Yesterday’s volunteer session had another busy day of activities. As well as the normal tidying up of The Glade area, it was also necessary to check up on our pond. It’s looking more and more as though it’s been established for quite some time. Two frogs were seen in the nearby grass, while the ponds plants look healthy.

 

 

 

 

 

While removing weeds in The Glade area, an old carrier bag that had blown in to the woodland was lifted to reveal hundreds of wood ants with eggs which had made the most of the extra warmth, as can be seen in the photo below. Also, as the end of Summer arrives, the brambles have started to fruit in places, yielding large, tasty fruits for both fauna and volunteers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Earlier this year we took delivery of several elm saplings as part of a long-term trial to try and grow more disease resistant trees. Photos show one of these saplings looking healthy, but whilst creating a new dead wood pile, 3 much larger elm trees were seen. One of these was approximately 20 feet tall, and there’s a photo of its leaves below.

 

 

 

 

 

 

As further maintenance took place, an overhanging sycamore branch was removed to allow for better access to The Glade area, adding new wood to our dead-wood pile. In The Mound area, there was an effort to remove and tackle the bindweed that has been building up and starting to smother out the plants and trees that have over the years been planted. The photos show volunteers working on this area. As can be seen, there is a photo of a hop plant which has somehow found its way on to the slope.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Finally, on The Mound it appears that a possible fox hole is present, the photo shows what appears to be freshly moved soil. We will be keeping a look out of this.