The tools for Wednesday’s work party were handed out in the rain and FoSCP, wellied and waterproofed, splashed off to their morning’s tasks in company with Countryside Officer Alison Rasey and Tree Officer Richard Murphy .
Continue reading “Working in the rain”
By DKG
Schools break up for the summer holidays and so does the weather. Weeks of previous fine dry weather have greeted us for the past Wednesdays and Tuesdays and now unsettled weather and rain are forecast, exactly like it was going to be for Tuesday’s work party.
Continue reading “A wet work party”
Work Report by DKG
A lovely warm day greeted the FoSCP, meeting up in the car park for our 9:30am start with Alison from the Countryside Team. A warm welcome was extended to Sasha, a new volunteer; we hope you enjoy your time with us Sasha.
Continue reading “Another Wednesday work party”
by DKG
The FoSCP met in the car park on what was a damp start to tackle more tasks in the park but at least the rain had stopped. Richard from the Countryside Team suggested the day’s work.
Continue reading “Work party report”
by Ian Bushell
Continue reading “A walk in the park”
A buff tailed bumble bee collecting nectar from hogweed at Puddle Corner while, in the background, the Friends of the Park clear a fallen willow from the path.
Some members of FoSCP put in a morning’s work party and then some.
Read on for the details
We cleared the stream by the wooden bridge; it had clogged up and we feared the little pond was becoming stagnant and would threaten the wildlife there that needs running water.
Continue reading “Wednesday work party”
UPDATE – JANUARY 2019 by Ian Bushell
Background. The following programme of actions was taken as an outcome of the review of the park on 27th January 2013 by the Wiltshire Countryside Team and Friends of Southwick Country Park .
This is an update of works carried out during 2018, a review of the park in general, and suggestions for possible future progress in 2019.
by Sarah Marsh
The Friends met up one Saturday morning in March to join in the annual Great British Spring Clean. This is the third year we have done a thorough litter pick whilst the vegetation is at its lowest, and we can get into areas not accessible in the summer months.
Continue reading “Good News from the Park”
By DKG
A chilly start to the day with a cold North Easterly breeze greeting the FoSCP in the car park.
Continue reading “Wednesday’s work party”
Work Party
Next Tuesday, the 26th, is a work party day; come and join us. We meet in the car park at 9.30am and we work until midday. You will need sound and appropriate footwear and a mug.
The Countryside Team provides the tools, thornproof gloves and the coffee to go in the mug. There will be biscuits.
Three cheers for Pat, FoSCP’s litter-picking gold medallist, now 89 years old, pictured here with her dog Zack. At least once a week, Pat quarters the park with a litter picker and a bin bag; you have probably seen her.
Continue reading “Queen of the litter pickers”
Frank Lamerton, long-time Friend of the park and regular work party volunteer, is Southwick Country Park’s parkrunner of the year.
This from David Feather:
“My wife and I have learnt that Marilyn Maundrell has recently died. She was an enthusiastic Friend of Southwick Country Park for many years. She brightened up many of our events and meetings with her cheery manner and was a great ambassador for the Country Park. She was only defeated by difficulties with walking which eventually took her into Wingfield Nursing Home, where she died on August 19th. People will remember her smile. It was infectious.
Her funeral will take place at 12.15 on Monday 10 September at Semington Crematorium.”
.o0o.
By DKG
A few photos from Wednesday’s work party. A walk around before meeting up was once again very quiet and eerie, hardly any sign of the park’s birds or wildlife. They must be on their hols as well. Quiet, that is, apart from an annoying, continually yapping dog in the distance.
Frank Lamerton, Friend of Southwick Country Park, ran the London Marathon last weekend in 4 hours 19 minutes and 14 seconds. Out of the 174 runners over the age of seventy, he came 13th. It was the hottest London Marathon on record and Frank came in somewhere around number 13,500 among 41,000 finishers.
The Friends, on a wet and squelchy day last week, prepared to survey the park’s slow worm population. Here is DKG’s report:
“Mats were cut and numbered for the slow worm survey with 40 mats laid in 4 areas (10 per area). These will be monitored in the coming weeks once we have some warmth and hopefully some dry weather. Areas covered included Brunts Field, Kestrel Field and Ash copse in Sheep field. The Village Green mats will be laid out during the next work party as the area was too sodden to reach.”
Photographs: DKG
If you are a slow worm fan, you might like this:
On Thursday, Rob Paget, Disability Sports Development Officer for Wiltshire Council, and Chris Revill, from Wheels For All in Bath, came to Southwick Country Park to carry out a trial run on disability bikes to see if the park would be a suitable venue to hold events. Rob and Chris recently developed an adapted cycling programme in Salisbury for people of all ages with disabilities to take part in cycling on adapted bikes in a safe environment.
Rob is working in partnership with Bath Wheels for All to develop an adapted cycling session in West Wiltshire and has highlighted Southwick Country Park as a potential location. The Friends came along to help; they loved it!
by Vicky
Pictures: DKG on his phone.
Southwick Country Park Nature Reserve 