Walderslade Amenity Woodlands!
Free
activity packs (Trees, Mini Beasts and Nature Detectives). Boxley
Parish Council has a number of activity packs for use in the woods by 4 -11 year
olds. Copies can be obtained from
the parish office.
Walderslade Woodlands Group
| One of the
main attractions of living in Walderslade is that it is one of the few
areas of the Medway where you can still find largely unspoilt expanses of
natural woodlands.
They are easily accessible and crisscrossed with paths - you can spend hours peacefully walking around in them and easily imagine that you are deep in rural Kent rather than just a few hundred metres from the motorways. Even if you do not want to walk in them, they still contribute greatly to the quality of Walderslade life - they provide beautiful scenery, greatly reduce the noise from the motorway traffic, help keep our air clean and provide a haven for birds and wildlife. However, they need caring for to ensure that we and future generations can continue to enjoy them - that is why the Walderslade Woodlands Group was formed. |
Who Are
We? Quite simply, we are a group of local residents who meet for a few hours each month (usually the second Sunday) to carry out conservation and maintenance work in the local woodlands. We call them "Task Days" which sounds a bit grim but, in reality, they are good fun and also a great opportunity to meet people. What sort of work do we do? In the past we have kept paths from becoming overgrown or dangerous, controlled exotic weeds that were taking over, installed welcome signs, and cleared litter and dumped rubbish. We will carry on doing these sorts of jobs but, thanks to a grant from the Local Heritage Initiative and backing from the Parish Council, in future we will be able to do much more - like holding special events for children, contributing to environmental education in local schools, installing information boards and signs and carrying out wildlife and plant surveys. How can you join? It couldn't be simpler! Just turn up at one of our 'Task Days' and give your contact information to someone - you will be a member straight away and be placed on our mailing list so that you receive advance notice of our activities. Alternatively, just get in touch by phone or email - you can find the details at the foot of the page. |
Do I need any special skills or tools?
No! We provide all the tools you will need for our Task Days and, usually, refreshments too! If you are unable to help with the heavier tasks, there are always lighter jobs to do. Also, we always need volunteers to take on special jobs that can mostly be done from
home and do not require any physical work.
How can I find out when the group is next meeting!
If you become a member, you will receive advance notice of our activities by mail or email. Otherwise, check the back of the Boxley Parish Mail for our Newsletter or log on to our website at
http://www. waldersladewoodlands.ik.com.
To find out more about the Walderslade Woodlands Group, please telephone
01634 861237
Or email: Wwg.admin@blueyonder.co.uk
see our website at www.WWG.btik.com
To find out how the trees in Walderslade Woods are protected click here!
WOODLAND MANAGEMENT WORK
The over-stood (basically over grown) chestnut trees around the standard oaks are being felled as part of a programme to save the oaks. The chestnuts are out-competing the oaks, slowly shading them out and causing dieback.
Chestnut was introduced from southern Europe and was traditionally managed as coppice for stakes and fencing use, usually cut on a 15-20 year cycle. The standard oaks were traditionally left amongst them. In the UK, oak provides a habitat for more organisms, and especially insects, than any other tree.
Walderslade Woods Group and Boxley Parish Council have arranged for this work to be carried out.
Lordswood Junior School visit to Walderslade Woods.
Children from the school visited the woodlands in June 2008. As part of the project they then wrote stories and poems and kindly sent their favourite ones to the parish council.
Martin Pepper’s report to the Parish Council on the visit was
"I and the Clerk gave a 30 - 40 minute talk and question and answer session for approximately 40 children. They then went on to walk Round Wood and the 3 valleys, stopping for a picnic at the picnic benches at Round Wood.
The youngsters are going to put their work together into a project and will then be writing to the parish council with their views on the woods and also suggestions for what they would like to see there.
The group were using activity sheets from the educational pack provided to the school by the parish council and I have organised a competition (with 3 x £10 book token prizes). The competition is to design 3 covers for the activity packs (Minibeasts; Trees; Nature Detective) that the parish office has put together for residents to pick up from the parish office. Details for the competition are being finalised but it is likely that the parish council will see the best 3 examples (voted for by the children) for each cover and will choose the winner.
One of the children was keen if the woods were haunted; another wanted to know if cobra snakes could be seen on their tour. Anybody spotting a cobra please advise London Zoo!"
The designs from the children were extremely good and the three winners were Taylor McCann (Trees), Katie Hood (Nature Detectives) and Amy Royle (Mini Beasts).
The Parish Council liked the stories and poems and has decided to share what the children produced. These were part of the education curriculum on poetry and had to be written to explore feelings and senses. The children had to complete a poem using the same starting verse.
The Outstanding Woods by Megan Cave.
"The path meanders majestically,
down, down, down,
lower it dips, darker it gets,
down, down, down,
squelchy mud, as brown as a bear’s coat
slimy – slappy – oozing.
The evergreen tree sparkles brightly,
bright, bright, bright
always will it be emblazoned here,
enchanted – gladed – outstanding
The sublime flowers are a colourful glow,
sublime, sublime, sublime,
glowing like the phenomenal sun,
bright, sensational, admirable.
The sun glowing secretly hidden,
astonishing, astonishing, astonishing,
having such a unique shine,
dazzling, beautiful, fascinating.
The grass was marvellous, green and smooth,
nourish, nourish, nourish,
shining like sensational stars in the sky,
peaceful – elegant – outstanding.
The darkness was a dark morning,
dark, dark, dark
the light was barely seen
Amazing, sinister, cold.
The Enchanted Woods by Alix Taylor
The path meanders majestically,
down, down, down,
lower it dips, darker it gets,
down, down, down,
squelchy mud, as brown as a bear’s coat
slimy – slappy – oozing.
The trees were very curvaceous
The leaves were as green as beautiful grass
The gentle breeze blew the trees side to side swiftly
Never where they still
The dark bark was as scaly as a lizard’s skin
Very, very rough and spiky
The boulders were shaped like phenomenal dinosaurs
Looking outstanding
Meanwhile attractive fairies were gliding in the soft air
Spectacular – sparkling in the sunlight
Amazing
The mucky mud on the ground squelchy and disgusting.
It smelt like the sewers
But it was still marvellous
Outstanding
Down in the Woods by Reir
The path meanders majestically
Down, down, Down
Lower it dips darker it gets,
Down, down, down
Squelchy mud, as brown as a bear coat
Slimy – sloppy – oozing.
The swaying lawn of grass
Flittering side to side
Down, down, down
The evergreen plants stand up
Straight like a soldier marching
Down, down, down.
The smell, like a petrol station
Hovers across the sky.
It meets the fresh breeze of nature
And mingles as it passes by.