Mersey Basin Campaign Blog

If you go down to the woods today..........your feet won't get wet!

Quakers Coppice, a fantastic woodland on the outskirts of Crewe which is much-loved by walkers and wildlife alike, has now been improved thanks to funding from Waste Recycling Group Ltd (distributed by WREN). 

A new 1.5km path takes walkers on a circuit of the woodland which was previously inaccessible to buggies and wheelchairs, and is now an ideal route for workers on the nearby Crewe Business Park, as they will be able to do the walk without getting their shoes muddy!  This is also beneficial to the wildlife, because by encouraging walkers to use one main route, the rest of the Coppice will no longer be trampled and ground-level vegetation will have the chance to grow back - providing food and shelter for all sorts of bugs, birds and small mammals.

As well as the path, we've been able to create a new pond dipping platform, plant a native hedgerow and sow a wildflower meadow.Quakers Coppice can be found here - park on Mallard Way and follow the footpath that starts just after the Fujitsu building. 

Doing a clean up? Watch out for daleks!

Spotted an interesting snippet in the Metro newspaper this morning - it seems a volunteer was taking part in a clean up at his local pond down in Hampshire, when he unearthed the head of a dalek from amongst the usual litter. According to the Metro, Marc Oakland saw something round and dark coming to the surface of the pond, which turned out to be the head of one of Doctor Who's archenemies, the daleks. It seems they'd filmed in the area, and this particular exterminator had been left behind. So next time you're out in your waders, just think, a piece of TV history could be just under the next shopping trolley.

The Mersey Basin Campaign offers lots of opportunities to get involved in clean-ups on the Northwest's waters. We can't promise space-rubbish, but if you'd like to take part, contact your nearest Action Partnership, or email our Community Support Coordinator, Bev Mitchell

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PIC OF MARC AND HIS DALEK

MWH get stuck in to their Mersey Basin Week

Here's an article from Natural England's Sarah Warrener, about MWH volunteers helping out at Wybunbury Moss during MWH Mersey Basin Week:

"Fourteen managers from MWH, an international company connected to the water industry with offices throughout Britain, volunteered at Wybunbury Moss National Nature Reserve (NNR) as part of MWH Mersey Basin Week.

They cut down small trees and scrub that has invaded a flower-rich meadow purchased by Natural England last year. The meadow forms part of the Site of Special Scientific Interest at Wybunbury Moss which was, owing to years of neglect by its previous owner, in poor condition.  The work carried out is a vital contribution towards improving the condition of the meadow and enabling the plant community present there to survive.

The MWH managers, staff from the Mersey Basin Campaign and their Natural England staff supervisors worked hard and have cleared about a third of the scrub on the meadow.

Sarah Warrener,Natural England's site manager at Wybunbury Moss, explained that there are several different habitats at Wybunbury Moss NNR. If the trees and scrub remain untouched the bog, fen and meadow plants would be lost and the site would become a woodland.  This would also have a negative affect on the rare and unusual insects and other invertebrates that currently live on the site, for example the rare beetle Cryptocephalus decemmaculatus, that is found only at Wybunbury Moss and one other site in Britain."

 

Thanks to Sarah, Hannah and Tony from Natural England for hosting the day and to Andrew Cowell, Kath Hart and the rest of the MWH team for all their effort and support

 

Nantwich Riverside Environmental Day

I am currently doing my work experience with James and Izzy on the riverside project in Nantwich. On Sunday 12th October I arrived at Brookfield Car Park. BBC radio Stoke were around presenting their gardening show with Carol Adams from Reaseheath for gardening tips, they also had their nostalgia show, reminiscing memories of the river. Even Doug told everybody listening to the show about how he used to scrump to order from his local vicarage! Also the willow weavers were showing children and adults how to create a perfect woven willow ornaments, such as fish and snails!

There was also the chance to help plant some plug plants like Cowslips next to where the ground was being rotavatored ready for the wild flower seeds. Throughout the day more and more people came to visit and just as we were packing away more people came to see the display boards!

We hope that everybody that came had a great time and thank you for coming.

