Management Work at Brookly Wood

Important work is being carried out in Brookly Wood to remove invasive non-native plants such as Bamboo and Cherry Laurel. Invasive plant material will be cut and burnt on-site.

These species are extremely invasive and will quickly out-compete native plants. This invasion leads to a general degradation of the natural ecosystem of the woodland. These invasive plants typically spread from garden waste fly-tipping.

By removing these alien plants we will be improving the woodland for native wildlife. This work is being funded by Natural England under a ten-year agreement with Hart District Council.

The Fleet Pond Management Plan can be viewed at Hart District Council’s Website www.hart.gov.uk.

If you have any questions regarding Fleet Pond please contact the Countryside Service on:

01252 623443
countryside@hart.gov.uk

Rare plant returns after 21 years!

Water Violet, a rare aquatic plant, has returned to Fleet Pond Nature Reserve after a 21 year absence. Local botanist Chris Hall re-discovered the plant late last year. Management work was carried out on an old drainage ditch leading to Coldstream Marsh in the winter of 2009 by the Countryside Service. It is thought viable seeds lay dormant in the mud and that the re-profiling of the ditch exposed them to the light and led to germination.
Water Violet is a delicate aquatic plant of shallow water or wet mud, found in ditches and pond margins in clear, nutrient-poor water. It produces spikes of delicate lilac flowers in May and June. The name refers to the colour of its flowers but this plant is actually a member of the primrose family. It was first recorded at Fleet Pond in 1850 and there were many subsequent records.
Water Violet is a scarce wild flower in Hampshire with only three other recently confirmed native locations in the county. It is also regionally scarce and nationally uncommon, being mainly confined to lowland England. It has declined due to drainage, pollution, excessive management of ditches and recreational pressures on suitable aquatic habitats.
There has been a national decline in the number of native plant species and the re-occurrence of this scarce native plant after more than two decades is very positive news.
Tim Ackroyd, Fleet Pond ranger says:
“The re-discovery of Water Violet at Fleet Pond supports the need for regular biological surveys, which help to monitor the health of the pond. We can attribute the re-appearance of this scarce plant to careful management. Exciting large-scale habitat restoration work is being carried out at the nature reserve to enhance biodiversity. This work is funded by Natural England for a ten year period and includes improving the water quality and reducing silt deposition within the pond and restoring valuable marshland, reedbed and heathland habitats”
The Fleet Pond Management Plan can be viewed at www.hart.gov.uk.

Fleet Pond Winter Works 2010

Over the past few years, Hart District Council’s Countryside Service and Fleet Pond Society have been working on improving the wetland habitats around Fleet Pond. This work has involved clearance of trees and scrub to allow wetland plant species to flourish.
As a result of this work, the marsh and reed bed habitats have been restored in several areas, with rare species of plants and animals being recorded once again, some for the first time in 80 years!

Natural England has also upgraded the conservation status of the habitats from unfavourable to recovering. It is vital that this work continues to be able to achieve favourable conservation status.

This winter one HA of young secondary woodland on the edge of Coldstream Marsh will be felled in order to continue with our restoration work. Leaf litter and a layer of topsoil and plant roots will then be scraped off to expose the old seed bank of wetland plants. The resultant material will be banked up on the edge of the marshland. The trees that have encroached on the marsh over the years, shade out the wetland plants and reducing the biodiversity.
The area of young woodland is very low in biodiversity and has very poor wildlife value as it does not provide adequate habitat for birds, bats and other species that need trees. This work will allow the wetland plants to colonise once again and will ensure that a greater number of species can use this habitat.

Fleet Pond has a new ranger

Fleet Pond is managed by Hart District Council’s Countryside Service and
Tim Ackroyd is the new ranger for the Nature Reserve.

Quote: Tim Ackroyd says: ‘I have been working for Hart District Councils Countryside Service as a Countryside Ranger for over three years and previously worked as an assistant ranger for Hampshire County Council based at Yateley Common’. ‘I have enjoyed the experience of looking after a variety of interesting sites over the years and I am very excited to take on my new role as Fleet Pond ranger’

It is a very exciting time to be involved in the management of Fleet Pond. The Nature Reserve is undergoing some important changes over the next ten years with significant restoration of habitats and infrastructure. These changes will hopefully bring about considerable benefits, both for wildlife and for people.

