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Hyndburn's Community-Owned Environmental Charity

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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.

 

Picnic in the Park 2024

Posted on Posted in Memorial Park

On Sunday 18th August the extremely well received ‘Picnic in the Park 2024’ was held at Memorial Park, Great Harwood!

The event was a joint effort between The PROSPECTS Foundation, The Friends of Memorial Park (FOMP), Proffitts CIC, and Hyndburn Borough Council.

Attendees enjoyed a lovely afternoon’s picnic on the freshly mown grass, with food provided by Brie Mine, La Bella Mozzarella, Mrs Dowsons, and D.C. Coffee

While everyone tucked into their picnic, they also enjoyed a delightful performance from J.R. Frozen and a nostalgic tribute from Stacksteads Brass Band. Mary Speight also offered some artful face painting for festival goers to get into the mood!

It wasn’t all picnics and performances though! Attendees also explored the park, with FOMP setting up a family-fun treasure hunt with a special prize draw at the end, PROSPECTS set up a ‘taster forest school’ activity and a bug hunting session at Snowdrop Corner.

The weather held wonderfully all day for us, with there being only a few minutes of worrying rain, but afterwards it was sunshine all around!

Thank you to everyone who attended the event, your presence made the day as wonderful as it was!

Thank you to our partners who helped organise the event with us

 

Saturday 13th October 2024 – Fungi Walk

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

On Saturday 13th October, Hyndburn’s Woodlands Officer Brandon Cherry and Irene, of the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, held a fungi walk at Whinney Hill woodland! (Livingstone Road)

The walk was very well attended, with 21 people turning out for the walk! Irene, a professional mycologist, strolled through the woods while attendees scouted for fungi. The attendees found an abundance of fungi which Irene identified and discussed.

The weather, unfortunately, only held for an hour for us after which a downpour occurred and forced an early finish!

Thank you to Irene for leading the session and for sharing her bountiful knowledge! Thank you also to those that attended the walk and made it a lovely afternoon

As always, thank you to our funders for making it all possible

Funding provided by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.

 

Summer 2024 Overview at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR

Posted on Posted in HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News, Peel Park Pollinators at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR

Tumultuous weather at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR this summer!

Like the rest of the UK, we have been experiencing some odd weather, accompanied by some disappointingly low invertebrate numbers. But we are still working hard to improve the site for pollinators.

Our summer started like many others do, tackling Himalayan Balsam! We had several sessions of balsam removal around Pleck Meadow to reduce its spread. Similarly, volunteers have been working around the site to remove Montbretia, a.k.a Crocosmia. Whilst it is a wonderful flower to have in the garden, a common cultivar (Crocosmia × crocosmiiflora) can escape from gardens, where it can kill biodiversity along paths and woodland floors as it spreads. Pleck Meadow also received its 3rd annual Grassland Condition Assessment. During the assessment, volunteers were able to attend to find out more about wildflower ID and what makes a healthy meadow.

We have continued to remove Rosebay Willowherb & Purple Moor Grass from the area of heathland that suffered a burn in June 2023.

We have continued to work at the Northern Gateway entrance near to the Peel Park Car Park where we removed dock, Creeping Thistle, and Bindweed. The summer results have been spectacular for the Northern Gateway as we have had swathes of Tufted Vetch, Black Knapweed, Yellow Rattle, Bird's-foot-trefoil, and Ox-eye Daisy. We've also had some new species appear such as Wild Marjoram, Marsh Woundwort, and Lady's Bedstraw.

Lastly, we had a double whammy of important management for pollinator diversity at Pleck Meadow as it received its 3rd annual cut and had a butterfly bank installed! You can read more about them by clicking their links.

Volunteer Work & Wildflowers- Summer 2024

Removing Himalayan Balsam!
Removing Montbretia!
Grassland Condition Assessment with Ben Hargreaves (LWT)
Pleck Meadow's Third Annual Cut
Butterfly Bank Creation
Tufted Vetch & Yellow Rattle
Wild Marjoram
All the wildflowers at the Northern Gateway!
Marsh Woundwort
Common Globetail on Ox-eye Daisy

A Butterfly Emergency - Summer 2024

Butterfly Conservation has officially declared a butterfly emergency - and looking at our survey results this year at Peel Park & the Coppice, we can see why. All in all, we have had a good diversity of invertebrates, with species like Small Copper, Peacock, Small Heath, Small Skipper & more still making an appearance. However there was a severe lack in abundance. We have released some preliminary butterfly data, our full results will be coming soon.

