We have recently been donated a lathe from Bedford Model Engineering Society. This gives our apprentices another skill they can learn, which we can put to good use to make new pins and bushes for our aging machines. Thank you Bedford MES!
The new volunteer here is Rio. He has been giving up his time now since Christmas. He is all ready learning how to weld and fix things from not a lot. We can teach him some skills just like with Tom and Harry. Us older generation have to teach these youngsters or it will all be lost!
At Falkland Road, another 50 metres of turf bund constructed and ready for hedging whips to be planted. Just another 120 metres or so to construct but there are two vehicle entrances to create as well.
Location: What3Words https://w3w.co/deals.after.organs Photos by Michael Babb. Jan. 26th.
We had a great turnout of our volunteers, both this and last weekend. They have been planting up the new hedgerow along Falkland Road and helping with formation of the turf bunds, which stretch between the trees we've planted over recent weeks, with help from our supporters. Over the two weekends our green and grounds team and DofE volunteers have planted over 80 metres of mixed hedge, supplied through the South Staffs Water PEBBLE fund. It will grow into an important secure boundary to the canal along Falkland Road, provide a significant traffic noise barrier and will develop into a very important linear wildlife reserve, stretching for about 600 metres along the route of the canal.
Once the trees and the hedgerow on the turf bund have been completed, then the first stages of the canal restoration work can be started.
On the 18th January we worked with Canal & River Trust to restock pound 26 with over
500 fish, following an earlier pollution incident caused by a third party.
The fish
introduced were mostly young roach which are expected to thrive in the canal
pound which was one of the first on the Lichfield Canal to be watered several
years ago. We're looking forward to the first reports of fish sightings from the many visitors who regularly walk the Heritage Towpath Trail.
Thanks to Severn Trent who made funds available for restocking
this section of the Lichfield Canal.
Paul Jewitt was at Gallows Reach on a sunny but near freezing day fixing another batch of piling tags. That's just over 200 that have been fitted so far. You can find your tag, or see them all, on our website.
Thanks Paul, and to Simon Clive for making the tags. And for the terrific support of those sponsoring the tags!
View pictures of the tags installed so far on the 'Find My Tag' page.
To sponsor a tag of your own visit 2020 Vision - Piling Appeal
