Balls Wood and the smaller though no less enchanting Hobbyhorse Wood, are beautiful, mature mixed woodlands of Hornbeam, ash, field maple and more recently, Aspen. These woods are located in the county of Hertfordshire, roughly 20 miles to the North of London, England, and are set in an ancient landscape close to Iron and Bronze age settlement sites and bounded on one side by Ermine Street the 2,000 year old Roman road that ran from London to York. 

Across the Roman road from the wood lies ‘the Heath’, a protected natural heathland designated as an area of special scientific interest and itself home to several rare species of plants and animals.

Adjoining the village of Hertford Heath, that includes the highest natural point of land between London and York, Balls Wood and the Heath would have been wild, untamed land, home to woodsmen and reputed to have been one of the hideouts of the famous highwayman, Dick Turpin. The boundary of the current Balls Wood is clearly marked on a map of 1790.

Throughout the wood there are several ‘rides’ (wide pathways) which, being open and sunny, abound with butterflies, including the white admiral, and other insects in the summer. It is important to keep these rides open for wildlife, and also to open other areas by coppicing. In spring these woodland rides are full of birdsong and wildflowers, including bluebell, wood anenome, early purple orchid and the rare herb paris. Breeding birds include woodcock and sparrowhawk as well as jays, pheasant, and several species of finch, woodpecker and owls.

The woods are home to many animal species, including muntjack deer, stoats, voles, shrews, grass snakes and frogs. There are also many ponds in Balls Wood which vary from shallow pools to deeper more open ponds and these support a range of aquatic organisms, including rare great crested newts, dragonflies and an unusual species of liverwort.

My connection to these woods is that I was born and grew up in Hertford Heath. These woods and the surrounding fields have always been a part of my life and of those of everyone in the local area.

The opportunity has now arisen for The Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust to purchase these two woodland areas and protect them for future generations to enjoy the native plants and animals in all their wonderful, seasonal variety. If the Trust is unable to secure these areas, they could well be sold piecemeal to developers and lost forever under housing and concrete. By helping to protect Balls Wood and Hobbyhorse Wood you are doing as much for the world environment as by donating to rainforest protection or by reducing carbon emissions or other pollution.

The ultimate goal of the Herts and Middlesex Wildlife Trust is to raise STG700,000, or around $1.5 million U.S. I’m aiming to raise just a part of that. I’ve made the first donation, as you can see from the donation page. Now I’m asking for your help. To raise funds I will be undertaking a sponsored stair climb at my office in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I am based, on Friday 29th August. It’s 17 floors and I’m going to see how many times I can get up and down in 2 hours! I’ll keep you all posted on this site.

UPDATE!!! UPDATE!!! Well, I did it. Up and down the 328 steps 10 times. So a total of 6,560 steps altogether! My target was 2 hours but I managed it in 1 hour 14 minutes!!

Now I'm looking for the next challenge, so sponsor me and you can also post a suggestion! (Sorry though, a charity skydive with pants full of tarantulas ain't gonna happen!!).

So please, please help us to ensure the long term future of this ancient and beautiful British woodland. How can you help?

Sponsor me for the stair climb event: Simply click on the ‘Donate Now’ button and make whatever contribution you can. There is a range of electronic payment options, including Visa, or Mastercard. Please simply donate whatever you can. No amount is too small. 

Spread the word: email your friends, family and colleagues, whoever, wherever they are. Send a link to this page and let them know you have already donated. Ask them to make a difference too.

Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Herts & Middlesex Wildlife Trust gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

So please sponsor me now!

Thanks,

Jock McGinty