Sympathetic Scything



This is short film about the activity of scything.  Filmed over approximately and hour, the use of time lapse enables us to see the work taking place and the effectiveness of the scythe.  I'm often asked 'why use a scythe?'... because it's sympathetic to the plants around, clearing the overgrowth and allowing the important plants and flowers for pollinators to thrive.  The the action of scything is selective, great exercise and lets you spend lots time outdoors!
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A Little Bit of Spring Cleaning

Just letting you know about some of the voluntary work that took place over the May bank holiday weekend.
As volunteers for Sustrans and the Trans Pennine Trail we attended the Meadow area of the Cheshire Lines path just off Sefton Lane, Maghull. This is a very popular area for walkers, cyclist and tourists passing through particularly at this time of year. Unfortunately it is also often seen by some as and an area for littering and dog fouling. Oliver aged 8 and myself managed to pick 4 bin bags full of litter, fill a bucket full of dog poo and also remove a flytipped TV and iron.
In an effort to enhance wildlife habitat and retain the accessibility of the path for the visitors, we also cleared nettles from around the benches and scattered some wildflower seeds.
Sadly though even whilst we were there and obviously working (we had signs and bunting up) to clear the land...on two occasions which I didn't spot, Some dog owners allowed their pets to foul the path again! Unbelievable! As volunteers of the two organisations we are partnered with the local councils. I will be approaching them to discuss real methods of monitoring, reporting and enforcing laws surrounding dog fouling for this area.
Any help and support that can be offered in the future, it would be great to hear from you...Thanks









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Sunday Morning Spring Clean Litter Pick!

Sunday 6th May 2018 between 10am-12 noon

Can you spare half an hour, an hour or maybe two this Sunday morning (6th May 2018)?  The Volunteers of Sustrans and the Trans Pennine Trail are having a Spring Clean litter pick at the Meadow area in Maghull, Sefton (Link to the location map https://goo.gl/maps/DU1Ckib5BvR2).



The Meadow area forms part of the Cheshire Lines cycle, walking and horse riding route (NCN 62 and Trans Pennine Trail).  Volunteers over the last few years have cleared overgrowth, installed benches and planted wildflowers gradually creating a habitat for wildlife and a welcome space for the community and Trail users that use this resource (Please see the video below and previous posts on this blog site).  Unfortunately, despite the signage, this area is seen by some as a wasteland area and is often misused as a place to discard litter, allow dog fouling and occasional A.S.B.


Now that Spring is here (YAY Finally!), the plants have begun to grow back.  This often covers the litter that has been discarded and can be detrimental to the bugs and wildlife that exist in the area.  It takes a lot of volunteer effort to maintain this area of land and we would greatly appreciate any help that can be offered to clear some of this litter.  If you can spare half an hour or so, it would be great to see you!
  • Litter pickers and bin bags are provided.
  • We are are able to provide some protective gloves, but if you have your own, please bring along with you.
  • You won't be asked to clear dog fouling, just let us know and we will sort that!
  • We recommend wearing sturdy footwear /or wellies and long trousers.
  • Sefton Meadows Garden Centre and Cafe are next door/short walk to us for refreshments.
  • If you are able to make it (so I can account for numbers), perhaps you could send me a quick message? 
Many thanks for your interest and hopefully see you on Sunday!



Here's an idea ... The Lydiate Village festival (http://lydiatevillagefestival.co.uk/) is taking place a not too far away and starts at 1pm.  Perhaps you could combine a litter pick and gentle walk along the Cheshire Lines followed by a visit to the festival?

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It's been a while...

So let's start off with a big apology for the lack of posting on the website here.  Seriously... things have been going on, but they have been a bit... let's say fiddly really.  I have posted a few bits and pieces on our facebook feed but perhaps not as much as I should have.  Sorry again!  Anyway this is the big bit of information from over the last months of non-web posts for the volunteers of Merseyside North... We now have a volunteer base on The Meadow area of Maghull in the form of a converted shipping container.


Winter seems like it has been going on for ages but it's starting to look like there are some signs of spring around.  With spring brings some more regular activities at the Meadow and around the Merseyside North region.  I'm currently forming a list of activities and jobs that would greatly benefit from volunteer involvement... Examples such as...
  • Regular litter picking
  • Wildlife and habitat management
  • Painting
  • Brush clearing
  • Planting
  • Sowing of Wildflower seeds
  • Bird house installation
  • NCN and TPT Signing in the area
  • Attending events to publicise Sustrans, The Trans Pennine Trail and the work we do.
  • The list goes on... any other jobs you can think of?
If you would like to be involved in any of the above, it would be great to hear from you.  We don't push for regular involvement however, whatever time you can offer is always greatly appreciated.

Just a brief post for now but please keep in touch for regular updates as we grow our activities.


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