New jetties installed at Fleet Pond

Hart District Councils Countryside Service has recently purchased 3 new fishing jetties for Fleet Pond. These have replaced 2 of the small old jetties on the northern side of the Pond which have deteriorated over the years. The third has replaced the larger jetty at Chestnut Grove. They were, installed by local contractors JDB, and are made from recycled plastic which lasts much longer than wood/metal, and is also vandal proof. There is also the small jetty next to Carnival Bridge which will be replaced in the not too distant future with the same materials.

Products made from recycled plastics have become widely available over the last few years, with many products including benches, boardwalks, signs and fences being used widely on countryside sites.

The jetties are used by many people at Fleet Pond; fishermen, children feeding ducks, birdwatchers, and people who just like to stop and admire to views of Hampshire’s largest freshwater lake.

Butterflies on Elvetham Heath

The Gate keeper (photograph taken at Elvetham- curtesy of Steve Bolton) is a common butterfly and emerges from mid-July onwards. They can now be seen in large numbers at the reserve. Their alternative common name is Hedge Brown and indeed they are commonly found along hedgerows.

The characteristic eyespots on the forewing probably deflects bird attacks away from the butterfly's body rather than startling away predators; the Gatekeeper likes to rest with its wings open and the eyespots visible.

The adult butterflies are especially attracted to yellow flowers such as Ragwort and also to bramble flowers. The caterpillars are typically brown in colour and feed on a variety of grasses.

Another common butterfly that is out at the moment in good numbers is the Common Blue, I saw this pair mating on a grassland ride leading up to the pumping station.

This species has two broods, the first set of adults are just starting to disappear in July, but watch out for a second brood flying around from August to September.

The caterpillar is small, pale green with yellow stripes and rather slug-like. These caterpillars like several other butterfly species are attractive to ants, which will take the caterpillar chrysalis from above-ground into their nests. The larvae create a substance called honey dew, which the ants eat while the butterfly lives in the ant hill. The larvae are attended and protected by ants while feeding on the host plant, and the ants receive sugar-rich honeydew in return.

Other butterfly species seen at Elvetham in late summer include the Red Admiral, Large White, Small & Large Skipper, Common Blue, Comma, Ringlet, Speckled Wood, Brimstone, Meadow Brown, Peacock and Small Tortoiseshell.

Fires on Hazeley Heath

The fires which took place in June and July on the Timpany Trust land of Hazeley Heath in the Parish of Mattingley have damaged 12 hectares of heathland habitat.


The breeding areas of Nightjar and Dartford Warbler have been burnt, and presumably their nests destroyed; many reptiles and insects have been killed.
Heathland summer fires burn extremely hot and will destroy the underlying heather seed bed.The lives of people and animals in neighbouring properties as well as those of the fire service are put at extreme risk.
Controlled burning of heathland in the winter months can be a valuable management tool. It can help to reduce the amount of old and large stands gorse and heather and can be very effective at promoting their regeneration, particularly as, unlike cutting, the burning may remove some of the organic matter that builds up under the stand. However, controlled burning needs skill to achieve the best results and to ensure that the fire does not get out of control. This method of management is not used on Hazeley Heath because of its fragmented structure and the proximity of surrounding properties.
One issue that arises from any burning is the management of new growth. Invasive grasses and bracken can take hold again faster than the new heather seedlings. Any new heather will grow back at a similar height, establishing a 'one habitat monoculture'. The heath will need to regain biodiversity, with plants of various ages and heights, and grazing is better than fire at achieving this.
The cause of the Hazeley Heath fires is not known yet and is still under police investigation, but most heath fires are started deliberately or accidentally, rather than naturally. People appear to be still ignoring the fact that it is against the law to have fires or BBQs on the heathland, and carelessness with glass bottles and cigarette ends can also cause fires which quickly get out of control.
If you do see a fire call the Fire Service without delay and keep well away from the fire - heathland fires can spread fast and the damage can take years to overcome.