The Conservation Volunteers reach out to some new sites this month, together with no less than three SSSI sites. In the Yare Valley they will be cutting and raking in the UEA reedbeds on Monday the 24th February. A letter from the team Leader, Mark Webster, and the full programme of activities is here.
Conservation Volunteers January Programme
The conservation volunteers spread their wings still further with half a dozen new sites added to their programme this month. No work planned for the Yare Valley, but plenty of opportunities to become involved elsewhere. The organiser Mark Webster writes: “While the birds are having a rest from breeding, for us it’s full tilt on habitat improvement works over the winter, with a focus on ponds, woodlands and heaths, including three designated Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) at East Ruston, Swannington Upgate, and Flordon.” His full letter to Volunteers together with the this month’s Programme is here.
All are welcome to come along and get active!
UEA calls for Biodiversity Heroes for conservation work in the Valley
The new Biodiversity Officer and Volunteer Coordinator at the University of East Anglia, Nadia El-Fakhri, is putting together a list of people who would be interested in helping out on conservation work parties at UEA. Her role is new at UEA. It was created to implement the University’s Green Infrastructure Strategy. UEA’s aim is to conserve and improve ecologically important areas on campus for biodiversity and to involve the community in the process.
Nadia says:
“We’ll be working on a few different sites across campus including areas closed to the public such as Bluebell Marsh and Lusty Hills. Tasks this winter will be things like gorse and scrub clearing, tree removal and reed cutting. In the warmer months we’re hoping to do some river bank restoration, ragwort pulling (so we can continue to make hay!) and biodiversity monitoring. All training and equipment is provided and there will of course be hot drinks, treats and socials down the line when we have regular groups established. I’ll be sending an email out with details soon so if anyone would like to be on the contact list please fill in this form.”
Nadia is experienced in conservation work and was previously one of the Yare Valley Meadow Makers (YVMM). If you are interested in giving practical help to improve the ecology of the UEA area of the Yare Valley Green Corridor, please sign up with the UEA Biodiversity Heroes here.
All equipment, PPE and training will be provided and there will be hot drinks, treats and socials down the line when some regular groups are established.
If you have any questions you can email Nadia at n.el-fakhri@uea.ac.uk.
Conservation Volunteers December Programme
The volunteers will be at UEA Marsh on the 9th and 16th December to help manage the wetland habitats on campus. Join them if you can.
Mark Webster of the Conservation volunteers sends a Christmas Message:
“Tis (almost) the season for ho, ho, ho rather than hoe, hoe, hoe (or rake, rake, rake). As far as I’m concerned it’s Bah Humbug until 1st December, but that’s now very soon – so here is your festive December programme. We are moving in some exalted circles this month from dreaming spires (the Catholic cathedral) to the concrete jungle (UEA) as well as visiting some old favourite sites for more long-term projects.
During this month Santa will also be delivering some TCV-branded clothing to all volunteers who have been good this year. There will as usual be some well-earned downtime for us all for the Xmas holidays. I hope you know someone who will enjoy this month’s tasks, they can then feel free to indulge in (just a little bit) too much eating and drinking during our midwinter break – and you know how they can best to get fit and healthy again in January…
Merry Christmas!
Mark.”
The programme of Conservation Volunteering to improve local green spaces is here. Join in whenever suits you.
Have your say on our green and blue space
A consultation is now open on Norwich’s first parks and open spaces strategy. It is at Get Talking Norwich where you can read the draft strategy and respond to questions and say what you think about it. You have the opportunity to use an interactive map to comment on areas of particular interest to you. You will see from the map there are a lot of green spaces in the Yare Valley that you can comment on. The river marks the Norwich boundary. Remember that these green spaces tell only part of the story, because much of the green space of the Valley Corridor lies on the other side of the river, outside of Norwich. What may seem like small insignificant disconnected green spaces on the Norwich side of the river, become linked up once the bigger picture is viewed.
