Adderbury lakes working parties reports

Adderbury Lakes: News and Working Party January 2008

As visitors to the Lakes will know the Parish Council have had quite a lot of work done at the Lakes this Spring and we would like to thank the Lakes Management Committee, especially Andrew Barnes and Ken Oliver, for organising this.

Three large poplar trees which were between the two main lakes have been felled, mainly because their roots were beginning to pose a danger to the dam between the Lakes. Other trees that have been felled or reduced in size were dead and a potential hazard near footpaths.

The Lakes is managed as a nature reserve so we will retain as much dead wood as possible to provide habitat for insects and encourage fungi to develop as the wood rots. Smaller logs will be stacked in log piles. The contractor will be returning to help deal with the largest trunks, but these may be left where they are to rot naturally (which has the advantage of less further disturbance to the rest of the Lakes area).

We are pleased the scouts have offered to help with some of this work as part of their community badge scheme. Thanks to Andrew Green for organising this.

We hope visitors to the Lakes will understand that it does have to be managed carefully and this is part of an ongoing programme. The Lakes Management Plan is available for reference at the Library.

Working Party: Saturday March 1^st.  9-12am

If you would like to be more involved with the Lakes and can lend a hand please join members of the Lakes Management Committee for a working session on Saturday 1^st March. Work is not too strenuous (clearing paths, removing ivy from trees, tidying hedges).

Also the Parish Council and Management Committee would welcome anyone who would like to join the Lakes Committee to help with the general oversight of the Lakes. (It meets about three times a year). Please contact Parish Clerk Helena Scott for extra details.

Very few villages have the privilege of their own nature reserve to walk around all year, but please remember it only happens because a small number of people give up time and effort. If you enjoy the Lakes please consider giving a little of your time back to them.

Diane Bratt, Adderbury Parish Chairman and Chairman of Lakes Committee.

March 2007
The Management Committee and volunteers recently held a second working session at the Lakes. We did further path clearing, as well as tidying up of some large trees which had succumbed to the winter's storms.
We also took part in the nationwide bird box week and have added more nest boxes for a variety of birds. We hope they will be occupied this spring and summer, so keep an eye open for adult birds feeding young or for fledglings just leaving the nest. We also added two bat boxes as the lakes have a colony of pipistrelle bats, which can be seen amongst the trees on warm summer evenings.
I would like to thank everyone who has joined in the recent working sessions.
Major path work near the second lake has been delayed due to the very wet weather, but this will take place at the end of April or beginning of May.
There will be a third working session one Saturday later in Spring. Notice of the date will be posted at the Lakes entrance and on the website.

On a less positive note the Management committee has become concerned at the amount of erosion of the vegetation by visitors who do not keep to the main paths. These are clearly shown on the noticeboards. We request that everyone does their best to treat the Lakes carefully, remembering it is a nature reserve. Please do nothing which could disturb nesting birds or other wildlife.

Diane Bratt, Lakes Management Committee Chairman

Many thanks to all who came to the Lakes working party last Saturday (9th December). We got a lot of much needed work done in a very productive morning. A good time was had by all. It was good to see people turning out to support the Lakes.

Diane Bratt