Meadows and Ponds

Friday, October 27th 2023

Last week we had two military groups join us as part of their Global Charge Day, an Army sustainability event taking place across the world. The 1st Regiment Military Police and the 4^th Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland volunteered on Tuesday and Thursday respectively, completing some big jobs which would have taken much longer without their help.

The Military Police spent much of the day raking and tedding the recently cut meadow. Moving the cut grass off the meadow ensures wildflowers, which do well in nutritionally poorer soil, can grow again next year. By raking the grass into windrows we could easily collect the cut grass for baling. The group managed to rake the whole meadow, and we were even able to fit in the making of five bales at the end of the day!

Members of the group also continued path work started by volunteers from Natural England earlier this month. They removed the layer of vegetation starting to take over the path, making it much easier to traverse.

Later in the week the 4 SCOTS got very wet and muddy, and not just because it rained most of the day! This group spent their day in Spigot Mere, a pond created as a habitat for passage and breeding waders. The rushes and reeds were beginning to take over, so the 4 SCOTS helpfully pulled up as much vegetation and roots as they could. This will help stop the vegetation encroaching through the year. If it hadn’t been pulled up there would be little open water by this time next year.

The hard work of both groups is much appreciated!

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