Today we weeded the wildflower squares at the Sherbourne’s Brake entrance to the reserve (those planted or seeded earlier this year) Six volunteers perspired in the sun but managed to clean up most of the squares. Those which were seeded are showing an encouraging amount of seedlings.
We also sent a sub team to Davies pond at the request of Dave Dace to clear more rubbish added since the recent clean out. This time we removed a long table top, a hi fi speaker a black sack of household rubbish and one of garden rubble.
Next week we are back at the Himalayan Balsam site visited a few weeks ago to try and get on top of that area.
The task this week was to clear litter from the marsh before the vegetable growth hid it all. I think we were just in time. The recent rain has left the marsh with a inundation of water widely spread across it which is a good thing to see. With four very pleasant guests from Eastville Park Green Gym plus Jenny we mustered ten volunteers. Having cleared as much litter as we could find the group split into Three tasks. Group A attacked the isolated stands of Himalayan Balsam whilst Group B cleared the irrigation channels and reconnected the small sump to the main flow. The sump has rapidly filled and will form the ideal kick off point for the September work day.
Group C (that’s me) scouted the northern perimeter of the marsh for Himalayan Balsam, this being an area not previously addressed. If the Environment Agency and the Boy Scouts become available this is the area we will ask them to concentrate on (it is in the drier, safer underfoot area of the marsh).
Next weeks planned project is to weed the newest flower beds (those by the Sherbournes Brake entrance). However we may divert a sub team to Davies Pond to clear yet more rubbish. This will depend upon the number of project leaders available that day.
When walking around the lake earlier today we saw 10 ducklings (one family of 8, one family of 1 and a single duckling that seemed to be alone - but who seemed to be fine).
Thanks to Steve and Emma, there’s new bird news on the bird blog. Hopefully I’ll add a photo gallery soon.
This weeks task was to remove Himalayan Balsam from an area between the tump and the Patchway Brook near the northern entrance to the tump. Six volunteers heavily padded up against the rampant stinging nettles worked with a will but still cleared less than half of the growth. To paraphrase Arnie We will be back.
Next week’s GG however is at the ’swamp’. The main aim is to litter pick the area before nature hides the rubbish. We will also attack any Himalayan Balsam no doubt and possibly clear some of the existing water channels.
A complete list of Green Gyms for the rest of the year will be published within the next few days.
This week five volunteers, including a newcomer, improved the drainage of the run off across the main path near the middle plantation. Three channels were dug from the path side to the nearby ditch. Unfortunately it was not possible to carry this through to the brook because there is a tall bank in the way. SO the ditch may become a pond. Already the stagnant pools have drained and the run off from the school playing fields is flowing strongly through the channels. Since the task finished early we crossed the stream at the Tump bridge and turned left, back level with the run off, where we declared HB hunting season open and spend an hour pulling Himalayan Balsom.
Next weeks task will probably be more of the same in the same location (there is always more HB to be pulled).
We saw a family of 12 ducklings on the lake today.
May’s work day was a walk through the reserve.
Some pictures:
path and bluebells
lunch
path
bluebells closeup
stream
swan
