Welcome
Wildlife Walks are Back
WILDLIFE WALK INSECT HUNT
MONDAY 27th JUNE 2022 START 8.30 am
Charge: FGCP Members £0.00 --- Non-members £1.00
Meet outside Café 1899 Gedling Country Park
Leader: Helen Aplin, FGCP Trustee
Leader: Helen Aplin, FGCP Trustee
- We're pleased to announce that our monthly wildlife walks are back. We will listen to the dawn chorus and look for birds, plants, and other wildlife on our walk.
- Mark Tyler will be giving his help in identifying the birds, plants, and wildlife.
- Bring binoculars and camera, especially if you have a macro lens, but no dogs please.
- Please wear suitable clothing with sensible footwear and water. Wrap up and bring a walking stick.
- Remember paths can be muddy and uneven so suitable footwear.
- If the weather is very wet and windy the walk will not take place. Birds and insects will be sensible and stay in their nests.
- The walk will last no more than two and a half hours but may be slow and if there is a lot to see will finish later.
- You may leave the walk at any point just let the walk leader know.
Urgent Notice to Dog Owners who use the Park
Currently it is the nesting season for wildfowl and wetland birds and we request you keep your dogs out of and away from waterways within the Park. It is illegal to knowingly cause disturbance to nesting birds within the UK.
Also the shallow scrapes, lagoons and watercourses are currently full of frog, toad and newt tadpoles as well as numerous aquatic insect larvae and these can easily be destroyed by disturbances.
As it is defined as a Local Nature Reserve we, The Friends Group, are working hard to improve and create habitats for wildlife within the Country Park and to secure for future generations an oasis of native wildlife, as unfortunately, examples of such are under serious threat within the UK.
Waterways within the Park are also possibly polluted by mine workings (it is a disused mine tip) and also from early summer onwards into autumn by Blue/green algae(cyanobacteria), which is extremely toxic to both dogs and humans, we therefore advise to you to prevent dogs entering any water.
Also the shallow scrapes, lagoons and watercourses are currently full of frog, toad and newt tadpoles as well as numerous aquatic insect larvae and these can easily be destroyed by disturbances.
As it is defined as a Local Nature Reserve we, The Friends Group, are working hard to improve and create habitats for wildlife within the Country Park and to secure for future generations an oasis of native wildlife, as unfortunately, examples of such are under serious threat within the UK.
Waterways within the Park are also possibly polluted by mine workings (it is a disused mine tip) and also from early summer onwards into autumn by Blue/green algae(cyanobacteria), which is extremely toxic to both dogs and humans, we therefore advise to you to prevent dogs entering any water.
VOLUNTERINGInterested in volunteering, or helping in other ways? Please see our Donate or Join page for more information. Members now receive a 10% discount at the Visitor Centre ('Café 1899').
This web site provides information about Gedling Country Park and about the Friends of Gedling Country Park, which is a registered charity managed by its Trustees. Our main aim is to maintain and develop the country park for recreation and education for the whole community. We want to enhance access for all, enable volunteering and educational opportunities, increase awareness of the country park's history and heritage and enhance the biodiversity of its flora and fauna. |
VOLUNTEER DAYS(Meet at FGCP Container near bottom of children’s playground)
Come and join our happy little band to help: Maintain last year’s tree planting; Conservation of existing and creating new Dingy Skipper habitat; Clearing away grass cuttings to ensure wildflowers prosper; Willow weaving – fences and living structures such as bird hides; Scrub clearance in grassland area: Creating northern walkway. You will get hot, possibly muddy, probably scratched but you will have an enjoyable time and there may be coffee/tea and biscuits! Our Volunteer Days are as follows: Sunday 12th June 2022 10.30 am – 12.30 pm BE COVID AWARE Unfortunately, most work is reliant on good weather. We will update notices on Facebook, the Website and by email whenever possible. We will meet at the FGCP Compound from 10.00 am aiming to leave the compound at 10.30 am. Returning at 12.00 noon for refreshments. |
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British Native Tree Trail - use the main menu above:WILDLIFE/BRITISH TREE TRAIL and click on links
Due to circumstances in 2020, most notably • an unseasonable dry Spring • COVID making less people available to nurture the trees
some of our trees will need to be replaced in Autumn. If we try to plant during the Summer then we know their chances of survival are reduced.
Any missing tree has a label attached to the signpost to help you recognise this.
Apologies that this has happened and we hope it doesn’t detract from your enjoyment of the trail.
some of our trees will need to be replaced in Autumn. If we try to plant during the Summer then we know their chances of survival are reduced.
Any missing tree has a label attached to the signpost to help you recognise this.
Apologies that this has happened and we hope it doesn’t detract from your enjoyment of the trail.
Wildlife Protection in relation to the Gedling Access Road
It is great to see the concern for the wildlife on the Park and we thought it might be useful to provide a few extra facts.
The former colliery site was owned by Harworth Estates who were the successors of the National Coal Board, and it had a legal obligation the landscape the site after the Colliery was closed in 1991; although further coal recovery from the slag heaps went on a few years after the closure.
It was Harworth that applied for planning permission for much needed housing along Arnold Lane and on Spring Lane. The remainder of the site was passed to the Notts County Council and later acquired by Gedling Borough Council.
The Trustees of the Friends åof Gedling Country Park met with VIA the GAR designers before the construction work started and were impressed by the measures included in the road design to protect wildlife.
