Conservation Volunteering open month in the Blackwater Valley

Local conservation groups in the Blackwater Valley are holding events throughout September to give you a chance to try conservation volunteering. These groups are dedicated to making a positive contribution to their local environment, helping to secure it for present and future generations. Regular volunteers will be on hand to introduce you to the site, to what they do and why they do it. Practical tasks will be underway to give you a chance to ‘have a go’. So, if you’ve thought about conservation volunteering before or if you enjoy a local site and would like to help maintain and improve it, here is your chance.

Come along and talk to your local group at one of the Go Wild events or give us a call on (01252) 331353.

Go Wild Events

Sun 7    Rowhill Conservation Volunteers-

             Haymaking and restoration of meadow. Meet 10am at Rowhill Field Centre,     

             Cranmore Lane, Aldershot.   

             Friends of Brickfields Country Park-

             Footpath construction. Meet 1.30pm at the park, Boxall's Lane, Aldershot. 

             Finish 4.30pm.

             Frimley Fuel Allotments Conservation Team-

             Site walk & heathland clearance. Meet 2pm @ car park off Old Bisley Road, 

             Frimley, opposite Ridgewood Centre.

             Friends of Zebon Copse-

             Scrub clearance to create glades + BBQ. Meet 10am at east end of tarmac path

             between Lonlandes and Silvester Way, C.Crookham

Tue 9    Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers-

             Grassland management at Shepherds Meadows. Meet 10am outside Courts at  

             Farnborough Gate Retail Park or 10.30am on site.  Return to Farnborough Gate  

             by 4pm.

Wed 10 Waverley Conservation Volunteers-

             Hedge Maintenance at Farnham Park. Meet 10am at the main car park, Folly Hill,

             by the cricket ground.  Finish 4pm.

Sat 13  Cove Brook Greenway Group-

             Willow weaving and meadow cutting. Meet 10am at Blunden Hall car park, Cove. 

             Finish 4pm.

Sun 14 Fleet Pond Society-

             Scrub clearance to reopen glade. Meet 9.30am at the Countryside Workshop,

             Old Pump House Close, next to 65 Kenilworth Road, Fleet.

             Moor Green Lakes Group-

             Mow and rake meadow. Meet 10.30am at the car park on Lower Sandhurst

             Road, between Sandhurst and Finchampstead.

             Friends of Oakley Park, Fleet-

             Site spruce up and litter pick. Meet at 10am at the kickboard beside the children’s

             play area.

Tue 16  Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers-

             Scrub and tree clearance from around lake at Frimley Hatches. Meet 10am  

             outside Courts at Farnborough Gate Retail Park, or 10.30am on site.  Return to

             Farnborough Gate by 4pm.

Wed 17Fleet Pond Society-

             'Rustic' fence making. Meet 9.30am at the Countryside Workshop, Old Pump

             House Close, next to 65 Kenilworth Road, Fleet.

Sun 21 Bourne Conservation Group-

             Footpath work in the Bourne area, Farnham. Meet 10am at The Fox on A287,

             Lower Bourne.

             Friends of Brickfields Country Park-

             Footpath construction. Meet 1.30pm at the park, Boxall's Lane, Aldershot.

             Finish 4.30pm.

             Friends of Farnham Park-

             Path Construction. Meet 10am at the end of Oast House Lane, off Upper Hale

             Road.  Finish 4pm.

             Tongham Community Woodland-

             Hazel coppice reinstatement. Meet 10.30am at the entrance in Garbett's Way, 

             Tongham.  Finish 4.30pm.

Tue 23  Blackwater Valley Conservation Volunteers-

             Clearing scrub and trees from grassland at Moor Green Lakes. Meet 10am

             outside Courts at Farnborough Gate Retail Park, or 10.30am on site.  Return to

             Farnborough Gate by 4pm.

Thu 25  Lightwater Country Park Rangers-

             'Help the Heathland' in the Park. Meet 10am outside the Heathland Visitor

             Centre.

Sat 27   Hart District Council Rangers-

              Heathland Restoration at Basingbourne Heath, Fleet. Meet on site 10am in the

              car park, Basingbourne Road, Fleet.  Finish 3pm.

Sun 28  Lakeside Park Conservation Group-

             Mowing and raking meadow. Meet on site 10.30am in the car park, Lakeside

             Road, Ash Vale.  Finish 1pm.

             Yateley Society Conservation Group-

             Heathland management at Yateley Common. Meet 10am Haywards Cottage car

             park off A30, London Road.  Finish 1pm.

             All Groups- BBQ. Haywards Cottage car park, Yateley Common, off A30.

             Starts 1.30pm. All welcome.

Important things to remember….

·        No experience is needed, as the groups provide tools, advice and training. There is a wide variety of practical tasks to suit all abilities and, for those not able to tackle practical work, there are many other ways you can help.

•   It doesn’t matter how much or how little you do. Everyone works at their own speed and for as long as they wish.
• Wear comfortable outdoor clothes, boots or wellies and bring some waterproofs.
• There are regular breaks when tea, coffee, squash and biscuits are provided but if you are staying for the day, do bring a packed lunch.

For more information contact www.blackwater-valley.org.uk

Go Wild in September is partly funded by The Countryside Trust.