The Yare Valley Society has already taken part in workshops on formulating this new Greater Norwich Green Infrastructure Strategy, and will make further comment on the resulting draft. Please support us by responding to ensure the Yare Valley receives the attention a major Green Infrastructure Corridor deserves.
The consultation is open until Thursday 2 January 2024.
Sowers and the Reapers
The Yare Valley Meadow Makers has recently been busy preparing the ground for next year’s crop of wildflowers. A lot has been done, and a large area of UEA meadows is now ready for seeding.
In the upper picture, look beyond the workers and to the right and you will see lurking in the background “The Reapers” Three in all, they are an addition to the Sainsbury Centre Sculpture Park.
The Artist Ivan Morison says “In gaming circles Reapers are a synthetic-organic alien race, connecting us to the fear we share of the mutant monsters sure to come from human techno meddling in plant biology. …” The works are an outcome of the artist’s research residency Towards the Weird Heart of Things at The Sainsbury Centre.
Work continues on McCarthy Stone Green Space
The development of the McCarthy Stone site saw a significant bite taken out of the green space of the Yare Valley corridor. To compensate, environmental conditions were placed on the planning application approval. In early 2024 the Yare Valley Society became concerned about the slow progress being made towards fulfilling the conditions. It sent a report to the Norwich City council detailing deficiencies. The council acted swiftly, and progress has been made. In October YVS submitted a second report drawing attention to what remained to be done. YVS is pleased to note that most of the promised on-site habitats such as bird boxes, bee bricks and bat boxes had been installed. So far so good, but much remains to be done including planting the green open space to the southwest of the site, the hedging on Bluebell Rd, and the openings for hedgehogs in the boundary fence. While work proceeds there is no public access to the green space.
On the positive side the green open space has been part seeded, paths laid out and seats installed. The chance must not be missed in the present season to plant the promised trees in the green open space.
When work is completed, the increase in habitats and the landscaped green space will make a valuable contribution to local biodiversity and to accessible public green space. The green space will link with the Strawberry Field meadow, and its north and south ends will have links to the Yare Valley Walk and so increase the options for short circular walks.
Conservation Volunteers November Programme
All are welcome to give the support they can. There are big opportunities this month to get your hands dirty and join the volunteers to contribute directly to the wellbeing of Yare Valley wildlife:
Cringleford Bridge Meadow on Monday 4th and Friday 15th
Eaton Burial Ground on Church Lane on the Wednesday 6th, Thursday 7th, and Tuesday 12th
Bluebell Woods at Eaton Park on Friday 22nd.
The programme is here. It gives full details including the occasions when lunch will be available.
Help the Meadow Makers boost our meadows
The Yare Valley Meadow Makers invite you to join them in improving the Yare Valley wildflower meadows. In November (weather permitting) there will be work parties on Saturday the 9th 10 – 12 am and Sunday the 17th 2– 4 pm. Join them on the UEA broad hay meadow at the picnic area by the lake W3W ///ripe.keys.vocab.
They will be doing some raking and creating bare earth patches with mattocks to prepare the meadow for the sowing of more wildflower seed shortly after.
All help will be much appreciated. They will have plenty of seed thanks to their own collections and some kind donations from High Ash farm and Norwich City Council earlier this year.
The Yare Valley Meadow Makers direct most of their efforts at improving the Strawberry Field meadow and the UEA hay meadow and the hedgerows that link them.
Anyone for Cricket?
The view in the direction of Keswick Mill from Eaton Common and the nearby bridleway has changed dramatically in the last day or so as a result of tree felling of Cricket Bat Willow (Salix alba caerulea). After 15 years of growth the time has come to crop the trees and turn them into cricket bats.
The willows mature relatively quickly in the marshy land and there has been a commercially viable market for the wood. It is expected the plantation, which is on private land, will be quickly replanted to produce another crop in 15 or 16 years. The trees must be checked twice a year, and any side shoots removed. This keeps the main stem of the tree free from knots, and so suitable for making cricket bats.