Posted in Wetland, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve on November 24, 2019|
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.
Posted in Wetland, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve on November 10, 2019| 1 Comment »
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!
Posted in Invasive species, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, National Trust on June 10, 2019|
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.
Posted in Heathland, Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Friends of Chorlton Meadows on November 18, 2018|
Our last two activities have been in Chorlton Meadows (Sunday 28th October) and Birch Moss Covert (Sunday 11th November). The first of these was to help the Friends of Chorlton Meadows with their work on the reed beds, maintaining an area of open water which is important for wildlife.
Next, at Birch Moss Covert, we worked with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers to prevent woodland encroaching on an important area of low heathland heather.
For our next activity, we look forward to joining the Friends of Longford Park on Sunday 25th November!
Posted in Invasive species, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, National Trust on August 12, 2018|
As in previous years, today we were once again out with Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers at Hogswood Covert and then Brookheys Covert (sites now managed by the National Trust), continuing the battle against the invasive Himalayan balsam in these woodlands. It was pleasing to see that there was less balsam to be found than in the past, so the battle against the invader is gradually gaining ground!
Posted in Invasive species, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust on August 13, 2017|
Today we were once again out with Cheshire Wildlife Trust volunteers at Hogswood Covert, continuing the CWT’s battle against the invasive Himalayan balsam in this woodland. This war is waged every summer and good progress is being made at eradicating the balsam. No pictures this time, but then piles of bashed balsam look much the same as in similar previous visits!
Posted in Paths, Woodland management, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust on September 5, 2016|
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 Heathland, Invasive species, Paths, tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, City of Trees, Sale Water Park, Tegg's Nose Country Park on July 19, 2016| 1 Comment »
Well it’s been a while since we put out an update, but that doesn’t mean SACV hasn’t been busy! In the last month or two we have worked in the quarry area at Tegg’s Nose Country Park (Sunday 12th June), when a damp day didn’t stop us from getting lots of heathland management work done; done some path maintenance work at Sale Water Park (Sunday 26th June) for City of Trees, taking care not to destroy some of the banks of wildflowers; and worked with the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at Birch Farm Ponds (Sunday 10th July) tackling the invasive Himalayan balsam. Here’s hoping the rest of the summer continues in the same productive vein!
Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust on July 13, 2014|
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 on September 8, 2013|
SACV volunteers were out today helping the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at one of their sites, Birch Moss Covert. The work was to carry out some woodland management, clearing an area that had been invaded by Himalayan balsam and bracken, then transplanting rowan saplings from a denser area of the wood.
SMCV 