Task Reports

Please contact the office if you are interested in volunteering and we will discuss details.

Conservation Work - Past

Bowling Park Community Orchard

in the allotments on Bowling Park Drive

The weather conditions have been great for grasses – we were met, not unexpectedly, be a jungle to clear. By the end of the day we had made quite a difference. The pathways had been cleared as well as vegetation under most of the trees. In addition we used straw to mulch some of the trees and will monitor how effective this is. 

We have been trying to increase the nectar sources in the orchard for pollinators for the periods when the trees aren’t in blossom (though Court Pendu Plat was still flowering) and the Orange Hawkweed and Vipers Bugloss were looking great. We intentionally leave some of the grass long as it offers habitat for peat control species, as well as butterflies such as Ringlet. 

 

St Ives; preparing the charcoal kilns

This was our rescheduled visit to the kilns. Thankfully the horses were fenced off so our trips up and down the track with the timber were not impeded. Well, only by our stamina – this is a hard task and we would not have completed our tasks without the help of the golf club green keepers who brought the last load up in their buggy, for which we are very grateful. 

Even with the extra help we had to work late to get the timber chopped, split and the kilns loaded, but everyone’s effort paid off and we left the kilns ready to be lit next week. 

At lunchtime we quietly acknowledged BEES achievement of having delivered conservation work in Bradford for 30 years. Thanks for the cakes! And the volunteer efforts by everyone over the years.

 

Residential; Dry stone walling in Upper Wharfedale

near Buckden

Fri 3rd June – Sunday 5th June

We have visited Upper Wharfedale for a weekend’s drystone walling for several years now. We stayed in Town Head barn again in Buckden, but this year our work was along the lovely Langstrothdale. We were rebuilding a section of wall that offers shelter for livestock as well as landscape value. 

The stone was large and required lifting devices and ingenuity at times, and it also dictated how much we stripped out, leaving some of the big stone in place. Although once working we found buried stone, at the beginning we decided to shorten the length of wall slightly in order that we had enough stone to create a decent height. 

The surroundings were delightful with the river at the bottom of a flower filled meadow. It didn’t rain at all, though it was interesting to realise how localised the weather is. Friends running the Whafedale half marathon got sunburnt in Threshfield on Saturday, whilst we didn’t take our jumpers off. By the evening the skies were fine for are annual BBQ.  

We have checked out next year’s wall; again large stone so keep in shape. 

Parkside Centre vegetable garden

Parkside Road, BD5

The Team once more returned to the Parkside Centre today focusing mainly on the general tasks of up keeping the vegetable beds as well as the wildlife garden areas.

As a group of us made a start at weeding the vegetable beds a couple of us took to the task of laying an additional section of pathway and undertaking the small amount of maintenance required to the rest.

Laying a strip of mulching fabric before covering it with bark, the added section of path seemed to give the raised bed area a more finished appearance.

Additional growing beds were constructed out of salvaged material found on site and filled with veggi compost while the wildlife garden areas were mowed and weeded leave a small area as untouched meadow in order to help encourage wildlife.

 

BEES Urban Nature Reserve

off Laisteridge Lane, BD5

Returning the Laisteridge Lane site we set about today's task of general pathway clearance and general maintenance of the nature reserve.

A broken bench within the seating area beside the ponds was dug out and replaced with a home-made one thanks to the efforts of some of the team.

Removing some of the more dominant plant species, our volunteers concentrated on improving the wildflower diversity by planting the varieties we brought to the site, along with redistributing some of the wildflowers from different areas of the nature reserve.

However the management of the railway line and meadow area had to be cut short due to the discovery of an overgrown secluded spot which appeared to show signs of extensive drug use. Efforts to do a good litter clean-up was further hampered due to a large amount of waste which seemed to contain rotten down cannabis plant matter and needles.

 

Blossom Day at Bowling Park Community Orchard

in the allotments on Bowling Park Drive

What a surprise! No blossom.. We’ve said it before but this year really was the least blossomy Blossom Day. Although today was warm and sunny on the whole, it was snowing last week so it’s not surprising the blossom is delayed; let’s hope the weather suits the pollinating bees when the flowers open.

A range of activities took place, including some artistic people making tissue blossom and others eating cake. The practical tasks included the predictable weeding, as well las feeding the trees and replacing the gate post. 

Boar’s Well Urban Wildlife Reserve

off Kings Road, BD1

Returning today the Boar's well site we had quite a successful bounty of timber to bring back to Culture Fusion building for storage to be turned into charcoal.

As normal, out of courtesy we made an effort to improve the path in the reserve removing vegetation and clearing away allowing access to be made easier.