The Lower Mole Countryside Management Project volunteers carry out practical work in the countryside to enhance and maintain the natural beauty of our area. We rely on you to help us achieve these aims. If you have time on your hands, and are aged over 16, why not give us a try?
These sites are where the Project volunteers will be working in the period January to March 2012. To find out where to meet for each site see the volunteer task programme.
This joint task with City of London and Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, who manage this Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) has become a traditional event, kick starting our winter work programme. The two sites support a variety of important habitats including ancient oak pollards, acid grassland and heathland. We will be working with Ashtead Common and Epsom Countryside volunteers.
This is a popular area within the River Mole Local Nature Reserve, owned and managed by Mole Valley District Council. The Project volunteers have caried out many improvements here over the years. This time our volunteers will be coppicing an overgrown hedge to increase its value as wildlife habitat.
Last year our volunteers began the job of widening this bridleway, making it more accessible and now we are returning to complete the job. It is an important link between Ashtead and Chessington, providing an important corridor for wildlife. We will be cutting back the encroaching scrub.
Another visit to this unique woodland, managed by the Crown Estate. Project volunteers have been coppicing here for the last decade and we are returning to restore more coppiced woodland. This will rejuvenate the woodland, increase its biodiversity and help to bring it back into regular management.
Another visit to this National Nature Reserve, we will be working with the City of London on veteran tree management. The important pollards provide a rare habitat for wildlife and the City of London is engaged on a management programme for these wonderful trees, which our volunteers will be helping with.
Our annual winter visit to this stunning chalk downland SSSI. Over the last few years our volunteers have restored large areas of downland previously submerged by scrub. We will be continuing with the scrub management to open up the grassland, which supports a wide variety of flowers and butterflies.
The Project is managing this Local Nature Reserve and Scheduled Ancient Monument on behalf of English Heritage and the Royal Borough of Kingston. Following the recent coppicing by our volunteers, we are returning to plant more hazels in the wood. Funded by the Lower Mole Countryside Trust.
More woodland management at this popular site, managed by Surrey Wildlife Trust. This SSSI is home to many species of plant and animal, which our work will be aiming to promote.
Epsom Golf Course supports an important range of chalk grassland species and our volunteers will once again be carrying out management to benefit them. We will be planting some young juniper bushes on the golf course and excavating more scrapes along the 6th fairway on the golf course. Funded by the Lower Mole Countryside Trust.
Home to the threatened great crested newt, the work of our volunteers has transformed this SSSI. Scrub has been cleared, rubbish removed and the site made secure. Supported by Epsom and Ewell and Surrey County Council, we are returning to build a newt hibernaculum and plant a hedge.
See our volunteer task programmefor the details of dates and meeting points.
