This, our first residential weekend away of 2017, was spent as usual doing some work through the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers. The activity was to remove some encroaching hawthorn from a hillside to preserve an important grassland habitat; energetic work on a steep slope, but that and a bonfire helped to keep the winter chill away!
Posted in Grassland, Residential weekends | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
Our first activity of 2017: some work on the willow groynes at Chorlton Water Park! These groynes are important in protecting the banks from erosion and providing a valuable wildlife habitat. There was only a small band of volunteers out today but a pleasant misty winter’s day and some good work done!
Update, March 2019: While back at Chorlton Water Park we’ve been able to see that the willow groyne is now looking well established!
Established willow groyne
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Willow structures | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley, RSPB | 1 Comment »
Today was SACV’s last activity of 2016, and we were out at a new site for us: the Woodland Trust’s Spud Wood in Oughtrington, near Lymm. We were working with the Friends of Spud Wood to help with some coppicing; the cut material will be used in crafts or was left in habitat piles.
A fine final task for 2016, and we concluded our day with our usual annual seasonal get-together. A brazier, roasted chestnuts, mince pies and plenty more besides. Cheers!
Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management | Tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust |
Today SACV were out in Priory Gardens on behalf of City of Trees. The main activity was the building of a hibernaculum – in this case, one close to a pond which it is hoped will provide a habitat for newts, frogs and slow worms!
Posted in Ponds and lakes | Tagged City of Trees, Priory Gardens |
Today and a fortnight ago (23rd October) we worked with the Friends of the Bowdon Bollin. As well as doing some general tidying and maintenance of hedges we have laid previously, we did some work to open up and allow light to other parts of the footpath and to the riverbank. The original plan had been to work on the installation of two kissing gates but unfortunately this wasn’t possible for logistical reasons – although with luck the kissing gates can be planned for some future Sundays!
Posted in Hedgelaying, Paths | Tagged Friends of the Bowdon Bollin |
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.
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley |
This past weekend was our last residential weekend of the year, working with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers as usual, this time on the Pennine Way. On both days we did some footpath maintenance – improving the drainage on parts of the path with the aim of preventing future erosion (both from flooding and from walkers being forced to divert off the route). So plenty of work with spades and mattocks – and some especially enthusiastic digging from a couple of canine volunteers!
Posted in Paths, Residential weekends | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
Yesterday SACV got to spend a lovely late summer day helping members of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at Birch Moss Covert. The task was to make a start on establishing new paths around the reserve; the previous paths were destroyed in recent work done on the site to convert it to wet mossland. Since that work, the CWT have found good signs that water-voles are establishing themselves at the site, which is very good news indeed and increases the reserve’s wildlife importance.
Posted in Paths, Woodland management | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust |
In what is becoming an annual activity, this past Sunday we were out in Chorlton Water Park helping with the maintenance of the woodland walk. We got a good section of the path done, so thanks to those who turned out in what had been looking to be a weekend of variable weather!
Posted in Paths | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
As in recent tasks, more Himalayan balsam to tackle yesterday, but this time with the Friends of the Bowdon Bollin! (Our planned constructional work on a gate or two, which the original idea for yesterday, has had to be postponed to the autumn.) The Friends have had some good success clearing balsam from some of their sites, including the woodland we worked in during the afternoon, where the previous very dense balsam is now greatly reduced. And it’s not often we conservation volunteers get to have lunch on a beach!
Posted in Invasive species | Tagged Friends of the Bowdon Bollin |
