Gwithian Green Local Nature Reserve

Tues 9th Nov

A few tasks: coppicing lots of young willow, and making some into a living ‘igloo’, un-clogging a section of stream to help path drainage and mattocking out some grass clumps to expose bare sand, to help ants, butterflies etc colonise more widely across the site. Meet in car park just north of Gwithian Church at SW587/413. Wellies essential here now.

Upton Towans Nature Reserve

Thurs 11th Nov

Continuing our work clearing privet and brambles from a section of dune in the centre of the site – many of you have already helped with this. We can drive right to the site now, so contact me if you plan to come and I can direct you.

St Ives Bay Holiday Park

Tues 16th and Thurs 18th Nov

We’ll be removing old fencing and non-native plants from some areas of previous dune-stabilisation works, as well as clearing clematis and privet from an area not worked on for a few years – you know how it creeps back…! Meeting point will be advised upon booking with me – we should be able to drive close to the work location.

Godrevy Warren

Tues 23rd and Thurs 25th Nov

Continuing our work clearing blackthorn in the SE corner, freeing-up habitat but also, crucially, helping to protect the rich archaeology in this area. We may well have some children from Connor Downs School with us too. Contact me nearer the time, if you intend to come, regarding where to meet.

Gwithian Towans

Tues 30th Nov, Thurs 2nd, Tues 7th and Thurs 9th Dec

This is an important location as it links the two main areas of Towans – Godrevy in the north and the main Gwithian/Hayle block to the south. It’s important that the habitat here is in top condition, enabling species to move across the landscape. It’s also one of the areas seeing more intense human impacts through walking, parking, non-native plants etc, so It’s important that we try to help improve and manage this area.

We’ll be helping to rake brambles cuttings and remove non-native species, as well as reducing some of the denser areas of privet and gorse in the south. Hopefully, later in the winter the pony-cavalry can come in to help too! Contact me nearer the time for meeting location details.

Mexico Towans

Tues 14th, Thurs 16th and Tues 21 Dec

Our slow run-in to Christmas will see us carrying on work to reduce clematis etc along the seaward part of Mexico – where the grazing ponies cannot get to it. We’ll make the 21st our annual Christmas bring and share lunch – baked potatoes etc – by the fire. Meet in first gateway on left along the private road to Beachside Leisure SW 566/388.

Gwithian Green Local Nature Reserve

Thurs 9th Sept

A nice bit of habitat creation – we’ll be transplanting native dune plants from St Gothian Reserve across the road into the old Cornish hedge we cleared of weeds last spring. Meet in car park just north of Gwithian Church at SW587/413.

Upton Towans Nature Reserve

Tues 14th Sept

Working with a team from Cornwall Wildlife Trust, we’ll be removing some of the encroaching privet and brambles from dune grassland areas. We’ll also probably have our first bonfire of the season! Meet at Upton Towans main CWT reserve entrance, near the tall chimney SW 579/397

Lethlean Towans

Thurs 16th and Tues 21st Sept

Some lovely grassy clearings require our help to cut back the approaching bushes, including non-native cotoneaster and sea buckthorn – possibly some berries to crop first! Meet on private road to Beachside Leisure SW 566/388, which is alongside the work site.

Godrevy Warren

Tues 28th and Thurs 30th Sept, Tues 5th and Thurs 7th October

Last winter, contractors carried out a lot of blackthorn clearance in the SE corner, trying to uncover over-grown archaeology close to the Bronze Age houses. We’ll continue their work here, and who knows what we might find? Meeting point will be advised upon booking with me – it’s a bit tricky parking nearby here.

St Gothian Local Nature Reserve

Tues 19th and Thurs 21st Oct

Our scrub cutting focus this visit will be alongside the Red River on the northern boundary, where scarce bryophytes are becoming shaded, as well as to create a larger grazing area for ponies later this winter closer to Gwithian. Meet in the roadside lay-bys north of Gwithian village SW 587/416.

Godrevy Warren

Tues 26th and Thurs 28th Oct

Another visit to the Warren, helping to burn more cuttings left by this year’s contractors in the SE corner. Meeting point will be advised upon booking with me.

Upton Towans Nature Reserve

Tues 2th and Thurs 4th Nov

Precise details not known as yet, but we’ll meet at Upton Towans main CWT reserve entrance, near the tall chimney SW 579/397, and definitely be usefully employed….

St Ives Bay Holiday Park

Tues 9th and Thurs 11th Nov

We’ll be removing old fencing and non-native plants from some areas of previous dune-stabilisation works, as well as removing ragwort rosettes etc from a large area cleared of scrub last year above the camping area. Meeting point will be advised upon booking with me – it’ll depend on the Park’s visitor situation at the time.

