For the corner of Galleywall Road and Lynton Road:
For the fence by the gate:
June 23, 2014
New signs on their way...
Our new signs have had another coat of varnish (still a couple more to go before they're weather-proof).
For the corner of Galleywall Road and Lynton Road:
For the fence by the gate:
For the corner of Galleywall Road and Lynton Road:
For the fence by the gate:
June 20, 2014
Poppies and dampers
Another lovely afternoon last Sunday at Galleywall.
Cooking dampers on the fire.
Poppies in the grass.
And a slightly poor shot of our bumblebee nest with just a single bumblebee (that fuzzy black dot just to the high left of the nestbox) on its way in.
We'll next be open on Sunday 20th July, 13:30-15:30, when we'll be making a nature trail for the reserve.
Cooking dampers on the fire.
Poppies in the grass.
And a slightly poor shot of our bumblebee nest with just a single bumblebee (that fuzzy black dot just to the high left of the nestbox) on its way in.
We'll next be open on Sunday 20th July, 13:30-15:30, when we'll be making a nature trail for the reserve.
June 03, 2014
The Big Lunch 2014
Some lovely photos from the the Big Lunch 2014 at Galleywall. We had a great turnout, and lovely weather for it.
Boiling up the kettle for a brew using our new tripod.
Pond dipping with sticks!
Picnicking in the meadow.
More pond-dipping, with the proper equipment, on the hunt for aquatic mini-beasts.
Tipping out and identifying mini-beasts. Lots of life in our pond!
Hunting other mini-beasts in the meadow.
An insect visitor. Another sign that the reserve is doing what we want: providing habitat for all sorts of insects, plants, and animals.
Boiling up the kettle for a brew using our new tripod.
Pond dipping with sticks!
Picnicking in the meadow.
More pond-dipping, with the proper equipment, on the hunt for aquatic mini-beasts.
Tipping out and identifying mini-beasts. Lots of life in our pond!
Hunting other mini-beasts in the meadow.
An insect visitor. Another sign that the reserve is doing what we want: providing habitat for all sorts of insects, plants, and animals.
May 20, 2014
Making new signs
This month we were sign-making at Galleywall. Unfortunately no photos (watch this space...) but we drew and decorated two big sheets of plywood with GALLEYWALL NATURE RESERVE in nice big letters, surrounded by flowers, minibeasts, and vines.
We also planted some climbing beans around the bean wigwam, and a sharp-eyed young visitor spotted that some bees seem to have set up home in one of our nesting boxes. They didn't look like honeybees, and apparently bumblebees like bird boxes as nests. So it looks like we have a little bumblebee nest! The bees we saw flying around the entrance are apparently male bees waiting for the queen to come out. Bumblebee nests are much smaller than honeybee nests, with only 400 or so bees at most -- the queen, lots of workers, and the eggs. It's great to know that we are providing habitat for such an important insect!
Many thanks to everyone who came along to help out. We hope to get the signs varnished in the next few weeks and put them up on Open Gardens Day in June.
We'll next be open on June 1st (1:30-3:30) for the Big Lunch 2014. Bring along a picnic and enjoy the lovely peace and greenery of the reserve.
We also planted some climbing beans around the bean wigwam, and a sharp-eyed young visitor spotted that some bees seem to have set up home in one of our nesting boxes. They didn't look like honeybees, and apparently bumblebees like bird boxes as nests. So it looks like we have a little bumblebee nest! The bees we saw flying around the entrance are apparently male bees waiting for the queen to come out. Bumblebee nests are much smaller than honeybee nests, with only 400 or so bees at most -- the queen, lots of workers, and the eggs. It's great to know that we are providing habitat for such an important insect!
Many thanks to everyone who came along to help out. We hope to get the signs varnished in the next few weeks and put them up on Open Gardens Day in June.
We'll next be open on June 1st (1:30-3:30) for the Big Lunch 2014. Bring along a picnic and enjoy the lovely peace and greenery of the reserve.
April 28, 2014
April flowers (and no showers) down at Galleywall
A nice sunny afternoon at the reserve yesterday meant a little light tidying up. A couple of valiant volunteers mowed some of the meadow with the push mower after the petrol one broke. We also did some litter picking and pulled the odd nettle from around the path (and one or two Japanese knotweed shoots — ten years of hand weeding and it’s still not quite gone!). And checked over the shelter canvas in case of rain on the next reserve visit.
Of course, we also all spent some time admiring the flowers:
Cowslips in the meadow.
The hawthorn trees are covered in blooms.
Wild strawberry flowers promise wild strawberries later in the year.
Bluebells on the slope under the trees.
And fungi are growing on the fungus logs in the permaculture area.
The next monthly event is sign making on Sunday 18th May, 1:30-3:30. Let your inner artist out and help make some signs both beautiful and informative, for inside the reserve and out. We’ll also be holding our AGM directly afterwards which everyone is welcome to attend.
Of course, we also all spent some time admiring the flowers:
Cowslips in the meadow.
The hawthorn trees are covered in blooms.
Wild strawberry flowers promise wild strawberries later in the year.
Bluebells on the slope under the trees.
And fungi are growing on the fungus logs in the permaculture area.
The next monthly event is sign making on Sunday 18th May, 1:30-3:30. Let your inner artist out and help make some signs both beautiful and informative, for inside the reserve and out. We’ll also be holding our AGM directly afterwards which everyone is welcome to attend.
April 15, 2014
Summer 2014 events
Check out our events for Summer 2014. Come down to the reserve to enjoy the activities and events, or just to sit around in the (hopefully...) sunshine!
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