This week there's a special treat for you all as Neville, one of our regular work party volunteers, has written us a fantastic guest blog. So here's Neville introducing what Coombes means to him.
You might think you were in a primeval forest, unchanged since time immemorial. There is no evidence of man’s activities to be seen anywhere. All around there is soft green, gentle peace; accentuated by quivering leaves trembling on the wind. It is autumn, so the colours are rich and varied, painting the annual picture of change and the coming winter.
(Coombes Valley Pics)
However, this is not a forest far from human habitation. You are but a few miles from the bustle of Britain’s Potteries – Bennett’s Five Towns are just down the road. This is Coombes Valley, a precious jewel of countryside owned and cared for by the RSPB. The RSPB are Europe’s largest organisation devoted to the conservation of nature and our wild heritage.
Coombes Valley was not always so quiet and restful. It has seen its share of industrial activity but it ended long ago. Now, the traces of that period of history are only to be seen by hawk-eyed archaeologists. For the majority of visitors, this delightful haven of tranquillity near Leek is a place where people can escape the stress of modern life, and soak up what Henry Thoreau called ‘the tonic of wilderness’.
Coombes Valley appeals to all, and is a place that everyone can enjoy. For some, it is the little things of the environment; the inconsequential trifles of the natural world that creep about in the leaf litter and hide in the bark crevices. Coombes Valley appears to have been spared the plague of chemicals that has devastated so much of the wider countryside. Consequently, there are myriads of these small creatures and a precious diversity of species.
Some of us volunteer at Coombes Valley to do what we can to keep this treasure-trove safe for our grandchildren. There is much to do. Invasive bramble has to be cleared; bracken will also choke all competition if it is left unchecked. A watchful eye has to be kept for Himalayan balsam with its admittedly beautiful flowers. And there is plenty of strenuous effort required to keep the paths and fences in a proper state.
(Work part @ Coombes by Becky Austin)
Volunteering provides the social pleasure of banter with colleagues who rapidly become friends. Everyone just does a much as is physically sensible, bearing in mind that many of the ‘vols’ carry creaking bones. It is fun and useful. Could one ask for more?