Friends of Three Sisters

www.friendsof3sisters.org.uk

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

 

Home

History

Map

Amenities

Activities

Projects

Wildlife

Links

Email

 

Conservation Volunteers

Peter Browne

Alison Clothier

Liz Cook

Bethan Crossen

Ian Crossen

Jackie Crossen

Vic Greenwood

Paul Jenkins

David McKendrick

Sue McKendrick

Phil Smith

Ian Winstanley

Joy Winstanley
Environmental Projects at Three Sisters
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).
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.
.

Back to top