Community Hedge Planting at Bardsey Fields, Saturday 1st March

We will be meeting at Bardsey school car park at 10.00am on Saturday 1st March for a community hedge and tree planting session. This is an ideal activity for adults and children alike, so please do join us if you can – families are very welcome.

Please bring a spade and gloves if possible. The site is likely to be muddy and uneven, so make sure that you are wearing appropriate footwear.

This activity is subject to weather conditions, so please keep an eye on the website or Facebook page for any updates closer to the time.

Autumn Talk

Dan Carne, who has visited us before is giving the Autumn Talk at 7.00pm on ZOOM. “My trip to the wood pastures of Europe and lessons on how we can integrate good practice in a local context”.

Please use this link and passcode to join the meeting

https://zoom.us/j/5641407160?pwd=WSe8Ix7Rpb9VS2kvgOqvTSnXs4TqdZ.1&omn=91935324917

Meeting ID: 564 140 7160

Passcode: Pu47Bd

Dan is an expert ecologist and will be working with the Trust for a year on a part-time basis. He will help the Trust update its reserve management plans. Dan has a background in habitat restoration so will be a valuable addition to our work, especially in the development of Bardsey Fields.

Over the winter months, with Yorkshire Water’s support, we will be breaking out some surface water drains and installing some leaky barriers in Bardsey Fields. This will make the upper part of the field wetter. By providing a more natural pathway for the water this will reduce the flow of water into the beck, improve water quality and help to alleviate flooding downstream. Alongside this we will be planting hedges and some trees across the slope and putting three small woody leaky barriers in the Mill Tale. Together, these actions will help to increase the habitat diversity and biodiversity across the field and the health of the beck below.

If you have any concerns, please contact us at info@ekwt.org.uk

Bardsey Small Mammal Survey Results

Many thanks to Ann, Robert and some of their colleagues from the Yorkshire Mammal Group who came to Bardsey Fields last weekend to carry out small mammal trapping. This work will give us a baseline for the species of small mammals living there. We laid 50 humane mammal traps on Saturday afternoon, ensuring that any mammals caught had a cosy bed and plenty of food. We then returned on Sunday morning to empty the traps, record and weigh the mammals and then release them safely.

44 people came to set the traps and 50 came to see what had been caught. This was phenomenal as the weather on Sunday morning was very cold and wet!

The children had a great time and were so excited to see whether the traps were closed and what would be inside.

The results of the survey were: 20 woodmice, 6 bank voles and 1 common shrew. This compares with 18 woodmice, 1 bank vole, 1 field vole and 1 common shrew in last years survey.

Family Event at Bardsey Fields – Small mammal trapping, October 19th & 20th

We will be joined by the Yorkshire Mammal Group to put out humane mammal traps on Saturday 19th October at 4.30pm. The following morning, Sunday 20th October we will meet at 9.30am to open the traps and record, weigh and release whatever we find. On both days we will be meeting outside Bardsey School on Woodacre Lane.

This event is suitable for all ages to attend one or both sessions – a great family event. Please bring stout footwear/wellies as the long grass will be wet. If you would like any more information, please email info@ekwt.org.uk.

We look forward to seeing you there.

Bardsey Small Mammal Survey

This weekend we were joined by Ann and Robert from the Yorkshire Mammal Group to lay 50 humane mammal traps in Bardsey Field. We laid the traps on Saturday afternoon, making sure that any mammals caught had a cosy bed for the night and plenty of food. We then returned on Sunday morning to empty the traps, record and weigh the mammals and then release them safely. The weather was glorious and the event was very well attended. It was lovely to see the children lay the traps and then return the following day, remembering exactly where they were and so excited to see what was inside.

We recorded 1 common shrew, 1 field vole, 1 bank vole and 18 wood mice.

What is it going to be?
Ann weighing one of the mammals
A Wood mouse

Family Event at Bardsey Fields

We hope you can join us on Saturday 21st October at 4pm when we will meet the Yorkshire Mammal Group to put out 50-100 humane mammal traps. We will then meet again at 9.30am on Sunday 22nd to record, weigh and release them. We will be meeting outside Bardsey School on Woodacre Lane.

This event is suitable for all ages to attend one or both sessions – a great family event. Please bring stout footwear/wellies as the long grass will be wet. If you would like any more information, please email info@ekwt.org.uk

Bardsey Green Fair

East Keswick Wildlife Trust will be at the Green Fair on Saturday 9th September in Bardsey Churchyard from 1-4pm. Come along to learn about our local nature reserves and have your say on the newly acquired Bardsey Fields.

The Yorkshire Dales River Trust is loaning their table-top Sustainable Drainage Village for children to mimic rainfall and see where it goes!

We hope you can come along and help bring our communities together. There is a very varied programme of eco activities, stalls and refreshments.