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Hyndburn's Community-Owned Environmental Charity

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Friends Of Arden Hall & the Coppice – March 2025 Meeting

Posted on Posted in Hyndburn's Nature Reserves, Pleck Meadow

As part of the new Hyndburn’s Nature Reserves project, PROSPECTS is looking to kickstart the return of the Friends of Arden Hall & the Coppice community group with the support of local project officer, Robert. The group has been responsible for a number of improvements at the site since its conception and will do so for many more years providing the continued support of the local community.

We are hoping to have an in-person meeting in March 2025 to discuss the future of the group and get activities up and running again.

If you have any interest in Peel Park & the Coppice LNR, please don’t hesitate to come along. Please contact robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk, 01254 230348 or call in at 54 Broadway, Accrington, BB5 1EW to express your interest.

Furthermore please contact Robert if you have queries or want an update on the Friends Of group.

Tuesday 28th January 2025 – Woodnook Vale LNR

Posted on Posted in Baxenden Local Panel, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, Hyndburns Woodlands, News

On Tuesday 28th January The Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were at Woodnook Vale LNR for a different kind of session!

This week, we were joined by Imogen, from Imogen Storey Gardens, who kindly offered her expertise on live Willow structures! Imogen showed myself and volunteers how to correctly weave live Willow into a desired shape so that it grows into a frame.

The Willow structure in question has been on Woodnook Vale for many years but has fallen into disrepair. The aim of the project is to get the Willow Arch back into its ‘domed’ shape that will offer shelter for the two benches present. The arch is located along Woodnook Vale LNR, just below the entrance to Jubilee woodlands. W3W location is baker.removes.mended

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

Oak Sapling Rescue Success! (January 2025)

Posted on Posted in Community TreeACTION, Hyndburn's Nature Reserves, News

An exciting week to be an oak sapling!

On Monday 20th, the TreeACTION Project teamed up with Hyndburn's Nature Reserves Project to rescue some small oak saplings at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR.
These little trees are planted accidentally by Jays when they forget the location of their acorn cache! As the heather is a vital habitat, they would eventually have been cut down. We dug up 60 oaks to give them a brighter future elsewhere in Hyndburn.
On Tuesday 21st, the smaller oaks were potted up at our Tree Nursery, allowing them to grow stronger before they’re planted next year.
Lastly, on Wednesday 22nd, 15 of the larger oaks found their new home at Harvey Street in Oswaldtwistle - a beautiful way to complete their journey in just three days!
A huge thank you to our incredible and hard-working volunteers 🌳
Oak Sapling Rescue at the Coppice
A freshly dug up Oak Sapling
A volunteer holding an Oak Sapling
Potting on the Oaks at our new Tree Nursery
Re-planting the larger Oaks at Harvey St

A big thank you to our funders for making this possible!

This work is possible due to funding from the Windfall Fund and Hyndburn Borough Council.

Climate Action & Me – A Community Workshop

Posted on Posted in Brookside, Community TreeACTION, Get Involved, Hyndburn's Nature Reserves, Hyndburns Woodlands, Memorial Park, Outdoor Learning

Concerned about climate change?

Join the PROSPECTS Foundation for a free, interactive workshop all about climate action. We will be busting common climate change myths, giving out top tips for having climate conversations, and discussing the very best ways that we can ALL take action.

Get your free tickets here: TICKETS

2024 Volunteer Christmas Celebration!

Posted on Posted in Brookside, Community TreeACTION, Hyndburn's Nature Reserves, Hyndburns Woodlands, Memorial Park, Outdoor Learning

Celebrating the festive season and our volunteers!

On Tuesday 17th December, PROSPECTS held a volunteer celebration at Accrington Cricket Club. Any volunteers who helped out in 2024 were welcome to attend.

