October work day

Our next work day is due to take place on Sunday 10th October 2010. We hope to see you there. Meet @ 10.00 hrs in the visitors' centre. Suitable clothing, especially now autumn is upon us. It can get wet and muddy !

Work day 12th September update

This Sunday we split into two groups. One lead by Lois with three new members to the Friends of Bedfords Park. They were taken on a tour of the park as they didn't know it very well, complete with litter pickers and black bags.

The second group began by clearing the leaves/branches etc that has accumulated in the ditch by the bridal way towards Lower Bedfords Park. Apparently this blockage had caused the ditch to overflow in the heavy rain. We then moved on to the dipping platform by the damselfly pond. The large hawthorn that had previously fallen over and had been pruned by us, needed pruning again as some of the branches were getting low and making access difficult. The pruned branches were used to repair a nearby 'dead hedge'. Our next task was to check out and clear the path to the west that we created a few years ago. We were pleased to see several groups of people, with dogs, using the path. To make things easier we will soon be creating some steps in places where the slopes get slippery in the wet weather. These steps will be built using grant money we have already obtained. After lunch the 'litter pickers' carried on collecting litter (they collected a total of 11 bags of litter/rubbish), while the others set about sapling removal in the meadow.

Butterfly list for Bedfords Park

Below are details of butterflies spotted in Bedfords Park - a really good number. All have been spotted by one of our members. Another reason for looking after our parks !

A female Silver-washed Fritillary was seen nectaring on Buddleia flowers near the Visitor Centre on 3rd August; a welcome addition to the list of butterflies recorded in the park. (A total of 26 species since 2003 - the EWT years).
Bedfords Park LNR butterfly list 2003 - 2010:
Small Skipper
Essex Skipper
Large Skipper
Brimstone
Clouded Yellow
Small White
Large White
Green-veined White
Orange Tip
Purple Hairstreak
White-letter Hairstreak
Small Copper
Brown Argus
Common Blue
Holly Blue
Red Admiral
Painted Lady
Peacock
Comma
Small Tortoiseshell
Silver-washed Fritillary
Speckled Wood
Gatekeeper
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Small Heath
(No records of Wall Brown since the 1990's)

July Bi Monthly meeting in The Town Hall

Next meeting is on Thursday 15th July in the Town Hall at 7.30 pm as usual. All welcome.

Sunday 11th July work party update

It was too hot to work but we forced ourselves ! Cut back a couple of overhanging branches from the fallen hawthorn by the dipping platform. Then cleared back overgrown nettles etc from footpath from damselfly pond to lower meadow area. One of our team volunteered to remove some more oak saplings from the meadow while the rest of us continued clearing paths around the ponds in the south of the park near Lower Bedfords Road. After lunch we 'attacked' the path from the other end by the 'cow pond' until the whole patch had been cleared. We did our usual litter pick at the same time and have to say that the litter situation wasn't as bad as it has been in the past. This is partly due to the efforts of volunteers/dog walkers who do litter picks during the week. The bins by the visitors' centre were overflowing however. This may have been due to wildlife getting into the bins and pulling rubbish out. It was noticed that there were LBH staff also litter picking.

July work day

Our next work day is on Sunday July 11th. Meet at 10 am in the visitors' centre.

Report on work day Sunday 13th June 2010

Firstly the group cleared some of a large fallen horse chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) branch on the path in lower 'nursery wood'. Then cleared some overhanging brambles.

In the afternoon some more of the ditch alongside the bridal path was cleared down towards Lower Bedfords Road.