First Impressions

Thursday, December 26th 2019

All visitors to the reserve arrive by the main access track. Alongside this road were many young diseased Ash trees (Ash Dieback has arrived in North Yorkshire). The disease is caused by a fungus named Hymenoscyphus fraxineus (H. fraxineus), which is of eastern Asian origin. More information about the disease can be found on the Forestry Commission's website. On Christmas Eve, several volunteers were eager to help out by removing some of the dying trees to make space for new species.

Fortunately, most of the affected Ash were small and could be cut down with pruning saws and bow saws.

Rain wasn't forecast, however, there was constant drizzle!

The trailer was loaded up over and over again with brash and there was a familiar face back on the reserve to lend a hand!

To avoid spreading disease spores, the wood was burned on a bonfire.

Although this all seems very destructive, this was only part of the story; in the afternoon, new saplings were planted to replace the Ash. Specimens were chosen that will look pretty on the drive in such as Spindle, Wild Cherry, Bird Cherry and Wayfaring tree. All from the ones that were recently donated by Bettys Tearooms.

Bird feeders were filled and boardwalks were repaired too. Another job was to rod the drains that go underneath the main driveway. Ian got well and truly stuck in and as a result the pipes are flowing well again to avoid any water from pouring over the road surface.

Our sincere thanks to everyone who gave up a soggy Christmas Eve to assist with these important tasks. The reserve is open as usual from now until the New Year. The Field Centre will be closed on New Years Day however, there will be a guided walk on the 1st January from 11.00am - 1.00pm. Booking is essential as places are limited and this event is free to Friends of Foxglove and Volunteers. Further details can be found on the events page.

(0) Comments:

There are no comments for this blog post yet. Why not start the discussion? - use the form below:

Back to Top

Help Support Foxglove

Friends of Foxglove

The Friends of Foxglove Covert is for those individuals, families and organisations who would like to support the reserve through an annual membership subscription. Friends receive a regular newsletter and invitations to attend our various activities and social events.

More Details

Upcoming Events

Owl Pellet Discovery

Monday 26th July 2021 | 10.00am start

Come and learn all about the different owl species that live in North Yorkshire. Find out what they eat by dissecting their pellets and identifying the contents. Recommended for ages 7 years upwards.

Booking is essential as places are limited.

Suggested minimum donation of £5 per person. Please donate in advance to secure a place.

This event is free for Volunteers and Friends of the reserve.

Family Pond Dipping 1

Wednesday 28th July 2021 | 45 minute sessions on the hour

Come along and find out which animals are living in some of the Foxglove ponds. Book a pond dipping session for your family bubble. There will be a socially distanced brief to set you off and then you can use the equipment for the remainder of the session. You will be requested to use hand gel on arrival and the net handles will be cleaned between sessions. Please call the Reserve Managers on 07754 270980 to book your allocated slot. You are advised to arrive 15 minutes before your allocated time.

Booking is essential. A donation in advance (card payment by phone) of £5 per family bubble is required in order to secure your booking.

VIEW ALL EVENTS