Friends of Brierdene Works Diary

Works Diary for July

This month has mainly been general maintenance with some clearing and planting.

Receiving the Green Flag (Community Award) again has made all the work in the dene worthwhile.

The annual Bio Blitz was held on the last Saturday of the month, and the recording 6 new species has brought our total recorded species to 1003.

We also had a visit by Marine park school for a day in the dene, this was organised by MY Tyne and the Tyne Rivers Trust. We had 90 children plus 20 Instructors, teachers and parents taking part

We also took part in the Big Butterfly Count for the Butterfly Conservation, the day was not perfect but we find a reasonable number.

In the Upper Reach the footpaths have been cleared of any overgrowth, we had hoped to start on repairing the stone seat at the west end; but this will now be done in August.

The whole area has been litter picked during the month.

In the Middle Reach we have cut back and cleared along the southern footpath, the whole area has been litter picked during the month.

In the Lower Reach we have cut and cleared the steps down from the scout hut, the eastern steps and along the crazy paved path.

The whole area has been litter picked during the month.

Dene Top we have had 2 sessions of planting the last of the home grown wild flower plugs along the south side of the main footpath. Oiled all the woodwork on the observation platform and litter picked the whole dene top.

3 bags of Litter were collected this month.

Photos of some of this work along can be seen on the July Photo Page.

Works Diary for June

I have missed two to three weeks this month with illness, but all the planned work has gone ahead as normal.

The two information boards that were damage have been repaired and resifted in their original places in the lower dene, and the willow fence in the upper reach has been rebuilt.

We have started work on sorting out the stones that were ripped out of the stone seat at the west end of the lower dene, and these will be cemented back into place next month

The high winds we had for a couple of days this month only brought down a couple of small branches, these have been cleared away.

In the Upper Reach the willow fence has been rebuilt and work has started on sorting out the stones for the stone seat.

Tree brash has been cleared from the footpaths and the whole area has been litter picked during the month.

In the Middle Reach the two information boards have been cemented into place.

Tree brash has been cleared from the footpaths and the whole area has been litter picked during the month.

In the Lower Reach tree brash has been cleared from the footpaths and the whole area has been litter picked during the month.

Dene Top we have had 4 sessions of planting wild flower plugs along the south side of the main footpath, and we have completed clearing around the edges of the car park and the steps at the east end.

3 bags of Litter were collected this month.

Photos of some of this work along can be seen on the June Photo Page.

Works Diary for August

This month’s work has mostly been general maintenance with the clearing of excessive growth from varies areas in the dene.

We also completed the repairs to the stone seat at the west end of the lower dene.

The Annual Moth Night was attended 27 people, and 13 new species were recorded.

We also had our annual inspection with Jackie Hunter from North Tyneside Council.

Overall she was very pleased with our work and maintenance in the Wildlife Site and has suggested a few ways that would further improve the area.

With a few of our volunteers on holiday this month we have still put in 173 hours of work in the dene.

In the Upper Reach we have completed the rebuild of the stone seat.

Footpaths have been cleared from over hanging branches and bramble runners.

In the Middle Reach the southern footpath has been cleared of any overgrowth and the burn at the west end near the dam has been cleared of all excessive growth.

In the Lower Reach we have cleared some of the bindweed and along the edges of the footpaths.

Dene Top we have cleared along the natural walkways at the west end, and dug out some dock and bramble runners from the wild flower areas.

We have also cleared brambles and other overgrowth from along the fences bat both ends of the dene.

Throughout the month we have litter pick the whole of the dene collecting only 2 bags of litter.

Photos of some of this work along can be seen on the August Photo Page.