Conservation Group

 

The conservation group organises an annual 'Womble litter-pick' in Abbess & Beauchamp Roding, usually the last weekend in March.

 

                       Volunteers are always welcome!

 

For details of this and other Conservation Group activities please contact:

 

                         Michael Brill on 01279 876374.

 

Epping Forest Country Care have undertaken several conservation schemes in the three parishes.  

[Link:  http://www.eppingforestdc.gov.uk/Council_Services/planning/countrycare/]

 

Their current project is: 

EFDC COUNTRYCARE'S GREEN LANE PROJECT

 

 

As part of our commitment to National Indicator 197 (Biodiversity and Local Wildlife Sites) EFDC Countrycare is attempting to get as many Local Wildlife Sites into positive management as possible by working with the landowners and the local community.

One suite of sites we have chosen to target is the district's wonderful "green lanes".  Essex has the second highest number of green lanes in the country and in this district we have a number that are hugely important both for recreation, wildlife and landscape value.

Elm Cottage Green Lane in Berner's Roding is designated as a Local Wildlife Site.  We started working towards positive conservation on this site in October 2009.

 

Elm Cottage Green Lane

 

Elm Cottage Green Lane is a byway open to all traffic approximately 1km long.  It runs west-east from Elm Cottage and it connects two minor roads.  A small, linear woody area running north-south halfway along the lane to its north forms a peninsula.  This is part of an old parish boundary but is not included as part of the Local Wildlife Site.  The landscape is arable with many tracks and footpaths along or across fields.  A national trail (The Essex Way) is nearby.  The lane provides an important corridor for wildlife, running between two arable fields and connecting other hedgerows in the area.  Elm Cottage Lane contains approximately 30 veteran trees, of which 25 are pollards.  These make good habitat for bats and invertebrates due to the hollows and holes and decay stages of the dead wood.  Some sections of the hedge comprise six species per 30m, some sections have eight, which dates the hedges to between six and eight hundred years old according to Hooper's Rule.  Ancient woodland indicators exist on the lane.

 

Key tasks are toplant up gaps in the hedges to maintain connectivity of hedgerow trees along the length of the lane; to selectively coppice hedgerow scrub annually and reduce the crowns of some veteran trees to help more light reach the floor of the lane. 

 

In October 2009 Countrycare volunteers and the West Essex Ramblers coppiced approximately 100m hedge in two areas.  In January 2010 contractors carried out some arboricultural work on the veteran trees and planted up some of the gaps in the hedgerows with native species.

 

(Grid reference:  TL 59543 09016 (W) to TL 60500 08941 (E))

 

There are other lanes and a few woodlands in the Abbess, Beauchamp &

Berners Roding parishes that have been designated as Local Wildlife Sites.  EFDC Countrycare is hoping to start work on some of these later in the spring.