A few pics from today at the obs and surroundings
As usual started the day off at the yard sorting out the work teams . Then back to the obs to work on the projects (
HERE). Basically we run a closed socio-environmental economy where we have a profit making arm to our operations and those profits are then put into environmental-social projects.
Me on the Beddington Farmlands 2016 report
Chris outside working on the wildlife garden
Today we topped up the bulbs in the wildlife garden for next year. As usual we use a classic succession that comes up throughout the year. Crocus (Feb-Mar, 40), Daffodils (Mar-Apr, 50), Tulips (Apr-May, 25), Iris (April-June40), Aliums (May-June, 40) and 1 Giant Alium.
Cyclamens- a bulb that comes up late in the autumn.
Verbena (above) and Hebe (below) are still flowering
This tobacco plant (I think) I grew from seed from Kathy's garden on Corvo. It attracted good numbers of moths at night. It flowered well but today when I checked it, looks like the frosts have killed it off. Will see if it comes back next year?
Our Cherry tree in the communal garden is unfortunately diseased and looks like it's on its way out. It's one of the most prominent features (below in Spring) on the estate so will be sadly missed
The obs feeders today attracting good numbers of House Sparrows
A quick look at Gillian's wildlife garden on the neighbouring eco-village estate. Our experiments with biodiveristy improvements on both the eco-village and a traditional urban housing estate have proved very successful. We've had trouble getting support to expand effort and it is increasingly looking like I will have to run for local councillor or MP if we want to get any further with it all- which is quite frankly very annoying (will probably have to pretend I care about local parking issues, dropped kerbs, and train times too which will probably be my down fall as I really do not give a flying tuppenny f#ck- just want the urban ecology stuff. I can see why politicians are such lying bastards now- I'm planning on becoming one ! ).
Spindle this time of year in it's finest autumn colours
The berry crops in Gillian's garden have been much better than at the obs. It's a Waxwing winter so hoping to attract one locally. The Pyracantha (above), Rowans and Cotoneasters have all done well at Gillians.
The community fund from the s106 from the incinerator has opened now. There is £250,000 for local projects (described as a bribe with confectionery by the Green party- confectionery which we might as well take- its either crumbs from the master table or nothing. No reason why we can't keep corporate bashing too- they hardly know we exist anyway) and we will be applying for some biodiversity projects which are part of the neighbourhood development plan. Will be going for green space improvements and also public and nature engagement projects.For some progressive biodiversity policy proposals see the plan and also the projects section
HERE. We will be fighting our council (or rather the capitalist bastards they represent) all the way to the cleaners to get these as statutory policies (no doubt will lose until the national NGOs start this offensive at a national level).
