Second Friends session for popular Lilliput Park

Lilliput Park, between Heron Way and Chipping Sodbury, is very popular with people of all ages. The Lilliput Conservation Group run work mornings in the park on the first Tuesday of each month (e.g. Tuesday 4 October), but they have had requests for local people to organise a weekend session.

The first weekend work morning will be on Saturday 15 October from 10 am until 12 noon, meeting at the Kingfisher Road gate. All ages are welcome, but children need to be accompanied by responsible adults. Suitable footwear should be worn, and gloves would be useful.

Dodington Parish Councillor Paul Hulbert, who is a regular at the work sessions, said "There will be something for everyone - digging and tidying, cutting back the bushes, and litter picking. People can work at their own pace"

For more information please check out the Lilliput Conservation Group page on Facebook, or contact Paul Hulbert on 07771 562505.

Kingsgate Park Nature Reserve Workday - Saturday 8th October 10.00 am

Discover the natural beauty on your doorstep. Enjoy a day with others helping to care for this popular park. Spend a day in the outdoors helping manage this important amphibian haven. Please wear suitable outdoor clothing including gloves and wellies or walking boots.

Cost: Free. No booking required.

This event is part of Discover Festival 2016 - your chance to discover and enjoy something new in South Gloucestershire. Click below to find out more.

sites.southglos.gov.uk/discover

Kingsgate Park Nature Reserve Ponds Workday Saturday 8 October

We shall undertaking maintenance of this important amphibian site including the cutting back of vegetation. 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)

Lilliput Park work morning - Tuesday 4 October

A small band of enthusiasts - the Lilliput Conservation Group - is spending a couple of hours on the first Tuesday of each month tidying up the hedgerows and plantings in Lilliput Park.

Please come along and help us improve this historic park. We shall be meeting at the Kingfisher Road gate at 10.00 am. Please wear suitable footwear and bring gloves if you have them.

You can check out the Lilliput Conservation Group on Facebook for more information.

Abbotswood Autumn Apple Day Saturday 1 October

This is a seasonal celebration of autumn and apples with the Abbotswood Action Group community.It's loads of fun and there will be interesting and creative activities for all ages. Admission is free and refreshments will be available. Well behaved dogs on a lead are welcome to come along too.

Location: St Nicholas Family Centre garden and Abbotswood precinct, Chargrove, Abbotswood, Yate, BS37 4LG, 11am - 3pm.

Stream works, toad, and more - report from work morning 11 September

Cutting the vegetation

There is a stream down through the middle of the wood that only flows when it's been raining heavily, but we need to clear it every year to make sure that it doesn't overflow and alter the surrounding habitat. So on Sunday we cut our way through the vegetation and dug out the leaf mould and other debris from the stream bed.

The stream going up through the woodland

As we were clearing the stream we first saw something jump away very quickly - a frog, we think - and then we saw a toad ambling its way away from the area where we were working. We're not sure that we've seen a toad in the wood before.

The wood definitely seems to be getting wetter. In the summer the bed of the stream usually develops deep cracks, but only the upper part of the stream had cracks this time.

Lady fern or similar species

Hart's tongue fern

Ferns are also much more widely distributed in the wood than a few years ago. It will be interesting to see what other species changes occur.

Bracket fungi

One tree near the stream regularly has spectacular bracket fungi, some as large as dinner plates.

13 people came on the work morning, so we were also able to do a lot of litter picking and our regular maintenance of the fruit trees.

A big thank you to everyone who helped!

Kennedy Way Pond Workday Sunday 25 September

We shall be carrying out general management works on the reserve including vegetation clearance at this local wildlife haven.
Meet at the Kennedy Way Pond, Link Road, Yate Shopping Centre, 10.00am (parking is available at the Yate overflow car park also on the eastern side of Link Road, BS37 4AY)

Brilliant bat walk!

 

A brilliant Wapley Bushes Bat Walk this evening - loads of bats, three species - pipistrelles, soprano pipistrelles and a few noctules. 67 people came, including quite a lot of children enjoying being in the dark woods at night. The photo shows some of the children experimenting with their bat detectors.

The bats were flying surprisingly low - down to a metre above the ground and weaving their way between groups of people. We think they were after insects that were flying low along the woodland edge to shelter from the wind.

Thanks to everyone that came - please come and join in our other events at Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve and around the area. Reminder - we've got a Wapley Bushes Work Morning on Sunday, 10.00 am at the Shire Way gate.

Friends of Ridge Wood bat walk - 21 September

Bat Walk
7:00pm to approx. 9:00pm

Join the Friends of Ridge Wood and Avon Bat Group for a twilight stroll in search of bats. Bat detectors provided. Wear warm clothes and boots and bring a torch.
Meet at Quarry Road entrance, Chipping Sodbury, BS37 6AX.
No dogs allowed - except guide dogs....

This is a free event in the Discover Festival program organised by the Council.
However please register your intention to attend, on the South Glouc website.

Click Here to book your free place. Run by Eventbrite.

Getting ready for the bat walk

Two of us spent a couple of hours this morning cutting back overgrowth on the route we'll be using for the bat walk this coming Friday 9th September (7.30 pm at the Shire Way gate)

The worst part was near the top of the Ride - we're investigating having the Ride cut back mechanically during the autumn, now that the bird nesting season has finished. If we don't, we'll have the Ride growing over every summer.

Friends of Ridge Wood informal meeting - Wed 14 September

To be held at Tesco Extra, Yate Community Meeting Room
Parking in public car park
Meeting starts 7:30pm All welcome

Friends of Ridge Wood Woodland Work Morning - Sunday 4 September

Sunday - 4th September - Woodland Work Morning
10:00am to 12 noon
Meet at Melrose Avenue entrance
Gloves and Tools supplied

Lilliput Park work morning - Tuesday 6 September

A small band of enthusiasts - the Lilliput Conservation Group - is spending a couple of hours on the first Tuesday of each month tidying up the hedgerows and plantings in Lilliput Park.

Please come along and help us improve this historic park. We shall be meeting at the Kingfisher Road gate at 10.00 am. Please wear suitable footwear and bring gloves if you have them.

You can check out the Lilliput Conservation Group on Facebook for more information.