6 volunteers attended. 2 brought pipe with them so 1 was despatched to cut ash sprouts while the rest of us dug trench and fitted pipe in it. Water exuded from the pipe with gratifying velocity. Met someone from SGC briefly, then cut more ash bits. Still some left though.
Very muddy but tried to clean tools
November 26, 2009
Green Gym 26 November 2009
November 19, 2009
Green Gym 19 November 2009
This week six volunteers plus one carer multi-tasked in the Middle Plantation. Whilst 3 removed screws from the lids of bird boxes replacing them with the more conventional wired fasteners, the rest of us dug new surface water drainage channels at the site of the drainage system put in a couple of months ago. Whilst extending one such channel we discovered the source of the Nile, or at least the source of much of the surface water problem. So strong is the flow of water from this point that a more permanent piped system may have to be installed at some time.
Next week we go off-site to clean out Dewfalls Pond (off Dewfalls Drive on the Saxon Path).
November 12, 2009
Green Gym 12 November 2009
Today four volunteers surveyed the bird boxes in the Middle Plantation and Webbs Wood. We found some boxes had been used, some had not, some had been mutilated by squirrels or had the holes enlarged and some had the lids screwed down.
During the coming week we will check Sherbourne’s Brake for boxes even tho’ there are none on the list. If we find none then we will complete the survey documentation and distribute same.
We are now ahead of the current GG schedule so next week we will return to the drainage scheme to cut a few more channels now that we can see where the surface water still remains. At the same time we will take a screwdriver and sort out the bird boxes in that plantation and maybe Webbs Woods depending on the turnout.
November 7, 2009
November 5, 2009
Green Gym 5 November 2009
Today four volunteers checked the boxes in Savage Wood and surveyed the Middle Plantation for checking next week. In Savages we found 11 out of the 13 listed plus one unlisted box. Many boxes have severe hole damage or are damaged in some other way and need replacing ( possibly by the Alzheimers Trust), one had fallen off it’s tree entirely, like a lot of us. Five were used, all by Great Tits (identified by eggs in the nests possibly from abandoned second broods). Only one box with an enlarged hole had been used and one (a bat box) which last year was actually occupied by a mouse at the time of survey still appears to be occupied by a mouse so we left that nest alone and didn’t clean it out.
All the boxes listed for the Middle Plantation have been located - we will check them next week. We checked the new drainage system while we were there. Whilst no doubt better than it was (given the recent rain) nevertheless there was still surface water. Green Gym will schedule a day to dig extra surface water channels using the surplus gravel still nearby.
The records will be updated and when surveying is compete will be kept in the tool store for reference and assignment of additional numbers.