Friends of Three Sisters

www.friendsof3sisters.org.uk

Three Sisters Recreation Area, Three Sisters Road, Ashton-in-Makerfield, WN4 8DD.
Ranger Service 01942 720453

 

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Conservation Volunteers

Peter Browne

John Broxton

Greg Broxton

Alison Clothier

Liz Cook

Bethan Crossen

Ian Crossen

Jackie Crossen

Vic Greenwood

Paul Jenkins

Steve Kelly

David McKendrick

Sue McKendrick

Tony Oldfield

Phil Smith

Jean White

Lynn White

Matthew White

Jean White

Phil White

Ian Winstanley

Joy Winstanley
Environmental Projects at Three Sisters
08/11/09. Friends' project: Removing birch and oak seedlings from heather patch (2, 547).
12/08/09. Friends' project: Opening access to the new education pond with new fence along the edge of the wetlands (2, 545).
09/08/09. Friends' project: Clearing saplings from heather patch (7, 537).
14/06/09. Friends' project: Crushing aluminium cans to raise funds for the Friends' group (2, 523).
©VG
10/05/09. Friends' project: Removing saplings and seedings from heather patch. Removing barbed wire fence from link path between Three Sisters and Viridor Wood (10, 515).
Heather patch. ©VG

08/02/09. Friends' project: Renewing bark chippings on path through Wildflower Wood (8, 495).

Relaying path. ©VG
02/02/09. The Three Sisters now has a new wetland area which continues to be developed. The Friends have applied for a grant to fence off the area and protect it from disturbance to nesting birds and other wildlife. Once installed it is intended to introduce cattle to manage the vegetation and create muddy areas at the edges of the ponds, thus attracting waders and other birds. The Leisure and Culture Trust intends to seek Local Nature Reserve status for the wetland and adjoining woodland, which has been the aim of the Friends for some time.

The new wetland area. ©VG
09/11/08. Friends' project: Cutting back along boardwalk by old dipping pond and clearing logs and rubbish from pond (6, 479).
12/10/08. Friends' project: Litter-picking, clearing and cutting back along new woodland path (7, 470).
06/07/08. Friends' project: Planting marginal plants - meadowsweet, ragged robin, marsh marigold, purple loosestrife, marsh bedstraw - around new education pond (7, 463).
15/06/08. Friends' project: Removing wire fencing protecting reed bed at lake edge (5, 453).

Liz, Paul and Ranger Matt. ©VG
20/04/08. Friends' project: Removing old willows from area near visitors' centre. (4, 443).

Phil, Sue and Jenny shifting an obstinate willow. ©VG
16/03/08. Friends' project: Removing saplings from heather and sphagnum moss glade. (4, 435).
18/11/07. Friends' project: Digging out and levelling new path and installing edging. (6, 429).
21/10/07. Friends' project: Clearing path through wood to create new entrance walkway (5, 417).
16/09/07. Friends' project: Clearing path through wood to create new entrance walkway (6, 407).
19/08/07. Friends' project: Clearing path through wood to create new entrance walkway (7, 398).
22/07/07. Friends' project: Cutting down Himalayan Balsam along the whole length of Park Brook and Japanese Knotweed along the railway fence. Carrying out repairs to the bridle way near railway gates (4, 386).

Liz and Paul at Park Brook. ©VG
17/06/07. Friends' project: Cleaning out dipping pond (3, 376).

Ian, Bethan and Vic completing the task. ©VG
20/05/07. Friends' project: Fixing wire mesh to fence round nature reserve (6, 370).
18/02/07. Friends' project: Clearing fallen and dead timber from bird feeding area (10, 358).

Setting off to start today's project. ©VG Much poor and damaged timber to clear. ©VG
20/01/07. Friends' project: Planting 80 hazel at northern end of main path (4, 338).
17/12/06. Friends' project: Installing four fingerposts along main path (8, 332).
19/11/06. Friends' project: Installing three fingerposts along main path (8, 316).

One of the three posts installed. ©VG

15/10/06. Friends' project: Cutting back along main path (6, 308).

Today's team. ©VG

10/09/06. Friends' project: Building stile at Baldwin's Farm entrance. Stapling treads on boardwalk (8, 299).

20/08/06. Friends' project: Painting notice board. Weaving willow screen (8, 279).

One of the two screens. ©VG

23/07/06. Friends' project: Installing notice board at Visitor Centre (5, 259).

Carrying board into position. ©VG

25/06/06. Friends' project: clearing litter from woodland areas near lake (5, 247).
21/05/06. Friends' project: clearing litter from woodland areas near lake (7, 235).
23/04/06. Friends' project: Removing barbed wire fence at edge of wetland area (5, 217).

The culprits. ©VG

After. ©VG

Before. ©VG

18/03/06. Friends' project: Replacing tables at bird feeding station (6, 205).

