Winkleigh Biodiversity: Spring to Autumn 2020

Well, it has been a strange year so far with a worldwide virus pandemic going on. The grounds of the Sports Centre were closed to the public, so Nature was left more or less to itself for a few months. The school children could not come to plant trees in late March, so older members of the community met up in pairs or threes, while sticking to the government guidelines and all the trees were put into the ground during April and May. These were from a pack of 105 Trees from the Woodland Trust which arrived on March 11th. Unfortunately, the Holly did not survive the hot weather, and we have one pack of Hawthorn still to plant. So in total we planted approximately 75 trees this Spring (Field Maple, Downy Birch, Hazel). We were able to plant a further 25 Alder Buckthorn, making around 60 in total. These were not very healthy plants, so we obtained a refund from the nursery which supplied them. We will see in 2021 how many have survived.

Thanks to those who turned out in cold and windy conditions and got these plants into the ground either here or in the allotments (including David, Penny, Philip, Kim and Catherine).

Our rough grass with holes is ideal habitat for ground-nesting bumblebees which nest in disused mouse nest. Here is a Buff-tailed Bumblebee Queen looking for a nest on 9th April.

Maggie and Ian from Wheatland Farm Eco lodges volunteered to support us by cutting the grass paths with their super new mower this year. It was initially a bit tricky getting it through the small gate...

Maggie has cut the paths several times this season, even in the really hot weather in June and the paths have responded well - it is more accessible now on foot. Maggie avoided cutting down the best of the Knapweed, Yarrow and other flowers, so the bees had plenty to feed on.