Wednesday 17th December 2025 - Shide Quarry, Newport GG #1061

 Alison's photos

Mark's photos

Today was our last GG session of 2025.  As is our custom, we were in Shide Quarry helping the Gift to Nature rangers with their management of this site.  On this occasion we were asked to cut back the cotoneaster or, for those with a bit more muscle, to dig out the roots.  Cotoneaster is a non-native invasive species that has spread easily throughout the quarry which has a SSSI status.  The plants that were cut back will, of course, produce new growth in the spring.  This will then be treated by a herbicide.

After our efforts in Shide Quarry, we went off to PC’s Café, in Watergate Lane for our Christmas meal.  Many thanks to Tracey for all her organisation.

Finally, a big thank you to Mark for all his hard work in managing our group this year; to Terry for his photos for the blog; and of course, to Team GG for all the hard work achieved this year!

Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year!

 

Wednesday 10th December 2025 - Horseshoe Trail, St Helens GG# 1060

 Terry's photos

Mark's photos

This week we returned to the Horseshoe Trail in St Helens, last visited in November 2024.  The trail is a loop through some lovely woodland to the west of St Helens.  There were several tasks for us to undertake so GG-ers split into various small groups around the site.  There was a copse of hazel that needed coppicing – once cut the material was stacked into habitat piles.  There was also a significant amount of non-native plants within the woodland such as bay, cherry laurel and lonicera which required our attention, and again this material was stacked into piles.  At one of the two entrances there is an area where trees have been planted by local children.  This area was becoming overgrown with bramble, so this was also cut back.

As a bonus a red squirrel was spotted at break time and a woodpecker was heard.  The morning stayed fine and dry which was very welcome after all the recent rain.

Many thanks to Terry and Mark for the photos.

Wednesday 3rd December 2025 - One Horse Field, Totland GG #1059

 Terry's photos

Jelly Ear or Jew's Ear Fungus

We returned this week to One Horse Field in Totland.  We were assisting Gift to Nature Ranger Jon with the management of a hedge along the northern boundary.  This hedge is to be laid, and we were asked to prepare it prior to laying.  This involved tidying up the hedge so that all the healthy upright stems could easily be accessed, so as much bramble and dead wood was removed as possible.  Any branches that protruded from the hedge were also cut.  Most of the cut material was put into a dead hedge and some may well be burnt at a later stage.    

After all the recent bad weather, we were very fortunate to enjoy sunshine and blue skies.

Thank you to Terry for the photos and Simon for the biscuits!