Despite the best efforts of the weather, the flora and fauna of the Common are kicking into action. Snowdrops have been and gone, now bluebells are in full bloom. If you look closely there are even some harebells too. A cuckoo has been heard in the woods, alongside the more usual chiffchaffs, robins, wrens and blackbirds.
The trustees of the Common have been busy too. Since the completion of the land purchase earlier this year in February, we’ve been beavering away in the background on day to day administration issues and getting to grips with the basic maintenance tasks required of us.
The good news is we’ve taken on the most amazing piece of land. The care and maintenance over the past forty plus years, has been the perfect regime to create something very special. One of the first things we’ve done is talk to the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust (HMWT) to get their advice. Back in 2012 the HMWT did a survey of the Common and recorded a fabulous array of wildflowers nestled in our grassland. In fact, we’ve learnt that we have a super example of ‘acidic grassland’; one of the best in Hertfordshire apparently and certainly something for us to nurture and cherish. It might not appear to be something very dazzling or showy, but ecologically it’s a gem.
We’re delighted to learn that in June the HMWT will be back to survey the Common again. Naturally we’re hoping that we find the same array of wildflowers as before, but whatever we find it will provide us with a baseline to work from. Everything we do going forward will be informed by this baseline survey, and as we try and make the habitat even more diverse, we’ll be drawing up a management plan for how to care and manage the land. We anticipate our approach to be one of long term minimum intervention and a naturalistic regime. We’ve already booked in the annual summer hay cut and are about to appoint a company for a tree safety survey too.
We’re also keen to work in a collaborative way with our community and neighbours, extending our natural approach to improving biodiversity beyond just the confines of the common. And to ensure our communication with the community is as clear and accessible as it can be. The website is going to be refreshed very soon, moving away from its main focus being a fundraising platform, and instead becoming a focal point for general information about the biodiversity of the land and community engagement.
We know there are lots of people keen to help care for the Common and we anticipate there will be activities that we will need volunteers for going forward. Birds and butterflies are likely to be surveyed, but until we have our professional advice from the wildlife trust, we’re not going to put any firm plans in place. Watch this space!
Please be reassured that our underlying principle, driving everything that we do, is to care for the Common and to ensure that we hand it over to the next generation in an even healthier, more biodiverse condition than we find it today whilst enjoying the pleasures of walking around it.
If you have any thoughts, ideas or concerns about the Common please do let us know by dropping us an email on friends@kinsbournegreencommon.org.uk.
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