Clare and Richard who are active members of the Low Moor & Oakenshaw Conservation Group came up with a brilliant idea!. They contacted Yorkshire Building Society and asked if staff in the IT department would be interested in a conservation volunteering day at Toad Holes Beck and Raw Nook NR. The YBS kindly gave the thumbs up and Clare arranged a 09.30 start on Friday the 19th of October.
Clare, Richard and volunteers from YBS
Work was firstly carried out at Toad Holes Beck which involved a general tidying up, Bramble clearing and spreading wildflower seed Yellow Rattle as invasive grasses have encroached into the meadow area. It was then time for a packed lunch at the local Woodlands cricket club who very kindly allowed the group to use their facilities. But the real hard work was about to start as the group then moved into Raw Nook NR.
There were two jobs Clare and Richard had arranged one was to carry on digging up the Silver Birch saplings from the lowland heath habitat and the other was to try to establish the plant Yellow Rattle in the wildflower meadow.
Volunteers stripping out 4 small areas of invasive grasses to create a habitat for Yellow Rattle to establish.
The other group worked just as hard pulling up the Silver Birch saplings and cutting back Bramble to create this…
A super potential wildlife bank which in spring will create ideal nesting habitats for local Robins, Thrushes and Wrens.
But come on guys it’s a conservation day not an archaeological dig…as relics from the old Low Moor station were found..
So it’s really big a thank from the LM & O conservation group for all the excellent hard work all the volunteers did and to the Yorkshire Building Society for allowing their staff to take part. And for me…to here comments like ” Can I come back in spring to see how the Yellow Rattle is growing ? and can I come back and do another work day with your group? clearly demonstrates the value nature can play in people’s lives and what a wonderful urban site we have…
