We've just had this from the nice folk at Flora of the Fells...
Contact Sue Manson on 01539 733187 (Monday to Thursday) if you'd like to join in!
“The Flora of the Fells Project has been raising awareness of the special qualities of Cumbria’s upland landscapes for the last nine years through festival events, education work and publications.
This year we are running two high profile autumn ‘Fell Care Days’ at Helvellyn and Ennerdale and we are now looking for volunteers to help with the Helvellyn Fell Care Day on Thursday 29 September.
The aims of the Fell Care Days are to highlight the huge role volunteering plays in conserving and managing the fells through a day of practical conservation activities involving lots of different volunteer groups and raising awareness about the benefits which the uplands provide for us all.
Volunteers from Friends of the Lake District, schools, colleges, LDNPA, Fix the Fells, Mosaic groups, businesses and individuals will be taking part and we’ll have an activity that members of the public can join in on the day. United Utilities are key partners in the day.
The themes for the Helvellyn Fell Care Day are land management for water quality and woods. The day will also celebrate 2011 as the European Year of Volunteering, International Year of Forests and the 60th Birthday of the Lake District National Park.
So….we are looking for Volunteers to help us in the following ways at:
Helvellyn Thursday 29 September
(‘Hub’ based at Swirls car park, east shore of Thirlmere. Volunteer work parties start at 9.30am, activities finish by 5.30pm latest)
Volunteering opportunities:
1. Setting up and manning of the hub and refreshments at Swirls car park from 8am
2. Greeting and signing in of volunteers from 8.45am
3. Awareness raising and membership recruitment at Swirls ‘hub’
4. Footpath repair work & brash clearance in Swirls Wood
5. Drain clearance on high fells with Fix the Fells – 3 routes from 4 to 6 hrs each
6. Litter clearance high fells – Swirral & Striding Edge – very fit people only with a head for heights
7. Clearance of helicopter bags from Helvellyn Gill – strong, fit people needed
8. Litter clearance – Thirlmere lakeshore
9. Tree work – tree tube straightening – need to be mobile, very rough, steep terrain
10. Tree work – cutting conifer regeneration – rough terrain
11. Helping with school groups rebuilding of a red squirrel hide
12. Red squirrel survey work – on potentially steep terrain
13. Running bird and bat box building with school groups & members of the public
14. Rebuilding of a sheepfold on high fell – for experienced, fit wallers – 50 minute steep walk in.
15. Helping shepherd a guided walk about land management for water quality
16. Clearing up the marquee & hub at the end of the day
17. Creating a short video diary of the day – preferably using own camcorder
18. Creating a photo diary of the day with the different conservation activities
19. Taking time lapse photos of the rebuilding of the sheepfold
20. Cake baking for the volunteer refreshments – need to be delivered to FLD Murley Moss office by Wednesday 28 September.
Variety of Volunteer skills required:
· Reasonable fitness & mobility
· Experienced, fit drystone wallers
· Super fit volunteers for work at high level on steep slopes
· People with video and editing skills or keen to have a go
· People who enjoy meeting people and awareness raising
· 1st aiders
· People with experience of leading practical conservation tasks as well as participating
Equipment we would like to borrow:
· 3 large kettles
Once we have a team of volunteers I will arrange a briefing session for the activity leaders in the week of 19 September.
If you are interested in helping us with any of these activities please do get in touch – volunteers will be absolutely key in making the day happen.
Kind regards
Sue Manson
direct line 01539 733187
Flora of the Fells Events and Communications Officer
(Please note I work 4 days, usual Monday to Thursday)
