Wonderful volunteers have been working hard to clear areas of brash at
Pleasley Pit reserve. It’s only a stone throw away from here. Teams of volunteers are constantly working hard to make way for a better, more ecological site for nature and communities. We are inspired, perhaps one day our Oxcroft Screens site may become this wonderful!
Inside the main café and meeting area, there are bounds of information and exhibition posters providing some excellent education for all. The Natural History corner is an awesome feature!
You see, although we are stood on what was generally classed as
“brownfield”, these areas are species rich. It’s all to do with the stuff
underneath our feet. The soil and time. Its lack of fertility, good drainage
and natural restoration enables some brilliant flora to grow. Countless
species uncommon in fields today thrive on the spoil heaps of past mining
territories. The site at Pleasley is truly an area for conservation and
should be celebrated.
By semi-managing areas of growth, we can make sure that sunlight and water reach important flowers and plants. These include birdsfoot trefoil (bacon and egg plant), purple vetch, yellow rattle and even orchids!
And so, delicate flowers bring delicate butterflies.
The volunteers at Pleasley are incredibly passionate about what we call BAP species, those rarities. We have at least a handful of these on the reserve. Annual transect monitoring confirms that colonies of some rare butterflies have remained, with some doing quite well. Hence, why more work is being carried out to develop this area of open mosaic habitat.
Although I haven’t the time to help them physically, I thought to myself, I
wonder if I could help by other means, getting the word out to use and enjoy this site and others too!
There are events throughout the summer – visit their website
https://www.pleasleypittrust.org.uk
Wonderful time here, plus the café for a well-earned brew. Perfect!
Lots of Love, Stanfree Valley XXX
Stanfree Valley Preservation Group 