Category: Environment

Dallington Forest Walks starting again.

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy)
Delighted to say that I’m now fit enough to start the walks again.

I’m sorry that we’ve missed the most photogenic season in the forest. The leaves are now pumped-up with chlorophyll and in their dark green summer colour, and the bluebells are long gone. But there’s still plenty to see and enjoy in dazzling Dallington Forest.

I’m reinstating the walk schedule for 2026 as follows: –

      • July 12th (Sunday)
      • September 12th (Saturday)
      • November 15th (Sunday)

Please contact me directly to book your place(s) on each walk. By return, I’ll let you know where and at what time we’ll meet for each walk (they aren’t necessarily the same place or time).

We try to limit the numbers to around 12 people, and the walks are free. There is no payment requested, or donation expected but if you care to donate to the Ancient Tree Forum https://www.ancienttreeforum.org.uk/support-us/ or to the Woodland Trust https://www.woodlandtrust.org.uk/support-us/give/donations/ who host the Ancient Tree Inventory, the charities and I would be very grateful.

The duration of each walk is of the order of 2-3 hours, longer if you let me talk too much, and each walk involves rough surfaces, lots of hills, and some scrambles up banks. Good mobility is essential.

Well-behaved dogs are welcome on a lead providing owners clear up after them and take the poo out of the forest – I’ll explain why this is important. Well-behaved owners are a bonus. 😉

As we all know, the weather is sometimes unfriendly (we’ll only cancel for really atrocious weather, letting you know by email a day or two before), the forest paths can be wet, muddy, slippery and trippery, and the weather can range from freezing through wet to sweltering. So, footwear, water, and clothing appropriate for the time of year is advised.

Ticks are present in the forest and surrounding countryside. So, long, light-coloured trousers tucked into socks are advised. Having said that, in summer weather you will see me in shorts as I check myself carefully after each walk and remove any of the little blighters that have hitched a ride for a meal. I also smother myself with ‘Avon Skin So Soft’ as a repellent – favoured by the SAS, I’m told. I usually have a bottle with me if you’d like to use it.

I hope you can come on one or more walks, and I’m looking forward to walking with you.

Doug Edworthy Tree Warden, Brightling and Dallington parishes
treewarden@dallington.org.uk  
07711 090 925

Andromeda Event postponed until next week

Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy:

We’ve been keeping a close eye on the weather forecast for Thursday, and it doesn’t look great. While it’s not going to be raining, the clouds will prevent us from seeing the main event – the Andromeda Galaxy!

The forecast for a week later is (currently) a lot better so we’ve postponed the event until Thursday 25th September.  Same venue, different date. (See updated poster for details)

Apologies if this makes it difficult for you to attend, but we hope you can still make it.

National Iyengar Yoga Day 18th Jan

Come and Celebrate

National Iyengar yoga Day
18th January 10am-12noon.
Free session
With Brenda Booth and fellow teachers.
Brightling Village Hall
TN32 5HH
Bring a mat and any other yoga equipment.
Wear loose clothing

Equipment will be available to use on the day.

Take part in a happy event.

No experience needed.

For more information contact
brendaboothkent@aol.com
07730402908

 

 

Black poplars offer

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy, tree warden)

Leaves of black poplarCan you find a suitable space for a black poplar?
Within the next few weeks there will be 650 black poplar whips available from Kew Wakehurst. Do you know anyone who may be interested in receiving these trees, or of any sites that would benefit?
Individuals and organisations can apply, and there is no limit to the number of trees people can apply for. The whips may need to be collected from Wakehurst, or if there is enough demand in certain areas, it may be that other collection points could be organised.
There’s an application form for the trees is on the Western Sussex Rivers Trust website: https://wsrt.org.uk/about/our-projects/populating-black-poplar .

Extended Deadline for Dark Skies Children’s Writing Competition

 

In view of the interest generated by the recent High Weald Wild about Dark Skies Festival (28 Oct-10 Nov), the editorial board of The Messenger Magazine have decided to extend the deadline for our  Children’s Creative Writing competition (previously announced in the September issue of the Messenger) to 15th November, 2024

The Festival aims to celebrate the High Weald’s dark skies and raise awareness about the negative impacts of light pollution – on wildlife, climate change and our own wellbeing – and how we can help reduce it.

Our writing competition  is designed to inspire and celebrate children’s responses to this topic. It is open to all children aged 5-11 living or attending school in the area served by the Messenger. We  invite entries of poems, or short stories or articles (maximum 250 words) on any aspect of the theme of Dark Skies. Here are some questions to get them thinking:

    • What’s special about dark skies and why do they matter?
    • What are your own experiences of the dark?
    • What  can you see in the night sky?
    • What do you like about the moon and stars?
    • What are the stories behind constellation names?
    • Why is darkness important to wildlife?
    • What would happen to animals, birds and insects if it stayed light all the time?

The new deadline for entries is  15th November, 2024 and results will be announced in the new year. Prizes will be awarded in the two age categories:
– Young 5-7 years
– Junior 8-11 years.