As always, the odd day might get swapped to dodge bad weather, but I hope this gives you something to plan around and look forward to.

Due to additional funding via the Dynamic Dunescapes project, I am now able to run groups on Tuesdays as well as our usual Thursdays.

Mexico Towans

A tractor has flail-cut many areas across Mexico Towans, focusing especially around the NW corner, which has received no conservation management for many years. This has allowed large banks of bramble to develop. If we can rake up and burn the cuttings, this will enable the grassland species to thrive again in this area of the dunes and cliff top. Dates are listed below; meeting place will be advised once you contact me.

Tues March 30th, Thurs April 1st, Tues 6th, Thurs 8th, Tues 13th, Thurs 15th

Godrevy Warren

Much of last winter’s contractor work focused in the SE corner, trying to uncover over-grown archaeology. We have a lot of follow-up raking and burning to do here. Meeting point will be advised upon booking with me.

Tues April 20th, Thurs 22nd, Tues 27th, Thurs 29th

Gwithian Green Nature Reserve

Our old favourite has been missing our attention! We’ll now concentrate on restoring the old Cornish hedge by the elm copse, as well as carrying out some path improvements.

Meet in car park just north of Gwithian Church at SW587/413.

Tues May 4th, Thurs 6th, Tues 11th, Thurs 13th

St Ives Bay Holiday Park

Contractors cleared an impressive area of sea buckthorn and clematis last winter from the high dunes to the north of the camping area. They did a good job raking the cuttings, but there are more we can remove, along with digging out plants such as ragwort and thistle that love to move in and take over these bare areas. We will also remove old fencing and non-native plants from some areas of previous dune-stabilisation works.

Tues May 18th, Thurs 20th, Tues 25th, Thurs 27th

Upton Towans Nature Reserve

Contractors were busy in Upton again last winter, and we’ll be sure to have follow-up digging of re-growth and opportunistic weeds, as we’ve done before. Our work in the past here on some of the old World War One bunker slopes has had very good results, with many dune plants now colonising. This will be a lovely time of year to observe both the flowers and insects alongside you, whilst doing some gentle, useful exercise!

Tues June 1st, Thurs 3rd, Tues 8th, Thurs 10th

June 25th is International Sand Dunes Day. Nothing planned yet, only just found out, but save the date!

As always, I’ll be sure to fit extra days in as and when, and to swap some to dodge bad weather.

Thurs Oct 24th Gwithian Beach Clean – 0930-1130

Working with Save our Sand to carry out a beach clean at Gwithian.

Meet in the large council car park by Sunset Surf SW579/413. You must place a sign on your dashboard stating the date and that you are helping with the SoS beach clean, to obtain free parking. Any queries, contact Paul Clark on 07584 060100

North Quay Garden

WEDS Oct 30th Godrevy Warren, near Godrevy

Continuing our work here, but this time closer to the sea. We will rake and burn brambles and gorse cut by tractor and flail. Meet at the 2nd 5 bar gate on the right, beyond the NT main car park, just next to the cabbage fields. SW583/426.

Thur Nov 14th Godrevy Warren, near Godrevy

As previous outing.

Thurs Nov 28th Gwithian Green Nature Reserve

Various work – willow and elm coppicing, pond and stream ‘weeding’ and raking up and burning bramble cuttings.

Meet in car park just north of Gwithian Church at SW587/413.

North Quay Garden 1

Thur Dec 5th Godrevy Warren, near Godrevy

Sorry, here again – you’ve seen how much there is to do! Same meeting location as Oct 30th

Thurs Dec 19th Gwithian Towans….and Thurs Jan 2nd

Following some successful work last winter, we will carry on reducing scrub in this area to expand the habitat for the silver-studded blue butterfly. This is an important narrow corridor linking the two main dune areas of Godrevy Warren and Hayle-Gwithian Towans.

We’ll have our usual ‘bring and share’ Christmas lunch on Dec 19th, by the bonfire.

Precise details and meeting point to be confirmed nearer the time.

A discussion at Upton Towans

Thurs Jan 16th Upton Towans Cornwall Wildlife Trust Reserve….and Jan 30th

Continuing last years’ work to remove Cotoneaster, clematis and other scrub from within some of the WWI bunkers and pathways. Meet at main reserve entrance, near the tall chimney SW 579/397

Thurs Feb 13th Godrevy Warren

Precise details and meeting point to be confirmed nearer the time.

North Quay Garden 2

Thurs Feb 27th Godrevy Warren….and Thurs March 12th – As previous outing.

Thurs March 26th Gwithian Green Nature Reserve

The annual spring check-around to make sure stream is clear of choking weeds, final last bits of coppicing, raking and burning have been done before the flowering season begins.

Meet in car park just north of Gwithian Church at SW587/413.