9th January

The first task for this year was to clear a fallen tree from one of the paths.

Other jobs were path clearing & litter picking, and coppicing in Beanhill Wood.

16th January

One team cleared saplings from a Tee Lake revetment, while another continued coppicing.

6th February

The Friends began a wattle hurdle by Millennium Wood. These provide shelter for small mammals and birds.

13th February

More hurdle work this week. Here are some of the ladies clearing brambles.

20th February

Some 'tidying' jobs this week - oak nursery wattle fence...

...and Jude clearing mesh at Dothill Pool. Other teams did tree work in Donnerville Spinney and sapling removal at Tee Lake.

Hurdle completed - lovely job, everyone!

27th February

Today's tasks included mud-clearing, sapling removal from revetments, and tree management in Donnerville Spinney.

March frogspawn

Appearing in some of the ponds now.
If you see strings of spawn, it's been produced by toads - frogspawn comes in clumps!

5th March

We finished the tree work in Donnerville Spinney, to benefit the lovely big oak. Another group finished clearing mud from the path by the canal pools.

Another team cleaned and oiled some of the signs.

Yet more volunteers did some willow removal at the top of the canal pools. What a difference!

12th March

Today's task was to remove the old fence by the Henge.

19th March

Some of the Friends dismantled the old dead-hedge and fencing by Tee Lake Boulevard.

Another team removed the disused kissing-gate off Donnerville Close.

26th March

Today the ladies' team cut back brambles from the daffs at Shawbirch entrance, cleared round the maples and removed some sycamore saplings.

2nd April

A team of ladies crown-lifted the nursery oaks, while the chaps installed planted coir rolls on Dothill Pool.

April - Beanhill Meadow

A hedge has been planted as one of Telford & Wrekin Council's Biodiversity Net Gain projects. A lovely habitat and food source for birds, small mammals and insects.

16th April

One team worked on willow control at Charlton Pool and Horse Pool.

The painting team got to work on entrances...Tee Lake Boulevard...great work, ladies!

More ladies working at the Morville Drive entrance.

30th April

After 3 sessions, the willows at Charlton Pool were finally cleared today - great work all!

Other teams worked on improving some of the entrances - here's Carole at Harley Close.

Old steps on the Silkin Way replaced by Telford & Wrekin Council and woodwork painted by us - a team effort!

7th May

We worked on clearing benches, 50 Tree Trail signs, bridges and entrances, while others repaired the vandalised dead-hedge.

14th May

Repairing the dead-hedge in Beanhill Wood.

21st May

Path clearing today at the south end of Tee Lake, and the Morville Drive steps.

June sights

Field Scabious

11th June

We cut back on the path south of the Wellingtonia, and dug up willows from the Tee Lake silt flats.

18th June

One team worked on silt flats sapling removal, another on path clearing near Teme Avenue.

20th June

Fujitsu kindly donated some lovely insect hotels and came along to put them up.

25th June

We cleared between trees 34 & 35 and worked on the silt flats - hot today so we allowed ourselves a rest!

June meadows

2nd July

Great work recovering the oaks in the nursery!

Another team cleared the path west of Tee Lake.

9th July

Here is Joerg doing some path improvement near the canal pools...

...and another team topped up the Donnerville Close steps.

July sights

Purple loosestrife and ox-eye daisies edging Tee Lake.

Near the stepping stones, Beanhill Brook.

Recent works by MSM

Path improvement in Beanhill Wood...

...and path improvement between our dead-hedges, Beanhill Wood.

12th July

41 willing helpers came from Schneider Electric to do some Himalayan Balsam control.

You can see how tall it can grow.

They did a brilliant job!

Some of the group cleared vegetation encroaching on the new hedge on Beanhill Meadow.

16th July

We worked on clearing the path at the south end of Tee Lake...

...and did some much-needed widening of the path while we were there.

23rd July

Path clearing again this week. This is the one to Downing Bridge.

More July sights

Dothill Pool

Early evening light on the path to Dothill Pool.

30th July

One group did some ragwort control on the Spa and Henge Meadows - before...

...and after.

6th August

More ragwort removal, this time on the meadow to the west of Tee Lake....

...good work, everyone.

Another team replaced the damaged post in the Henge; thanks to Keith for repairing it.

13th August

The Friends worked by Admaston Bridge, laying some stone...

...and clearing round the interpretation board.

The rest of the gang continued widening the path at the south end of Tee Lake. A great improvement, well done all!

20th August

Today we cleared some of the 50 Tree Trail signs.

August sights

Swan family

27th August

The Donnerville Spinney entrance had become very overgrown.

That's much better!

3rd September

A team of ladies clearing the path by the 'snake field'.

Another team cleared the path by Admaston Bridge.

10th September

Teams worked on path clearing and removing saplings from the Tee Lake silt flats.

Another group strimmed this area by Beanhill Brook ready for a guided watercourse walk.

September sights

The rowans looking good in the early evening sun.

17th September

Russ and Glenys trimming a hedge near the Moat Pool, Dawn clearing the junction nearby.

Good work everyone!

24th September

Today some of the Friends installed replacement signs for the wetland and the Three Bridge Way ...

...while others lopped branches from a damaged tree near Dothill Bridge.

1st October

This week's rain limited activity. One team checked the reptile/amphibian mats and another painted the container - inside!

8th October

This week one of our tasks was to install bat boxes kindly donated by the RSPB ...

...here's one in situ by Tee Lake.

15th October

Council contractors have done a great job rebuilding the pier. We began a stone infill, laid some by Admaston Bridge and prepped the Spa Meadow hedge for coppicing.

22nd October

The ladies installed more bat boxes and dug up some mesh by Dothill Pool.

Other tasks today included path clearing and infilling the pier with stone - and what a nice day we had for it!

29th October

We planted trees in two locations, did the monthly water testing and cleared the path by Shawbirch Bridge.

5th November

A decent turnout to plant 4000 bulbs, kindly donated by Telford & Wrekin Council.

We began on the Henge meadows...

...while another team collected stakes from the old fencing behind the Henge.

7th November

An extra session to try and finish the planting, this time on the Spa Meadow.

12th November

One group finished the bulb planting, another worked on digging the overflow pond by the Drain.

14th November

The Friends of Apley Woods began coppicing the Spa Meadow hedge, and took away some material to build hurdles.

26th November

After being snowed off last week, one task today was to continue the coppicing on the Spa Meadow hedge...

...piling up some coppiced material along the way...

...nearly at the end now, one more session should do it!

3rd December

Simon, Ian R and Kevin installed the replacement bench by the Wellingtonia, and Ian and Kev tried it out!

We also planted a horse chestnut, cleared a fallen tree and coppiced elders by the Harley Close entrance.

10th December

In the wake of Storm Darragh there were trees to clear. We also planted some elms and a copper beech, and began work on reclaiming the ride to the NE of Tee Lake.

17th December

In our last session of the year we worked on reclaiming the ride. A great turnout and a lot achieved!