Hyndburn's Community-Owned Environmental Charity
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.
On Tuesday 8th October the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Whinney Hill carrying out some maintenance jobs in the area.
Initially, we re-established the information board that had been torn down a few months prior. The information board can now be used to publicize events for the local area.
We then used scythes to clear back the verges on the Livingstone road entrance to the site to open it up more and improve visibility, as well as making the area look tidier. Hand tools like loppers and bow saws were then used to cut back vegetation overhanging on the fence.
Finally a litter pick was carried out along the entrance to help keen the area clean and tidy, we unfortunately did find quite a lot of litter this time!
Thank you to our wonderful volunteers who help us carry out this important work
As always, thank you to our funders at Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Grant.
On Monday 10th June the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Project engaged with the Great UK WaterBlitz. The Great UK WaterBlitz is a national citizen science scheme aimed at assessing how clean the UK waterways are.
For the scheme, we measured the quality of two parameters, that of nitrates and phosphates. We are happy to report that both parameters came back as ‘Low’ which means they are in ‘Good’ ecological health!
Thank you to our volunteers who came along and helped us assess the quality of one of our beautiful waterways!
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
On Thursday 30th May The Hyndburn’s Woodlands volunteers had a much drier session in The PROSPECTS Foundation’s tool store! Here we prepared ‘Wood Cookie Key-rings’ for our annual EcoFest celebration!
This involved using a miter saw to first cut lengths of logs into small ‘cookies’. Cookies were then, very carefully, hand drilled using a corkscrew hand drill. These were chosen to minimise the cookies splitting. With the hole inserted into the cookies, key rings were attached followed by a firm stamping of the ‘EcoFest’ logo!
Thank you to our amazing volunteers who helped us prepare for the big day, we couldn’t have done it without you!
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
On Thursday 16th May we got lucky with some sunny weather as National Highways paid a visit to Peel Park & the Coppice LNR. National Highway have been funding the Network 4 Nature project across the UK, creating biodiverse habitats along our roads and highways in collaboration with The Wildlife Trust. This includes the Accrington Bypass (A56) which borders Peel Park.
The project has been funding Lancashire Wildlife Trust which has then in turn been funding PROSPECTS to help carry out the work with the help of volunteers in the Peel Park Pollinators Project.
The visit produced this fantastic video, highlighting the importance of de-fragmenting habitats to boost biodiversity.
For more information on the Network 4 Nature project, check out the National Highways website!
For more information on the project or to get involved, contact Project Officer Robert Gabryszak at robert.gabryszak@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or 01254 230348 (ext. 208)
Stephen Hutchinson has joined PROSPECTS as our new Low Carbon Community Buildings Officer. Stephen will work with local community organisations to help them reduce their building’s carbon emissions and take action against climate change. Community groups will be supported to obtain an energy audit of their buildings, as well as apply for funding for energy efficiency and renewable energy measures. Stephen will also be running carbon literacy and energy efficiency training sessions with community groups. The project will run for 12 month and is funded by Electricity North West and the Windfall Fund.
To find out more about the project, contact stephen.hutchinson@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or call 01254 230348.
We’re pleased to announce that Alice Pooley has joined the PROSPECTS team as our new Brookside Development Officer!
Following the purchase of the 87-acre Brookside site in Stanhill Village, Oswaldtwistle (also known as Bury Meadows), Hyndburn Borough Council has partnered with the PROSPECTS Foundation, Lancashire Wildlife Trust, Stanhill Village Community Association, the Ribble Rivers Trust and Proffitts CIC to transform the space into a beacon of biodiversity, habitat recovery, carbon capture and tangible climate action.
Alice will be managing the development phase of the project, which is set to run for the next 18 months and is funded by the National Lottery Climate Action Fund and the Windfall Fund. Each of the partners has a crucial role to play in this exciting project, but there will also be a strong volunteer component, so keep your eyes peeled for new and exciting volunteer opportunities coming soon!
To find out more about the project, contact alice.pooley@prospectsfoundation.org.uk or call 01254 230348.
Dock Removal at Pleck Meadow!
Before and after removing Silver Birch.
Thank you to BT Accrington Staff!
Silver Birch removal!
Hedgerow planting with the TreeACTION project!
March Moth
Common Quaker
Small Quaker
Clouded Drab
Red Chestnut
Red-tailed Queen
Buff-tailed Queen
Andrena Sp.
Andrena Sp.
On Tuesday 26th March the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were back at Whinney Hill woodland carrying out some INNS (Invasive Non-Native Species) management, in the form of removing Small-leaved Cotoneaster which had likely escaped from one of the neighboring allotments.
