To Explore, Enjoy and Enhance

Friends of Studham Common

Friends of Studham Common (FOSC) is a friendly informal voluntary group. Our aim is to conserve, maintain, improve and promote Studham Common as a haven for wildlife and a place to be enjoyed and appreciated by all.

We warmly welcome new members of all ages and support of all kinds.  Join us any time to help keep the Common beautiful for everyone.

As part of its remit, FOSC encourages interest in the local environment, and helps to engage youngsters in local rural crafts of bygone years. Here a young member of Studham lower school’s Nature Club gets to grips with the fine art of Straw Plaiting.  For more details, click here

The Friends of Studham Common took advantage of some delightful late summer sunshine to do battle with the encroaching bracken and scrub on the Middle and West Common on Saturday 16th October. Our work party attracted 14 keen and energetic volunteers, and by the end of the day a significant area of the common had been given its much needed trim and tidy up.

If you fancy a little exercise in the fresh air, while helping to maintain a beautiful environment on Studham Common, why not come and join our next work party? We meet at the war memorial at 9.00am on the third Saturday in the month. More info from Don (Tel: 872937).

September Work Party

To see more photographs of the September 2008 work party, click here

A well-earned breather!

How tidy do you want the Common?

Some local residents have recently expressed concern that Studham Common is “over-managed” by FOSC.  To enable all views to be openly expressed, the Parish Council organised a public meeting in November 2009.

To read a summary of that meeting, please click here>

2010 ‘Winter Special’ Work Party

Studham Common was the scene of huge endeavour on 23rd January when over 40 volunteers, from Studham and beyond, joined together for our Winter Special Work Party. Steve Halton, P3 Officer for Central Bedfordshire Council, who helped with funding, advice and volunteer recruitment, said  afterwards:

“May I thank everyone who came along, worked, supported and carried out work behind the scenes to make the day such a great success? It seems to get better each year and you are now inspiring other groups to do something similar!  I'm proud to be supporting you!”

For more, click here >

Wildlife Surveys

‘Winter Special’ Work Party 2011

Another tremendous effort! Well done to all those folk, some from Studham and others from a much wider area, who turned out on Saturday 22nd January to contribute to our major work party of the year. We achieved lots of scrub clearing and planting - all designed to help encourage bio-diversity in the flora and fauna on the common.

Our sincere thanks to all who took part, including, of course, those who kept us so well sustained with a hearty breakfast, a splendid lunch and a great tea to wrap up the day.

Hedge Planting by Studham School Pupils

Pupils from Studham School's Maple Class braved the cold in January 2011 to plant a new section of hedge on West Common, helped by staff, parents and FOSC volunteers  They used saplings donated by the Woodland Trust, plus some extra hazel plants to keep our dormice happy and some field maples to tie in with their name.

Earlier, FOSC volunteers gave the children a talk about the hedgerow's wildlife value and we hope to involve them with looking after it and monitoring its growth.