Another sunny day at Stinchcombe Hill, managed by Stinchcombe Hill Trust mainly for Butterflies and other invertebrates. Removing small trees and brambles.

A well attended day helping the Kemerton estate by opening up one side of a stream to allow more light in. Hopefully to encourage more diversity in and around the stream. We were able to complete half of the work so aim to return later in the year.

A well attended task at this  Local Nature Reserve in Quedgeley, Gloucester. We were coppicing some of the overgrown Hazel in a small area behind the pond. Some of which had substantial sized limbs so we couldn’t manage all of the hazel. Hopefully this will open up the area to more light and encourage the ground flora, although some work will be needed to remove a proportion of the ivy that is covering the ground in places. Hoping to be able to plant out some bluebells in the Autumn.

As this was our Christmas task it wouldn’t be right if we didn’t have baked potatoes and mince pies (homemade). One of the volunteers partners took on the task of supplying the baked potatoes, so much appreciated.

A return visit to Edge Common nr Painswick to assist Natural England in maintaining the limestone grassland habitat. Six of us were removing Ash saplings – either by pulling up using the wonderful tree-poppers or sawing. The stumps were treated to prevent regrowth. We burnt the cut material.

Couldn’t have asked for better weather either.

Edge Common is one of the ‘strongholds’ for Duke of Burgundy butterflies; along with being home to an important suite of plant species specific to limestone grassland.

After a foggy start it soon burnt off and proved to be a bright and warm day. We joined Butterfly Conservation volunteers on their reserve near the Masts on Cleeve Common, to help remove a small amount of bramble and hawthorn encroaching onto the limestone grassland. This is a wonderful reserve for it’s flora and invertebrates so anything that extends the grassland is helpful (although a certain amount of scrub is left as this too is important habitat).

An exhausting but satisfying day.

A follow-up task with the Back from The Brink Project at Juniper Hill.  Fencing around a Juniper Tree and scrape (created to allow seeds to germinate and grow on as they prefer bare ground in which to establish). Four of us and the Project Officer plus his son worked on getting posts in and wire netting,plus barbed wire on top. Hopefully this will prevent any nibbling by rabbits and discourage grazing by cattle.

Hard work on the steep slope, trying to maintain your position under the forces of gravity,  but worthwhile in helping this native evergreen recover in numbers –  there were 2 or 3 seedlings already within the fenced area, along with others in nearby caged plots.

Today, with a small crew (4 volunteers), we managed to clear back and weed the hedge we had planted in March. It had become quite overgrown with nettles and bindweed, fortunately nearly all of the trees had survived and looked healthy. We then added more chippings as mulch.

Back  to the chippings pile again we barrowed loads onto the path that leads to the pond. Roger happily strimmed back the nettles further away from the hedge and tackled bramble that was clambering over the fence by the entrance.

Our other task was to try and remove logs that had found there way into the pond, probably by local gremlins – who’d clearly eaten their weetabix as we couldn’t shift some of the much heavier logs.

Anyway, a pleasing day’s work and hoping the hedge can now breathe again and grow on.

Working in a woodland planted 40 years ago on a former arable field.  There are several fenced plots in the wood with wildflowers that came from a Worcestershire Wildlife Trust site. Unfortunately some of the bluebells are of the Spanish variety and one of our tasks was to remove these to allow the native species to thrive. Our other work was opening up one side of a ride to allow light in and encourage wildflowers. Great care was taken to ensure there were no nesting birds where we were working.

Nearby are some man-made lakes – former gravel pits- with a hide, so we took the opportunity to sit in and watch the birds and a few dragonflies.

Hosted by the National Perry Pear Orchard at Hartpury, four of the group attended an Emergency First Aid Course. This covered CPR (resuscitation), bandaging, cuts, burns amongst other aspects of First Aid. Well organised and run with a great Tutor, we were also well fed and watered.

An essential part of conservation tasks, we now feel more confident in First Aid should the need arise.

Today we were planting a hedge alongside the fence by main entrance to site. Using native species (Hawthron, Blackthorn, Hazel, Guelder Rose and Field Maple), we managed to plant all 50 ‘whips’. There were 8  of us so should have been an easy task but this was slightly hindered by builders rubble a few inches down, so mattocks and picks were the order of the day.  We also cleared a stretch of bramble that was covering the rest of the fence. A successful day, hopefully the plants will grow well and we look forward 15 years to maybe laying the hedge.