Activities and Work Parties

Hi everyone. .
After two successful fundraisers, and a tremendous turnout for the Bat Walk & Talk(sadly not a lot of bats about, though.See photo with Mike Fisher from one of the Lancashire Bat Groups, starting his talk),we re-started Junior Rangers and began Work Parties to help tidy up the Reserve. These took place on Saturday 26th. September.
We have had several new members join us and one came along for
a work party and did sterling work. Junior Rangers and their respective adults also worked very hard litter picking and tidying up. Thanks to all. The next work party and Junior Ranger session will be on Saturday October 24th(not the last Saturday which is Hallowe'en)and will start at 10.00am. Afternoon session if required will be 1.00pm 'til 3.00pm All welcome. But bring tools such as shears, secateurs, rakes etc. plus plastic sack for litter. Strong gloves and work clothes recommended.
Thanks are due to Corrina Brown author of children's book "Scentville's Scenties" a book against litter and thrown away chewing gum! It was illustrated by 14 years old Kelly Ma, a Vietnamese girl who taught herself English from a dictionary and found she could communicate to her classmates by drawing.She has presented a copy of the book to Prince Charles. More information can be obtained at:-www.scentvillessenties.co.uk Corrina has given us a donation of £25.95p for our funds,as promised, a percentage of books sold and for publicity of her work.Thanks Corrina, and good luck with the book.
lNext Executive Committee meets on Tuesday 20th. October, 7.30pm at Crown Hotel, Colne,all members welcome as observers and can speak to their suggestions.

Star Award for Greenfield LNR

Great news. Last year Rebecca of the Wildlife Trust entered us into the Biodiversity section of the Star Sustainability Awards run by Elevate.Elevate is the pathfinder company undertaking a lot of the renovation work of older properties in the Lancashire area, in partnership with five borough councils, plus Lancashire County Council, English Partnerships and the North West Development Agency.
Rebecca and I were invited to attend a special presentation evening held at Dunkenhalgh Hotel. To the delight of both of us Greenfield LNR won in the biodiversity section. We are now proud possessors of a Star trophy. To view this all members are reminded that there is General Meeting on 15th September. 7.30pm at the Crown Hotel. Albert Road, Colne.

12th. September we are having a stand at the Pendle Canal Festival to raise funds.All help welcome . Contact Secretary on 01282 859745 for more details.
18th September BAT WALK & TALK by Mike Fisher.7.00pm sharp at the LNR's car park.Bring a torch, wrap up warm and wear sensible footwear

Trip to PenworthamEnvironmental Education Centre

Some of the Junior Rangers and their accompanying adults took part in Arts and Crafts celebrating Marine themes,saw a number of animals exhibited(such as the mini-monster above, the Frilled Lizard, who was expecting to lay her eggs any minute), and met author Corrina Brown who has produced a book, Scentville's Scenties.It has been beautifully illustrated by a fourteen year old Kelly Ma. It is all about keeping places sweet and clean, free from rubbish and chewing gum!The group went round the Centre's grounds and saw the kitchen garden,sculptures of wild life, ponds,a bird hide and a willow wigwam. The Centre also manages two woodlands, one of which contains a replica Viking Longhouse. Here special courses are run.The Centre is one of a number throughout the country, where the National Grid has made land available for environmental studies.It is wonderfully decorated inside and out.The Green Man stained glass window above is just one example. Everyone enjoyed the day out.We may be able to go again and perhaps become Vikings for a day! Who knows?

