Thursday 9th July 2026 - The team of volunteers may have been noticeably smaller but there was still the same level of determination on show as the sun beat down heavily on the scarcely shaded Sutton Common.
With the condition assessments and phase 1 surveying got going the rest of the volunteers set about a spot of light pruning to hedge-line trees and Bramble as well as methodically combing the grassland to dead-head the patches of Docks before the seeds get a chance to disperse.
Tuesday 7th July 2026 - It was a supersized assortment of volunteers with a work experience student and a couple of Thursday stalwarts bringing up the numbers for a days activity at The Warren.
Splitting the team into two equal sized squads as the sites condition assessments and phase 1 survey got going with one of the divisions those remaining used the shade where possible as they pushed back self seeded Poplar, emerging Bramble and protruding branches from along the main drag of the site before turning attention to an over-abundance of Common Ragwort in one of the paddocks and a spot of fences restoration.
Thursday 2nd July 2026 - The Sun managed to blaze down after a dull looking star for a sizeable turnout of volunteers at Roundshaw Downs.
Converging on the playing fields area of the site, the majority of the team undertook a day of various vegetation control activities as they scoured the improving North grassland to remove traces of Dock and dense patches of Hedge Mustard, cleared up the spread of the colossal compost heap to minimize its footprint and carefully brushcut between the planted trees of the new hedge copse to remove strangling vegetation.
Not to be left out the surveying division began with a phase 1 survey of the North Butterfly Bank before then moving on to the 20 stops of the condition assessments distantly spaced across the remaing areas of Roundshaw Downs proper.
Tuesday 30th June 2026 - It was a slowly warming day for the volunteers and the basking Peacock Butterfly (pictured) as todays activities brought them to Belmont Pastures.
With a combination of condition assessments and phase 1 surveys being carried out on the main grassland and the scrape area at the North of the site by one half of the team the remaining contingent got to grips with Bramble breaking through in the grassland as well as weeding out and dead heading of less desirable species like Docks and Thistle.
