The July Group Meet - what a haul!

OUR AIM IS TO PROTECT OUR NATURAL ENVIRONMENT AND THE HABITAT THAT IT PROVIDES FOR WILDLIFE

Note - an Annual Summary of our work can be found on the TO DO page.

A good turnout - group members prepared to start work on a hot summer day.
27th July 2014

Look back to the entry for our meet on December 22nd 2013  and compare!

The Group Meet on Sunday 27th July was very productive. An exceptional haul of unwanted items were pulled up from the river today at the Guildford Road bridge where the river was running clear, apart from the rubbish. Our main area is downstream of the bridge.

Using ropes and hooks slung over the parapet, one rusty bicycle, a discarded football goal net, a supermarket trolley, two large blocks of polystyrene and assorted cans and bottles were hauled up directly from the river bed. Other members of the group collected large amounts of 'picnic' litter found along the whole of our stretch of the riverside. Perhaps for such a large area it wasn't at all excessive.

Two large blocks of polystyrene, part of the base of a scrapped garden shed

- they almost filled the river.

and a rusty bicycle -

A supermarket trolley, fortunately the wheels were still good -

The complete haul retrieved from the river

at the Guildford Road bridge, being wheeled to the collection point

from where HDC Parks and Countryside Rangers removed it. 

MIDSUMMER

Changes along the riverside were quite marked this year, with more diversity in wild flowers and grasses evident, all attracting a diversity of bees and butterflies in larger numbers and good numbers of early Damselflies emerging from the water where they have spent as long as two years in larva form. Most of the species seen need healthy, unpolluted river water in order to survive as predators in the larva stage, therefore their presence in adult form is good news, indicating good river ecology , not just of the river itself but of the river bank vegetation and surroundings.

  

This warm bank attracts butterflies - Small Skippers, Meadow Browns, Small Tortoiseshells, Commas, Ringlets and Green-veined White - with Beautiful Demoiselle and Banded Demoiselle damselflies, Large Red damselflies and more. Bumble bees, Honeybees,  Hover flies, Ladybirds are attracted too.

The fresh nettles have been full of caterpillars, mainly of Small Tortoiseshell and Peacock butterflies.

We have seen good numbers of Small Tortoiseshell butterflies emerge along the river and should soon see the Peacock butterflies. Mixed with the nettles this year, adding to the diversity of the riverbanks, Meadowsweet and Bramble flowers attract even more bees and large numbers of small insects. 

We aim to protect and regenerate the diversity of all the native wild riverside species, flora and fauna alike.