The Big River Clean

It's been a while everyone. First I must say a really big Thank You to Andy and his (rather small) band of stalwarts from CWAC for all their marvellous and exhausting work on a very hot weekend to get the crud and appalling amount of detritus from out of the River Colne,that runs through Greenfield LNR. An even smaller group from Friends of Greenfield LNR did their bit in various ways. But special praise goes to Denise C. and her 7 years old grandson Harrison, who spent at least three hours toiling away collecting and dragging rubbish. This on a day when Denise was due to go on holiday that very afternoon.Would that all our members and Junior Rangers had such loyalty and dedication.Let us hope their combined efforts are noticed when we are inspected by the Judges on July 22nd for Colne in Bloom Competition.
Above left is just some of the first day's collection. By early afternoon on Sunday twice the amount rested in the skip.Also the Anglers had trimmed back a lot of over overhanging trees and cleared a log jamb near the overpass and sewage pipe.We now have a much better riverside down there.
Other happenings have been: a trip to Martin Mere WWT for Downy Ducklings week.17 in all went including nine youngsters.Everyone agreed they'd had a fabulous time. Our first AGM went off well with a presentation by Paul Shoreman on Badgers. A new Committee was elected and have since had their first meeting. Meetings for all members will be quarterly. Next is on September 15th. 7.30pm at Crown Hotel, Colne.
We have had a pond dip which was well attended.
Look out for details of a Wild Camp in our woodland for July/August. Details will be sent out to Juniors and other interested members soon.Remember be Wild about Wildlife and help look after what we've got.

Friends of LNR spread their influence

Today, Thursday 26th. March 2009 some of us are off to Earby to help the Cubs and Beavers build four nest boxes.It will count towards their badge gaining, and they are going to buy them off us and put them up in their patch of ground. So it has been a good spin off from the rather poorly attended session we put on in Colne.
It also gives us a different group of young people to work with to encourage love for the environment and the wild life within it.

If there is anyone out there who can give us ideas or tips on getting the public to take part in Wild Life activities, please tell us. Thanks

Change of Date

Hi Everyone, JUNIOR RANGERS and MEMBERS.
Please note, we are unable to have our usual end of month litter pick and Junior Rangersmeeting on Saturday 28th March. But WE SHALL BE MEETING FROM 4.00pm - 6.00pm on MONDAY 30th.MARCH at the LNR car park.
We shall be litter picking and also Balsam Bashing. The Culprit, Himalayan Balsam, is in the picture right.
Much as this alien plant is very useful for honey bees who love it,sad to say it is a choker. If it gets into the waterways watch out. It is coming up as seedlings at the moment so we are starting our campaign to try to eradicate it! THE JUNIOR RANGER WHO COLLECTS THE MOST BALSAM SEEDLINGS IN 30 MINUTES GETS A PRIZE!

Watch the birdie!

Our nest box building morning was a credit to all the organisers and helpers. Just a pity more didn't turn up. Still there has been a spin off, Cubs and Beavers at Earby want us to take four kits over on Thursday 26th March and will make them and buy them to put up.

A number of our members went to Stocks Reservoir on both days of hauling brash, to be used in the River revetment scheme that Andy Pritchard and his Colne Water Anglers are putting into place. It was a cold, wet and windy weekend but everyone did their share and eight trailers of the stuff is now safely stored for future use. Speaking of Andy here's a picture of his great nephew Josh delightedly holding his newly created bat box which he intends to put up in his garden( with a bit of help from you know who, of course)

National Nest Box Week-our event

Rachel and Rebecca have a go on the Candy Grabber. (R) Nest box making with Harold, he's the one with the beard!!

Our last event, Bat and Bird Box making went down a storm with the children who attended. But sadly it was not as well attended as it should have been. As usual a few people put in a lot of work, only to be disappointed at the turn out. But we never give up. Onwards and upwards is the cry!
On the last Saturday of the month, to our delight all the children turned up for Litter picking, followed by feeding the birds on the new bird tables made and erected for us by Mr. Harold Beattie. Thanks for all your help, Harold! Thanks to Sue for cleaning off the interpretation boards.Thanks to everyone who came and did their bit to help.
Later the children all made pooters so that they can look at small bugs and creepy crawlies close up, before releasing them back to their natural habitat.
Our next Litter pick and Junior Ranger Club will be at 10.30am on Saturday March 28th.Meet at CarPark at Greenfield LNR. Junior Rangers may start to learn how to film wild life and club events. On Tuesday 28th April we are having our AGM at the Crown Hotel, upper room,Albert Road, Colne. From 6.30pm to 7.30pm there will be a special talk and slide show about Badgers.So come along and meet Brock, and Paul Shoreman who belongs to the Lancashire Badger Group. He is also a Countryside Ranger.

