Category: Conservation Volunteers

Posted on

Conservation Volunteers July Programme

Their programme in July includes conservation work in the Yare Valley Bluebell Wood at the Junction of Bluebell Road and North Park Avenue, Eaton Park, Norwich. They will be cutting back bramble to allow bluebells to thrive. In July there are also two free courses:

Mark Webster writes:

“… we have two free courses people can attend if they wish:

  • Saturday 20th we have local expert Adrian showing us how to find insects and identify them. All welcome, suitable for all ages, beginners as well as those who already know their bugs and beetles. A great opportunity to see some minibeasts up close, and hopefully find some real rarities. Whether or not you usually come out at the weekend, I hope you can join us for this – bring family and friends!
  • Tuesday 30th we will be running a task leader’s course, giving you all you need to know in order to run a safe and happy conservation task day. Great for the CV, especially for those looking for a job working with wildlife.”
    Details of the programme, and how to contact Mark if you are interested in attending a course, are here.
Posted on

Conservation Volunteers June Programme

Mark Webster writes:

Flaming or Raining?  I don’t know, but it is June soon…as the seasons (twist and) turn in unpredictable ways, our construction work (boardwalks, steps, etc) gives way to tackling invasive species such as bracken – and Himalayan Balsam.  Yes, it’s here again!  We get to see some beautiful hidden stretches of the lovely Wensum Valley, with iridescent banded demoiselles flitting around our heads as we wander the riverbanks hunting for this invasive weed, before it sets seed (3rd rhyme of this paragraph?)

We will also be looking after some new wildflower meadows trees including a Miyawaki Forest. …

The full programme is here.

Posted on

Conservation Volunteers May Programme

Mark Webster writes:

“May the fourth be with you soon, and the 5th and 6th, but our tasks resume on Monday 7th May.  The jolly trips have been lovely but I’m sure our task days will be just as much fun, especially as the Balsam and the Bracken are growing and will need to kept under control, giving us the chance to enjoy some beautiful scenery along the River Wensum and elsewhere.  There’s also a couple of chance to get involved with the creation of new wildflower meadows, plus the making of a pond-dipping platform which will give kids the chance to discover aquatic minibeasts…although we might have go first!”

The programme for May is here.

Posted on

Conservation Volunteers Programme for March

Mark Webster of the Conservation Volunteers (TCV) writes: 

Spring is in the air (“boing”, said Zebedee) so it’s time to get our tree planting finished (at Sprowston, Hingham and Horsford, where ‘urricanes ‘ardly ever ‘appen) and then we move on to pastures new.  Well, strictly speaking it’s meadows new as we will be planting new wildflower meadows* at two sites in central Norwich.  We will also move from cutting willow at East Ruston to teasing out little gorse seedlings from the young heather.  There’s also a new woodland path to make, the first steps towards an exciting new network linking miles of little open spaces into an exciting green corridor for everyone to enjoy exploring.

And before you know it, it will be Easter, after which tasks will resume again, so that you can burn off all those extra calories from crème eggs.

PS: Incredibly geeky point, but officially a pasture is grazed, whereas a meadow is cut for hay.  You learn something new every day, even if you don’t want to!

The Programme is here.

Posted on

Conservation Volunteering in January

For some it may be the bleak midwinter, but the conservation volunteers will be keeping warm with their conservation work in Norwich and the surrounding area. Details of their programme and how to join are here. The organiser, Mark Webster thanks the volunteers for all their efforts in the past year. Between 01 Jan 2023 and 31 Dec 2023:

·    221 tasks were delivered

·    109 different registered volunteers were involved

·    2046 workdays

·    53 different sites were worked on

·    15 sites (28.3%) are in the most deprived 20% of neighbourhoods

·    Average of 8.4 individuals per task

Now looking forward to a successful volunteering year in 2024.