Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest
19th August 2008
Autumn at Bedgebury
What better place to spend a crisp autumn day than at Bedgebury? Visitors can enjoy the colours and smells of this evocative time of year on one of our Health Walks, or bring their family to gather seeds at our October event. They can also follow the Autumn Trail and discover more about the National Pinetum’s trees.
There’s far more to Bedgebury than just a play park and a cycle track. This newsletter highlights some of the important things that are happening here, such as our tree conservation work with China and the recent study delving into the site’s archaeological past.
Tree News
Chris Reynolds - Curator
The Tree Team has been clearing the chestnut coppice around the Visitor Centre to make room to expand the conifer collection and create a gateway into the Pinetum.
All but one of the basket plantings in the lake has flushed (all three Water Tupalo and four of the five Swamp Cypresses). It's an encouraging start and we'll continue to monitor their progress over the winter months.
Wooden stakes surrounded by a circle of dead grass indicate the locations of our next plantings. Each stake is marked with a tree name and number. These spaces will turn into trees towards the end of September and early October.
Propagator Dan Luscombe is busy potting up seedlings from seed collected in Australasia and South America, which will form an important part of the Conifer Conservation plantings in the Plots area.
Dan and I are in China this Autumn helping field staff from the Wuhan and Shanghai Botanic Gardens to investigate the conservation issues facingThuja sutchuenensis andPicea neoveitch., as part of a project with Fauna & Flora International (FFI). With our focus on conifers and unique links into the Forestry Commission's bilateral agreement with China, we could be looking at a long-term strategy of assistance in conserving China's wonderful flora.
Christmas trees
Christmas tree sales return to their old home in Bedgebury's Walled Garden this year. A quality selection of Nordmann firs, Norway spruces and Lodgepole pines will be available from Friday 5th December. Proceeds from sales are channelled back into Bedgebury's important conservation work. Everyone who buys a tree at Bedgebury this year will receive a free voucher to visit Bedgebury before the end of March.
Accreditation for Bedgebury's Health Walks
The Bedgebury Health Walks have recently received accreditation from WHI (Walking the way to Health), a joint initiative between Natural England and the British Heart Foundation. The Health Walks are now part of a nationally evaluated scheme, recognised by health professionals, prospective partners and funders.
For more information please call 01580 879820, email bedgebury@forestry.gsi.gov.uk or visit www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury (What's On).
A little help from our Friends
The Friends of Bedgebury Pinetum Volunteer Group runs right through the winter on the second Sunday of each month. Projects will include tree planting and rhododendron clearing. There are jobs for all abilities. Please call in to the Friends Room in the Visitor Centre for more details or visit www.bedgeburypinetum.org.uk.
Bedgebury Archaeological Survey
The Forestry Commission recently commissioned landscape archaeologist Dr Nicola Bannister and landscape ecologist Debbie Bartlett (with assistance from volunteers from the local community) to carry out an archaeological assessment of Bedgebury Forest.
The project, which received generous support from the Local Heritage Initiative, has revealed many strange and interesting facts from Bedgebury's long and varied history. A summary of the findings is now available on the Bedgebury website www.forestry.gov.uk/bedgebury - Bedgebury News
Bedgebury embraces Greenerways policy
With REDUCE, REUSE & RECYCLE as our slogan, Bedgebury is doing its bit for the environment by championing the Forestry Commission's Greenerways corporate sustainability policy. We have also signed up to the Green Tourism Business Scheme.
Our rubbish is now taken to a recycling depot for sorting. All suitable materials are recycled and the remainder is incinerated. Nothing goes to landfill. At present over 60% of our rubbish is recycled.
Life Amongst The Trees
Cath Armstrong - Learning & interpretation Manager
I've always been interested in wildlife and trees. After a Natural Sciences degree and an MA in Nature Conservation, I started work as Education Officer for Devon Wildlife Trust and then with the Natural History Museum in London. Whilst there, I came down to Bedgebury for a Pulp concert and fell in love with the place. Fatefully, the job of Bedgebury's Education Manager came up soon afterwards.
Nearly 4000 children have come to Bedgebury on education trips this year. I'm fortunate to have a really impressive team of education staff to help devise and deliver programmes that are both valuable and fun. Some of the children from more urban areas are experiencing trees and nature almost for the first time. We also run popular holiday children's events that include seed gathering, orienteering, nest box making and The Big Draw.
The other aspect of my job is interpretation - communicating to our visitors the important role that the National Pinetum plays in international conifer conservation through information panels, the website and this Seasonal Guide. If we can inflame people's passion for trees and the environment, hopefully it will last a lifetime and the future of the planet will be in safe hands.
Bedgebury is a lovely place to work, but perhaps the key element for me is the Pinetum's conservation role. I believe there is a real harmony here between being an important international scientific resource and a beautiful place to spend a day out in the country.
Autumn Events
Autumn Seeds
Sat 4 Oct 11.30am-12.30pm all ages
Sat 4 Oct 1.30pm-2.30pm all ages
This is your chance to collect seed from Bedgebury’s famous trees, and pot up a seed to take home. £2 per young person
The Big Draw
Tues 28 Oct 11am-4.30pm all ages
The Big Draw is the UK’s biggest free art event with over a million people getting back to the drawing board. Come to our drop-in, all-day event and be part of Bedgebury’s contribution to this national sensation.
Free drop-in art event
PRE-BOOKING ESSENTIAL
Please contact Visitor Services on 01580 879820
Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest, Park Lane, Goudhurst, Kent TN17 2SL