Despite being initially cancelled because of a dire weather warning, the task actually proceeded in the gap before the storm reached us. We were a selective group of 3. We made an early start and finished at 11.45, just ahead of the torrential rain, so we achieved a productive half days work.
In company with the Site Warden we managed to plant 20 odd saplings, collect dozens of old tree guards and a bag full of litter.
The Warden was happy with our efforts and we had a short but sweet mornings work
Our 1st visit for a year to this popular site in the heart of Quedgeley. 8 volunteers met up on a sunny day amongst the trees to help keep this countryside oasis flourish. We concentrated on our typical activities of pond maintenance, weed control around the front boundary hedge, path clearance, cutting back Ivy, litter picking and dead wood stacking.
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The boundary hedge we planted several years ago is flourishing. Nettles and creeping weeds can overwhelm it and keeping it weeded helps initial impressions of the reserve to visitors
The pond we have worked on for quite a few years and it has recovered to the point it has water constantly in it! The reeds however quickly overwhelm it so need thinning. Quite a few sticks and bits of debris somehow end up in there too, all removed. The edges were also cleared of grass growing in from the surrounding banks.
To finish our activities we cut thick Ivy branches from mature trees, litter picked, although it is pleasingly free of general litter, and cut back overgrowth from some of the paths.
We enjoyed walking around the reserve taking in the sights and sounds of the wildlife.
For the 2nd time and the final task of the year, we visited one of our favourite sites that we have worked on for many years – Hempsted. It was very well attended with the best turn out of the year with 13 of us including 3 new volunteers.
Hempsted is maintained as a nature reserve as its original function as final water treatment settling lakes is now redundant leaving a wildlife haven with an abundance of wildlife attracted to the man- made lakes there.
Much of our work has involved maintaining the edges of the lakes freeing them up from decaying old trees, which have grown out into the water, becoming rotten and mouldy. This stimulates more diverse plant growth and improves the visual appeal of the lakes and this was our main focus again this task. To see the abundance of new growth come through over the years is very satisfying.
We continued with this task focusing on the next section along the bank with some particularly dense thickets of trees, requiring some sawing through of established tree trunks and branches growing out into the water… most if it covered in moss and algae, careful to negotiate the smelly waters edge which could quickly rise above the welly line!
Our clearance allows the air and the sunlight to reach the lake
Several volunteers attended to some path clearance and one member saw to some maintenance of the on site shed which was leaking from the roof and I and the warden cleared much brush and vegetation from around a small row boat which has not seen daylight for quite a few years! The boat used to be used years ago apparently by someone who used to conduct bird surveys
We are hoping to get the boat back in action to row around the lake for volunteers who would like to venture out on the water!
Driving a passage through to the lake
The kettles were fired up for a hot drinks and mince pie break which I combined with lunch at 12 p.m as our day wrapped up at 1.45 – a shorter day than usual but because of the cold and good progress due to the numbers we had out, it made sense.. Tools also have to be returned to the stores in the light so our days in Winter are a little shorter.
Our energetic volunteers carved through the undergrowth like a cyclone
Another successful and enjoyable task, meeting up with friends to conclude our activities for 2022
A task for Natural England on this species rich grassland just off the B4070 Slad Road. Uprooting saplings (mainly ash) to maintain the integrity of the site as limestone grassland.
We spent today at the SSSI site of Juniper Hill near Stroud (Wick street), working for Natural England. The grassland is an important habitat for rare butterflies and is in the danger of becoming a forest, due to an army of ash saplings eager to grow and take over.
To restore the grassland, which has started to be grazed again, we cut the ash saplings while a member of staff from Natural England treated the stumps (that’s what the man in the green suit is doing!). We left any hawthorn or black thorn alone because of their habitat value.
We had a good bonfire going!
Although the day was grey, it was dry and it was nice to spend it outdoors in this amazing scenery!
This task was mostly about clearing brambles in various areas of the site at Llanthony Secunda Priory in Gloucester. Thankfully the weather was dry for most of the day, which allowed us to get a lot done, to the trust’s delight. We also got not one but two bonfires going! Lighting them, especially the first one was a challenge because everything was damped and we didn’t have much dead wood to burn.
Some of the bramble clearing was critical to allow some archaeological recording to take place.
Getting the second fire going!
A nice area now clear of brambles, allowing archeological work to be carried out.
Cleared area with the smoke of the second bonfire in the distance.
The National Trust wanted us to cut down some areas of hawthorn and bramble to open up the site and prevent the thorn taking over. 6 of us worked with Tim (the warden).
Continuing from where we left off 2 weeks ago:
And tackling a new area:
Although there is still much work for Tim to manage this site, much progress was done by the end of the day:
We enjoyed a fantastic sunset!
To keep the area clean and tidy, we burned what we cut. The bonfire got very hot by the end of the day!
