Last Friday, we intended to mow the long grass of the verge using a power scythe provided by Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
Unfortunately, on the day, the machine was out of action, so we resorted to using a battery-powered brush cutter instead. Although it produced a good, close cut, progress was slow, and the battery soon ran out, so we were unable to finish the task.
Our volunteers eagerly raked up the cut grass and scattered it on the opposite side of Ladies Mile, beneath the trees. They also tried their hand at making hay bales, using a wooden contraption brought along by Cheshire Wildlife Trust.
As we worked, we spotted numerous moths flying out of the grass as it was cut, highlighting its value as a habitat for insects.
We plan to continue this work at our next session on Friday, 19th September, but with the power scythe. Thank you to everyone who helped, and we look forward to seeing you again next time!
The Ladies Mile verge lies on the Knutsford Bee Trail, and it is being managed as a wildflower meadow. To nurture its development, it will be mown once a year at the beginning of September, and the cuttings will be removed.
Except for the fine weather and the good company, this session was a waste of half a day.
I suggest that at the next session the person with the cutting machine arrives and gets to work two or three hours before the collectors arrive or even the day before this, will mean that at least the collectors have got a job to do with a minimum of waiting around. There needs to be at least four rakers and collectors capable of raking and carrying the one ton bags over the road. To ensure that we have enough fit and able bodies it might mean that the committee have to go door-to-door asking for volunteers. Thinking of the committee, it was disappointing to see only one member of the committee at the last cutting session!
David
Hi David,
Thank you for your help on Friday and for your feedback. The session was enjoyable, but it was also frustrating since we didn’t have the necessary machinery to complete the task. The machine should be available for our next session on the 19th. Your suggestion to mow before the volunteers arrive to rake up the grass is excellent. We will endeavour to do that next time.
I agree that we need more helpers. For last Friday’s session, we sent an email to all our members and advertised it on Facebook. In addition, I distributed flyers to all the houses on Ladies Mile and Heath Drive, but unfortunately, that did not attract any volunteers. I can do the same again for the next session, and I welcome any other suggestions for recruiting helpers.
Kevin.