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May 2021
News
Volunteer groups back at work in nature reserve By Sara Messenger, Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group
I
can only apologise now that your Thursday morning walk on the reserve will no longer be a quiet solitary affair should you stumble upon the newly returned Bradley Stoke Green Gym. We’re the Liquorice Allsorts of the conservation world – while we are all different shapes, genders and ages, we are all the same in that we are so relieved at finally being allowed back out. Although we know the restrictions put in place were aimed at keeping us physically safe, mentally we have all greatly missed the camaraderie, the friendships, the satisfaction of seeing a good job done and the laughter that resounds through the woods every time we meet. Although my creaky knees may not have been physically up to it, our attitude certainly was up to
‘hitting the ground running’ and on our first week back we headed off to Primrose Bridge where one team cleared the stream blockage and any overhanging cover, while also checking for any remaining signs of the pollution that had earlier blighted the brook. Meanwhile, the other team made a log pile hibernaculum with the wood, repaired a hedge, cleared the ubiquitous bramble that seems to spill out over every path, and litterpicked. Our champion litter picker Paul found a purse with debit cards and £45 cash in it, which has now been returned to a stunned but very grateful owner. Michelle told us that she lost her purse 18 months ago after leaving it on her car roof and had long given up thinking it would be returned, let alone returned with
A pregnant female newt in one of the ponds in the nature reserve
all its contents. I did suggest that as it was obviously her lucky day maybe she should buy a lottery ticket! Our second week back was no less productive when we completed an almost identical set of tasks at the other end of the brook, although we managed to include the planting of another row of rowan trees donated by local company CGI. And we finally got to meet group members Stephen and Lorna’s son Oben, who at just 8 weeks old we are counting as our youngest and, strangely, quietest Green Gym member. There is a large dead tree that crosses the stream that at one
time it was suggested we remove. However, as it was the favourite roost for a pair of collared doves, we left it alone and I’m glad we did as Dave told us when his boys were little, they used it as a favourite landmark and now his grandchildren can do the same. The stream bank is already covered in wild garlic whose smell often turned my thoughts to lunch until the wind changed direction slightly and we caught the rather less pleasant smell of a dead fox. We have recently found dead several ‘healthy’ looking foxes, rats, squirrels and on The Common East, four hedgehogs and a couple of pigeons and can
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