17/10/2026
Short report from Alex our Ranger - We're steaming along with land management at Broken Bridges, both with planning and on-the-ground activities. Last week our growing volunteer team was multi-tasking, each individual being able to choose the job that suited their ability, skills and preference.
We began digging hemlock water-dropwort (HWD) in South Meadow; continued coppicing and layering hazel on the old bank earthwork along Gypsy Lane; removed more barbed wire; and cut and pointed the best hazel stakes to length. We added a few new observations to iNaturalist, mainly fungi but also a willow weevil.
Scything will be a major tool in our kit for managing margins; some of you are joining the scythe training on Monday. For those who aren't attending, if you're around, do pop down to say hi and see us in action. We will always need to rake and move arisings, so you can still be an essential part of the mowing team in future sessions. This week's Wednesday task will be taking off the training wheels and getting some practice in the Green Corridor. The motive is to clear a footprint of the long grass, beginning public access works on the corridor.
Photo shows a Proud BBNR Chairman amazed at what's being achieved.
