Tuesday 3rd August

Step into Nature! North Town Walk

We walked from North Town, Aldershot to Ash Lock via Eastern Road, the Blackwater Valley Path and canal towpath.

Eric bought a newspaper cutting about the BVCP ‘Keep an eye on butterflies’. Eric and Bob would like to attend the course and as they live locally they could support each other on surveys.

Seed pods observed – Himalayan Balsam, Rose Bay Willow Herb and Yellow Flag Irises (by canal). Some Himalayan Balsam are bleached white by the sun. Maybe we will hear exploding seeds next week. Hilda talked about exploding Gorse seed pods.

Butterflies - five Speckled Wood and unidentified whites seen along BV Path,

Bulrushes were observed by the canal, in the past they were used to make baskets. Bracken has swamped brambles on canal towpath where earlier in the year we saw a Peacock butterfly. Fewer butterflies seen there today, more were seen on BV Path. We may also have seen Dogwood berries on BV Path and yellow Cinquefoils on canal.

Mature, dead tree (Ash?) at base of canal/BV path junction
now has some life. Ivy is dead. How old is this Ash Tree? We
discussed tree rings, and how to estimate age using girth and height calculations. To maintain interest we could try to estimate its height in winter.

Does the Mediterranean have common nettles? Common nettles are a European species. The Mediterranean does have its own nettle variety. Mediterranean winters are cool and wet with climate similar to UK, summers are much warmer and drier.  Bob pointed out that nettles have rhizomes.  If nettle seeds germinate at winter temperatures and plants die back in winter, and if rhizomes survive the winter, and nettles set seed before summer die back then we thought that they could survive. Now all we have to do is visit the Mediterranean!

Christine Pieters

Activity Leader, Step into Nature! Rushmoor Healthy Living

Find out more about the Rushmoor Healthy Walks programme >>>