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Ancient Woodland in Kent to be destroyed
11 Wednesday Sep 2013
Posted in Blog, environment, woods
Category Archives: environment
Teazle Wood Summer Update
21 Wednesday Aug 2013
Posted in Blog, environment, fundraising, woods
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It’s been a very positive and productive year in Teazle Wood – please find the Summer Update attached: Teazle Wood Update Summer 2013
The emphasis has been on getting to know the wood and starting to understand how best to care for it – we are lucky to have leading experts volunteering their time and knowledge, and various groups and individuals assisting in assembling surveys. Newts, butterflies, bats, birds, reptiles and amphibians, botany, archaeology, community use, etc. – there are so many fascinating aspects that are being investigated and recorded.
Fund-raising continues, with an impressive range of plant sales, open gardens, teas, sponsored events, choral events, guided walks, photographic workshops, the Waitrose ‘Community Matters’ programme, etc. All contributors and contributions are being carefully recorded for posterity, and will feature in a planned report/booklet of the Teazle Wood story (unless anonymity has been requested). Looking back, it is incredible what has been achieved by ‘community’, in its broadest sense, working so inventively for the common good.
A great deal of work has gone into the careful planning of the charity that will look after the wood – the Teazle Wood Trust – and we look forward to launching this soon.
The litter problem is ongoing (depressing, of course, but not unexpected) – a massive thank you to all who help collect the litter, and to those involved in the Teazle Wood Entrance Enhancement Project (TWEEP), which focuses specifically on the most abused area of the wood and the Rye Brook, close to Tesco. There is still major work to do, and we remain determined to find effective long-term solutions; we hope that our work will have positive implications further afield, too.
Land adjacent to Teazle Wood (behind Tesco) has been proposed for removal from the Green Belt for development, as part of Mole Valley District Council’s Green Belt Boundary Review. We have strongly opposed the lifting of the Green Belt here, and expressed our deep concerns about dense development immediately adjoining a natural site which is already under pressure.
Tours of Teazle Wood on Heritage Open Days in September have proved very popular – Thursday (both tours) is now fully booked, and we have just a few places left at 2pm on Saturday 14th. First come, first served, so e-mail me asap if you want to book.
Tree surgery has just taken place on the beautiful big oak tree at the entrance to Teazle Wood, to remove a rotting part of the tree that we were advised was in danger of falling on to the footpath. It is fascinating learning about the care of the wood’s most monumental occupants – we are getting to know individual trees very well!
I hope you’re having a lovely summer.
All the best,
Lucy
Bees love Teazle!
03 Saturday Aug 2013
Posted in Blog, environment, woods
Open Gardens Today
03 Saturday Aug 2013
Posted in Blog, environment, fundraising
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There are 2 open gardens in Leatherhead this Saturday, 3rd August, 10am-4pm, fundraising for Teazle Wood. Both are within walking distance of each other. 2A The Crescent at the bottom of Church Walk is opening to the public for the first time and probably only time. It’s a lovely secret garden tucked away behind an old brick wall. It’s a moving sale all must go – surplus plants from seedlings and cuttings, trees and shrubs. Plants for house & conservatory. Bulbs and packets of seeds. Flower arranging materials, pots baskets, macramé hangers, books and more!
1 Waterloo Cottages, (off Church Street) KT22 8EL and 2A are serving refreshments, including homemade cakes, and cream teas at 1 Waterloo Cottages from 2-4pm. They will also be selling bric-a-brac, cards and a carefully selected new range of fragrant candles by the Quinnell Candle Company (local stockist Fire & Iron Gallery) Proceeds to Teazle Wood.
Park in car park opposite St Mary’s & St Nicolas church.
Leach Grove Wood application for Village Green status
14 Sunday Apr 2013
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Can you help Leach Grove Wood?
In the early 1980’s, SCC decided to sell this wood for housing. A group of residents fought for the woods and won. In 1993, SCC transferred the wood back to the NHS. It has strategic open plan classification, but this does not ensure it’s safety, so I am applying for Village Green Status, (supported by the LRA), to safeguard the wood for future generations.
Many birds and animals are seen here, including song and mistle thrush, coal tits, field mice and bats. Village Green Status would ensure that the land would remain open and unbuilt on.
