Liz - Tree sculpture pictures

Pictured here are some of the tree sculptures

I helped make in South Gloucestershire schools. As you can see these ‘tree form’ sculptures are very different in style due to the variety of materials available on each day. The sculpture pictured on the left contains many curved lines and I feel has a lovely sense of movement. The sculpture on the right is more abstract in design, constructed from large interlinking shapes. If you look closely at both sculptures you may spot some wooden spoons and a variety of other items you may recognise! These sculptures are unusual and powerful structures that look great outside stood amongst nature.

These two photos show the replica ‘furniture’ we attempted to construct from natural woods such as willow, hazel and wild cherry. The inspiration for each piece was taken from wooden furniture displayed at Dyrham Park, a National Trust property in South Gloucestershire. Each child sketched chosen pieces at Dyrham and when we visited the schools we helped them construct them in 3D form. The children enjoyed the challenge of making standing structures and worked extremely hard to complete them. Pictured on the left is a double bed complete with pelmet made from wire strung with conkers, whilst the ‘pillows’ are tastefully arranged log slices! To the right is a stylised doorway complete with doormat! I enjoyed helping construct both types of sculpture and am glad I had the opportunity to share such work with the children in each school.

Weekend volunteer work group

Hi, I'm Tori, one of the merry band of Willsbridge Volunteers! I've been volunteering at Willsbridge since my time at UWE, and now I work for Community Action, the Rural Community Council for South Glos, North Somerset and B&NES as Projects Assistant on the Rural Transport team. This is me at our annual conference, looking official with a clipboard.
That's not what I really enjoy doing of course. I still volunteer at Willsbridge as often as I can, simply because I like doing it. And it opens doors to other volunteering events too. I recently went on a Otter Holt Building day at Elm Farm (nr Keynsham). It was a fantastic day - you'd never believe how precise and otter likes his holt to be! What I thought was going to be basically a pile of logs and leaves turned into a 4 chamber mansion with ensuite river!
But back to Willsbridge and all it's splendours. Next week, Saturday the 11th November to be exact, I will be joining the first meeting of the Weekend Volunteer Work Group at Willsbridge Mill. I'm told we will be doing such fun things as putting up bat boxes, clearing the pond and so on! It's going to be a monthly venture - run by the very organised Ruth Clarricotes, and will run every second Saturday of the month from 10-2. Everybody's welcome, the more the merrier, so you should come too!
So I'll see you there then, bright and early! (If you really can't make it, perhaps I'll try and get some photos so you can see what you're missing!)

Liz - Twilight Zone day

This week I helped out at the Twilight Zone activity day held at Willsbridge Mill. The fun began at ten in the morning when several families arrived to try their hand at making a variety of craft items. A pen pot in the style of an owl with leaves for feathers and sticky-back plastic for eyes was a firm favourite – it was a hoot! What with leaves flying everywhere and glue stuck to small hands it was a miracle any of the paper tubes resembled owls at all! Fortunately all of the adults were willing to get stuck in and seemed to enjoy themselves as much as the children. Another challenge for all involved was scary spiders with dangling concertina legs. Now, folding strips of paper takes time and patience so most spiders left with only two or three legs – just as well they didn’t have to ‘walk’ very far to the next table! Other activities the children could choose from included making masks in the shape of nocturnal animals including the popular fox and hedgehog designs. Once coloured, the younger children in particular, had a great time running about the mill involved in their own role play.

Making a kite in the shape of a bat was another favourite activity. Straws and sticky tape were all that was required to support a black bat shape which soared into the air when pulled along by a piece of string. All I could see out of the barn window was a spectacle of flying bats being put through their paces by their owners. My delight in finding out that the last table contained materials to make a hat was short lived when Alison suggested I should wear a sample hat to show the children. Although intricately designed with dangling bat shapes, inky black really isn’t my colour but I wore it anyway.

The day was extremely popular despite the weather and as soon as one group of children left to search for mini-beasts in the woods with Alison, more children descended on the mill. I was busy the whole day demonstrating and helping to make each craft item and was surprised when four in the afternoon arrived and we had to pack all the materials away for next time. I only wish now that I had taken the time to make a bat kite for myself!

Volunteering at Willsbridge

Hi, my name is Liz and I’m a volunteer at Willsbridge Mill. I have been helping with various activities for the past three years whilst studying for a Biological Sciences degree and completing a PGCE Primary course. I have spent time with school groups pond dipping, river sampling and going on nature walks. My particular favourite activity is helping with the pond dipping because we never fail to catch something of interest although I’m sure each newt has resurfaced at least 10 times during the summer months! The children are always amazed that so much can live in a small, muddy pond and enjoy identifying each creature. I have also hunted minibeasts on my hands and knees and constructed dens in the woods for a ‘teddy bear’s picnic’. More recently at the Big Switch Apple Day event I found myself putting my artistic skills to the test by helping children make ‘Apple people’. With twigs for arms and legs and leaves for hair the resulting ‘people’ were lovingly made whilst their parents sampled the local cider! Each child proudly carried their ‘person’ home to remind them of their fun day.

