Conservation News
If you should go down to the woods today and discover a caterpillar or two in your hair or on your clothing don't worry, it's perfectly normal for this time of year.
With the rising temperatures of late spring providing a catalyst for growth, the deciduous woodlands of the British Isles increasingly act as a larder for thousands of hidden creatures.
For many of us who enjoy the commons, this situation was recently highlighted by the large numbers of caterpillars that could be seen suspended from their silky life-lines above the commons many woodland tracks.
Among others, one of the most prolific caterpillars to be seen throughout the commons predominantly Oak woodlands has been the green oak tortrix (Tortrix viridana).
Easily identified, the green oak tortrix caterpillar is entirely green in colour and rarely exceeds 12mm in length. Reaching maturity the moth also remains completely green with a wingspan of approximately 20mm.
Coinciding with the initial burst of leaf development, the caterpillars are active as soon as the leaves unfold and steadily feed until the maturing leaves fill with tannin and become unpalatable for the caterpillars consumption. While the damage to leaves is sometimes striking, the trees will survive and no permanent injury is sustained.
For those of you who prefer a little less intimate contact with our woodland inhabitants, it may come as good news that there is only one brood of these caterpillars each year and they are extremely high on the food list for many of our favourite woodland birds
Grass Cutting on The Plain
As part of the Wimbledon and Putney Commons Conservators' committment to improving the ecological condition of the Commons grassland, the Plain will receive an additional cut this year at the end of May.
Forming part of the area that makes up the Commons' SSSI status (Site of Special Scientific Interest), the Plain has been documented as an area of Acid Grassland. In order to restore the appropriate diversity to this area, Natural England has been instrumental in prescribing that a bi-annual cut of approximately 60% of the area would be the best course of action.
After consultation with local experts and interest groups, the areas to be cut were chosen with the aim of causing as little disturbance to the resident fauna as possible.
If you have any queries, please contact our Wildlife and Conservation Officer, Peter Haldane on 
020 8788 7655 or by e-mailing Peter.
Breeding Season for Skylarks - 11th April 2008
The rough grassland covering 2/3rds of The Plain is sensitively managed so as to create a vegetation mosaic of age and structure. This will benefit flora and fauna diversity and provife a suitable nesting side for Skylarks.
The breeding season for Skylarks is April to June and duting this period all walkers are asked to help us preserve this habitat by keeping dogs on a lead and keeping to established footpaths. Please avoid trampling the long grass and do not feed the crows.
Reed Bed on the Kingsmere - 14th March 2008
To improve the environmental and habitat value of the Kingsmere, a small stand of Common reed (Phragmites australis) has been planted along the pond's northern bank. Phragmites australis is Britain's tallest species of grass and, when established, forms dense stands of up to 4 metres in height. THis perennial reed colonises wetland sites through its ability to form an extensive system of stron roots beneath the muddy surface in which it survives.
Phragmites australis has been traditionally harvested for its use in the thatching of roofs but stands of this this reed also play a very important role for birdlife and for the overall enhancement of wetlnd sites.
Acid Grassland
Grass cutting and baling on four acid grassland sites was carried out for the third year by an outside contractor. This is designed to improve the quality of the acid grassland by reducing soil fertility. Funding under a Higher Level StewardshipAgreement with Natural England has been made available for this project.
Ponds / Alien Plants
The contract to chemically control submerged and emergent alien aquatic plants on the Rushmere, Seven Post and Curling ponds has been given to Mid Kent Fisheries. Funding for this project has been provided by Natural England.
The most pernicious of the alien plants found on the Commons is the Australian Stonecrop Crassula helmsii which was first reported on the Commons in 1988. Despite repeated efforts by our own staff to control this plant, it is very resilient and recovery is noticable within two years.
Parrots Feather Myriopyllum aqaticum is another plant that requires regular control. Two chemicals that have been used in the past to control this plant have now been withdrawn. The were Casoron and Reglone.
American Pennywort Hydrocotyle ranunculoides is the most recent of the invasive alien aquatic plants to reach the Commons ponds. The Rushmere is the only site affected and we hope that the professional treatment in March will eradicate the plant before it chokes the pond with its far reaching roots and large round leaves. It should be noted that this plant is a more robust form of the native Pennywort Hydrocotyle vulgaris.
Current Conservation Projects
Heathland Restoration.
In accordance with our Heathland Management Plan, agreed between Natural England and the Common's Conservators, we continue scrub clearance and habitat improvement on the heathland and acid grassland sites.
In the first year of our present Higher Level Stewardship Agreement we have removed a considerable amount of scrub growth from the southern half of Putney Heath. This consisted of mainly Birch, Turkey oak, Common oak, Aspen and Gorse. Over the ten year life of this agreement, 2006 to 2016, we propose to reduce scrub growth so as to retain approximately 15% tree cover on the heath..
Coppicing
We coppice Hazel t o produce a healthy understory which allows light to filter through onto the woodland floor. Coppicing also promotes longevity and the wood removed from the growing trees, on a seven or ten year cycle, produces branches or stems that can be used for pea sticks, bean poles or hazel hurdles.
Beverley Brook
We hope to create a scallop along the brook in the vicinity of the scout field. This will involve the removal of earth from the site so as to create a gently sloping gradient in to the river. It will improve the appearance of this site and make the river more accessible to the public.