Once again I forgot to post this blog before the session. I do so now to maintain the record. Here is Jonathan’s message.
Greetings All,
There’ll be a volunteer session at Fairfield Orchard, Fauna and Flora this
Saturday morning, March 14th, starting at the usual time of 10.00am and
finishing at 1.00pm or sometime thereabouts.
On this week’s To Do list…
1. Cut back and clear the Orchard dogwood.
2. Continue clearing bramble from the hedges (and shifting the brash
accumulated last time).
3. Move brash in Big Meadow in readiness for the contractor.
4. Finish moving timber from West Field to Shed.
5. Fix the new stump in the Stump Circle (at the moment it is simply
resting in the old hole).
6. Put up new bat box donated by local children.
7. Sow a wildflower seed mix on the area in the Orchard we cleared of self
seeded thorn.
8. Plant out locally sourced snowdrops in Little Wood and woodland plants
in Pony Wood.
9. Cut back self-seeded saplings all through the Orchard e.g. at the
bottom of the Towneley path.
A small group is also continuing to repair playground equipment on
Saturday morning. We need one other volunteer with an ‘engineering
aptitude’ for this. If anyone wants to help please contact Andrew on
Looking further afield, an announcement regarding the Fairfield
Association’s recent affiliation with the John Muir Trust.
Graham Brandwood will be organising this. Details as follows:
Through our membership of the John Muir Trust, regular and new volunteers
can now sign up for, and work towards, one of the three John Muir Awards
for conservation volunteering. There are 3 levels of the Award depending
on time commitment:
*Discovery* (approx. 4 days equivalent)
*Explorer* (approx. 8 days equivalent) and
*Conserver* (approx. 20 days equivalent over a 6 month period).
The Award is being co-ordinated by Graham Brandwood on behalf of the
Fairfield Association. Graham will be giving a quick briefing on the
Award during the coffee break on Saturday but if you want further
information before then and/or can’t attend the session then he can be
contacted on *07855 814042* or .
Further information can also be found on the John Muir Trust website
http://www.jmt.org
And that’s your lot for this time,
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
And here is what we did.
20 people came along for the Volunteer Saturday, plus three specialists working in the playground on repairing equipment. Total = 23. A dry and pleasant morning.
• The Orchard dogwood was pruned back severely as advised and the brash neatly cleared back.
• We continued clearing the bramble alongside the Fauna path, clearing the brash into the Big Meadow ready for chipping.
• Good quality timber was moved from the West Field to the shed for use on the fence there.
• The replacement seating stump was fixed in the Stump Circle.
• A new bat box, donated by local children, was fixed to the large ash tree in the Stump Circle. (A further box is in the shed awaiting fixing in the Triangle).
• A grass and wildflower seed mix was sown in the cleared area near the stump circle following the procedures learnt at Preston Wheel (above).
• Snowdrops gathered in the green from a local source were planted in Little Wood.
• A selection of locally indigenous, shade loving plants was planted in Pony Wood. Wood avens, wood anemone, wild arum, wild strawberry, carex pendula, sweet woodruff, primrose. (We are hoping to source ransomes later).
• Self seeded saplings of hazel, willow and sycamore were cut back in the Towneley path area of the Orchard.
In the refreshment break Graham introduced the John Muir Trust Award scheme. Several volunteers signed up to start the Award process.