The winners in each age category will each receive a £20 book token from Rother Books and their entries will be published in The Messenger. Runners up from each of the four villages will receive a £10 token.  All entrants will receive a special Dark Skies bookmark.  Your school may be taking part in the competition but individual entries are also very welcome.

Competition Rules

  • Subject: “Dark Skies”
  • Word count: Up to 250 words (excluding title)
  • Judging criteria: Originality, engagement with theme, language (entries will not be judged on spelling and grammar)
  • Only one entry per child
  • Entries must be the original work of the child and should be submitted by a responsible adult (parent/guardian or teacher with parental consent).
  • By submitting, the responsible adult grants permission for winning entries to be published in The Messenger. Copyright remains with the author
  • Child’s name & age on 15th November 2024 should be included with their entry, along with address and contact details (which will not be published) for notification of results.
  • Entries may be handwritten or typed and submitted by email to messenger@gmail.com or by post to
    The Messenger Children’s Writing Competition,
    Hunters Farm, Kent Lane, Brightling TN32 5HU
  • Entries must arrive by midnight  15th November 2024; late entries cannot be considered
  • The judges’ decisions are final

This Saturday 2nd November Dark Skies Talk

Apologies for another reminder but it’s come to my notice that the incorrect time was shown on one of the pages of the Messenger Magazine – so this is the correct information again:

Dark Skies PosterIn Dallington, local expert Doug Edworthy (Fellow of the Royal  Astronomical Society)  will be giving a talk about the wonders of the stars and the impact of light  pollution on nature, people and the sky . This will take place at Dallington Old School Village Hall on Saturday 2nd November at 7.30. That is the weekend of the new moon, which means it will be particularly dark so we may be able to enjoy the skies on the way to and from the hall.

 

Wild about Dark Skies Festival – latest news

As previously announced, Dallington is participating in this year’s High Weald Wild about Dark Skies Festival. Running from Saturday 28 October to Sunday 10 November 2024, the Festival promises a fortnight of stargazing, workshops, talks, walks and fun family activities. Find out more at https://highweald.org/get-involved/dark-skies/wild-about-dark-skies-festival/

Dark Skies PosterIn Dallington, local expert Doug Edworthy (Fellow of the Royal  Astronomical Society)  will be giving a talk about the wonders of the stars and the impact of light  pollution on nature, people and the sky . This will take place at Dallington Old School Village Hall on Saturday 2nd November at 7.30. That is the weekend of the new moon, which means it will be particularly dark so we may be able to enjoy the skies on the way to and from the hall.

Dallington School is also joining in with the festival.  Paul Cox, Head Teacher, reports that the older children are currently working on a project based around the Dallington Village Dark Skies Festival. They have been visited by the amazing Rachel Bennington, who works for the High Weald. They have done lots of wonderful work around the stars and light pollution. They will also be writing some poems around the night sky – to be entered for the Messenger Magazine Childrens Writing Competition on the Dark Skies theme.

We hope to arrange some additional events later in the month, including a star gazing event and a bat walk (details tbc).

Dallington Parish Council supports the Dark Skies Festival and when commenting on planning applications, takes account of the High Weald Dark Skies Planning Advice Note which aims to reduce light pollution.

 

 

 

 

Dallington Forest Guided Walks

(Posted on behalf of Doug Edworthy)

It hardly seems possible that 2024 is already half over, the days are getting shorter, and summer is still absent-without-leave. But regardless of the current unseasonable weather, there are three guided walks in Dallington Forest planned for the rest of the year:

  • Sun July 28th
  • Sat Sep 14th
  • Sun Nov 17th

If you’d like to come on any of these walks please contact our walks administrator, Brenda Booth (brendaboothkent@aol.com), who will email you details of our meeting location and time.

A lot has changed in the Forge Wood part of the forest following last summer’s clear-fell of non-native Western Hemlock, Spruce and European Larch. The landowner has some interesting plans for this piece of woodland.

So, don’t worry if you’ve been on our walks before, as well as seeing the ancient woodland ghylls, veteran Beeches, standing decaying wood monoliths, walking trees, sandstone ‘ripple beds’ of the early Cretaceous period 145-100 mya, and learning about the landscape and history of the forest, there is still lots to see.

The walks are usually 2-3 hours, influenced by how much talking I do! Depending on the time of year, the weather can be wet, and the tracks can be muddy and slippery with plenty of trip hazards. So, appropriate clothing and footwear are essential. Dogs are welcome on a lead and we ask that owners clear up after them and take the poo out of the forest.

We ask for a £5 cash donation per person, collected at the start of the walk, which goes towards the hosting and maintenance of the Dallington Forest website (www.dallingtonforest.uk – which I urge you to visit and learn more about the forest).

I hope to see you on one of the walks!

Doug Edworthy Tree Warden, Brightling and Dallington parishes

treewarden@dallington.org.uk