Six of us wildlife warriors met up today and pushed on with the path on the slightly higher ground, ready for when the main path becomes a mudbath in winter, and we also continued to scallop the path edges.

The path runs almost north to south at this part, it’s slightly NNE to SSW but not by much. It tends to curve off to the east after the underpass. Because of this, none of the path edges are getting full sun all day long.

By creating the scallops, we are making little south-facing micro-climates that will be protected from the wind. This is perfect for wildflowers, butterflies, bees and a host of other insects.

Luckily we had a bit of sunshine to kinda show what we’re on about.

We also tidied up the scallops south of where we were today to keep it all looking smooth.

We need to rake in some wildflower seed mix, but that’s a job for next year in the spring.

Our YouTube of the southern end.

This shows how the scallops are on each side of the path and one side will get the morning sun and the other will get the afternoon sun. It will be interesting to see how busy each side is with insects.

We need to remember not to strim into the scallops next spring and summer. Ideally, we need a transition like this.

Path – short grass – longer grass and wildflowers – scrub.

I think we’re on the right track.

We enjoyed coffee and flapjack in our usual all-terrain mugs.

And then powered on getting the width and stacking up the cuttings.

As the vegetation slowly rots down in the piled-up stack, it creates heat which is good for burrowing mammals in the winter.

Lastly, we had the Bilton Beavers (6 to 8 year olds) visit and learn about the community and volunteering aspects of what we do.

It’s good to see that most of them had used the path for walking or cycling previously with their parents.

Tree Survey

I did the tree survey for those that are interested.

 The DAFOR Scale is a way of measuring the number of animals or species present in an environment.

D = Dominant, A= Abundant, F = Frequent, O = Occasional, R = Rare.

Maple (O), Alder (O), Birch (R), Hazel (A), Hawthorn (A), Ash (A), Aspen (R), Cherry (R), Blackthorn (A), Oak (A), Buckthorn (R), Willow (O), and Elder (O).

I don’t think that there is anything unexpected in my findings.

Dunchurch Bridleway

We made the clearing for the picnic bench last week.

We will widen it out into a decent wildflower glade over the winter. At the moment we just made the space big enough for it to fit. We will be installing the bench Friday next week.

We cleared back the scrub on the other side, just to create a feeling of airy space around the bench. When the farmer cuts the hedge it should be a beautiful spot for a ploughman’s lunch and a glass of decent beer.

The rest of the bridleway does need a trim back since we last cut it. We are aware so don’t panic.

There’s another Right of Way that has piqued my interest. At the corner of the windmill loop, there are a few paths that branch off. One of those paths goes through the woods and back to Cawston. There is only 300 metres that needs a light strim and the route will be clear.

I think this then has us at our capacity in terms of keeping on top of it. We will find out next spring and summer!!

Obviously, it’s up to the team, but I think we should give this a go!

I’ve done a YouTube of the bridleway so people can get a visual idea of what it actually is. Try not to fall asleep!!

The contractors who are building all the warehouses should be cutting the temporary path that connects Cawston Greenway and Dunchurch Bridleway.

Hopefully the connection will be made soon!

Loads going on next week so stay tuned.

Until then!

Paul