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News from the park – Wednesday volunteers

Flower beds

On Wednesday,  the volunteers carried out the usual litter and dog poo picking. We also cleared the flower bed in front of the cafe of the ornamental grasses. This was because they were starting to smother the rose bushes. With this done, we could prune the roses that could not be reached last week.

The bed looks a bit of a mess now but we will tidy it up this coming Wednesday and meanwhile consider what new plants we might put in. Hopefully, over the winter months, a number of the existing primulas will provide a bit of colour.

Sand on the promenade

Having cleared the western end of the promenade of sand and debris last week, we found that the eastern end was not so bad. What had been deposited there was returned to the beach.

Fallen tree

The previous Wednesday, we were busy at the western end of the park. So we are not sure when it occurred – but we see that a tree near the redundant outdoor education centre had blown over in the recent strong winds. We’ve reported this to the Council who will hopefully deal with it soon. The Council doesn’t allow our volunteers to use power tools in the park – something that we are working hard to change!

Marine life

A spectacular looking star fish was seen today – the largest one I have seen in one our beach. A man was trying to return it to the water without much success as the next wave beached it again. Not being an expert on marine life, I’m not sure if it is too late once it has been deposited on the beach – perhaps there is an expert out there who can let us know.

Last week we noted that something in the water near a groyne had taken the interest of a lady – she informed us it was a cuttlefish she had seen swimming, but when I got there hoping for a photo it had disappeared. We know they are about as it is not unusual to find the odd cuttlefish bone on the beach.

Get involved

If you would like to get some fresh air, meet people and make a difference, then come and join one of our volunteering groups.

Wednesday Volunteers – meet every Wednesday in Hamworthy Park, 9.30 am outside the park cafe. Just turn up!

Saturday Volunteers – we run a programme of Saturday volunteer events roughly once a month.

See our website or Facebook for further details. Or get in contact.

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Sand on the Promenade

It’s been a week of high tides and winds! And as such, a great deal of sand and debris had been deposited on the promenade.

If it is left on the promenade, it builds up and can make life difficult for wheelchairs, pushchairs and young children on their scooters.

So, on Wednesday, two volunteers spent a couple of hours shovelling and sweeping it all back onto the beach. Unfortunately, we were unable to clear the whole of the prom as the amount of sand gradually took its toll on the elderly volunteers.

Fortunately, the Wednesday morning weather was very good and as we progressed, first coats were removed then cardigans! We concentrated our efforts on the worst areas and did manage to clear the stretch from the western end to the central footpath as can be seen in the before and after photos.

No doubt the volunteers will be back before winter is done!

 
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Hedgehogs & Hibernation

Hamworthy Hedgehog rescue are back to give you some autumn advice on all things “hedgehog”.

Hibernating or just sleeping? 

Hedgehogs are one of the few mammals that are true hibernators. Hibernation is a complicated and often perilous energy conservation strategy. It is not just ‘going to sleep’. In sleep, all bodily functions remain nearly normal. But in hibernation, the metabolism is almost at a standstill.

During hibernation, hedgehogs drop their body temperature to match their surroundings and enter a state of torpor. This allows them to save a lot of energy but slows down all other bodily functions making normal activity impossible.

Building up fat reserves

Those hedgehogs visiting your garden over the next month will be trying to get as much body fat built up as possible. This is so that they can be ready to hibernate – so please do keep providing food and water for your visiting hedgehogs.

Please note that hedgehogs are nocturnal animals and ordinarily will not be out and about during daylight hours. If you do see one, there is every likelihood that it is in some kind of difficulty. It may require professional assistance. As with every rule, there are always exceptions; if the hog that you’ve spotted looks very active and busy please try to observe before intervening. Don’t forget that we are dealing with live, wild creatures and each case will be different.

How do I know if a hedgehog needs help? 

It is generally considered that hedgehogs who are less than 600 – 650 grams by the end of October are too small to hibernate, and are unlikely to survive the winter. However, here in the South, if it remains mild this can be stretched on into November. Once we have a frost, any hogs under 600g will be in trouble.

Any small hedgehog that you see out after October is in serious trouble, and will be desperately looking for food to increase its weight in order to hibernate. This will be difficult because its natural food is declining.

