Our Balsam bashing team worked hard today to rid the River Sheaf of the invasive Himalayan Balsam! Well done, guys!
Category Archives: river sheaf
Balsam Bashers Needed!
Monday 29th July – 1000 Café – Bring Gloves – We need to pick it now before the seeds burst!
Balsam along the margins of the river through the park again this year. After a blitz 2 years ago there was far less last year and we managed to keep on top of it without help. I suspect that this “crop” was washed down from further up with the flooding this year. I have arranged for the Rangers and Ziggy (environmental Officer) to help on Monday 29th July to help. I would be grateful if you could join us. We will meet at 10 am at the cafe. We may need to work over lunch so bring sustenance if required. I will supply coffee and biscuits. We hope to litter pick the river and margins at the same time depending on time and numbers so if you have waterproof footwear all the better. Hope to see you if you can make it.
Filed under river sheaf
Himalayan Balsam Bashing!
Come along on the 1st July from 1000-1200 to help the Sheffield Ranger Service eradicate the Himalayan Balsam growing along our river banks!
Himalayan Balsam is an introduced plant which has escaped from gardens and is rapidly colonising river banks and other areas of damp ground. It is an annual plant which grows to about 2m with purplish-pink slipper shaped flowers in June to August. When seed pods are mature, they explode when touched, scattering the seed. It forms dense stands which suppresses the growth of grasses and native British plants leaving the banks bare of vegetation in Autumn and winter liable to erosion. Because Himalayan Balsam re-grows annually from seed, any form of control carried out after the seed pods have formed will have no effect.
Small infestations can be controlled by hand by pulling as the plant is shallow rooted. The seedbank lasts 18 months, so two years control should eradicate the plant. This is our 2nd Year!
Filed under river sheaf
New Video!
A great new video from the Environment Agency! Find out all about our amazing Fish Pass!
Filed under duck race, fish pass, Green Flag Award, river sheaf
New Family in the Park!
As if we didn’t know Millhouses Park is great for families. The family in question are the moorhens.
“Moorhens are fairly unique in that young birds that survive from an early brood will assist the parents in looking after a later brood which is what the attached photographs, taken this morning, show. A juvenile bird from earlier in the spring is sitting on what’s known as a brood nest looking after three small chicks from a later brood while the adults forage for food. I watched this for about twenty minutes this morning, a delightful start to the day.” Peter Brown
Filed under birds, river sheaf
River Life Survey
Our River is particularly healthy according to a survey carried out by Dr Nick Euerall of Aquascience (http://www.aquascience.co.uk/) over the Cliffhanger weekend! The survey found the following in the River Sheaf…
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- Black Fly
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- Blue Winged Olive
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- Cased Caddis
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- Flat Bodied Mayfly
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- Freshwater Limpet
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- Freshwater Shrimp
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- Grannom Type Caddis
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- Large Dark Olive
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- Native Crayfish
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- Sandfly
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- Welshman’s Button
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- Willow Fly (Stone Fly)
Why not come along to the Crayfish Workshop 19th July ?
Filed under river sheaf
Spring Clean 2011
TUESDAY 5TH APRIL 10.00A.M.-3.00P.M.
We are doing a Spring Clean of the riverbank in Millhouses Park as park of Sheffield’s Environment Week.
Come and join us in your wellies – bring a picnic, have fun and help to clean up the River Sheaf in Millhouses Park.
Litter pickers, gloves and sacks will be provided.
MEET AT THE CAFÉ AT 10.00A.M. OR BY THE RIVER IF YOU ARRIVE LATER.
Stay as long or as little as you are able.
All volunteers are welcome.
Filed under river sheaf
Fish pass planting
In partnership with Sheffield City Council, Friends of Millhouses Park, River Stewardship Company, Marks and Spencer staff and BTCV we have started the first of two sessions of planting for the new fish pass on 30th and 31st March 2010.
It was a huge success despite two days of atrocious weather, mud that sucked you under if you stood still long enough and bitterly cold winds. We were asked to add 6 volunteers each day and in all 20 FofMP members (plus one chocolate lolly face tiny volunteer) turned up to dig, plant of support – fantastic.
The camaraderie on both days was very good and everyone involved went home with a sense of achievement in a job well done. As you all walk through the park please keep an on it to ensure it all become established. I have more photos so do ask if you would like them.
This is now not just any Fish Pass, this is now a Marks and Spencer Fish Pass!
Filed under fish pass, photographs, river sheaf
Friends of Millhouses Park 