Yesterday (Sunday 13th April) SACV volunteers were once again in action in Priory Gardens in Sale, on behalf of the Red Rose Forest. The day was spent continuing to open up the pond worked on a fortnight ago. Another lovely sunny day for the work – and a pleasing encounter with a newt!
Posted in Ponds and lakes | Tagged Priory Gardens, Red Rose Forest |
Last Sunday (30th March) SACV volunteers were out in Priory Gardens in Sale. This woodland site is now managed by the Red Rose Forest. One task was to do some woodland management near the entrance to the site from Dane Road – in particular to carry out some thinning to allow more light through to parts of the wood. The second task was to start to do some clearing of reeds to try to open up a pond which is in danger of silting up. We were lucky to have a very warm spring day for the work – great to be outside! We’ll be back at this site helping with further work on Sunday 13th April so come along then if you’d be interested in getting involved!
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Woodland management | Tagged Priory Gardens, Red Rose Forest |
Today members of SACV were out with the Friends of the Fallowfield Loop – read more here…
Today members of the Friends were out with the Sale and Altrincham Conservation Volunteers (SACV) to do preparatory work for another in the series of community orchards along the Loop. Given recent weather, it was very pleasing to find we had a still day and wonderful sunshine for the task! Today’s aim was to prepare the site for the planting of the trees in four weeks’ time, in particular to get the planting holes ready and use compost and topsoil to improve conditions (given the site’s past as the route of the railway) for the new trees.
If anyone would like to come back to join in with the planting on Sunday 16th March, all volunteers will be welcome!
Posted in Community orchard | Tagged Friends of the Fallowfield Loop |
A few of us spent this past weekend out in the Peaks, working with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers and carrying out some hedge work near Tittesworth Water. The weather did its best to keep us on our toes, by switching merrily from sun to hail to rain and back again – but we made it through all of that to get the work done (only having to take shelter once, during the worst of the hail, in a conveniently located bird-hide!). A hearty meal in The Lazy Trout pub on Saturday night and a warming bonfire during our work on Sunday helped to keep the worst of the chill away – all of that, plus great surroundings and plenty of interesting chat made for a fine weekend!
Posted in Hedgelaying, Residential weekends | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
Today was a chilly January day, but nonetheless five volunteers and warden Richard turned out to paddle around at the edge of the lake in Chorlton Water Park and work on some of the willow groynes! The groynes are intended to act as a living barrier, protecting the lake banks from erosion and providing a valuable wildlife habitat – as a fish refuge and as a site for nesting birds. Many of the groynes have become very overgrown so work is needed to cut back the excess growth, with the cut willow then being used to re-weave and re-establish the groyne.
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Willow structures | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
Yesterday members of SACV were out with the Friends of the Bowdon Bollin to continue with the laying of a hedge along the riverbank path which we started last year. It was quite a tricky hedge, with a lot of mature growth and some thick trunks to contend with! But we had a perfect bright winter day for the work and ended in the late afternoon dusk with a good stretch of hedge satisfactorily completed. There is more to be done along the same part of the riverbank – so perhaps we’ll be back early next year.
This was SACV’s last event of the year, and so we finished off afterwards in the customary manner – with a get-together for mince pies, mulled wine and roasted chestnuts at Elaine’s!
Posted in Hedgelaying | Tagged Friends of the Bowdon Bollin | 1 Comment »
Seven volunteers, a warden and a dog were out today to do some work at the edge of the lake in Chorlton Water Park. We were removing some of the self-seeded trees – mainly alder – to increase the space and light to allow other waterside species to flourish. A slightly grey day, but maybe that allowed some of the fine autumn colours to stand out and look their best!
Posted in Ponds and lakes | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |
Today ten of us were out hedgelaying with the National Trust at Alderley Edge. After yesterday’s fairly dismal weather, it was a delight and a relief to find that we had a perfect day for it! And we concluded it all with well-deserved tea and cake in The Wizard Tea Rooms.
Posted in Hedgelaying | Tagged Alderley Edge, National Trust |
The Sunday before last (13th October 2013) SACV volunteers joined members of the Friends of Chorlton Meadows to continue with some pond work which we first did around this time last year. The aim was to clear some areas of the pond to maintain an important habitat balance between reed beds and open water. Well done to everyone who was out and – especially – got into the water!
Posted in Ponds and lakes | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows | 1 Comment »
We spent last weekend on a residential in the Peak District, where for two days we worked with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers carrying out some stone-pitching. We were helping with an ongoing project to restore the damaged surface of Washgate Lane, an old packhorse route near Hollingsclough which has been in use for centuries. The weather was terrific – particularly on the Sunday – and it was great to be part of the important work to maintain this historic path!
Posted in Residential weekends, Stone-pitching | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
SMCV 