Countrycare Volunteers Tour of Sites

Published on 17 June 2011

On Thursday 9 June 2011, Epping Forest District Councils Countrycare Team took its dedicated volunteers on its annual “tour of sites” as a thank you for all their hard work over the year.

Traditionally this would have been by minibus but this year staff and volunteers were on foot. The walk started at the ancient woodland of Garnon Bushes in Coopersale, where only the week before the volunteers had erected a dead hedge. It ended at Foster Street Burial Ground in North Weald, a site worked on every year by Countrycare to help sustain the wildflowers growing amongst the graves.

The walk took in several Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) including Weald Common LNR and Church Lane LNR. Staff and volunteers have worked on both during the year to increase biodiversity.

The walk was led by one of Countrycare’s Countryside Assistants, Kevin Mason. He delivered an interesting and diverse route taking the volunteers through woodlands, grasslands and green lanes and through the historic North Weald redoubt, a derelict armaments’ store last used in 1914.

The highlight of the trip for many of the volunteers was the discovery of two Veteran Black Poplar trees, which due to their age are unlikely to be the hybrid Black Poplars we usually see today. Other wildlife sightings included a buzzard, several meadow brown butterflies and a small heath butterfly. Another highlight was seeing a plane land on North Weald Airfield runway from a very high vantage point.

Despite a heavy rain shower in the morning the walk was thoroughly enjoyed by all and everyone is looking forward to next year’s volunteer treat.

The volunteers said: “Very many thanks for such a lovely day today. The walk was varied and interesting. It was very interesting to hear some of the local history and to see how the different sites connect up without hardly touching a road.”