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The best time to plant trees is November, so as  planned, Rising Brook Ground Force Steering Group, helped out by volunteers, and joined by students from Rodbaston College, along with the Co-op Managers planted 36 native trees in the Green Space.

Following the advice we have been given by Streetscene and the County Ecologist , the trees have been kept separate from the meadow flowers and grasses so that they  don’t over-shadow the wildflowers, This also makes mowing and maintenance easier. The trees were planted in the area by the Methodist Church and also in the area  near the bungalows at Lea Crescent.

Native trees were chosen because they provide food and shelter for wildlife and can support 448 different species of moths and butterflies. Because they are native they have a better chance of survival and are more adapted to our climate, although given our rapidly changing climate they may need a little bit of help regarding water at times,  The tree species we have chosen are beautiful and they are at least 10-12 ft tall and give us almost immediate effect!

We have chosen a mix of cherry trees, rowans, and hawthorn with their cream clusters of flowers in spring and crimson berries in autumn, and hornbeam, which is great for moths and foraging opportunities for birds -what a great tree! 

Another oak was included to compliment the single oak on the Green Space which is the namesake of the ‘Royal Oak’ pub. We also wanted another laburnum tree so that there would be two yellow flowering trees in the spring.

The Steering Group were successful in a grant from the National Grid which enabled us to buy a range of fabulous spring bulbs to plant under the trees. This includes snowdrops, daffodils, crocus and bluebells. We can look forward to a stunning  display every spring. We were also successful in a bid to the Co-op Community Grant   Many thanks to the Coop!

If you feel you can help us please get in touch. If not, just enjoy the spectacle of new growth each year and watch the birds come to feed.

We have been working with a bee specialist who is helping us to create habitat for solitary bees.  The tree trunk that has been left standing on the area near the West Way junction has been  drilled with holes of a specific width and depth to encourage the bees. 

Please follow us and keep up with ‘What happens next?’

The Action Team  were out helping in the local community, trimming the hedge on Merrey Road so that the path is accessible for pedestrians.

Rising Brook Ground Force received our first delivery of four swift boxes courtesy of the National Grid Community Fund. They are beautifully constructed and sturdy

Appropriate sites  around Burton Square were investigated and the swift boxes have been fitted on the north-facing side of the Baptist Church  offices in Herne Court ready for the return of the swifts next year.  

The first of our ‘What’s in our Green Space?’ walks included some of the fascinating facts about grasses, why some of our trees are struggling, swift boxes and what happens next?

The ring of bare soil around the base of each tree on the green space is where herbicides were routinely sprayed to kill the grass. This has, over the years, weakened a number of the trees on the area. Naturally the tree’s internal transport system needed to take up water and nutrients from the earth also takes up the herbicide which, over the years, weakens and damages the tree. A few of the trees on the verge may need to be removed.

It is hard to believe that we actually have no native grassland, all of our grasses have been imported over time for grazing and agriculture; true grasslands are only found in places like the steppes, North American prairies,  African savannah or veldts. 

Some of the most common ‘weeds’ found along the green space were being used by the Druids or introduced by the Romans but now cost a fortune as herbal remedies in Holland and Barratt’s health shop. Dandelion, burdock, feverfew, mugwort, ribwort plaintain and others.

The grass area was mown at the end of July and all of the cut grass removed so that the ground would be kept as nutrient-poor as possible. 

Following this in early September, some areas of the green space were scarified before being seeded with wild flowers. 

The new trees arrived in October!

Regular mowing of the green space was temporarily suspended to allow native growth. A brief botany study by our resident ecologist indicated that this was a huge success and will have increased pollinating insects! 

More insects = more food for birds and wildlife! 

Our volunteers spent their Bank Holiday weekend clearing out many items that have been dumped in the brook including an old sofa.

Thank you to all our volunteers who are giving their spare time to clean up and improve our community. If you want to volunteer with us, then send us a message and we will be in touch.

The trees that we planted earlier this year on the triangle  at West Way had a good watering  to cope with the warmer weather.

Plenty of watering excursions were required over the summer. 

The Action Team  continue the work to clear the brook. Results are starting the bear fruit and the improvement in the  area can be clearly seen.

 If you see us, come over and say hello. We are always looking for members of the community to get involved. 

Members of the RBGF team walked the brook  with Stafford Brough Council and  Staffordshire Wildlife Trust to discuss potential sites for planting trees and wild flowers.

Following a request from a member of our local community, our litter picking team were out on the Burton Manor estate clearing litter and removing large items that had been dumped.

If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.

The team were out clearing the brook. Plenty of vegetation and debris was removed so that the brook can flow freely again. It all helps to prevent flooding after heavy rains.

The weekend finally arrived when we started planting our home grown trees on the West Way. Thirty four trees were planting in total including oak, house chestnut, birch and hazel.

The team continue to monitor and  support the trees development, so they have a chance of maturing.

Ahead of our tree planting initiative, members of our community group visited the proposed tree plating site with Stafford Borough Council to agree on species, density and positioning of the trees.

The Action Team had a challenging time removing a build up vegetation on the brook.

Our litter picking team were out this weekend cleaning up litter on the Burton Square.

The litter picking Action Team cleaning up litter at The Lawn flats in Poplar Way .

Several residents expressed their appreciation for the efforts by our volunteers.

As part of our group's mission to create more wildlife friendly areas in the community,  we have helped residents transform derelict parcels of land into attractive areas for the bees and bugs.

We worked with local residents at The Lawn at Moss Pit to plant wildlife friendly plants around the flats. On a very hot day, the team, along with the residents, worked hard to clear up the area and dig in the plants which were kindly donated from people's gardens and local gardening groups.

A big thank you to all the residents who helped out on the day and to the Housing Plus Group for supporting the project.  

Our litter picking Action Team cleaning  litter from around the Barnes Road Playing Fields on the West Way.

Thank you for everyone who volunteered, every little makes a difference.

The litter picking Action Team worked on the patch of  land on Burton Manor Road that runs next to the M6.

Our intrepid crew removed two wooden pallets, a trolley, two bikes and plenty of bags of rubbish.

Excellent work by the team and thank you for taking time out of your weekends to help out in our community.

Sadly, nearly half of all UK butterfly species are now Red listed, meaning they are threatened with extinction if we don’t act now. The Butterfly Conservation Trust need our help and are encouraging people to join The Big Butterfly Count which starts on the 15th of July and runs until 7th August, and anyone can join in! 

To register your participation, click the link to the Butterfly Conservation's Big Butterfly Count website.

To coincide with this, we are looking at creating some temporary ‘pollinator pits stop’ within Rising Brook to support wildlife, such as butterflies. We will be working with Stafford Borough Council to designate one or two small patches of grass which will be left unmown for the next few months. This will allow native plant species to regenerate and re-colonise so we can gain a better understanding of what’s there, and hopefully support our local butterfly populations at the same time.

https://bigbutterflycount.butterfly-conservation.org/ 

The Ground Force Action Team were out and about on the Burton Manor estate. Lots of productive conversations with local residents about how the group can help in the community.

If you have an area that you feel needs attention then contact the Rising Brook Ground Force Team at team@risingbrookgroundforce.org and we will do our best to help.