We celebrated with sausage rolls, chocolate, and mince pies! (All with vegan options available)

Our Outdoor Learning Officer Sonja worked hard to construct a PROSPECTS quiz for everyone to take part in. Our Brookside Restoration Officer Alice was our quizmaster, she got everyone involved and working together to figure out the tricky questions such as locating where snowy photos of Hyndburn were taken and estimating volunteer sessions statistics like “how many trees were planted in 2024?” (it was 4487!)

Thank you again to all the hard work our volunteers put in to improve our local green spaces and promote sustainability across Hyndburn, you inspire us everyday.

Here’s to another year of environmental action!

Volunteers also got free brews at the bar.
Our Treasurer getting in the festive spirit!
Quiz!
Our Volunteers at the bar!
Digging into the buffet!

Tuesday 17th December 2024 – Whinney Hill

Posted on Posted in Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News, Whinney Hill

On Tuesday 17th December the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Whinney Hill woodland! This week, we found a new ‘treasure trove’ of fly-tipping that was previously unknown to us.

Throughout the session, we removed bags of old clothes, building waste, settee cushions, fencing mesh, and plenty of garden waste

Overall, we removed well over 20 bags of rubbish and fly-tipping from the site. The area is now looking a lot cleaner but work remains to keep the area tidy.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who give their time to help keep Hyndburn’s Woodlands clean from rubbish!

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making this all possible.

 

Tuesday 10th December 2024 – Tree Nursery Allotment

Posted on Posted in Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News

On Tuesday 10th December the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers lent their hand to the TreeACTION Project’s newest site, the tree nursery allotment!

This site, once it is up and running, will be used to grow native provenance species which can be used around the district of Hyndburn for tree planting sessions! Trees with native provenance means that the seeds used to grow the trees have been collected from within the area they are to be planted at a later date. This ensured that local genetic compositions remain the same and helps preserve an areas biological heritage.

For the session, the woodland volunteers set about clearing the 7 sheds on the site. This was a tremendous effort with an incalculable amount of waste being removed from the buildings.

We are happy to say all the sheds are now clear and usable.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers for helping us get this site up and running, the future residents of Hyndburn will be in your debt for all the wonderful, locally grown trees they will enjoy in the future!

As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund for making it all possible

 

Bullough Park Community Plants ‘Family Trees’ for the Future

Posted on Posted in Community TreeACTION, News

Bullough Park Community Plants ‘Family Trees’ for the Future

Residents of Accrington came together on 15th and 16th November 2024 to breathe new life into Bullough Park’s old bowling green by planting 35 ‘Family Trees.’ Ranging from resilient Alder and Birch to fruitful Bramley Apple and Plum, the trees were planted as heartfelt dedications—many in memory of loved ones or as gifts to future generations.

Organised and led by the PROSPECTS Foundation and supported by Hyndburn Borough Council, the Windfall Fund and Trees for Cities, the ‘Family Tree’ initiative, part of the Tree ACTION programme, aims to improve green spaces for the community by increasing tree cover while honouring the history of the site. The towering 10-15 foot trees were carefully planted by local volunteers just before the snow set in. These volunteers will also help maintain them in the years ahead.

Want to help grow a greener future? Contact TreeACTION Officer Helen helen.earnshaw@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

 

Wreathing Making Mastery in Stanhill

Posted on Posted in Brookside

Our first wreath making session of 2024 was a huge sucess, with 20 people creating beautiful wreaths from all natural materials. A big thank you to the Stanhill Methodist Church for use of their lovely hall, and to all who donated to the Brookside Restoration. We are delighted to annouce that we raised £53!

 

Saturday 16th November 2024 – Festive Crafts

Posted on Posted in Accrington Cricket Club, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News, Whinney Hill

On Saturday 16th November 2024 we held our ‘Festive Crafts’ event at Accrington Cricket Club! The session was led by the talented Gareth Muir of Crag Moor Bushcraft.

