Friends of Carpenters Wood (FOCW)

Meeting

Thursday 6 March 2025

at

Whitegates, Shire Lane, Chorleywood, WD3 5NT

Present: Barbara Green (BG) (Chair), Malcolm Green (MG), Dorothy Freedman (DF), Shamoon Karimjee (SK), Claire Casey (CC)(Secretary),  Rosie Seddon (RS)(Treasurer), Rosemary Allen (RA), Julie Rees TRDC (JR), Janet Cullen(JC), Anne Pickard (AP), Janet Mason (JM), John McAllister (JMc), Melissa Fabio (MF)(Social Media), Andrew York (AY), Stephen Ramsay (SR), Martin Free (MF)

1  Apologies for absence

Rob Benson, Lara Diesbecq, Alex Laurie, Terry Bell, James May, Richard Harvey, Rebecca Harvey, Kallum Wright, Sue Hall, Stephen Hall

2  Matters Arising

New battery for strimmer – we will either get this before April or after April depending on how the TRDC budget looks.

Action point – JR

We would like to get more volunteers trained to use the brush cutter.

Action point – BG to investigate new courses and costs

The issue of new benches remains on the agenda.  Benches are very expensive and include the cost of maintenance, FOCW don’t have enough money to fund them.  Matt from CMS is planning to put new arms on existing benches to make them compliance under law – no timeframe given on this. In the meantime FOCW can make informal seating areas with logs.  Stephen said that he would like to donate a bench to the woods at the last meeting. Martin Free has seen recycled plastic benches at Whipsnade Zoo which require no maintenance

Action point – BG to email Matt to understand timeframes on new arms for benches.

Action point – DF/CC to discuss informal seating area as part of a summer project for the group

Action point – MF to investigate plastic benches

New ride creation, Julie explained that this will take place in the Autumn with a working party from CMS/CMS volunteers.

Action point – BG to liase with JR on this and other matters – see Green Action Plan work

3  Green Action Plan for 2024-2029

The Green Action Plan for 2024-2029 has now been ratified and is on the TRDC website.

1        Hornbeam replacement and management.  Kallum from CMS will be checking in the summer for regrowth from coppicing.  He will also be checking on the planting on the boundary path (mainly hornbeam).

2        Diseased Ash trees in Carpenters Wood will be felled by CMS.

3        Some paths will be widened and a new ride created later in the year using a mix of CMS volunteers and FOCW.

4        Halo thinning will take place in the wood (area and trees to be decided) – a combination of crown thinning and the removal of smaller trees.

Points 1 – 4 will be tied together

Action point – JR– CMS need a site visit with Alex and Kallum

5        New saplings – FOCW need to check and clear the surrounding ground.  Dead saplings can be replaced by TRDC.  The guards can come off the trees if FOCW consider them big enough to withstand the deer population

Action point – FOCW spring and summer plan

6        50% of the length of the hedgerow at Farm Track to be relaid.

Action point – Andrew to check with Alex at CMS when this will be and if we need to provide the hazel.

7        Archaeological Survey – Malcolm Green/Stephen Hall to speak with Julie about the archaeological findings for the wood and how this can be used.

Action Malcolm/Stephen/Julie

8        Malcolm requested more volunteer days from CMS.  Julie explained that distance is an issue for CMS volunteers as most of them live on the other side of the county.  Therefore we need to work up a task list and use the new management plan to request volunteer days.  The ride widening task and hedge laying are already on the volunteer task list.

Action point – see point B below and AOB

4       Report on Progress of Volunteer Group

1. Leadership changes – Claire Casey to help Dorothy Freedman with leading volunteer groups.
2. Membership update – We have four new members, we had one new member join us today – welcome Janet Cullen. Membership was discussed in more detail in the section ‘New volunteer campaign’.
3. Tool safety and review

The group was reviewed by Karen from CMS and passed the safety review with flying colours.

One new set of shears required

New hard hats required

Action point –MG to buy shears and hats

Tools need to be sharpened

Action point – MG to ask Stephen Hall if he can do it for the group.

Litter pickers needed

Action point –MG to donate two litter pickers

As a result of a recent safety course the group understands that when using the brushcutter a member of the group must be in attendance as a banksman and they should place yellow warning triangles around the work and use a whistle to attract the workers attention.

