A springtime update!
Once again, even when the depths of winter’s relentless wet onslaught seems to make the idea of new life and beginnings an impossibility… here we are! So green, so new. Bluebells, Wild Garlic, blossom, – a symphony of sights, smells and sounds. Talking of which…
Everybody’s Heard… About the Bird…
Despite a downpour of rain at 5am we persevered with a soggy Dawn Chorus Walk in St. Anne’s Wood this month. Well done to the hardy people who braved the weather and joined us! Thankfully the rain eased up a little and although the birdsong wasn’t quite as loud as it otherwise might have been, we were still treated to a fantastic variety of song. In just an hour and half we heard blackbird, song thrush, robin, wren, blackcap, chiffchaff, wood pigeon, great tit, blue tit, nuthatch and green woodpecker- once again proving the huge diversity of wildlife in such a small urban space. The birdsong is only getting better and better over the next few weeks, – so do download the FREE Merlin Bird ID app on your phone if you’ve not already and get out into the woods to hear what they have to offer!
https://merlin.allaboutbirds.org
Cheers!
Russell, Wildlife Lead
Working On It
The April work party took place on a warm and dry Sunday morning where a small but mighty group of volunteers bashed bramble vines.
Meanwhile Jackie continued to tackle the many, many sycamore saplings that threaten to take over along the brook.
Leah Arnold
Work Party Lead (and Social Media Supremo)
Spring Clean Spruce Up in the Brook
Not to be outdone (or put off by the Saint Anne’s Woods being put into lockdown by the police) the DofE students assembled in Nightingale Valley and cleared all manner of horrors from the brook.
Together they amassed a haul that included a VW transporter drivers chair, an iron fence, a traffic cone and strangely (handled by adults wielding litter pickers) a couple of colostomy bags. All in the cause of making the valley look its best for local people to enjoy the spring. A really great effort and inspiring to see how committed they’ve all become – many have also attended additional sessions moving fencing for the goats.
This year’s cycle has almost completed but it’s been a great trial, and we hope to be able to run the programme again next year!
James
Secretary (and DofE Wrangler)
Contain(er) Your Excitement
On Monday 13th April, a long-cherished ambition of FoBB’s to have a permanent place to store tools etc, was finally realised when our new flatpack container was delivered to the allotments.
After assuring me that we would get one hour’s notice of delivery, The delivery company rang at 09:40 to inform me they would be there in twenty minutes! The troops were duly scrambled and showed up in short order to help unload and assemble FoBB’s new HQ.
Many thanks to (in alphabetical order) Cristina, Ellen Howse, Emma, Jackie, Karn, Oliver and Steve, without whom it would not have been possible to unload and build it by the end of the day. It was quite easy to put together with so many willing hands, although getting the roof in position was challenging.
On Tuesday I installed some shelving to make better use of the available space, and then Andy filled it with the tools that have been resident in his shed for something like 12 years! He also rounded up two wheelbarrows and various other things that haven’t been seen for ages from other locations. Thanks to Andy for his forbearance, maybe there’s room in his shed for another motorbike now!
I think that the container gives us more than just a storage place, it locates FoBB in a particular place and makes our existence tangible. The allotments are a nice place to be and there’s always plenty to do, but it’s also a good place to just sit and contemplate if that’s what you want.
One of the advantages of the flatpack is that it can easily be disassembled and moved, should that ever become necessary. Let’s hope not. I hope and believe that this facility will be used and enjoyed by FoBB for many years to come, and that it will open up new directions for our group and the wider community. The container has been made possible with a CiL Grant from Bristol City Council.
Geoff Thomas
Treasurer
For anyone who’d like to check out the shiny new container or perhaps get their hands in the soil there’s (always!) a work party for that too. Come and get involved, every 2 weeks on a Saturday (next one is 16th May!) at The Rock Allotments.
The next planning meeting will be from 7-9:00pm on Wednesday 6th May at The Langton.
Anyone keen to get involved or find out more about what’s going on is always welcome to join us
Our next work party will be 10am on SUNDAY 10th May meeting at the Hill Lawn Entrance for access to Nightingale Valley.
Please do keep an eye on our socials as there’s lots planned (and that still needs planning!) for the year. We’re aiming to plant 420 trees in the autumn but before then we have two wildflower meadows to establish (including a rare river meadow), acres of balsam to battle with, two hungry goats to keep in forage and, back by popular demand, a small-scale but notable return of the St Anne’s Day Pageant – a celebration of our areas patron saint and (who knew) mother of the Virgin Mary.
Dates below for your diary and wishing you a fabulous May Bank Holiday!
| Planning Meeting First Wednesday of month 7pm start The Langton All welcome | Work Party First Sunday of the Month after the planning meeting 10am start | |
| May | 6th | 10th |
| June | 3rd | 7th |
| July | 1st | 5th |
| August | 5th | 9th |
| September | 2nd | 6th |
| October | 7th | 11th |
| November | 4th | 8th |
| December | 2nd | 6th |
Events:
| July | 26th | St Anne’s Day Celebration |
