Parklife autumn 2017 by Nene Park

PARKL FE News and updates from Nene Park Trust

Autumn 2017

WHATâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S ON

SEPTEMBER to NOVEMBER

SEE INSIDE

Chief Executive’s

www.neneparktrust.org.uk Ham Farm House, Ham Lane, Peterborough PE2 5UU

VIEW

E: visitor.services@neneparktrust.org.uk T: 01733 234193 If you would like to be added to our mailing list or if you require a braille, audio or large format copy, please email us.

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ur events programme has been a roaring success, where we’ve provided both indoor and outdoor activities to keep the kids occupied over the school break. I’d like to thank each and every visitor who has taken a trip out to Nene Park – whether you have been out on the lake, explored a woodland walk, visited the cafés or generally soaked up the Park’s atmosphere, we hope you made some wonderful memories.

@neneparktrust @ferrymeadows

DID YOU KNOW

Well what a summer it has been! We’ve seen a phenomenal number of visitors cross our paths this summer, not just in Ferry Meadows but visitors who are exploring what the whole of Nene Park has to offer.

Sustainability

Sustainability is one of our guiding principles at the Trust. With this in mind, we have teamed up with Lakeside Kitchen & Bar who will be collecting all of their used ground coffee beans and teabags for us to add to our compost pile.

Despite summer being one of the busiest times for the Park, we don’t plan to stop now that autumn is around the corner. We still have plenty happening as you start to see the Park’s landscape change. Visitors don an extra layer of clothing and there’s a cooler feel whilst out and about. Instead of staying indoors, grab a scarf and head down to see what’s going on. Our Autumn Festival will take place over the October half term, with a fantastic array of events for both children and adults too. See our Events section (page 7-10) for more information. We received some fantastic results from a recent Visit England assessment, which has been improving year on year, based on the improvements we have been making to the Park. Thank you to all of our staff, Volunteers and tenants who help make this happen. Our team are busy working on a number of projects and proposals to add further improvements to the Park as part of our Master Plan. It’s important to us that our visitors have a say in what they want to see, so we would very much appreciate it if you could complete our visitor survey by 10 September, which can be found at www.neneparktrust.org.uk to ensure everyone gets the opportunity to contribute. We hope you will continue to use the Park and see the change in colour throughout the autumn months. Matthew Bradbury Chief Executive, Nene Park Trust

Barn Owls

We have Barn Owls residing in the Park. Thank you to Christopher Revell for this fantastic photograph taken at Ferry Meadows.

Accessible for all Our Park is accessible for all. Regular visitor and dog walker, Bev Heald, talks about her experience in the Park. “Me and my dogs, Barney and Brindle, love Ferry Meadows. We come almost every weekend as it is so accessible on my mobility scooter and there are loads of different routes we can do. The indoor section of Lakeside café is perfect for us and all the dog parents to catch up and swap treats for our furkids. Truly inclusive Park.” 2

New Captain on the lake ...

Keep your eyes peeled on your next visit; they are not easy to find!

New Captain

Bob Cave has taken to the lake as the new Captain, offering visitors the chance to take a relaxing boat trip spotting wildlife in Ferry Meadows. He can be found at the duck feeding platform near the Visitor Centre so why not pay him a visit?

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L FE Introducing our new ‘Barklife’ feature! We thought we’d kick off with a gallery of those who are already celebrating all that the Park has to offer for our four-legged friends. With thanks to everyone who sent their photos in. Andy Leighton out on a walk captured this wonderful moment.

This incredible assistance dog, Bugsy, enjoying some down time on the agility course.

Brindle patiently waiting for Bev’s command.

Captain Molly is celebrating her 9th birthday out on the lake.

Jo Morris with her dog on a frosty day earlier this year. Marley and George ‘posing in the Park’.

Harry is making the most of the meadows with a run.

Willow taking a dip in the Park.

Gus is taking a well-deserved rest after all that jumping! Ted and Salty admiring the view.

Lo takes rock climbing to another level.

Nina Mehmed wraps up for a foggy morning round the Park with her dog.

This monthly dog walking group is perfect for socialising.

For the chance to appear in upcoming issues, please email your pooch portraits to nicola.read@neneparktrust.org.uk 3

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Thanks to Leah Barfield for taking these photographs during the project.

