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You are here: Home / News / Notice of Working Parties – Thursday 18th November 2021

Notice of Working Parties – Thursday 18th November 2021

16th November 2021 By John Roper Leave a Comment

Weather Forecast – long range

Light cloud and a gentle breeze.

Management of Work on Danesbury Nature Reserve

The Danesbury volunteers completed some good work last month, but we are in need of Volunteer Leaders, (and members who can take photographic records – Ed).

Last month we commented that habitat management undertaken by Council contractors, and indeed by the volunteers too, has fallen off over the past year. The Council’s normal Management Plan schedules have been disrupted by the strains on resources that has affected so many services over the past couple of years and, not surprisingly, the focus of the work of Danesbury’s volunteers over recent years has veered towards our Fernery project, the success of which has attracted so much community attention and interest.

But there remains a need for volunteer ‘scrub bashers’ and ‘habitat managers’, just as much as gardeners.

We are very pleased therefore that the newly appointed Borough Council Landscape Conservation Officer, Joseph Charry, will be joining the Danesbury Working Parties on Thursday. He will be able to meet more volunteers and to discuss, and plan, future tasks in the Nature Reserve with the leaders.

Perhaps we will be able to report more on progress on that later next month.

Group 1 – Fernery Gardening Group

Work party Leaders will decide on the day if recent weathers have made the Fernery footpaths unsafe for normal work. An announcement of cancellation will be made as soon as practicable via the WhatsApp Gardening Group.

Jenny will lead this Group which will continue general management of the borders and beds. As colder months approach work will undoubtedly switch towards seasonal leaf gathering and mulching.

All volunteers for Group 1 should meet at the Fernery Shed at 9.30 a.m. for a prompt 10 a.m. start.

It has been decided that during the darker days of winter, casual meetings of the weekly Tuesday afternoon Gardening Group will now revert to fortnightly Wednesday mornings at 10 a.m. Details of the work of this group will be shared on the WhatsApp Gardening Group, and dates are recorded in the Calendar.

Group 2 – Local Nature Reserve

Harry Ward will lead this Group which will met at the cattle corral on the Park Field opposite the sequoia tree.

Work will be tasked to match the numbers of volunteers who turn up. It is likely to include:

  • cleaning up and weeding inside the fenced enclosure of the sequoia tree itself,
  • continuing the work cutting back the considerable undergrowth of brambles and nettles that have taken over the perimeter paths on the Park Field, and
  • weeding and clearing around some young oak trees.

Volunteers for Group 2 should bring their own ‘favourite’ hand tools, such as secateurs, bow-saws and loppers. The Leaders will collect suitable Team Tools from the Fernery Shed, including the strimmer, rakes and bowsaws, and bring them down to the start point.

Where to Meet

As stated above –

Group 1 volunteers should meet at the Fernery Shed at 9.45 a.m. for a prompt 10 a.m. start.

Group 2 volunteers should meet at 10 a.m. by the cattle corral entrance to the Park Field opposite the sequoia tree.

Volunteers are asked to consider in advance which Work Party they would prefer to join as this helps the leaders organise groups and distribute tools.

If you are a new volunteer and are not sure where the Danesbury Fernery is located, please go to the website where a map will show you where we are.

New Volunteers

New volunteers will be asked to complete a Registration Form which the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council will retain confidentially for Public Liability Insurance purposes.

Please make sure that you are wearing boots or other suitable footwear, and gardening gloves, and also bring a hot drink and refreshment for break-time.

Covid-19 Rules and Tools

The application of current rules are the responsibiity of all individuals and groups of individuals.

For this reason, it would be helpful at this time if volunteers bring their own ‘favourite’ hand-tools in order to reduce the need for sharing and subsequent issues of sterilisation.

If you have any queries please contact any committee member or

Stop Press

The Meeting of Thursday 16th December will be the date of the Volunteers’ Xmas Party. More details will follow but please keep this date firmly fixed in your diary.

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Copyright © 2025 Friends of Danesbury Fernery (FODF). Non attributed photography by John Roper.