Walking Group � A Short Winter Walk along the Canal and Woods in Woking.<br/><br/>Eight members of Woking Mind took part in another walk on the 10 January 2012, with the newly established Walking Group. Tasha was the group leader that day. We set off from CornerHouse around 11 a.m., and walked along the canal tow path towards Sheerwater. Tasha was very knowledgeable about the local area and gave us a running commentary. We saw coots and moorhens on the canal, which is a good sign that the water is not polluted. <br/><br/>When we reached the bridge on Monument Road we crossed over the canal and started walking along the path in the woods. We were told that the land we were walking on was once heathland but more recently, the land has been planted with Silver Birch and Scots Pine, which is a much poorer habitat for wildlife. There is a current project to restore the woods to what it used to be and this might involve cutting down some of the trees and replanting heather.<br/><br/>After a while, we came to a clearing. In the centre we saw what looked like two mounds. These  were Bronze Age burial mounds � a high one for rich people and a lower one for poorer people. The barrows have been recently excavated.<br/><br/> On entering the woods the path improved and was stony and firm. The path seemed to have been made from wooden planks but we found out that they were made by using recycled plastic, which is non-biodegradable and requires very little maintenance.<br/><br/>We soon found ourselves walking back along the canal route towards our starting base and arrived just in time for lunch!<br/><br/>It was a very enjoyable walk and I am looking forward to the next one.<br/><br/>Stephen Boyles<br/><br/>Member of Woking Mind Editorial Group