It is with great sadness that we have learned of the death of John Agar on 17 April 2020. John was a very committed and enthusiastic member of SACV and right up until recent weeks he was a stalwart of the group, for many years our most frequent volunteer. John was out with us most recently at Chorlton Water Park on Sunday 1 March, where he busily got stuck in to the construction of a willow arch.
John had a passion for the natural world and conservation and he especially enjoyed having more time to indulge these interests in later life. In former years, John was a fixture on our residential weekends in the Peaks, until he “retired” from weekends away in 2013. On those weekends, John continued his working life’s habit of very early starts, so by the time the rest of us were up John would inevitably have been for a walk to listen to the local birdsong as well as got the breakfast porridge, tea and toast on the go!
John was a founder member of the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, a group we have worked with many times over the years. Having lived in Chorlton all his life, John was a source of fascinating memories of the changing local environment.
Since the loss of John, tributes have come in from the volunteers who have worked with him over the years: it is clear he was held in huge affection and warm regard, a vocal advocate for the natural environment, infectiously enthusiastic and always willing to share his knowledge with others, warm and welcoming to volunteers of all ages, good-humoured and good company. He will be greatly missed.
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Posted in Moorland, Paths, Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, Residential weekends, Steps, Stone-pitching, Wetland, Wildlife education, Willow structures, Woodland management | Tagged Alderley Edge, Cheshire East Rangers, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Chorlton Water Park, City of Trees, Compstall Nature Reserve, Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Friends of Longford Park, Friends of Spud Wood, Friends of the Bowdon Bollin, Friends of the Fallowfield Loop, Hare Hill, Hollinwood Scout Camp, Kenworthy Wood, Longford Park School, Lower Moss Wood, Mersey Valley, Middlewood Way, National Trust, New Moss Wood, Peak Park Conservation Volunteers, Priory Gardens, Red Rose Forest, RSPB, Sale Water Park, Tegg's Nose Country Park, Urmston Meadows, Woodland Trust |
Today we were helping in a woodland a stone’s throw away from Lymm, called Spud Wood. As in the past, we were working with The Woodland Trust and the Friends of Spud Wood.
This is a relatively new mixed broadleaf woodland, planted in the late 1990s. It was planted on a former potato field – hence the name, which was suggested by local school children in a naming competition, and is a reminder of its historic use for growing Golden Wonder crisps!
We were coppicing hazel trees and, with the branches, creating a picturesque barrier along the edge of the wood, which cut off the ditch behind but should also prove a perfect habit for wildlife!
A great day out. The weather remained nice and dry apart from a short five-minute burst of rain.
Volunteer at work
Coppicing in progress
Hedging
Volunteer at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteer at work
Volunteers
Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management | Tagged Friends of Spud Wood, Woodland Trust |
Today we were back at Chorlton Water Park. There was a good crowd of us so we were able to work on a couple of different things, but mainly some maintenance of the willow groynes at the edge of the lake which we have worked on several times over the years. These groynes are important in preventing erosion of the lakeside and in providing a habitat for birds and for spawning fish.
We also cut encroaching saplings from among the reed beds and used some cut willow to strengthen and maintain the arch by the wildflower area.
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Willow arch in progress
Cut willow
Loaded trailer
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds, Willow structures | Tagged Chorlton Water Park, Mersey Valley | 1 Comment »
February 4, 2020 by Julian
This past weekend was our first residential weekend of the year, working as usual with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers and staying in their volunteer accommodation near Grindleford. On both Saturday and Sunday we worked on reconstructing a set of steps on a steep footpath above Eyam – thirty-nine steps, pleasingly!
Before starting work
Getting started
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Work in progress
Volunteers at work
Work in progress
The completed steps
The completed steps
Posted in Residential weekends, Steps | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
January 12, 2020 by Julian
For our first outing of 2020 we were at Tegg’s Nose, working to clear some areas of gorse. Gorse has a long flowering period, so is an important nectar source in early spring and early winter; plus its density makes it ideal for a range of nesting birds. However, it can also take over and dominate a habitat, and the ongoing work to remove some here will better connect the Tegg’s Nose woodland and the higher heathland.
