Club Outings - Staffhurst Wood Guided Walk

O Happy Band of Pilgrims ... a good turnout for the walk!

Many thanks to David and Jane Firmin, for arranging a guided walk through Staffhurst Wood (click the name for details) for the Club.  Also many thanks to our guide,  Bob Crompton, the reserve manager in charge of the woods for the Surrey Wildlife Trust.  This guided tour was extremely popular with the club, with a very good turnout which was pleasing not just for us, but for Bob who had so kindly given up his Sunday afternoon to show us around.  If you missed it, don't worry, as the woods are open all year round for self-guided walks; Bob also does other arranged walks.  The Surrey Wildlife Trust also manages a number of sites around us, and runs a number of events which may be of interest to the members - contact details are listed at the end of the article.

One of the largest oak trees - the clearing has to be managed

One of the great advantages of a guided walk such as this is the ability to discover things that you simply would not have known about, and the workings of the Trust that manages the woodland.  In an early part of the walk, we came across one of the largest oaks in the wood, which situated in a clearing that has to be maintained, and also some wild orchids that we would easily have missed had we been on our own.  We also discovered some Wild Servis trees, which are apparently the hallmark of Ancient Woodland - again, we would have walked right past these on our own, but should you like to try to find them there are identification photos below.

A wild orchid in the grass - we can't say where,
or we would have to shoot you.

And for a well-deserved plug, please note that, if you missed the walk, Bob does arrange others.  They may be found on the Surrey Wildlife Trust website, www.surreywildlifetrust.org (though it does take some work to get to them - try the What's On section).  Also, Bob has a number of volunteers who manage the woodland and is always looking for some more to help - so if the walk or the woodland inspired you, please do contact either the Wildlife Trust, or David Firmin at a club meeting, and offer your services.  Chainsaws, apparently, are not obligatory, nor is singing Monty Pyton's "Lumberjack Song" ...  contact details are info@surreywt.org.uk for general information, or volunteers@surreywt.org.uk if you have time to give.

One of the Wild Servis trees

And the Servis tree bark, which is distinctive ...