Somehow, and I seem to be shocked by this every year,
Christmas is just around the corner, and whilst it can be a lovely time of year
for many, there is no denying that aspects of the build-up to it can be a tad
overwhelming. There are presents to buy, meals to plan, events to attend, and
that well-meaning plan to pop quickly into town on a Saturday to do a bit
of Christmas shopping can easily end up taking the whole day and all of your
energy. Luckily this month I stumbled upon the antidote to festive stress.
It all started a few months ago when George, the warden at
Brampton Wood, helped out my now-husband and me with some tree slices for our
woodland-themed wedding decor (when two ecologists get married it’s the obvious
choice). In exchange he asked us to help out at a work party at Brampton. These
run throughout the winter and all we knew in advance was that they involved
volunteers assisting with the physical aspects of reserve management. So, true
to our word, we donned our wellies and most outdoorsy clothes and headed to
Brampton Wood on a beautiful, crisp Sunday morning in November.
We were met by George and a friendly group of regular
volunteers and taken to the far side of the wood where, as many may know, there
is a stunning display of bluebells in spring. What I hadn’t really considered
before is the work that it takes to keep the area clear enough for the
bluebells to thrive. While bluebells are accustomed to growing in somewhat
shady woodland, they are at risk if brambles in the vicinity become overgrown
and smother them as they try to grow in the spring.
Armed with a study pair of gloves and information about our
task, we set to work with the other volunteers clearing the area of any large
pieces of deadwood so that those more qualified among us could take to the
brambles with motorised strimmers – they certainly made easy work of the
clearing process! We then raked and pitchforked the exterminated brambles which
had been left in the strimmers’ wake and added them to the bonfire which another
volunteer had skilfully constructed from the deadwood we had cleared. It may
have been chilly but a combination of the physical activity and a few trips to
warm our hands by the bonfire meant that the cold was not a problem. With the varied
physical work and jovial camaraderie it felt like we had only been there a
short time when we suddenly realised that hours had passed and it was time for
us to go home – well, time does fly when you’re having fun!
If it sounds like something you would also be interested in,
the Wildlife Trust provides more details about their work parties in the area
on their website: http://www.wildlifebcn.org/work-parties.
For us it was the perfect combination – a chance to get outside in a beautiful
place, get moving, and get involved in practical conservation work on our local
patch.