Groundforce Bretton

Back in the spring we were approached by Peterborough Presents asking if we would like to be involved in a new project called Bretton Greens. The project involved working with local residents of Bretton to rediscover and improve the green spaces in their neighbourhood. We jumped at the chance as it looked like a great project as well as being an excellent opportunity to work closely with the local community. Working with Project Manager, Katy Hawkins, our involvement included running garden design workshops at the Pyramid Centre in North Bretton and a workshop with the students at the IQRA Academy. Both groups came up with some great designs from which a winner was chosen at the Bretton Festival. The next stage was to make the design a reality. Two sessions were organised at the chosen site and local residents did a fantastic job, first in clearing and preparing the area and then planting and installing features to add some colour. As you can see from the photos it was quite a transformation. To see more photos and find out more about all of the other great activities and events which took place, visit the project blog at www.brettongreens.wordpress.com

We Love Ferry Meadows By Nene Park Volunteer, Roy Watts

We love Ferry Meadows any time of year We love Ferry Meadows that’s where we volunteer We are part of the Wednesday afternoon crew Where they give us tasks to do We do jobs like mulching and pulling up weeds Or even planting bulbs and sowing wildflower seeds The man in charge is David Radley Who treats us fair not badly We have two Rangers who act as foremen That’s Gary Mason and Gareth Lorman The rest of the gang are full of glee When Averil and I have made the coffee and tea When we help as Volunteer Rangers We help out complete strangers We have a Christmas meal and summer barbeque As the Trust’s way of saying ‘thank you’ If you love Ferry Meadows any time of year Why not join us and become a Volunteer? 4

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All this and much more was made possible through a grant from the Arts Council England to fund Nene Parkâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s first ever Artist-in-Residence, Charron Pugsley-Hill. Charron has certainly had a busy year running a whole series of events for all ages both in the Park and around the city. Park users and the local community have really enjoyed getting involved and have been instrumental in creating many of the pieces. These have included a felt blanket and two huge murals which will be displayed in the autumn. The Artist-in-Residence year ended in September 2017. However, as the events proved so popular the good news is that Charron will be continuing to deliver artbased events in the Park, so please check future events listings and keep an eye on our website.

PARKL FE Just because the kids are back at school and the nights are drawing in, doesn’t mean that staying indoors and watching television is their only option. Get outdoors and have fun with our brand new interactive app Magical Park ... www.magicalpark.net

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ll you need to do is download our app at home, wrap up warm, grab your mobile phone or tablet and turn your imagination up full blast! Children are introduced to gaming apps from a young age – it’s the way of the world that’s just how things are nowadays! The objective of these games is to keep players engaged whilst learning and having fun. There are, however, a few negatives that can be associated with online gaming such as third party interference, violent content and laziness. Did you know that on average, children sit for 8.5 hours per day and spend only one hour playing outside? That’s where Ferry Meadows and our brand new app comes out to play… …Introducing the Magical Park app to Ferry Meadows this autumn. We are so excited to be bringing this interactive app to the Park, which aims to keep children healthy with a combination of outdoor exercise and digital entertainment. The themed app enables children to earn

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I in the grass

n 2013 the agricultural grasslands of Heron, Short and Long Meadows were entered into a 10-year Countryside Stewardship agreement with Natural England, with the aim of improving the wildlife value of these agricultural grasslands. For farmers, improved grassland can be cut for silage or less commonly nowadays as hay. From a conservationist viewpoint this has little wildlife value compared to unimproved grassland, which has a range of grasses interspersed with a rich diversity of herbs and wildflowers. Part of the Stewardship scheme for Long Meadow included re-creating 2 ha of wildflower meadow. These meadows were previously classified as semi-improved grassland, which meant that they have been modified by artificial fertilisers, slurry, intensive grazing, herbicides or drainage. Consequently, they have a poor range of species, therefore less diverse. During a rather damp autumn in 2013, we set our ancient mini tractor out to expose bare soil, where a team of Volunteers then followed scattering 2k of wildflower seed. We then harrowed it again and waited…

virtual rewards by completing challenges. Whilst progressing through the game, a world of imagination opens up where a Magical Park can be built right here in Ferry Meadows, as the app enables you to see real Park views by accessing the camera function. There is also a chance to engage with the community by completing challenges alongside others to reach spectacular milestones. The Halloween themed app, where you can spot ghosts and ghouls, will be available from Saturday 30 September to Sunday 5 November – just right for keeping the kids entertained throughout the October half term too. In addition, kids can play in additional surprise worlds filled with dinosaurs, aliens, fairies or robots. Keep a look out on our website and social media for more information. The app will be available to download from Apple app store and Google play, enabling you to play for free.

