We had three sessions digging Spanish bluebells out from Sandy Dell and the small wood to the side of Widley Gardens this spring. There has been a significant reduction since we started the work with the intention of adding to the native bluebells we have already planted. In June we had a follow-up visit to Purbrook Gardens where we cut back sycamore and dug out brambles.

In July we cut back the willow that was hanging over the pavement in front of Penjar Pond and cleared brambles that were encroaching on the new path.

We were back at the pond in August to dig out sedges from the centre of the pond to maintain clearer areas and create some deeper pockets to give a variety of habitat for wildlife.

In September we started the annual grass cut around the trees we planted at Privett Road in 2012 to encourage wild flowers and we will continue that work in October. The ends gnawed off hazel nuts still on the tree suggests a visit from a dormouse. If we plant more hazel that may encourage further visits although the area is probably too small to support a permanent population. Dormouse numbers are estimated to have fallen by 52% since 1995, mainly due to loss of habitat. Domestic cats are also a threat and we saw a cat kill two small rodents during our September work party.

If you know of other areas that might benefit from attention from the Environment Group, please contact us at info@dev1g.aptanet.net

We welcome new volunteers, so if you would like to join us please come along. You do not need experience of nature conservation work and there is no obligation to attend every task. More information can be found on our website: www.pawara-environmentgroup.org.uk

Work Programme

Sunday 19th November: Widley Gardens – hedge maintenance

Sunday 10th December: Privett Road – tree planting

Sunday 14th January: TBC

Sunday 11th February: TBC

Sunday 10th March: TBC

Sunday 14th April: Sandy Dell / Privett Road – remove Spanish bluebells

Sunday 12th May: Sandy Dell / Privett Road – remove Spanish bluebells

If you know of other areas that might benefit from some attention from the Environment Group, please use the Contact form on the website to let us know.

All work parties meet at 9.30am.

On 13th April, volunteers from PAWARA and Havant Borough Tree Wardens helped the Countryside Service to replant the area with a mixture of native tree species. Over 200 trees were planted, including hazel, elder, hawthorn, blackthorn, buckthorn and crab apple, together with rowan left over from replanting the hedges in Havant Cemetery. HBTW took the opportunity to find a home for their growing collection of oak trees and a Purbrook resident donated four sweet chestnuts and an ash grown in pots.

There is already significant regrowth from the coppiced hazel, sycamore, ash, alder, goat willow, dogwood and guelder rose and buddleia has taken advantage of the disturbed ground.

The additional light reaching the ground has encouraged a range of wild flowers, including violets, primroses, herb robert and other plants yet to flower.

Insects seen included ladybirds, alder leaf beetle, bee-flies, small white and brimstone butterflies. The latter should be encouraged by the buckthorn we planted which is a favoured foodplant for brimstone caterpillars.

The verge in front of the planting area was a mass of dandelion, alexanders and garlic mustard which is a food plant of orange-tip caterpillars.

PAWARA has received permission from Havant Borough Council to create a community orchard on The Bog (Ladybridge Road) to commemorate the coronation of King Charles III. The orchard will be planted in the corner near the car park in the winter, which gives us a few months to decide how we want the orchard to look and raise funds.

The orchard does not need to be in traditional rows. For example, it could be a circle or in the shape of a crown. If you have any thoughts on the design of the orchard, the type or variety of fruit trees you would like to see or if you would like to be involved in some way, please let us know.

A one-year-old bare-rooted apple tree on a dwarfing rootstock is four to five feet tall (1.2 – 1.5 metres) and will grow to 2–2.5 metres when mature. A tree with a stake and tie costs £32 at March 2023 prices from Blackmoor Nurseries.

Donations for the orchard can be paid into the PAWARA bank account (see back page for details). Please use your name and add the word “ORCHARD” as a reference. All contributions, regardless of the value, will be gratefully received and will help to make the orchard a reality.

Hedgelaying in Purbrook

PAWARA Environment Group has laid the hedge in front of the fence at Penjar Pond, Purbrook. The hedge was planted in February 2013 with a mixture of hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, dogwood, field maple and dog rose.

The hedge was healthy and vigorous, but there was no growth at the bottom. Despite plentiful foliage and forks created by previous cutting, there were no nests in the hedge. The objective was to create a dense hedge that would be attractive to nesting birds.

The back row of the hedge was laid early last year, incorporating dead hedging to bulk it up, and new growth from the hazel was starting to add height.

As our work sessions are only for two hours, we needed four sessions to complete the work.

Volunteers were rewarded with a morning off in March.

Work Programme

Sunday 14th May – Sandy Dell / Privett Road
Remove Spanish bluebells

Sunday 11th June – TBC Sunday 9th July – Penjar Pond

Dig out sedges.
Sunday 13th August – TBC

Sunday 10th September – Privett Road Cut grass around trees.

Sunday 8th October – Privett Road Cut grass around trees.

Sunday 12th November – TBC

If you know of other areas that might benefit from some attention from the Environment Group, please use the Contact form on the website to let us know.

All work parties meet at 9.30am.

We welcome new volunteers, so if you would like to join us please come along. You do not need experience of conservation work and there is no obligation to attend every task. More information can be found on our website.

www.pawara-environmentgroup.org.uk

The flower bed in front of the sign could be an attractive feature, but it is currently uninteresting, of little value to wildlife and much of it is covered with a low shrub. Are any keen gardeners looking for a project?

We had a change of scenery in June. We were asked to clear the Wayfarer’s Walk footpath between Purbrook Heath and Dellcrest Path (at the top of Portsdown Hill) which had become overgrown in places. Although still useable with care, there were several sections of long grass, nettles and trailing brambles further up.

We returned to Penjar Pond in July to dig out sedges to create a clear area and some deeper pockets to give a variety of habitat. The conditions were ideal with the ground dry, but not rock hard.

In August we weeded around the hedges at Purbrook Gardens and cut the verge. We spread the remaining wood chips around the newest hedge and took the opportunity to dig out brambles. We finished off by watering the hedges (grey water), concentrating on the whips that appeared to be in most need.

I would particularly like to thank Denise for helping to keep the whips alive during the worst of the heatwave. Most of the whips have survived with new growth on those that had died back.

Gary watered the newest section of hedge at Widley Gardens and that is also recovering well with only a few blackthorn casualties.

In September and October we cut the brambles and grass around the trees we planted at Privett Road to uncover the trees and allow wildflowers to flourish. There has been a good display of berries on the rowan and hawthorn trees and they are now being enjoyed by birds.

Work Programme

Sunday 20th November – Penjar Pond

Cut back brambles, trim edge of verge.

Sunday 11th December – Widley Gardens

Hedge maintenance, cut back brambles.

Sunday 8th January 2023 – Penjar Pond

Lay front row of hedge.

Sunday 12th February – Penjar Pond

Lay front row of hedge.

Sunday 12th March – to be confirmed Sunday 9th April – Sandy Dell / Privett Road

Remove Spanish bluebells

Sunday 14th May- Sandy Dell / Privett Road

Remove Spanish bluebells

info@dev1g.aptanet.net ‘PAWARA’ – Find us, and ‘like’ us

If you know of other areas that might benefit from some attention from the Environment Group, please use the Contact form on the website to let us know.

All work parties meet at 9.30am (unless ‘on road’ litter picks, which start at 8.30am).

We welcome new volunteers. You do not need experience of conservation work and there is no obligation to attend every task. More information can be found on our website. www.pawara-environmentgroup.org.uk