Autumnal Volunteer Work

Our volunteers have been very busy recently, here is just a snapshot of the tasks they’ve been working on this season! 🌳

Spigot Mere is a large seasonal pond that provides a vital habitat for birds, damselflies, and pond life. Over the season, fast-growing reeds had begun encroaching on open water. Equipped with wellies and waterproofs, our volunteer team spent the day clearing back vegetation to restore open water areas and preserve healthy wetland habitats for visiting wildlife.

 

Volunteers carried out essential maintenance along main trails and hidden paths to remove glass, ceramics, rubble, and plastic waste. Regular litter picking prevents harm to wildlife, preserves habitats, and ensures pathways remain safe and welcoming for reserve visitors.

 

Litter picking and path maintenance is an ongoing task, but this is what we have managed to clear so far!

Traditional woodland management techniques like pollarding and coppicing are carried out annually on a rotational basis. By pruning trees and cutting back stems, our volunteers help rejuvenate woodland areas, encourage healthy regrowth, and open up the canopy to allow sunlight to reach ground flora. Coppicing is a productive process because it generates materials that can be used for fencing, path borders and pond edging. 

Thank you to all our volunteers for their continued hard work and dedication to keeping Foxglove Covert a safe haven for wildlife and visitors alike.

Interested in volunteering? Volunteers are essential to Foxglove Covert Local Nature Reserve and we are always looking for new faces to join our team. If you'd like to know more, send us an email at info@thefoxglovecovertfoundation.org.uk