Last year I discovered a Woodland Trust nature reserve fairly close to me. It is the site of a former stately home that was later used as a maternity hospital. I was born there. In 1973 it burned down. The Woodland Trust acquired the land, and a huge amount of planting has been done, of native trees and shrubs, with areas left for grassland. There is no real trace of the building any more, but and overgrown walled garden remains, and the orchard, now full of very mature apple and pear trees.
I fell in love with the place at my first visit, and found myself going back increasingly often, so I cn#ontacted the Woodland Trust about becoming a voluntary warden, on the basis that they may as well have the benefit of my visiting their site so often. They gave me an enthusiastic response (I'm an ecologist, field naturalist, and educationalist) and I'm meeting the site manager in the next week or so, but I am effectively the warden as of right now.
I've only ever seen people at the site once (they were a retired couple collecting windfall apples in the orchard), the views are rather good, there's a custom-made bat house on site, and the place will be absolutely fantastic in about 20 years time. The peacefulness of the place is immensely rewarding, and it just feels right to be looking after the place where I was born.
Now obviously I can't camp there, or make fires, as that would be against the Trust rules, but I can go there whenever I like. Being warden has already made me feel enormously responsible about the place, as if I want to get to know every tree individually, so that I can look after it. This is now my place. I was there today for several hours, just walking about and enjoying it, finding new paths and hidden corners. I came away with a bag of apples and pears too. I intend to do a night-time visit in the near future.
I'll be back tomorrow with my camera, and will put up some pictures. I also strongly recommend looking up your local Woodland Trust or Wildlife Trust and seeing what places they have in your area. If you have the time, these organisations are usually only too pleased to have someone keeping an eye out for their sites, so long as you don't abuse their rules. I have found some wonderful places ths way.
If anyone in the south-east Wales area wants a tour, I will be very happy to oblige.
I fell in love with the place at my first visit, and found myself going back increasingly often, so I cn#ontacted the Woodland Trust about becoming a voluntary warden, on the basis that they may as well have the benefit of my visiting their site so often. They gave me an enthusiastic response (I'm an ecologist, field naturalist, and educationalist) and I'm meeting the site manager in the next week or so, but I am effectively the warden as of right now.
I've only ever seen people at the site once (they were a retired couple collecting windfall apples in the orchard), the views are rather good, there's a custom-made bat house on site, and the place will be absolutely fantastic in about 20 years time. The peacefulness of the place is immensely rewarding, and it just feels right to be looking after the place where I was born.
Now obviously I can't camp there, or make fires, as that would be against the Trust rules, but I can go there whenever I like. Being warden has already made me feel enormously responsible about the place, as if I want to get to know every tree individually, so that I can look after it. This is now my place. I was there today for several hours, just walking about and enjoying it, finding new paths and hidden corners. I came away with a bag of apples and pears too. I intend to do a night-time visit in the near future.
I'll be back tomorrow with my camera, and will put up some pictures. I also strongly recommend looking up your local Woodland Trust or Wildlife Trust and seeing what places they have in your area. If you have the time, these organisations are usually only too pleased to have someone keeping an eye out for their sites, so long as you don't abuse their rules. I have found some wonderful places ths way.
If anyone in the south-east Wales area wants a tour, I will be very happy to oblige.
I'm yet to find out which bat species are known to use it, but I'm hopeful of Lesser Horseshoes, since there are concrete bunkers on the land belonging to the munitions factory next door that Lesser Horseshoes are known to use.
