Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Friends of Longford Park on December 17, 2025|
Our final outing for 2025 was a day with members of the Friends of the Longford Park. Our main activity was the maintenance of areas near the bowling green: especially clearing overgrown paths and walls. The weather was rather wet and miserable – but the welcome from the Friends was very warm, including the provision of seasonal goodies at lunchtime! A great way to end the year.
Posted in Coppicing, Miscellaneous, Woodland management, tagged Friends of Longford Park on December 15, 2024|
To conclude 2024, we joined the Friends of Longford Park on Sunday 8 December. We helped with some winter maintenance of the park’s wildlife garden and adjacent areas – such as coppicing, removing excess shrub spread, and other general management. Many thanks to the Friends for the warm welcome (and for arranging a dry day: the rain arrived just as we finished!)!
As it was our final activity of the year we gathered a little later in the day for a seasonal and end-of-year get-together – mince pies and mulled wine aplenty. Cheers!
Posted in Miscellaneous, Woodland management, tagged Hollinwood Scout Camp on November 24, 2024|
On Sunday 17th November we very much enjoyed volunteering at Hollinwood Scout Camp, near Worsley, Salford.
The camp on this site was founded in 2017, so is relatively new and is still being developed. It had had to move from the site where RHS Bridgewater is now, where it had previously been located for many decades.
Hollinwood truly has the potential to be an amazing asset not just for the local Salford community but for the whole of Greater Manchester and the North West. Hollinwood has 30 beautiful acres of woodland and meadows where young people are able to run around and be outdoors.
The task was helping to develop an open-air holistic area in a glade within the trees, for the Scouts to relax and reflect in. The task included trimming the bottom of a large conifer and also removing an unwieldy tree! The branches were then dragged (getting the steps in!) to the far side of the beautiful woodland, to create a natural fence line.
We all had a picnic sheltered from the rain under the trimmed conifer tree….a perfect spot!
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Friends of Longford Park on November 12, 2023|
A hardy few turned out for a rainy day in Longford Park today. In spite of the weather some good work was done around the community allotment and in the peace garden. Thanks to those who braved the wet weather, and to the Friends for the warm welcome!
Posted in Grassland, Miscellaneous, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Tegg's Nose Country Park on October 25, 2023|
Our activity for October was to join Martin of the Cheshire East Rangers on a sunny Sunday to clear willow scrub below and near the quarry face at Tegg’s Nose Country Park. The rock face is of geological interest and but would be hidden by willow if growth were allowed to go unchecked. We already have dates arranged at Tegg’s Nose in 2024 (Sunday 26 May and Sunday 23 June 2024), we so look forward to being back here then!
Posted in Miscellaneous on October 1, 2023|
Our activity for September was some habitat management in Alexandra Park, Whalley Range – our first group visit here. On Sunday 17 September, We were in the north-west section of the park, working in an area thick with bramble, whips and pendulous sedge. Our task was to clear some of the growth to create bays, giving a longer “scalloped” edge to this habitat-rich and wild area. Thanks to all those who came along, including new volunteers, and to the Friends of Alexandra Park for the hosting and the welcome!
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Hollinwood Scout Camp on September 10, 2023|
For our August activity, a few of us made it a return visit on the 6th to the developing Hollinwood Scout Camp, where we helped to improve access to one of the camp’s fields with construction of a ramp. We had a warm welcome, as always – many thanks for the plentiful supply of much-needed tea!
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged Friends of Longford Park on November 26, 2017|
There weren’t many of us, or of the Friends of Longford Park, out today – a day of occasional heavy rain but also good spells of winter brightness. However, we made good progress with various jobs in the park’s wildlife garden: some thinning in the wooded area to allow more light to penetrate, some creation of habitat piles along the fence lines, and some planting of hazel, dogwood, crab-apple etc. at various points in the garden.
Posted in Miscellaneous, tagged RSPB on October 6, 2017|
Many thanks to conservation volunteer Helen for updating the blackboard we display to passers-by when we’re working on site. The board was originally provided to us by the RSPB but after some years of use was in need of a refresh. Let’s hope it helps to bring in a flood of new volunteers!
SMCV 