It’s that time of year again!

Frogs were observed to be on the move into the wetlands of Ashlawn Cutting on Friday 17th February 2023. On the 23rd, around 50 clumps of spawn were present in the marsh south of the station platform. Hopefully, there is more to come here and in other suitable pools over the coming days.

During a work party on Thursday 2nd March, the spawning activity commenced in the southern end of Pytchley Marsh. A few pictures are shown here but you will need to zoom in to see the full detail!

Latterly, spawning activity has also commenced in Reservoir Pond which is very welcome news. The pond was restored during the summer drought and now has much more open water.

Newbold Quarry – Letting the Light In

On the 14th February 2023 a number of ash trees were felled on the southern side of the quarry. The primary purpose is to allow more light in, which will allow the adjacent grassland to support a wider range of native flora. In turn, this will be beneficial to the wider wildlife within the park. It will also make the site more welcoming to the public. The aim is to open out the corridor from where this cut took place through to the Egerton Close entrance. Unfortunately, the second planned cutting session could not take place due to the temporary access closure put in place by Warwickshire Police.

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Restoring Reservoir Pond

We had a very prolonged dry spell in summer which was generally not good news for a nature reserve. However, it did give the volunteers an opportunity to restore Reservoir Pond while the water level went from low to virtually non-existent.

The pond is an important breeding site for the common frog. The pond had become severely choked by flag iris and reedmace. The resulting encroachment meant very limited open water for the frogs to mate and spawn.

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Ashlawn Grasslands Maintenance 2022

Grass cutting and raking off of the arisings has been on the go for the last two months. We have maintained a very good pace this season, with usually three brush cutters in action, with an energetic crew completing all the clearance. We expect to be finished by the end of November. The unimproved grasslands of the cutting are its core asset and deserve the full attention of the volunteer group.

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Rugby in Bloom Awards

Ashlawn Cutting was award a Gold and Overall Winner award in the Environmental category of Rugby in Bloom.

The awards presentation took place at the Benn Hall on Tuesday 8th November. The local volunteers attending the presentation received an an unexpected additional award. Our group was given a special award for outstanding contribution to Rugby in Bloom. In addition to a certificate, we also received an engraved glass trophy,

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The Big Butterfly Count 2022

The Big Butterfly Count begins on Friday 15th July 2022 and will run until Sunday 7th August.

This is a UK-wide survey aimed at helping Butterfly Conservation assess the health of our environment simply by counting the amount and type of butterflies (and some day-flying moths) we see.

More information is available on the dedicated survey website. From here, you can download an identification chart to assist with the survey. Alternatively, why not download the free app to assist with both identification and submission of results. This is available for both iOS and Android.