Odd Jobs

With drizzle on the weather forecast, it was decided to catch up on maintenance jobs around the reserve. The team split into smaller groups in order to achieve as much as possible during the short winter day. The first task on the list was to fill a gap with gravel between a new boardwalk and a stone path. One wheelbarrow was more than  enough and some of the surplus was used to fill potholes on the main track.

Our mammal track expert got well and truly 'stuck in' as she prepared a replacement clay pad for one of the mink rafts that had been washed away by heavy rain. The soft clay is hidden inside a floating wooden box that attracts curious mammals who then leave their footprints behind. This is a great way to record which mammals are living on the reserve. 

Staff and volunteers also got well and truly 'stuck in' on the red route where a small repair to the boardwalk turned out to be a much bigger problem than it looked! Several supporting timbers were replaced with new beams before the decking could be put back in place.

Repairs were carried out on the bridge at the head of the lake too.

In the afternoon, the team did even more odd jobs, including cleaning bird feeders, tidying up the workshop, sweeping and brushing leaves from wooden bridges and filling the big bird feeders (hoppers). Another productive day thanks to the Foxglove Volunteers!