Our weekly surveys have now concluded for the year, but be sure to stayed tuned in 2025 to see the return of pollinator walks and surveys in Hyndburn.

To express your interest, contact Robert at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

Summer Pollinators!

Small Heath
Peacock on Black Knapweed
Large Skipper
Small Copper on Common Ragwort
Red Admiral
Early Bumblebee on Comfrey
Bumblebee Plumehorn
Honey Bee on Heather
Stripe-backed Fleckwing on Cat's-ear
Patchwork Leafcutter on Black Knapweed

Missing moths.

Again, moths have also lacked in abundance this year - but also in diversity as we have seen far less than we saw during last years moth traps. There has also been a widespread lack of Elephant Hawk-moth and Cinnabar moth caterpillars.

Nevertheless, we still saw some interesting moths species which you can check out below!

Our public moth traps have ended for the year, but be sure to stay tuned for moth trap events next year!

To express your interest, contact Robert at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

Summer Moths and Moth Night

Common White Wave
Green Carpet
Project Officer, Robert Gabryszak.
Green Arches
Beautiful Golden Y
Latticed Heath
July Moth Morning w/ Dave Bickerton!
Large Yellow Underwing
July Moth Morning w/ Dave Bickerton!
Peppered
August Moth Morning
Burnished Brass
August Moth Night!
Scalloped Oak
Brews and a Large Yellow Underwing!

Coming up in October:

We are still having weekly volunteer sessions in October, every Monday, 10am-1pm. October is the last month of the Peel Park Pollinators project, but it is not the end of PROSPECTS' conservation work at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR. We will have more information on future projects soon!

For info on conservation work @Peel Park & the Coppice LNR, Contact Robert:

robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk

01254 230348 (ext. 208)

Thanks to our funders and partners:

Our work at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR wouldn't be possible without the permission of its use by Hyndburn Borough Council and the funding from LEF, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, & Windfall Fund.

 

Windfall Fund

Butterfly Emergency 2024

Posted on Posted in HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News, Peel Park Pollinators at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR

Preliminary butterfly data from Peel Park & the Coppice LNR

Throughout 2024, PROSPECTS has been performing pollinator surveys at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR as part of the Peel Park Pollinator's project. A huge thank you to anyone who assisted with the surveys, especially during a very poor year for it.
We'll be submitting/analysing all the data over the next couple weeks, but we wanted to share some shocking preliminary data from the weekly butterfly walks. The following chart shows the total number of butterflies counted in 2022, 2023, and 2024, revealing a shocking ~70% drop in butterflies from 2022 to 2024. We still managed to record 14 different species of butterfly, which is two less than in 2022 but 6 less than in 2023.
image.png
This data is coming at the same time as Butterfly Conservation's declaration of a Butterfly Emergency, after they have seen similarly shocking drops in the data received during the Big Butterfly Count this year. From Butterfly Conservation:

Overall, you spotted just seven butterflies on average per 15-minute Count, a drop of almost 50% on last year’s average of 12, and the lowest in the 14-year history of the Big Butterfly Count.

The incredibly poor weather this year is an obvious factor in the low numbers, but this is on top of existing pressures such as habitat loss, climate change, and pesticide use which have been causing a decline in pollinator populations over the past century. This year has made it all the more apparent that we should be continuing to restore and create habitat for pollinators. We are striving to continue this with the local community at Pleck Meadow, Peel Park, and throughout Hyndburn. If you have any ideas for how your local green space can be improved for pollinators, please get in touch.
In absence of the weekly pollinator walks, we hope to continue with some seasonal walks and seed collecting walks/sessions. We want to make these accessible for everyone, let us know if you are interested! Furthermore, please express your interest if you would like to take part in any pollinator surveys next year. If you wanted to attend this year but weren't able to make it, please let us know why and we will do our best to accommodate in the future.