Small-leaved Cotoneaster can be quite tricky to remove, it needs to be dug out with the roots which can be quite extensive and sturdy. Volunteers used loppers and bows to first clear all of the above ground vegetation, which was followed by using spades to dig out the root ball in its entirety.
Afterwards, the collection of litter that had been picked over the course of many sessions was moved to a location for removal.
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
On Tuesday 19th March the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers once again teemed up with the TreeACTION Project to plant a hedgerow on our sites. This time, we planted a mixed species hedgerow at the Hollins wood.
This hedgerow will act as a natural barrier for the site, while providing habitat and forage for birds, small mammals, and invertebrates.
Thank you to our volunteers for helping us improve local biodiversity.
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
On Sunday 3rd March 2024 the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers teamed up with the TreeACTION Project to plant a 60 metre long hedgerow bordering between the Whinney Hill entrance ginnel and the Cricket Club.
We planted a Hawthorn hedgerow to act as a barrier for the cricket club, while providing winter forage for birds and small mammals. The hedgerow will be maintained in the future years to continually promote its growth.
In future years, the hedgerow will offer an opportunity for a hedge-laying activity.
Thank you to our volunteers for helping us improve local biodiversity and site security.
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
We have have been a lot busier on the Coppice this month thanks to the milder weather.
During February half term, our very own TreeACTION project hosted a session on the site to plant a new Alder Buckthorn hedgerow to attract the Brimstone Butterfly. We also had help from the North Lancs Training Group hospitality team who volunteered their time to help us with the Alder Buckthorn and the leftover Hawthorn from last month. They even made the Lancashire Telegraph! A huge thank you to NLTG for all their hard work.
The Brimstone Butterfly is an unmistakable butterfly, with the males of the species sporting sulphur yellow scales that instantly brighten up the landscape in early spring. The females are a bit more modest, with their pale greenish-white wings, the average person may mistake them for a Large White or even a leaf! The butterfly is quite common down south but is becoming more common in the north of England. We are brimming with anticipation to see if the Brimstone will take to our new hedgerow and choose it to lay its eggs. The caterpillars can only feed on Alder Buckthorn & Buckthorn so they are essential to have if we hope to help the Brimstone population!
During the half term, we also held a litter pick walk from Arden Hall to Pleck Meadow where we collected 8 bags of litter! On the walk, we discovered some frog spawn in the new wetlands on Pleck Meadow, amazing news for this habitat. You can read more about the frog spawn at Pleck Meadow here.
And of course, we continued to clear scrub in the heathland to prevent woodland encroachment, ensuring that heath species like Heather and Bilberry have plenty of light and can continue to thrive. Lowland Heathland is a semi-natural habitat which requires intervention from humans and/or large animals to keep the soils nutrient poor and acidic. These conditions provide a unique habitat which benefits many wildflowers and pollinators. You can read more about the cultural and biological importance of heathland on the Wildlife Trust website. We have also been busy removing dominant Purple Moor Grass to give heath species more room to grow, not an easy feat as the grass's roots form rock hard mats which are difficult to dig up!
Scrub clearing on the heathland!
8 bags of litter!
NLTG in front of the Holly & Hawthorn hedgerow.
Alder Buckthorn for the Brimstone Butterfly.
Alder Buckthorn hedgerow along Pleck Meadow!
Satellite Moth
Chestnut Moth
Dotted Border Moth
It’s that time of year again when we start our Bee and Butterfly surveys at Peel Park & the Coppice LNR!
The walks will start on Tuesday 5th March 2024, and will take place every Tuesday @1pm (weather permitting) until September 2024. The transects start in Pleck Meadow and go around the whole site, where participants will count and ID every butterfly or bee they see. This data will then be submitted to UKBMS and the Bumblebee Conservation Trust respectively.
The surveys are open to all members of the public, whether you are a butterfly novice or an invertebrate expert. The walk around the site will help you stay fit and get in touch with nature!
Meeting point & Accessibility: Robert will be in the Peel Park Car Park next to the bowling green at the end of Peel Park Avenue, BB5 6UQ at 1pm. Look for Robert in his orange hi-vis! By 1:15pm, the group should arrive at the starting point for the transect, where attendees on foot are welcome to meet. This map details the meeting points as well shows the route taken. Some areas of the walk are not accessible for everyone, but there are alternate routes which individuals may take to avoid these.
Date & Time: Every Tuesday @1pm. The survey is subject to weather conditions. Assume that if is below 10°C, there are wind gusts above 20mph, and/or it is raining, that the survey will not go ahead and will be done at another point in the week if feasible.
