The upkeep of the Fords Green is the responsibility of FGMC and the sports clubs and is performed by volunteers from these organisations. These volunteers are not experts in groundskeeping nor in improving biodiversity. Mistakes may have been made in the past and will probably be made in the future. However, the volunteers are enthusiastic and willing to learn and indeed already have considerable relevant knowledge.
We at FGMC would like to increase the biodiversity of Fords Green whilst also:
- providing pitches suitable for the playing of stoolball, cricket and football;
- meeting the performance targets of the Pitch Improvement Project funded by the FootballFoundation;
- providing a suitable environment for the local community for recreation, dog walking, village fete, etc.
We have identified a number of possible approaches to increase biodiversity at the site. We would like to focus on a small number of these approaches in order to make a start on the project:
- weeds on the pitches – control using cultural techniques and only use herbicides as a last resort & then with spot applications;
- grass length – let the grass grow under the perimeter fence & leave it longer at the perimeter;
- bird boxes, bat boxes, bug hotels and hedgehog shelters – build and install;
- shade underplanting between trees on road boundary of native shrubs that are good atsupporting wildlife;
- Buddleia planting in some sunnier perimeter areas;
- green electricity supplier – investigate switching;
- Weald to Waves project – sign-up.
Are there any volunteers in the local community who would like to help us with this project please? We are hoping that volunteers could: build bird and bat boxes; supply / plant Hazel, Guelder Rose and Dogwood cuttings / bare-root plants; supply and plant some Buddleia cuttings. If you’re interested in helping please get in touch with Gavin on chair@nutleyfc.co.uk. We’d be happy to receive any suggestions from people with knowledge of plants, etc.
Here are some bird boxes plans: https://www.bto.org/…/putting-nest-boxes…/make-nest-box
and bat boxes which you can find here: