The Radford Arboretum Park Volunteers had an excellent turn out for our first Volunteer Day on 22nd July 17, in the Park with 38 people in three areas clearing pathways of litter, brambles and fly tipping.
The group at the Beckly Centre made huge inroads into creating more parking spaces in the park’s only car park. Those working from the main pathways freed public benches of brambles, making them usable again and the Castle group released the ivy/ litter clad wall and cleared the pathway to enable the public to walk through without having to enter the huge pot holes in the area.
A big thank you to all those who took part and the many suggestions that were thrown around during that time.
As a result I have booked a meeting with Caroline Fiske, Plymouth City Council, who supports Volunteer Groups throughout the City to form working teams .The meeting will be held at 65 Lower Saltram (PL9 7PW) on Wednesday 2nd August at 6pm.
We need people to come forward to be responsible for the following
- Chairperson
- Secretary – taking minutes and emails
- Accountant…..John Voaden
- Cheque signatory –
- Press/ information person who is familiar with Facebook, and doesn’t just think twitter is a bird song!
- Wildlife Representative – Linda Martin
- Volunteers co-ordinator
- History of the Arboretum Park – Brian Steele
- Web page… updating the Hooelake.org web page
- Tree specialist to work with Plymouth Tree Partnership (there is a long established group that tend the memorial and Arboretum special species trees, but to our knowledge no one is involved with Ashery Woods, which is one of the 5 areas of specialist nature sites surrounding the Park)
- Funding application representative.
Radford Park Clean up 16th September
A second Radford Park clean up has been booked for Saturday 16th September 10-12 noon, when we hope to be working in accordance with English Heritage regarding stripping ivy from stonewalling and removing the litter trapped in the ivy. This is a huge task as there are many covered walls in the park. It’s very important that protective clothing and gloves are worn and if you want to bring any equipment that you think may be useful please do.
No trimming of hedgerows can take place until the end of the birds nesting season following guide lines from the RSPB. This can only take place at the end of August until March.
Martyn Wills completed a survey of Radford park and created a list of jobs that could be completed outside volunteer days, so if you could help in any way, please email Jackieapplebee@me.com.
One suggestion was that children’s groups could adopt wild flower beds to encourage the return of butterflies and bees. These will be small areas exposed by stripping back walls and pathways. They will need to be seeded with wild flower seeds and new bramble growth regularly removed.
At present 38 people is very few volunteers working for the good of many people in the Plymstock area. If you can help us in any way this would make this huge task much easier.
The Next Radford Park project Community Volunteers day is Saturday 18th November, 10-12am with Plymouth Environmental Project clearing the ivy and leaves from the footpaths that was released in September. You need to wear strong shoes, gloves and cover your arms and legs. Any tools that would be useful for cutting ivy from walls or weeds adjacent to the walls would be useful.
Believe next litter etc clearance is taking place in Nov. Can you tell me where and when. Hope to help
Keith