Category Archives: Ecology

More Jubilee Trees To Be Planted This Saturday – 1st December

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Tree Planting on Jubilee Walk

 

Due to the recent hard frosts this event will be re-arranged for a future date/time.

We are very pleased to say that Darren Shepherd has been given 400 more native trees from the Woodland Trust to boost the planting we did in the Spring,  on Jubilee walk.

We’ll be planting them this weekend coming (Saturday 1st December), so, if  you’d like to come and help with the planting of blackthorn, hazel, wild roses and cherries, all of which will be good for our birdlife,  then meet Darren at 10.30am by the Sheepfold Entrance Bench.  Bring a spade, as the trees will be slit planted,  and don’t forget sturdy boots to overcome the muddy conditions on the paths at the moment.

The 2012 Bulb Bonanza Makes a Difference – With Your Help

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500 Bulbs to Plant

Saturday 27th October is “Make a Difference Day” – run by the Community Service Volunteers (CSV), it is the UK’s biggest day of volunteering, and provides opportunities for thousands of people to volunteer every year in activities across the country. 

The Friends of Parkinson’s Park, have therefore decided to dedicate our regular Saturday morning working party to  a special project to ‘make a difference’ to the Park .   The task is to plan 500 small daffodil bulbs which have been given to us by the Groundwork Trust Continue reading →

Sandringham Sends A New Jubilee Tree

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Sandringham Estate’s Gift to Guiseley

Following the publicity about our stolen Jubilee Oak,  we have received an email from Mr Alexander George, Deputy Land Agent for the Sandringham Estate,  offering us a new Jubilee Oak.  This has now arrived safely,  and is a few years older than the last one –  big enough to be surrounded by some protection.

Darren Shepherd will be doing the planting honours again, as in March, and we will let all Friends know when planting will take place.   Barbara Winfield thought it would be nice to have a special Guiseley guest at the event, so ideas for who that could be are welcome.

If anyone has any thoughts about protecting the tree,  do let us know.   Josie pondered that a surrounding ditch covered in leaves might do the trick, and Andy wondered about hiring a Barghest. Continue reading →

Wildflower Summer – by Chris Parapia

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Wildflower Meadow in the Olympic Park, London

Were you caught up in Olympic fever like much of the nation?

I was one of the very fortunate people to have had the privilege of going to the Olympic stadium at the beginning of August. Whilst everyone else was hurrying along to get inside the stadium, I was engrossed in the amazing display of wildflowers that has been planted in the Olympic Park. The colours of the flowers reflected the main colours of the games, namely purples and pinks.

You may not be aware that now that the games have finished Continue reading →

Hotel Bug – the madness continues unabated

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Hotel Bug – clearly visible above the cut hawthorn

In an audacious move characterised by a typical disregard for local opinion, another construction has appeared in Parkinson’s Park with little discussion, consultation or general consideration for community views. Lying but a few meters from Hotel Scarabee a similar hotel named “Hotel Bug” has appeared almost overnight. It is predicted that this latest building will attract a variety of insects which will in turn give rise to other inhabitants such as birds and bats. The already overstretched infrastructure of nearby trees and shrubs will be subjected to further demands as winged insects and other creatures look for food and recreation. A local resident speaking on behalf of the neighbourhood said “I remember when this was full of litter, glass and barbed wire. We knew where we were in those days. This is just pure madness”. The new hotel opened with live bands rocking the night until the early hours. Mc Fly headlined with  a medley of tracks from the Bee Gees and the Beetles. As the dust gradually settles on this new development residents wait and watch to see what comes next. There have been rumours of small boxes going up designed specifically to attract bird and bats. All we know is that the development machine moves on and no one is safe!

Of Corncockles and Caterpillars – by Chris Parapia

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Hungry Caterpillars

Way back in the middle of April, a group of “Friends” and Councillor Graham Latty prepared and then planted some wildflower annual seeds just inside the farmgate entrance on the left handside.

With some regular weeding by several “Friends” our efforts have borne fruit: there is now a beautiful collection of wildflowers coming into bloom, particularly corncockle and red poppies.

Corncockle

Just slightly further along into the park,  hidden in some tall nettles,  are a beautiful collection of caterpillars, nibbling their way through the lush vegetation, just like the “Hungry Caterpillar” story.

