Whilst we await the Environment Agency fulfilling the planning conditions, including the assorted mitigation proposals that we believe should have been a part of the original application a year ago, before they are permitted to start work here’s a brief report of what we’ve done and observed in 2019, along with a reminder of what we’ve achieved since 1990.
For 2020 we’ll carry on working on the areas less likely to be damaged in the future until funding ceases when the EA commence work, and then the EA can take full responsibility for their actions*, so I’m also attaching the suggested work party calendar for the first half of 2020.
| Month | Sun | Thurs | Task |
| January | 5 | Cut back blackthorn in Reservoir Basin (northern and eastern banks) to create more space and light for expansion of orchids | |
| February | 16 | Attend to saplings in Cricket Field Copse and tidy any brash. Repair fence and stile. | |
| 23 | Coppice blackthorn, willow and hazel near Pond at south of site. Scrub cut pond banks. | ||
| Mar 2020 | 15 | Cut off fallen chestnut by Ings Dyke and remove blackthorn suckers | |
| April 2020 | 19 | Clearing around tansy plants – New Meadow and nearby | |
| May 2020 | 14 | Bee bank management | |
| June 2020 | 4 | Clearing around tansy plants – Pond and nearby | |
| 21 | Clearing around tansy plants – New Meadow and nearby | ||
| July 2020 | 2 | Clearing around tansy plants – Pond and nearby | |
| 26 | Clearing around tansy plants – New Meadow and nearby | ||
| August 2020 | 6 | Bee bank management | |
| 16 | Clearing around tansy plants – Blue Beck and nearby | ||
| September
2020 |
6 | Water Vole Scrape maintenance |
Having successfully and voluntarily managed Rawcliffe Meadows for just short of thirty years the Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows will be no more. When it’s gone, we’re gone!
Here’s a PDF of the calendar for you to keep – FoRM Activities 2020
The Friends of Rawcliffe Meadows 