Participants learned safe knife handling skills, proper whittling techniques, and crafted their very own Winter Wonderland display! Participants used whittling knives to make different tree models from a length of hazel wood, once these were crafted they were attached to a wood cookie to make their own display!

Thank you to Accrington Cricket Club for lending us their wonderful space, and thank you to Gareth for lending us his amazing knowledge!

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

Tuesday 12th November 2024 – Huncoat East

Posted on Posted in Baxenden Local Panel, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News

On Tuesday 12th November 2024 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Huncoat East woodland continuing with the pathway maintenance started in September.

This involved using spades and shovels to clear back vegetation that had encroached onto the paths. The vegetation covered around 3/4’s of the entire path! We are happy to say the paths have been extended outwards a tremendous amount! Another session will be needed to finish the full path, some 400m.

Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who helped us maintain Hyndburn’s woodlands on a very cold day!

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

Peel Park Pollinator Survey Results 2024

Posted on Posted in News, Peel Park Pollinators at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR

The results are in!

Throughout 2024, PROSPECTS has been carrying out pollinator surveys at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR. Measuring the abundance and distribution of species is vitally important for monitoring species health, climate change, and the effectiveness of conservation actions. Nationally, surveys provide data which allows climate scientists, conservationists, and insect experts to get a greater understanding of the environment across the UK. Locally, the surveys have laid the foundations for what we hope will be a continuous study at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR. In the short term they will show us the current biodiversity of the site; in the long term they will show us how effective conservation efforts on the site have been as well as inform future management.

The surveys have been open to the public as a way to engage people in citizen science and inspire people to take an interest in the environment. A HUGE thank you to all volunteers that assisted with these surveys, your support is invaluable.

Weekly Butterfly UKBMS transects were started in June 2022 by Chloe Jameson. Monthly moth trapping events and BeeWalk transects were started in April 2023 & July 2023, respectively, by Robert W.S. Gabryszak. Weekly butterfly and bee surveys continued throughout 2024 and a moth trap was set up in Pleck Meadow once a month.

Results overview:

Here are the results (scroll down to see all the photos!):

What do these results show?

Sadly, like the rest of the UK, these results paint a terrible picture. Nationwide, recorders have seen a huge decline in invertebrate abundance. In particular, Butterfly Conservation have noticed a 50% decrease in butterfly numbers, based on this year's Big Butterfly Count. This has prompted the declaration of a Butterfly Emergency, you can read more about that here. At the Coppice, we have seen worse than this, with a over a 60% drop in butterfly records from 2023 to 2024 in our weekly UKBMS surveys.

Data from the Bumblebee Conservation Trust shows that 2024 has been the worst year for bumblebees in recorded history, especially for species like the Red-tailed Bumblebee. Most UK bumblebees nest underground, which are vulnerable to flood damage and waterlogged conditions, something that we've had no shortage of this year. Our bee and moth data showed a slight increase this year - however we were surveying more frequently and for a longer time than in 2023, which would account for the increase.

Climate change, habitat loss, and pesticide use have all contributed to the gradual decline of invertebrate populations over the last century. This has made them extra vulnerable to severe weather, which we have seen a lot of in 2024. As one of the wettest years on record, it has made it harder for a significant majority of species to carry out their usual life cycles.

It is not all doom and gloom though, we have still seen a diverse range of species on the site which you can see below. With continued improvements to the site's meadow and heathland habitats, pollinators will be better equipped to recover their populations.

We can only hope that we see improved weather next year so that invertebrate populations have chance to bounce back. In the meantime, we will continue to protect, create, and restore habitat for pollinators and all wildlife across Hyndburn's green spaces in our new Hyndburn's Nature Reserves project.

Want to help? Please contact robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk if you would like to help with habitat restoration or survey work. Alternatively, call 01254 230348 or pop into our shop at 54 Broadway, Accrington, BB5 1EW.

If you would like more information on the survey data then please contact Robert.

