It's been a few months since the last report from our young wardens group, for teenage volunteers. Here, one of the young volunteers updates us on their last two meetings.
Guest blog by Ollie Garvie, Minsmere Young Warden's Group volunteer
Saturday 17 October
Firstly, as usual, we met together and discussed what we were to be doing that morning. We were informed that the reeds and trees had grown too much near the East Hide and were obstructing the path. Our job was to clear the path and cut back the foliage, whilst still leaving enough shelter for the wildlife. We spoke about whether it would be better to leave the foliage for the birds to shelter in, especially as there had been goldcrests feeding in them, or to clear the path so people could easily access the hide. We thought that it would be better to clear the path as this is the only access to East Hide and the visitors generate income for the reserve, which helps the RSPB to manage Minsmere's wide range of habitat with a large diversity of nature. We collected the necessary equipment, spoke about potential dangers and set off.
I was equipped with a pair of shears which were very efficient for cutting back the overgrowing reeds, nettles and grass. We also had saws to use, which were ideal for trimming the protruding branches of trees. We had to be aware of our surroundings as there were often people walking past. As I was nearest to the gate, I often had to stop members of the public from passing because trees were being felled further along. We were an effective team and, at the end of the day, the path was much easier to walk across.
As we were making the finishing touches to make the area more tidy, some goldcrests appeared and started to feed in the bushes next to where we were working. We immediately stopped to watch them and they gradually became more comfortable with our presence. So comfortable, in fact, that they came within a metre of us! It was the perfect way to finish the day, especially since they didn't mind that we had cleared some of their shelter!
An inquisitive goldcrest by Jon Evans
Saturday 21 November
The following month, because of the strong winds, we were unable to go into the woods as planned. Instead we were working in the car park to level out the gravel so that all parts of the car park were equally protected. The car park was a good location to work that day because it was close to shelter in case it started to rain heavily! Although not the most exciting of tasks, it further widened my knowledge and experience of what it is like to be a warden at a busy reserve.
If anyone is interested in joining the young wardens group, or would like further information on these fun days helping the wardening team, please email minsmere@rspb.org.uk