Environmental Working Group - Minutes

 

Environmental Working Group

Minutes of Meeting: Tuesday 15th July 2008 at 2 pm

 

•  Welcome and Apologies

Present: R.Thorp (Ch), A.Wood (Course Director), B.Payne, J.Moore, S.Evans, T.Jackson.

Apologies: D.Jones, Bryn Roberts (Ass't Greenkeeper), Micky Moore.

 

•  Minutes and Matters Arising

The minutes of the meeting on 14 th April 2008 were agreed and there were no matters arising, not covered by items on the agenda.

 

•  Results of 2008 Questionnaire

Question 8 refers. The only item of concern is the management of long rough. This is a perennial concern and is being addressed by the Course Committee.

 

•  Cheshire Wildlife Trust

Dr Mike Tynen, Ponds Ecologist with the CWT, visited the Club on May 2 nd and May 9 th . His draft report has been seen by RT and BP, and a number of comments have been returned to him. His final report is due shortly. He welcomed the work we are doing on water features, but said that “the ponds would benefit from wider shallow margins to promote more extensive growth of marshy vegetation”. In response to a question he would prefer to see the ‘shelves' sloping so as to provide a variety of depths and a variety of vegetation.

Sue Tatman, Wildlife Gardener with the CWT, will visit the course on July 30 th at 11am. She has already visited, last autumn, and this will constitute a summer visit.

Dr Tynen's and Sue Tatman's reports will form inputs to the general ecological report on the golf course, to be processed into a booklet and put on the website.

 

•  Treatment of Long Rough

A cutter, spinner and bailer have been purchased and cutting of hay has started.

SE noted that just the one cut of hay is possible; if silage had been taken earlier a 2 nd cut would have been possible. From an ecological point of view the hay cut, taken after July 17 th , is preferable so as to allow seed fall and so as not to interfere with ground-nesting birds.

 

•  Ponds/Wetlands

For the 6 th hole the Group agreed that a 1m deep pond should be constructed with a 6m wide sloping shelf at its northern end, ie close to the large oaks. The shelf would form a wetland similar to that in the corner of the 5 th pond nearby

SE suggested, and the Group agreed, that the pond should be as large as possible without causing golfers to divert too far on their way to the green. AW said that the size was not yet finalized and would be looked at again. At present the size is proposed as 25m by 15m.

 

•  Trees

The Group noted the damage done by weed-spraying on May 19 th , when some 50 young trees were affected. Hopefully many will recover but some will probably die. Those that recover will inevitably be set back a year or two. RT would welcome suggestions for future tree planting around the course.

 

 

•  Bird/Bat Boxes

The 3 bat boxes have been set up together on an oak tree to the right of the 5 th fairway.

JM agreed to provide guidance on the siting of a further 14 bird boxes. A draft record of bat/bird boxes and their locations is attached to these minutes and will be put on the website when complete.

 

•  Club Website

AW noted that the website is to be reviewed by the Board.

BP has requested that a summary of the “Environmental Management Plan” be posted on the website. RT will attend to this in due course.

 

•  Eaton Outlook

The next copy date is Wed July 23. Suggestions on possible articles were requested. SE will provide some information on hay-making, to be included in an article by RT/AW on long rough management, (now delayed to the next issue).

 

•  A.O.B.

None.

 

•  Next Meeting

The next meeting will be on Tuesday October 14 th at 2pm.

 

Cc Environmental Working Group

Course Committee