Conservation Area
History
October 2011
Installation of chalkboard for species recording. Wildflower seeding.
September 2011
More mammal trapping an identification. This year we caught only
wood mice.
August 2011
Strimming, postponed by rain. The main meadow
area was cut. Followed by Haymaking and Picnic.,
and another moth evening.
July 2011
Butterfly walk to Yew Hill, jointly with Butterfly Conservation.
June 2011
Strimming of the long grass below the path. AnotherMoth evening
Tim Walker brought a generator to run his moth trap. A very good turnout,
and quite a few species seen despite the fairly cool evening.
May 2011
The rough grass near the gate was dug up, and wildflower seeds scattered.
Annual General Meeting at the Conservation Area.
October 2010
A replacement oak bench was installed, and about half
of the long grass was cut with the strimmer.
August 2010
Work party.
Small mammal trapping.
July 2010
Work party.
June 2010
Walk from the Battery to the Conservation Area and Yew Hill.
May 2010
Grass cutting with the strimmer.
Annual General Meeting at the Conservation Area.
Digging out alien invaders.
January 2010
Cutting back the brambles hiding the Parish Boundary
Stone.
September 2009
Grass cutting with our new strimmer.
August 2009
Small mammal trapping.
March 2009
Fortnightly working parties resume after the snow has gone.
September and October 2008
Working parties clearing up unwanted areas of bramble and burdock. The group is represented at the
Greening Oliver's Battery Campaign
launch event at Oliver's Battery Primary School.
June 2008
A Sunday working party on the 8th concentrates on pulling brambles and most of the ragwort (a danger to horses), leaving
a small patch for insects. On the 20th the hay is mown .
May 2008
On the 19th the AGM is held at the Conservation Area, which is in good shape, though a few rogue brambles are showing themselves.
September 2007
The group holds a "Nature's Harvest" event, a picnic followed by a treasure hunt for autumn fruits for children.
August 2007
The group holds a Moth Evening at the CA on 9th August.
The meadow is mown on 10th August, a bit later than originally planned. In view of the large quantity
and need to prevent build-up of nutrients it is decided to burn the hay which is not of any use for
fodder.
7th July 2007
The sun comes out for Tree Identification session. Al Gore holds
Live Earth concerts in tribute. It turns out to be a brief break in the wettest May to July
since records began, with summer not making a comeback until 30th July.
June 2007
Wettest June since records began. Large areas swamped by huge sowthistles which threaten
to crowd out the young shrubs. Much pulling up and jumping on
thistles. Attempted counter attack by brambles repelled. Site meeting with consultant
ecologist over future management and species recording.
May 2007
AGM is followed by a 'sundown stroll' to the site. Oak bench installed. Campions and
yellow rattle in abundance. Sowthistles plot takeover. Poppies appear.
Warmest spring (March-May) in Britain since records began.
April 2007
More records tumble with the driest April and the warmest 12 months (April-April)
since records began. OBCG buys some water bowsers. Members of the group
make sorties to water the young trees and shrubs.
OBCG in negotiation with neighbours over dung hill that is providing unwanted enrichment
to chalkland soil. A lot of damage by rabbits who are particularly grateful for replacement trees.
March 2007
Hanson Environment Fund is wound up. OBCG consults an ecologist about future management plans.
Very dry for much of the month. Some replacement trees planted.
October 2006
Wildflower and grass seed planting.
The warmest autumn (Septmber-November) since records began.
9th September 2006
Conservation Area progress display at the OB 50 fête at the Battery. Volunteers have clocked up
nearly 180 hours of work since December.
8th September 2006
Hay mown.
3rd September 2006
Official opening of Conservation Area by Parish Council Chairman Geoff Sharman. Followed by
a walk up to Yew Hill for joint picnic with Butterfly Conservation, to consume butterfly
cakes, elderflower and blackcurant juice etc.
August 2006
Weeding, watering, mowing. Even a Bank Holiday working party.
July 2006
More work parties, watering and weeding. Drought threatens again, with occasional heavy rain
not enough to give a good soaking. Perhaps 10% of shrubs have not made it.
Second round of selective spraying of surviving brambles. Part of the meadow hand-mown with
shears to encourage lower plants.
The hottest month in Britain since records began.
June 2006
More formal and informal work parties, watering and systematic weeding around young
trees to reduce competition. Slow worms spotted. Drought threatens trees until rain at end
of the month.
May 2006
Trees are doing well with just a couple of casualties but the area looks terrible as
nettles are growing fast and quite a lot of brambles, and profuse growth of cleavers. A
mixture of hand pulling and spraying is used to get matters under control. New field gate
installed to provide access for mowing etc.
April 2006
More bramble clearing. Local Brownies plant a hawthorn hedge.
Grant from HCC's Hampshire Villages Initiative.
March 2006
Working parties rake out roots in meadow area
7th, 8th, 21st, 22nd January 2006
Community Planting Days. Many local people join in planting shrubs and trees including
hazel, hornbeam, whitebeam, spindle, guelder rose, crab apple and alder buckthorn.
17th and 18th December 2005
Parties meet to make the cleared site safe, investigate a sewer access,
clear uncovered rubble etc.
13th December 2005
Contractors clear bramble forest ready for replanting with native chalk
downland species. Area to south of the path left to support wildlife and bramble jelly.
11th December 2005
Site survey confirms that no badgers are in residence.
October 2005
OBCG holds a site meeting. Hanson Environment Fund awards a grant for Conservation Area works.
July 2005
OBCG formally constituted, with seed funding from OB Parish Council.
Local botanist Jean Kington surveys site and
identifies the plants present.
Quite a while ago
Sewage works abandoned to secondary blackberry forest and a couple of rabbits. Sorry 4. No 8. Crikey.
Ages ago
Conservation Area used as sewage works. (details anyone please?)
Civil War
Oliver unimpressed with flat Battery, takes it out on Cathedral.
July 1100
Purkis's cart carries body of feudal tyrant Rufus over track from Port Lane to
Whiteshute. Purkis pauses to admire Conservation Area. Allegedly.
1066 and all that
England unsettled by French-speaking vikings.
Dark Ages
Battery flat. Under cover of darkness Winchester becomes capital of Wessex,
then capital of England.
Iron Age
Prescient Belgians build Battery for Oliver. Recharged by Romans.
Bronze Age
Round barrows appear near Texas Drive, aliens suspected.
Neolithic
Continent cut off by North Sea. Farmers invent countryside.
Mesolithic
English Channel invented. Hampshire Steppes replaced by forest. Boris Butterfingers looses
quartzite macehead at Battery, delaying further development.
Palaeolithic
Hampshire Steppes resettled by Iberian hunter gatherers.
Pliocene, Pleistocene
Erosion, woolly mammoths, etc. Weather variable, arctic with sub-tropical intervals.
Core of Winchester Anticline exposed to public scorn and ridicule, ripe for redevelopment
as civic amenities site. Oliver's Battery unbowed. Humans withdraw from Britain with frostbite.
Miocene
Dangerous driving by Africa causes Alps.
Whiplash in vicinity of Winchester Anticline, Conservation Area listing badly.
Eocene, Oligocene
Winchester uplifted by continental movements, Southampton stuck in mud. Plus ça change.
Cretaceous
Conservation Area under warm sea. Schools of marine reptiles drop thick
piles of chalk dust. Falling educational standards and mass extinction.
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