We’ ll see you there! Four years on and from a conservationist perspective, the south of Long Meadow is now starting to look good with a lot of wildflowers showing through the grass. One of the flowers sown was Yellow Rattle, a rather attractive unassuming plant with two lipped yellow flowers. The flower taps into grass roots and was considered a serious pest by farmers as it weakens grasses, resulting in a reduction of hay yields by up to 50%. However, this suppression of grass growth is welcomed as it produces open areas of soil when it dies off in summer, so other less competitive flowers can seed and create a better display. It also eases the mowing required. Our Volunteer team spent a hot sunny July morning this year out in Long Meadow collecting Yellow Rattle seed heads. These will be stored and sown later in the autumn in other areas of conservation grassland around the Park. Whilst walking through Long Meadow collecting seed, we couldn’t help but notice that it was full of butterflies feeding on all the wildflowers and there was a charm of goldfinches feeding on the knapweed seed heads. That warm feeling inside wasn’t just from the sun on our backs!

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calendar

WHAT ’S

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September

Saturday 2 September

EAST ANGLIAN AIR AMBULANCE EMERGENCY SERVICES FUN DAY

Start time – 10am Following the success of last year, the team along with their friends, will host a fabulous fun day. There will be children’s fairground rides, face painting and the Ferry Meadows Railway will be donating their train fares on the day to EAAA, so enjoy a ride across the Park and support EAAA! Hot and cold drinks will be available as well as cakes and an ice cream van, so bring a picnic and spend the day with EAAA. One of the air ambulance helicopters will arrive on the day, time TBC, so long as the weather is fine to fly and they have not been called out on a mission. A great opportunity to meet the crew and find out how your donations help them save lives. Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Coney Meadow – directions from Visitor Centre Cost: Cost for individual activities

Saturday 2 September and Sunday 3 September

ADULT RYA SAILING BASIC SKILLS – LEVEL 1 10am – 4pm This two day consecutive course covers how to sail in all directions, including an awareness of launching and recovery. After the course participants will be able to sail in light winds under supervision. All safety equipment, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids, are provided. Suitable for: 16yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Nene Outdoors, Lakeside Cost: £150 per person

YOU CA N BOOK ON LINE

Sunday 3 September

All events can be booked online using our book ing system. Unless stated, all events must be booked in advance, some of which have multiple time slots. For all upcoming events and to book your place, please call in at the Visitor Centre or visit

FLYING ACES

www.neneparktrust.org.uk

10am – 5pm Peterborough Model Flying Club (PMFC) was formed in 1938 and is one of the oldest and most successful model flying clubs in the country, with a history of innovating new and successful control line and free flight events. They fly for enjoyment in a relaxed and friendly atmosphere, sharing their experience and knowledge to others - you never stop learning with aeromodelling! The Flying Aces competition will bring enthusiasts to Ferry Meadows from afar. Why not go along and see the experts at their best? Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Oak Meadow – directions from Visitor Centre Cost: Free for spectators Sunday 10 September

FUN DOG SHOW

Show starts at 1pm The Barking Bugle is holding a Fun Dog Show in Ferry Meadows, where visitors can bring their four legged friends along to battle for the title of 12 different classes, with the chance to win a rosette. If you think your pooch is your ‘Child’s Best Friend’ or is the ‘Friendliest Pedigree’ then why not head down and take part? Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Directions from Visitor Centre Cost: £1.50 per class to enter your dog

Sunday 10 September

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

10am – 12pm Make a difference by helping the Rangers out in the Park. Children, couples, grandparents, friends - everybody welcome. All tools and training provided, all you need to bring along is lots of enthusiasm. Free car parking for all participants. Dress for the outdoors including sturdy footwear. Suitable for: 5yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: Free – suggested donation £2

Sunday 10 September

NEEDLE FELTING WORKSHOP

10am – 12.30pm and 1.30pm – 4pm Join Artisan Felter, Eve Marshall, on this needle felting workshop to make a couple of woodland animals in the morning or garden birds in the afternoon. There will be an opportunity to make a couple of different projects under Eve’s expert tuition to take home with you. Why not book both sessions and spend the whole day with us to further your technique? Suitable for: 14yrs+ Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £25 per person including materials and refreshments.

Monday 11 September

NATURE TOTS

10am – 11.30am A fun monthly outdoor parent and toddler group. Each session has a nature theme and will include a messy craft activity, time to explore the beautiful outdoors, story and songtime. Suitable for: 2yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £3 per child

PARKL FE Wednesday 20 September

RAMBLE FROM RIVER TO RAIL

Sunday 17 September

ALZHEIMER’S SOCIETY MEMORY WALK

Arrive from 10am for walk to commence at 11am Join the Alzheimer’s Society at Peterborough Memory Walk, where they’ll be returning to Ferry Meadows Country Park with an option of two routes. Enjoy the beautiful lakes, fields and woodlands together. The 2km route will follow flat paths so will be wheelchair accessible, although the event site is on grass. The longer 6km route winds across open fields and woodland areas so will not be accessible. Don’t forget your wellies and walking boots! The team are in need of a variety of volunteers from marshalling to providing support. If you’re free to lend a hand, see the Events section on the website. Suitable for: See website for details Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Coney Meadow behind the Visitor Centre Cost: See website for details

