News | SMCV | A voluntary conservation group working in and around south Manchester, England

The Thirty-Nine Steps (above Eyam)

February 4, 2020 by Julian

This past weekend was our first residential weekend of the year, working as usual with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers and staying in their volunteer accommodation near Grindleford. On both Saturday and Sunday we worked on reconstructing a set of steps on a steep footpath above Eyam – thirty-nine steps, pleasingly!

Before starting work

Getting started

Volunteers at work

Work in progress

Volunteers at work

Work in progress

The completed steps

Posted in Residential weekends, Steps | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |

Gorse removal at Tegg’s Nose

January 12, 2020 by Julian

For our first outing of 2020 we were at Tegg’s Nose, working to clear some areas of gorse. Gorse has a long flowering period, so is an important nectar source in early spring and early winter; plus its density makes it ideal for a range of nesting birds. However, it can also take over and dominate a habitat, and the ongoing work to remove some here will better connect the Tegg’s Nose woodland and the higher heathland.

The weather stayed pretty dry (and even occasionally sunny), which was a welcome change from the heavy rain of the last day or two. Ranger Martin introduced us to the iNaturalist and Seek apps, so we look forward to using those more. And finally, it was great to have a good turn-out of volunteers – the best we’ve had in a while – so let’s hope that continues into the rest of the year!

Gorse removal – getting started

Gorse removal – work in progress

Pausing for lunch

Witches’ butter

Packing up

Gorse removal – a cleared area

Cleared and stacked gorse

Posted in Heathland, Woodland management | Tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Tegg's Nose Country Park |

Cow field at Chorlton Meadows

December 8, 2019 by Julian

For our last activity of 2019, we joined the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, this time to work in an area of grassland which (it is hoped) will return to being used for the grazing of cattle for part of each year from 2020. Careful management and grazing at the right time of the year will help to maintain this important habitat. We continued work already started by the Friends to remove areas of bramble encroaching onto the grassland – and had fine weather until the very end of the day.

Volunteers getting started

Volunteers at work

Volunteer at work

The edge of the field

Posted in Grassland, Meadows | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley |

Return visit to Compstall

November 24, 2019 by Julian

We returned today to Cheshire Wildlife Trust‘s Compstall Nature Reserve (where we were a fortnight ago). We were continuing with the work to prevent trees colonising an open wetland habitat, doing more of the clearing and with a warming bonfire to follow.

Volunteers gathering cut material

Volunteers getting bonfire started

Posted in Wetland | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve |

Sunny day at Compstall

November 10, 2019 by Julian

Today was our first visit to Compstall Nature Reserve, which is managed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and is in the heart of Etherow Country Park. This is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and we were working on a stretch of it not accessible to the public. Our task was to remove encroaching saplings, mainly willow and alder, from an area intended to be maintained as an open wetland. Although the ground was wet and soggy from all the recent rain, we were delighted to have bright sunshine all day – which showed off this diverse and lovely site at its best.

We managed to get a lot done although there only five of us. We are back here in a fortnight and more volunteers would be welcome!

Getting started on clearing

Conservation volunteers at work

The cleared area

Cut material

Geese overhead

Posted in Wetland | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve | 1 Comment »

Back in a pond at Chorlton Meadows

October 7, 2019 by Julian

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

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley |

Shoreline hedges at Tittesworth

September 23, 2019 by Julian

This past weekend was our third and final residential weekend of 2019, again with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers. We were back on the shores of Tittesworth Reservoir, and were pleased to see that the lakeside hedge we worked on last October and again in the January snow is well established and providing effective protection of the shore. In a hot and sunny late summer day we did further work on the hedge to keep its rampant growth under control and to extend it further along the water.

Previously laid hedge, with new growth

Starting work

Canine volunteer digging

Work in progress

Canine volunteer resting

Work in progress

Dog and laid hedge

Laid hedge

Sunday was a greyer, wetter day but nonetheless we made good progress with a new stretch of hedge in a different location, opening up views of the lake while also protecting the shore and enhancing the wildlife habitat.

An excellent weekend all round!

Arriving at Sunday’s task

Work in progress

Volunteers at work

The opened hedge

Posted in Hedgelaying, Residential weekends, Woodland management | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |

Path and steps at Chorlton Water Park

August 18, 2019 by Julian

Today we were in action at Chorlton Water Park. We were working first on some path resurfacing following water damage, then repairing two sets of steps.

Volunteers shovelling

Volunteers working on path

Volunteer sawing

Steps in progress

Completed steps

Posted in Paths, Steps | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley |

Steps in Kenworthy Wood

July 21, 2019 by Julian

Today saw our volunteers visit a new site in south Manchester. We were helping in one of the corners of Kenworthy Wood which lies alongside the complex of motorway junctions hereabouts. It gives quiet access to the meandering River Mersey and useful shortcuts between suburbs and also shelters the thread of the Trans Pennine Trail (National Cycle Network route 62) as it links Southport to Hull via the likes of Chorlton and Didsbury. It’s a great green space with remnants of a small orchard amidst the exuberant summer ovegrowth.
We were helping repair a long flight of wooden steps close to a reedy pond situated deep in a hollow ringed by trees at the edge of town. The task involved scraping back the encroaching grasses and wild flowers which are slowly absorbing this track. All the rotten planks and pegs were levered out and hefted to the side to be taken away. Six new pre-cut planks were inserted and levelled and pegged securely. And finally we wheelbarrowed new hardcore down the steps (carefully!) and tamped it in to seat the planks.
What had been mooted as a two-day task was completed by mid-afternoon including time for a tea break and lunch! A good day with a helpful breeze.

Volunteers working on steps

Volunteers and the finished steps

Posted in Steps | Tagged Kenworthy Wood, Mersey Valley |

Himalayan balsam at Sinderland Green

June 10, 2019 by Julian

It’s that time of year again: time for tackling invasive Himalayan balsam! Yesterday we were out with Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers at the Sinderland Green site they manage (actually a National Trust site) to help with the continued battle against the invader. Good progress has been made at this last site in recent years, so parts of the woodland are pleasingly free of balsam – all being well it can continue to be pushed back further each year.