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You are here: Home / News / 20th May 2021 – Work Party Report

20th May 2021 – Work Party Report

17th May 2021 By John Roper Leave a Comment

We are organising a Fernery Work Party on Thursday 20th May 2021

Because of the risk of disturbance to wildlife, we will not be organising Work Parties on the Danesbury Local Nature Reserve until September 2021 at the earliest.

Volunteer Rules and Guidelines

We will be able to work in accordance with the Covid-19 Rules which have been eased this week.

Because we will not therefore be allowed to have more than 30 volunteers working on site at the same time would regular Gardeners please try to confirm to Sarah or Jenny if you plan to attend, using the WhatsApp Gardening Group.

Government guidance encourages us all to continue to exercise personal responsibility rather than government rules. We must all continue to exercise caution and this includes:

  • social distancing,
  • not sharing tools unless they have been disinfected before, and then after use by individuals, and
  • not sharing drinks and or refreshments.

Weather Forecast- long range

Light Cloud and a moderate breeze.

Work Party Leadership

As always, we are short of volunteers prepared to act as Leaders on a regular basis, and we will introduce a roster if this will help solve the problem. For Public Liability Insurance purposes Leaders should have attended a WHBC run Leadership Training Course.

Similarly, Work Parties are required to have somebody qualified as a First Aider in attendance. In practice, when we have been operating two separate Work Parties on the same day, we have been forced to meet this latter rule by having a qualified First Aider attending at least one of the Work Parties, with an up-to-date first Aid Box to hand, and available on the telephone to attend the other Work Party in an emergency.

Work Party Strategy

For the reasons stated above we will not be operating two Work Parties on Thursday 20th May 21.

Work Party No. 1 – Fernery Garden

Sarah Marsh and Jenny Hawkins will be Joint Leaders

Tasks

There are a variety of tasks needing to be undertaken, mostly planting, weeding and general maintenance. This might include final dead-heading of daffodils, mulching, weeding and more planting. We might also need to undertake some silent strimming!

Please bring your own secateurs and other favourite gardening tools with you.

Depending on the availability of resources we will also continue the regular practice of cleaning up chalk graffiti in the rockwork, and clearing out the Pool.

Maydencroft have recently improved the cattle fencing on the perimeter which incorporates improved rabbit protection. A small group might regularly check the outside fencing to ensure that rabbits do not succeed in their burrowing activities.

Preparations before arrival

Will volunteer gardeners please let Sarah know if they plan to attend so that we can keep an eye on numbers.

For Covid-19 reasons it will be necessary for all practical purposes for volunteers to bring their own favourite tools with them, which might usefully include loppers and secateurs. Otherwise all tools will have to be disinfected before use, and after use, and not shared between volunteers.

Bring a hot drink and refreshments with you. Covid-19 rules dictate that food and drinks should not be handed around or shared.

Please wear strong boots or shoes and good quality gardening gloves.

On Arrival

On arrival please add your name to the List of Volunteers attending and the Leaders will allocate tasks.

On your first visit the Welwyn Hatfield Borough Council (the landowners) require that you complete a Personal Details Form which will be retained by them for Public Liability Insurance purposes only.

Meeting Points

Fernery Work Party

Meet at the Fernery 9.45 a.m. for a 10 a.m. start

Nature Reserve Work Party

No meeting on 20th May 2021

How to find the Fernery

If you have not visited us before you will be made very welcome. Please read the directions to find us.

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