CONSERVATION NEWS

More excellent news for the Blean Woods Complex. Following the purchase of Thornden and West Blean Woods, and Joan Beech Woods by the Kent Wildlife Trust earlier this year, the Woodland Trust have now announced that they are seeking to purchase Lamberhurst Farm. They are proposing to return the majority of this arable land to woodland. The area was put forward as a landfill site a few years ago and so it must be particularly satisfying for local residents who successfully opposed this development. The area is 350 acres (140 ha) located in the parishes of Hernhill and Dunkirk, with the nearest town being Whitstable. The woodland will link Blean Wood with Ellenden Wood. The Trust has launched a fundraising appeal see www.woodland-trust.org.uk

UK Biodiversity Group visit the Great Stour

KSCP helped to host the UK Biodiversity Action Plan Steering Group for Chalk Rivers, the first time the group had met in Kent. The day was divided, with the morning spent listening to a variety of guest speakers and the afternoon a site visit to the Great Stour at Godinton Park. The group looked at chalk river enhancements to the riparian land and river habitat. The day was a great success for all involved and has no doubt helped to put the Kentish Stour on the map.

Following on from this the Environment Agency organised a days training in Crayfish ecology and surveying techniques which was again held at Godinton Park. This location is thought to be one of the best sites in Kent for native white-claw crayfish, and therefore made an ideal location for training. The training day was run by the country’s leading authority on crayfish Stephanie Peay, whose knowledge and enthusiasm couldn’t fail to rub off on all present. It also gave KSCP the opportunity to highlight the work we have been doing along the Stour to improve river habitat.

Good signs at Clowes Wood

A single heath fritillary butterfly was seen along one of the rides where work took place last year in Clowes Wood, near Chestfield. The ride now has a large amount of common cow-wheat, the food plant of the heath fritillary, so let's hope that next year we might have a new colony at this location. The heath fritillary is one of the country's rarest butterflies and the Blean Woods Complex is the stronghold for it.

Friends of King's Wood March on….

Thanks to funding from Ashford Community Grants and KSCP Interreg (EU), two new ponds have been created deep within the forest. Judging by how quickly the last pond was populated by amphibians the new ponds are sure to be a success. In addition to the ponds, the grant money has paid for the erection of 10 owl boxes which have been put up around the forest. An activity and membership flyer was produced and a full colour information leaflet on King's wood will be ready for distribution soon. Membership continues to rise and has broken the 200 mark, well done to all the committee for their hard work.

Help clean up the Garden

Earlier this year Kent County Council launched a campaign to clean up Kent. The campaign targets fly-tippers and litter louts who can make life a misery for law-abiding residents. The Campaign is a partnership between Kent police, magistrates, district and parish councils, the Environment Agency and others who want to stop the constant littering and fly tipping in the Garden of England. The KSCP have been doing their bit at a number of sites including Old Park and Whitehall Meadows in Canterbury

If you spot someone fly-tipping, do not approach them. Note the type of vehicle and registration number, what the person looks like, the time and the place and call your local council - Ashford 01233 330535, Canterbury 0800 0319091. If the waste looks hazardous call the Environment Agency's 24 hour hotline on 0800 807060.

Over a 2 week period bright red and white spotted toadstools started to appear all over the grounds of the Caldecott College. After initial concern for the safety of the students, the all clear was sounded as it soon dawned that it was the work of the KSCP volunteers! A wonderful wetland education area has been developed, as well as huge amounts of wildflower meadow, tree and hedge planting. The toadstools are in fact for sitting on. The £80,000 project has been funded by Brett Environment Trust and Rail Link Countryside Initiative, with some of the work carried out by students and volunteers. If that wasn’t enough a second grant application is being prepared to extend the wildlife habitat around the school.

Last year the KSCP offered 21 grants for landscape and wildlife habitat improvements. The grants resulted in 3840m of hedge being planted, 12 ponds being created and 4 de-silted, and 2 ha of new wildflower meadow. The average grant was about £1000 and the average project cost £3000. Eight of the grants were given to farmers, 3 to community groups and the rest to people owning small areas of land. If you have an idea on how to improve your land for wildlife and would like advice then please contact the KSCP. The grant scheme is funded by Interreg (EU) and the Countryside Agency.

What is Kent's County Flower?

'County Flowers' has been a two-year project of Plantlife to identify a wild flower for every county in the UK. It is perhaps not a surprise that the bluebell was disqualified because it was so popular. People voted for the hop as Kent's flower. To find out other county flowers visit www.plantlife.org.uk What would be the flower for Ashford Canterbury and Sandwich? The lizard orchid might represent Sandwich as the colony at Sandwich Bay is the largest in the UK. Canterbury's flower could be the lady orchid as Kent is the stronghold for this plant and in Kent it's most abundant in the woods of the Canterbury downs, or perhaps it should be the naturalised Canterbury bells. Ashford's could be the round leaved sundew as although it's certainly not common, as it is in some upland areas, at Hothfield Common it is the last place in Kent where it is found in any number. Or sticking with the orchid theme, as Kent is the county of orchids, perhaps Ashford should have the man orchid as its flower, as this orchid has its stronghold in Kent and it is probably most populous on the downs in the Ashford area. What do you think should be the flower of your district, town or parish or is there one already?

Holding Parliament…

The enchanting and ghostly appearance at dusk of the barn owl hunting low along the River Great Stour is a sight that can be seen more frequently, thanks to the barn owl nesting boxes erected by the KSCP volunteers. This is the second year that the boxes have been monitored, with the help of leading expert Colin Sawyer. Three of the boxes had broods of barn owls, a further three boxes had eggs which unfortunately had been abandoned. One brood had five chicks, which is reportedly the joint largest brood this year in all the monitored boxes in the country! A true parliament of owls… Thanks go to the Environment Agency for funding the boxes, landowners for allowing the boxes to be located on their land and the volunteers for doing the hard bit erecting them!

Further heathland and bog restoration at Hothfield Common agreed

Ashford Borough Council and the Kent Wildlife Trust recently secured a Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant for Hothfield Common of £120,000. This grant will support a five year project to restore the rare heathland and bog habitats and to improve access for site users. Hothfield Common is Kent's last surviving valley bog and one of its few remaining heathlands. Further info from Kent Wildlife Trust 01622 662012.

Lizards on the move!

Ashford's Millennium Woodland on Singleton Hill has recently become a 'receptor' site for reptiles translocated from the Ashford Barracks development. The reptiles translocated were slow worms, grass snakes and common lizards. Their numbers will be monitored and we wish them the best of luck settling into their new home! Further info from Lucy Monhemius at Ashford Borough Council 01233 330621

Congratulations to the people of Challock!

Challock has been named overall winner of the Kent Village of the Year Competition. The award is given for community life, rural business development and care for the environment. Parish Council Chairman Amanda Cottrell said '' This is not for chocolate-box beauty but for being the best rural community and it is a public thank you for the dozens who do so much for the village''. Challock now goes forward to the SE competition.

Kentish Stour Countryside Project
Sidelands Farm, Wye, Ashford, Kent TN25 5DQ
01233 813307
kentishstour@kent.gov.uk