Wapley Bushes Local Nature Reserve, near Yate and Chipping Sodbury, South Gloucestershire.


The Nature Reserve is run by the Wapley Bushes Conservation Group, a small group of volunteers.

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Grow Your Own Fence!


24/1/2010
Photo: Some of the Conservation Group regulars building up the dead hedge
Originally uploaded by paulhulbert


We had a very successful workday today. A dozen of us coppiced a lot of the excess trees in the Centenary Wood, and dragged the material down to the lower end of the main wood.

There we constructed some fifty metres of dead hedging to protect vulnerable areas of the wood. Not bad for a morning's work!

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Wapley Work Morning - Sunday 24 January - come and join in!


Our next work morning will be on Sunday, 25 January. We will be doing some traditional woodland management - coppicing, in other words removing excess growth of self-seeded ash - in the Centenary plantation.

Then we'll will bring the brash - the cut material - down to places where we need to reinforce and rebuild dead hedging. Dead hedges are barriers made entirely from natural material, that we use to protect sensitive areas. Stakes are driven into the ground at intervals, and longer cut branches are woven between the stakes.

Please come and help, no experience necessary. We're meeting at the Shire Way gate at 10.00 am. You'll need to wear suitable footwear and warm clothing, but tools will be provided.

You can ring Paul for details on 01454 315851, or just turn up on the day.

Another note for your diary - the following work morning will be on March 14, when we shall be doing some hedgerow/boundary planting near Chris's Bridge.