9.30am – 3pm Enjoy a gentle stroll along the River Nene to Wansford where there will be time to look around the Nene Valley Railway station before returning to Ferry Meadows by train. The walk is approximately six miles over uneven terrain and stiles. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear. Please bring a drink and light packed lunch for a possible stop along the way. Suitable for: 8yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Visitor Centre Cost: £4 per person to cover return train fare

Saturday 23 September and Sunday 24 September

ADULT RYA SAILING BASIC SKILLS – LEVEL 2 10am – 4pm This two day course follows completion of the Basic Skills Level 1 course. Level 2 covers rigging, launching, and sailing in all directions as well as capsize recovery and essential safety knowledge. After the course participants will be able to sail and make decisions in good conditions. All safety equipment, including wetsuits and buoyancy aids, are provided. Suitable for: 16yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Nene Outdoors, Lakeside Cost: £150 per person

Wednesday 20 September

BAT WALK

Tuesday 19 September and Wednesday 20 September

BADGER WATCH

6.30pm – 9.30pm Join Park Ranger, Chris Rollason, for a talk on the life of a Badger followed by a silent vigil at a Badger set to try and catch a glimpse of these shy creatures. Ground conditions can be uneven and slippy when wet. Camping chairs will be provided. Please wear dark clothing and bring insect repellent, walking footwear, a small torch and binoculars if you own some. No dogs or cameras. Please only book if you can sit still for very long periods in the dark. Suitable for: 12yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: John Horrell Room Cost: £10 per person

6.30pm – 8.30pm Join Park Rangers and members of the Cambridgeshire Bat Group for an informative presentation on Bats. Follow this with a walk in the Park to try and spot the Bats that call Ferry Meadows home. Wear clothing suitable for the weather as the Park can be chilly after dusk. You may like to bring a torch or bat detector if you have one. Suitable for: 5yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £5 per person Saturday 23 September

CHARCOAL STICK MAKING

10.30am – 12pm and 1.30pm – 3pm Join a Ranger and learn how to make charcoal sticks from wood, using a tin box and fire. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Suitable for: 7yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Lakeside car park Cost: £2 per person

Monday 25 September

NATURE TOTS

MAGICAL PARK

Forget Pokémon Go – this fantastic new interactive app, which aims to get the kids off the sofa this autumn and into the fresh air, will bring creatures to the Park that you’ve never seen before! Please see page six for full details.

October

Thursday 5 October

WALK IN THE WOODS

10am – 12.30pm Join a Ranger for a walk through Bluebell Wood and the surrounding area. Learn about some of the projects carried out by the Ranger team. Please wear suitable footwear such as walking boots. Suitable for: 10yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Visitor Centre Cost: Free – suggested donation £2 Monday 9 October

NATURE TOTS

HOPE INTO ACTION BIG SLEEP OUT

Starts at 7pm The Big Sleep Out is an event where those who sign up will sleep rough under the stars for one night. It is not a full

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Wednesday 18 October

GUIDED WALK WITH A RANGER

1pm – 3.30pm Join Ranger, Ian Lowe, for a guided walk around Ferry Meadows, pointing out some areas of interest along the four mile route. Bring water and suitable footwear. Dogs are welcome under close control. Suitable for: 10yrs+ Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Visitor Centre Cost: Free – suggested donation £2 Friday 20 October

WILLOW WEAVING WORKSHOP

9.30am – 4.30pm Learn how to make things from willow by progressing through making a panel, a fish and finish with a willow pheasant to take home and keep for yourself or give as a gift. If you came last year to make the pheasant, there is an opportunity to make a duck. All materials provided. Bring your own secateurs. Suitable for: 16yrs+ Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Lakeside Cost: £65 per person Saturday 21 – Sunday 29 October

AUTUMN TRAIL

Collect a trail sheet from the Visitor Centre and then hunt for clues as you walk around Ferry Meadows. Return to the Visitor Centre to claim your prize. Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Visitor Centre Cost: 50p per sheet

Autumn Fest ival Week

Monday 23 October

NATURE TOTS

Tuesday 24 October

FALCONRY DISPLAY AND TALK

10.30am – 12pm and 1pm – 2.30pm Ye Olde Redtail Falconry Display brings the ancient art of Falconry to the modern age, with a comprehensive and thrilling display that is guaranteed to wow audiences of all ages. Watch it, be amazed, join in… (thank you to Judy Francis for the great photo captured from last year’s session). Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £5 per person Tuesday 24 October, Wednesday 25 October, Thursday 26 October and Saturday 28 October

