Blog Archive (2) Posts Made in July 2024
Behind the Barrier this July!
Thursday, July 25th 2024
As Foxglove Covert LNR continues to be closed to the general public, we have been working hard to get pre-arranged groups in as much as possible. Staff and volunteers were joined by two work experience students from Richmond School for a week, and throughout July we have also been joined by multiple volunteering groups, including team members from Babcock, DIO and Balfour Beatty. Work included repairing and painting benches, installing foundations on which to place those benches and raking and bailling cut grass on the large waxcap field.
On Sunday, Keith Gittens led a guided walk around the reserve for dragonflies and damselflies. Although the weather condtitions weren't perfect, lots of species were spotted, including Common Blue, Blue-tailed and Emerald Damselflies, Common Darters, Emporer Dragonflies and Four-spot Chasers.
This Tuesday, Foxglove Covert's practical volunteers continued scything and bailling hay on the large waxcap field.
On Wednesday, the species team were joined by some additional moth specialists, including county recorder Charlie Fletcher. 11 moth traps (8 more than normal!) were put out across the reserve on Tuesday night, and 104 different species (some aggregates) were caught. A new moth species for Foxglove Covert was caught, Crassa unitella, as was a species that hasn't been recorded in Vice-County 65 (North-West Yorkshire) since the 19th century, Argyresthia pygmaeella. In addition, 100 Small Dotted Buff were caught, the third highest record in Yorkshire!
The time and efforts of everyone who has visited and volunteered at Foxglove Covert this July is much appreciated!
Reserve Update
Sunday, July 7th 2024
Sadly Foxglove Covert LNR remains closed to visitors due to problems with the access gate making it unsafe for use without supervision. We are doing everything we can to ensure the running of the reserve can get back to normal as soon as possible.
In the meantime, organized groups have been able to access the reserve by arrangement with reserve staff, and we have been able to host some events on the reserve as well.
In the last few weeks the reserve has hosted a number of groups and events despite some difficulties getting them in and out!
One such group was the 1 Regiment Royal Military Police, who volunteered at Foxglove Covert for their Global Charge Day. They spent a morning cutting back encroaching vegetation and tidying up the access track. They then enjoyed a guided walk around the reserve.
Volunteers from Jacobs, Mway Comms, Tilbury Douglas and HW Martin traffic management joined Foxglove Covert Volunteers the week after to help out. A lot of grass has been cut in the last couple months on one of the fields we are now managing for the benefit of waxcap fungi. Volunteers helped make much of this now-dried grass into hay bales using the hand-baler, and moved them to the outdoor classroom to be used as comfy seats for visiting school groups.
Foxglove Covert welcomed two school groups to Foxglove in one week; Brompton-on-Swale and Carnagill. Both enjoyed pond-dipping sessions and guided walks around the reserve. More recently, 1st Richmond Beavers also visited the reserve for a pond-dipping session.
Foxglove Covert hosted another Scything course at the beginning of July, teaching six more people how to set-up, use and maintain a scythe.
And finally, we were visited by South Durham U3A who enjoyed a talk and guided walk around the reserve, bravely battling through some pretty strong winds!
Thank you for the hard work of the groups who volunteered their time and to all attendees over the past few weeks for your patience and organisation regarding the requirements to access the reserve.
More information about how the reserve has been running in the last few months is available in the latest issue of Undergrowth, Issue 63.
Book on upcoming events through the News & Events page - you will then be contacted with details on accessing the reserve for the event.
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