Nest Box Making

Well, in the National Nest Box week we have an event on Saturday 21st.February. Members arrive 10.00am.,
public in at 10.30am. Venue: Holy Trinity Community Hall up Tatton Street in Colne. Adults £!.00p admission to include lucky number ticket and cupof tea/coffee and cake. Children free and will get squash/biccies .
We shall have items for sale to raise funds (Albert & Sue have done a splendid job) .Also on loop will be a film of the Tree Dressing ceremony held a little while ago.There are 12 bird and bat box kits to be made up. Bird boxes to take home will be £4.00p to cover outlay.
JUNIOR RANGERS CLUB We've decided to hold this on the last Saturday of each month to co-incide with our monthly litter pick. For February 28th we shall be making POOTERS and hopefully learning to use them. So if anyone wants to know what a pooter is, come along and find out ! WE all meet at the LNR Car Park at 10.30am
Hot drinks etc available afterwards.
Our next GENERAL MEETING is on Thursday 26th. February at Crown Hotel 7.30pm in back of Restaurant
Please support.

Hello everyone in 2009.
Friends of Greenfield have been fairly busy in the last couple of months.
Two litter picks have been done and we collected far too much rubbish. I say that because it shouldn't have been there in the first place! We got some good publicity in Colne Times, so let's hope the message gets to people in the local community.
Albert did a splendid dog poo poster and doggedly(oops no pun intended) puts up posters as they get torn down by vandals.
The Tree Walk and Tree Dressing Ceremony went very well in spite of a rainy morning. 14 including 5 children attended. Thanks to Alison Plackett for her very informative leading of the walk.
Plans for the coming months. We've ordered some genuine English Bluebells and when they come will need planting.
Regular litterpicks will be on the last Saturday of each month commencing at 10.30am.
Saturday February 21st sees us at Holy Trinity Community Centre, Tatton Street, Colne with a Bird and Bat box making morning. Also Refreshements will be served. Adults will pay £1.00 to come in and for that will get a cup of tea/coffee with a piece of cake plus a lucky draw number on their ticket.Children in free and a squash & biscuit free. So why not come along and try your hand at Nest box making.Members please contribute, cakes, buns or traybakes even if you can't be there. Let me know on 01282 859745 and I will arrange collection.
We also hope to plant a bird friendly/ flytipper unfriendly hedge along the edge of the car park by the fence .There are improvements afoot with Rob Janusewski of PEAG and we will know more later.
Come Spring we shall have to pull some of the young Indian Balsam plants, even though we may be unpopular with the Beekeepers ( of which I am one). Bees love it and it extends their foraging season.That's it for now folks. Keep supporting Greenfield LNR.

Happy New Year 2009 to all Friends of Greenfield LNR.
We had an excellent if rather damp Tree and Bird Walk followed by a Tree Dressing Ceremony in our woodland,in December. 14 turned up including five children. We retired to Albert's and Sue's Camper Van for hot drinks and home made cookies etc.

At the General Meeting, also held in December,one thing that was decided was that during 2009 we shall have a litter pick on every last Saturday of the month beginning January 31st.Turn up for 10.30am at the carpark and bring a bin bag. Litter picks will be made available. Don't forget GLOVES!! Watch out for reminder e-mails this month.

If anyone would like to undertake regular bird feeding at the LNR. please let Annette know, 01282 859745. We can then buy in some seed in bulk and you can obtain smaller quantities from her as required.