Volunteers on a quest!
The Kentish Stour Countryside Project volunteers
headed down to Quest International to help the company find out
about its reptile inhabitants. Armed with a roll of roofing felt and
a set of habitat requirements, the volunteers laid down a number of
felt squares at suitable locations around the site. Countryside
Officer Matt Hayes leading the task said, "The volunteers are
all really excited about what has been happening today and are
looking forward to finding out the results". It is hoped that
Quest staff members will be involved in recording the results on
their next staff day, following the carefully plotted map that the
volunteers produced to show where squares had been laid.
Whilst there, volunteers also de-silted two bays
adjoined to the River Great Stour that flows through the site, in
order to keep a shallow amount of water in them. Next volunteers
transferred some of the vegetation from a small pond in the grounds
to a larger, more recently introduced one close to the river edge.
This will allow more sunlight into the older pond and ensure the new
pond will be buzzing with activity this summer. After a quick strim
around newly planted trees, followed by a spot of ragwort removal
and litter picking, the volunteers’ task day was at an end.
