Great effort at the November activity morning, Big Wood volunteers, where we did an emergency sweep of the main paths, much to the delight of passing residents. There is plenty of work left for the two activity mornings in December, and the tea breaks will be especially rewarding, with treats and mulled wine/juice on tap. 

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BIG WOOD AUTUMN ACTIVITY MORNINGS

Please join us at the next one. No special skills required, just a willingness to muck in.

 

On the activity mornings, we meet at the Big Wood Temple Fortune Hill entrance in time for a 10am start. Work takes place over a couple of hours with a tea break.​

                                                                         Saturday 7th December 

Sunday 15th December

Sunday 12th January

Sunday 9th February

Saturday 8th March 

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​For occasional timely activity updates join  the Friends of Big Wood Volunteers WhatsApp group for activity or contact 07712 704 164,  friendsofbigwood1@gmail.com. Please also take note of the volunteer handbook, link below.

Conservation activities can include wildflower glade management, clearing invasive and overly vigorous species, dead hedging and path clearance. On the activity mornings, we meet at the Big Wood Temple Fortune Hill entrance in time for a 10am start. Work takes place over a couple of hours with a tea break. Get in touch to find out more: friendsofbigwood1@gmail.com - see also the volunteer handbook link below.

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MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS

You'll soon be receiving your membership renewal notification for 2025 from Membermojo, which we very much hope you will continue. Friends of Big Wood are a lovely community united by our wish to help support and maintain the integrity of Big Wood (and Little Wood, if we have the capacity). Your membership makes a big difference. 

 

One of the major projects for next year will be commissioning new and ongoing habitat and species surveys by specialists monitoring the ecological health of our wonderful woodland. The findings will guide our Big Wood management strategies and are recorded by Greenspace Information for Greater London (GiGL). This is of the major biological record centres whose findings help to inform local and national conservation policies. 

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EXPERT FUNGI WALK BY DAVID HUMPHRIES

Delightfully, the diversity of mushrooms in Big Wood seems to be increasing, particularly this year. In early November we had a popular guided fungi walk by expert David Humphries, who discovered 31 species of fungi, which is 11 species more than during his previous survey of Big Wood in 2022. There is something so fascinating about the mysterious, often surreal looking fruiting bodies of fungi, and their popular names are no less intriguing: Angel Bonnets, Weeping Widow, Jelly Ear, Leafy Brain, Hairy Curtain Crust and Hen of the Woods, to mention just a few. The full list can be accessed via this link.  

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​More guided expert walks to come in Spring 2025. Watch this space!

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BIG WOOD KIDS 

​​After a slow start in October, the November creative outdoor workshop on the genius of 'Animal Architects' was really popular. The children said they couldn't wait for the next one, so our workshop leaders Sophie and Caroline are already working on it.

 

Monthly Big Wood KIDS sessions will restart in early 2025, with alternating events for families with younger kids and drop-off sessions for 6-12 year olds. We are also hoping to offer fun ecology events for teenagers. We'll keep you updated, but you may also want to sign up to Big Wood KIDS on Eventbrite and be notified as soon as the next event is scheduled.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
 

VOLUNTEER HANDBOOK

The Barnet Greenspaces Volunteering Handbook includes straightforward health and safety guidance to ensure that all volunteers remain safe while working in the borough's green spaces. If you take part in the activity mornings, please click on this Volunteer Handbook link and take note of the guidelines. Get in touch if you have any questions.

 

2025 ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS

Many thanks to the members who have already renewed their subscriptions for 2025. This is a reminder to the rest to pay their subs for the year. 

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JOIN FORM

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LITTER IN THE WOOD

Litter remains a problem and some of us regularly pick up litter as we go round the wood. If any one else wants to help and would like a litter picker, please contact us. We have a number of Friends who are regularly are picking up litter but please can all the Friends help to keep the wood clear of litter. 

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 MORE ABOUT DEAD WOOD

We reported on the importance of dead wood. The official UK standard for healthy woodland habitat requires 20m3 of deadwood per hectare and most woodlands in the UK, including Big Wood, is below this level. It is important therefore that all dead trunks and fallen branches are left where they fall or are left standing.

A reminder that ageing trees and dead wood are vital for a healthy woodland habitat. A huge swathe of the woodland ecosystem relies on tree wear and tear- hollows, dead branches and fallen trees. 

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TREES INFO

There is a marvellous short clip about the management of oak trees and the importance of not compacting the roots in Kew Gardens following the great storm of 1987. Anyone who is interested click on the following:-

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/stories-51282656/the-oak-tree-in-key-gardens-that-taught-the-world-a-lesson

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WEB SITE
Remember that all details are here on our web site so do signpost your local friends and neighbours to visit the site and encourage them join the Association and to be Friends Of Big Wood.

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DATA  PROTECTION
The Friends of Big Wood Organisation is aware of the new General Data Protection Legislation. Organisations such as ours, which keep a register of names purely for recreational reasons, are exempt from the new regulations. We would advise you all that the data stored is purely to enable us to provide information about Big Wood and no information will be passed to any third party. If, nevertheless, you would like your details deleted from the list, please email us

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