“May blossom” – Photo by Isabel Ryan

The hawthorn is now in full bloom. Around the Bristol area the blossom is so well known that the hawthorn itself is often just referred to as “May”.

But it’s not a blossom that would be welcome inside the house – it’s supposed to be very unlucky, as the smell was apparently similar to London during the Great Plague.

On a more positive note the hawthorn is also the species of the Holy Thorn, reputedly brought to Glastonbury by Joseph of Arimathea (Source)

Seen in Portishead.

At least we haven’t got THIS problem…

Some of the volunteers and just SOME of the rubbish. Photo by Isabel Ryan.

We had a very successful and well attended workday on Sunday, removing a lot of rubbish from the Reserve. Much of the rubbish was left from heavy public use during the snow, but we took the opportunity to get deep into some of the thickets to remove bottles and other debris as well.

We also removed the best part of 100 yards of barbed wire, the remains of old fences.

While we were working on the Reserve a steam loco went past – the Oliver Cromwell, on an excursion to South Wales.

Photo by Tim Fairhead

According to the Met Office, today (1st March) is the first day of spring. But another definition puts it at the night of 20/21 March, the vernal equinox, when day and night are of equal length. Anyway, it’s a lovely day at Wapley. Lots of green shoots all over the place, and the first cowslips.

And the rooks are getting territorial – we saw them chasing a buzzard off this morning. The buzzard had had the temerity to stray across the road and over the Common, and the rooks launched in defence. The first rook buzzed the buzzard and nearly put its talons through its head feathers. The buzzard took one look at the attack squadron of another dozen rooks following behind, and headed straight back to the safety of the farmland.

Just a reminder that the next Wapley Bushes Conservation Group work morning will be on Sunday, meeting at the Shire Way gate at 10.00 am. Please come along and help us. We will be doing general conservation work and tidying up and possibly some planting too.

Please wear wellies or stout footwear and appropriate clothing. To find out more please ring Paul on 01454 315851 or Isabel on 01454 313055.

Over the last few decades Dutch Elm Disease, a fungus spread by bark beetles, has devastated the British elm population to the extent that many people have never seen a live mature elm tree.

Now however a multinational project involving a site near Yate may hold the key to repopulating elms in the UK. Members of the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group discovered a a native Wych Elm on the reserve that has remained unaffected by the disease, and they have have sent seeds from to the French national State Forestry Nursery for analysis to assess the extent of disease resistance.

The aim of the European project is to identify types of elm that are resistant to the disease so that eventually the resistant specimens can be planted out to repopulate the European countryside and help the many species that are dependent upon elms.

Tim Fairhead of the Conservation Group explains “In return we received seeds from ancient elm trees in a French Nature Reserve, and these were grown on at Portsmouth University. These particular trees contain high levels of unique bark compounds that deter feeding by the beetles so they are less likely to get infected in the first place. We hope these trees will go on to provide a resource and home for threatened and vulnerable species like the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly”

Volunteers from the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group are shown planting out the resistant saplings on Dodington Parish Council land at Wapley Bushes, together with South Glos Councillors Linda Boon and Claire Young. This is the only elm repopulation project of its type in the South West and one of only four sites in the UK.

Cllr Linda Boon said “It’s good to see such a significant initiative by a local volunteer group. Local groups like this are key to running our local nature reserves, together with support and expert advice from South Gloucestershire’s Environment Department”

Cllr Claire Young said “This is really good news. A whole generation has grown up who only know elms as dead tree skeletons in hedgerows. If this works we can start to repopulate the country’s landscape”

(Photo by Isabel Ryan)

Many of you will know the burnt-out tree near the bridge between the two meadows. We kept it as long as we could, but large holes started opening up in the base. An expert checked it out for us and advised us that it would soon become dangerous, so it had to be cut down. We’ve left the base as a feature. Other less drastic work will be taking place to keep trees in the main woodland in good order. (Photo by Isabel Ryan)