Green Gym— What a’ ‘Otter Good!

The Green Gym volunteers have been busy improving their local environment both for themselves and our furrier friends! Recently they have been working in partnership with The Weardale Environment Trust to help encourage Otters back into the River Wear.

The otter population declined dramatically in the late 1950s due to changes in farming practices and industry resulting in the lack of natural prey due to polluted waters and the destruction of habitat on bank sides

The task required the volunteers to use a variety of skills and techniques to reinforce the bank against collapse during flooding, construct the holt and disguise the entrance / exit tunnels using stones from the river bed and turfs cut from nearby. The Green Gym team reclaimed other materials needed from their Growing Together Community Garden site in Bishop Auckland to create the Holt. The task was lead by Ceri Gibson, Green Gym Project

Officer for BTCV in the North Pennines as a training course accredited by NPTC.

At the end of the task Ceri said:

'I am pleased to announce that the group has produced a robust Otter holt which we have signs that Otters are using and that everyone has reached the required standard to receive certificates of achievement.'

Of the day GG volunteer Ian Allen said:

'I thoroughly enjoyed my day out in the countryside, visiting new places and gaining new skills.'

The Otter holt is part of The Weardale Environment Trust’s development plan to create a local nature reserve towards providing access to wildlife and education opportunities for the public. It also fits with the Durham Biodiversity Action Plan to provide habitat for mammals protected under the 1981 Wildlife and Countryside Act.

The Green Gym Programme offers volunteers the opportunity to work out in the fresh air exercising both body and mind. Ceri will be running a variety of other courses throughout the summer linked to the restoration of hay meadows in the area, dry stone walling and improvements to community spaces. If interested please contact Ceri Gibson at the Stanhope office on 01388 529 036 for details.

Hay Time –North Pennines, The First Year of Action

Hay Time is a three and half year project that began in May 2006. The project aims to restore and enhance at least 140ha of upland hay meadows at carefully selected sites within the North Pennines Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) and to increase peoples awareness, enjoyment and understanding of this important habitat.

Upland hay meadows are internationally recognised as important. Though increasingly scarce, they occur in hilly areas across central and eastern Europe. In the UK there are thought to be about 1000ha of upland hay meadows left, of which 40% (400ha) are found in the North Pennines AONB.

The richest hay meadows support a great variety of grasses and flowering plants, with the best fields containing more than 30 different species per square meter. As spring turns into summer, different plants come into bloom in a breathtaking display of colour.

Hay meadows declined drastically during the 20th century, almost entirely due to changing agricultural practices. These include the use of inorganic fertilisers, ploughing and reseeding, a switch to silage making, heavy grazing pressure and drainage.

Why Hay Time?

Even where a hay meadow is returned to traditional management, plants that were once present are unlikely to return naturally. This is due to very slow rates of natural dispersal and the scarcity of species-rich sites. However, research has shown that through the phased introduction of key species, meadows can be both restored and enhanced. To achieve this Hay Time project carefully harvested seeds from species-rich meadows and spread it on nearby fields that have lost their special plants.

To see the progress of year one join Green Gym PO Ceri Gibson on some Hay Time Walks this summer and find out more about your local Hay Meadows and what you can do to help!

For more information on the AONB Hay Time project visit: http://www.northpennines.org.uk

Dates for the Diary!

Every Thursday:

Tennyson Terrace Green Gym—Crook, Ceri Gibson 01388 529 036

Blessed John Duckett Primary School Green Gym—Tow Law, Ceri Gibson 01388 529 036

Every Friday

Tindale Crescent Green Gym—Bishop Auckland, Ceri Gibson 01388 5298 036

Courses

Wildflower ID—13/07/07

Dry Stone Walling - 25/07/07 01/08/07, 15/08/07,

Contact Ceri Gibson 01388 529 036

Activities may change at short notice please contact the appropriate office for details

For more information, follow the BTCV Northern Region link

Contact Details

Local Offices

      BTCV Stanhope			        Tel: 01388 529 300
      Unit B4					Fax: 01388 529 300
      Durham Dales Centre 			Email: stanhope@btcv.org.uk
      Castle Gardens 
      Stanhope 
      Bishop Auckland 
      Co. Durham 
      DL13 2FJ 
      
      BTCV Allendale			        Tel: 01434 618 388
      Flat 2 					Fax: 01434 683 459
      Bridge End 				Email: Allendale@btcv.org.uk
      Allendale 
      Hexham 
      Northumberland 
      NE47 9AA 
      
      Gateshead BTCV			        Tel: 0191 469 8431
      BTCV @ Bill Quay Farm 			Fax: 0191 433 5784
      Hainingwood Terrace 			Email: e.hutson@btcv.org.uk
      Bill Quay
      Gateshead 
      NE10 0UE