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Community actions in public open spaces | | Woodland Ways Woodland Ways is the Moreton Hall Wildlife Group, working only in the Moreton Hall area of Bury St Edmunds. They manage a number of sites for St Edmundsbury Borough Council. | | | The group: - manage four woods for public enjoyment and wildlife;
- run an educational programme for schools;
- have occasional wildlife discovery days such as surveys of our woods or trips to other places; and
- all enjoy themselves!
The group is entirely voluntary and has no paid staff.
Natterer’s Wood - This is their flagship wood, covering seven hectares between Mount Road and Arundel Close / Midhurst Close.
- Access is from the cycle path that crosses from Mount Road to Kingsworth Road, or from the bottom of Mount Road near Quarryman’s Cottage.
- Natterer’s Wood was initially a bare field until trees were planted in 2002 to create the new woodland. An easy-access path, ponds and a wildflower meadow are all part of the design.
Home Covert - This is next to the Moreton Hall Community Centre, behind Mount Farm Surgery.
- Woodland Ways keep the woodland path open so many people can enjoy it.
- They also manage the woodland itself to maximise wildlife.
Pond Covert - This is next to Sebert Wood School.
- There is an open-air classroom used by many classes and a path around the large duck pond.
- Woodland Ways manages the wood, and keeps the path accessible for public use.
Woodland Ways Pond - This is their smallest wood, planted in the 1980s, together with a hay meadow and pond.
- Woodland Ways manages the hay meadow, is improving the woodland and keeps the pond in good condition. Frogs and newts are abundant.
What does Woodland Ways do? Work parties are held once a month, on a Sunday morning.
Work includes: - tree planting;
- tree maintenance;
- path surfacing, with wood chips;
- coppicing – cutting down young trees to promote bushy growth; and
- hay raking.
The work parties last at most two hours but you don’t have to stay that long, and we usually stop for a coffee. If you’re still not sure, why not stop by a work party to say hello. Tools are provided, although sometimes we do ask for you to bring something such as a spade or wheelbarrow. Training and work gloves are provided, and we place a high priority on ensuring safe working. Children are very welcome, and must be accompanied by a responsible adult. Occasionally we have social events, such as a trip to another wildlife site or a barbecue at a member’s house. |
Great News! Woodland Ways awarded £49,500 Lottery Grant
The grant of £49,500 will enable Woodland Ways to create a wildflower meadow in the shape of a giant bat, dig wildlife ponds and finish planting the land with trees to form the woodland. The main rough path into the wood will be surfaced to allow less mobile people to visit for the first time. There will be a craft and picnic area and a mobile display which will be taken around various venues in the area. The grant will also help pay for a tools storage facility on Sebert Road and a trailer to help move tools and materials around.
Woodland Ways need your help! They need people to plant trees, for example, and then keep the trees alive until they are fully established after a few years growth. Hay from the wildflower meadow will be raked by hand, and they have still got three other woods in the area which need looking after too! |
A brief history of the area
This meadow, along with all the water meadows surrounding the River Linnet, once belonged to the Great Abbey. After the dissolution the meadows passed to various owners, one of whom was the Right Honourable Earl of Rockingham, Thomas Watson.
The area includes the: - Grindle Paddock, which originally belonged to a Mrs Dunn;
- Dew Pond, which was shown on Thomas Warren's map of 1736, and was restored by the River Linnet-Butts-Project volunteers;
- Balancing Pond, which was constructed to take flood water away as part of the adjacent residential development; and
- Tilley Pond, which was dug out in recognition of the important colony of Great Crested Newts that were discovered in the area. The pond is named after Mrs Doreen Tilley.
Local volunteers, led by Mrs Doreen Tilley, and English Nature, the government body responsible for wildlife, worked together and from April to June 1994 1,887 newts, 28 frogs and 26 toads were transferred to their new home. | | In January 2005 the nature reserve was handed over to St Edmundsbury Borough Council.
Volunteers are again maintaining the area and in March 2005 they planted shrubs for a hedge. The species planted are: blackthorn, dogwood, field maple, guelder rose, hawthorn and hazel. | | | Wildlife to be seen in the ponds include: Amphibians: - great crested newts
- palmate newts
- smooth newts
- frogs
- toads
Wildfowl: Mammals: Birds in the area include: - blackcap
- great spotted woodpecker
- heron
- kingfisher
- coal tit
| | | Great crested newt The great crested newt, the largest newt in Britain, can be found at Saxon Gate Nature Reserve. It is one of the most protected species in the British countryside. It is illegal for anyone to capture, kill or disturb it and to damage its habitat.
