Club Environmental Activities - November - December 2023

Rotary Club of Leicester De Montfort

Tree Planting

Repairs to 20 metres of hedgerows between King’s Norton and Gaulby, planted 100 saplings of native species

Crocus Planting

On a very wet Saturday morning members of De Montfort Rotary undertook a crocus planting session at Knighton Park. The Rotarians were very pleased to have support from Sandra Salmon, chair of The Friends of Knighton Park.

Wood Maintenance

A working party from Leicester De Montfort Rotary Club carried out further maintenance work at Wyggeston Wood.

Rotary Club of Huntingdon Cromwell

Reponding

We have started the process of re-ponding a neglected court yard pond at a local primary school. The first stage included draining the pond (no signs of any wildlife !), removing sludge and debris, opening up an access point for wildlife and adding a gentle slope for wildlife to exit the water.

Stage 2 will be to add plant life and then refill.

Wild Flower Seeding

Further planting of wildflower seedballs at a Huntingdon primary school has taken place. More than 500 seedballs were scattered on prepared soil and added to the existing 1500 on a stretch of compacted mud.

The school’s Eco Champions did a great job and are eagerly awaiting the growth of flowers and an increase in wildlife at the school. The children love the wildflowers which have already emerged following the planting session in May of this year.

Rotary Club of Kimbolton Castle

Rewilding

Six keen spade wielders put to earth 4000 crocus bulbs, and over 100 snowdrop, bluebell, snakeshead fritillary, wild daffodil and winter aconite bulbs in the Kimbolton biodiversity improvement project to join the 5000 bulbs last year and 105 saplings, over 90% of which are doing well.

Reponding

Member Andrew Pooley added a further pond to his garden and is already home to a large toad. Reponding is absolutely critical to repopulate our invertebrate stock and great fun to boot!

Rotary Club of Grantham Sunrise

Tree Planting

Twenty five trees planted in Dysart Park around the perimeter of the playing field by Grantham Sunrise Rotary members. Five different varieties. Beech, Black Alder, Field Maple, Silver Birch and Cherry. Our thanks to members attending and our helpers, Richard and Mark and Pam Metcalf from Grantham Innerwheel club. The trees were part financed by a Rotary District Enviroment grant and the Club. 

Rotary Club of Peterborough Ortons

Tree Planting

Planted 30 trees at Longthorpe Primary School and built an earth Bug Hotel in the school grounds.

Rotary Club of Rushden Chichele

Tree Planting

Aided by the Rotary Club of Rushden, planted 120 hedging whips at the Irthlingborough wetlands to continue the hedge that was started last year to shield the public footpath from a potential osprey nesting site.

Stream Clearance

Club members were involved with the stream clearance in Stanwick, organised by Stanwick Environment group. This involved clearing excess vegetation from the stream bed and cutting back over-hanging branches to enhance the flow of the stream. We discovered many frogs in the undergrowth.