If you, family, or friends have used Leach Grove Wood, (behind Leatherhead hospital) whilst living in Leatherhead, at any time in the last 20 years, would you fill out a simple ‘Evidence of Use’ form? My application is in and accepted. We need 340 more forms by May 1st . For forms :
Litter picking this week – please contact Lucy first
10 Sunday Mar 2013
Posted in Blog, environment
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To our stoical litter pickers: if you’re planning to litter pick this coming week, please call me. It got particularly bad within a few days of our last major litter pick, so we are setting up a new meeting with Tesco to get things moving on enlisting their support. They need to see how bad it is, and how much comes directly from the back of the store (as well as dropped by the public). As soon as we have shown them, all volunteers welcome to clear up the mess!
You will also notice that the lovely bench has been defaced – no permanent damage, and we will be down there to restore it 🙂
Natural Connections 2013 conference
08 Friday Mar 2013
Posted in Blog, environment
poke at the Natural Connections 2013 conference at the School of African & Oriental Studies this week. Incredible range of speakers, from DEFRA, the Environment Agency, the Wildlife Trusts, the Great Barrier Reef, the Ecosystem Knowledge Network, the British Association of Nature Conservation, etc. Totally fascinating, brilliantly organised by Dialogue Matters.
Left with the exciting offer of the kids involved with Teazle Wood being twinned with the Reef Guardians of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef – thank you, Jon – we are so excited about this! Thank you, Surrey Wildlife Trust / Jim Jones, for proposing me as a speaker – it was amazing.
Out of our Woods – the music of trees
09 Saturday Feb 2013
Posted in Blog, environment
I picked up a leaflet at the Leatherhead Institute today about a Surrey
Hills Society (SHS) meeting “Out of Our Woods – the Music of Trees” by
Mervyn Mewis.
A visual presentation combined with traditional music from Mervyn Mewis
and his partner Kathryn on hand-made instruments. It combines the
historic use of local woodlands with a modern approach to musical
creation.
Mervyn studied habitat management and is involved in voluntary
conservation work. He also has a keen interest in woodwork.
Doors will open at 7pm and the talk will begin at 7.30pm in the Abraham
Dixon Hall of the Letherhead Institute (top of the High Street KT22
8AH) on Friday 8th March.
The cost will be £5 for Surrey Hills Members and £7 for non-members.
Further information in leaflets which include booking forms at
Leatherhead Institute.
The Surrey Hills Society contacts are:-
– phone 01372 376650
– email info@surreyhillssociety.org
Message from Janet Baker and newts
15 Tuesday Jan 2013
Posted in Blog, environment, woods
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from Janet Baker:
After my 75th birthday in mid January I am hoping to swim 75 lengths to celebrate. This is now imminent! I have been ‘swimming my age’ each year since I was 50 so you could say that I have been practising for this for 25 years! Five years ago I made it a sponsored swim and set myself the target of doing it again this year, if still fit enough.I am hoping to raise money for three different things – one that is relatively new and is applying for charitable status and two long standing charities.
Would you be willing to sponsor me for: Friends of Teazle Wood. As this has not yet got charitable status, if you would like to donate please make your cheque out to ‘Friends of Teazle Wood’ and send to me.
Thank you to Sivi at Froglife for the newt advice (Happy newt year to you, too!!). We will be attempting a careful removal of some of the fly-tipping in newt pond on Thursday 24th January, subject to any “early starter” newts or newt eggs being found during an inspection on that morning.
Welcome to Friends of Teazle Wood
23 Sunday Sep 2012
Posted in Blog, environment, woods
Teazle Wood covers an area of over 50 acres of land in North Leatherhead, Surrey, by junction 9 of the M25.
For over 50 years the woodland has been in private hands but in 2012 it suddenly came up for auction. On on 31st July 2012 after a campaign led by Lucy Quinnell, Teazle Wood was purchased by the Friends of Teazle Wood. The aim was to secure the wood from any possible develpoment and to keep it in perpetuity as a woodland ecology.
The purchase was only made possible by the generosity of many people, businesses and organisations who care about saving the wood for the future, they both donated and loaned money to help meet the deadline auction date.
But we still need your help to help secure the woodland for the future, and to make it debt free. PLEASE SUPPORT THIS AMAZING PROJECT.
Stag Beetle
