Shaun Marriott, Reserves Officer (South), London Wildlife Trust, is looking for more help with site management as the winter looms, since there is much to do and there has been less help from the local community so far than had been hoped for. This fantastic site is just over the railway line from Hall Place using the A2 bridge over the railway, and a five minute walk up the road from Crayford railway station.
Braeburn Site Manager Shaun Marriott, pictured here at the site’s open day earlier in the year, is looking for more help with habitat management over the autumn and winter. (Photo: Chris Rose)
On Friday, 7th Oct there is a corporate workday, BUT anyone who’s
interested in coming to help as a volunteer is very welcome, as long as Shaun knows they’re coming and that they’ve either already registered (for insurance etc. purposes) or will do so on the day. Usually corporate days are strictly for those in the visiting group but there’s plenty to do at Braeburn and he can organise a couple of other tasks if needed, if he has extra support/supervisors.
The general rule is now that the workdays will be running on a Weds and Thurs each week. Anyone interested in getting involved should contact Shaun at <smarriott@wildlondon.org.uk>, providing a mobile phone number if you have one, and he’ll get back to you with details. If anything changes he’ll let everyone know what the plan is – he usually texts people because it enables last minute changes to get through, emails aren’t always checked and not everyone has a smart phone.
Tasks will mostly involve (on different dates):
Mowing and brushcutting the acid grassland slopes, cutting back some broom, gorse, and hawthorn and buddleia.
Clearing dense scrub around the sand banks and burning arisings
Tree management work – including cutting back areas where grassland can establish, also coppicing some hazel in the woodland areas.
Footpath maintenance, levelling out ruts, drainage, etc at various places
Exact details of tasks, when confirmed, will be given to everyone who gets in contact with Shaun.
Braeburn Park is a superb local wildlife site featuring scrub, woodland and sandy banks and so a good diversity of species. This picture was taken in April 2011. (Photo: Chris Rose)
