Six wildlife heroes turned out today (Reece, Marcus, Steve, Matt, Martin and Paul) and we cracked on with pushing out the scallop pockets and creating windows on the other side of the path to let shafts of sunlight into the pockets.
We trimmed back all the way to the edge and cut out an opening, and then made a habitat pile with all the cuttings. The more varied the path is, hopefully, the more wildlife will find it, and it will also be an interesting place to walk or cycle.
There is a huge amount of new vegetation coming up in the new pockets so it’s going to be fantastic to see what we get in the spring. The scallop pockets at the southern most bit of the path have yet to wake up, so we dragged the rake over the ground to try to disturb it a bit.
The more the ground is disturbed the better the chance that seeds decide to germinate.
We also did some work on the edges. We’re trying to keep the scrub about 1 metre high so people can enjoy the views and not feel quite so enclosed.
It all looks a bit bleak at the moment, but it’s a good time to get everything ready for spring next year.
We enjoyed Christmas mince pies with our coffee at the break.
The path looking up and down has a pretty good feel about it.
And our brook has gone back to normal.
No more rivers of chocolate sauce!
Our YouTube of a bit of today.
It just gives people a taste of what it looks like.
The next one is this Friday on the Dunchurch Bridleway, and then the last one before Christmas and the New Year will be next Wednesday, with the following Wednesday being Christmas Day.
Yes, the idea did cross my mind of the portable stove and a saucepan on Christmas Day…
But I think I would find said saucepan wrapped around my head…
Only joking of course. I’m really looking forward to having a bit of a break over Christmas and the New Year, and then we can tackle the Hawthorn Trail and the flooding at Berrybanks in the last two months of the cutting-back season.
Until next time!
Paul
Cawston Greenway 
You keep doing wonderful work. I wish I could explore your path, it looks so inviting.
Best,
Tanja
Thanks, we have thought long and hard about making it usable for many sections of society as possible. Loads of places to sit and rest for people who are not used to waking, or maybe a little older, picnic tables for families and groups to share a coffee and a bite to eat, meeting points for youth, and of course the workdays for people to get involved and make new friends.
That’s very thoughtful of you. I hope all who come will fall in love with nature and birds and become protectors.
Wishing the entire crew a very Happy Christmas.
Ah, thank you very much. We are having a Christmas beer at the local pub after next week 😀
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