The National Trust site of Hare Hill has an extensive Victorian culvert system which we have helped to maintain in the past. The culvert system feeds into a cattle trough, and a couple of years ago we lent a hand with its restoration (it had previously lain forgotten for several decades). It has silted up again since then, so today some of us joined forces with the Manchester National Trust Volunteers to clear out the mud and patch up some of the pond again. There was a good crowd of volunteers out so, meanwhile, others worked on removing invasive rhododendron from a wooded embankment nearby. A fine day in the spring sunshine!
Getting started on the cattle pond 1
Getting started on the cattle pond 2
Bucket and mud 1
Bucket and mud 2
Having cleared most of the cattle pond 1
Having cleared most of the cattle pond 2
Having cleared most of the cattle pond 3
Water running into the pond
The finishing touches
The finished cattle pond
Volunteers and the finished cattle pond
The cleared rhododendrons 1
The cleared rhododendrons 2
Posted in Culverts, Invasive species, Ponds and lakes | Tagged Hare Hill, National Trust |
Today several volunteers (and a labradoodle, who found lots of sticks) worked at New Moss Wood on behalf of the Woodland Trust. New Moss Wood is a native woodland, planted about sixteen years ago and part of the Red Rose Forest, and as the woodland develops ongoing work is needed to thin the trees and maintain some of the open spaces and paths. Those out today braved non-stop rain through the morning but were rewarded with clearing skies and spring sunshine by soon after lunch!
Posted in Woodland management | Tagged New Moss Wood, Woodland Trust |
February 23, 2015 by Julian
Well done to those hardy volunteers who were out yesterday at Chorlton Water Park, to continue last month’s task of the maintenance of willow groynes at the edge of the lake! These groynes are important in protecting the lake’s banks from erosion and providing a wildlife habitat. Despite the day getting gradually colder and wetter, with sleet for some of the time, a fair length of groyne was worked on. After a brief lunch break the weather had turned pretty atrocious so there was a sprint finish to tidy up, keep warm and complete the last section! A good effort by all.
The overgrown willow before work
Cutting the willow
Weaving cut willow in to form the new groynes
Clearing and sorting the cut willow
Weaving cut willow in to form the new groynes
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Willow structures | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
February 8, 2015 by Julian
SACV volunteers were out today helping the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop with the planting of a new hedgerow. See here for what we got up to!
Posted in Hedgerow-planting | Tagged Friends of the Fallowfield Loop |
January 25, 2015 by Julian
This was our first residential weekend of the year! Over the two days we were helping the PPCV with work on a stretch of moorland on Gun Hill, near Meerbrook. Our task was to remove encroaching saplings to help conserve this important moorland site (an SSSI). Although some larger trees will be retained and will act as perching sites for raptors, the purpose of our activity was to prevent the trees from taking over and crowding out areas of heather. Once again we were blessed with dry weather, and the patches of ice and snow which were in place when we started gradually thawed over the weekend. There is more of the same work to be done at this site, and the Rangers and other volunteers will be back to continue in the weeks ahead.
Volunteers on Gun Hill 1
Volunteers on Gun Hill 2
Volunteers and moorland
Posted in Moorland, Residential weekends | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
January 13, 2015 by Julian
It was our first task of 2015 yesterday and we were back at Chorlton Water Park for the winter activity of maintaining the willow groynes at the edge of the lake. A grey and blustery day, but dry – apart from the dabbling in the shallows of the lake! Moving on from sections which have been worked on by us and others recently, we were again cutting some of the growth of recent years and weaving it back to build up the groyne.
Getting started 1
Getting started 2
Work in progress 1
Work in progress 2
One end of the groyne
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Willow structures | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
January 4, 2015 by Julian
So, we finished 2014 with an event at Chorlton Ees on 23rd November: working with the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, we removed trees and scrub to the south of one of the ponds to allow more light in. Then on 7th December we were at New Moss Wood, which is one of the Woodland Trust’s sites and a new one for us. We carried out some coppicing and thinning at this relatively young woodland. It was a day of mixed weather (mostly wintry brightness but lunch in hail!) so we were glad afterwards to get into the dry for our annual seasonal get-together with mulled wine, mince pies and the like!
Now we’re into 2015, and we’ll be swinging into action next Sunday (11th January) at Chorlton Water Park, when we’ll be helping with some management of the willow groynes around the lake, which are important in protecting
the lake banks from erosion and providing a valuable wildlife habitat. New volunteers are welcome to join us!
Tools and tree
Path
Habitat pile
Hats on tree
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Woodland management | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley, New Moss Wood, Woodland Trust |
November 10, 2014 by Julian
Yesterday was the second of two consecutive hedgelaying activities for the group. This time we were working on the Middlewood Way with Ed from the Cheshire East Rangers – and completed work on a very pleasing stretch of hedge.
Planning
Getting started on hedgelaying
Volunteers at work
Hedgelaying in progress
Laid hazel
The laid hedge 1
The laid hedge 2
Posted in Hedgelaying | Tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Middlewood Way |
October 29, 2014 by Julian
Helping the National Trust with some hedgelaying at Alderley Edge was the task for SACV volunteers last Sunday (26th October). This is always a satisfying activity but if you want to give it a go and missed it this time, don’t worry – we’ll be doing some hedgelaying again at our next event (Sunday 9th November) when we’ll be working with the Cheshire East Rangers on the Middlewood Way!
SACV hedgelaying at Alderley Edge
Posted in Hedgelaying | Tagged Alderley Edge, National Trust |
October 19, 2014 by Julian
Last Sunday (12th October) members of SACV were in action in the woods at Priory Gardens again, on behalf of the Red Rose Forest. Parts of this woodland, which was probably planted a few decades ago, are rather species-limited, so the work was to remove some of the smaller saplings of sycamore and Norway maple in order to open up the woodland floor and encourage a greater diversity. Habitat piles were created with the cut material for the benefit of wildlife. Once again at this site we were lucky to have some very fine weather – a great autumn day to be spent in the woodland’s dappled shade!
The woods 1
The woods 2
Volunteers at work in the woods 1
Volunteers at work in the woods 2
Volunteer at work in the woods 1
Posted in Woodland management | Tagged Priory Gardens, Red Rose Forest |
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