If you are interested in attending surveys throughout the year, would like more information, or would like to notified if/when a survey is not going ahead, get in touch with Robert:
On Tuesday 27th February the Hyndburn’s Woodlands Volunteers were at Huncoat East carrying out some coppicing work. Coppicing is an ancient form of woodland management that dates back to at least the Neolithic period of the UK.
Coppicing involves felling a tree back to it’s base to create a ‘stool’. From the stool, new shoots are sent out which eventually grow into thin poles. Poles can be left for a desired number of years to create the desired girth, which can be utilised for a variety of functions from basket weaving, wattle weaving, or even building construction.
During our session, we were coppicing hazel stools around the woods. After felling, some of the product was used to create ‘dragon’s nests’ which are circular barriers erected around the stool to deter browsing animals, such as deer, from consuming the new shoots.
The product was also used to make repairs to the dead-hedge established at Huncoat East a few years ago as an outdoor learning area.
Thank you to our volunteers for helping us maintain this traditional skill and our wonderful outdoor learning area.
Activity funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
On Saturday 24th February 2024 the Whinney Hill Helpers were carrying out a litter pick across the woodland. An extensive amount of litter and fly-tipping was removed from the woodland, including the front bumper of a car. Around 5 bin bags worth of litter were also removed along with the fly-tipping.
Thank you to our volunteers for helping us keep our woodlands clean!
Funded by Lancashire County Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, and the Windfall Fund.
After the wetlands on Pleck Meadow were constructed last year, we all waited with baited breath to see whether any frogs, toads or newts would find them suitable enough to call home.
This week our anticipation was quenched when, with the help of some plucky, young, litter-picking volunteers, we spotted some eggs in two of the ponds!
During this time we especially ask that people do not let their dogs in any ponds as they can trample the spawn/tadpoles and also leech pesticides into the water from flea treatments.
If you’d like more information, Froglife runs a #pawsagainstponds campaign and has an extensive article on the subject.
Thank you for keeping dogs out of wildlife ponds.
The PROSPECTS Foundation is holding 2 community events for people to share their views on the West Pennine Moors. The events are being held on behalf of Natural England, and the results will help to inform future priorities for the area.
The West Pennine Moors is a unique landscape connecting towns across Lancashire and Greater Manchester. Bordering the south side of Hyndburn along Oswaldtwistle Moor, and stretching across to Bolton, Chorley and Ramsbottom, this wild, open space has been enjoyed by locals and visitors for generations. Containing three protected Sites of Special Scientific Interest, the area supports a mosaic of distinctive habitats including moorland, fringe grassland, meadows and ancient woodland. Threaded throughout this remarkable natural landscape is a rich industrial heritage, historic parks and iconic gardens.
The PROSPECTS Foundation wants to capture the wide range of views, needs and opinions about the West Pennine Moors, and find out what this special place means to different people.
The community events will be held on:
To book a place email info@prospectsfoundation.org.uk
Lancashire Wildlife Trust will be running similar events outside of Hyndburn.
There’s also an online survey for those who can’t make the events.
Watch Natural England’s video below to find out more about people’s relationships with the West Pennine Moors.
To get ready for EcoFest 2024, PROSPECTS will be handing out free wildflower seeds.
We will be handing them out at events and in our shop at 54 Broadway, BB5 1EW.
Be sure to keep updated on our events by checking our calendar or signing up to our e-newsletter.
The seeds are a mixture of 26 annual and perennial wildflowers. The annual flowers ensure you get some colour the first year and act as ‘nursery’ plants, shielding the perennial plants whilst they establish their roots and get ready to bloom the following year. Perennial plants can live for many years and will continue to flower yearly. Annual plants will die after one year and will only appear next year if they can get their seeds on to bare ground, so you may not see them again after the first year.
To sow them, you can sprinkle them on to any patch of bareground, e.g., in a pot/planter or on your lawn. Lightly tread the seeds in so that they are covered by soil. If the seeds are in Wildflower Bombs (which we will be making at EcoFest 2024!) then you don’t need to cover them in soil as they will already be protected from birds and rodents by a layer of clay. The seeds can cover an area of 0.5m2 but you can spread them as far as you like. To give your mini wildflower meadow the best chance, choose an area of low nutrient soil. Then once the growing season is over, cut the vegetation and remove it from the area. We do this on a bigger scale at Pleck Meadow.
The wildflower seed mixture is Boston Seeds’ Bees and Butterfly Seed Mix. See below for the full contents: