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Archive for the ‘Reed beds’ Category

Chorlton Water Park’s willow groynes

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, Willow structures, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on March 1, 2020| 1 Comment »

Today we were back at Chorlton Water Park. There was a good crowd of us so we were able to work on a couple of different things, but mainly some maintenance of the willow groynes at the edge of the lake which we have worked on several times over the years. These groynes are important in preventing erosion of the lakeside and in providing a habitat for birds and for spawning fish.

We also cut encroaching saplings from among the reed beds and used some cut willow to strengthen and maintain the arch by the wildflower area.

Volunteers at work

Willow arch in progress

Cut willow

Loaded trailer

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Back in a pond at Chorlton Meadows

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley on October 7, 2019|

Yesterday we were back in a familiar pond in Chorlton Meadows and with familiar company: members of the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, of course! We’ve worked here several times in the past, and once again were clearing reeds to maintain an important section of open water, in order to keep this habitat as diverse as possible.

Conservation volunteers preparing

Starting work

Conservation volunteers in action

The expanded pond

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Reed and heather habitats

Posted in Heathland, Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Friends of Chorlton Meadows on November 18, 2018|

Our last two activities have been in Chorlton Meadows (Sunday 28th October) and Birch Moss Covert (Sunday 11th November). The first of these was to help the Friends of Chorlton Meadows with their work on the reed beds, maintaining an area of open water which is important for wildlife.

Reeds encroaching

Volunteers at work

Area for open water expanded

Next, at Birch Moss Covert, we worked with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers to prevent woodland encroaching on an important area of low heathland heather.

Getting started clearing around heather

Work in progress clearing around heather

For our next activity, we look forward to joining the Friends of Longford Park on Sunday 25th November!

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Pond in Chorlton Meadows

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley on October 9, 2016|

Today SACV members were out with the Friends of Chorlton Meadows. We haven’t worked on this pond for the past couple of years, but as in 2012 and 2013 our task was to clear some of the reeds and overhanging willow in order to maintain an area of open water. Without this, the pond will continue to close in and silt up, and might gradually cease to be the important habitat it is, including for the variety of birds – such as reed warbler, reed bunting, water rail and willow tit – which can be sighted here.

The pond before

Volunteers getting started

Pond clearance in progress

Volunteers at work 2

Getting started on tree-cutting

Volunteers at work 3

Tree-cutting in progress

The opened pond 1

The opened pond 2

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Reed beds at Chorlton Water Park

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on September 29, 2014|

Yesterday was a surprisingly hot late September day – a great day for some of us to be out in Chorlton Water Park! Trees have been encroaching into the reed bed at one end of the lake, to the detriment of this valuable wildlife habitat. Our task for the day was therefore to clear some of these and prevent the degeneration of the reed bed. A job well done – and we’ll be back here in January to work on some of the willow groynes, which are beneficial in protecting the lake banks from erosion and also provide an important habitat.

Clearing encroaching trees from the reed bed

Volunteer at work in the reed beds

Volunteer at work

Reviewing the cleared reed bed

The reed bed cleared of trees

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“Giving Nature a Home” festival

Posted in Fencing, Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley, RSPB on September 7, 2014|

This weekend has been the RSPB‘s Giving Nature a Home Festival in the Mersey Valley. As part of this, SACV volunteers were out in Chorlton Water Park yesterday to undertake a practical conservation task and help those attending the festival see the kind of useful work they can get involved in! The work was to help manage the reed beds in the bay of the lake by cutting back some of the regenerating willow and also to carry out repairs to the chestnut paling which helps to provide the reed beds with some protection from passing dogs.

RSPB setting up tents

Gathering thinnings

Water’s edge

Fence repairs

Volunteer at work

Caterpillar

Before work

SACV blackboard

Cuttings

After work

Frog

Beetles

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Reed bed work at Chorlton Water Park

Posted in Reed beds, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on March 3, 2013|

Today we conservation volunteers were at Chorlton Water Park. We were at a different part of the lake from where we worked at our task in December, but once again we were helping the Mersey Valley Wardens by removing encroaching trees from an area adjacent to one of the lake’s reed beds.

Removing encroaching trees from a reed bed at Chorlton Water Park

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Reed beds at Chorlton Water Park

Posted in Reed beds, tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley on December 13, 2012|

Sunday 9th December saw SACV’s last event of 2012. Thirteen of us turned out to help the Mersey Valley Wardens with work on the reed beds at Chorlton Water Park – to help maintain this important habitat by removing encroaching trees. The wintry task had its reward afterwards in our annual SACV seasonal get-together with mulled wine, mince pies and a roaring brazier (all courtesy of Elaine). Merry Christmas!