Over the past few weeks I have been assisting Ruth and local artist Peter Margerum with Tree Sculpture workshops, part of a South Gloucestershire schools project. We have visited ten local schools to highlight the significance of trees by creating 3D ‘tree forms’ constructed entirely from reclaimed wood and also used natural woods such as willow and hazel to make furniture. Until now I had never considered myself in competition with Bob the Builder but after weeks of sawing and using power drills I consider myself quite handy with tools! In each school the children enjoyed experiencing the freedom to create large sculptures. They were involved in every stage of the process from initial designing to choosing and placing the raw materials. Each ‘tree form’ sculpture has turned out differently and the variety of wooden objects brought from home such as chair legs, banisters and wooden spoons allowed for unique pieces of art. They can be viewed as an overall tree shape or seen as a collection of forms and lines. The furniture pieces on the other hand were more representative of actual items such as tables, chairs, fireplaces and even a grandfather clock! I have really enjoyed working with the children and finding out how creative they can be when given a challenge. I look forward to helping with more projects in the future.

Joe's Wildlife Journal

Joe Middleton – Nature Reserves Assistant

Most people think conservation volunteers are lovely tea drinking, hob-nob eating eccentrics, and to be honest they’re not far off. Every Sunday and Wednesday a random collection of Wildlife Action Group (WAG) volunteers meet up on the Jacobs Wells Road and go off in a minibus to one of the 30 or so nature reserves around Bristol to chop, cut, bash and rake the local wildlife back into shape.
I started volunteering for Avon Wildlife Trust back in the summer after graduating from UWE, and now help lead the volunteers two days a week with another 5 or so Nature Reserve Assistants. Recently we’ve been getting our feet wet clearing scrub on the banks of Chew Valley Lake so the birds (bitterns in particular) can hopefully start nesting. We’ve also been pushing loads of wheel barrows full of gravel around Folly Farm Nature Reserve near Bishop Sutton, putting in an ‘access for all’ pathway, and wading in the pond at Willsbridge Mill near Longwell Green pulling out the overgrown reeds. But the most important job is making sure everyone’s mug is full of tea and the biscuit collection is well stocked up!
As a Nature Reserves Assistant we also spend Mondays getting trained up by Justin Smith who teaches us all the skills we need to lead the volunteers and carry out the work that needs to be done on the reserves. Justin’s a fungi expert (and also one fun guy!) and on Monday we had a fungi course where we went to the Ashton Court Reserve to pick some specimens and got taught how to identify them which was wicked as I can now put a name to some of the mushrooms we all see growing in the fields around Bristol.
Last Monday Justin also taught us how to put up fences for sheep and cattle, which are used by Avon Wildlife Trust to look after the grasslands and stop them turning into scrub. It was a lovely hot day and we spent most of it putting up this solid barbwire fence and bashing in big wooden posts and you can see me and the other reserve assistants Liz, Wendy and Sarah hard at work in the pictures.If you fancy joining us volunteers for the day check out the WAG programme under the volunteer section and turn up at the meeting place just down from the Hope and Anchor Pub on the Jacobs Wells Rd before 10. You can find me every Wednesday, we’re off to Browns Folly on the 18th for some scrub clearance with the best view of Bath your likely to see since the Romans arrived and Weston Big Wood the week after (25th) to restore the rides and pathways. I went to Weston Big Wood yesterday on a site visit to see what needs doing and we found a massive hornets nest with hornets as big as your thumb so we’ll make sure we avoid that like the plague! I’ve also got my minibus license test coming up in the next couple of weeks so wish me luck! and I’ll let you know how I do…

Amber McCarthy

This is my web log of my volunteering experiences at The Avon Wildlife Trust.......

Ambers Wildlife Journal: Four

Not all my tasks have been outside or working with people. I have carried out a lot of projects independently in the office. The most exiting one (sarcastic) was starting and completing the data entry for the Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) on the new data system called BARS (Biodiversity Action Reporting System). It took so long and was extremely tedious, however I did learn a lot of biodiversity related acronyms. I also learnt a lot of other information about the BAP which is very useful for my degree. There are so many conservation projects happening in Avon it is hard to keep track. The web-based information system supports the planning, monitoring and reporting requirements of national and local BAPs. This allows partnership organisations to update their progress and for other people to see. I am glad I spent the time doing it because it is good to see the end results, and I could always do it in between other projects.

Another project that is ongoing:

In 2005 there was a set of bat information boards designed by AWT. These were made to raise awareness of bat populations in the area to the local residents of North Somerset. When I started they had been made but hadn’t reached its destined audience. My job was to organise a little tour for the display boards. I called all the libraries in the North Somerset area and arranged when the boards could be dropped off and collected. The tour lasted from March to September and some libraries were lucky to have the display two or three times. I was able to use the superb collection of wildlife trust pool cars for the journeys. I visited Weston Super mare, Long Ashton, Worle, Clevedon and many more. I got lost quite a few times but now I know my way pretty well. The display now has an exciting new home, the Bristol City Museum, this is where it will spend its winter.

