Latest Projects at Stonebridge

Harvest mouse survey started - 2020

Discovering a harvest mouse in our newly established hedging led to in November 2020 to Wiltshire Mammal Group leading a harvest mouse nest surveying day, training our volunteers how to find, identify and report nest of this small mammal. The session was filmed by The Mammal Society to promote their 2021/22 National Harvest Mouse Survey.
Click on the image below to watch the short film.

 

New white willow - 2019 and new black poplars - 2017

In November 2019 a white willow tree was planted at the end of the wetland, the tree was funded by Marlborough & District Dyslexia Association. The group wanted to mark the retirement of their long serving President Gill Wallis and founder of the association Janet Louth. The tree will visually enhance this area and add to the reserve's biodiversity.

 White willow planting with the Dyslexia Association                           Black poplar planting December 2017
During 2017 we ran a Stonebridge Get Involved project for local teens, one of the activities was learning how and where on the reserve to plant rare black poplar saplings. 

Snake's head fritillary planting - started autumn 2017

Community bulb planting afternoons are helping improve biodiversity in the east section of the conservation grazing area.

The Wetland - created in 2015

Wetland dug March 2015   
Objectives

-       To create a new habitat rich in biodiversity

-       To filter road surface runoff pollution that was directly entering the river

-       To improve access for all

-       To create an educational resource for informal use and for educational outreach sessions with local
        organisations and groups run by ARK


Dragonfly on wetland
 A broad-bodied chaser dragonfly                                                        Local Beaver group pond dipping
Wetland boardwalk
New non-slip recycled plastic boardwalk and pond dipping platform built, enabling year round access for wheelchairs, mobility scooters and pushchairs to enter the meadow with ease. 
 

Creating a Hedge for Wildlife 

Since March 2014, we have run community tree planting and hedge maintenance days in the spring and autumn to create and care for a hedge to surround the conservation grazing area. We have so far been awarded more than 3,000 native trees, of 12 different species by The Woodland Trust.




   

Monitoring

A wide variety of surveying, monitoring and recording is carried out at the reserve, much of it by trained volunteers and County Recorders who often have many years’ experience. Not only does this enable us to manage the reserve appropriately by knowing what is living at and passing through the habitats present, we can also contribute information on species to national databases.
Monitoring wildlife at stonebridge

  Above: water vole surveying
  Left: Reptile and amphibian surveying




Outreach & Engagement

Stonebridge Wild River Reserve is open to the public all year round and can be explored and enjoyed independently, however we do run a wide range of free public events including River School sessions, Wildlife Walks, Moth Nights, Bioblitz Days, Hedge Maintenance Days and Fritillary Bulb Planting Days. Have a look at our forthcoming events. 

Bat walk and talk
  Above: Moth Night, check our events page for dates                                Above: Bat Night
 
Much of the work undertaken at Stonebridge is by our wonderful volunteers, click here if you would like to find out more.

planting water crowfoot - ARK volunteers
 Above: Stream water crowfoot planting - ongoing                               Above: Willow bird watching panels - installed 2019

IB Students at Stonebridge

We run our River School outdoor educational sessions at Stonebridge for schools, organisations and other groups. Sessions can be tailored to age, ability and time. Contact anna@riverkennet.org for more information.