How to help a hedgehog in trouble

These hedgehogs must be rescued and over-wintered by a suitably equipped hedgehog rescue/carer. If you should find such a hedgehog pick it up and place it into a high sided, escape-proof box. Fill a hot water bottle or a pop bottle with hot water and wrap it in a towel. Place the towel-wrapped hot water bottle or pop bottle in the bottom of the box and pop the hedgehog in next to it. Place another towel over the hedgehog and close the box – be aware, hedgehogs can climb out of boxes!

Then phone us (Hamworthy Hedgehog Rescue) on 07587 925476, or alternatively call the BHPS on 01584 890 801 for details of your local hedgehog rescue.

If you are ever worried about the health or welfare of a hedgehog, please call the British Hedgehog Preservation Society on 01584 890801. They will be able to give you advice, and put you in touch with a local rescue centre if necessary.

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Saturday volunteers – Keeping Hamworthy Tidy

After the success of the 2018 autumn/winter Saturday volunteer programme, FOHP is running it again.

Caring for Hamworthy Park is our primary goal. But our constitution also states that we should seek to look after and improve other Hamworthy green space.

Working with community groups

With this in mind, we have organised litter picks in the wider Hamworthy area together with as many other community groups as possible.

Our hope is that this will lead to new friends groups for other Hamworthy greenspace that we can share our skills with. The more green space that is cared for by volunteers, the better. This is because it gives local people a say in how these spaces are managed and maintained – preserving them for future generations.

Areas we have litter picked

– St Michaels Churchyard and Cobbs lane – together with St Michael’s Church
– The flower beds outside McColl’s, the area around the Adam Practice, Dentist, and along Blandford Road.
– Rigler Road
– Hamworthy Recreation Ground
– Tuckers’ field, the area outside the library and along Blandford Road
– Ham Common – together with Poole Heathlands
– Bluebell Woods – together with 1st Hamworthy Cubs

Sucess in Bluebell Woods

The biggest success has been the creation of the “Bluebell Woods and Community Garden” group led by St Michaels Church. A chance conversation between the Vicar and one of our Trustees led to us supporting this fledgling group. We helped the project with contacts at the Council and Dorset Wildlife Trust, funding knowledge, and project planning.

The project has now been accepted on the Dorset Wildlife Trust’s “Urban Green” project. It aims to bring the 2 acres of woodland behind St Michael’s back into community use.

This is a great example of how we can work together with other groups to care for and preserve Hamworthy’s green spaces.

Success – Hamworthy in Bloom

Another success has been the replanting and repainting of the planters along Blandford Road. Ultimately, the wooden ones will need replacing. But in the meantime, we’ve given them a lick of paint and planted them up to look stunning! The flower bed outside McColls is a work in progress.

This year’s programme

We have spoken with Council officers and Councillors about potential improvements to Tuckers field – watch this space!

And we’ve got dates for these litter picks up to Christmas:

  • Saturday, 5th October – Bluebell woods, St Michael’s Church
  • Saturday, 16th November – Turlin Moor
  • Saturday, 14th December – Hoyal Road zigzag and Carisbrooke play area

We are happy to take suggestions on places to pick in the new year.

Less litter

The really good news is that at many of the sites there is now much less litter to pick up. This is because we have removed the historic litter and organised regular picks. It is heartening to see that local volunteers can make such a big difference and that regularly clearing an area means less litter gets dropped overall.

Our autumn and winter programme is the perfect way to get involved in caring for your local green spaces – and you can just turn up!

How can I join in?

If you’d like to join in one of our litter picks, we advertise the time and dates on both our website and Facebook page – just come along and lend a hand!

If you are part of a community group and would like to work together on one of these picks, just get in touch and we’ll take it from there.

You can make a difference, so what’s stopping you?

Poster: FOHP Autumn and Winter Litter Picks 2019

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Donate to the Friends of Hamworthy Park with Amazon Smile

If you shop with Amazon –  and who doesn’t – Amazon smile is a great way to donate to Friends of Hamworthy Park.  Amazon gives 0.5% of the net purchasing price to your selected charity.

On the website

Simply go to smile.amazon.co.uk, sign in and select Friends of Hamworthy Park as your Charity.

