Stepping stones and bird boxes

Report from Uppermill Community Action Network

Our recent Project Days were very busy and included continuation of our work near the stepping stones in creating habitat piles. Visible from the canalside, the habitat piles will enable us all on our regular walks to watch the rich and varied wildlife from across our beautiful village.

We have found from previous years work, that the habitat quickly supports a good range of biodiversity and becomes a flourishing wildlife community which supports a wide range of wildlife, including moss, fungi, insects and attracts a range of small mammals, amphibians and birds that visit and live in the area. In crafting and building the habitat piles, we intentionally leave lots of  gaps between the fallen tree branches and logs so that the many creatures can build their homes and live there.

We also focussed our activities on our local bird nestboxes. After the end of each breeding season, from late September up to February, we make a regular annual habit of cleaning all of the bird nestboxes by the canalside. We remove any old nesting materials, rinse with water to stop the spread of bacteria and parasites and generally make sure that the boxes are safe for birds seeking shelter during the winter.

Our final task from this month included our usual clearing vegetation, sweeping up the many fallen leaves and litter picking in other areas near the canal .

We are always pleased to welcome new members; for anyone interested in getting involved in our voluntary work the January to March 2020 Programme is as follows:-

January  –  Thursday 23rd

February – Saturday 8th and Thursday 20th

March – Saturday 7th and Thursday 26th

All equipment is provided by the Canal and River Trust (CRT), stout footwear and suitable clothing is recommended. The usual time and meeting point is 10:00am at the canal bridge on Moorgate Street but this can change. For further information, please contact Peter Killan on 01457 878361 or email peterkillan@hotmail.com

Author: Jude Gidney - Editor

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