Nature

from Issue 95 Autumn 2018

Education

River Mel Restoration Group

Just under ten years ago the River Mel Restoration Group installed an access point on the recreational field in Melbourn to give dogs and children a safe place to access the river.

This has proved to be very popular with dogs and children alike and, in some ways, has become a victim of its own success. Erosion and wear, by dogs, people, and the weather, has seen soil washed away into the river, leaving it in need of some serious repair.

In the hope of providing a more wear‑resistant surface, we have replaced the lost soil with MOT (Ministry of Transport) Type 1 stone, which is one of the most widely used sub‑bases in the construction industry. MOT is an aggregate that is easily compacted and, once installed, has excellent load‑bearing qualities.

The day before the working party a tonne of stone was delivered to the car park at the top of the field. The following morning saw a party of volunteers pushing a succession of wheelbarrows to and fro between the car park and the river until the pile was depleted.

A second group prepared the ground by removing the interlocking lattice of soil retaining panels that stabilise and reinforce the slope down to the access point. The MOT was then levelled out and tamped down as the lattice squares were replaced.

We hope that this particular aggregate, combined with the soil retaining tiles, will provide a more stable, robust surface that will be good for at least another ten years. As always, the proof is in the pudding, and we had not even left the site before our morning’s work was being tested by a group of very enthusiastic dogs!