Weekly update, 28th November

Greetings all! Hope you're all wrapped up warm for the next few days! We've got a bumper week of conservation work groups with Saturday Group (Abbey Fishponds) in full swing this weekend (that came around quick!). We also have a brand new opportunity to become a Conservation Group Youth Leader so read on for all the info.

Don't forget to drop me a line if you're coming to the Volunteer Christmas Party. I'm making a shopping list and (checking it twice!) so come and join the festivities with a mince pie :)

Have a cosy week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 23rd November

After making a start clearing willow scrub in one of the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake in the previous session, last week the group carried on with this rather large task. Keeping this area open makes it great for waders in the winter and ground nesting birds in the spring/summer. The next session is 30th November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 24th November

It was more hedgelaying for the team last week. This task will take up quite a bit of time over the winter! The next session is 1st December.

Coming up...

Wanted: Conservation Youth Group Leaders

We have a gap in our offering. Several times a week we are asked whether 14-16 year olds can come along to the conservation groups to volunteer, usually to build hours towards their Duke of Edinburgh Award. Lovely! We would love for that to happen but the problem is that our Wardens are already so busy running the day, they can't keep a watchful eye on young folk on top of that. That means that right now, if a young person wants to come along, they need to bring a parent/guardian with them, which understandably can put some people off. So we are looking for is individuals who would like to be that responsible person; it would mean we could accommodate these keen, independent young people who want to get stuck in with the conservation groups. We're looking to run this as a pilot on the weekend groups so either the first Saturday of the month in Abingdon or the second Sunday of the month (usually somewhere around Little Wittenham) depending on availability of interested parties.

This is a great opportunity for anyone looking to gain experience working with young people - maybe those looking at training to be a teacher or you might just fancy having a go at something different! Take a look at the role description and get in touch if you think this might be for you. (This role will require a DBS check).

Weekly update, 21st November

Okay I'm saying it... Christmas! It's my most favourite time of the year and of course this comes with the excellent excuse of having a good old get together... join us for some mince pies, mulled wine (I might even put together some mulled cider because it's delicious...) and festivities. Read on for more info!

Have a glorious week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 16th November

There was more willow clearing in the conservation areas behind Thrupp Lake last week. By clearing this area annually it remains a great area for feeding waders in the winter and ground nesting birds during the spring/summer. The next session is 23rd November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 17th November

The team have now started on their winter hedgelaying work; they were working on a hedge line near Paradise Wood. There are miles and miles of hedgerow on the Earth Trust Farm and we rely on our volunteers to help keep them in good condition for wildlife. The next session is 24th November.

Coming up...

Christmas Party!

That's right it's the most wonderful time of the year and a chance for us to say thank you and for us all to get together, relax and let our hair down! We'll be having a festive volunteer celebration over in Fison Barn; there will be mince pies, nibbles and a drop of festive cheer but by all means, if you have a speciality Christmas dish it would be wonderful to add to the table for sharing (entirely optional of course). Don your best Christmas jumper and let's enjoy ourselves! Full details are in this week's Volunteer Bulletin and if you would like to join in the festivities, please do drop me a line so I can get an idea of numbers. Partners are more than welcome to join in too, the more the merrier!

 

Weekly update, 14th November

November is belting through at full speed isn't it?! We're loving the sea of autumnal colours in the trees at the moment, such a beautiful time of year.

As usual, there's plenty of things going on in the world of  the conservation groups so read on...

Have a fantastic week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 9th November

Work continued in the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake last week. There was more willow coppicing, scrub clearing and burning to be done. The next session is on 16th November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 10th November

Last week the group were back on Paradise Wood to continue the winter coppicing work.  They were coppicing hazel within the walnut trial plot. The next session is 17th November.

Sunday Group (Little Wittenham), 12th November

For their monthly session the Sunday team were also coppicing hazel in the walnut trial plot in Paradise Wood - it's a big task! The next Sunday Group session is 10th December.

Weekly update, 7th November

Hope you're all well and enjoyed the double whammy of halloween and bonfire night festivities. Is it too soon to talk about the other big festivity coming up...? I can't wait! (If anyone has any amazing suggestions for my Earth Trust Christmas playlist then I'd love to hear them!)

Anyhow, there's lots coming up this week in the conservation groups and don't forget it's the beginning of the month so Sunday Group will be occuring this weekend; so far, the Met Office thinks it's going to be a bright and lovely day for it!

In other news, Earth Trust are running a Hedgelaying course on 18th-19th November and there are still spaces left. On the off-chance that any of you lovely folk might be interested, or know anyone who might like to try their hand at something new, you can find more information here.

Have a splendiferous week,
Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 2nd November

There was more willow management in the conservation areas for the team last week, including having a bonfire (a bit early for Guy Fawkes!). The next session is 9th November.

Friday Group, 3rd November

The group had a break from coppicing last week and headed over to Mowbray Fields in Didcot. There were a whole range of tasks that needed doing, including clearing scrub, coppicing willow, cutting and raking long vegetation, and tidying up with a bonfire. The next session is back in Little Wittenham on 10th November.