Completing the task
18/02/06. Friends' project: Clearing willow, birch and oak intrusion on heathland area of heather, sphagnum moss, gorse and marsh grass (7, 196).
11/12/05. Friends' project: Constructing willow hurdles to screen bird feeding station (7, 178).

Willow weaving. ©VG
15/01/06. Friends' project: Coppicing and planting oak, ash, hawthorn and hazel in wildflower wood (1, 164).
20/11/05. Friends' project: Clearing saplings from meadow and blocking off gap in woodland (6, 162).
16/10/05. Friends' project: Clearing saplings from meadow (4, 150).
Before. ©VG After. ©VG
14/05.05. Friends' project: Clearing and cutting back to restore footpath to education pond. (3, 139)

Before. ©VG After. ©VG
17/04/05. Friends' project: Installing post and rail fencing to protect wildlife area round education pond. (6, 136)
27/03/05. Friends' project: Removing litter from pond and surrounding woodland. Removing build-up of soil and vegetation on boardwalk. (3, 112)

Vic dredging the pond. ©VG David clearing the boardwalk which he helped to lay two years ago. ©VG
06/02/05. Friends' project: Starting work on improving education pond area, clearing bramble and willow, and removing build-up of soil and vegetation on boardwalk. (5, 104)

Pond at start of clearance. ©VG Pond after first stage of clearance. ©VG
21/11/04. Friends' project: building artificial island to replace existing one. (6. 94)

Assembling the artificial island. ©V GreenwoodPlanting rushes and marsh grass. ©V Greenwood Towing island into position. ©V GreenwoodIsland in final location. ©V Greenwood

17/10/04. Friends' project: removing barbed wire fence adjacent to Kestrel path. (3, 64)
08/08/04. Friends' project: removing barbed wire fence in southeast section. (5, 58)
Friends group. ©V Greenwood

03/04/04. Friends' project: making bird and bat boxes. (5, 43)
08/02/04. Friends' project: planting daffodil bulbs at Visitors' Centre car park. (4, 38)
January 2004. Clearing out main drainage ditch parallel with the main access road.
11/01/04. First Friends' project - constructing a nesting site for kingfishers. (6, 30)
December 2003. Hedge planting and dead-hedging around the race circuit.
October 2003. Planting wild flowers and sowing seeds gathered from Borsdane Wood earlier in the year: wood avens, bistwort, foxgloves, pendulous sedge, red campion, bluebells and wild ramsons.
September 2003, Installing two benches.
July, August, September 2003. Constructing cross drains and restoning footpath.
July, September, October 2003. Installing piling and netting at lakeside to prevent erosion.
June, September 2003, Building island platform and planting it with turf and willow as a nesting site for wildfowl.
August 2003. Planting reeds in lake margin to provide nesting sites for wildfowl.
November 2002. Woodland management by coppicing.
November 2002. Hedgelaying.
September 2002. Footpath and drainage work.
June, July 2002, September 2003. Constructing bird hide, clearing trees and improving footpath access to bird feeding station.
June 2002. Footpath maintenance.
May, July, September, October 2002. Pond extension and constructing dipping platform and boardwalks.
May 2002. Clearing scrub and trees to promote a heather glade.
February 2002. Clearing trees encroaching on brook to promote reedbeds.
January 2002. Coppicing and creation of wildlife habitats.
September, October, November 2001. Woodland management, thinning out birch and alder and replanting with holly, hazel and rowan. Footpath maintenance.
September 2001. Clearing willow from nature trail to improve the habitat for the Speckled Brown butterfly and dragonflies.
Some examples of the work carried out by volunteers in conjunction with Wigan Ranger Service and BTCV at Three Sisters:
Our first task was to clear trees and undergrowth from the area round the education pond. ©SMcK

Our first task on Xmas Eve 1999 was working with the Rangers to clear willow and undergrowth round the education pond.

 The bird hide area, cleared to give a viewing platform. ©SMcK

2000. Clearing the area for the bird feeding platform was one of many tasks of woodland management accomplished with BTCV
Behind the Visitor Centre. ©SMcK

Xmas 2001 - working with the Rangers again to dead-hedge the area behind the Visitor Centre

 The bird hide was completed by the installation of three benches. ©DMcK

2002. Installing benches at the bird hide with the Rangers to complete its construction.
BTCV and the National Trust worked with the rangers to lay the hedge on both sides of the path. ©DMcK

Hedgelaying with BTCV in January 2003

 Kath, Sue, John and David constructed and installed these two benches by the education pond in response to a request by users. ©DMcK

Installing benches at education pond with BTCV, September 2003.
Work with the Rangers and BTCV through the Wigan Green Spaces programme is continuing, and the formation of the Friends of Three Sisters is providing further conservation work to improve the habitat for wildlife and access for the public.
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