GeM CITO - Witches Oak Water Cache In Trash Out Event
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GeM CITO - Witches Oak Water
Hidden
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Saturday, March 30, 2019
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30 March 2019, 09:45 - 14:00
Please join us for a VERY SPECIAL CITO in Witches Oak Water Nature Reserve on 30th March @ 09:45am
With the Derbyshire Wildlife Trust
Come along and earn a souvenir for CITO week and give a little back to the community.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust are holding a very special working party for us on the 30th March.
They are providing special one-off access to a private nature reserve which is normally shut to the general public.
Most of the site is a working gravel quarry. As the gravel is extracted, the site is passed over to the wildlife trust.
For one day only, they will provide one-off access to a site that many of us will have driven past, just off the A50 near Shardlow.
We plan to meet at 9:45 for a 10am start.
The site is secured with a locked gate. Access is via a private slip road from the A50 at N 52° 51.663' W 1° 21.242', Grid reference SK436294.
The gate will be unlocked for us and we will drive into the site. As the site is private, the gate will be locked behind us.
Please arrive promptly for 9:45am.
Finish time will be approx 14:00.
CITO Task
We will be clearing willow saplings from reed beds to allow the nesting sites to flourish.
We will be working under the supervision of the George Bird and Vic Bevan who are the Local Wildlife Officers responsible for this nature reserve.
Please bring wellies as the ground underfoot may be damp.
Children are welcome to attend and should be under adult supervision at all times.
Derbyshire Wildlife Trust will provide all the tools and equipment for each task and PPE such as work gloves.
You will need to wear appropriate clothing for the task and weather and bring a packed lunch, drinks etc. Due to the task wellies are a must, long sleeved tops are advised due to the risk of scratches but are not essential.
We stop for breaks and lunch and everyone is encouraged to work at their own pace and take additional breaks as needed. If you have any health issues that may affect you whilst volunteering out on site please do let the team leader know at the start of the day and we do have sign-in sheets where we will ask for an emergency contact for the day too.
We carry out all necessary risk assessments for the sites and tasks and our leaders are first aid trained. If on the day it is rainy please wear waterproofs, if sunny, sun cream and other necessary clothing.
About Witches Oak Water
This large new wetland site was created primarily as a water storage and water pumping facility in times of severe drought for Severn Trent Water.
However as part of the design a strong wetland habitat creation theme was linked to it.
The site now contains a range of habitats including 12 lakes, reedbed, wet and dry woodland, wet and dry grassland and hedgerow habitats.
Although still in its early stages the site is an important staging post for wildfowl and waders using the Trent Valley and offers winter refuge for occasional bitterns and smew as well as summer breeding habitat for reed and sedge warblers.
It is also important for butterflies and dragonflies that now occur in many of the grassland areas and shallow margins. Good numbers of common blue butterfly particularly favour one restored bank whist the longer grasslands can be full of common blue damselflies.
Unfortunately access is severely limited due to its proximity to the operational quarry and its primary function as a water storage facility.
Currently access is restricted to a number of group visits each year which can be organised on request from the Trust as special access arrangements are in place.
Additional Hints
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