High Woods at autumn

Sarah Page , of the Sussex Truggery at Herstmonceux told members of High Woods Preservation Society in a talk following Saturday's annual meeting that she hopes to return to the High Woods soon to obtain more chestnut poles '“ used to make the trugs' frames.

When she does, her small team will bring with them the notice they customarily exhibit for the benefit of people who became worried because they believe they are seeing trees "destroyed."

It reads: "Maintaining woodland as coppice is important for wildlife."

Sarah told society members: "Putting the sign up seems to help people understand that coppicing has to be done because it will re-generate the trees and it is the way of keeping the woods going for thousands of years."

Sarah Page had brought a variety of trugs '“ conventional from Size 0 to half-bushel Size 10 -round ones for eggs and horse-feed, flat ones for cut flowers.

She had also brought a shaving bench, a froe for splitting sweet chestnut, a draw-knife for shaving cricket-bat willow and a hammer.

She took her audience through the painstaking, centuries-old process of trug basket-making from splitting, seasoning and steaming the chestnut to make the frame to putting the willow through a thicknesser and shaping it with the draw-knife before fitting it into the frame.

Crucially, she explained the importance of the coppicing process. It had taken a team of three, in another location three days to find enough straight chestnut free of knots and chainsaw marks to cut 75 poles.

But an area in the High Woods coppicing four years ago yielded "250 wonderful poles" in a day.

Earlier, society chairman the Rev Paul le Sueur, had begun his annual report by noting that at a time of credit crunch worries, the High Woods, now in their Autumn colours, were a wonderful place to walk and enjoy nature.

This, he said, was because of the work of the society's committee and its volunteer work-parties.

The society had lost its woodland warden and had been unable to replace her but everyone had worked to see that her duties had been fulfilled.

After many years of faithful service, Bob Goodwin had resigned as treasurer. His place had been taken by Alan Dengate.

A new management agreement had now been signed with Rother District Council as land-owner.

Because of the difficulty with hand-distribution, the society's newsletter, edited by Dave Creed, was now posted to members.

Society president and former woodland warden Alan Malpass is now acting honorary warden.

Alan reminded the meeting of the words of last year's report "The weather has yet again been a pain'¦"

He added: "For 2007 read 2008 because it's been exactly the same."

The poor June had affected butterflies in particular because they were unable resist wind and rain.

He had seen only one White Admiral in the woods all summer.

Looking ahead to 2009, he said: "What we really need in a proper summer'¦"

There was concern also for hibernating mammals such as hedgehogs, bats and dormice '“ evidence of which had been found in the woods.

If a mild spell in late winter tempted hedgehogs abroad and was followed by a cold snap they would not have the fat reserves to survive.

"Another factor of climate change is that we are getting more and more reports of chiffchaffs and blackcaps in the woods in winter."

Though the wet August had been a wash-out for all concerned, it was one of the reasons the High Woods were now resplendent in such vivid Autumn colours.

The really exciting news had been the sighting on one of Alan Dengate's evening rambles of glowworms. The fact that they hadn't been seen recently in the woods did not mean that that had not been there but simply that nobody had been in right place at the right time to see them.

Buzzards had again been seen above the woods.

Volunteer work-parties had continued to care for the woods and the president invited anyone interested in joining to take a copy of the timetable.

The next Fungi Forays open to the public would be tomorrow and the next Saturday.

Alan Dengate's treasurer's report showing that the society has assets totaling 4,839.92 was approved.

Membership secretary Ann Vollor reported that membership was up from 224 last year to 236.

Officers were re-elected en bloc.