The following invertebrate photos were all taken at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR in 2024, credit to Robert W.S. Gabryszak. 

46 Macro Moth Species

Here are the following macro moth species that have been recorded.
Naming explanation, for example we'll look at "54.008 – 20240625 – Six-spot Burnet"
  • 54.008: The ABH number is a 5 digit code which orders Lepidoptera (moths and butterflies) taxonomically. Therefore showing how closely related each species is to one another. 
  • 20240625: The date the photograph was taken and/or the moth was recorded. If there is no photo we were unable to take a photo before the invertebrate flew away.
  • Six-spot Burnet: The common name of the moth as opposed to their scientific name.
3.003 – 20240615 – Map-winged Swift
54.008 – 20240625 – Six-spot Burnet
54.009 – 20240708 – Narrow-bordered 5-spot Burnet
66.010 – 2024 03 16 – Drinker (Larval)
69.016 – 20240924 – Elephant Hawk-moth (Larval) on RBWH
70.094 – 20240810 – Small Phoenix Male
70.100 – 20240615 – Green Carpet
70.101 – 2023 03 08 – Mottled Grey
70.218 – 20240706 – Latticed Heath
70.241 – 20240810 – Scalloped Oak
70.245 – 2024 03 16 – March (Resting)
70.252 – 20240706 – Peppered
70.255 – 2024 02 17 – Dotted Border
70.265 – 20240706 – Mottled Beauty
70.277 – 20240615 – Common White Wave
71.025 – 20240930 – Buff-tip (Larval) on Hazel
72.002 – 20240907 – Straw Dot
72.063 – 20240711 – Blackneck
73.012 – 20240810 – Burnished Brass f.aurea
73.015 – 20240602 – Silver Y on Yellow Rattle
73.016 – 20240615 – Beautiful Golden Y
73.022 – 20240907 – Gold Spot
73.113 – 20240924 – Angle Shades
73.169 – 20240810 – Common Rustic agg
73.194 – 2024 02 17 – Chestnut
73.210 – 2024 02 17 – Satellite
73.216 – 20240810 – Dun-bar
73.242 – 2024 03 16 – Clouded Drab
73.244 – 2024 03 17 – Common Quaker
73.245 – 2024 03 17 – Small Quaker
73.291 – 20240809 – Common Wainscot
73.301 – 20240810 – Shoulder-striped Wainscot
73.317 – 20240706 – Heart and Dart
73.333 – 20240615 – Ingrailed Clay
73.334 – 20240615 – Small Square-spot
73.336 – 2024 03 16 – Red Chestnut
73.342 – 20240706 – Large Yellow Underwing
73.343 – 20240907 – Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
73.345 – 20240810 – Lesser Yellow Underwing
73.348 – 20240810 – Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing
73.352 – 20240615 – Green Arches
73.353 – 20240810 – Dotted Clay
73.357 – 20240907 – Square-spot Rustic
73.358 – 20240810 – Six-striped Rustic
73.365 – 20240907 – Autumnal Rustic

8 Micro Moth Species

Here are the following micro moth species that have been recorded.

Micro moths are, in general, smaller than macro moths but some larger species do occur. A more accurate way to describe them is that they are more primitive types of moth. They aren't as complex as macro moths, and some of them still have jaws!

16.001 – 20240810 – Bird-cherry Ermine
41.003 – 20240615 – Large Pale Masoner
49.127 – 20240615 – Thistle Straw
49.154 – 20240615 – Dusky Marble
63.073 – 20240810 – Peppered Grey
07.001 – 20240618 – Yellow-banded Longhorn
07.006 – 20240501 – Green Longhorn
48.001 – 20240722 – Common Nettle Tap

