Urban Nature Reserve pond platform pt.1

Great task yesterday! We embarked on a dipping platform at the BEES Urban Nature Reserve on the Laisteridge Lane University Campus. We got 6 solid posts in ready to take the joists and tread boards. We hope to finish it next week and the result will enable children to pond dip more safely. We saw newts which I always find exciting!

Others worked at eradicating the invasive species Giant Hogweed from the site. Due to our efforts in the past, the amount coming up this year has been greatly reduced.

The press turned up to photograph the work going on and I'll be rushing out to see ourselves in the T&A today!

I have recently been on a bushcraft course and Guille, from Spain on a European volunteer scheme requested a fire by friction tutorial. We made a bow drill set and back at home, managed to produce fire with it!

Blossom Day

This was a great event, but it did feel a bit like an episode of Little Britain at times. Why?

1. No Blossom - Blossom is supposed be at it's best at this time of year, but with the warm April it was all mostly gone by now.

2. The Great British Weather - by the time I got there it was getting colder and starting the rain.

Still, the BBQ was hot and the food and the company were great - what more could you ask for (Blossom and sun aside)?

The orchard is looking great and with the addition of extra space, permenant covered areas, and growing areas for other vegetables, it's really developing well.

Call that art!

The volunteers will be out in force this Sunday at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where they will be making little baby herons out of recycled materials.

Should be fun, and it'll give people a chance to see the Andy Goldsworthy exhibits that are there at the moment.