25th February 2015
We were in Great Crested Newt territory; fortunately, the
newts weren’t. We did come across a frog or possibly three, but it’s difficult
to know when you only see them one at a time. Common frogs often find their way
back to water as early as February, but great crested newts sensibly stay on
their winter break until April or May; it’s cold in there. The great crested
newt is a protected species so, if there were any about, we would have been
prevented from doing our job.
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Overgrown Pond in The Walled Garden
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We were clearing the Walled Garden Pond. “This is the hardest
job we’ve ever done,” said Mike, the most energetic of us. In the last couple
of years, vegetation – especially horsetails and sedges – had taken over,
leaving no open water and even becoming solid enough in places to form an island.
There’s open water now, but only over a third of the surface area so as to
minimize disruption of the resident wildlife. And by leaving the dumped mud and
plants by the side of the pond for a week, invertebrates were given the chance
of finding their way back to their much improved home. Carting the waste to the
far reaches of the West Wood to dispose of it was another strenuous job.
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| Les Hard at Work |
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| Mike upto his knees in mud |
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| The Team |
Gibside staff have benefitted from home improvements as well
recently, with their offices being stripped back to the bare walls and clad
with two inch thick insulation. This could be an example of the National Trust
caring for the environment by saving energy though, as householders know too
well, cost-benefits are always questionable. Or perhaps it’s the National Trust
doing a fine job in looking after another rare species.
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| Furniture Removal - another of our many talents! |
Steve Wootten & Phil Coyne