MOMENTS WITH TREES - TREE HUNT AND BROOMSTICKS

Saturday 21 October ‘homeless experience’ but it’s certainly an insight into what over 4,000 people in England face every night. It provides an opportunity for Hope into Action to highlight some of the struggles our homeless have to face and gives people the chance to experience a small taste of what sleeping on the streets might be like. Suitable for: See website for details Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Nene Outdoors, Lakeside Cost: See website for details

MOMENTS WITH TREES - TREE FORAGING

10.30am – 12.30pm Come on a woodland walk and find out about the powers of trees… Which berries, nuts and leaves are safe to eat? How can they be used? Which berries and leaves must be avoided? The event may involve walking off the Park’s footpaths. Please dress for the outdoors. Suitable for: 10yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: Free – this event has been funded by Heritage Lottery Fund

10.30am – 12.30pm The witch has lost her belongings in the trees in four different locations around Nene Park. Find the trees, find the items and she’ll reward you with your very own broom stick to fly away home on. Children will make their broom stick from wood resources in the Park. Wear appropriate clothing and footwear for a woodland walk. Suitable for: 7yrs+ Easy access: Yes Meeting point for 24th: Badger play area, Ferry Meadows Meeting point for 25th: Thorpe Meadows car park Meeting point for 26th: Orton Mere car park Meeting point for 28th: Milton Ferry Bridge, Ferry Meadows Cost: Free – this event has been funded by Heritage Lottery Fund 9

PARKL FE Wednesday 25 October

WILD WEDNESDAY

10am – 2pm Children and adults are welcome to come and join in some seasonal and wild crafts. Please drop-in at any time, no booking required. Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: Free – suggested donation £2 Friday 27 October

CHARMING WORMS

10.30am – 12pm and 1.30pm – 3pm Come along to find out more about these amazing creatures and have a go at charming them to the surface. You will then make a wormery to take home with you. Part of the event will be based in the Discovery Den, with the remaining time spent out in the woods. Suitable for: 3yrs+ Easy access: Phone for details Meeting point: Discovery Den Cost: £3 per person

November Sunday 12 November

FAMILY VOLUNTEERING

NATURE TOTS

CHRISTMAS FAIR 11am – 4pm

Saturday 28 October

CAMPFIRE COOKING

10.30am – 12pm and 1.30pm – 3pm Participants will be shown how to use basic bushcraft techniques to light a fire without using matches and will then have a go at cooking and eating some simple campfire recipes. Children must be accompanied by an adult. Maximum of three children per adult. Accompanying adults go free and do not need to book a place. Suitable for: 7yrs+ Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Lakeside car park Cost: £3 per person

market is being The craft and gift Craft People. e th managed by ndmade craft If you have any ha interested in are d goods to sell an the marquee having a stall inside ase contact ple d, en for the week ok. You can ﬁnd them directly to bo events section e th their website on Trust website. of the Nene Park 10

This fabulously festive event should get you into the holiday spirit with two days of Christmas craft, attractions for the kids and much more. There will be craft stalls housed in a marquee selling a range of goods, live music from local choirs and the Salvation Army band, children’s craft activities in the Discovery Den, mulled wines and mince pies and much more. See website for full details closer to the event. Suitable for: All ages Easy access: Yes Meeting point: Visitor Centre

We are looking fo r attractions to joi n us at this year’s Chris tmas fair, anything from a carousel to ballo on modelling to fac e painting. If you are int contact us on 0173 erested, please 3 234193 or email visitor.services@nen eparktrust.org.uk

Monday 27 November

NATURE TOTS

EVENTS INFORMATION • Event details are correct at the time of going to press. Please check the website for up-to-date information. • If you book onto an event and are unable to come, please let us know. • Children under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult, up to a maximum of three children per adult. • Most of our events are either free or on a cost recovery basis. If you enjoyed an event and would like to donate towards the £50,000 spent annually on delivering these events, the suggested donation is £2. Thank you.

ACCESSIBILITY • We offer a range of services at events such as hearing assistance equipment, accessible maps, mobility scooters and assistance dogs are welcomed. • If you have any special requirements or queries, please get in touch or visit neneparktrust.org.uk/ferry-meadows/ accessibility • Easy access events are either indoor events or on hard surfaced, level terrain which are suitable for wheelchairs and buggies. • Some events involve uneven surfaces and climbing, so please phone for more details.

PARKL PARK L FE Hide and seek Some eagle eyed Park visitors may have noticed that Heron Hide has been closed recently for refurbishment. This is in fact the first stage of improvement, starting with an all-new limestone path leading up to the hide and replacement of the old fence with a new post and rail. This will hopefully improve access and be more pleasing on the eye.

