Environment

Winscombe’s new garden

FoUrfriends have created the Winscombe railway Garden on a piece of derelict land in the village for their silver Duke of Edinburgh award.

Churchill Academy students, louis Green, Alasdair Armour, Jacob Griffiths and Alastair McWhinney first approached Winscombe and sandford Parish Council in 2019 about renovating a plot of land by the railway bridge. the boys then presented a plan and costs at a parish council meeting which gained unanimous approval.

After months of work, with support from their parents, the official opening was carried out by parish council chairman, Archie Forbes, attended by the boys’ families, friends, teachers and local councillors.

The garden is open

one of the parents said: "it was a great afternoon, fantastic for the boys to receive the praise they deserve and the boys feel very proud that their hard work has sparked a lot of interest in the village."

Clearing weeds (l to r) Alasdair, Jacob, Alastair and Louis Before the work

Boost for River Chew

River Chew at Pensford

BristolAvon rivers trust has received a grant of £97,700 from the government’s Green recovery Challenge Fund, which will support improvements on the river Chew. it hopes the river Chew reconnected project will act as a stimulus for further support, to create a healthier river for wildlife and people to enjoy. the project will deliver two river habitat enhancement schemes that will improve aquatic, marginal and terrestrial habitat. this will include planting about 2,000 riparian trees and shrubs and the creation of several seasonal ponds across two sites to reduce surface water run-off from agricultural fields and increase floodplain habitat diversity. the trust says: “restoration of habitats will help them function more naturally once again, unlocking natural processes and maximising transitional and in-stream habitat. At a local scale, the river will become more resilient to pressures such as climate change and form more coherent priority habitats, as building blocks of the Nature recovery Network.” the trust is also launching a sustainable Water Usage project that will encourage local communities and schools to also take action to protect our rivers.

Boost for Mendip fund

Visitorsto Mendip Activity Centre at Churchill have donated £7,500 to the Mendip hills Fund that gives grants to help local projects.

Due to the pandemic, the fund has received very little income from businesses and events that usually bring people into the area. in 2019 £12,000 was awarded to projects such as forest schools, creating a wildlife area by a village hall and money for a local environment group to buy surveying equipment.

Jim hardcastle, manager of the AoNB, said: “We're delighted that the team at Mendip Activity Centre have been able to adapt their site and the activities during the pandemic to keep such a successful business going.

“We love that people come to the area for adventure and fun. Now they know that they are contributing to the protection of this nationally important area as well.” the centre’s owner, Dave Eddins, said: “the outdoor industry really suffered in 2020 due to repeated lockdowns and restrictions. My team was able to rise to the challenge and set about opening a pop-up campsite to take advantage of the staycation boom.

“the generosity of our guests will help ensure the Mendip hills can be protected and enhanced for future generations to enjoy. We are very proud to support the Mendip hills Fund and the AoNB.”

Details: www.mendiphillsaonb.org.uk

Learn dry stone walling

thEMendip society will be running two training weekends in dry stone walling in october, in conjunction with the launch of their small grants scheme for landowners restoring or creating landscape conservation and wildlife habitats.

Both will be held at Chancellor’s Farm, Plummers lane, Priddy, BA5 3DD, for beginners on saturday and sunday, october 2nd and 3rd and for improvers on saturday and sunday, october 16th and 17th.

Both are open to all members of the public and are free to join; both days must be attended. Numbers are limited to eight places on each course. the society is also a sponsor of the Mendip Ploughing Match to be held at Green ore Farm, Green ore, on Wednesday, september 29th when there will be two dry stone walling classes held. if you are interested in learning this new skill, a visit to this event will provide inspiration galore.

Bantam goes quackers

roBhandy, who has a forest garden at East harptree, got a surprise when one of his hens decided to become mum to some ducklings. he said his last broody bantam, now proudly puffed out to the size of a dinner plate, rejected her own teeny-tiny eggs in favour of a clutch of six prize-size duck eggs she surreptitiously stashed beneath her. the results were six ducklings, which Mother hen cared for and looked after, and which are now a good size and swimming around in the pond, under the ever watchful eye of mum. rob has started doing tours again, demonstrating selfsufficiency and rural life, including a new patch containing companion plants of tomatoes, gooseberries and marjoram. he said: “these are a fine example of companion plants in the same way that the three sisters, runner beans, squashes and sweet corn are often used as an example of companion planting.

“the gooseberries provide a structure for the tomatoes to climb through; its spikes helping protect the tomato fruit from birds. the tomatoes keep away the saw fly from the gooseberries - the saw fly normally strip the leaves.

“the marjoram provides ground cover for both, meaning you don’t have to water the tomatoes or gooseberries and the marjoram, when trodden on, releases essential oils which keep away the pests of the tomatoes.”

(Photograph courtesy of Michael Holman, Red Forge Studios)

Trust expands Avalon Marshes reserve

Honeygar from above

soMErsEt Wildlife trust has acquired honeygar Farm, between its Westhay Moor National Nature reserve (NNr) and Catcott nature reserves, at the heart of the Avalon Marshes. the 46.5 hectare site and two further parcels of land also purchased, adjacent to the farm and sWt’s nearby Westhay heath reserve, will bring the trust’s total landholding in the Avalon Marshes landscape to 418 hectares. the trust has funded the initial land purchase of honeygar Farm with support from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation (EFF) which has bought it on the trust’s behalf to be repaid through fundraising. the trust will be launching a major honeygar fundraising campaign in the coming year to repay EFF by 2023 and undertake initial work on site. honeygar was identified by sWt as an important site to provide habitat and green corridors which will strengthen nature connectivity within the Avalon Marshes landscape and contribute to somerset’s wider Nature recovery Network. the trust’s CEo, Georgia stokes, said: “Nature is in crisis. the Uk is one of the most nature-depleted countries in the world. Nothing short of big ambition and bold ideas is going to deliver the changes needed for nature to recover, for the abundance and range of species to return, and for us to meet the climate targets we need to by 2030.

“We have got to do more and faster to face these twin crises of the ecological and climate emergencies, and this is one way somerset Wildlife trust can contribute. Nature can’t wait.

“honeygar is a vital missing link in the ecological network of the Avalon Marshes, at the heart of the somerset levels and Moors. through creation of wildlife-rich habitats, protecting and rewetting the precious peat soils, and providing important water and carbon storage, honeygar connects many existing nature-rich sites including our own Westhay Moor, Westhay heath and Catcott Complex nature reserves.

“the site will help us towards our goal of putting 30% of land into recovery for nature, a goal shared with the Uk government. More than that, honeygar will provide us with the opportunity to learn many lessons and share our learning with other landowners, partners and communities.” the trust and the rsPB have also been awarded £906,000 government funding to support work across three sites within the Avalon Marshes, sWt’s Westhay Moor NNr and honeygar, and the rsPB’s ham Wall NNr.

Green award

DAisystephens, aged six, has been awarded a Blue Peter Green Badge for her bug houses. older sister lily got her award last year for making a wildlife video, which included a badger snuffling through leaves.

Mum, Natalie, from Pensford, said: “Daisy has a keen interest in bugs and nature and has carefully cared for and raised many caterpillars (found in our garden) through to chrysalis and butterflies.”

Lake plans

Work on a £1.5m scheme to build a new section of 2.7km walking and cycling trail around Chew Valley lake is getting underway.

Construction of the all-weather path on the northern section of the lake will see a new path from Woodford lodge to Walley lane; a wider path across the dam; and a wider shared path and bridge from the dam to hollowbrook.