Successful walks at Wapley

14 of us had a great species walk afternoon on Sunday 12 June, led by Rupert Higgins of Wessex Ecological Consultancy. We explored the meadows aand found a whole range of different flowering and grassland species.

Rupert writes the Five Year Plan for Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve. This is the basis for our long term ecological management of the reserve.

We also welcomed 8 members of Yate WI for a walk the following evening, covering the Orchard and the Common (not to mention steam trains and other local history!)

Common Orchid and Bird's Foot Trefoil ("Bacon and Eggs")

Don't forget that we're doing a Nature Reserve Tidy-Up morning on Saturday 2 July. We'll be meeting at 10.00 from the Shire Way Gate, everyone welcome even if you haven’t been before (children under 16 need to be accompanied by a responsible adult). 

Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided.

Wapley Nature Reserve Tidy-Up – Saturday 2 July

 

We’re expecting a lot of visitors over the summer, so it’s time for a tidy-up. We need to do a “deep clean” litter-pick and cut back along the edges of some of the paths, so there will be something for everybody, as always.

Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Discover our local native species - free guided walk Sunday 12 June

Free Event - Species Identification Walk with Rupert Higgins of Wessex Ecological Consultancy.

Sunday 12 June at 2 pm from the Shire Way gate entrance to the Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, guided by Rupert, who also writes our Five Year Management Plans for this Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve.

The meadows are home to a wide variety of species, and we are anticipating seeing lots of interesting plants and insects. Please come and join us.

We're planning some more walks during the summer - please check back here for updates.

Planning meeting for Wapley Bushes, Wed 8 June – please come and get involved!

 

Wapley Bushes Conservation Group will be meeting at 7 pm on Wednesday 8 June to plan project work to the end of the year and beyond. This time we’ll be back to a face to face meeting in the Council Chamber at Dodington Parish Hall, Finch Road BS37 6JZ.

We would very much like to see some of our volunteers there. There will be a quick AGM, then the detailed committee meeting to plan out what we’re aiming to do between now and the end of the year.

If you would like to find out more, please email
paul.hulbert@gmail.com so that we can send you copies of the meeting papers.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Good wildflower planting morning!

 

We had a very successful morning on Saturday 7 May, with 11 volunteers planting 300 wildflower plug plants in the Orchard for the Future at Wapley Common. It was good to see some children taking part.

Our objective is to increase the diversity of the grassland area by introducing a range of flowering plants that pollinators love. In this session we planted Devil's Bit Scabious, Lesser Knapweed, Betony, Yellow Rattle and Oxeye Daisy, so we should see a mix of blue, purple, white and yellow flowers appearing in a few weeks time.

Meadow species planting on Wapley Common - Saturday 7 May

We've got a rather different work morning coming up on Saturday 7 May, when we plan to put in a mixture of different meadow species plug plants to enhance the diversity in the Orchard for the Future section of Wapley Common.

This is the second phase of our meadow plug planting - we planted a third of the orchard last year, and we'll tackle the other third next year. We've already seen some improvements - more flowers and more butterflies. These plants will help encourage pollinators and discourage more invasive species.

As well as planting we'll be doing a "deep clean" of various areas of the Reserve and cutting back some overgrowth. We'll also have some lighter tasks for people who prefer them - something for everybody, as always.

Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Goose Green AWT work morning - Saturday 9 April

 

We shall be undertaking reserve maintenance on this local Avon Wildlife Trust grassland and wetland nature reserve such as path clearance plus litter picking. Please wear walking or wellington boots and please bring your own gloves if you can.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Please meet at the bridge on the reserve, west of Oak Close, north Yate, BS37 5TN, 10.00am.

Successful end to the winter tree planting season - report from work morning Saturday 12 March

First signs of Spring at Wapley Bushes - Lesser Celandine

 

Eleven volunteers took advantage of a clear morning - dry apart from one sharp shower - to plant another 43 trees in the Centenary Wood, to replace trees lost to ash dieback disease. The tree mix was as specified by the Forestry Commission - half hazel (including some larger specimens) and half mixed native broadleaf species.

This brings our ash dieback planting total to 137 trees during the winter, plus 200 willow saplings for the Wellbeing Area and its living hedge structure. We'll need to plant another 157 ash dieback replacements next winter to catch up with our replacement commitment, so we'll have 3 or 4 busy work mornings between November and March.

So what's in our spring programme? Our next workday will be at Goose Green on Saturday 9 April. This is an Avon Wildlife Trust grassland and wetland nature reserve, where we'll be doing reserve maintenance such as path clearance plus litter picking. Please meet at the bridge on the reserve, west of Oak Close, north Yate, BS37 5TN, at 10.00am. 

The next work morning at Wapley Bushes will be on Saturday 7 May. We'll be putting in a mixture of different meadow species plug plants to enhance the diversity in the Orchard for the Future section of Wapley Common, and also doing a “deep clean” of various areas of the Reserve and cutting back some overgrowth.