A day in the life Greg Higby, Park Manager

was challenged with writing an article about what I do as Park Manager in the Park. At first I thought this would be a fairly easy article to write since I’ve held this position for a few years, but then I started thinking about my daily responsibilities. I like to think that I have a plan when I come to work with tasks and daily assignments that I’m responsible for and work on, but on a busy day, my plans don’t always come to fruition. One of the things I like most about my job is that it is ever changing. I don’t sit behind a desk at my computer all day. I visit the Park where I get the chance to meet new people which I enjoy, ensure everything is running as smoothly as it can, manage the Park operations budget which covers the maintenance of trees, grass, playgrounds and buildings, as well as overseeing 14 members of staff. A typical day as Park Manager starts off with a daily communications meeting with

the Park Supervisors to discuss the day, events, anything that affects the Park or operations. I like to ensure procedures are being completed on time and correctly, as Park visitors and staff safety is always top of my priority list. After that I like to visit the Park and often stop and talk with Park visitors along my route, helping them with directions and giving them information about the area. We do have hiccups – life would be boring without them! The weather can throw a spanner in the works, like storm Doris where 22 trees had to be cleared up or made safe after the storm. We also rely on computers for many aspects of our operation so any issues with them can put kinks into a daily routine, but they’re something you adapt to. As a Park Manager, I am on my feet a lot and I don’t work ‘normal’ hours. I work a lot of weekends and most holidays. There really isn’t much normalcy to my day, but I wouldn’t have worked here as long as I have if I didn’t love what I do.

Greg began working for the Trust 15 years ago as an Estate Worker and has worked his way up to earn the role of Park Manager, through hard work and his love of the Park. The photos above show some of the tasks he’s been involved in over the years.

During the second stage, which will take place in winter, we will open out areas either side of the hide, removing some of the Willow trees and lowering the hedges to bring more light into the area. A new feature will be added to the approach in the form of a stumpery – a form of rockery that provides homes for amphibians, mammals, fungi and insects. Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten about the interior! Both hides will be painted to cover the graffiti, which happened during the last spell of vandalism, and the furniture will be refurbished. We will also be designing new interpretation for the hides, highlighting common birds you may see during your visit. As you can see, a lot is being done and may result in some more closures in the future so please bear with us. We hope you enjoy the changes made when visiting in the future.

The tree fell over The Willow trees at Thorpe Meadows were planted by Peterborough Development Corporation approximately 40 years ago. The trees at the south west end of the rowing course were planted as parallel rows, to provide a screen for the sight and sound of traffic on the elevated section of the A1260 Nene Parkway. Alongside the rowing course, the trees also provide a wind break for rowing activities. The majority of these trees have reached an age where inherent structural weaknesses are visible, as highlighted by the annual inspections. The trees have started to shed branches and large limbs, especially during periods of strong wind, although at other times too and for no apparent reason. White Willows are a fast-growing but relatively short-lived species. The dilapidation of these trees is a natural process that occurs as they reach maturity. This map shows the areas in green where the felling work will take place. Replacement trees will also be planted. We’d like to make visitors aware that both ends of the south west footpath will be closed and contractor heavy plant equipment will be moving on site. The start date for work is October but keep an eye out on social media for dates and more information. 11

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‘Steel’ a sneak peek In the last edition of Parklife, we included a feature on a project called Nene Park: Access Improvement Works, which is being funded by WREN. Since then, a lot has changed in the Park. We have seen some fantastic improvements to the area around Centre Point with new borders in Ferry Meadows (see photo 1) and plans are in place to work with a local artist to install a new sculpture.

he aim of the project is to make Nene Park a much more accessible destination, by improving areas that are off the beaten track. With this is mind, the project team wanted to provide the chance for a local artist to create something for an area near Goldie Bridge, the gateway to Ferry Meadows when travelling via footpath from Orton Mere. After seeing an installation by Jeni Cairns at Metal in Peterborough city centre, Ranger Gareth felt that her style of work would be perfect and in keeping with the Park’s landscape. Jeni Cairns is an award winning artist and garden designer who lives in the Fens. She works with a range of mediums and techniques including metal work. The drawings to the right show Jeni’s initial concept for the triangular sculpture. These folded galvanised steel columns will be plasma cut and feature a range of designs that reflect some of the Park’s most natural features.

Surrounding the sculpture, tree planting will also take place as part of the Moments with Trees project and benches will be installed, providing a rest area for visitors travelling from one area of the Park to another, with a wonderful view to take in. These drawings are not set in ‘steel’, so please make sure you visit the sculpture to see the final design yourself. We expect the project to be completed by November 2017. You can also keep an eye out for the winter edition of Parklife, where we will feature Jeni’s work in progress and the final piece in situ. WREN, who is funding the project, is a not-for-profit business that awards grants for community, biodiversity and heritage projects from funds donated by FCC Environment. WREN was established in 1997 and since then has provided over £200m to more than 7,000 community and environmental projects throughout the UK.

