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.

Thursday, September 30, 2021

Wapley Bushes Conservation Group autumn events


We've got four events planned between now and the end of the year - there will be something for everyone! So please put these dates in your diaries:

  • Tue 26 October 7.00 pm - Owl prowl from Shire Way gate led by local owl expert Ian McGuire
  • Sun 21 November 10.00 am - Volunteer work morning starting at Shire Way gate - Clearing stream, general tidy-up, showing volunteers what has been happening re ash dieback etc
  • Wed 1 December 7.30 pm - Red Kites talk and slide show at St Nicholas Family Centre, Abbotswood. Ian McGuire's talks and photography are always fascinating
  • Sat 4 December 10.00 am  - Volunteer work morning from Shire Way gate, planting 30 or so trees to replace the big trees worked cut back in the Ancient Woodland last winter due to ash dieback

We'll put more details of each event here and on the Wapley Bushes website as time goes on.

Sunday, September 19, 2021

Successful History and Honey Walk on 11 September

 Ten of us started from Abbotswood, exploring Dodington Parish Council's new Memorial Garden at QE2 Kelston Close Playing Fields. We discovered traces of the old Sergeant's Farm and heard about the impact of the coming of the railway.

We crossed over to Wapley Common and explored the Orchard for the Future, learning about pollinators, inspected the bug hotels, and discovered how grassland management for small mammals has attracted tawny owls to nest in the woodland.

On the way back to Abbotswood Paul Hulbert told us stories behind the names of the various roads on our housing estates.


Thursday, August 19, 2021

"History and Honey Walk" - Saturday 11 September

Come and join us on a guided walk organised by Wapley Bushes Conservation Group for Abbotswood Action Group. Everybody welcome!

We'll be starting at Abbotswood at 10.30 am, and returning about 1.00 pm.

This walk from Abbotswood to Wapley and back will look at Fruit and History, Pollinators and the Future.

  • Find out what was here before the estates were built, and learn about the importance of "home orchards" to local people.
  • Learn about the role of pollinators and the importance of encouraging small mammals.
  • Find out what the Orchard for the Future project at Wapley Common is doing to encourage them.
  • Discover why the railway was a key route to South Wales, its role in wartime and how it created an important wildlife corridor.


 

Thursday, August 05, 2021

South West In Bloom assessor visits Wapley

We were very please to welcome the South West In Bloom assessor to Wapley this week. Each year we put in two entries, one for the Nature Reserve:

 and one for the Orchard for the Future and Wapley Common, because they are such different areas.

Our assessment visits are always interesting - they give us a chance to hear outsiders' views of what we're doing, and to get feedback on our latest improvements and changes.

This year we highlighted our new interpretation boards and the work we've been doing on Ash Dieback Disease. We also talked about how much local people have valued Wapley Common and the Nature Reserve during COVID.

We're looking forward to getting our results and our feedback.


Good "Love Parks Week" walk on 31 July

 

Nine of us explored the Woodlands and the Upper Meadow for the second of our summer walks. In particular we looked at how Dodington Parish Council and Wapley Bushes Conservation Group have been tackling the problem of Ash Dieback Disease. 

It was good to see how most of the monolithed trees are already throwing out new shoots. These will provide habitat for insects (so bird food), bats and lichen over the next few years while replacement trees are growing.

On the way back we stopped to watch the bees and other pollinators enjoying the buddleia on the bridge over the railway.


Sunday, July 18, 2021

Really hot "Bees' Needs Walk" at Wapley Bushes on 17 July

Thanks to everyone who came to Wapley Bushes for Wapley Bushes Conservation Group's "Bees' Needs Walk" in the Orchard for the Future. Event photos by Alan Monaghan.

14 of us explored the Orchard, the Lower Meadow and surrounding areas, learning about pollinators and a little local history. We saw lots of butterflies - mainly Marbled Whites and Meadow Browns - and one of the local buzzards put in several guest appearances. 

The Orchard for the Future has recently been given the national Bees Needs Award.

Don't forget that we've got another walk coming up on Saturday 31 July, looking at the woodland and the effects of Ash Dieback Disease. Click here for details

 






Thursday, July 01, 2021

Summer strolls at Wapley Bushes - two FREE guided walks

 


Saturday 17 July 10.30 – Bees Needs Week – FREE guided walk

Find out how the Orchard for the Future Project is benefiting bees, birds, fruit and flowers on Dodington Parish Council’s land at Wapley Common. 

 


Saturday 31 July 10.30 – Love Parks Week – FREE guided walk

The biggest challenge for the woodlands at Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve is Ash Dieback Disease. This walk through the woodlands will show you how to recognise Ash Dieback Disease and how you could help with replanting.

Online booking before these events is essential because of COVID. Please do not come along without booking.
Click here for full details and booking links

Monday, May 24, 2021

Planning meeting for Wapley Bushes - please come and get involved!

Wapley Bushes Conservation Group will be meeting on Zoom at 7 pm on Monday 14 June to plan project work to the end of the year and beyond. 

We would very much like to see our volunteers there - it would be an opportunity to find out what we've been doing despite COVID, and to decide on priorities for the near future. There will be a quick AGM, then the detailed committee meeting to do the planning. 

You are all welcome to both meetings. If you would like to attend or to find out more, please email us on paul.hulbert@gmail.com and we'll send you the details of the Zoom meeting and the agenda papers. 

We look forward to seeing you there!

Sunday, December 20, 2020

Season's greetings from Wapley Bushes

 

We would like to wish a happy Christmas - despite the current circumstances - to everyone who visits or helps with Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve.

