Vandals target saplings at Midhurst pond
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The team of volunteers who care for and maintain South Pond and the Jubilee Path in Midhurst have said that, yet again, the site has been targeted by vandals.
The historic pond, which has recently undergone a £68,000 restoration, is bursting back into life with the warmer weather. Goslings have hatched, a reed warbler has been heard singing on the south side, and frogs have returned to the water.
In March, volunteers planted 103 native trees along the path, creating much‑needed understorey beneath the larger trees and helping to improve habitat for wildlife.
However, the team said: “We have found many of the stakes removed and some thrown into the trees.
“People also regularly come along the path near the Orchard with bags or wheelbarrows to dump garden rubbish. This has also flattened the saplings, which no longer had stakes.
“Our volunteers have spent time finding the saplings and trying to protect them again, but sadly, some are lost.
“Substantial wooden stakes have also been removed from the bigger trees, but this is quite common. Vandals often leave the rubber tree ties behind. We do not nail them on in case they damage the tree whilst trying to pull them out of the ground.”
The South Pond volunteers believe that there is no single group responsible for the damage, but several members of the public who do not respect the space.
“Although we accept that there are likely to be some problems, we want Jubilee Path and South Pond to be thought of as a pleasant place for people to enjoy, whether passing through or sitting and relaxing.”
The South Pond Group also said that, to that end, they are gradually placing NFC tags on the trees so that people can find out more about the different trees in the area via their phones.
They are also inviting residents to two wildlife events over the summer. On 11 July at 10 am, the team will be opening their moth trap and welcoming visitors to help identify the wide variety of moth species found locally before releasing them back into the wild.
Then, on 7 August at 8.30 pm, they will host their annual Bat Safari, where members of the public can use bat detectors to listen for and identify the bats that hunt and fly around the area.