After a week’s break we resumed our autumn volunteer programme with meadow maintenance at Holman Way. This small site, until two years ago, had been cut on a regular basis and been kept as short mown grass. Just before the first lockdown Lou and I planted approx. a dozen small trees, known as whips. Last Thursday we returned to the site to see how these trees are doing. With the help of three volunteers, we checked all the trees, replaced any missing tree guards and installed better ones for the larger trees. The long grass was removed from around the base of each tree, 50 wild native daffodil bulbs were planted, plus we cut back the shrubs that have started to spread into the meadow. We cut most of the long grass and installed a new metal perch bench. The plan will be to return in a month to cut the rest of the meadow and carry out some wildflower seeding and seed bombs.

Next week is half term and we plan to rotovate areas at MacAndrews field and Filham Park. These areas will need to be raked off so then we can seed with more wildflowers.

If you’d like to join in either and/or both tasks next week and need more information, then please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Andrew Price, Park Ranger andrewprice@ivybridge.gov.uk