The VIA Environmentalist surveyed the line of the road and identified the habitual routes of mammals and invertebrates and provided underpasses designed to Highways Agency standards at appropriate places. Badger mesh has been included along the length of the road and fences are planned to guide invertebrates, amphibians and badgers to the underpass crossings so they can safely follow their habitual routes. So the creatures moving across the GAR have far more protection than they would have from the other roads that surround the Park which are Arnold Lane, Mapperley Plains, Spring Lane and Lambley Lane non of which have wildlife underpasses.
The surveys did not find evidence of deer presence at that time so it was not discussed. Deer are timid creatures and like plenty of cover and generally move around after dusk when traffic and people movement are at their lowest. Road bridges for larger mammals are common in countries where migration or movement of large herds occurs along habitual trails but a bridge for a small number of wandering animals would not be viable and in fact we don’t want the deer to cross the road because they would be entering a mainly urban area.
Someone mentioned the deer at Wollaton Park which is an entirely different situation. The two herds there, one Red Deer and the other Fallow Deer are contained within the estate by high walls and cattle grids The herds are also “managed” and occasionally the Park is closed whilst selected beasts are culled to prevent the herd from growing too large for the size of the Park. The deer we see on GCP probably descended from animals that escaped from one of the Dukeries Estates in north Notts and are now roaming freely.
The Gedling Country Park was opened in 2015 and despite a long period of austerity resulting in Government cutbacks following the 2008 financial crash GBC have done very well to create the Park that we know and love. The Park is a designated Local Nature Reserve awarded on the basis of the Park Management Plan and the Friends work with the Council to help with the significant work that has to be done to ensure that the wide diversity of wildlife have an appropriate habitat.
Volunteers are always welcome.
It is great to see the concern for the wildlife on the Park and we thought it might be useful to provide a few extra facts.
The former colliery site was owned by Harworth Estates who were the successors of the National Coal Board, and it had a legal obligation the landscape the site after the Colliery was closed in 1991; although further coal recovery from the slag heaps went on a few years after the closure.
It was Harworth that applied for planning permission for much needed housing along Arnold Lane and on Spring Lane. The remainder of the site was passed to the Notts County Council and later acquired by Gedling Borough Council.
The Trustees of the Friends åof Gedling Country Park met with VIA the GAR designers before the construction work started and were impressed by the measures included in the road design to protect wildlife.
The VIA Environmentalist surveyed the line of the road and identified the habitual routes of mammals and invertebrates and provided underpasses designed to Highways Agency standards at appropriate places. Badger mesh has been included along the length of the road and fences are planned to guide invertebrates, amphibians and badgers to the underpass crossings so they can safely follow their habitual routes. So the creatures moving across the GAR have far more protection than they would have from the other roads that surround the Park which are Arnold Lane, Mapperley Plains, Spring Lane and Lambley Lane non of which have wildlife underpasses.
The surveys did not find evidence of deer presence at that time so it was not discussed. Deer are timid creatures and like plenty of cover and generally move around after dusk when traffic and people movement are at their lowest. Road bridges for larger mammals are common in countries where migration or movement of large herds occurs along habitual trails but a bridge for a small number of wandering animals would not be viable and in fact we don’t want the deer to cross the road because they would be entering a mainly urban area.
Someone mentioned the deer at Wollaton Park which is an entirely different situation. The two herds there, one Red Deer and the other Fallow Deer are contained within the estate by high walls and cattle grids The herds are also “managed” and occasionally the Park is closed whilst selected beasts are culled to prevent the herd from growing too large for the size of the Park. The deer we see on GCP probably descended from animals that escaped from one of the Dukeries Estates in north Notts and are now roaming freely.
The Gedling Country Park was opened in 2015 and despite a long period of austerity resulting in Government cutbacks following the 2008 financial crash GBC have done very well to create the Park that we know and love. The Park is a designated Local Nature Reserve awarded on the basis of the Park Management Plan and the Friends work with the Council to help with the significant work that has to be done to ensure that the wide diversity of wildlife have an appropriate habitat.
Volunteers are always welcome.
Postcard Picture Competition 2021
--------- Our Winners --------
Click Here
Sponsors and Partners:
Please go to our Sponsors and Partners page to see the list of organisations and individuals who have donated money, time and effort to help the Friends group and ongoing development of the park. This includes:
Please go to our Sponsors and Partners page to see the list of organisations and individuals who have donated money, time and effort to help the Friends group and ongoing development of the park. This includes:
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Gedling Country Park officially opened to the public on Saturday 28 March 2015
Gedling Country Park opened in style with a special community day launch hosted by Gedling Borough Council on Saturday 28 March 2015. The 240 acre site officially threw open its gates and over 2,500 visitors came and saw our magnificent new country park.
The Friends of Gedling Country Park were there on the day offering refreshments, park information and membership details. We would like to thank all of you who became members of the Friends of Gedling Park. All proceeds from the membership fees as well as from our refreshment sales will help fund a number of exciting future activities and developments for the park.
For more information, including a map of the events that were held on the day, please see our Opening Day page (under the NEWS & EVENTS section of this web site).
The Friends of Gedling Country Park were there on the day offering refreshments, park information and membership details. We would like to thank all of you who became members of the Friends of Gedling Park. All proceeds from the membership fees as well as from our refreshment sales will help fund a number of exciting future activities and developments for the park.
For more information, including a map of the events that were held on the day, please see our Opening Day page (under the NEWS & EVENTS section of this web site).