The weather stayed pretty dry (and even occasionally sunny), which was a welcome change from the heavy rain of the last day or two. Ranger Martin introduced us to the iNaturalist and Seek apps, so we look forward to using those more. And finally, it was great to have a good turn-out of volunteers – the best we’ve had in a while – so let’s hope that continues into the rest of the year!
Gorse removal – getting started
Gorse removal – getting started
Gorse removal – work in progress
Gorse removal – work in progress
Pausing for lunch
Witches’ butter
Packing up
Gorse removal – a cleared area
Cleared and stacked gorse
Posted in Heathland, Woodland management | Tagged Cheshire East Rangers, Tegg's Nose Country Park |
December 8, 2019 by Julian
For our last activity of 2019, we joined the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, this time to work in an area of grassland which (it is hoped) will return to being used for the grazing of cattle for part of each year from 2020. Careful management and grazing at the right time of the year will help to maintain this important habitat. We continued work already started by the Friends to remove areas of bramble encroaching onto the grassland – and had fine weather until the very end of the day.
Volunteers getting started
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteer at work
The edge of the field
Posted in Grassland, Meadows | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley |
November 24, 2019 by Julian
We returned today to Cheshire Wildlife Trust‘s Compstall Nature Reserve (where we were a fortnight ago). We were continuing with the work to prevent trees colonising an open wetland habitat, doing more of the clearing and with a warming bonfire to follow.
Volunteers gathering cut material
Volunteers getting bonfire started
Posted in Wetland | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve |
November 10, 2019 by Julian
Today was our first visit to Compstall Nature Reserve, which is managed by Cheshire Wildlife Trust and is in the heart of Etherow Country Park. This is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), and we were working on a stretch of it not accessible to the public. Our task was to remove encroaching saplings, mainly willow and alder, from an area intended to be maintained as an open wetland. Although the ground was wet and soggy from all the recent rain, we were delighted to have bright sunshine all day – which showed off this diverse and lovely site at its best.
We managed to get a lot done although there only five of us. We are back here in a fortnight and more volunteers would be welcome!
Getting started on clearing
Conservation volunteers at work
The cleared area
Cut material
Geese overhead
Posted in Wetland | Tagged Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Compstall Nature Reserve | 1 Comment »
October 7, 2019 by Julian
Yesterday we were back in a familiar pond in Chorlton Meadows and with familiar company: members of the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, of course! We’ve worked here several times in the past, and once again were clearing reeds to maintain an important section of open water, in order to keep this habitat as diverse as possible.
Conservation volunteers preparing
Starting work
Conservation volunteers in action
Conservation volunteers in action
The expanded pond
The expanded pond
Posted in Ponds and lakes, Reed beds | Tagged Friends of Chorlton Meadows, Mersey Valley |
September 23, 2019 by Julian
This past weekend was our third and final residential weekend of 2019, again with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers. We were back on the shores of Tittesworth Reservoir, and were pleased to see that the lakeside hedge we worked on last October and again in the January snow is well established and providing effective protection of the shore. In a hot and sunny late summer day we did further work on the hedge to keep its rampant growth under control and to extend it further along the water.
Previously laid hedge, with new growth
Starting work
Canine volunteer digging
Work in progress
Canine volunteer resting
Work in progress
Work in progress
Work in progress
Dog and laid hedge
Laid hedge
Sunday was a greyer, wetter day but nonetheless we made good progress with a new stretch of hedge in a different location, opening up views of the lake while also protecting the shore and enhancing the wildlife habitat.
An excellent weekend all round!
Arriving at Sunday’s task
Work in progress
Volunteers at work
The opened hedge
Posted in Hedgelaying, Residential weekends, Woodland management | Tagged Peak Park Conservation Volunteers |
