Email updates from
the Friends of Brandy Hole Copse
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Monthly update: last month's Working Party planted snake's-head fritillary bulbs and cut back a couple of laurel not reached before; Tuesday 9th December will be a walk and practice iNaturalist recording
News of Brandy Hole Pond platform resuming construction, and Willow and Cops Pond de-silting works planned to start in the New Year
Also on Tuesday 9th December, West Sussex County Council hosts a Community Information Event for a Flood Alleviation Scheme in the stream catchment that starts at Brandy Hole Pond
Monthly update: last month's Working Party cleared most of the laurel, pulled variegated archangel, recorded lots of fungi and saw the results of commercial coppicing; link to our iNaturalist wildlife recording project; next Working Party Tuesday 11th November (to include 2-minute silence)
Monthly update: coppicing by contractor started in south-western corner; last month's Working Party cleared saplings by Cops Pond; laurel bashing postponed to Tuesday 14th October (plus pulling variegated archangel)
Monthly update: laurel bashing planned for next Working Party on Tuesday 9th September; contractor cleared pondweed on Brandy Hole Pond last month
Monthly update: Copse history; tree survey at July's Working Party; next Working Party on Tuesday 12th August - activity to be decided on the day
Monthly update: Day of Discovery a gentle success - feedback encouraged; Explore by Yourself leaflet available; plans for survey activity at Tuesday 8th July Working Party
Monthly update: plans for Tuesday 10th June Working Party; what happened in May (reasons for den removal); Day of Discovery reminder
Monthly update: plans for Tuesday 13th May Working Party; what happened in April; Day of Discovery reminder
5th May 2025 - to non-members only
Invitation to AGM on Wednesday 14th May 2025
5th May 2025 - Members only
Please come - AGM on Wednesday 14th May 2025
Also thanks for renewing membership; links to book Day of Discovery tickets
Friends News: retired Treasurer, and longstanding volunteer, Mel's death and funeral arrangements
Great turnout in March - archangel pulling, camp clearing. Bird survey planned for 8th April
Developers' pre-application consultation on Northern Country Park (until 21st April)
Membership renewals due 1st April; Day of Discovery to be launched; and a plea for a new volunteer as Independent Examiner
Low turnout last month - black poplars were planted; next Working Party 11th March - intention to pull invasive variegated archangel, lop smaller laurel, check if deer have browsed on the black poplar, disassemble proliferating "camps
New book, Military Defence of Chichester in World War 2 by local historian John Wells
Friends' membership renewals due 1st April
Signage, bench, etc Inventory started at Working Party last month alongside litter picking; plan for Tuesday 11th February is some coppicing, maybe some dead hedging, and it is hoped to have a handful of young black poplars to plant
Professional felling of laurel that is too big for volunteers to tackle safely
Advance notice of Day of Discovery to be held on Wednesday 25th June
Additional Working Party date: snake's-head fritillary bulb planting Tuesday 28th January
December's Working Party coppiced for stakes; next Tuesday 14th January intended as an informal audit of signs and other assets and some general maintenance (litter picking, cutting back vegetation obstructing paths)
Coppicing last Working Party (12th November) and next (10th December). Photos from 12th November; inspiration for a dead hedge
Laurel bashing last Working Party (8th October); next is coppicing on 12th November. Friends Membership Form now online (AGM provisional date 14th May 2025); retired Treasurer Mel awarded Honorary Membership
Laurel bashing last Working Party and next (8th October); Butterfly Conservation and Bumblebee Conservation Trust results for 2024 national surveys; a plug for CDC's app used to report fly-tipping
First e-mailer using MailChimp; Privacy Policy has been updated. 10th September Working Party; last time we maintained clear paths in adjoining field and explored its wildlife. Wild Crayon workshop 27th September
Note change of e-mailing service provider and updated Privacy Police with effect from 1st September 2024.
2nd email giving notice of migration to a new email platform (likely MailChimp), as a result of closure of the Mad Mimi service on 30th August
13th August Working Party; last time we cut laurel and cleared a path in adjoining field. Log/brash piles are part of the conservation management of the Copse
Treasurer Mel has retired; Peter Bickley has been co-opted as Treasurer
Wild Crayon workshop 27th September
9th July Working Party; yet again weather was poor for butterflies last time - our time was spent attempting to tackle duckweed on Brandy Hole Pond again, and generally appreciating what wildlife we could
11th June Working Party; last time we pulled variegated archangel, cut a small amount of laurel, attempted to tackle duckweed on Brandy Hole Pond
14th May Working Party; future Working Party dates to January 2025 (there was a typo!); plant survey last time
SARG palmate newts found; Green Sketching; Phase 2 Whitehouse Farm Northern Country Park update
9th April Working Party confirmed as butterfly and/or plant survey, depending on weather; report on success of 19th March bird survey
Opportunity to join volunteers with Sussex Amphibian and Reptile Group for amphibian survey
March Working Party now on Tuesday 19th (bird survey); coppicing for chestnut stakes and cutting back laurel continued on 13th February
Cutting chestnut stakes and cutting back laurel continued on 16th January; next Working Party on Tuesday 13th February for more of the same
Happy New Year! Report of how chestnut stakes cut on 12th December have been used; next Working Party on Tuesday 16th January
Working Party on Tuesday 12th December and reminder of future dates
What to expect at our AGM to be held on 5th October (please RSVP); tribute to Andrew Berriman
Details of 12th September volunteer working party; change of date for October; report on 8th August tree survey
Details of 8th August volunteer working party; report on 11th July butterfly survey etc
Details of July to September volunteer working parties; report on 13th June laurel removal
First volunteer working party to take place 13th June; AGM announced for 5th October; volunteers needed for Friends Committee; membership renewal
Introductory email - what's happened, who's who; banking arrangements/ membership renewal; tribute to Vincent Porter