We're sending you this photo because it says to us "There's a fresh New Year coming, just over the bridge". We certainly hope it's better than 2020. If not, we shall send it back under guaranteee...

Wednesday, October 21, 2020

Wapley Bushes Ash Dieback update - work starts 26 October

 We've written previously about Ash Dieback Disease (ADD), and explained that tree surgery is needed this autumn to reduce around twenty major ash trees in the Ancient Woodland to 6 metres high, producing "monoliths" like this:

The monoliths will decay over a period of many years, providing habitat for woodland flora and fauna while replacement trees are growing.

Another five or so large trees were too far gone to be suitable for monolithing, so they are being taken down much lower.

The semi-mature ash trees in the Centenary Wood, between the Ancient Woodland and the Top Meadow, will all need to be felled this autumn as well.

Work will start on Monday 26 October and continue for about two weeks. During that time access to parts of the woodland will be blocked off for safety reasons.

*** UPDATE 31 OCTOBER ***

Most of the work on the large trees in the Ancient Woodland has now been completed.  The tree surgeons will be returning on Thursday 5 October to deal with the remaining major trees, and move on to felling the semi-mature trees in the Centenary Wood.

You can read more about Ash Dieback Disease on the Wapley Bushes website
or click here to download the Wapley Bushes Ash Dieback information leaflet

Tuesday, May 26, 2020

Caution - adders at Wapley


Please watch out as especially in this hot weather you may find adders basking in the grass. There has been a recent sighting of one on the slope down from the railway bridge to the Common.

Adders are a legally protected species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, so please don't disturb them. They are quite shy, and usually they are just as scared of people as you might be of them.

Please keep dogs under supervision. If you or your dog is bitten, you should seek immediate medical or veterinary help.

Thursday, May 14, 2020

Misuse of Wapley picnic field


With the good weather and the bank holiday, there were groups of people meeting up at the Picnic Field last weekend.  It was a real state when the Parish Council groundsman went to clean it yesterday. There was evidence of drug taking, drinking, disposable BBQs slung in the hedges.  There were the little gas canisters and balloons as well.

Be warned - the police have been asked to put this area on their regular patrol route.

Wednesday, May 13, 2020

Watch out, ticks are about!

It is tick season, so if you are out exercising around woodlands, grasslands or moorlands, please check for ticks regularly and remove them safely. #BeTickAware.

This video shows what to do if you get bitten:


Wednesday, March 25, 2020

Wapley Bushes and Common are still open!


If you're looking for a big area to exercise safely while keeping the recommended two metres apart, how about visiting Wapley Common and Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve?

There's plenty of space to explore, and lots to see - the spring flowers are starting to appear, there are lots of birds, and the early butterflies are about, like this lovely Comma.

Monday, March 23, 2020

Environmental work days cancelled


Because of the Coronavirus outbreak, all work days, events and meetings organised by Wapley Bushes Conservation Group and Avon Wildlife Trust Southwold Group have been cancelled until further notice.

The advice we have received is that the risks involved with shared tools and even with gathering for a safety briefing at the start of a session are too high.

However, at the moment individuals are still being encouraged to visit green spaces as healthy exercise, as long as they maintain the two metre "social distancing". So there is no reason why we as individuals can't do things like keeping an eye on our reserves, reporting any problems to the site owner, or some individual litter picking.

We'll continue to keep you up to date with news about Wapley Bushes on this blog.

Friday, March 20, 2020

Successful last tree planting morning for the winter


We did our last planting morning on Saturday 14 March, with 11 volunteers putting another 33 native trees into the woodland to replace the ashes we shall lose to Ash Dieback Disease. We planted a mixture of oak, crack willow, small-leaved lime, alder, whitebeam, silver beech and rowan.

That completes our planting programme for this winter, and means that we have now planted more than 300 trees over the last 3 years.

Our thanks go to our many volunteers, and to Dodington Parish Council for buying the trees and paying for our always enthusiastic local contractor Chris Belcher for strimming the ground ready for us.

You may notice some gaps in the planting. We've avoided the main areas where we can see bluebells coming up, and we think there may be a bumper showing of them this year.

Saturday, March 07, 2020

Now you see it, now you don't


Sharp-eyed visitors will notice that the interpretation board where the Ride leaves the Common has disappeared.

Don't worry, this is part of the process of getting new interpretation boards produced for here, and also for the Shire Way entrance and the Top Pond.

Thursday, March 05, 2020

Wapley trees getting "royal treatment" with coronet cut



You may have noticed that tree surgery has been carried out recently on several trees that are suffering from ash dieback disease. They have been cut back to "monoliths" 6 metres high, and the tops have been cut into splintered shapes.

This is called "coronet cut" - it imitates the natural fractures that would happen if the decaying trees failed under storm conditions, instead of simple straight cuts. The greater surface area provides a microhabitat for insects, fungi and microorganisms. The insects will be a great food source for our local bird life.

Apparently in Sweden they experimented with achieving this effect using explosives. We decided that this wouldn't be a good idea for Wapley...

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

No, it's not the Wapley Water Park


Most of the parking area at the Besom Lane end of Wapley Common is currently under water. We think this is the worst flooding we've had since December 2012, but the water level is gradually going down now. South Glos Council has been asked to check the drains that run under Besom Lane.

*** UPDATE 6th MARCH ***
The tide has gone down, and the parking area is now clear of water. Obviously parts of the Common and Nature Reserve are still very wet.