What’s happening at the MILLENNIUM FOREST? – Dr. Rebecca Cairns-Wicks

Moving under the umbrella of the St Helena National Trust

The first meeting of the revised Millennium Forest Committee has taken place. The Committee are responsible for the management and development of the forest and establishing the structure and timeframe for the full transference of management to the St Helena National Trust. The revised membership of the committee is:
Project Co-ordinator: Dr Rebecca Cairns-Wicks, Chair St Helena Nature Conservation Group
Secretary: Mrs Vanessa Yon, NT Administrative Assistant
Members: Honourable Brian Issac, a Councillor for Longwood and a member of Harford Middle PTA; Ms Monica Scipio, a member of Longwood First School PTA; Ms Isabel Peters, Environmental Co-ordinator; Mr Derek Henry, Deputy Head Curriculum, PAS; Mr Vincent Williams, Senior Forestry Officer (Conservation)
The National Trust now provides administrative support to the Project and also promotes the Project through the NT website and the sale of trees and tee shirts.

500 trees planted in the Colchester Plantation

The area originally designated for the Millennium Forest is filled with Gumwoods, so planting as part of the celebrations of the Island’s Quincentenary took place in the new Colchester Plantation. Planting began on 16th June 2002 and was sponsored by the people of Colchester and Fauna and Flora International.

Tree planting begins in our new Plantation

Tree planting for 2003 began in earnest on the 3rd May with a visit from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office team, Alan Huckle, Ian Hendry and Michael Bradley who between them planted 30 trees!  Mr. Ian Hendry joined the Trust also, and wrote a very encouraging letter praising the work we are doing. A week of thought provoking activities on the subject of Water was organised on the Island to celebrate World Environment Day - 5th June 2003. Nursery and Reception pupils of Longwood First School planted 32 trees and have been asked to name this new area of the Millennium Forest. They were followed by a visit from the whole of Jamestown First School. Reception and Nursery pupils planted their own trees in the forest whilst older pupils were able to explore and see how their trees were growing.

Planting Trees in the Millennium Forest during World Environment Week

St Helena National Trust Members have a tree planted in their name in the forest. But you don’t have to stop at one you can continue to support the project by:

• ‘Buying’  a tree or trees costing £5 each, or
• Sponsoring the planting of an area of the forest
• The cost of £5 per tree reflects the costs of raising, planting and caring for a Gumwood (with its own tree guard) in the forest. The name of everyone who has a tree or trees in the forest is recorded.

Information boards go up in the gatehouse

Seven information boards describing the Millennium Forest Project and 17 boards listing the names of all those people who planted a trees or trees in the forest in person or by proxy between 2000 and 2001 are now on permanent display in the gatehouse entrance to the forest. More panels will be added as new plantations are filled.

Museum Of St Helena

We are delighted to welcome Lucy Caesar as the trainee curator of the new museum. She is young, has an Honours degree in Environmental Science, and is full of ideas and enthusiasm. At present she is seconded from the Education Department, and still does some teaching. With much appreciated voluntary help from Peter Yon ( husband of our Admin Asst.) in setting up a database, and Mary Flavell, doing the typing, the museum now has an Accessions Register. They have progressed with the idea that “ the museum is for everyone” and, with help from Social Services, hosted the various Day Centres for the  elderly. The RMS Charity Fund has come up trumps with a lift to be installed there, and the students from Olive Cottage do some of their history lessons in the museum.
Three exhibitions have been held throughout their first year – the Schools Dolphin Project, Simon Bannister’s photographs and a local art exhibition, only the third one I remember on St. Helena. This displayed some amazing local talent.

So – Happy First Birthday indeed, and congratulations to Sarah and all those involved. The museum is fast becoming a place that more and more people want to visit, and on St. Helena Day hundreds passed through, many spending a lot of time looking at the exhibits, and later enjoying the Birthday Cake, which seemed to expand to satisfy everyone.

Related Information

Project Reports October 2003

Projects Reports January 2004

Projects Reports April/May 2004

Projects Reports August 2004

Projects Reports November 2004

Project Reports Feburary 2005

Project Reports June 2005

Project Reports July 2006

Project Reports December 2006

Project Reports May 2007

Newsletter 17 Dec 2007

Schools Project

After meetings with all the Middle Schools staff, we determined that what would be most useful to them at this stage is Resource packs to back up the National Curriculum Syllabus. One teacher commented that it was easier to teach British History because of the Resources. We hope to turn this around. So far, since Barbara was away, Sarah started work on an initial general pack. We are working together from now on in a systematic way, and hope to complete many more. Having Vanessa as Admin Asst. will enable the Director to give this more time. These are folders containing numbered photographs, with a Teacher’s Notes list explaining them, and a children’s questionnaire. I am very excited about this as it is something I wanted to do when I took up research, but did not have the time. I think they are going to be very impressive. The photos are laminated, on 100 year photo paper, and there is one pack per school. Of course they can make more if they have money to do so.

The Director was recently asked to address Year 8 students at PAS to tell them about the St. Helena National Trust and what it does and aims to do.

Flax Mill

We have asked SHG to let us have the Pipe Building in Jamestown, which still has an engine there. This would at least be easily accessible to tourists, and we could have display boards describing the industry. A working group should be set up soon. We continue to pursue the idea of Scott’s Mill as a working Flax Mill Museum, if it becomes available.

Archives

We are requesting a meeting with SHG, along with the Museum Curator, the Archivist, Michel Martineau and myself to discuss the way forward here. It is proposed to move the Archives to a new building, but we feel that these valuable books should not be moved from their present stable environment, even if a new building is provided with computerised records

Built Evironment - Historic Building Concerns

Since we are very new and cannot address everything that needs doing at once, we have only recently taken up the challenge of how to restore our old buildings. As many will be aware, the Crallen Report of 1974 graded all the buildings. Most of the listed buildings are owned by SHG, and we need to begin to help people to see the importance of restoring them rather than repairing. Those which are in private ownership need financial help, as restoration is much more expensive. This needs approval by SHG of funds for such a purpose, and  we do not expect that this will be easy at this time. Therefore, we are writing to ExCo to start discussing this important issue, and also hope to identify a person who can come and work alongside local tradesmen, to help teach restoration skills. In the present financial climate, it is going to be difficult to convince people of the importance, although as someone commented at the Conference, people need to see the economic value to the community, in terms of tourist income, of our natural heritage. Without it no-one would want to come.

Teutonic Hall

Privately owned and in need of help.