News Release
18 November 2014 – For immediate release
Quadron and IHS help improve habitat for rare dormice
On November 4th, a team of employees from global information company, IHS, put aside keyboards and conference calls for the day to help manage the woodland in Happy Valley Park in Croydon, which is home to a population of rare dormice.
The ‘Day of Caring’ was organised by Croydon Council and grounds maintenance contractor, Quadron Services, after IHS contacted the council to express a heartfelt desire to repeat the success of previous ‘Caring for Coulsdon Days’.
Quadron was very happy to assist by leading a day of conservation-related activities in Happy Valley Park. At just over 100 hectares, the park is Croydon Council’s largest public open space, and most of the site is designated as a Site of Specific Scientific Interest (SSSI) of national importance for wildlife.
The team of 17 willing volunteers spent a glorious day in the sun, clearing bramble from ‘Devilsden Wood’, an area of ancient woodland within the park. The work will allow woodland flowers, such as bluebells, and recently-planted hazel trees to flourish, as well as providing ideal habitat for the resident population of dormice, which are a rare and protected species.
The day involved cutting back the bramble using loppers and other hand tools, and raking the cuttings into piles and burning them on a bonfire. Quadron’s Countryside Warden, Dominic North, said:“It was hard but incredibly satisfying work, and we saw a huge difference before and after the task, which will be rewarded by a great display of spring woodland flowers next year.”
The dormice and other wildlife are encouraged by ‘coppicing’ the woodland, which involves cutting some of the trees down to ground level each year and allowing them to re-grow over a period of years. This creates sunny glades for woodland flowers and butterflies, and, as the trees grow back, provides homes for species such as woodland birds and dormice.
However, for the first few years after coppicing, the glades can be overtaken by vigorous bramble re-growth, which smothers the woodland flowers, such as bluebells, and competes with some of the young trees in these areas. Clearing the bramble is extremely valuable work.
Team leader Neil Wiese, head of content at IHS, said everyone felt uplifted (albeit a little stiffer in the back) after achieving a noticeable clearing of the wood on the day: “We took this on not really knowing what we were letting ourselves in for, but just wanting to put something back into the community. As it turned out, we think we got more back than we put in because it was just so peaceful and therapeutic working with nature. Our people raved about it to colleagues when they got back to work and now everyone wants to do it next year.
“It was also an eye-opener to most of the team that such a majestic patch of English beauty and tranquillity as Devilsden Wood is just a few minutes by car from their Brighton Road place of work.”
The IHS volunteers
One of Happy Valley’s resident dormice
Ends
Notes to editors:
About Quadron Services
Formed in 1993, Quadron Services is an award-winning green space management company focussed on ‘Cultivating Sustainable Green Communities’.
Happy Valley has been awarded 11 Green Flag Awards and numerous Britain/London in Bloom prizes, including the Britain in Bloom Conservation Award 2009 and London’s Country Park of the Year 2013.
Already 11 times a Green Flag Award winner, Happy Valley has also held the London in Bloom Environment Trophy (2002), the London Biodiversity Award and Certificate of Excellence (2006), the Britain in Bloom Conservation Award (2009), London in Bloom Gold Award (2012, 2013 and 2014), London’s Best Country Park Award (2013).
In 2014, Dominic North, who works for Quadron as a Countryside Warden in Happy Valley Park, received a personal commendation from London in Bloom in recognition of his dedication to Croydon’s parks and open spaces, in particular, for the work he has done to help maintain Happy Valley as one of Croydon’s finest natural resources.
Quadron has been providing grounds maintenance services to Croydon Council’s parks and green spaces since 1st February 2014.
Quadron’s other clients include The Royal Boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Kingston upon Thames, The London Boroughs of Southwark and Hammersmith & Fulham, Wandsworth, Charnwood and Wokingham Borough Councils, Wycombe District Council, Birmingham City Council, Bristol City Council, Teignbridge District Council and Paragon Community Housing Association.
Quadron’s Managing Director is Clive Ivil.
General contact details – Head Office: Quadron Services Ltd, The Hub, Warne Road, Weston-super-Mare, BS23 3UU.
Tel: 01934 614444
E-mail:
Web:
About IHS
HIS is listed on the NYSE and provides information, data and analysis to aerospace, automotive, chemical, defence, energy, finance, maritime and technology businesses.
The company asks all of its 9,000 employees around the world to volunteer at least one company-paid day a year to the community in which they work.
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