Dean Green Team

Wildlife Conservation Group in the

Forest of Dean

Gloucestershire

13 March 2018

Gorsty Knoll

Grid Ref SO588087

RAKING! The team met at Gorsty Knoll where the old bracken, bramble and grass had been cut by our contractor the day before. This meant that most of us were put to work raking it all away into long piles - this is not our most popular job but we got stuck in and, in fact, we had a good time and the satisfaction of completing a necessary task!

A few of us went to a nearby pond and built a little dam to prevent the pond from emptying in the summer and there werre some cut trees further in the woods which needed tidying and burning.

A good line of workers raking away!

Doing this work is beneficial to the local reptiles who are prominent in this area, especially the adders. The bracken will re-grow in the summer and it would be good if it was cut back then.

It was our first truly warm spring day after the massive snow storms of last week. Many thanks to our local team mate who had cooked us delicious hot cross buns.

This is the small dam built of logs and spread with sticky mud. The pond id especially good for dragonflies and the stream behind it brings down their larvae. A good constructive task!