16 Butterfly Species

Here are the following butterfly species that have been recorded. Holly Blue and Small Tortoiseshell were not seen during a UKBMS survey, but during the Big Butterfly Count.
20240730 – Small Skipper
20240625 - Large Skipper
2024 04 16 – Small White
20240505 - Orange-tip
20240722 – Large White
20240516 - Green-veined White
20240903 – Red Admiral
20240903 – Small Copper
20240903 – Peacock
20240814 – Gatekeeper
20240702 – Ringlet
20240625 - Meadow Brown
20240814 – Small Tortoiseshell
20240802 - Holly Blue

14 Bee Species

Here are the following bee species that have been recorded.
20240419 - Common Carder Bumblebee
20240530 - Heath Bumblebee
20240814 – White-tailed Bumblebee
20240411 - Garden Bumblebee
20240326 - Red-tailed Bumblebee
20240322 - Buff-tailed Bumblebee
20240530 - Early Bumblebee
20240411 - Forester's Cuckoo
20240814 - Patchwork Leafcutter Bee
20240421 - Orange-tailed Mining Bee (pair)
20240411 - Lasioglossum sp.
20240324 - Andrena sp.
This project would not have been possible without our funders:

Tuesday 5th November 2024 – Jubilee Meadow

Posted on Posted in Baxenden Local Panel, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News

On Tuesday 5th November the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Jubilee woodland to continue with the meadow maintenance that we started the week prior.

Much of the scything had already been carried out, so this session primarily focused on raking off the cuttings to reduce the nutrients present.

Once the last bit of scything was complete, and the raking carried out, volunteers sowed Yellow rattle seeds into the cut meadow. This was done via the ‘heeling’ technique, volunteers small indents into the meadow using the heel of their boots. A small sprinkle of seeds were then placed into the indent, which was then covered over using their heel.

Yellow rattle is a valuable plant for meadow management as the plant parasitizes grasses, reducing their prevalence which in turn benefits other wildflowers. Yellow rattle itself is a wild flower which provides benefits to pollinators.

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

 

Tuesday 29th October 2024 – Jubilee Meadow

Posted on Posted in Baxenden Local Panel, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News

On Tuesday 29th October the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were hard at work at Jubilee woodland continuing with the meadow management that has been going on for 3 years.

This involves using scythes to cut as much of the grassy material as low to the ground as possible, the cuttings (arisings) are then raked off the meadow area and removed. This reduces the available nutrients in the following years, which reduces the overall height of grass and allows wildflowers to sprout up.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped us on the day, it was definitely hard work but we managed to get it done!

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

Friday 25th October 2024 – Fairy Door Making

Posted on Posted in Accrington Cricket Club, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News, Whinney Hill

On Friday 25th October The PROSPECTS Foundation held their first ‘Fairy Door Making’ activity at Accrington Cricket Club.

Participants used natural material such as bark, berries, wood chippings and twigs to create their very own fairy doors and fairy houses, with accompanying furniture!

Everyone crafted some spectacular creations that our mystical friends will no doubt love!

Thank you to everyone who attended the session, you all made it a wonderful afternoon. Thank you also to Accrington Cricket Club for lending us their incredible space!

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

 

Tuesday 22nd October 2024 – Butterfly Glade Maintenance

Posted on Posted in Biodiversity, Hyndburn's Woodlands - Phase 2, News, Whinney Hill

On Tuesday 22nd October the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Whinney Hill woodland carrying out some maintenance work on the butterfly glade located at the top part of the woodland. The glade has a good number of pollinator-benefitting wildflower species, such as cowslip, Marsh mallow, and eyebright.

Maintenance involves using scythes to cut the grassy areas as low as possible, cuttings are then removed to decrease the total available nutrients in that area. Wildflowers prefer nutrient low soil as this reduces grass height which in turn reduces competition for wildflowers to grow.

Once the scything had been completed, volunteers sowed Yellow rattle seeds into the glade by creating a patch of bare soil and then heeling seeds into the soil. Yellow rattle is a species which parasitises grass, and therefore reduces grass prevalence in the area.

Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped us improve local biodiversity.

Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

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