March

First signs of Spring

As the days start to get longer and the grass and shrubs return to growth animals that have overwintered on the back-up land used by commoners are returning to the Open Forest. The final heath burning has to be completed before birds start to nest around the end of the month.

The Spring also sees the many annual meetings of the various important New Forest societies, with considerable overlap in memberships and officers, so this is a particularly busy time for some commoners. March and April, for example, see the AGMs not only of the Commoners Defence Association, but also the New Forest Pony Breeding and Cattle Society (The Breed Society), the Friends of the New Forest, and the New Forest Equestrian Association.