In January, we started a regular Nature Action session called ‘Really Wild Wednesdays’. We wrote about our first few sessions in a blog here.
Really Wild Wednesdays is an afternoon work session held every two weeks, which roams around to different sites in Lockleaze, as well as to some of our partners’ land to lend a hand. It’s been a great success, often with 10+ people attending. All sorts of people have attended, including people who can volunteer in their work hours as well as some people who have support to access activities for their wellbeing.
Since our last blog, 13 volunteers created 45 meters of dead hedge in Stoke Park, using coppiced branches. It protected the newly light filled coppiced area from footfall, allowing bluebells and other wild woodland flowers to flourish in spring.
We then took another 6 volunteers scything the meadows under the telecom tower in Stoke Park, holding back 650 square meters of brambles and improving those spectacular wildflower meadows.
In May, 16 volunteers from the MOD and else where, did a huge tidy up a Lockleaze Sports Centre, clearing a congested pond of algae, and cutting back vegetation threatening to smother the nearly 100m of hedgerow we have previously planted, as well as our woodland planting there.
We then went to Lockleaze Community Orchard with 8 volunteers in late May, and scythed the orchard under the trees, helping the trees to compete against the grasses and brambles.
What an amazing spring! From June, we have slightly altered the format. We are now visiting the street greenspaces we have previously worked on with people living on those streets. We have put the time slightly later in the day (3-6pm), so more residents from the streets can join us, and you will need to look out for the next blog to find out how these have gone!
Find all the locations here, or get in touch to join the whatsapp group and stay up to date.
This is part of our work for Bristol City Council’s Nature Together Project, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Nature Towns and Cities project.
