After a short break over the summer, our Restore the Thaw project officially returned in autumn!
We have had a fantastic start to the season, welcoming back our dedicated team of volunteers – both familiar faces and enthusiastic newcomers.
Working in partnership with the Vale of Glamorgan Countryside Team, Innovate Trust’s Restore the Thaw project is all about providing opportunities for adults with learning disabilities and mental health support needs to look after and improve habitats in the River Thaw catchment area.
What is restoration?
Restoration is about bringing something back that has been lost.
This might mean helping a species that used to be common in the area but has now disappeared, like the water vole.
It is also about improving habitat quality for a wide range of protected and priority species of flora, fauna and fungi.
Restore the Thaw focuses on helping to make the environment a better place for all kinds of plants, animals, and fungi to grow and thrive, like they used to in the River Thaw landscape.
Hard work in the winter chill
Winter can be a tricky time of year for working outside, but our group of volunteers is incredibly dedicated. Rain or shine, wind or frost, they show up every week to help local nature and boost biodiversity.
It has been so inspiring to see the commitment our group of volunteers show, and how well they work together as a team, keeping each other’s spirits up on even the gloomiest of days.
We have been working at some beautiful local spots, including:
- Aberthaw Nature Reserve,
- Porthkerry Park,
- Rhoose Point,
- Hensol Woods.
Helping nature by hand
No week looks the same, we have been working on a variety of tasks depending on what the area needs.
At Porthkerry Park, we have been clearing away non-native invasive trees, like the Holm Oak and Cherry Laurel from the edges of the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
These trees spread rapidly and can crown out threatened or rate native species such as Purple Gromwell and the True Service Tree.
We always use hand tools on the Restore the Thaw project. It causes minimal disturbance to wildlife, and it also does not pollute the environment with fumes or chemicals the way that power tools do.
We also remove harmful litter from the environment on our regular litter picks!
Coppicing day in Millwood
An example of how we use hand tools is a traditional woodland management technique known as coppicing, which in many species encourages new shoots to grow.
Over the Christmas period, we had a coppicing day where our volunteers cut back some overgrown stands of Hazel Coppice to open up the canopy and allow more light to penetrate in the spring.
This extra light reaching the ground will support more wildflower species to grow, which in turn benefits other species like pollinating insects, small mammals, and birds.
By cutting small areas of trees like this, we create a mix of different environments. This helps a wider variety of wildlife to live and grow there.
Science and surveys
It’s not all about digging and cutting! We have also been busy carrying out wildlife surveys. This helps us track which species are living in our local area.
The waxcap watch
Waxcaps are a group of small, often brightly coloured mushrooms known for their waxy, slippery, or sticky caps.
Determined to take part in Plantlife’s annual Waxcap Watch, we managed to get out to explore a known waxcap hotspot in Barry towards the end of the survey period.
Unfortunately, the first heavy frost of the year got there first! When we arrived most of the waxcaps had sadly vanished except for a few soggy, frost damaged specimens. We sent details of our findings off nonetheless.
A rare find at Aberthaw
One of our biggest highlights was finding a bright blue fungus called Cobalt Crust at Aberthaw Nature Reserve.
This species is under-recorded at present, so an important find for us to send off through the iRecord App!
Why we do it
Surveys allow our volunteers to make a real difference to science by providing data that experts use to protect nature. It also boosts our volunteer’s knowledge, helping them to identify different species, a skill that many find rewarding.
Surveys will continue to be an important part of the project, with lots to look forward to come springtime! We already have a few naturals within our volunteering groups who have an excellent attention to detail.
Join Restore the Thaw
We are always on the lookout for new participants and support volunteers!
Whether you come along for a on-off wellbeing walk or want to join us weekly as a regular volunteer – everyone is welcome.
A key part of project is providing opportunities for the community to engage with the natural world. Withs spring coming soon, it is a wonderful time to be outdoors in nature when everything starts bouncing back to life again,
If you want to learn new skills, make friends, and help the environment, please get in touch!
This project has been supported by the Biodiversity Fund of Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water.
