Forthcoming Events Summer 2012

We start the summer season with a new task for the group, tackling some ground flora invasives that are colonising Thornton Wood. The new targets are three-cornered leek, variegated yellow archangel, and Spanish bluebell. All garden escapees, these out-compete the native ground flora, some of which are ancient woodland indicators such as moschatel, lesser celandine, stitchwort, opposite golden-leaf saxifrage, and native bluebell. Please bring along a trowel. Note: this afternoon event starts at 2pm.

The next event is a high profile one, New Ferry Butterfly Park Open Day, where volunteers will give a woodland craft demonstration, put up a group display, and help with other activities such as putting up gazebos, BBQ, and supervising pond dipping. It is a great fun day which attracted 450 visitors last year. This is a good opportunity to further promote the work of the volunteers.

A series of evening events makes the most of light summer evenings. Our first evening task in May will be essential tool maintenance at New Ferry Butterfly Park, where billhooks and axes will be sharpened for the next hedge laying season, and scythe blades will be peened and honed for the forthcoming scything season. Our traditional foot-treadle-operated sandstone wheel can quickly take back a broad shoulder away from the cutting edge. Keeping the tools sharp makes the work easier, more effective and satisfying.

Other sections of the Clatter Brook catchment will be cleared of balsam with a new team organised by Lyn Byrne, CWT Invasive Species Officer. With three teams working in this area we can make a substantial impact, whilst in the wood the effectiveness of last year’s work on the density of the balsam stands can also be assessed.

The mid-summer group meeting will take place at Hooton Hotel, adjacent to Hooton Station.  There will be a meal at 7.30pm, group meeting at 8.30pm and the glow worm walk will start at 9.30pm. All volunteers very welcome - this is a great opportunity to share ideas and contribute to planning the group's next season of activities, to ensure a wide variety of events.

At Thornton Common the woodland ride will be cut. Over the last two decades there has been a change of flora from ear-high stinging nettles to orchids. Other jobs involve removing a chestnut paling fence, and bramble and willow removal. There will be bonfire cuisine. If the weather is fine, one of the site signs will be painted. 

Wirral Countryside Volunteers will start the annual mowing regime at New Ferry Butterfly Park in July, beginning by the pond, and then on to the rougher parts of calcareous grassland  which blackthorn is colonising.  There will be a lunchtime BBQ: please bring along a contribution to cook.

At Wellfield Meadow there will be the last evening task of the season in August: scything the grassland to benefit orchids.

The New Ferry Butterfly Park annual BBQ is a popular event; no tasks just relax.  Bring along a contribution to cook and join in the fun; boules and garden games to play. 

In September the autumn season starts in Thornton Wood, making further significant inroads into controlling sycamore for the long-term benefit of oak saplings, and continuing the mowing cycle at New Ferry Butterfly Park by scything the calcareous wildflower meadow. 

Paul Loughnane (WCV Hon. Secretary) 

Tel 0151 645 8937 / j.p.loughnane@liv.ac.uk

At Thornton Common we will cut the centre of the ride with the newly-sharpened scythes and weed the recently laid hedgerows.  This will be followed by a bat walk around the ponds and surrounding countryside. Many pipistrelle bats were seen flying over the open ponds at Thornton Common last year, and noctules in the tree-line. We will see how the recently opened-up Northwest pond is being re-colonised and how the laid hedge is re-growing.

In June, four evening events will follow on from last year’s work removing Himalayan Balsam from Thornton Wood. This particularly benefits oak saplings, and will be supplemented by the work of the Cheshire Wildlife Trust (CWT).