Strawberry Special – a Millennium Festival event, was held simultaneously in Yatton and Congresbury with walks along the Strawberry Line linking the two. History, nature and culture were all celebrated with activities throughout the day.Phippens makes it four
With guidance from the Hawk and Owl Trust and help from Yatton Rotary Club, YACWAG erected its first barn owl nesting box on a pole on Ten Acres.
We built an artificial otter holt on our land just before Foot & Mouth disease restrictions prevented further access for the summer. A fourth field, a small paddock (Phippens), was purchased on Congresbury Moor, thanks to YANSEC who granted us 90% of the cost. Congresbury Moor Reserve now extends to over 18 acres (7.5 ha).
Field Fayre celebration
YACWAG completed fundraising to buy a 6 acre wet woodland (Littlewood) on Kenn Moor SSSI. Funding came from YANSEC, with the Countryside Agency and Transco providing third party funding.
On Congresbury Moor in Ten Acres, a PhD researcher found a harvest mouse. Thanks to the Lottery Awards for All, YACWAG organised a Field Fayre in Claverham Village Hall to celebrate the history and wildlife of local fields, and thanks to Gerald Harris and other local farmers, put on a traditional haymaking demonstration in New Croft.
Littlewood purchased
YACWAG held its first Littlewood Open Day, running shuttle minibuses to take interested villagers from Claverham, Yatton and Kenn to see the wood.
On Congresbury Moor we joined forces with Bristol Regional Environmental Records Centre (BRERC) and the Bristol Dragonfly Recording Society to put on an event called Wet’n’Wild.
Gerald Harris, family and friends, held another public hay-making in New Croft. We began to see the results of the hay cutting regime as patches of knapweed, greater birdsfoot trefoil and the uncommon pepper saxifrage appeared.
YACWAG co-ordinated a project to plant thousands of bulbs at North End Roundabout, supported by Cadbury Garden Centre and Wessex Water.
Barn Owl success
Barn owls successfully fledged four chicks in one of YACWAG’s boxes on Congresbury Moor. This was the first time barn owls had bred locally for at least 25 years. Trevor Riddle organised watches from the Strawberry Line so local people could see the owls through telescopes.
A day was held in Congresbury to celebrate the life of Sue Grant, a founding YACWAG member. Among her achievements Sue Grant was responsible for raising the profile of trees in Congresbury as well as planting many. People enjoyed pond dipping, guided nature walks and craft activities, followed by a picnic in St Andrew’s Church paddock.
Another open day was held at Littlewood in September.
Action for bats
Fifteen members wanting to learn about bats and bat detection attended training courses at Goblin Combe Environment Centre. Grants from YANSEC and Viridor Waste enabled us to buy bat detectors.
At North End, Yatton YACWAG members repaired the old stone wall under supervision from local stone mason Sam Powell and planted some wild flowers funded by Environment Agency Action Earth.
Two new barn owl boxes were erected on Congresbury Moor to give our resident kestrels new nesting choices and avoid conflict with the owls.
YACWAG Chair Tony Moulin was voted No. 2 Local Hero by ITV West and received a cheque for £1000 for YACWAG.
Stowey Reserve established
YANSEC, Yatton Parish Council and Yeo Valley Lions plus members’ donations funded the purchase of two fields to form our Stowey Reserve.
YACWAG volunteers helped the project to renovate Glebelands Park in the centre of Yatton and YACWAG provided a wildlife interpretation board and nesting boxes for birds.
A bat walk was organised for families at St Andrew’s School and the YACWAG bat group established a transect in Claverham to record Noctule, Serotine and Pipistrelle species under the National Bat Monitoring Scheme.
The group also began an annual Daubenton’s bat survey along the River Yeo in Congresbury.
YACWAG acquired two fields off Kenn Moor Road to create another nature reserve. Local people joined members in clearing the land and sowing wild flower seed.
Footmead, an ancient pasture next to Gangwall, near the Strawberry Line at Yatton, was purchased from the Bristol Quakers.
YACWAG celebrated its tenth anniversary with a party at the Chapter House, Yatton.
Thanks to a grant from YANSEC and North Somerset Council YACWAG erected traditional iron estate fencing around the stock pond on Cadbury Hill. Volunteers’ work on the lower slope led to a noticeable improvement in wild flowers.
YACWAG volunteers were the first to find Nathusius pipistrelle bats at Blagdon Lake.
Faith Moulin at the Treasured Trees of Yatton & Congresbury book launch
Mosaic seat restored
Harvest mice nests were found along the Strawberry Line.
A programme of work was started to clear scrub from the eastern ditch at Littlewood. Bat workers visited the wood to check trees for bat roosts.
A mini-conference was held to bring the specialist groups of YACWAG together and showcase their work to members.
YACWAG sponsored the restoration of the Millennium mosaic seat on the Strawberry Line at Yatton, commissioning artist Barbara Disney to work with Yatton Junior School pupils to create images and fix them onto tiles.
The State of Nature report was unhappy reading, but YACWAG was pleased to continue making a difference on a small scale.
YACWAG and the Bat Conservation Trust put on a national conference at Ubley on the Nathuius pipistrelle bat.
YACWAG’s Executive Committee decided to stop producing paper newsletters.Know the Yeo
YACWAG pressed for mitigation for damage to the Strawberry Line at Congresbury by IDB contractors, and at Yatton by Western Power.
Malcolm Dowling finished the hedge-laying at Kenn Moor, giving new views of the moor. A hedge was also laid in St Mary’s Churchyard.
With the Rivers Trust we organised an event on Congresbury Millennium Green called ‘Know the Yeo’.
Wine ropes were deployed along the Strawberry Line for National Moth Night, attracting a Red Underwing moth.
Natterers bats were found roosting in Littlewood.
YACWAG launched a new website for the Jubilee Tree Project.
Tree Dressing Day involved 55 people making wildlife bunting for trees in Yatton, Claverham and Congresbury.
Tony Moulin received the Clevedon Mercury Environmental Hero Award on behalf of YACWAG.
Bob and Graham tree dressing
Heidi and Princess at Yatton Schools Carnival
Hedge laying
Family fun at Stowey Reserve in May
A Yellow Loosestrife Bee collecting pollen from
the Yellow Loosestrife flower on Stowey Reserve
Photo by Emily Lomas.
Tony Moulin (YACWAG), Bill Richardson (Strongvox), Cllr Richard Westwood (Chair, North Somerset Council)
Volunteers worked hard through a dry year to keep the new apple trees watered at Kenn Moor Reserve.
Cobthorn Open Day May 2022
New Interpretation Board
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