05 May 2024
As they move from what has so far proved a depressingly wet and chilly spring toward (fingers crossed) several months of warmer and more settled weather, the Friends of Jersey Lane (FoJL) have reflected on a busy first year since its formation.
The group now has more than 50 members and looks forward to recruiting many more local residents interested in helping to maintain the Lane for the benefit of its wide range of users – hikers, cyclists, runners and dog-walkers – and further developing its biodiversity for the benefit of the community.
FoJL Chair Jim Watson explained: “Over the past year, groups of volunteers have been involved in a number of activities, including the removal of non-native species such as snowberry and laurel and the planting of ‘whips’ (very young trees) along a stretch of the Lane.
“These are now producing leaf buds and we look forward to observing them as they mature.
“Likewise, following the clearance by working parties of areas of nettle and bramble, wildflower seeding has been undertaken and further sowings will take place between now and the autumn.”
Jim continued: “FoJL now has plans to develop a longer-term programme of seasonal projects which, we anticipate, will include improvements to reduce instances of flooding at particular points on the Lane, hedge laying and further tree-planting.
“Ecological surveys, to be carried out with the assistance and expertise of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust, feature significantly in our future plans. These will build upon, for example, a bat survey, undertaken last autumn, which provided evidence of the existence of no less than seven species of bat in the environs of the Lane. One of FoJL’s members is currently engaged in building up a profile of the Lane’s varied birdlife using the Merlin app, which identifies bird species through their song.”
Alongside these activities, FoJL is pressing on with the development of a website providing comprehensive information and up-to-date news to expand upon what is currently available on its Facebook page.
“And, in the meantime”, added Jim, “We are seeking sponsorship from local companies as well as examining the possibilities of applying for funding from environmental projects, including the Net Zero Community Fund.”
FoJL welcomes interest from any potential new members, who can find out more by contacting friendsofjerseylane@gmail.com. The group would also love to hear from anyone with information or memories of Jersey Lane stretching back prior to the development of the Jersey Farm Estate.
