VOLUNTEER  PROGRAMME

NEWS

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Three volunteers worked at Great Wood on an extra day outside the programme, to assist two tree surgeons in felling dying Italian Alders along the school frontage.  These Alders date from when the school was built and have now been replaced with 2 x Rowan; 1 x Field Maple; and 1 x Hazel.

 

Liz spent a morning helping two Great Wood School classes to plant trees in designated areas within Great Wood.

 

Brambles have also been cleared from around the hedge line of the pond at Great Wood, with hawthorn, beech and hornbeam planted in their place.

 

Consultations have taken place with Mossgate School over implementing management work connected with the School Biodiversity Plan.

 

Northern have supported us as Station Adopters at Bare Lane, in drawing up plans for a planter and poster board to celebrate Rail 200 – 200 years since the first passenger train ran between Stockton and Darlington.  It is only c.161 years since passenger trains first ran through Bare Lane!

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TASKS​​​​​

​30th March – Mossgate School, Heysham

Time to tackle the bog garden around the pond, removing nettles and the rampant grey willow herb, and replacing them with more interesting damp loving plants.  We also need to prepare areas for sowing wildflower seeds.

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13th April – Hazelwood Farm Bee and Butterfly Garden, Silverdale

Weeding, raking, sowing!  Our usual spring activity in the bee garden.  There has been quite a lot of preparation done over winter so we should be able to crack on.  There is also another drystone wall gap for any budding drystone wallers.

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27th April – Church of St Thomas and St Elizabeth, Thurnham

Pete has been keeping the meadow going over winter, but we now need to prepare the ground ready for sowing and also to cut the grass paths.

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4th May – Bare Lane Station  

Our last visit to the station cleared weeds and overgrown plants from the old signal box planter.  This has allowed us space both to replant with new plants good for pollinating insects and sow cornfield annuals.  As it is a very sunny patch it should be a riot of colour later in the summer.

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25th May – Great Wood ‘Pier’

We want to construct a new dipping platform out into the pond to replace the old rotten one and provide year-long access to water.  This can only be done when the pond level has dropped.  Depending on the weather this spring, this date may have to be changed.

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