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Pictured: 1. Centrepoint 2 & 3. Jeni’s initial concepts for the triangular sculpture

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4. An example of Jeni’s work

 Thank you to Tony Martin for capturing this fantastic photo of the Sand Martins on their return.

A box of Martins

When our Sand Martins returned from Africa this spring to nest in the box on Lynch Lake island, besides the original 36hole nest box, they found an additional 45 nest holes available to choose from. 12

The increase in nesting capacity was due to two new Sand Martin nest boxes kindly funded by Mick George Charitable Trust. A new 36-hole nest box was constructed by Nene Park Trust Volunteers and a smaller 9-hole box was made by Wildlife Windows, a company that specialises in putting cameras on nesting birds. This specially made nest box contains a camera that relays live images back to the screen at the Visitor Centre, giving visitors a unique window into the domestic lives of these charming little birds. With the supervision of Lloyd Park, Reserves Officer for projects at Rutland Water Nature Reserve and a qualified bird ringer, we have

been able to undertake four visits to ring the birds using the boxes. Ringing is the process where birds are caught and a small uniquely numbered ring is attached to one leg. In our first session we succeeded in ringing 48 adult birds, some of which were caught last year, another French bird ringed on the Somme last year and one that was ringed at Rutland Water last year by Lloyd himself! Further sessions included ringing nestlings totalling an incredible 268 chicks, although there would have been more as some nests had eggs or others too small to ring. Fingers crossed these make it to Africa and back to fill the box next year.

Fundraising 1

update

KNOWING YOUR PARK

We hope you saw our ‘Did you know?’ signs and postcards in the Park over the Summer. We enjoyed sharing some amazing, lesser known facts about the Park with you and hope we helped you get to know us a little better!

THANK YOU

A huge thank you to Greenwoods Solicitors for becoming the first member of our newly launched ‘Corporate Partnership Scheme’. The support of local companies is vital to our future development and we want to work closely to help improve our offering to local people whilst engaging with companies and their employees to boost morale, health and wellbeing and make the Park and Peterborough a brilliant place for all residents and visitors. Rob Dillarstone, Managing Director of Greenwoods Solicitors, said: “We are always pleased to support projects that have a lasting impact and which provide enjoyment to many. As a result, we are delighted to become Nene Park Trust’s first Corporate Member. We look forward to continuing to partner with the Trust which provides such an immensely valuable resource for Peterborough and beyond.” For more information on becoming a Corporate Partner, please contact lisa.gledson@neneparktrust.org.uk

Here are Greenwoods Solicitors setting off on their 2017 charity challenge to cycle and walk the Green Wheel, raising funds for Papworth Trust and us.

PARKL FE PARK CALENDAR

Whilst memories of summer holidays are still clear, Christmas is only just around the corner and we have some exciting things planned this year! We’re very busy choosing a selection of our favourite images of the Park for a 2018 Nene Park calendar and a selection of Nene Park Christmas cards. All profits from sales will be used to look after the Park, so please do take a look when they go on sale in our Visitor Centre sometime in mid-October.

SCOOTER FUND

We need your help ... We’ve been nominated for a OneFamily grant of £10,000 to purchase an All-Terrain Mobility Scooter for use in the Park by our visitors. We are up against other worthy contenders, where the projects that receive the most votes will be awarded the funding. An example of the Tramper all-terrain scooter that we hope to obtain funding for. If you are reading this before Wednesday 6 September, then please vote for us! You can find the link on the home page of our Nene Park Trust website. After this date, find out whether we came out on top by visiting the news section of our website or our social media channels.

Seeking species

An exciting new Volunteer team has just formed at Ferry Meadows, better known as the Wildlife Survey Volunteers. They are helping the Trust by conducting scientific wildlife surveys of important species found in the Park.

he information they gather over the next few years will help us see what is and isn’t working in the management plans. The aim is to then correct anything that we feel we could improve to help those species thrive, which will help improve the natural diversity in the Park. Currently we have four Volunteers conducting two surveys, one monitoring Bee species and the other monitoring Butterflies. This will take place in areas surrounding the Visitor Centre, Coney Meadow, Oak Meadow and Roman Point. If you would like to get involved in wildlife surveying, we would like to hear from you. There is no experience necessary, just an eye for detail and enthusiasm for wildlife.

