Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, near Yate and Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire.


The Nature Reserve is run by the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group, a small group of volunteers.

Friday, November 16, 2012

The Spectacular Westonbirt Enchanted Christmas 2012 - Fri, Sat & Sun evenings from 30 Nov to 23 Dec 2012



The Enchanted Christmas will return this year with a spectacular new illuminated trail and more exciting festive activities, foods and stalls onsite. The costs are adults £9, concessions £8, children £5. No dogs please except assistance dogs.  Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from 30 November to 23 December 2012 at  Westonbirt Arboretum, A433, 3 miles south west of Tetbury, Gloucestershire, GL8 8QS, 5.00 pm to 8.30 pm with the last entry at 7.15 pm.

Monday, November 05, 2012

Planting despite the rain!

When we were rehabilitating the old part of the Orchard for the Future earlier in the year, we started thinking what to do with a the trunk of a dead plum tree. We decided that we would make it a "feature". Despite having to cancel the work morning yesterday, members of the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group were able to plant a climbing rose in memory of a local Dodington resident, Mrs Molly Turner, later on in the afternoon.

This rose, Rosa "Wedding Day", will eventually produce a large display of flowers in the summer and hips in the autumn. The scented single flowers are wildlife-friendly and will be benefit pollinating insects such as bees and hoverflies. The summer flowering season will also complement that of the adjacent spring flowering fruit trees to provide a longer nectar and pollen season for insects. Similarly, the autumn hips will be of benefit to foraging birds. Not only good to look at, but ecologically useful!

Jane Giddings gets down and dirty planting the new rose

Meet our new friend Rosa...

Sunday, November 04, 2012

Workday Sunday 4 November CANCELLED - have a squirrel instead!

We've had to cancel today's work morning due to heavy rain overnight making the ground unsafe for working. It's still raining and sleeting out there, so in case you need a wildlife fix to make up for it, here's a short video of a squirrel that Paul saw yesterday: