FRIENDS OF
GILCREST WOOD
MEADOW
AND
Urban Nature Park
Story of the Woods
At the 2017 AGM we presented a small collection of Stories, maps and photos shared members
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Our firstWork days
.In 2013, the Friends group held three work day events, in June, October and November. These events were really well attended by local residents.In future, we plan organise aproximately monthly work days each year, with the support and involvement of the City Council's Woodland rangers. Work days are usually held on a Sunday, 10am – 2pm. To date, we have cleared footpaths into the wood and meadow from the Canterbury Crescent, Hallamshire Drive and Castlewood Drive entrances; erected signposts and cleared bramble from the base of the old oak at the top of the meadow, so that this marvellous tree can be better appreciated.In addition to work days, we plan to run occasional educational events, focussing on bird, insect and plant species that can be found in and around the wood and meadow. Keep an eye on our home page for details.
All the work we carry out is undertaken with primary regard for wildlife and in accordance with management plans derived from our initial ecological survey.Do come along to our next work day (see home page for dates). There are tasks to suit people of all ages and levels of fitness. We love to see families involved, but we ask that children are accompanied by a responsible adult
PROJECTS
Clearing to really appreciate the big oak tree
Clearing to really appreciate the big oak tree
An important access path of common usage from Canterbury Crescent (opposite our house no 32) to Gilcrest Wood was legally recognised as a public right of way in 2006? This was following a successful application that I organised around that time. As a result the path will remain for access between houses now being developed by Sivil design and build Ltd This first picture is of a Christmas celebration of the new path The second is of a radio Sheffield interview (2004) during the application pr
monitoring bluebells
Mid May 2016, 2017 2018
Mid May 2019 and 2021
A level Research project:
"The effects of conserving biodiversity in a local climatic climax Community – Gilcrest Wood and Meadow”
The study was undertaken as part of an A level research project. Using a series of Environmental Quality survey tools the study concludes:
While Gilcrest Wood and Meadows is a relatively small Urban Nature park, it is a thriving ecosystem with a variety of wildlife. From small insects to large badger sets. It also has small sub-systems as present it a small pond/bog to thick tree cover. This pond has allowed FOGWAM to plug more native wet-water plants to increase biodiversity and create a space for wet water life such as frogs. The environmental quality is overall positive, as my data shows more positive site then negative (averages), with proximity to human sites tending to bring the environmental quality down, as I expected as human presence will bring about pollution, whether that is environmental, visual or by noise. Overall, I have found that Gilcrest Wood and Meadows is a small, yet biodiverse ecosystem, and the work of FOGWAM has only enhanced this. I hope that geographic and scientific community sees projects like these and understands its success, as it brings people together on all sorts of scales around the notion of conservation.
A survey with 36 responses generated the following insights about use of the woods and meadows.
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