MWH Mersey Basin Week at Nantwich Riverside

Come down to Nantwich Riverside between 12 noon and 4 pm on Sunday 12th October for your chance to get involved in the Riverside project.

Between 12 and 1pm, local gardening expert Carol Adams will be presenting the BBC Radio Stoke gardening show live from the event, and you can submit your questions for Carol to answer live on air.  You will also be able to peruse plans for a new circular walk joining the Shropshire Union Canal and the River Weaver, and view the Nantwich Riverside Masterplan. 

From 1pm there will be a variety of activities for you to get involved in, including planting native plug plants and seeds, and have a go at willow weaving.  All you need is wellies and waterproofs, but you can bring your own gloves and trowels if you have them.  Also bring your memories and stories about Nantwich Riverside, as Radio Stoke's nostalgia show will be coming from the event, and their roving microphone will be on the lookout for people with a story to tell.

You don't have to book a place, but if you would like any more information please contact Izzy on [email protected] or James on [email protected]

See you there
Izzy & James

Watch this space

The highlight of MWH Mersey Basin Week in the Upper Weaver area will be the Nantwich Riverside Environment Day - Sunday 12th October 08 - based at Shrewbridge Road car park in Nantwich.  There will be opportunities to plant a variety of wildflower seeds and plugs, have a go at willow weaving, and BBC Radio Stoke will be covering the whole event.  Come down between noon and 4pm to join in the fun

More details coming soon, or email Izzy at [email protected] for more info

Creweblog visits Quaker's Coppice....

Just a quick post to point out a post on CREWE BLOG today detailing the author's trip to Quaker's Coppice in Crewe with Izzy from Action Upper Weaver. Creweblogger has posted some great pictures of his trip to the site - go on, hop over and take a look......

Students enjoy the Riverside

Just before the summer holidays started, pupils in Year 6 at Leighton Primary school in Crewe visited Nantwich Riverside for two days of river studies.

Staff from Crewe & Nantwich Borough Council, Natural England, Nantwich Museum and the Mersey Basin Campaign led activities including Willow Weaving, pond dipping, Balsam Bashing, soil sampling, and a walk around Nantwich to see how the river Weaver has been so important to the history of the town.

The days were a great opportunity for the children to put what they'd learnt about rivers into practice outdoors, and their teacher Mark Preston added that "It has also shown our Year 6's how what they learn at school can lead to environmental careers in adult life and hopefully inspired many to consider these possibilities when at high school and upwards."

Floating Garden Festival helps to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice with a little help from friends.

The Floating Garden Festival was one of the highlights of the Cheshire’s Year of Gardens ’08 programme. The Festival helped to highlight and promote the beautiful inland waterways of Cheshire. Four florally decorated heritage boats departed from Audlem, Bollington, Trafford and Ellesmere Port and various events were held enroute as the boats made their way to Middlewich for the annual Folk and Boat Festival. The British Waterways heritage boat Lindsay left Bollington and floated along the canal through Congleton and Rode Heath.

Congleton Tourism Officer Phillippa Brown said, “I would like to say a big thank you to all the local societies and groups that donated many of the floral displays on ‘Lindsay’. These were Rode Heath Methodist Church, The Church of the Good Shepherd (Scholar Green), the Rode Heath Village Hall committee, Rode Heath Cubs & Scouts, The Macclesfield and East Cheshire branch of the British Cactus and Succulent Society, Poynton Home Gardeners Club, Alsager Gardens Association, Brereton Playgroup, Theresa Hunt of Odd Rode Parish Council and Harding Consultants. These displays really helped the boat to look spectacular and helped Lindsay win the ‘Best Dressed Boat’ title. A special thank you also goes to Dane Coppice Crafts who created an Alice in Wonderland and Rabbit sculpture out of willow, which looked fantastic and really helped to make the display special. All these donated tubs and baskets were auctioned off on the last day of the Folk and Boat Festival and managed to raise £320.20 for East Cheshire Hospice, which is fantastic!”.

Cheshire Floating Garden Festival - Lindsay

Feast your eyes on these photographs from Lindsay's journey from Bollington to Middlewich.