Nature reserve group’s new ‘report it’ system starts to pay dividends

An update from Sara Messenger of Bradley Stoke’s Three Brooks Nature Conservation Group.

Reports from the Public

Money raised from our calendar sales was used to buy some more chest waders, which turned out to be a timely purchase… We were told one of the paths around the tump was completely flooded and went to investigate; after clearing the 10ft high bramble so that we could get a good look, we found the reason for the flooding – the conduit was almost completely blocked with some branches and an inflatable swimming pool! The Green Gym managed to safely clear everything away and the water is now 3’ lower than it was. Dave Reaney reported a lot of litter down by the lake, which we also managed to get mostly cleared and Kris reported a male mallard duck with an injured leg, although he has so far evaded capture (the duck not Kris!). The stone bridge which was reported to us as vandalised has now been repaired. As we’re not able to cover the reserve every week, we rely on the regular users of the reserve to report any problems to us via report-it@three-brooks.info and we’re pleased to see this new system is beginning to work well.

Bird boxes

Our annual bird box survey has been completed and makes quite dismal reading, as over 10% of the boxes have been vandalised by humans and another 25% of the boxes could not be found, so we may assume they suffered the same fate. In the New Year we will again look into replacing them either with a grant or by public donations and sponsorship.

Calendars

We have just a few calendars left and they are available to buy for just £5.00, either from treasurer@three-brooks.info or from 07497 006676. We are using the money raised from sales to buy chest waders.

Our team of volunteers

We have had an incredibly busy year on the reserve, with many changes and challenges which I feel our amazing team of volunteers have managed admirably. The Saturday group completed 1,180 hours on site, which is valued at £16,402, and the Thursday Green Gym group, who run entirely unsupported, put in over 1,860 hours on site, valued at over £26,000. So a huge thank you to everyone who has braved some truly terrible weather to join in this year, whether it was every week or just for a few hours, I know we don’t say it often enough but you’re greatly appreciated and we couldn’t have done it without you!

For further information, visit our website, www.three-brooks.info, email info@three-brooks.info or phone 07497 006676.

This article originally appeared in the January 2016 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.