Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am (parking is available at the two car parks on either side of Link Road, BS37 4AY).
If you live off Shire Way or Rodford Way, you could be interested in a new group aimed at encouraging wildlife in gardens and nearby.
Local residents Clare and Mat Woodman said “The group will be launched to give people the chance to share ideas, tips and suggestions in helping to make the area more wildlife friendly and a wonderful place to live. From backdoor wildernesses to public open spaces we all can play a part in helping to protect and nurture our outdoor areas. In our busy lifestyles we sometimes lose contact with nature and our projects will be a chance to step back and enjoy the basics again”
“Gaining volunteers to help put up bird feeders and nest boxes along Shire Way will be one of our many initiatives. We’re going to have the first meeting of the Shire Way Conservation Group on Tuesday 9th May 2017 at 7.00pm at Shire Way Community Centre – everyone will be welcome”
“The area already plays host to a variety of birds and animals including green woodpecker, tawny owl and goldfinch. Part of our work will be to ensure the continuing protection of these species plus the additional support needed for the declining number of bees and hedgehogs affecting us nationwide”
“In collaboration with local councils we will be actively looking to develop roadside ‘micro meadows’ as well as working towards projects in other areas.”
Dodington Parish Councillor Paul Hulbert, who is supporting the project, said “I’ve always concentrated on larger scale projects like Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, but I’m keen to find out more about these important small scale initiatives closer to home”
“As well as our gardens we have a lot of green spaces in our part of the town, perfect for wildlife. This very local initiative could also be a way for families to get even small children interested in the natural world on their doorsteps”
“This will very much be an ongoing community based project, aiming to reach out to local schools, organisations and existing conservation groups to develop awareness and support. We’re hoping to get local experts to come and speak to the group”
For further details please contact either Clare or Mat Woodman by phoning 07907 733056, by emailing clare_woodman@yahoo.co.uk or by checking out Shire Way Conservation Group on Facebook.
Friends of Yate Common work morning meeting 10.00 am – everyone welcome! For more information about the group and event please check out the FOYC Facebook Group.
Please meet at the bridge on the reserve, west of Oak Close, north Yate, BS37 5TN, 10.00am.
Dodington Parish Council Spring Clean will start from the Changing Room at QE2 Playing Fields Kelston Close at 10am, and spread out around the Shire Way / Rodford Way area. Litter pickers, black bags and gloves will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children must be accompanied by an adult.
If you’ve still got some energy afterwards, why not join in the Abbotswood Spring Clean and Planting just across the road? Starting at 11am in front of Abbotswood shops – just come along and choose something you would like to help with. As well as litter picking there will be planting, painting and lotes more to keep you busy.
A small band of enthusiasts – the Lilliput Conservation Group – is spending a couple of hours on the first Tuesday of each month, and also some Saturday mornings, tidying up the hedgerows and plantings in Lilliput Park.
We’ve recently been planting up the rockery (see above) and putting shrubs along the wall in the Quiet Corner, but there’s lots ,ore to do now that everything has started growing so quickly – especiall the weeds!
Our next work mornings are Tuesday 2 May and saturday 13 May. Please come along and help us improve this historic park. We shall be meeting at the Kingfisher Road gate at 10.00 am. Please wear suitable footwear.
You can check out the Lilliput Conservation Group on Facebook for more information.
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| Some of the Conservation Group members with their award certificate and the new trees ready for planting |
We are very proud to receive this award – it’s the first time the Community Award has been given to groups rather than individuals. We’ve been looking after Wapley Bushes for 24 years on behalf of owners Dodington Parish Council, but now it’s time to look further into the future.
The major threat to the Nature Reserve is ash dieback disease, which is now within a dozen miles of Yate. Eventually, but fortunately very slowly, we will lose most of the tallest trees that form the canopy of this ancient woodland. We have started a long-term programme of replacement planting with different tall native species – oak, whitebeam, black poplar and small-leaved lime.
We planted our first batch of 30 trees last weekend (25 March), with the help of South Gloucestershire’s new Member Awarded Funding scheme. We are aiming to plant another 90 trees next winter, gradually working our way through the woodland. By the time we start seeing major effects from ash dieback, the new trees should be at least semi-mature and the reserve will be able to carry on supporting a wide range of species.
19 volunteers came along to Saturday’s work morning, meaning that as well as the planting we were able to carry out a comprehensive spring clean. We were glad to see that there wasn’t too much litter around, but even so we came away with three black sacks full.
If you’ve walked round Wapley Bushes in the last few days, you will have noticed that some large bramble patches have been cut down at the top end of the wood. These clearings are ready for the tree planting and clean-up day this weekend (25 March, meeting 10 am at the Shire Way entrance)
On Thursday 23rd you will start to see dormouse nesting tubes on branches in the wood – an ecological consultancy has been given permission to carry out a dormouse survey.
A small band of enthusiasts – the Lilliput Conservation Group – is spending a couple of hours on the first Tuesday of each month, and also some Saturday mornings, tidying up the hedgerows and plantings in Lilliput Park.
Our next work mornings are Saturday 1 April and Tuesday 4 April. We will be planting up the rockery and planting shrubs along the wall in the Quiet Corner – there will be lots to do!
Please come along and help us improve this historic park. We shall be meeting at the Kingfisher Road gate at 10.00 am. Please wear suitable footwear and bring gloves if you have them.
You can check out the Lilliput Conservation Group on Facebook for more information.