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Wildlife Walk
Programme for 2024
FGCP Members £0.00-Non-members £1.00Meet outside Café 1899 Gedling Country Park
Leader: Helen Aplin, FGCP TRUSTEE We will be focusing on Butterflies and Dragonflies, plants, and other wildlife on our walk.We're pleased to announce that our monthly wildlife walks are back.
Mark Tyler will be giving his help in identifying the birds, plants, and wildlife on these walks. 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. |
Thank You Letter- Save Our Wild Isles Community Fund
VOLUNTEER'S DAYS
Meet at FGCP Container 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. Our Volunteer Days are as follows: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.
More Details of 2024 Wildlife WalksSaturday 27th January 9am - Snowdrops and Winter birds
Friday 23rd February 9am - Birds & early flowering plants Saturday 23rd March 8am - Spring birds and pussy willow Saturday 27th April 6am - Dawn Chorus Friday 31st May 8am - May blossom, orchids and warblers Saturday 29th June 6pm - Summer birds and insects Friday 26th July 6pm - Butterflies and beetles Saturday 31st August 8am - Damsels & Dragons Friday 27th September 9am - Autumn birds Saturday 26th October 10am - Autumn colour Friday 29th November 10am - Fungi Saturday 21st December 10am - Migratory birds |
VOLUNTERING
Interested 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.
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.
British Native Tree Trail - CLICK HERE -
Missing tree some of our trees will need to be replaced in the Autumn.If we try to plant during the Summer then we know their chances of survival are reduced. 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 to landscape the site after the Colliery was closed in 1991; although further coal recovery from the slag heaps went on for 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 of 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, 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.
Gedling Country Park was opened in 2015 and despite a long period of austerity resulting in Government cutbacks following the 2008 financial crash, Gedling Borough Council has done 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 to landscape the site after the Colliery was closed in 1991; although further coal recovery from the slag heaps went on for 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 of 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, 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.
Gedling Country Park was opened in 2015 and despite a long period of austerity resulting in Government cutbacks following the 2008 financial crash, Gedling Borough Council has done 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.
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).
