Volunteering

Volunteers wanted for projects in Bowland

Help build cycle trails!

Volunteers have been helping to design and build cycle trails through Gisburn Forest since last summer. Volunteers also came from 3M Health Care came out on 2 days as part of the firms 'Employee Volunteering' scheme. Volunteers are a mixture of cycling enthusiasts - several from Sustrans, the UK's leading sustainable transport charity - local folk and people just wanting to do something constructive on a weekend. Come and help out in the forest, you would be very welcome, you'll have fun (probably get a bit dirty) and your efforts will be really appreciated.

Dates are as follows -
Saturday 21st February
Sunday 8th March
Provisional dates are: Saturday 21st March, Sunday 5th April, Saturday 18th April

Further details of the meeting point and times(pdf 960kb).

Bowland Wildflowers

You must have noticed the widespread decline in wildflowers in hedgerows and verges. This can be reversed and we plan to do just that! The decline was largely due to spraying and inappropriate cutting over the last 40 years. Spraying has been discontinued, but wildflowers will not re-colonise where there are no plants left to provide seed. We held 2 training days on wildflower identification and the background to their decline and followed that training with seed collection of ragged robin, devils bit scabrous, wild angelica, birds foot trefoil etc from a Biological Heritage Site on United Utilities Bowland estate in late summer. This seed is being grown into plugs for planting out this year.

Contact me to find out what we plan to do next year - maybe you can help. Martin.Charlesworth@lancashire.gov.uk

Rush cutting - improving pastures for Bowland's wading birds

The UK's farmland birds are suffering from a sharp decline in their population and range. Lapwings and Skylarks, two of our best known farmland birds, have halved in number over the last thirty years, and in many areas of lowland England Lapwings are now only found on nature reserves. You can help stop this decline by cutting rushes with the RSPB's Bowland Wader Project and the Forest of Bowland AONB!

Bowland's rushy pastures are a nationally important habitat for wading birds such as lapwing, snipe, curlew and redshank. A sparse, tussocky cover of rushes with some thicker strands in the boggiest areas, provide the ideal grassland structure for the widest range of birds. If left unmanaged though, rushes can take over and this reduces the suitability of these habitats, not only for the birds but also grazing livestock, scarce wildflowers such as ragged robin and a range of other wildlife.

If you are interested in volunteering in the Forest of Bowland AONB, whether by carrying out practical tasks of helping to monitor wildlife or manage visitors, then please contact Martin Charlesworth, Community Projects Officer. Email: Martin.Charlesworth@lancashire.gov.uk

Hedge laying and hedge planting

We're keen to improve 'traditional boundaries' by laying hedges and planting new ones. Here's some dates – just call on 01200 426433 or email for more details – martin.charlesworth@lancashire.gov.uk

Hedge planting near Wray – Tuesday 3rd March, Wednesday 4th March, Tuesday 10th March, Thursday 12th March, Saturday 14th March and Saturday 21st March (am).

Hedge laying at Landskill near Calder Vale, with expert trainer – Friday 27th and Saturday 28th February

NOT TO BE MISSED! Hedgelaying competition at Chatburn Saturday 7th March – come and watch the experts, try your hand or enter! Classes for novice, junior, open and championship.

Other ways to get involved

RSPB

Details of volunteering opportunities can be found on the RSPB website (www.rspb.org.uk/volunteering). The RSPB has over 13,000 volunteers giving a gift of time of 610,000 hours, equivalent to 313 full time staff. 470,000 people also volunteered an hour of their time in the RSPB's mass participation bird survey, the Big Garden Birdwatch. Help wildlife, boost your skills...volunteer for the RSPB.

Age Concern

Visit Age Concern Lancashire (www.ageconcernlancs.org.uk) for details of many volunteering opportunities. In the Ribble Valley there is a new project called 'Healthy Ageing' which provides healthy ageing related activities for all older people living in the Ribble Valley. One proposed project in Clitheroe is for parents/grandparents to work with school children passing on their knowledge of gardening and vegetable growing in a soon to be reclaimed allotment area. For further details contact the co-ordinator on 01200 453077.

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