What happens next? It is the November tree planting!
We said we would keep in touch with you about what happens next on the verge and we are as good as our word.
On November 17th the students from Rodbaston College, the Coop Managers, Rising Brook Ground Force Steering Group, helped out by volunteers, will be planting 36 native trees on the verge.
We are following the advice we have been given by Streetscene and the County Ecologist which was to keep the trees separate from the meadow flowers and grasses so that they don’t over-shadow the wildflowers, it will also make mowing and maintenance easier. The verge area by the Methodist Church and the area near the bungalows at Lea Crescent will be planted with trees.
We have chosen native trees 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, Rodbaston College think they might be able to help us with watering. The tree species we have chosen are beautiful and they will be at least 10-12 ft tall so will give us almost immediate effect!
We have chosen a mix of cherry trees, rowans, hawthorn with their cream clusters of flowers in spring and crimson berries in autumn and hornbeam, great for moths and foraging opportunities for birds, what a great tree!
We have also ordered another oak to compliment the single oak on the verge and is the namesake of the ‘Royal Oak’ pub. We have ordered another laburnum tree so that we have two yellow flowering trees on the verge this spring.
The Steering Group have been successful in a grant from the National Grid which has enabled us to buy a range of fabulous spring bulbs to plant under the trees we have, snow drops, daffodils, crocus and bluebells. What a stunning display this will make in spring. We have also been successful in our Coop Community Grant bid and the Coop managers have also volunteered to help us again when we are planting the trees. 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 next year and watch the birds come to feed.
We are also working with a bee specialist who is helping us to create habitat for solitary bees. We hope the bus shelter will have a green roof of sedum and alpines and will be renamed The BUZZ Stop. The tree trunk that has been left standing on the verge near the West Way junction will be drilled with holes of a specific width and depth to encourage the bees.
Please follow us and keep up with ‘What happens next?’
Our team have been 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.
Appropriate sites are being decided around Burton Square and will be installed in the next few weeks.
We had the first of our, ‘What’s in our Verge?’ walks this morning which included some of the fascinating facts about grasses, why some of our trees are struggling, swift boxes and what happens next?
The swift boxes have arrived funded by the successful National Grid bid submitted by Dave and Val Gayter, they are beautifully constructed and sturdy and will be fitted on the north-facing side of the Baptist Church ready for the return of the swifts next year.
The ring of bare soil around the base of each tree on the verge is where herbicides were routinely sprayed to kill the grass this has, over the years, weakened a number of the trees on the verge. 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 verge 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.
Soon the grass verge will be mown, probably at the end of July and all of the cut grass removed so that the ground is kept as nutrient-poor as possible, so if you think you would like to help get up the hay please get in touch!
Then some of the verge will be scarified before being seeded with wild flowers this should be early September. The trees will arrive October!
Brief botany study by our resident ecologist Hayley, the suspension of mowing has been a huge success and will have increased pollinating insects ! More insects = more food for birds and wildlife ! Further results from the survey will be reported soon.
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.
Our trees that were planted earlier this year on the West Way triangle are getting a good watering this evening to cope with the warmer weather.
There will be plenty of watering excursions over the summer, if you see us, come over and say hello. We are always looking for members of the community to get involved.
The team were back out on the brook we back out on the brook over the weekend continuing our work to clear the brook. Results are starting the bear fruit and the improvement in the area can be clearly seen.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.
Members of the RBGF team were out on Friday walking the brook with Stafford Brough Council and Staffordshire Wildlife Trust discussing potential sites for planting trees and wild flowers.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.
Following a request from a member of our local community, our litter picking team were out on the Burton Manor estate over the weekend 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 over the weekend. Plenty of vegetation being removed so the brook can flow freely again.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.
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 will continue to monitor and support the trees development, so they have a chance of maturing.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.
Ahead of our tree planting initative, 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.
If you would like to get involved, please contact Rising Brook Ground Force through our FaceBook page.
Our team were out on the weekend removing a build up vegetation on the brook.
Thank you for everyone who volunteered, the brook is no flowing freely.
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.
Our litter picking team were out this weekend cleaning up litter on the Burton Square.
Thank you for everyone who volunteered, every little makes a difference.
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.
Our litter picking team were out this weekend cleaning up litter on the Burton Manor estate.
Thank you for everyone who volunteered, every little makes a difference.
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.
Our litter picking team were out again on the weekend cleaning litter from around the Barnes Road Playing Fields on the West way.
Thank you for everyone who volunteered, every little makes a difference.
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.
As part of our group's mission to create more wildlife friendly areas in the community, we have been helping residents transform derelict parcels of land into attractive areas for the bees and bugs.
We recently worked with local residents at The Lawns on the Burton Manor estate to plant wildlife friendly plants around the flats. It was a very hot day and the team with the residents worked hard on clearing up the area and installing 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.
If you have an area that you what to plant wildlife friendly plants, then contact the Rising Brook Ground Force Team at team@risingbrookgroundforce.org and we will do our best to help.
The litter picking team have been very active lately working 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.
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.
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.
Last weekend saw the Ground Force Litter Picking 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.
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