Butterflies from 2024 at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR

Small Heath
Peacock
Large Skipper
Small Copper
Red Admiral
Gatekeeper
Orange-tip
Green-veined White
Small White
Meadow Brown
Ringlet
Speckled Wood

Contact us

Please contact robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk for more information or to express your interest in pollinator surveys. Alternatively call in to our shop at 54 Broadway, Accrington, BB5 1EW or telephone 01254230348.

Friday 27th September 2024 – Baxenden Bat Walk

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

On Friday 27th September 2024 The Hyndburn’s Woodlands project held their second bat walk of the year at Woodnook Vale LNR!

Participants were led by Roger, the Batman, Cunliffe who took them for a light stroll through the vale, with detectors in hand, to search for our nocturnal friends! It didn’t take long to spot them, only a few 100 meters into the walk and we could already see them swooping overhead!

The walk was positively teeming with activity and everyone got to both hear and see our native bats in action!

Thank you to everyone who attended our walk, your presence made it the wonderful evening it was! Thank you also to Roger Cunliffe for sharing his incredible knowledge with us!

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

 

Spring 2024 Overview at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR

Posted on Posted in HEAL project at Peel Park and the Coppice Local Nature Reserve, News, Peel Park Pollinators at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR

Spring is well underway at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR in April 2024!

Despite the temperamental weather in April, we still managed to get a lot done on Peel Park & the Coppice LNR.

April is the perfect month for planting & seed sowing. We have been planting a variety of different native species to benefit pollinators.

We have had a couple Saturday sessions at Pleck Meadow where we picked litter, removed Broadleaved Dock & Soft Rush, and planted wildflowers like Marsh Violet, Lesser Spearwort, & Meadowsweet. Amphibian activity was good as we have seen spawn from frogs and toads, as well as a pregnant Smooth Newt! We have also been removing Rosebay Willowherb & Purple Moor Grass from the area of heathland that suffered a burn in June 2023, and planting wildflowers like Sheep's Sorrel, Devil's-bit Scabious, and Heath Speedwell.

We also worked at the Northern Gateway entrance near to the Peel Park Car Park where we removed dock, planted wildflowers and sowed plenty of wildflower seeds!

We had huge help from primary schools in the area like Peel Park Primary School and Benjamin Hargreaves Primary School, who helped with wildflower planting all around Pleck Meadow! Thanks to them there will be tonnes of wildflowers for pollinators in the coming months and years.

Lastly, the long awaited Pleck Meadow Carved Bench has finally been installed after months of waiting for some dry weather! The talented local chainsaw artist, Rick Goodwin, has carved this beautiful bench from Larch which was felled on-site by Woody C.I.C. in Winter 2022/23. Please rest your feet and enjoy the views of the meadow & Accrington!

Volunteer Work in April & May.

Dock Removal at Pleck Meadow!
Removing Himalayan Balsam
Wildflower Planting with Benjamin Hargreaves Primary School!
Rosebay Willowherb Removal and Wildflower Planting
Pleck Meadow Carved Bench

Bees and butterflies in April/May

April marked the official start to this year's UKBMS surveys. It will be another month before we get huge amounts of butterflies - but we have had a few species on the site like Orange-tip, Peacock, Small Copper, Speckled Wood, and Small White. Some new bumblebees have been spotted like Early, Garden, and Heath Bumblebees.

Project Officer, Robert Gabryszak, will be continuing to do bee and butterfly surveys every week to track the progress of pollinators throughout the year. Check out our events calendar to see when the next survey is!

To express your interest, contact him at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

April/May Pollinators!

Small White
Orange-tip
Speckled Wood
Small Copper
Peacock
Honey Bee
Orange-tailed Mining Bee Pair
Early Bumblebee
Red-tailed Bumblebee (with mites!)
Heath Bumblebee

A lot of interesting characters!

PROSPECTS set the fourth & fifth monthly moth traps of 2024 up in Pleck Meadow. Now that the weather is warming up we are getting a more in the trap.

We have found four species in our trap, Hebrew Character, Clouded Drab, Common Quaker, and Small Phoenix. Just like butterflies, moths are invaluable pollinators for flowers. Their larvae also have a wide variety of food plants, making them useful herbivores.

Project Officer, Robert Gabryszak, will be continuing to set up the trap every month to track the progress of moths throughout the year. There will a special event celebrating over a year of moth recording on Peel Park & the Coppice on 15th June 2024, 9am-12pm in near the Peel Park Play Area.