On the App

If you are an AmazonSmile customer, you can now support The Friends Of Hamworthy Park in the Amazon shopping app on your Android device! Simply follow these instructions to turn on AmazonSmile and start generating donations.

  1. If you have the latest version of the Amazon Shopping App, open the App on your Android device.
  2. View Settings and select AmazonSmile.
  3. Follow the in App instructions to complete the process.

It’s incredibly simple and easy to do. So why wait!

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Report a problem in Hamworthy Park

It is often hard to know where to report issues in the park. While we at FOHP try to forward on any issues we are aware of, it is really useful and important to have park users report these issues themselves.

It helps the Council or Police to build an accurate picture of the issues facing park users.

Below, you can find information about who and where to report common park issues.

Reporting to the Council

Report a general problem with the park to the Council:
https://www.poole.gov.uk/sports-and-leisure/parks-and-open-spaces/report-a-problem-in-a-park-or-open-space/

Or give them a call on: 01202 265265

Council “Out of Hours” team: 0800 506050
Use this to report maintenance issues that need immediate attention or are dangerous, outside of normal office hours.

Reporting to the police

Police non-emergency number: 101
Please do report vandalism, threatening or intimidating behaviour (after the fact) – even if the police cannot help, it gives them a picture of the issues facing park users and that is useful.

Use 101 to…

  • to give the police information about crime in your area
  • to speak to the police about a police related enquiry
  • if your car has been stolen
  • if your property has been damaged
  • if you suspect drug use or dealing in your local area
  • to report a minor traffic accident

Police emergency: 999
If a crime is in progress or life is in danger, then call the emergency number.

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Litter in the Park – June 2019 Update

litter in hamworthy park

You may remember that last year, litter was a big problem in the park over the summer months. And you’ll have seen it for yourself when using the park.

What’s the problem?

Last year, there was an increase in park use due to the warm weather, along with the Council’s policy of removing some bins while replacing others.

Fenced-in area

Of particular concern, all the bins were removed from the fenced-in paddling pool and play area. This area has a number of picnic benches and is heavily used by families visiting the paddling pool, eating picnics and playing on the play equipment.

It’s the one place in the park that really needs litter bins! Why? Because it is where the most litter is generated. Also, with all the bins being outside the fenced area, parents/carers feel uneasy about leaving children in this area unattended while they take litter outside to the bins. Equally, they are unhappy about letting children out to put litter in the bins themselves as they pass out of view.

The removal of these bins was supposed to reduce the amount of litter being dropped in the fenced-in area. However, it has resulted in an increase in litter, smashed glass and dirty nappies.

Car park bins

Also, the removal of a number of bins from around the car park has resulted in a noticeable increase in littering there. Again, this area has picnic benches and is heavily used – one of the places you that really needs bins.

These increases meant that FOHP litter picking volunteers were in the park 2 to 3 times more than normal last year – an unsustainable amount.

You can read about the issues from last year, here, and a follow up at the end of the season, here.

What’s been done?

This year FOHP have tried to get ahead of the curve with mixed results.

Discussion with the Council

In March, we sat down with the Council to discuss possible ways of reducing litter for the 2019 season.

Ideally, we want bins reinstated in the fenced of paddling pool and play area, and by the car park. We have been told previously that this will not happen.

In addition to this, our suggestions included:

  • Support from the Council litter team on bank holidays.
  • Temporary bins in strategic places in agreement with our volunteers, including by the western entrance to the paddling pool.
  • Signs in the paddling pool area to show where bins are positioned outside the gates.
  • High profile visits from the dog wardens

Of these suggestions, the Council agreed to place two temporary bins in the park – but like last year, they will not put both of them where our volunteers suggest.

Education

FOHP have been running litter picks with various nurseries and youth groups. This helps teach children the value of looking after our green spaces and hopefully, they’ll grow up to respect our open spaces. It also means more litter getting picked in the park.

Local community groups

In addition, we’ve had a number of local groups asking to pick litter in the park. Of course, we said yes! And thank you!

Next steps

We will be making our local Councillors aware of the issues as well as organising additional litter picks in the park over the summer months.

The issue of bins in the fenced off paddling pool and play area is a safety issue as much as a littering issue and needs to be addressed – ideally with the reinstatement of these bins.