On top the great crested newt has dark, often black, warty skin speckled with tiny white spots. Its belly is usually orange or yellow with black blotches, a warning to would-be predators that they are poisonous to eat. In springtime the male develops a high, wavy crest along its back and another along its tail.
The great crested newt is usually seen in ponds but the surrounding land is of equal importance. Ponds are used for breeding and the development of eggs and tadpoles. The surrounding land is used for hunting and overwintering. | | | Amphibian patrols! When Spring comes there is great movement by amphibians at this site.
Rangers count the number of frogs and toads, smooth newts and great crested newts every morning and evening until numbers significantly drop off.
Amphibians are also rescued from the storm water drains. | | | Saxon Gate volunteers We have work parties every two months and are always grateful to see new faces. Could you spare a couple of hours every two months? Our work parties are on Sundays from 10am to Noon: 2007 January 28 March 25 May 20 July 15 September 9 November 4 December 30 Please wear weatherproof clothing and stout footwear. Tools and light refreshments will be provided. We meet by the public open space. Map showing Saxon Gate Nature Reserve. Contact details: Parks and Landscapes St Edmundsbury Borough Council Borough Offices Angel Hill Bury St Edmunds Suffolk IP33 1XB Tel: 01284 757063 Email: parks@stedsbc.gov.uk Back to top |
| | | | | In the past Grove Park Community Garden has been the subject of
anti-social behaviour which has prevented it from being used as it was
originally intended.
It was with this in mind that the Grove Park Neighbourhood Watch Group, chaired by Ken French, applied for a grant from Awards for All, and later a grant from Havebury Housing Partnerships’ Community Investment Fund.
Both applications were successful and the money has been spent on
significant improvements to the site. | | | One of the most important things has been to open up the garden to
provide clear views throughout.
This has improved the general security of the area and hopefully made it
more welcoming to all sections of the community. | | | So far the project has seen the erection of a story-telling area for local
school children with wooden seating and picnic benches for local families.
Also the installation of fencing, paving, wooden steps leading down to St
Peter’s Pit, an arbour, a litter bin, wooden edging around the flower beds,
and the planting of hedging and many shrubs. | | | Ken French, Chairman of Grove Park Neighbourhood Watch Group, said:
“We are extremely pleased with the progress made; the land has been transformed. It is amazing what a local community can achieve when
working in partnership with other bodies.” | | | Grove Park Neighbourhood Watch Group, in partnership with St Edmundsbury Borough Council's Parks section, have plans for further improvements in addition to the considerable changes this piece of open space has seen so far.
If there are any sponsors or volunteers willing to get involved
please telephone: 01284 757063 or email: parks@stedsbc.gov.uk Back to top |
| | | | | Great News! Parkway Community Association submitted a bid to People's Millions (Big Lottery Fund) and their project has won £58,313. The group received their cheque on site on 3 November 2006. The project will improve the newt pond and surrounding area. The project includes extending the newt pond, building fishing platforms, planting a wildlife area, and building a new footpath and an amphitheatre. Many estates in Haverhill will benefit from this. | | | The Parkway Association promote the Parkway estate and surrounding areas, help to improve the environment and address any other community needs. If you would like to become a member of this group (you do not have to live on the estate) please call 01440 763200 or 01440 703396. Back to top |
| | | | | The daffodil planting in Mildenhall Road was the result of a partnership between St Edmundsbury Borough Council, Mildenhall Road Residents Association, Bury in Bloom, West Suffolk College and B&Q. | | | 1000 daffodil bulbs, which were kindly donated by B&Q, were planted by students from Minden House, West Suffolk College. Back to top |
| | | | | | | | This planting was Bury in Bloom’s first community partnership
project of the year to celebrate their 20th anniversary.
The wildflowers have been planted on the public open space at the
junction of Maynewater Lane and Southgate Street. | | | This proved to be an enjoyable day for everyone involved and
will hopefully enhance the area whilst increasing biodiversity. Back to top |
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