To express your interest, contact him at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

April/May Moths and Moth Night

Small Phoenix
Hebrew Character
May Moth Night
Clouded Drab
Common Quaker

Thanks to our funders and partners:

Our work at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR wouldn't be possible without the permission of its use by Hyndburn Borough Council and the funding from LEF, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, & Windfall Fund.

 

Windfall Fund

Butterfly Bank Installation

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

Basking butterflies welcome!

On the 17th & 18th September, a butterfly bank was constructed at Pleck Meadow.

A butterfly bank is a raised bank made of low nutrient aggregate. This bank will be a perfect spot for basking invertebrates and will benefit a wide range of wildflowers which will be important for butterflies and other pollinators. Limestone aggregate was used to support wildflowers like Viper's Bugloss, Kidney Vetch, Bird's-foot-trefoil, Greater Knapweed, Small Scabious and more calcareous loving plants which are important to pollinators.

Volunteers have already begun to plant wildflowers and sow seeds on the bank so that it will be ready to bloom in spring, providing support to butterflies after the incredibly harsh year that 2024 has been for them. Butterfly Conservation have officially declared a butterfly emergency, so they are going to need all the help they can get!

The next volunteer session will be Monday 30th September, we will be working on Pleck Meadow to continue improvements for the pollinators. Contact robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk for more information.

1. Creating the outline for the bank
2. Digging up clay and burying top soil
3. Building up the bank with soil and clay
4. Capping the bank with limestone aggregate
5. Seeding the bank.

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

This project was possible due to our thanks to funding from Lancashire Wildlife Trust (Lancashire Environmental Fund & National Highways) and the Windfall Fund.

Pleck Meadow 2024 Annual Cut

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

Pleck Meadow gets its 3rd annual trim!

On Monday 9th, September 2024, Pleck Meadow at Peel Park and the Coppice LNR had its 3rd annual cut!

Annual cut & collects are an important part of wildflower meadow management as it reduces nutrients in the soil which overtime will ensure that vigourous grasses and invasive species do not become dominant. A wider variety of short and slow-growing plants can thrive as a result, increasing biodiversity in the meadow as more kinds of plants means more kinds of pollinators!

In a natural ecosystem, plants are removed by herbivores which can spread the nutrients across a landscape as they migrate, creating a range of different habitats including areas of nutrient poor soil that can support wildflowers. In the UK, a majority of our native large herbivores are gone and the ones remaining have fragmented habitats which disrupts their migration. This means that the natural spread of nutrients can not occur, resulting in an accumulation of plant growth in an area that builds up over time, creating an area of high nutrient soil which allows plants like Creeping Thistle, Creeping Buttercup, docks, and Stinging Nettle to dominate.

Habitats like this can still be important for wildlife (E.g., Stinging Nettles act as the food plant for Comma, Peacock, Red Admiral and Small Tortoiseshell butterflies,)  but since 98% of wildflower meadows in the UK have disappeared in the last century, it's vital we transform areas of high nutrient density into to spaces for a vast array of native wildflowers & pollinators to thrive.

So with a severe lack of grazing animals on hand, we settled with a tractor as the next best thing! The compact tractor we got was able to cut and remove a large area of the meadow over the course of a day. We have left areas of longer vegetation around the meadow to give small mammals and invertebrates areas to shelter over winter as well as provide cover for birds and deer.

For more information and to see what sort of species have been found in Pleck Meadow, check out our FAQ.

If you would like to get involved in meadow management on Peel Park & the Coppice LNR, then please email robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or call 01254 230348.

A huge thank you to the Lancashire Wildlife Trust, LEF, National Highways, and the Windfall Fund for making this project possible.

Pleck Meadow Grassland Condition Assessment 2024

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

Pleck Meadow has its third annual assessment.

Pleck Meadow received its third annual Grassland Condition Assessment on the 8th July, 2024.

The results show that the "cut and collect" management is working as the grass sward and presence of negative indicator species has decreased significantly. Seed sowing and plug planting have also increased the number of species present on the meadow.

Read the full report here! 

If you have any questions about the management ongoing at Pleck Meadow, you can read more and look at some of the species we have recorded here! Furthermore, you can contact Project Officer, Robert Gabryszak, at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk.

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