On Sunday 17^th November 2024, a merry band of volunteers from GVCV joined Chris & Paul from the Stinchcombe Hill Trust.

Stinchcombe Hill, just outside Dursley, is on the Cotswold Way and is part of the Cotswold National landscape (formally the Cotswold Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty). The hill is rich in wildlife and includes three Sites of Special Scientific Interest (S.S.S.I.) on its banks.

Like many areas in the Cotswolds, the ash trees in the wooded areas on the Hill have been hit hard by ask die back.

Small trees and scrub also encroach on the valuable limestone grassland areas so need to be kept under control.

The group spent the day helping clear scrub and debris from ash die back works on a rare ‘flat bit’ of the hill. We enjoyed the surrounding scenery and the excuse to have a winter bonfire.

On Sunday 3^rd November 2024, GVCV volunteers met at the Resthaven Care Home in Pitchcombe, near to Painswick.

The owners of the home (Lilian & Faithfull) are keen to increase biodiversity onsite, for the benefit of wildlife and the residents at the home.

Local resident David Pugh contacted GVCV for guidance and help establishing a wildlife pond onsite near to the dining room for residents to enjoy.

Pond digging as a winter task can be challenge given the short hours of daylight but fortunately our highly efficient team of volunteers delivered a pond in record time. Marking out, digging, lining, edging, and filling the pond in less than 5 hours!

The pond will now have winter to settle and finish filling up with rainwater before planting in the Spring.

An enjoyable if tiring task…

On Friday 1^st November 2024, GVCV convened in Rodborough (near Stroud) for a social to celebrate bonfire night.

Dave carefully constructed a bonfire in the paddock (yes, the one cleared at Hay Day) which he manged to light with a single match.

The group enjoyed home brew, dinner, hot chocolate around the fire. With sparklers of course for those that wanted them.

On Saturday 31^st August 2024, GVCV convened in Rodborough (near Stroud) for the annual Hay Day Social.

16 volunteers spent a sunny morning raking to remove cut grass from a limestone meadow. This is important to maintain the low nutrient levels needed by rare plant species found on meadows in the local area. The group also cut back encroaching tree branches and brambles which can easily smother the meadow – alongside of spot of blackberry collection.

With many hands the day was also an opportunity to harvest local hops which were donated to Stroud Brewery as part of their Hop Club.

For their efforts, the group we treated to a free lunch time BBQ including local Winstone’s Ice Cream.

Hay day raking in the sunshine

Group after a morning of hard work

Hop picking for Stroud Brewery …. many hands make light work

On Sunday 14^th July 2024, GVCV joined fellow volunteers from the Cotswold Canal Trust to help clear footpaths near to the Sapperton Tunnel entrance and vegetation from around the historic Coates roundhouse nearby.

Coates roundhouse

Sapperton Tunnel Entrance or Portal

Credit: Cotswold Canal in Pictures.

The Sapperton tunnel and roundhouse are both on the now disused section of the Thames & Severn Canal.  The section is an important footpath connection route between the Thames Path National Trail and the Stroud Canal. In its disused state the canal is a a haven for wildlife including a large colony of bats roosting with the tunnel.

To read more about the area please visit: https://www.cotswoldcanals.net/

The despite the warm conditions the combined group has a good day powered by homemade cake.

Jon and Candy after a hard days work at the roundhouse.

2024.04.21 QUEDGELEY ARBORETUM LNR

Our 1^st visit for a year to this popular site in the heart of Quedgeley. 8 volunteers met up on a sunny day amongst the trees to help keep this countryside oasis flourish. We concentrated on our typical activities of pond maintenance, weed control around the front boundary hedge, path clearance, cutting back Ivy, litter picking and dead wood stacking.

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The boundary hedge we planted several years ago is flourishing. Nettles and creeping weeds can overwhelm it and keeping it weeded helps initial impressions of the reserve to visitors

The pond we have worked on for quite a few years and it has recovered to the point it has water constantly in it! The reeds however quickly overwhelm it so need thinning. Quite a few sticks and bits of debris somehow end up in there too, all removed. The edges were also cleared of grass growing in from the surrounding banks.

To finish our activities we cut thick Ivy branches from mature trees, litter picked, although it is pleasingly free of general litter, and cut back overgrowth from some of the paths.

We enjoyed walking around the reserve taking in the sights and sounds of the wildlife.

A sea of wild flowers today – see below

Planting wild flowers – November 2019

We look forward to visiting again in the Autumn

On 18^th May 2024, GVCV explored the walking route from the new Clavell and Hind brewery outside Cheltenham to the Coombe Hill Nature Reserve – highly regarded for its wading birds and butterflies.

The group bravely navigated muddy puddles and a few outgrown spots to reach the reserve. After the pitstop for a drink/ice cream the group returned to the brewery for lunch and a well earned pint.

On Sunday 25th February 2024, GVCV volunteers met Tim & Nola Lea at their farm in Emley Castle. 

The farm is managed under ‘higher level stewardship’ a government scheme that provides funding to farmers and other land managers in England in return for delivering environmental and wildlife benefits on their land. Tim and Nola have transformed their farm over several years into a haven for wildlife.

The group helped on three key tasks and in reward were treated to an excellent cooked lunch of venison and veggie lasagne.  

The first task was replacing native trees which has died. This involving shifting metal tree guards and replanting new trees in a new location to increase their chances of survival.

Second task was removing ties from the trees that had survived.  This isn’t as simple as it sounds as the photos shows.

Third task was a spot of pruning of the orchard planted by GVCV many years ago. It was rewarding to see how quickly the trees have grown.

Thanks to Tim and Nola for a great day and for taking some photos.

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BUBBS HILL LIVERY FARM CONSERVATION TASK – 11^TH FEBRUARY 2024

We were blessed with a beautiful sunny day for our first visit to this site on a very steep slope overlooking the hills and countryside ahead. Our aim was to make clearance of a quite dense hawthorn tree area on bubbs livery farmland over at Cockelford to encourage the Duke of Burgundy butterflies to make this their home.

We had a good team of volunteers support this task and It was quite challenging making our way to the site but we very quickly cut back and made a path through and light work was made of clearing a large area of hawthorn bushes/trees to open it up to grassland.

There was a huge number of plastic tree guards from a previous planting which we removed from site. That alone reduced pollution in the habitat

Here are a few pictures of the site before and after and a casual group photo of the team

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The “before” picture

Tanglewood

A vista of cleared area

Cut material formed into in a dead hedge

End of the day – tired but fulfilled – and the sun came out