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CAT Outdoor Family Activities

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Here is a site to help you with your environmental studies in and around the pond and also to carry out in your own open spaces. The Centre for Alternative  Technology has come up with these suggestions if you are looking for fun family nature activities to try at home.

We might all be indoors a bit more than we’d like at the moment, but that doesn’t mean that we can’t get creative with nature connection for kids.

Try out some of our special family activities and get to know the wildlife on your doorstep. Spy on your wildlife neighbours, encourage mini-beasts into your garden, and develop the eyes of an owl and the ears of a deer.

Show your family and friends what you’ve seen, heard, or made – and don’t forget to share them with us too! To share your pictures, post them on CAT’s Facebook page or tag @centreforalternativetechnology on Instagram. #CATatHome

Draw your zero-carbon view

Celebrate the Earth: family summit

Make a climate action poster

Build a tiny pond

Get to know your wildlife neighbours

Make your own quadrat

Postcards from the future

Grow your own food: seed sowing

Sensory explorers: back to nature

Here is the Link   https://www.cat.org.uk/

                         https://www.cat.org.uk/cat-at-home/cat_at_home-families/

No Mow May 2020

 

green-desert
What do you see? An open space or a green desert?


Every Flower Counts will take place this year from 23rd to 31st May.

Plantlife would like you not to mow your lawn and let the flowers grow increasing the number of pollinators in urban settings. When it comes to providing vital nectar and pollen for bees, butterflies, and other pollinating insects, every flower counts. 

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Your lawn can potentially provide that feast.


By taking part in brand new citizen science activities, we will show you how much nectar the flowers in your lawn are producing.

The more wildflowers you have in your lawn – and the more types of wildflowers – the more nectar will be produced. If you #SayNoMow and leave areas of your lawn unmown, you’re likely to have many more wildflowers and lots more nectar.

From your results, we will calculate a National Nectar Index to show how lawns across Britain are helping to feed our pollinators. We’ll also reveal the top ten lawn flowers in Britain and show you how to increase the number of flowers in your lawn.

We’ll be asking you to get out and look at your lawn during the week from Saturday 23rd to Sunday 31st May.

https://buff.ly/2xHuz8K

Little Egrets Sightings

The Little Egret – Egretta garzetta

 

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We have three resident birds on our reserve so here is a little information for you. Whether they will breed or not is another thing but we hope they stay.

Key information
What they eat: Fish. Measurements: Length: 55-65cm Wingspan: 88-95cm
Weight: 350-550g Feather colour: White Leg colour: Yellow
Beak: Black Long Powerful Medium thickness
Natural habitats: Farmland Grassland Marine and intertidal Urban and suburban Wetland

The little egret is a small white heron with attractive white plumes on the crest, back and chest, black legs and bill and yellow feet. It first appeared in the UK in significant numbers in 1989 and first bred in Dorset in 1996. Its colonization followed naturally from a range expansion into western and northern France in previous decades. It is now at home on numerous south coast sites, both as a breeding species and as a winter visitor.

little_egret_distributionmap
In 1957, there were just 23 recordings of single individuals. Now there are 660-740 pairs and 4,500 birds that overwinter. In 1996, Brownsea island nature reserve in Poole , Dorset was the home of the first breeding pair, followed by a colony of 12 pairs in County Cork the following year. They are strange characters either standing very still or treading water, disturbing the mud picking out the small fry in the shallows. Otherwise, they can be seen dashing through the shallows, chasing and stabbing at the fish as they go. In the breeding season, they acquire some lacy plumes on the back of the crown, breast, and mantle: strikingly beautiful and graceful at the same time.

From the 17th – 19th Century, Egret plumes have been used to decorate hats. The 19th Century ornithologist, Frank Chapman, noted over forty different species in 700 women’s hats from hummingbirds to ostriches. This global trade meant that in the early 20th century, egret feathers could cost £875 in today’s prices. As well as egret farms, the main source was through shooting and snaring. It has been estimated to be between five million and 200 million birds slaughtered annually for their feathers and skins.
Everything came to a head in 1889 at Didsbury, Manchester, when the Society for the Protection of Birds (RSPB) was formed by pioneering female conservationists. Appalled at the cost to all bird species, the little egret became a symbol of rebellion against the trade. In 1914, the RSPB received a royal warrant and in 1920, the bird plume trade was suppressed in law.

Ducks – F.W. Harvey

I f you find yourself around the pond and looking out over the reed beds towards the island, a famous poem comes to mind from a local poet. F.W. Harvey lived in the Forest. Not only did it capture the mood in wartime Britain during the First World War but life in the early 20th Century. As Leonard Clark once said… The Severn Valley bore Harvey and cradled him, French fields and German prisons tempered him, the Forest of Dean matured him.