Ambers Wildlife Journal: Three

I mentioned one day in the office that photography was a hobby of mine. I was then given a couple of fantastic photography assignments.

I was already working with Lucy Rogers (Avon BAP Coordinator) on the new Severn Estuary leaflet design and wording. She asked if I could visit the sites to check out access and parking and take some pics whilst I was out there. The leaflet was being produced by English Nature and the Avon Wildlife Trust to promote access in the area. We described seven walks along the Severn estuary (on the English coast). I had only visited one of the sites before, Brean down, so it was an eye opener for me. I thought the estuary would be dull and lifeless, I was very wrong. The sites were full of character and unforgettable. I returned to the office with some of the best photos I have ever taken. Now my images are on 2000 leaflets promoting access and walks along the river Severn. It was such an achievement to see my pictures on the leaflet. I posted one to my mum straight away. There was a large feature put in the next Wildlife Trust magazine about the estuary. This included my photographs on the front page, and inside. I wrote an article and described my trip around the Severn. This sat along side a feature about Severn barrage proposal (I sent the magazine to my mum too).

When ever I went on a training course or to events I took photos for the trust. I visited such a diverse range of reserves and habitats I couldn’t miss any opportunity. My favourite was on a reptile training day at Tickenham moor. We found lots of slow worms in perfect reptile habitats. An added bonus was the pair of resident buzzards continuously circling overhead. I managed to capture a good quality close up. Well good for me!!

I love taking photos of colourful flowers, so every chance I got I was snapping away. I was also very lucky to take a photo of a water vole on a trip to the reintroduction site near Avon mouth. Usually you just hear a ‘plop’ and don’t mange to see anything. This photo was used as evidence that the reintroduction programme was working!

Ambers Wildlife Journal: Two

During the summer months there are many extra environmental events the wildlife trust put on or are involved with. I helped the education team on a few occasions this involved many extraordinary things, including dressing up as a bumblebee for a family fun day on the downs. It was so much fun, I wasn’t alone I enlisted a few of my student friends to help out. I think I had the best costume as my friends were a seagull and a slug! I hung out with the bee keeper all day and learnt about the importance and rapid decline of our honey bees. There was a bee hive full of busy bees the children loved spotting the queen bee through the glass.

I also took part in the BBC bird box challenge at this years Festival of Nature, held in Millennium square. I didn’t have to dress up but I was busy getting covered with paint. I gave a hand with the wildlife trust stand, by helping the children do environmental art and make bird boxes for the bird box challenge. They made 200 over the weekend. Some of my lecturers from university were there with their children; it was nice for them to see me working hard on my placement. Again the weather was fabulous and I was glad the stand was next to the water fountains and Naomi kept the chocolate biscuits coming. It was a really interesting event I learnt a lot from visiting the other stands. I even had a practise at being a TV news presenter, something I have always wanted to do. There was even a photo of me on the BBC website diligently making a bird box. I met some fantastic people from other NGO’s and environmental organisations and we still keep in contact now. I saw an amazing statue of the WEEE man on display at the festival. The WEEE man is made from electrical and electronic waste, such as washing machines, TVs, microwaves, vacuum cleaners and mobile phones. He represents the amount of waste electrical and electronic equipment (WEEE) the average British person throws away in their lifetime – over 3 tonnes per person. Festivals like this are such an inspiration.

Ambers Wildlife Journal: One

I started my placement in February 2006 for the biodiversity team in the Avon Wildlife Trust office on Jacob wells road. I am usually a university student studying Conservation Biology, at Bristol UWE but I took a year out to gain work experience.

The tasks and projects I am given to do are so exciting. My position ‘Biodiversity Assistant’ is mainly office based however I can go out on site whenever I fancy. This is usually when the weather is nice! When there are any interesting species or habitat surveys being carried out I am invited along. I have been trained for otter, water vole, reptile, and grassland surveys so far.

The otter training was amazing. The course was run by James Field, North Somerset Levels and Moors Project, the location, Blagdon Lake. We were given an interesting otter ecology lesson in the classroom then we were trained with otter survey techniques, the afternoon was spent otter spotting. I was really excited and expected to see the Eurasian otter (Lutra lutra). I didn’t realise that they were nocturnal and very shy. There was a chap on the course who had been otter surveying for 14 years and is still yet to see an otter!! There was so much wildlife to see and the people on the course were really nice. We were very lucky to find three or four otter spraints (droppings). They have a very distinctive appearance and smell, the smell in very similar to Jasmine tea! I had brought my camera along expecting to catch an otter but instead managed to photograph the Comma butterfly and the beautiful scenery of the day. I am now a member of the North Somerset Levels and Moors Otter group and carry out surveys through out the year using the skills I have learnt. There was another piece of very important information I found out from the day………if you want to see an otter go to Scotland!