We shall be carrying out general management tasks at this nature reserve area. Please wear wellington boots.
Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am and parking is available at the Yate overflow car park on the eastern side of Link Road, BS37 4AY.
Five of us had a very successful volunteer work morning today. Our major job was our usual autumn task of clearing the seasonal stream through the woodland.
If we don't dig out the stream bed, winter rain can overflow into the woodland and change the composition of the vegetation (which includes at least one locally rare species)
To access the steam bed, we also had to cut back the vegetation that grew over it during the summer.
So when the stream does flow, where does the water go? If you look carefully at the Common, you can see a dip running from the woodland across to Besom Lane. That's the route of the underground portion of the stream, flowing on top of a layer of impervious rock.
Our bonus job for the session was carrying out running repairs on one of the bug hotels.
The next work morning will be on Saturday 11 October at the Kennedy Way Pond next to Yate Shopping Centre. Please come and join us - watch this space for details!
Our events are all free to attend and they do not require advance booking. We take sensible Covid precautions like not sharing gloves on work days so you are very welcome to bring your own gloves if you have them, but if not then we provide gloves that you can keep and use for the next workday.
You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Please wear stout footwear. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Sunday 21 September
Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve Workday
The key tasks will be the annual clearing out of the woodland stream, cutting back vegetation overgrowth and optional litter picking. Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided.
Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.
Saturday 11 October
Kennedy Way Pond Workday
We shall be carrying out general management tasks at this nature reserve area. Please wear wellington boots.
Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am and parking is available at the Yate overflow car park on the eastern side of Link Road, BS37 4AY.
Saturday 25 October
Kingsgate Park Nature Area Workday
We shall be undertaking maintenance of this grassland and wetland site including vegetation clearance. Please wear gloves and wellington boots.
Meet at the Scott Way entrance to Kingsgate Park, Scott Way, Yate, BS37 4NW, 10.00am. Parking is available at the entrance of Shackleton Avenue.
Sunday 30 November
Wapley Bushes Nature Reserve Workday
This workday will be a morning of tree and shrub planting to enhance biodiversity plus general maintenance and tidying up the reserve prior to the winter season. Please wear walking or wellington boots.
Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.
Would you like to help nature conservation in our area? Wapley Bushes Conservation Group needs more volunteers for our practical sessions and for background activities.
You can find out more by coming to our next committee meeting at 7.30 pm this Wednesday, 27 August, in the Council Chamber at Dodington Parish Hall, Finch Road, Chipping Sodbury BS37 6JZ.
Alternatively you can email Paul Hulbert on paul.hulbert@gmail.com.
The Conservation Group helps to look after several Nature Reserves in the area and also works with local youth organisations.
Please come and join us - we're an active, friendly group that really makes a difference to our local environment.
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| Devil's-bit Scabious |
This Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve Workday was delayed from July 5 due to forecast rain.
To get the reserve ready for our summer visitors, 8 volunteers cut back intruding vegetation along the woodland paths and elsewhere, and trimmed back the usual blackthorn in the Orchard area.
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On this workday we will aim to do a deep clean of the Reserve and cut back intruding vegetation along the woodland paths to get the reserve ready for our summer visitors. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your own gloves if you have them. Everyone welcome!
Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.
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Come and join us on a guided Bird Walk led by local expert Alan Daniells. Explore the Nature Reserve and see what sights and sounds our local birdlife has to offer!
Meet at the Shire Way gate BS37 8US at 10.00 AM. Please wear suitable footwear.
We've also had an important visitor, the assessor for the Green Flag Community Award. We look forward to their comments - assessors often suggest improvements we haven't thought of.
As you can see, the apple blossom is looking good in the Orchard For The Future.
Would you like to help us at Wapley Bushes and elsewhere? Please email paul.hulbert@gmail.com to find out more, or check out our website at https://wapleybushes.info
We've also got our AGM and committee meeting coming up on Wednesday 21 May - evetyone welcome. Please email Paul if you would like meeting details or papers.
This workday will be a combination of a spring clean of the reserve and assorted vegetation management. Please wear stout footwear, and bring your own gloves if you can. Everyone is welcome, but young people under the age of 16 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US at 10.00 am.
You may see some of these tubes in trees and hedges around the Wapley property for the next few weeks. They are dormouse nesting tubes - a professional ecologist is carrying out a survey to see whether hazel dormice have moved into our area (previous surveys have had negative results)
The population of hazel dormice in the UK has dropped by 75% in less than 30 years. The species is currently classed as vulnerable, but there are thoughts that the status might be upgraded to endangered - see this BBC article
We'll let you know the outcome of the survey.
We spotted double-figure numbers each of Chiffchaff, Blackcap, and Wren.
There was a wide range of other species too: Mallard, Stock Dove, Woodpigeon, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Buzzard, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Green Woodpecker, Jay, Magpie, Jackdaw, Carrion Crow, Blue Tit, Great Tit, Long-tailed Tit, Willow Warbler, Goldcrest, Song Thrush, Mistle Thrush, Blackbird, and Robin.
A date for your diaries - there will be a Summer Bird Walk on Saturday 28 June starting at the Shire Way gate BS37 8US at 10.00 AM. Please wear suitable footwear.
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Come and join us on a guided Bird Walk led by local expert Alan Daniells. Explore the Nature Reserve and see what sights and sounds our local birdlife has to offer!
Meet at the Shire Way gate BS37 8US at 10.00 AM. Please wear suitable footwear.
On a lovely sunny day seven volunteers gave the Nature Reserve a good tidy-up, cutting back brambles etc that were trying to invade the grassland. We did litter-picked the whole area, including the woodland parts.
We were pleased to see that there was less general rubbish than previously, probably due to visits by the Upper Frome Friends - thank you!
We dod find two fly-tipping locations, one next to the railway fence and one in part of the woodland. We have reported these to South Gloucestershire Council Streetcare to deal with.
Seven volunteers planted a total of 21 trees at Wapley Bushes on Saturday 15 March, as replacements for trees lost to Ash Dieback Disease.
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For our Wapley Bushes tree planting work mornings this winter, we are planting a range of broadleaf species to replace some of the tall trees that were cut down due to ash dieback disease, As usual there will also be a variety of lighter tasks, so something for everyone.
Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.
Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools – for example a spade if you’ve got one – or if not, tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
We planted 17 trees on our February work morning to replace trees lost due to ash dieback disease. The species were English oak, small-leaved lime, black alder, field maple and whitebeam. We also did some cutting back of the accesses to the woodland.
On our Wapley Bushes tree planting work morning this Sunday we will be planting a range of broadleaf species to replace some of the tall trees that were cut down due to ash dieback disease,
Please come and join us! As usual there will also be a variety of lighter tasks, so that there's something for everyone.
Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we don't share gloves.
Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools - for example a spade if you've got one - or if not, tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.
