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Friends of Dothill & Shawbirch Local Nature Reserve

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Reserve map
  • Location Map
  • 50 Tree Trail
  • Three Bridge Way
  • BBC Countryfile
  • Green Leaf
  • History
  • I-Spy
  • News 2023
  • News 2020 - 2022
    • Awards for group
    • Great crested newts
  • Photo gallery 2024
  • Photo gallery 2025
  • Photo galleries 2016 - 2023
    • Gallery 2016-2019
    • Gallery 2020
    • Gallery 2021
    • Gallery Jan-June 2022
    • Gallery July-Dec 2022
    • Gallery 2023
  • Species List
  • Videos - water birds
  • Videos - other wildlife
  • Water quality tests
    • Water testing 2024/25
    • Water testing 2022/23
  • More
    • More child
17th January

17th January

The group moved some of the oak saplings from the nursery. Here's Joerg making space near Dothill Bridge.

Glenys with sapling in its new home

Glenys with sapling in its new home

What the other team did

What the other team did

Finished cutting back a willow encroaching on the meadow west of Tee Lake. Here's Ian L getting stuck in!

Willow cleared

Willow cleared

7th February

7th February

A team of Friends repaired the dead-hedge by the Shawbirch Road entrance

21st February

21st February

We worked on the Beanhill Wood dead-hedge - here are Aidan and Jon putting in stakes.

28th February

28th February

One day we'll reach the end!

7th March

7th March

Planting up the first of two floating platforms, Tee Lake.

14th March

14th March

Sunshine for our dead-hedging work

21st March

21st March

Ron and Toria cleared mud from the path by the oak nursery....

Another team planted the second floating platform and 'launched' it on Tee Lake...

...while a third team collected stone to lay by Dothill Pier. Great work, everyone!

28th March

28th March

This week we began on the installation of the new 50 Tree Trail markers. Here's Ian R at tree 47.

Tree 47 Beech sign in place. Only another 49 to go!

4th April

4th April

More tree signs went in today. Russ and Jon having fun digging!

Trees 21 and 22 done.

25th April

25th April

Marion painting, Spa Meadow

2nd May

2nd May

Glenys and Fiona painting at the Shawbirch entrance

9th May

9th May

Some of the volunteers surveyed the next boxes. Here is a great tit...

...and here's a blue tit

30th May

30th May

One group dug out some old fencing by Dothill Pool - go for it, Jon!
We also did some path clearing and sweeping.

1st June

1st June

We led a guided walk of the 50 Tree Trail, instigated by T&W Council's Culture & Wellbeing department.

Wellington Midsummer Fayre 10th June

Wellington Midsummer Fayre 10th June

A very successful stand this year; here are some of our activities and displays.

13th June

13th June

Some of us did an orchid count on the Henge Meadow ...

...while others began laying stone on the newly dug path near Dothill Pool.

23rd June - extra session

23rd June - extra session

We began planting on Tee Lake - here's Liz planting yellow flag.

23rd June - extra session

23rd June - extra session

Dawn and Marion planting yellow flag on Dothill Pool...

...and Chris & Keith installing a donated coir roll of plants.

27th June

27th June

Continuing the planting on Tee Lake.

4th July

4th July

A large part of our work at this time of year is keeping the paths and signs clear of encroaching vegetation.

11th July

11th July

This week we continued the lakeside planting and cleared some paths - here is the one at the end of Donnerville Close.

25th July

25th July

We installed a recycled plastic bench by Beanhill Brook, bought with a kind donation from the Friends of Bowring Park.

Another team began clearing the oak nursery of 'weeds'.

1st August

1st August

One team cleared the Donnerville Spinney entrance...

...after finishing at the oak nursery...

...while everyone else completed the new path by Dothill Pool. A great morning's work, everyone.

8th August

8th August

This week the Friends cleared round the insect hotels on Spa Meadow and the maples near the Shawbirch Road entrance...

... while another team did some poplar control by Tee Lake.

15th August

15th August

The Friends did some willow clearing from the 'scrape' in the wetland area...

...there were a lot to tackle but we cracked on!

22nd August

22nd August

Some of the Friends learned how to do kick-sampling in the streams...

...here's Joerg...

...others did some path work...

...while a third team cut back the stream banks by Dothill Bridge.

29th August

29th August

We cleared the 'snake field' dead-hedge and planted some downy birch, while others strimmed the 50 Tree Trail signs.

5th September

5th September

Today we cleared the path by Grinshill Flats ...

...and paths by the wetland area. Short stints due to the heat.

12th September

12th September

Litter-picking duties on one of the Reserve's new areas. Bags and hoops supplied by Wellington Town Council.

There were a few of us in spite of the rain!

19th September

19th September

Mike and Paul with Junior Friends planting a gingko tree near Dothill Primary School.

They also planted a catalpa or Indian Bean Tree.

26th September

26th September

One group carried on with recovering path edges, west of the Wellingtonia...

...and then moved on to tidy up the Shawbirch entrance...

...while another team worked on the path by Shawbirch Bridge.

3rd October

3rd October

One group began removing saplings from the Dothill Pool revetments.

Another team cleared the path at the south end of Tee Lake, and the Morville Drive steps - before ...

... and after.

A third team continued recovering the edges of the path west of the Wellingtonia ring.

Some nice fungi appearing now

Some nice fungi appearing now

Parasol mushroom

Shaggy cap

10th October

10th October

Jude and Glenys painting at Shawbirch entrance

Other teams replaced some of the vandalised tree signs

Russ and Jon strewing the clippings near the Henge. This should introduce wildflower seeds from one part of the meadow to another.

17th October

17th October

More painting this week. Here's Carole at the Wellington Link entrance.

Another team did some sapling removal from the revetments on Dothill Pool - before ...

...and after.

31st October

31st October

The main task today was re-establishing the edge of the Millennium Wood...

...to stop trees encroaching on the path...

... and to ensure the mowers can get where they should.

7th November

7th November

This week we did more work restoring the edge of Millennium Wood, great work everyone.

Autumn colour

Autumn colour

Autumnal Beanhill Wood

Autumnal Beanhill Wood

14th November

14th November

The Friends did some clearing to improve the sight-line at this path junction.

Another task nearby was to remove some old fencing - here's Jon ...

...and here are Ashley and Mike.

We also cleared this tree sign and uncovered the last of the hazel saplings by the school entrance. A very productive session!

More Autumn colour

More Autumn colour

Near the Henge

Near the Henge

21st November

21st November

One task today was to clear the Wellington Link entrance. Here's Jon hard at work.

Done! Other teams continued pulling the lakeside saplings and cleaning out nestboxes.

Painting at entrances

Painting at entrances

Some extra hours have been put in on some of the entrances. Here's the Donnerville Spinney gate before we started work.

Russ putting on the first coat of paint.

Another go at Donnerville Spinney - brambles cut back and more painting.

Glenys and Keith freshening up the Tree Foundation board.

More bramble-trimming and painting

More bramble-trimming and painting

This time we worked on the entrance at the end of Morville Drive.

That's much better!

19th December

19th December

After two weeks of being rained off we continued on the edge of Millennium Wood...

...good work, everyone.

We then headed off for mince pies and mulled wine.

The end of another productive year, cheers everyone!

Pre-sunset clouds over the wetland at the end of the year...

...and over Tee Lake - you might just see one of the swans swimming towards you in this shot!