
for your juice), sales of apples, chutneys, jams, cakes and crafts. Sell your apples and their products no charge! Sellers
10am, buyers from 10:30am 2pm. Contact Jeanne Nightingale 01837 83288.
Late Night Shopping; 8th December: Look out for our packs of CHRISTMAS CARDS! Please contact us if you'd like some in
advance.
Membership :
Your membership subscriptions are important to us because they act as evidence of community support for funding applications
and they also help to offset the costs of the newsletter and other publicity material.
We have kept the subscriptions low so that anybody can join. If you signed up as a member last year please help us by
continuing your support in 2006, or join now if you haven't already done so. Membership subscriptions can be handed over at
all our work parties and events.
Spring 2006 Newsletter
Welcome to 2006!
A new year, a new committee, a new management plan and a brand new work party and events programmes to take us through
the next 12 months . . . . . . and huge thanks to Chris for our new website :
https://trees-r-us.tripod.com/
FoSMCW's first year
We achieved a lot last year - started up the group, got together a constitution & equal ops policy; held fundraising
& membership events to bring in funds (for insurance and paperwork) and members; commissioned a management plan and, thanks
to Elinor Webber, we now have a logo too.
We have started to resurface some of the paths, pruned the
apple trees, made cakes and soup and sold hundreds of cups
of tea! We even came first in our class for our entry in the South Molton Carnival and won £10!
Thank you to everyone who helped us through the first year
and welcome to anyone who has just joined. We still need all the help we can get both in the woodland and with fundraising
& events. Let us know what you'd like to help with.
AGM Report
We held our first AGM and Friends birthday party at the end of November, turned into a real occasion with decorations
from the woodland and our carnival masks. Dave Woods presented the draft management plan - completion is at last in sight!
The committee now comprises: John Avens, Felicity Cornish, Jacqui Eaton, Hilary Falkner, Chris Ford, Jean Foster, John
Fulford Williams, Rosie Godfrey, Vicky Haines, John Harding, Frances Humphrey, Jenni Payne and Martin Petersen.
Dates and minutes from our meetings, held approximately once a month, are kept in a file in the library. Please get in
touch if you would like to join in a meeting.
Working in the Woodland
Come and get a blast of clear air to blow away the winter fug!
We've got a whole new work party programme for 2006 which will help us make a start on the priority areas identified in
our management plan . . . . and we've got new midweek work parties in addition to the work parties every first weekend so
we can do twice as much work!
· Sunday 5 February, 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing
· Wednesday 8 February 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing
· Saturday 4 March, 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing
· Wednesday 8 March, 10.30am - 1pm Ditch clearing
· Sunday 2 April, 10.30am - 1pm tba
· Wednesday 5 April, 10.30am - 1pm tba
· Saturday 6 May, 10.30am - 1pm tba
· Wednesday 10 May, 10.30am - 1pm tba
Meet in the lower car park on Hacche Lane at 10.30am. Please wear old clothes, stout footwear and bring your own lunch
/ refreshments
Details from: 01769 573415 / Jenni@ndexreg.co.uk
or check our new website https://trees-r-us.tripod.com/
Events :
· National Nest Box Week : 14-21st February - organised by the British Trust for Ornithology. Beat the bugs
in your garden on the wing and make a courting tit happy to boot! The aim of National Nest Box Week is to encourage as many
people as possible to put up nest boxes in order to help our breeding birds and other wildlife. Phone the FREE order
line on 0800-072-0130 to request your FREE information leaflet or order online at http://www.jacobijayne.co.uk
· Sunday 26th February (am) : Come and support our stall at the South Molton Vintage Rally Club Car Boot Sale in the Pannier
Market. Come along to find out more about South Molton Community Woodland and the Friends group, join up as a member to show
your support or help us with items for the stall or an extra pair of hands on the day.
· April : Celebrate springtime in Devon at the Friends of South Molton Community Woodland Easter event! Details to be
confirmed.
Membership :
Your membership subscriptions are important to us because they act as evidence of community support for funding applications
and they also help to offset the costs of the newsletter and other publicity material.
We have kept the subscriptions low so that anybody can join. If you signed up as a member last year please help us by
continuing your support in 2006, or join now if you haven't already done so. Membership subscriptions can be
handed over at all our work parties and events.
AUTUMN NEWSLETTER
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