More details of both these events will follow in due course.

Wapley Bushes Tree Planting Work Morning - Saturday 12 March

 

For the final Wapley Bushes tree planting work morning of the winter, we have 43 young trees to replace the tall trees that were cut down in the Centenary Woodland last winter due to ash dieback. As uausul there will also be a variety of lighter tasks, so something for everyone.

Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools - for example a spade if you've got one - or if not, tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Good planting sessions this week!

 

On Sunday 27 February our usual volunteers were joined by friends from Yate Rotary Club and the Scouts. There were 16 of us in all, and we made short work of our biggest planting session of the season, putting in 65 young trees in the Centenary Wood as part of our Ash Dieback Replacement Programme.

Then on Tuesday 1 March our "Willow Squad" put in another 100 young willows to complete the outline of our living structure.

We have one more tree planting day coming this winter, on Saturday 12 March.

Wapley Willow Planting - rescheduled to Tue 1 March

 

***Sorry but the willow planting has had to be delayed until Tue 1 March because the ground is waterlogged!***

A small group of local volunteers is planting a willow oval in the Centenary Wood. We've already planted 100 willow saplings, and on Tuesday 1 March we're aiming to put in 100 more. In due course scented wild flowers will be planted inside the area. This living hedge will also incorporate some existing trees.

A living hedge prevents soil erosion and aids water runoff. Living hedges are good wind blocks as well as habitat to birds, insects and small mammals, and they also act to absorb carbon.

Meet at 10.30 am (not our normal 10.00 am!) at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If you haven't got your own gardening gloves, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own spade or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Wapley Bushes Tree Planting Work Morning - Rescheduled to Sunday 27 February

*** Due to high winds still forecast for Sunday 20 Feb this event has been rescheduled until Sunday 27 Feb ***

This will be our biggest work session of the winter. We've got 65 young trees to replace the tall trees that were cut down in the Centenary Woodland last winter due to ash dieback. We will also have a variety of lighter tasks, so as usual there will be something for everybody.

Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Primrose Bank Workday – Saturday 5 February

This workday is to clear brambles to help spring flowers emerge. It is being jointly organised by Sodbury in Bloom and the Southwold Group of Avon Wildlife Trust.

Please wear outdoor clothing, gloves and stout footwear. Meet at 10.00 am on the east side of Wickwar Road, Chipping Sodbury near the zebra crossing by the entrance to the Frome Valley Walkway.

Season's Greetings from Wapley!

 

Season's greetings to all our lovely volunteers and to everyone who visits Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve!

Another 30 trees planted at Wapley - Wapley Bushes work morning Sat 4 December

 

Nine volunteers took advantage of a cold but dry morning to plant 30 young trees in the Ancient Woodland - a mixture of whitebeam, oak and small-leaved lime. All were the usual excellent stock from our local supplier Landcare Nurseries in Old Sodbury.

These trees were replacements for losses to ash dieback disease in nearby areas. Our next plantings will be in the Centenary Wood - the area next to the Upper Meadow where a lot of younger ash had to be felled. We'll be having work mornings there in February and March - dates will appear here in due course. We avoid mid/late December and January because of the likelihood of bad weather.

There will also be a workday on the Primrose Bank area in Chipping Sodbury on Saturday 5 February.

The tree planting will be followed by a very different Wapley workday in early May, when we'll be planting wildflower plug plants in part of the Orchard For The Future on Wapley Common.

Great talk on Red Kites - thanks Ian McGuire!

 

Ian McGuire gave an excellent talk on Red Kites and other raptors at Abbotswood on 1st December, with some amazing photos.

Thank you to everyone that came - please watch our blog for details of more events.

Wapley Bushes Work Morning – Saturday 4 December

 

Our main task this for this volunteer session will be to plant 30 or so trees to replace the big trees that were cut back in the Ancient Woodland last winter due to ash dieback. We will also have a variety of lighter tasks, so as usual there will be something for everybody.

Meet at 10 am at the Shire Way entrance to the woodland, south Yate, BS37 8US. Please wear stout footwear and bring gloves if you have them. If not, we’ll provide gloves that you can keep until the next workday – as a COVID precaution we’re not sharing gloves.

Please come and join us even if you haven’t been before. You can bring your own tools or tools will be provided. Everyone is welcome, though children under 16 will need to be accompanied by a responsible adult.

Red Kites talk and slide show – Wednesday 1 December

Red Kite photo by Ian McGuire

Local bird expert Ian McGuire's talks and photographs are always fascinating. In this newly updated slide show Ian will talk about the magnificent Red Kites that we are now starting to see in our area.

We saw a Red Kite over Wapley earlier this year – the local rooks didn’t know what to make of it. They assumed it was a buzzard and tried to chase it away as usual, but the Red Kite just brushed them off and continued on its way.

This FREE event is at the St Nicholas Family Centre, Abbotswood, Yate BS37 4LG starting at 7.30 pm. Entrance from the Chargrove car park side of the building, NOT the shops side.