Hazard trees

The hart rangers are helping the contractors remove 3 trees by the flash 2 of the trees were dying and 1 had a large fault and would have fallen on the new pond dipping platform that the fleet pond society are putting in over the next couple of weeks. By removing the trees we are removing the hazard and will increase the amount if light that gets into the flash

Green corridor heathland restoration

The green corridor group have done a great job this morning of clearing the birch saplings on the dry Heath at fleet pond uncovering lots of heather which would have become shaded out

Fleet Pond Video

There is a great video explaining the Fleet Pond Restoration Project on You Tube filmed by the Environment Agency.  It shows great close ups of the new islands and explains the project really well!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7HxaQSqloc

Tracks and signs

When it snows it is great to see all the tracks and signs left by visitors. Such as dogs, foxes, deer, rabbits, moorhens, water rail, blackbirds and sledges

Snow!

The hart countryside sites look beautiful under a blanket of snow.

Danger thin ice!

Today we popped the thin ice signs out around Fleet Pond as the cold weather has started to set in. Please do not go out onto the ice it is dangerous! The restoration project dredging has significantly deepened some areas which will cause thin patches!

Thank you

Hopefully see you around the Pond

Louise Greenwood
Fleet pond countryside ranger

Odiham Common Coppicing

This week we've been coppicing the hazel at Odiham Common. We cut the hazel on a rotation so there are stands of lots of different ages. The various ages of hazel is really important in maintaining a rich biodiversity with the freshly cut hazel allowing light in which is great for wild flowers and nectar feeding insects. The more shaded older hazel is great for hazel dormice. The hazel grows really straight so we cut the stems up into lengths and we will use some of them to lay the hedge at Fleet Pond next to Fugelmere Marsh