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 |
September 29, 2014 by Julian
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
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
September 22, 2014 by Julian
This weekend before last (Friday 12th to Sunday 14th September) a group of us did two days’ work with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers, as our final residential weekend of the year. We were working on the edge of Tittesworth Water, to re-enable the use of a bird-screen which ought to have given excellent views of birds on the water and the shore but had become completely overgrown with willow. We were lucky enough to have pretty good (sometimes even hot!) autumn weather on both days and on the Saturday most of us also managed a walk once our work was done – heading to the Roaches and climbing Hen Cloud for a quick look at the view before getting back in time for our usual evening meal at The Lazy Trout!
The edge of Tittesworth Water 1
Volunteers at work by the hidden bird screen
The edge of Tittesworth Water 2
The bird screen, partially revealed
Volunteers at work
The edge of Tittesworth Water 3
Bonfire
Volunteer at work
Amphibious bistort
The bucket line
The revealed bird screen
Posted in Bird-hide, Ponds and lakes, Residential weekends | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
September 7, 2014 by Julian
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
Posted in Fencing, Ponds and lakes, Reed beds | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley, RSPB |
Yesterday SACV volunteers were out in Finlow Hill Wood near Alderley Edge, giving the National Trust a hand with a project to open up areas of this woodland to allow it to revert to its former heathland state. We were helping with the clearance of trees which had been felled earlier in the year, and on this beautiful summer’s day it was very pleasing to see the parts of the site where heather and heathland species are re-appearing!
Woodland making space for heathland
Coppiced sweet chestnut
Peacock butterfly on heather
The return of heathland
Peacock butterfly on ground
SACV volunteer at work 1
SACV volunteer at work 2
Heather
Gatekeeper butterfly on heather 1
Gatekeeper butterfly on heather 2
Gatekeeper butterfly on heather 3
Posted in Heathland | Tagged Alderley Edge, National Trust |
Himalayan balsam is a pernicious invasive species which can take over large areas of woodland and the banks of streams, shading out and eradicating many other species. Today SACV were out in Black Moss Covert helping the Cheshire Wildlife Trust with attempts to get the Himalayan balsam under control at this site – fingers crossed that this will help in getting it eradicated here!
Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust |
SACV volunteers were working in yesterday’s fine weather at Priory Gardens, on behalf of the Red Rose Forest. The day’s task was to carry out some woodland management, removing saplings, particularly sycamore and ash. The increased light will encourage flowers in the understory, while allowing the continued growth of larger, more mature trees.
Volunteers in Priory Gardens
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 4
Volunteer in Priory Gardens
Volunteers in Priory Gardens 2
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 2
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 3
Posted in Woodland management | Tagged Priory Gardens, Red Rose Forest |
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