So sit and relax and listen to this piece he wrote in prison, remembering his home. enjoy.

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(To E.M., Who drew them in Holzminden Prison)

I

From troubles of the world I turn to ducks,
Beautiful comical things
Sleeping or curled
Their heads beneath white wings
By water cool,
Or finding curious things
To eat in various mucks
Beneath the pool,
Tails uppermost, or waddling
Sailor-like on the shores
Of ponds, or paddling
– Left! Right! – with fanlike feet
Which are for steady oars
When they (white galleys) float
Each bird a boat
Rippling at will the sweet
Wide waterway …
When night is fallen you creep
Upstairs, but drakes and dillies
Nest with pale water-stars.
Moonbeams and shadow bars,
And water-lilies:
Fearful too much to sleep
Since they’ve no locks
To click against the teeth
Of weasel and fox.
And warm beneath
Are eggs of cloudy green
Whence hungry rats and lean
Would stealthily suck
New life, but for the mien
The hold ferocious mien
Of the mother-duck.

II

Yes, ducks are valiant things
On nests of twigs and straws,
And ducks are soothy things
And lovely on the lake
When that the sunlight draws
Thereon their pictures dim
In colours cool.
And when beneath the pool
They dabble, and when they swim
And make their rippling rings,
0 ducks are beautiful things!
But ducks are comical things:-
As comical as you.
Quack!
They waddle round, they do.
They eat all sorts of things,
And then they quack.
By barn and stable and stack
They wander at their will,
But if you go too near
They look at you through black
Small topaz-tinted eyes
And wish you ill.
Triangular and clear
They leave their curious track
In mud at the water’s edge,
And there amid the sedge
And slime they gobble and peer
Saying ‘Quack! quack!’

III

When God had finished the stars and whirl of coloured suns
He turned His mind from big things to fashion little ones;
Beautiful tiny things (like daisies) He made, and then
He made the comical ones in case the minds of men
Should stiffen and become
Dull, humourless and glum,
And so forgetful of their Maker be
As to take even themselves – quite seriously.
Caterpillars and cats are lively and excellent puns:
All God’s jokes are good – even the practical ones!
And as for the duck, 1 think God must have smiled a bit
Seeing those bright eyes blink on the day He fashioned it.
And he’s probably laughing still at the sound that came out of its bill!

Frederick William (FW) Harvey

You can visit his home at Ministerworth by going to the website at http://www.fwharveysociety.co.uk/ where there is a walk around his village.

FOSP Announcement 2020

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Hello Everyone

Following the current COVID-19 Pandemic, we are all in extraordinary measures. Since holding our AGM on March 1st, Friends of Saintbridge Pond has been working on-site were possible for the past month.

After some great thought and a discussion with the Chair, it has been decided that the normal Sunday workdays have been suspended, in accordance with Government guidelines.

As of the 5th of April 2020, there will be no group meetings for the foreseeable future. These measures are in place for the health and safety of the individuals in the group and their immediate families. We also wish to protect the general public at large.

However In the meantime…

There is a body of work which is needs carrying out on the allotments and FOSP won’t discourage any individual from working by themselves on both sites.

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After speaking to the Chair, and on looking around, there is as always plenty of jobs that can be done individually or as a working couple whilst observing all precautions with regards to current government guidelines.

We have hazel whips that need to be planted.

The small tree that came down and partially covers the Skylark woodland corner need dismembering and the remnants placed with the other timber and cuttings alongside the Sudbrook filter trap.

If anyone would care to assist the chair in bringing the community gardens back into cultivation and further its development. They are more than welcome.

There is plenty of clearing and cutting back of vegetation on the maintenance side of things in and around the reserve.

Anytime you can spend on-site individually will help FOSP enormously and so prepare the site as best as we can this year, during this current crisis. Before you consider whether or not you can contribute some time to the FOSP allotments etc please read the following mandatory guidelines.

Health & Safety Requirements

Currently, you may or may not be aware that Gloucester City Council has allowed access to the allotments for plot owners and immediate family. Therefore, as long as you as an individual is over 2 metres plus from the other person, you can work on our FOSP allotments plot.

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If you bring your own tools, please do not share them with anyone else and if you have to use those from the communal shed, please ensure that you are wearing gloves at all times and clean any handles with bleach, wipes or other anti-bacterial agents before putting them back.  Please clean your own gloves and tools too before leaving or as soon as possible on returning home.

