Forest of Marston Vale

CommenTree Newsletters

A GREAT START to the New Year! The cold brought an influx of rare birds to the Park. The star was a Laughing Gull, similar in size and appearance to a Black Headed Gull, a rare visitor from America and a first for Bedfordshire. Also seen were Barn owl, Red-necked and Slavonian Grebe, a pair of Smew, Peregrine, Merlin, Stonechat, Kittiwake and Glaucous, Mediterranean, and Iceland Gulls, Pintail, Shelduck and Goldeneye. In all some 90 species have been seen in the park so far this year. A "Bird News" blackboard and logbook are now in the Forest Centre reception. Why not grab a coffee and write up your sightings, not just the rare ones?

A flock of 14 Waxwings spent a couple of weeks near the interchange Park in Kempston. These gorgeous Starling sized birds arrive when food is short in their northern European wintering grounds. A Bittern was seen near Lidlington, Ferruginous Duck and Scaup at Elstow and three Fulmars briefly at Brogborough.

Mid-April and the spring migration is well under way. Cuckoos are proclaiming their arrival, and Swallows seem to relish being back. Lapwing, Redshank, Snipe and Plovers are on the Wetlands and look out for Wheatears and Whinchats on the Country Park access track and Nightingales at lagoon comer.

I look forward to seeing many of you at the Country Park on our regular Bird Walks (see back page for details). Keep an eye out for more walks advertised on the "Bird News" blackboard in the Centre reception.

Bob Hook (Volunteer)

EDITORS COLUMN

It's amazing to think that it was only a year ago - on 15 April 2000 - that John Craven opened the Forest Centre and Country Park. I will never forget how much it rained, but it couldn't dampen the excitement of the crowds of people who had joined us to celebrate. I am delighted at the number of people who have visited the Centre and Park - many returning time and again. If you haven't been yet, we're easy to find, just follow the brown tourist signs from Bedford or the M1!

Now, I sit in my office admiring the view across the Country Park and thinking of the summer not too far away. The gass is growing and it's time to start getting out and about again. I am looking forward to all the fun that's planned at the Forest Centre and Country Park. I hope you will be able to join us this year.

Our Forest Members organisation has grown over the last year. We have introduced Corporate Friends giving companies the chance to enjoy the benefits and show their support for the Forest. Volunteers are an enormous help to us at the Forest Centre, on reception and in the office as well as with more practical tasks at the Country Park and throughout the Community Forest. I am very grateful to everyone who helps us in this way

The Community Forest continues to grow - around 1/2 million trees have been planted in the Marston Vale to date. Just imagine how that will help to improve the area in the years to come. We get used to thinking ahead working at the Community Forest - but I always wish someone had thought of it sooner - then we would be seeing more benefits today.

Happy Easter to you all - and remember a walk or bike ride will help get rid of those extra Easter egg calories.

Judith Feline

A WALK IN THE WOODS
Saturday 5 May, 4.30am
HERE'S A WALK you can enjoy on a Saturday morning and still be home in time to get to Tesco! Enjoy all the wonders of a springtime dawn and learn from local experts about warblers and other birds, newly arrived at the Country Park. Then join us for breakfast at the Centre. It's a huge effort to get out of bed, but it is really worth it. BOOKING ESSENTIAL, See events page for more details.

SAVE MONEY NOW!!

Become a "FOREST MEMBER" and save money every time you visit the Wetland Reserve and exhibition at the Millennium Country Park.

A family living within the Vale area pays only £30 per year to allow free access to the Wetland Reserve and interactive exhibition, for 2 adults and up to 4 children under 18.

A family of 4, visiting both attractions starts saving money on their third visit. Such low prices can't be held for much longer, so join Forest Members now! Join and be certain that your money will be used to make the Community Forest happen.
CONTACT GUY (01234 762608) FOR MORE DETAILS.

BE SEEN TO BE GREEN

Would you benefit from a partnership with the Forest of Marston Vale and the Forest Centre? Simply by helping us to produce Commentree, your company could be associated with the positive environmental messages flowing from the Forest. Commentree is delivered to over 60,000 homes throughout Bedford and in and around the Marston Vale and is read by people who care about our countryside.

This is your opportunity to boost vital green credentials. Contact Guy Lambourne at the Forest Centre on 01234 762608

2001 MARKS 10 YEARS since the first tree was planted as part of the fledgling Community Forest in the Marston Vale. A huge amount has been achieved over these years including 250 hectares of new woodland planting (that's about the size of 500 football pitches), 30 miles of hedgerows restored or planted, practical projects in half of the Vale villages, and extensive improvements to the public footpaths and bridleway network. These simple facts do not show the involvement of local people, businesses and organisations ranging from ramblers to local junior schools. it is this participation that has been vital in making the Forest happen to date and it will be even more important in the future. if we don't meet local needs and communities are not included in projects on their own doorsteps then the Forest will not succeed.

So, where to next? The Forest team has been working with its partners in local government and national organisations to plan the way ahead. The Forest Plan and other documents provide clear guidance but we will still need the support and involvement of local communities and other groups to make it all happen.

