News update

Apologies for the upper path in the wood being blocked by a fallen ash tree – tree surgeons are very busy at this time of year, and it took a while to get them on site. Our periodic tree survey is being carried out to identify any dangerous trees.

Meanwhile, the recent Fungus Foray was very well attended. Many thanks to our expert Justin Smith!

And please don't forget our work morning next Saturday (20 Nov) - see you there? As usual we're meeting at 10 am at the Shire Way gate.

Westonbirt Arboretum Spectacular Enchanted Christmas 2010 - 26 Nov onwards

Take a walk along the famous Illuminated Trail and see the National Arboretum lit up at night. There’s also the opportunity to visit Father Christmas plus lots of other festive excitement - carols from local choirs and bands, roast chestnuts, mulled wine and great gift ideas from the Christmas Market and Forest Shop, which will stay open until 8.30pm selling fantastic presents and decorations.

The tickets costs are: adults £8, concessions £7, children £4, and the tickets can be bought online from October onwards (http://www.forestry.gov.uk/westonbirt) or through the box office on 01842 814612.

Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday evening from 26 November to 19 December 2010
5.00 to 8.30pm (last entry at 7.15pm), Westonbirt Arboretum, A433, 3 miles south west of Tetbury,  Gloucestershire.

Wapley Bushes Work Morning - Saturday 20 November - update

This workday will be a morning of tree planting, plus general maintenance work and tidying up the reserve prior to the winter season. Please wear walking or wellington boots and bring some gloves, and preferably a spade if you're intending planting.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, South Yate, 10.00am.

Excellent Wapley owl prowl - but don't forget Foray for Fungi tomorrow Mon 1 Dec)

There was an excellent turnout for last week's Wapley Owl Prowl - more than 40 people! Many thanks to Ian McGuire.

Tomorrow - Mon 1st December - we have a Fungus Foray led by Justin Smith. Last year's event was fascinating, and we saw many species we'd never even noticed before.

Come and join us, meeting at the Shire Way entrance to the reserve, Shire Way, Yate at 2.00 pm. The event will last until about 4.00 pm.

Coppicing and Shelter Building, Lower Woods - Sunday 7 November

Enjoy a fun day out in Lower Woods learning about the traditional art of coppicing, the use of coppice products and help with the care of this 700 acre nature reserve. You can also have a go at building your own shelter.

There will be baked potatoes in the bonfire to enjoy at lunchtime, but please bring drinks and other food.  This event is suitable for adults and children over 14 (if accompanied by an adult). All tools, training and equipment provided. Please wear waterproof footwear as this reserve can be damp.

This event is free but donations are welcome. For more information, and to book your place on this event quoting event code COPP10 01, please contact Gloucestershire Wildlife Trust on 01452 383333.
Meet at  Meet at Lower Woods Lodge, Inglestone Common, east of Wickwar, South Gloucestershire (OS Grid Reference ST 746881), 10.00am to 15.00pm (booking in advance required).

Wildflower planting, Yate Common on Saturday - all welcome!

Please come and help the volunteers of the Friends of Yate Common doing some wildflower planting this Saturday (23 Oct) and help make this popular area ever better.

Meet at 10.30 am at the Reed Pond.

Kingsgate Park Ponds Workday - Sunday 31st October

We shall be 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 10.00am.

It's Your World - a successful event!

 

Thanks to all involved in the It's Your World environmental event at Yate Sports Centre today.

It was good to see just how many local and regional environmental organisations there are. Quite a lot of the people attending are involved in several of the local groups - we have quite a "Green Network" in our area!

Lots of people stopped at the Wapley Bushes display and asked us about the Reserve - some had visited before, and some didn't even know the Reserve existed. Hopefully we will get a few extra visitors in the coming months!

Wapley Bushes Foray for Fungi - Monday 1st November

Get to know the difference between mushrooms and toadstools on a mycological adventure with Justin Smith.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the reserve, Shire Way, Yate, 2.00pm to 4.00pm.

Ridge Woods Twilight Owl Walk - Wednesday 27th October

Come and join Ian McGuire for a twilight owl prowl through Ridge Woods Nature Reserve  and hear him call for the resident tawny owls.

Meet at the Quarry Road entrance to Ridge Wood, Chipping Sodbury,7.30pm to 9.30pm.

Wapley Bushes Owl Prowl Monday 25th October

Take a twilight walk with Ian McGuire and hear him call for tawny owls. You won’t go home disappointed. Please wear warm clothing and stout footwear.

