Current Programme
A printed list of the group's conservation tasks and other activities is produced
roughly twice a year. You can download the most recent printed task programme from here:
Spring – Summer 2024 Programme (PDF - 117kbyte)
Spring – Summer 2024 Programme (OpenDocument Format text doc (.odt) - 50kbyte)
If you would like to receive a physical copy of the task programme in the post
please contact the secretary.
For directions to the various worksites please download the the following document with sketch-maps and OS grid references.
HCV Worksite Locations (583kbyte)
The following is a summary of the current programme of Sunday tasks.
For midweek tasks see the Greenteam volunteers programme.
Note: late changes not in the printed programme are highlighted in orange.
Spring – Summer 2024 Programme
| Date | Site | Project | Leader |
| Sun. 14 Apr | Terlings Wood | tidy up wood piles (3) | Andrew |
| Sun. 21 Apr | Terlings Wood | tidy up wood piles (4) | Andrew |
| Sun. 28 Apr | Terlings Wood | tidy up wood piles (5) | Andrew |
Sun. 5 May
morning | Marshgate Spring | tidy fallen trees, logs, branches | Andrew |
| Sat. 11 May | Day out to "Weird & Wonderful Wood", Haughley Park, Suffolk | Linda |
| Sun. 12 May | Stort Valley Meadows | picnic bench installation
Himalayan balsam pulling (1) | Andrew |
| Sun. 19 May | No Task |
| Sun. 26 May | Marshgate Spring | clear paths through reeds
Himalayan balsam pulling (1) | Andrew |
| Sun. 2 June | Pets' Corner | Wildlife Day: stall, walks | Andrew |
| Sun. 9 June | Stort Valley Meadows | bridge rails & boardwalk repairs
Himalayan balsam pulling (2) | Andrew |
Sat. 15 June
morning | Marshgate Spring | Church group service day:
Himalayan balsam removal
rubbish clearance | Andrew |
Sun. 16 June
morning | Stort Valley Meadows
Maymeads Marsh | Himalayan balsam pulling (3)
boardwalk repairs | Andrew |
| Sun. 23 June | Terlings Wood | Tidy up logs;
Himalayan balsam pulling (1) | Andrew |
| Sun. 30 June | Marshgate Spring | Himalayan balsam pulling (2) | Andrew |
| Sun. 7 July | Parndon Moat Marsh | clear route of boardwalk
Himalayan balsam pulling (1) | Andrew |
| Sun. 14 July | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (1) | Andrew |
| Terlings Wood | Himalayan balsam pulling (2) | Marilyn |
| Sun. 21 July | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (2) | Andrew |
| Marshgate Spring | Himalayan balsam pulling (3) | Marilyn |
| Sun. 28 July | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (3)
cut back willows in moat (1)
Himalayan balsam pulling (2) | Andrew |
| Sun. 4 Aug | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (4) | Andrew |
| Terlings Wood | Himalayan balsam pulling (3) | Marilyn |
| Sun. 11 Aug | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (5) | Andrew |
| Marshgate Spring | Himalayan balsam pulling (4) | Marilyn |
| Sat. 17 Aug | Harlow Museum | HCV stall at Community Fête | Marilyn |
| Sun. 18 Aug | Parndon Moat Marsh | boardwalk construction (6)
cut back willows in moat (2)
Himalayan balsam pulling (3) | Andrew |
| Sun. 25 Aug | No Task |
| Sun. 1 Sept | Marshgate Spring | Pond & reedbed management (1)
Himalayan balsam removal (5) | Andrew |
Sun. 8 Sept
morning | Marshgate Spring | Pond & reedbed management (2) | Andrew |
| Sun. 15 Sept | Parndon Moat Marsh | cut back willows on edge of marsh (1)
boardwalk construction (7) | Andrew |
Sun. 22 Sept
morning | Parndon Moat Marsh | cut back willows on edge of marsh (2)
boardwalk construction (8) | Andrew |
| Sun. 29 Sept | Stort Valley Meadows | wild flower meadow management:
mow/rake regrowth after hay cut (1) | Andrew |
Sun. 6 Oct
morning | Stort Valley Meadows | wild flower meadow management:
mow/rake regrowth after hay cut (2) | Andrew |
| Sun. 13 Oct | Parndon Moat Marsh | cutting/raking sedge/bramble (1) | Andrew |
| Tue. 15 Oct (eve) | HCV planning meeting at The Moorhen (TBC) |
Sun. 20 Oct
morning | Parndon Moat Marsh | cutting/raking sedge/bramble (2) | Andrew |
| Sun. 27 Oct | Parndon Moat Marsh | cutting/raking sedge/bramble (3) | Andrew |
Sun. 3 Nov
morning | Parndon Moat Marsh | cutting/raking sedge/bramble (4) | Andrew |
Task Information
Tasks start at 10.00am. Morning only tasks finish by around 1.00pm. Others end at about 3.00-3.30pm.
Everyone is welcome and your help will be valued for whatever time you can spare.
However, children under 18 years old must be accompanied by an adult who will be responsible for them at all times.
No previous experience is necessary. Instruction will be given in techniques and safe working practice.
What to bring
You'll need sturdy footwear, e.g. work boots (steel toe-capped), walking boots, or wellingtons for wet sites, old (warm) clothes, and waterproofs.
Sun protection is advisable (even in winter).
We provide tools and protective gear but you are welcome to bring your own loppers, bow-saws, work gloves etc. if you have them.
We provide tea and coffee, drinking water, and hand-washing facilities.
Please bring a mug and a packed lunch.
Health and Insurance
Insurance cover is arranged for the group on task. An up-to-date anti-Tetanus injection is strongly advised for most outdoor activities.
If you think you may not be covered on this or are concerned about any other health issues, you should consult your GP.
Task programme alerts
If you would like to receive emails we send out when a new task programme is available
or from time to time when there is a change to the work or there are events of interest
please send an email to:
hcvadmin@harlowwildlife.org.uk
You can of course unsubscribe anytime via the above email address.
HCV Newsletter Archive
Back issues of the HCV newsletter can be found in the newsletter archive.
Training
For a list of conservation related training courses, both practical and natural history,
by TCV and other organizations in Essex, Herts, and London, and elsewhere in SE England see the
Training page.
The above documents should be Acrobat 6.x (PDF v1.5) compatible.
You can access the download area of the
Adobe®
web site to download the latest version of the free Acrobat® Reader® software
by clicking here
.