Landowners can improve landscapes and help wildlife to thrive; landfill sites could be woodland havens for people to enjoy, all villages can be 'greened, and have facilities that will

make them even better places in which to live; the Millennium Country Park and Forest Centre will continue to grow in importance as our focal point; cycleways and footpaths can be built and improved so people can use the areas on their own doorsteps without the need for a car.

This is the sort of work that we will be following in the next few years and we hope you will be part of it. The Marston Vale will change rapidly over the next few years as development, landfill and new road schemes continue to make their mark. You may have noticed the new woodlands in the Vale or been involved in village projects and if so, will realise that it is these features that can help to offset the impact of the changing Vale. Trees provide beautiful settings for new homes, screen roads and provide a wonderful cap on finished landfill sites. The Community Forest is a channel for local people to make a difference in their own areas or for local government to make sure that wider environmental issues are dealt with in the best way.

The first 10 years of the Forest of Marston Vale has been very exciting. A huge amount has been achieved and leamt and this will be taken forward to the future. We need your help and support in many different ways so, over the next ten years, make sure you find out more about the Community Forest and what it can do for you. Contact us soon!

CHANGING LANDSCAPES : CHANGING LIVES

Hello everyone! I am Carmela Semeraro, manager of "Changing Landscapes: Changing Lives" an oral History Project sponsored by the Heritage Lottery Fund. I joined the Forest Team at the beginning of January, and what an exciting place this is. From the Centre we have spectacular views of the countryside, where changes are taking place continuously: weather, season and wildlife.

My passion is for recording people's history and memories. Listening to life histories unravels images of continuous change. The aim of the project is to create a picture of life in the Vale since the beginning of the brick industry, through the memories of the men and women who lived and worked here. This will form an archive at the Centre.

In order to achieve this I am launching an appeal for people who worked in the brick industry to come forward and take part in the project, Whatever the job you had; labourer, machine operator, driver, technician, manager, I would like to hear your story. If you did not work in the industry, but family or friends did, please contact me.

I will record the stories on tape and transcribe and store them to provide an archive for people to consult when they come to visit the Centre. I am also collecting old photos and documents. Some of the material will be put on the Web so that people from all over the world can have access to it.

If anybody wants to help with the project as a volunteer, please contact me at the Centre on 01234 762609 or email me at carmela.semeraro@marstonvale.org

Supported by the National Lottery through the Heritage Lottery Fund

Our first interviewee, Mrs Ethel Knight on her 100th birthday.

Below: Miss Ethel Burridge, later Mrs Knight, in 1919 at the age of 18. One of 11 children, Ethel has lived in Lower Shelton all her life.

WHEN YOU THINK of woodlands, images of majestic oak trees, bluebells and woodpeckers might come to hand. Woodlands are often recognised for their wildlife and in improving the landscape, but there are many other ways in which their value is overlooked. This article is a first look at how the growth of our Community Forest will benefit the Marston Vale in the future.

A look back in time some 500 years would see woodlands as countryside factories, providing almost all the needs for medieval life - from faggots (small bundles of twigs used as fuel) to timbers for house-building to wattlework and

fencing materials. Much has changed in our woodlands since then, but one aspect remains the same - woodlands can be made to work. Whilst we've given up building our homes using wattle and daub, we still use a lot of wood. Just think of the amount of wooden flooring put down in the last few years, and the acres of that modem garden essential, timber decking. The difficult part is realising that all of these products can come from managed woodlands.

The important wildlife value that we associate with woodlands is a result of them having been managed to provide useful products throughout history. Tastes have changed over time, but woodlands have still provided products that people want and

need. Whilst woodlands are no longer seen as factories, they do still have the ability to benefit local economics. Woods can be managed to provide a range of sustainable produce that also benefit the environment - charcoal, rustic garden products, high quality furniture, sawn timber, craft products (wooden bowls, ornaments), even oak bark for tanning leather. Few other materials are as versatile as wood, and even fewer can match the environmental credentials of its production (e.g. providing habitats for wildlife, combating global warming, improving the landscape). Look out for the Forest Stewardship Council 'FSC' logo when buying timber in DIY stores to ensure that the

wood has been produced from well-managed woodlands. For more information on wood and timber products, visit www.woodforgood.com, which is a collaboration between a wide range of woodland and timber industries. For more information about using wood as a heating fuel contact the National Energy Foundation in Milton Keynes - Freephone 0800 1380889 or visit www.greenenergy.org.uk

In short, "wood is good" if it's from a well managed, local source. Not only is it truly sustainable, but by producing the raw material, we are managing our woodlands, renewing their vigour and wildlife value, and ensuring they remain a part of our future that also reflect our past.

FOOT & MOUTH DISEASE

At the time of going to press, the countryside is almost completely closed to the public to minimise the risk of the spread of infection. The Millennium Country Park remains open for walkers and cyclists on the cycle tracks only. We hope the outbreak will be controlled soon and that farmers and others can return to normal. However, it is possible that the current situation will continue into the spring and summer. Some events and activities may be affected. Please call or email before you attend if there is any doubt - 01234 767037 or info@marstonvale.org