We need your help... We have a number of opportunities to join our team as a Volunteer. The Visitor Centre at Ferry Meadows would welcome helpers, particularly at the weekends, to help out with various tasks and meet and greet the public. Whatever your skill, we would love to hear from you. For more information, please contact David Radley on 01733 405975 or email david.radley@neneparktrust.org.uk 13

Moments with Trees (MwT) celebrates Volunteer support

The work…

We’ve had a number of corporate groups visit the Park to carry out tree-related tasks. The warm weather in May and June caused weeds to take over the trees in the tree nursery. Luckily Yorkshire Building Society worked tirelessly to clear them, allowing young trees to thrive and be used around the Park for other elements of the MwT project. BGL and RSA Insurance Groups helped us prevent summer growth spreading onto footpaths, by removing elder and other small self-setting trees by the footpaths of Lynch Wood. BGL also helped plant trees in the entrance bed of Ferry Meadows car park and boy could they dig! Our Volunteer, Tom, and Ranger, Gareth, have been watering the trees

daily during summer to ensure their survival. BGL also visited on an extremely hot day to care for our young trees along Long Meadow, which will thrive thanks to the volume of mulch shovelled on one of the hottest days of the year! We have been really pleased with support for the Tree Species Survey. Teams from the Joint Nature Conservation Committee, Environment Agency, Anglian Water and Coverbox have helped us map the diversity and abundance of tree species across 697 hectares of Nene Park. It’s been great to observe their confidence identifying trees growing throughout the sessions. Some Volunteers went from not knowing a tree species existed, with phrases such as: “Maple

We’ve received incredible support from a number of Volunteers so far, totalling 832 hours! Thank you all so much.

– I thought that was just a syrup”, to being able to identify trees without additional resources. Although a large area has been covered, there are still plenty of hectares to go so if you are interested in taking part, please get in touch. More recent work includes the production of rustic wooden markers that you may have noticed by some of the trees in the Park. The wood has been sourced from the Park and marks our exciting new Native Tree Trail – coming soon! Groups from Greenwoods, Environment Agency and Coverbox, as well as those who attended our Family Volunteering Day and our Nene Park Volunteers, have been a huge support preparing the markers and digging through tough soil to mark the trees.

The future Volunteer support…

From November onwards we will be planting trees on Fridays and Saturdays at gateway locations and creating ‘tricks with trees’ areas by Goldie Bridge and Bluebell Wood in Ferry Meadows, as well as at Thorpe Meadows and Woodston Reach. If you would like to get involved or learn more, please call Moments with Trees Project Officer, Hannah Keeley, on 01733 234193 / 07919591040 or email hannah.keeley@neneparktrust.org.uk.

Events…

For future Moments with Trees events, see pages 7-10 or sign up to the monthly newsletter by emailing Hannah on the details above. Follow Moments with Trees for daily tweets @moments_w_trees

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Park Life Advert.indd 1

05/02/2015 10:48

n o i t i t e p m Co

This fantastic competition offers you the chance to win a one-year parking membership worth £60, which also includes 10% off at the Visitor Centre and Nene Outdoors!

TO ENTER

These photos show the full uniform requirements for a Ranger who also carries out tree work as one of their duties. In addition to their Nene Park Trust Ranger uniform, which comprises of a shirt, fleece, jacket, trousers/shorts and boots, they are also required to wear a chainsaw uniform including chain saw jacket and trousers, helmet, gloves and boots. All you have to do is guess how much it costs the Trust to purchase these two uniforms combined. The last day to enter is Thursday 30 November and the winner will be announced on our website and social media shortly after. Good luck!

When you have calculated a total, please send us your name, email address / contact number and your entry either by private message on our @NeneParkTrust Facebook page, or email visitor.services@neneparktrust.org.uk.

Wild Child Word wheel eet of paper,

On a separate sh ent words see how many differ letters ing us you can make ween.’ allo ‘H rd wo the from Good luck!

Colourful Crea tures

Why not add so to this Hallow me spooky colours een picture so th can all see w hen this funn at we y witch and her cat fl y past!

Halloween true or false

Have a go and see how many frightful facts you can answer correctly. 1. Bats are most commonly seen during the day 2. The phrase spoken when dressing up and collecting sweets is ‘Trick or Trip’ 3. A mummy is wrapped in bandages 4. Carrots are a vegetable commonly associated with Halloween 5. Halloween is on 31 October 6. Halloween originally marked the end of harvest 7. Children will find presents under a tree 8. A tabby cat is associated with Halloween 9. Jack-o’-lanterns used to be made from turnips 10. Pumpkins come in lots of colours including white, green and grey

Answers 1. False 2. False 3. True 4. False 5. True 6. True 7. False 8. False 9. True 10. True

Happy Halloween Park Pumpkins!