CURRENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAMME
29 December - 8 March 2020
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HAPPY CHRISTMAS AND ALL THE BEST FOR THE NEW YEAR!
Thurnham meadow has been a success again this year and a final grass cut was done in October. This will allow the plants to get established for next season without too much competition from long grass.
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All Great Wood School did a sponsored walk to obtain funds for the wood and this has allowed us to do the construction work on the bridge and dipping platform. Well done to all of them! Year 3 also planted trees with Liz for National Tree Week. 60 children came out and had a great afternoon planting hazel, oak, alder, willow and bird cherry.
Mossgate School has now got a restored pond. Our digger driver, James, did the heavy earth moving while our conservation group, with the help of parents and Headteacher, Rob Smith, relined and filled the pond with water. Future work will include repairing one dipping platform and building another.
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If you can come along on any workday, please ring Liz and David. Everyone welcome. We have something for all ages. Pick-ups will be at the Shrimp roundabout, Morecambe, at 9.15am and Royal Lancaster Infirmary bus stop at 9.30am by telephone or email booking only. It helps us make arrangements if we know how many people to expect.
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Subs for 2020 are due: £12 waged or £6 unwaged, promptly please.
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SUNDAY 12 JANUARY 2020 – GREAT WOOD SCHOOL, BARE – BRIDGE BUILDING We are redirecting a path over a wet ditch so we'll be constructing a new timber bridge. Skilled use of saws, drills and hammers will be taught with the satisfaction of achieving our goal at the end of the day.
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SUNDAY 26 JANUARY – GLASSON DOCK - COPPICING This is a new site for us. We will be helping the local community group to manage 2 ponds and planted trees first carried out 15 years ago. There is a management plan which we will follow, involving thinning two copses which have become overgrown. You will learn how to safely fell small trees and then stack the wood to create habitat piles. Future jobs will involve work on the ponds. FOR THIS TASK ONLY please bring your own hot drinks!
SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY – a.m. BARE LANE STATION – HEDGE MANAGEMENT Our hedge that we planted last winter, at the station, has done very well but needs weeding to give it every chance to grow well. Also, further management work in the compound and the car park bed.
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SUNDAY 9 FEBRUARY – p.m. GREAT WOOD SCHOOL, BARE – TREE PLANTING Year 3 children from the school planted 30 trees during National Tree Week but they have left a few for us to plant! We want to ensure that the diversity of age and species in the wood are sustained so each year we plant about 100 trees. These will be oak, willow and birch.
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SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY - GREAT WOOD SCHOOL, BARE - DIPPING PLATFORM Great Wood features rather heavily in this programme but the school has done very well in raising money for their wood. After many years of use, the old dipping platform has come to the end of its life so we are replacing it with a larger one to allow more children safe, supervised, access to the pond. As with the bridge – you will be able to use saws, drills, hammers and the spirit level, and a good eye will be essential.
SUNDAY 8 MARCH - BELMOUNT FARM, SLYNE – HEDGE LAYING A last opportunity to do some hedge laying this season before growth kicks in and the birds start nesting.
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Reminder: We provide tools, work gloves and hot drinks. Please bring a packed lunch.
Wear sensible footwear and bring full waterproofs to ensure both comfort and safety.
Other tasks are in the pipeline so please check the website for late changes.
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