Song Thrush Serenade
Continuing our monthly topical update promoting a bird, animal or insect, you may observe when visiting the parks and green spaces in Broxtowe this month we are promoting the Song Thrush (Turdus philomelos). The longer evenings are a great time to listen because they are often the last bird to stop singing. They have a habit of repeating the same song which makes them a bit more distinctive.
The bulk of the Song Thrush diet is earth worms and snails, therefore damp ground where these food sources are readily available is essential. Nationally numbers have declined dramatically in recent years, but we are pleased to report they are resident on most of our Local Nature Reserves, with the Nottingham Canal, Toton Fields and Hall Om Wong being particularly good sites to see and hear them.
Path Improvement Works, Banks Road, Toton
 Last year Western Power Distribution carried out underground cable installation work at Manor Farm Recreation Ground. This work was carried out to minimise disruption to the roads at the busy High Road/Nottingham Road junction. By giving permission for this work to be undertaken the company provided a financial contribution to the Council to the value of £10,000 that was to be used to improve the footpath surfacing on the adjacent Banks Road Open Space. This work has now been carried out together with some sensitive pruning to open up the routes and create a more welcoming feel to this popular site.
Broxtowe from the Sky
 Last month the picture was of a very snowy Jubilee Park in Eastwood. Hopefully we can now look forward to warmer weather and take advantage to explore sites such as this one that is featured in another article in this month’s newsletter. Have an amazing time!
Bulb Planting
 Regular readers of the newsletter will recall that we said that we had planted nearly 40,000 new bulbs last autumn. These were at various sites across the borough, one of these was adjacent to the tram stop on Inham Nook Recreation Ground Chilwell where the bulbs provide an attractive gateway to the park. Bulbs planted in drifts like this are always slower to come through in their first year with the ground looking a little bare where the soil was rotovated.
With a full summer to die back and establish they will provide a stronger and more natural feature in years to come as the grass re-establishes. Now is the ideal time to plan for next autumn's bulbs as you can see where they are growing and the potential space for more. We will be looking to repeat the planting exercise with another 40,000 bulbs this autumn.
Outdoor sports facilities on the parks to reopen
 On the 29th March Outdoor sports facilities on the parks re-opened with the football pitches having their first football matches again on the weekend of 3 and 4 April. The outdoor gyms, skate parks and outdoor Multi Use games Areas (MUGA’s) are again back in use. We are looking to reopen the bowling greens from 1 May with Cricket starting again on the weekend of 8 an 9 May. All these will be subject to the necessary Covid 19 restrictions and are subject to change if the Governments Step time line is amended.
Garden Waste Subscriptions
 It’s that time of year, when residents in Broxtowe can renew their garden waste subscription for 2021/22.
Garden waste prices for the 2021/22 season are:
- £36 for 1 brown-lidded bin
- £22 for each additional bin
What does the subscription include?
- Collections are all year round – every two weeks from April to the end of November and in March, then every four weeks in December, January and February when there is less garden waste to dispose of.
- A hassle-free solution in comparison to taking your garden waste to the Local Household Waste and Recycling Site.
- A sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to garden waste disposal.
Little Picking Potential
 Lots of residents have been in touch to ask if they can help with litter picking. In February, as the snow melted and green areas are being mowed and tidied, more litter can be seen across the Borough whilst we are all out and about.
If, like us, you want to see the end of litter by our roads, on paths and in gardens, and you want to volunteer time to help us clear this litter, contact us today.
If you contact us, you will get a litter picking pole, risk assessment and we will also send you graphics to help you promote your litter pick on social media. We also collect the bags of collected litter at the end of your pick, if you let us know the details of where and when you plan to finish.
Thank you to all those who have helped so far – every pair of extra hands makes a real difference!
Watercourses
There are many watercourses in Broxtowe that help manage surface water, prevent flooding and improve habitats for wildlife so it is very important to keep them clear and well maintained. Rivers, brooks, streams, culverts and roadside ditches are all watercourses even if they don’t contain water all year round. If you have these running through, underneath or next to your property it is your responsibility to look after them and allow water to run freely. The term for this is Riparian Ownership.
We have recently written to all the Riparian Owners adjacent to the brooks in the borough advising them of their responsibilities. We have been working with Nottinghamshire County Council and the Environment Agency to clear debris and cut back vegetation on the sections of the brooks that run through our parks and green spaces. This will have benefits both in terms of flood mitigation and improving water quality.
|
Grove Avenue allotment - Fruit tree planting
As part of the Climate Change and Green Futures programme 8 fruit trees were planted at Grove Avenue Allotment, Chilwell to form a new orchard area. The trees were planted by our Parks staff with the help and guidance of an allotment tenant. The trees planted were a mixture of apple, pear and plum trees.
|
Replanting the Walled Garden – Bramcote Hills Park
We have recently planted a selection of Herbaceous plants in the walled garden to add some colour and structure to the beds. This is part of an ongoing programme of improvements to the Walled Garden that will create a good variety of height, texture and colour in the beds.
When summer comes the plants will flourish with beautiful bright colours.
Here are some of the herbaceous plants we have used :
Agapanthus, Delphinium, Echinacea, Penstemon, Rudbeckia If you would like to be a part of this ongoing project, we are looking for volunteers to work with us and create a possible Friends Group for the Walled Garden
If you are interested please email - grounds@broxtowe.gov.uk
|
|
