A recent project at Dyffryn woods in Neath was the installation of a new foot-bridge. I worked alongside the Woodland Trust volunteers to remove the old bridge and then construct and install the new one.
This project required excellent team work amongst the volunteers and everyone worked amazingly well to complete the installation in one volunteer session!
I’m joined by my hard working volunteers in Glanrhyd today. There are gypsy flowers being created on the shave-horses, invasive species management of rhododendron, willow coppicing and some of the local wildlife are keen to get involved!
I have recently been working on an owl box creation project with my working with nature volunteers. We have made and assembled 8 owl boxes which we will be installing in Glanrhyd local nature reserve over the coming months. The owl boxes will be installed in preparation of next years nesting season. I look forward to monitoring them next spring!
Saturday saw the launch of the new community project in Coed Darcy, Llandarcy run by the NPT working with nature project.
It was great fun for all the family with green woodworking and bushcraft with Dryad Bushcraft demonstrating some traditional and modern fire starting techniques.
I am looking forward to working at this new location over the coming year and getting the local community involved in this exciting project.
This morning saw the return of the Moth trapping event at Craig Gwladys Country Park run by the NPT Wildlife Team and The Friends of Craig Gwladys. We took the youngest members of the Tuckers to see if last years record of 43 moth species could be beaten….
We were treated to no less than a 100 different species of moth, including some extremely rare specimens such as the Scarce Burnished Brass ‘Diachrysia chryson’. Everyone really enjoyed the experience and it was a special opportunity to see these magnificent creatures close up before they were released.
Over the past couple of weeks I have enjoyed working throughout the Gower local nature reserves of Swansea Council. The task of bracken rolling is extremely important at this time of year to bruise the bracken, reducing its vigour and density over the years to allow the native wild flowers better opportunity to thrive.
Photos below also include a Great Green Bush-cricket (Tettigonia viridissima), spotted at Port Eynon. Very impressive!
At this time of year we are kept busy with the endless strimming of foothpaths and bridleways. It’s important that everyone can still access and enjoy the areas without needing to remove endless bramble thorns and treating nettle stings after their walks and horse rides!
We were carrying out some much needed footpath and bridleway flailing with the BCS trackmaster flail yesterday on behalf of Swansea Council rights of way. It’s a fantastic machine for this task and gives a clean and tidy finish.
Yesterday was the perfect day to install a new bench at one of the view points at Craig Gwladys in Cadoxton, Neath. After a climb to the top of the country park and taking a well deserved rest you can enjoy the beautiful views along the Neath Valley and take in the peace and quiet of the park.
I had a great day on Monday working with the Afan volunteers to instal a rustic bench and complete some cleft fencing. Great work by everyone involved!
I’ve enjoyed a productive few weeks. I have managed a collection of volunteer groups which have completed a range of tasks, including some cleft fencing alongside the Afan cycle track with the Afan volunteer group. I have also completed a new stretch of cleft fencing at Cwm George Woodland Trust woodland in Cardiff and some woodland thinning on site too. At NPT Glanrhyd nature reserve I have been milling some timber and helping the rights of way to instal a new bridge. I also enjoyed running the newly introduced Woodland Trust Saturday volunteer group, we had a great turn out and everyone worked really hard!
Edward Tucker Countryside Services Limited 