Wapley Local Nature Reserve Workday, Saturday 15 March

We shall be undertaking general management tasks, including a spring clean, that will help to enhance the biodiversity of this precious nature reserve. Please wear stout footwear.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US, 10.00am.

Temporary footbridge for Wapley

It looks like Network Rail have listened to councillors and users of the path over the footbridge to Wapley Bushes. They have put in an application to divert the path via a temporary footbridge while they raise the bridge to get clearance for the overhead cables for electrifying the line.

Clearance work has recently started on site and we are now waiting for Network Rail to sort out the details of the paths to make sure that the slope isn’t too steep.

Report from Wapley Work Morning, Sunday 16 February

A very busy work morning, as nine of us tackled some major jobs. Tree planting, fruit tree pruning, litter picking, cutting up fallen trees, and hydrological engineering!

We cleared some fallen trees and then tackled the blocked outlet from the Top Pond. To find the blockage we first had to hack our way up through the middle of a hedge:

I think we've found the source of the Nile
- Dr Livingstone I presume?

The blockage which was making the Top Pond too deep turned out to be fallen tree branches under the water. Some of them were so rotten they looked like been spare parts for the Mary Rose. Eventually we were rewarded with success as the stream started to flow rapidly - we calculated the flow rate as about at around a tonne of water a minute. The pond was already several inches lower when we left - objective achieved.

The stream is now flowing healthily again

Meanwhile our other work parties were pruning back the small fruit trees in the Orchard for the Future and generally tidying up the Nature Reserve. A good morning's work!

Worst mud patches being repaired

Dodington Parish Council has generously agreed to finance repairing the worst parts of the weather damage on the Nature Reserve. Stone will be put on the mud patches on either side of the bridge between the two meadows, and the worn steps at the bottom of the Lower Path in the main woods are being rebuilt.

Meanwhile the Conservation Group is looking for finance to restore the more extensive lengths of paths within the woods.