MOTH NIGHT
Saturday 7th June.
Fortunately the rain stayed away and 25 residents and visitors not only enjoyed a BBQ beforehand but were fascinated by the moth traps set up in Hixberry Lane Orchard by Andrew Wood. The knowledge of Andrew was truly amazing as he identified with ease the moth species – there are 100’s!   Moths we learnt mostly appear at 11pm. This will become an annual event I am sure so do come along next time.

Here is a list of some of the moths we saw:-
Ghost moth, Common Swift, Dark Fruit-tree Tortix, Light Brown Apple moth, Small Magpie, Bee moth, Dusty Wave, Silver-ground carpet, Common Marbled carpet, Green Carpet, Brimstone Moth, White pinion Spotted, Clouded Silver, Heart and dart, Shuttle-shaped Dart, Flame shoulder, Middle-barred Minor, Marbled White spot and Straw dot….wonderful names and moths!

Celebrity Comes to Highfield

Helen Baxendale, from Cold Feet and the Hixberry Lane Orchard will soon be staring in the new Morrisons advert about British Apples.  Helen spent the afternoon sitting up in one of the apple trees along with a Morrisons shopping trolley.
Thank you to all the nearby residents for being so patient whilst the filming took place.
If you are interested in doing any filming in the Park, please contact the Trust's Office.

Home Farm Development
A revised planning application has been submitted by George Wimpey for 38 houses and the Trust has made a “bid” for Section 106 monies to help us improve facilities in the Park. These are:-
(a)    to complete the teenagers 5-a-side football and basketball facility alongside the Village Green with surfacing and rebound boards.
(b)    The creation of new woodland, hedgerows, orchard and football pitch(s) on land we hope to lease from Oaklands College to the north of Home Farm.
(c)    A pelican pedestrian crossing between the two halves of the Park along Highfield Lane. This is so necessary now with the increase in pedestrian use as a result of the opening of local shops, the doctors surgery, the Highfield Park Centre and the increased popularity of the Park itself. We encourage local residents to express their support for this crossing in comments they can make to the planning authority.

Disability Access

The Trust is in the process of upgrading its access points into the Park for users of wheelchairs and mobility scooters. The first of these has been installed at the Russet Drive access point ajacent to the Highfield Park Center. To gain access you will need a "RADAR" Key, which can be obtained free of charge from St. Albans Council offices.

Dog Mess
Dog walkers are welcome and the vast majority pick up their dog’s mess responsibly and use the bins provided. Some do not – leaving the mess on the football pitches or even more inanely picking up the mess and then lobbing the bag into a bush…words fail me!