Next Meeting Date
The meeting on 21st September 2017 will aim to continue the work of the very successful August working party – see Report Work Party 17th August 2017.
Start Time and Place
At the Fernery at the top end of North Ride, Welwyn, AL6 9RD starting at 10 a.m. Please note that team leaders and tools will be on site from 9 a.m for those who prefer to start earlier. Work continues until lunchtime and volunteers should wear strong boots, gardening gloves and bring a hot drink for refreshment. Tools will be provided.
Tasks
Maintenance
Since the last meeting on 17th August 2017, small ad hoc groups of volunteers have been strimming and clearing the site of nettles. The purpose is to keep the site in a tidy state to make it more presentable to visitors and to make it safer to carry out excavation tasks.
Depending on the progress thus made, we might have some raking up of cut nettles to complete before some of the tasks below can safely commence.
We will adhere to the decision to maintain the North East part of the site undisturbed for wildlife.
Excavation
Continue exploring the direction of the top steps excavated by Moira and Sheila last month.
Continue excavating Margaret’s decorated pebbles and seek possible steps.
Continue Harry’s excavation of the rock work in the gorge to seek the direction of the top path.
Continue weeding the bedding areas.
Explore opportunities to find evidence of the path running North from the gorge.
Fencing
Under Stephens direction, continue to recover lost panels and fill gaps in the fencing.
Water mains standpipe cabinet
We do not have an installation date – but if this does occur before the meeting date, or indeed on the 21st itself, demands on our resources might cause some of the above tasks to take a lower priority.
Entrance Poles
Harry has reported that the forge is underway with straightening the posts and hopes that it might be two weeks to have them ready. The blacksmith is drilling holes in them to allow for a sign to be bolted at the top. Andrew is negotiating with the Sherrardspark Woodwardens to see if they could present us with a rustic plank suitably addressed ” The Danesbury Fernery” printed or carved.
Future Meeting Dates
You are reminded that the Committee are seeking your views on the proposal that we meet twice a month. You have all been asked to give your views to Harry Ward – but he has given up holding his breath!
If you are not able to attend on the 21st September, will you be sure to let Harry know your views by email before that date. Otherwise, we will have an open discussion on the 21st at elevenses as planned, when we ask that you are ready to let us have your views. The choices are to consider offering an alternate day of the week for meeting, and an alternate week of the month too. This is to try to overcome issues that potential volunteers might have if they can never make a Thursday.
It is a condition of this survey and subsequent analysis that we have no intention of changing from meeting once a month on a Thursday as we have always done.
Social Media – progress
We are making progress – Lucy Alexander has successfully launched a FaceBook page, and my daughter Lucy has launched a Twitter account
Please have a look at them and leave comments (if favourable!)
Slowly and surely I am developing the website www.danesburyfernery.org.uk with help from Nick my son-in-law, and you can access it already if you are prepared to accept that it is very much work in progress. It would be very encouraging if you are able to read this Newsletter on the website.
The website offers the advantage that, in our own time, we can all stay in touch with what is going on with so many of the diverse areas opening up about the Danesbury Fernery: Research, Excavation, and Garden Design, without the limitations of email.
We are introducing the opportunity for Friends to submit their thoughts and experiences so that we can all share them. For example, there will be a ‘tab’ that will allow Friends to submit reports of other Pulhamite sites that they visit on their travels, that we can provide links to, and to open up ‘blogs’ on such subjects as buried drainage tanks, and the source and direction of pipework, plus of course learn and share knowledge of the many species of ferns that we might seek to plant in the future.
British Pteridological Society
Andrew, as others have subsequently done, watched the Gardeners World Programme broadcast last weekend which covered Ferns. He has subsequently made some valuable connections with the BPS who are very pleased to learn of our Danesbury Fernery Project and very supportive too.
If Andrew, as our Treasurer, manages to arrange a Corporate membership with the BPS we might well find ourselves in receipt of special offers of ‘packs’ of plants and spores! Andrew has already signed on to a day’s course on 1st April next year to learn how to pronounce the name of the said Society.
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