We’re going on a butterfly hunt …………….

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Six-Spot Burnet Moth on Yellow Pea Vetch

Eleven o’clock sharp,  our small band of butterfly hunters set off to see what we could see for the Big Butterfly Count.  Conditions were not the best for butterfly spotting,  being mild, slightly overcast and breezy: butterflies are cold blooded and need to warm up before they take to the air, and like calm days.   However, we went to the area just below the woods which Darren  said held the best potential.   This seems to be a spot which is rich in wild flowers – wood anemones, celandine and bluebells in the spring, clover, yellow pea vetch, and lesser knapweed now: it is also teaming with insects of many kinds.

In our allotted 15min,  we spotted two large skippers, two six-spot burnet moths, several meadow browns and a number of ringlets.   A subsequent walk around the park also led to sightings of a small tortoiseshell, and many more ringlets.  Continue reading →

The Big Butterfly Count – by Darren Shepherd

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Ringlet in Parkinson’s Park

‘The Big Butterfly Count’ was launched by the one and only David Attenborough last Saturday, 14th July and runs until 5th August.   Counting butterflies helps us test the health of our environment, so, I thought we could gather some Friends together and do our  own ‘Butterfly Count’ in the Park next Sunday morning, 22nd July, 11am for 1hour.

I have been keeping an eye on an area in the park that is along from the ‘Greenshaw terrace’ entrance.  This area seems to be a stronghold for butterflies and moths, and also lots of other insects.

Butterflies  I have seen recently have included, the Meadow Brown, the Ringlet, the Small Copper, large and small Skippers,and  the Red Admiral.  Moths have included, the Chimney Sweeper, and the Six Spot Burnett (day flying moths).

This area seems to be more productive than other areas of the park for insects,  but looks similar to the rest.  I’d love to know if any botanists can shed some light on why  this could be?  The area is also “alive” with field crickets, so if we have a nice sunny day next Sunday we may get some nice surprises.  Looking forward to it.

If you spot any butterflies yourself, please report your sightings in the comments below.  You can download a handy chart from the Big Butterfly Count website here.

Hotel Le Scarabee

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Steve Magson and Darren Shepherd brandishing their tools as the floors rise up

Hotel Le Scarabee opened for business last weekend – Guiseley’s newest lifestyle residency.   Look out for upcoming reviews on Tripadviser.

Rain delayed construction by a week,  but all was bright and sunny on Saturday 14th July, as the last wood shaving was laid.  Designed by local lad, Rob Turner, and project managed by Andy Cheetham, the construction had expert input from Darren Shepherd, and was lovingly crafted by Sue Jackson, Steve Magson, Caroline Herries.

The hotel stands in its own historic, wooded grounds, surrounded by traditional Yorkshire hawthorn hedging.  A wide, circular drive leads to the main door of the majestic six storey building which has an alpine design.  Surrounded on all sides with a compost course made from rosebay willow herb, and with ample supplies of bramble patches for the most discerning of guests, there is no need to leave Hotel Le Scarabee for any creature comforts. Continue reading →

Hibernaculum Hotel

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Hibernaculum

The Friends of Parkinson’s Park exists as a vehicle for local people to improve the Park in a way they see as relevant – within the bounds of the aim of a landscape park, the overall landscape plan, and the owners’ permission.   Local people have many and varied skills and we want the Park to be a means for them to use their own particular skills to build a community asset.

We were therefore more than delighted when Rob Turner, a student conservationist, approached us to ask if he could build a hibernaculum (a shelter or hotel for hibernating animals) in the top copse, and turn the area inside the hedge into a wildlife sanctuary.   We had already got the copses earmarked for wildlife, but it seemed better to do that in a managed way, rather than in a ‘just leave it’ fashion.  The other advantage is that the area can then be used for education on conservation.

So, Rob, together with Andy Cheetham, Darren Shepherd and Josie Brooks – our wildlife/ecology/conservation team – will be starting the project by clearing the area, and  building a hibernaculum, or even hibernacula for different types of animals eg insects, reptiles.   If any other of the Friends would like to volunteer to join them,  they will be starting at 10am – 12noon on Saturday 14th July, meet at the top copse.