Action point – DF to buy a whistle

During the summer the group will be cleaning the woodland signs

Action point – AP to buy a folding stool and cleaning materials

During the summer we will need to clean and varnish the benches

Action point – MG to buy varnish

Any member of the group using ladders must complete the online ladder safety course.

Action point – members planning to use ladders must complete the safety course – contact DF for details

Dorothy handed out forms to complete with personal details and next of kin details.  These are required for the online contact database.

Action point – can everyone fill their form in and return it to Dorothy

Bracken spores are poisonous during August and October please avoid working on these plants.

Blackthorne trees have sharp thorns which can cause infections if they tear the skin, these trees are mainly on the Chiltern Way to the Barrel Arch. 

Action point – please wear gloves and long sleeved clothing when working on or near these trees.  If you get torn skin please see the doctor about a tetanus jab.

The bow saws have new covers courtesy of Malcolm Green, please use them when putting the saws away.

E,       Bird Boxes – TRDC do not have a set procedure on bird boxes but are trying to compile a central register.  Dorothy gave Julie Rees a map of the woods with the trees with boxes marked.  It is estimated that 12 boxes need replacing.  The boxes are always used. See AOB for details of enquiries about bat boxes and bat surveys.

Action point – MG can make new boxes but needs materials – can anyone from the group donate used floorboards.

5       New volunteer campaign

We have around 20 members and on average 6 – 8 people attend each session.  We discussed a new membership drive and concluded that we should have new leaflets printed if TRDC will pay, these will be placed in new leaflet holders in the woods on our noticeboards; Barbara would design a new one page flyer to be distributed in the village; Melissa will get our message out via social media; Barbara will arrange for a newspaper article to promote the group.

Action points

BG to design and arrange for printing of new flyer

CC to distribute the flyer around the village shops

BG to get in touch with the journalist she worked with before to get an article in Chorleywood News

AY to find out if TRDC will fund the printing of the leaflet

AY to speak to Mike Stansfield about promoting the group on Chorleywood Residents group

MF to promote the group on social media

6  Treasurers Report

We have a balance of £1062.69.  We received £530 from the Chorleywood Parish Council Quiz and Auction night.  We have bought protective equipment and paid for printing materials.

7  Report on Progress

Work covered since September 2024

1. Path clearance around the woods
2. Clearing new planting
3. Holly clearance on main path
4. Clearing laurel on Whitelands path – CMS cut the big laurel
5. 3 glades were cleared in Hillas
6. A new path was cleared at Railway View
7. Two new noticeboards were installed with the help on CMS volunteers
8. Clearance of a couple of big trees
9. A new path was cleared K9-J9 for the bluebells
10. Carpenters triangle was cleared of laurel and brambles

9       Volunteer work plan for Spring/Summer

1. New ride in conjunction with CMS

Action CMS to come to mark out new ride and arrange for clearance of vegetation that are too big for FOCW

• Bench maintenance
• Sign cleaning
• New signs on posts
• Path clearance
• Removal of small holly – cut holly at ground level
• Hedge laying – see earlier action point
• Litter pick
• FOCW walkaround to look for additional work
• Malcom and Andrew have requested that we come up with ideas for a project for the group to develop the woods rather than cutting down.

Action point for whole group – ideas to Barbara Green by email please (Anne suggested data collection for the woods)

• CMS walkaround in the summer – see earlier notes on halo clearance and hedges

8  Website Update

Melissa Fabio volunteered to look after the website – thank you.

Melissa gave us an update on the website; pictures are posted when required; Green Action Plan to be uploaded to site; if we have a bat survey this will be added; check stats for website traffic

Action point – MF upload Green Action Plan and bat survey (if it happens); check traffic stats for website usage

Action point – JM to contact Boxmore Trust at Hemel about the Bat Survey

9  AOB

1. Move meeting to April next year taking into account Easter.
2. Arrange at Bat evening
3. Anne Pickard to look into a butterfly count
4. Melissa to send us the details of the RHS extinct daffodil survey

10  Date of Next Meeting BG to arrange the date of the AGM