Saturday Group (Abingdon), 4th November

For the November work party the group were at Abbey Fishponds knocking back brambles and clearing tall vegetation that was encroaching along the footpath. The next session is 2nd December.

Coming up...

Trustees Week

Many people aren't aware that Trustees are volunteers too. We'll be profiling some of our fantasic board on social media next week as part of Trustees Week.

Weekly update, 31st October

Happy Halloween! I was looking for a bit of Halloween trivia to add in today's bulletin but instead found this joke far more amusing:

Q: What do you get if you divide the circumference of a jack-o’-lantern by its diameter?
A: Pumpkin π!

Moving on! We have lots coming up on the volunteering front, read on to see what's happening...

Have spooktacular week,

Hannah

Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 26th October

Last week the group were scything willow in one of the conservation areas at Thrupp Lake; this field floods in the winter and keeping it nice and open encourages more wading birds to visit. The next session is 2nd November.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 27th October

Coppicing, coppicing, coppicing! The group were back in Paradise Wood last week for more coppicing. They'll get a break from it next week though when they're off to Mowbray Fields in Didcot for a change! The next session is 3rd November.

Lending a hand

We had three new maintenance volunteer start with us last Wednesday, helping to keep the Earth Trust Centre in good condition - thanks guys!

Coming up...

Oxfordshire Art Weeks

Next May Earth Trust is going to be throwing open the doors to become an exciting new exhibition space for Oxfordshire Art Weeks! We are currently meeting artists and getting plans in place and would love to hear from you if you would like to be involved in a committee to make this an event to remember. Maybe you've had experience of Art Weeks or a similar art exhibition before? Perhaps you'd like to be part of the team to get this event off the ground and build a strong base for the future? Whether you have experience in this area or not, we'd love to hear from you! We're really excited for this one and would love to have some brilliant volunteers on board with us. To find out more, please drop us a line to the usual address.

Weekly update, 24th October

And just like that, we're nearly done with October! Hope you're all well. It's short and sweet from me this week, though we have lots going on with the Thursday and Friday Groups as usual. We're well into the autumn/winter work now and there's plenty more to get done!

The snap above is possibly my favourite 'in action' shot of Friday Group ever! Not a bad life eh...

Have a splendid week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 19th October

The group were at Thrupp Lake finishing off cutting back the vegetation on the circular walk, putting down some woodchip, fixing the bridge and starting on some coppicing. The next session is 26th October at Thrupp Lake.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 20th October

The coppicing continued in Paradise Wood this week. This woodland is a vitally important resource for researchers and this kind of work is crucial to keep it in good condition. The next session is 27th October.

Coming up...

Half term is happening!

Half term is well underway but we're still after extra pairs of hands if you can spare a few hours. Please get in touch if you can help with Wildlife Wednesday at Neptune Wood or Discover and Play (Friday 27th).

Weekly update, 17th October

It's officially coppicing season - hooray! There are some that would say this is the best part of the conservation calendar, where we get into serious lopping and chopping to manage our woodlands and enhance biodiversity. It's a good time to get stuck in with the groups if you haven't given it a go before and no prior knowledge is required, just bags of enthusiasm!

Never heard of coppicing before? The good old RHS gives a handy definition: "Coppicing is a pruning technique where a tree or shrub is cut to ground level, resulting in regeneration of new stems from the base." It's hugely important for our woodlands and we couldn't get this done without the help of you lovely volunteers. We provide all the tools and safety equipment so why not pack a lunch and come on down to try something new?

Have a super week,

Hannah
Volunteering Development Manager

What the volunteers have been up to:

Thursday Group (Abingdon), 12th October

The team were back at Abbey Fishponds carrying on cutting back encroaching vegetation along the long footpath and scything and raking in the fen. The next session is at Thrupp Lake on 19th October.

Friday Group (Little Wittenham), 13th October

After intending to be scrub clearing on Round Hill there was a last minute change of plans and the group were called upon to start coppicing in Paradise Wood. It's important to keep our research woodland in top condition. This was the last work party for our Land Management Apprentice George who has reached the end of his one year apprenticeship with us and is off to start his new job in the next few weeks! The next session is 20th October.

#EnviroLeaders

It's been great to have your support over the last couple of weeks - please keep liking, sharing and retweeting our #EnviroLeaders posts, it's really helping to spread the word and raise awareness (and funds!).

Coming up...

Half Term

The Engagement Team could really use some extra help for our upcoming half term activities:

• Mud Pie Mania, Tuesday 24th, 10am-11.30am 
• Wildlife Wednesday at Neptune Wood, Wednesday 25th, 2-4pm 
• Discover and Play, Friday 27th, 10am-12noon

These are super fun sessions supporting children and families enjoying the great outdoors and getting up close with nature! If you're a fan of fun then get in touch at the usual address.