I haven’t managed to blog for a couple of weeks on the management work we have been up to on the reserve recently but as I’m helping out in the visitor centre this Sunday, I have a little time to sit down in front of a computer between visitors arriving to put together bit of a story.
Since I last wrote a blog we have had three Thursday tasks with our trusty volunteers. Two days have involved path repair work, hence the chain gang reference, though we don’t make the team wear pyjamas with arrows on them! It is hot work moving tons of hardcore, peat and limestone dust around when the sun is out at this time of year. However, we have filled potholes in the main track from New Fen down to Joist Fen
On the previous Thursday, Katherine led the volunteers in constructing a proper store for our fencing materials and other timber as well as further sorting out of the storage in our workshop. The yard and workshop are now looking much tidier and we can more easily see what materials we have ready for use on the reserve.
This past Thursday, we have been working to improve the surface on parts the riverbank footpath. We only purchased this section of river bank from the kissing gate near the Washland viewpoint west to the kissing gate near Joist Fen in February of this year. The section around the first kissing gate has traditionally become very muddy during the winter, often being impassable unless you were wearing wellies so we were now in a position to do something about it.
So on Thursday, we trimmed back some of the vegetation including some of the large bramble patches, though only on the top of the bank. We have left the brambles on the sides of the flood bank as they are such a great nectar source when in flower. They are also a great food source when they have blackberries and are great nesting sites for birds like whitethroats.
We then leveled off the surface and laid four tonnes of crushed concrete. All of this was done by hand, with sterling work being put in by volunteers Dave M, Nigel, Phil, Rob and Roger with help from Katherine and myself. We also repaired a section of fencing next to the kissing gate to make it more cattle proof and tried to adjust the kissing gate itself as a number of the cattle had escaped from here earlier in the week.
We still have some further work to do on the river footpath and the new surface needs to bed in but it should give a much better all weather walk through the winter as well as more level running track for the up coming Race for Wildlife on Sunday 19 October.
Here are some pictures of the progress so far:
Before...
...And after
Image credits: Dave Rogers
Whilst working up on the riverbank, we could see large numbers of mute swans on the lagoon on the other side of the river and we had at least one hobby for company. This was busying itself catching dragonflies before its long migration back to Africa.
There are plenty of things to keep us busy over the next few weeks. There are more path repairs to finish off as well as getting everything ready for the Race for Wildlife. In addition, we are moving into our autumn/winter work programme so there will be willows to be cut down in the reedbeds and reed to be cut as well.
We hope to see you soon.
Dave