Dacres Wood Reserve open day 23rd October 2011

Close to Mayow Park, the small reserve at Dacres Wood was open to the public today. Around 70 people visited, including volunteers from Forest Hill Society who provided refreshments and gave guided tours. Children were given 'scavenger hunt' activity sheets to help them get up close to the wildlife in the reserve. Steve Grindlay gave an excellent talk on 'Art and Artists in Forest Hill and Sydenham' at midday, repeated at 2pm.
There seems to be great interest in starting up a Friends of Dacres Wood. Such a group would be able to open the reserve to the public more frequently and do some nature conservation work to improve the different habitat zones around the site. Anyone interested in helping to set up this group should pass on their contact details to alona@foresthillsociety.com .

Raising the Green Flag on 21st October 2011

The Mayow Park Green Flag was raised today at 2pm. Attending the flag raising were Glendale staff, Greenscene and the Friends of Mayow Park. Thank you to Glendale for the preparations and to Fred who installed the flagpole. Fred is in the second picture about to raise the flag. Thank you to everyone who has worked to improve the park.
And I forgot to mention two local councillors who are very supportive of the Friends of Mayow Park. Thank you Susan and Chris!

weeding and mulching in the Triangle

Huge thanks to Marina and Suzy for their recent and ongoing work in the Triangle. Suzy has been patiently weeding round the plants we want to keep and her efforts are clearly visible.
Marina was determined to finish putting another thick layer of woodchip mulch on the log-edged, windy path near the bigger plant bed . . . and she finished today, on such an extremely hot day.

Next FOMP quarterly meeting

The next Friends of Mayow Park quarterly meeting will be held on Tuesday 11th October 2011 at Forest Hill School starting at 7pm prompt. It will finish by 8.30pm. Topics for the meeting will include cricket and the Green Flag recently awarded to Mayow Park.
Go into the school via the gates on Dacres Road and explain to the security staff that you are coming to the Mayow Park meeting. We will find out on the evening which room we will be in.

Gardening at the Pavilion Triangle

Two volunteers are giving up some of their time to weed the beds at the Pavilion Triangle. Thanks to both of you the beds and plants within them are being looked after. The woodchip paths have not had a complete resurfacing of woodchip but the hope is they will be finished before winter. It may be moving towards autumn but there are still flowering plants in the Triangle and they look lovely. More fruit bushes will be purchased for the larger bed and planted before winter. More herbs will be added to the herb bed.

Forest Hill Soc Bring & Take event was a success

Saturday 24th September was a warm day so tables were set out in the yard at Dacres Wood Field Centre. Balloons and posters were put up on nearby lamp posts to advertise the Bring and Take event. The Waste Electrical and  Electronic Equipment (WEEE) van and driver were there too, courtesy of Lewisham Council's waste & recycling department. Refreshments were provided by Forest Hill Society members.
It was not long before people came in the donate items they no longer need, take something they wanted or to put a WEEE item on the van. Some people had seen flyers at Sainsbury's Bell Green or had heard of the event through the Transition Lewisham network. Local people who had seen the posters on lamp posts were very keen and several asked if we can have more such events at the Field Centre location.

When the event finished, all remaining items in good condition were taken by Lewisham Council to be put back into circulation via Chris Carey Collections and the WEEE waste will go off to be dismantled and recycled.

There was some interest in setting up a Friends of Dacres Wood Nature Reserve, to help with the upkeep and make this hidden gem more accessible. If you, or someone you know, might be interested, please send an email with 'Friends of Dacres Reserve' in the subject line to: friendsofmayowpark@ymail.com

Forest Hill Soc Bring and Take Day Sat 24th September 2011

Dacres Wood Nature Reserve is a few minutes walk from Mayow Park so I think I think I can promote an upcoming event there on the blog.
 Forest Hill Society is organising a  'Bring and Take' day Saturday 24 September 2011, 11.00am to 3.00pm, at Dacres Wood Reserve Field Centre, off Dacres Road SE23.

BRING usable items you no longer need eg bicycles, push-chairs, books, toys, CDs, DVDs, tools, small items of furniture, musical instruments, good‑quality clothing, electrical goods, kitchenware etc. TAKE items you will find useful.

This isn’t a swap so you don’t need to match a Bring item with a Take item. Please note: Items to be swapped should be in good working order.

In addition, Lewisham Council will provide a van for WEEE waste (electrical and electronic equipment), so if you have any electrical items that no longer work you can bring them along to be disposed of properly.

How to find the Dacres Wood Field Studies Centre:
Entry to the Field Centre is off Dacres Road, between Catling Close and Homefield House, near the junction of Dacres Road and Silverdale. An unmarked driveway leads directly to the Field Centre from Dacres Road. Parking is available on Dacres Road and other nearby roads.