Please contact the secretary regarding time spent on-site either by text or email with hours and tasks completed. These collated records will be important in showing Gloucester City Council how much time and effort has gone into maintaining our presence at Saintbridge during this 2020.

With regards

The FOSP Committee

Friends and Allotments Project 2020

 

FOSP & SAGA 1 - clearance

Friends of Saintbridge Pond & Saintbridge Allotment Gardens Association Joint Activity Took place on Sunday 23rd February.

A joint working party cleared an area of woodland to make way for the proposed site for a splash pond for the wildfowl which frequent the area. It will act as a natural haven for the young ducklings and their parents which cannot find shelter amongst the reeds and nearby waterways.

The wood that was removed, like any other crop, will be put to the allotment holders for use on their plots.

The young whips were stacked and cut into 8ft long poles, ideal for bean sticks or whatever use they could be put too. Please consult SAGA site for details about their future availability at http://www.saintbridge.org.uk/ or speak to Steve if you see him on site.

FOSP & SAGA 2 - stacking poles
Poles ready to dry out and for use on the allotments.

FOSP & SAGA 7 - working groupIt is hoped that applied funding will bring this project to fruition in the near future. The numbers of wildfowl are quite diverse with the regular mallards joined by Teal, Moorhens, and Coots. Visiting swans drop in but keep a close eye out for the Water Rail and Kingfisher.

FOSP & SAGA 4 - together

 

FOSP & SAGA 8 cleared site

This is Site as it stands now but keep an eye on the area and look out for any changes.

The nearest postcode is GL4 7PS (click for map)

FOSP AGM 1st March 2020

Hello Everyone

You are cordially invited to our Annual General Meeting which will be held at Saintbridge Rugby Club on the 1st March 2020 from 11.00am to 1.00pm. (directions below)

Come and find out what we have been up to, our plans for the future and how you can get involved in volunteering twice a month or during the week. It would be good to hear from you.

On behalf of the group

Regards from FOSP’s Vice chair/secretary

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Skylark Bank Clearance

The Friends of Saintbridge Pond were busy last Sunday with the clearance of an area close to Skylark Bank. With tricky stumps and roots to get out, the team worked throughout the morning to prepare the ground for new trees and shrubs which will bring colour and life back to the riverside. Afterwards, the team retired to the allotments where the usual fare was in place, along with teas and coffees. If you are passing and are interested in joining , pop in around 11.30am and  have a chat. All volunteers welcome.

Our next meeting will be on 16th February, so look out for us between 10.00am and 1.00pm by the green container or around the allotments.

FOSP Opinion Survey

Project Report 2019

Allotments can play a big part in the fight to preserve our environment; we need to protect them, especially in urban areas as they are important. Green spaces need to be preserved and are proven to help our mental health too. The number of people who visit the sites, dog walkers as well as allotment holders,  not only goes to show not only is it good for the environment, but we as human beings reacquaint ourselves with the living earth, feeling the soil between our fingers but under our feet.

Many varieties of plants thrive on these sites, which contribute to the biodiversity of the area and they also provide vital habitats for many species. Many good allotment sites have special areas that are left virtually untouched allowing wildlife to thrive.

All manner of wildlife can be found on the allotment from Wildfowl, Badgers, Foxes, Frogs, Toads, Newts and Slow Worms to Field Mice, Hedgehogs, to the many different species of birds and insects. But allotment sites are under threat as never before.  When allotments disappear, often wildlife disappears with them and these precious habitats are lost forever.

The Friends… has held the plot for many years but in Spring 2019, the group was having to manage two sites, that is the pond and its surroundings and the allotments. The latter has been left to a number of volunteers to manage. Under the Chair’s guidance, it has been blooming. Don’t take my word for it. Download the report PDF parts 1  – 3 or read the following online prepared by both Pauline and Stéph.

Many, many thanks go to Charlie and Ken for preparing the site in advance so all volunteers can appreciate the hard work that has been put into this continuing project. A debt of appreciation would like to go to Saintbridge Allotment Gardens Association (SAGA) Chair, Steve and it’s members for assisting them with advice. spare plants etc. while they were tending our plots. If you want to know more about SAGA, just follow the link:

http://www.saintbridge.org.uk/index.html.

In 2020, FOSP and SAGA will be working together to ensure that the pond and the allotments, once described as this green oasis, become a major community asset.

Also this link via the Guardian newspaper:

https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/allotments

Enjoy the article!!!!!

FOSPNR VICECHAIR & ACTING SECRETARY

Part 1

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Part 3

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Interested in nature

why not join us as a volunteer?

Email for more info

volunteer@fosp.org.uk