Meet at the Shire Way entrance to the reserve, Shire Way, Yate, 7.30pm to 9.30pm.

It's Our World - big local environment event Oct 16th, Yate Leisure Centre, 10am - 1pm

Come and join about 30 local environment organisations at this major event. There will be all sorts of stalls, children's activities and a talk by BBC Weatherman Richard Angwin!

Come and find out how you can get involved in looking after our local environment and help safeguard our world for future generations.

10 am - 1 pm Exhibition (Sports Hall)

10 am - 1 pm Produce market and outside events (West Walk)

10 am - 1 pm Children's trail and activities (Sports Hall)

11 am            Schools Poster Prize Presentation (Sports Hall)
by Richard Angwin (The BBC Points West Weather Man!)

11.15 - 11.45 am  Talk by Richard Angwin on the weather and climate change.

Check out the It's Our World website here

Wapley Bushes path works about to start!

The works on site will start next Tuesday, 5th October.

They should last approximately 10 days, weather permitting.

During that time the Ride will be closed and walkers will be asked to use the path through the Woods instead.

£10k funding boost for Wapley Bushes project from SITA Trust

Dodington Parish Council has received a £10,495 funding boost from SITA Trust to fund a project called ‘Track to the Top’. The money will be used to rebuild a well-used public path in the Local Nature Reserve. Until now the path to the upper meadow has had no drainage, resulting in water flowing across the path and, in the winter, making walking extremely slippery and dangerous.

Wapley Common is a beautiful area of open and wooded land which lies between the Shire Way estate in Yate and the hamlet of Wapley in the rural southern edge of Dodington Parish.

"The Ride is an important route for walkers and for vehicles used to maintain the Reserve" explained Cllr Paul Hulbert. "Without it we would have to take heavy machinery across flower-rich meadows, which would damage them".

For several winters the Ride has been closed for safety because of mud

SITA Trust provides funding through the Landfill Communities Fund. Funding is available for community and environmental groups to carry out a range of improvement projects.

The scheme is also being supported by a community contribution of £1,200 from Wapley Bushes Conservation Group, who manage the Local Nature Reserve on behalf of the Parish Council.

"We are very grateful for SITA Trust’s support – this is one of our largest projects, and we couldn’t do it without them" said Tim Fairhead of the Conservation Group. "As well as improving access, upgrading the Ride will preserve the vegetation of the woodland edge and maintain it as one of our best areas for butterflies and other insects"

Technical support and advice is being provided by South Gloucestershire Council, the other partner in managing the Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve.

Rained off...

Unfortunately today's work morning (5 September) was rained off. There was some heavy rain early this morning, and as we were intending to do stream clearing it would have been dangerously slipperly.

Please watch this space for details of other forthcoming events.

Wapley work morning tomorrow - 5 September

There will be a Wapley Bushes conservation work morning on Sunday 5 September. We'll be meeting at the Shire Way gate at 10.00 am, and aiming to finish by about 12.30 pm.

We will be doing some general conservation work such as tidying up a small stream that is the habitat of a very rare plant.

Please come along and help! Tools are provided, but you'll need to wear wellies or stout footwear and appropriate clothing.

Our autumn/winter programme will be published here shortly - watch this space!

"Little and large" mammal sightings at Wapley

I had two striking mammal sightings at Wapley today. I was driving along Besom Lane, and two roe deer - hind and fawn - crossed the road 20 yards ahead of me. They paused and looked at me and then dived into the Picnic Area hedge.

They obviously knew where they were going - I later saw that there are several established tracks through the thicket and out onto the clearing.

About 10 minutes later, on the Common, I saw a shrew running across the grass. So, sightings of the Reserve's largest and smallest mammals in just a few minutes.

A great walk at Wapley Bushes - species galore

We had a fascinating walk this afternoon exploring the meadows and woods at Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve. We were pleased to welcome guests from Cabot Group of the Wildlife Trust.

Among the many butterflies we spotted was this magnificent marbled white.

We also encountered a range of other insects such as these burnet moths.

Last chance to see - before the Wapley meadows are cut

The meadows are looking magnificent now, but we have to cut them in a few days for the optimum crop of wild flowers and grasses next year.

So either check the meadows out during the course of this week, or come along on our Sunday afternoon guided walk - 18 July 2 pm at the Shire Way gate.

Biodiversity Walk at Wapley - Sunday 18 July 2pm

Explore Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve in the company of experts who can tell you about our local flora and fauna.

Everyone welcome - meeting at the Shire Way gate. Please wear suitable footwear.