P1770611-001
Dear AllJust a quick update to cover my recent visit last Friday afternoon 15/8/2025.I arrived c 2.30 PM and left at 4.30PM ie 2 hours volunteer timeClerical time etc 1 Hour volunteer timeTotal 3 hoursTo my astonishment I discovered the two maternal cows and their two calves were still on site.she When I passed the senior cow she started mooing loudly every 30 seconds and was clearly in some distress, perhaps through lack of suitable grass.They have shaved the grass areas to the limit but there are large low patches of bramble regrowth.The water bowser was working OK but the supplenent lick drums were empty.Another of the big willows has died and fallen. Perhaps I mentioned this in my previous message.There was a terrible all pervading stench of sewage or similar but I could not ascertain the source.The damaged boardwalk has been reinstated andis safe to cross. now .There were very few signs of any type of wildlife, just two scruffy Common Blues and a few very fast White butterflies. there was a distant sighting of a mewing Common Buzzard. I also noticed a very small "Buttercup" type of flower which I didn't recognise and there was a good number of flowering mint scattered about.Oh and an actual adult rabbit ran across the reserve near the water bowser.In the adjoining woodland south of the boardwalk area on the east side a youth/youths have a camp set up and I returned a football and a vape that had been dropped over our side of the fence.Finally I have volunteered to assist Tom Chevalier on the natural capital part of a new Toddington Village Plan and I shall try to get DSM protected from any developments.
P1770611-001
Dear AllJust a quick update to cover my recent visit last Friday afternoon 15/8/2025.I arrived c 2.30 PM and left at 4.30PM ie 2 hours volunteer timeClerical time etc 1 Hour volunteer timeTotal 3 hoursTo my astonishment I discovered the two maternal cows and their two calves were still on site.she When I passed the senior cow she started mooing loudly every 30 seconds and was clearly in some distress, perhaps through lack of suitable grass.They have shaved the grass areas to the limit but there are large low patches of bramble regrowth.The water bowser was working OK but the supplenent lick drums were empty.Another of the big willows has died and fallen. Perhaps I mentioned this in my previous message.There was a terrible all pervading stench of sewage or similar but I could not ascertain the source.The damaged boardwalk has been reinstated andis safe to cross. now .There were very few signs of any type of wildlife, just two scruffy Common Blues and a few very fast White butterflies. there was a distant sighting of a mewing Common Buzzard. I also noticed a very small "Buttercup" type of flower which I didn't recognise and there was a good number of flowering mint scattered about.Oh and an actual adult rabbit ran across the reserve near the water bowser.In the adjoining woodland south of the boardwalk area on the east side a youth/youths have a camp set up and I returned a football and a vape that had been dropped over our side of the fence.Finally I have volunteered to assist Tom Chevalier on the natural capital part of a new Toddington Village Plan and I shall try to get DSM protected from any developments.