There is a lot of wildlife along Glen Goyle – and since the inception of the FOGG project, more has been allowed to proliferate as over-dominant species have been cut back and more air and light let in.
John McGregor of FOGG got in touch with the Devon Wildlife Trust, saying the group were keen to provide suitable habitats for wildlife – and would like a representative from DWT to come to meet members on site to offer advice.
And so, as part of the regular Thursday morning working party session on 11th July, FOGG folk were joined by Katie Wilkinson, Wilder Communities Team Leader at the DWT.
She was not only shown around the Glen and its various habitats, but was very helpful in terms of suggesting sites for bat and owl boxes, hedgehog runs, bug hotels etc.
Katie has since got back with further ideas, including:
Plants for Pollinators advice and downloadable lists / RHS Gardening
Wild About Gardens – Stars of the Night guide
tawny-owl-nest-box-plan.pdf (bto.org) and Equipment Shop (nhbs.com) for bat boxes
The District Council’s Horticultural Officer Paul Fealey was also part of the welcoming party for Katie – and more ideas were exchanged on wildlife-friendly plantings at other sites as well as Glen Goyle – as the DWT is keen to work in partnership with the local authority.
Indeed, the sharing of ideas on the Thursday morning between the different parties brought about some good cross-pollination – such as talk of the usefulness of ponds, which might mean the re-establishment of the little basin which once provided a newt pond as part of the old Asherton House gardens.
So, there’ll be plenty of activity happening along the Glen over the coming months as volunteers continue to enhance the wildlife of a very special place – “the wonderful Glen Goyle” as Katie called it.
Photos taken by members of FOGG over the last year – showing some of the diversity of wildlife along Glen Goyle.
With huge thanks to John for organising the visit and enabling further cross-polination!
Sid Valley Biodiversity Group | Some great nocturnal videos taken of local residents… | Facebook
And thanks too of course to Katie for joining us along the Glen and helping us to take the project forward.
Wilder Communities | Devon Wildlife Trust
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