Flora
Surprise Spindle Trees Uncovered
During the site clearance work carried out on Forbes Field on Saturday, 12 November 2022, two rather attractive trees with bright pink and orange fruits were discovered once some dense Blackthorn scrub and Sycamore saplings had been removed. We were all rather puzzled as to what they might be. Our resident native tree expert, Neil Pattenden, soon revealed them to be none other than Spindle Trees (Euonymus europaeus).
Spindle trees are so-called because their creamy-white, hard and dense wood was used in the past for making spindles for spinning and holding wool. According to the Woodland Trust, ‘mature trees grow to 9m and can live for more than 100 years’. The tree is ‘native to much of Europe and can be found most commonly on the edges of forests and in hedges, scrub and hedgerows’. It ‘thrives in chalky soils’. Interestingly, the same source informs us that ‘Spindle is an ancient-woodland indicator.
If you spot it while you're out exploring, it could be a sign you're standing in a rare and special habitat’. This information surely augers well for the diversity of Forbes Field.
In the meantime, the two Spindle Trees we found are providing valuable wildlife habitats. The Woodland Trust details:
The leaves are eaten by caterpillars of moths, including the magpie, spindle ermine and scorched, as well as the holly blue butterfly. The leaves also attract aphids and their predators, including hoverflies, ladybirds and lacewings, as well as the house sparrow and other species of bird. The flowers are a rich source of nectar and pollen for insects such as the St Mark’s fly.
So we shall do our best to conserve these special Spindle Trees, an unexpected but rewarding find in Forbes Field. No doubt we will be making several more interesting discoveries in the months to come.
your own text and edit me. It's easy.
Spindle Tree .
Euonymus Europaus
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Snowberry (white hedge) Symphoricarpos doorenbosii.
These are good for wildlife but should not be eaten as they cause a mild stomach upset. There are lots of these in the autumn.
Crab Apple
Malus Silvestris
Fauna
Red Kite
Buzzard
Dear Oh Deer! Roe deer also enjoy visiting the field
Dark Sky
Chilmark Dark Sky Village Campaign
Chilmark sits within the Cranborne Chase Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The AONB was the first in the country to be designated as an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2019. For details, follow please look here.
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But villages such as Chilmark need to be accredited individually to gain their own ‘Dark Skies’ status, which we in the Forbes Field community aspire to.
Last year Steve Tonkin from the AONB and Rod Greening, our resident astronomer, walked around Chilmark looking at most of the outside lights on houses in the village, including porch and security lights. Our findings were that at least 80% of them didn’t comply with the latest guidelines. This means that most of the light energy is wasted by shining horizontally or up into the Night sky causing increased light pollution.
To obtain Dark Village Status this light pollution has to be drastically reduced. Details of how to reduce light pollution were mentioned in the December/January issue of the Village Voice. Replacing poorly positioned and excessively bright outside lights in accordance with these guidelines will help reduce:
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Your electricity bill.
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The disturbance to wildlife.
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Light pollution in the Village and the Cranborne Chase AONB.
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The UK's carbon footprint.
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And should also please your neighbours, whether they are amateur astronomers or not! Let’s all work together to make Chilmark Dark Sky Friendly!
