Moor Green Lakes Group
Reserve car park and closing time
click here.
Autumn mist over Colebrook Lake (Copyright © 2023 Peter Craig)
Car Park closes at 4pm
Check the Blackwater River level at Eversley bridge (external site). Path floods at around 1.15 to 1.2m.
Group visits
If you are planning a group visit, as a courtesy, please check with us first to make sure you visit goes without a hitch. Also, it may be possible to arrange a guide for your visit. Click here for more info
Aims
The Moor Green Lakes Group (MGLG) was established in 1993 as an organisation to help manage the Moor Green Lakes Nature Reserve in Berkshire, England. Our aims are:
- To improve the Reserve for wildlife
- Record and monitor that wildlife
- Enhance the facilities of the Reserve for members of the Moor Green Lakes Group and other visitors
Health and Safety issues on the Reserve.
If visitors identify any Health and Safety issues on the Reserve, then please report them to the Site Liaison Officer
November Newsletter 2024
Click image to open latest. Old issues available here.
Annual Report 2023
Click image to open latest. Old issues available here.
Volunteer work on the reserve
Tuesday 12th November 2024
A large group of BVCP and MGLG volunteers gathered on the track between Colebrook and Grove lakes to tackle a variety of tasks.
The two most important tasks were to mend the fencing alongside the horse fields before the cows are released onto the reserve and to re- enforce around the ochreous stream pipes with pressure treated boards and to replace the upstream fencing to help stop brash blocking the pipe. As you can see, it was a very messy job (below).
Other tasks included opening up the canopy along the track and also on a section of the river path, in the hope that they dry out more quickly after rain. A section of shoreline at the eastern end of Colebrook North was cleared to give a better view of the meadow from the hide
Digging the ditch (working at the car wash would be better) ©2024 MGLG
Sunday 10th November 2024
A group of 21 volunteers turned out to tackle what is certainly the most challenging task on the work party calendar - to clear Plover Island. Access is made easy via the pontoon. The island is covered with annual and biennial plants, the dreaded bramble and bracken with a few willow and silver birch round the edges. Once removed, everything has to be taken off the island and dragged across the meadow for disposal.
It is impossible to remove everything but the before and after picture shows what a difference the hard working volunteers made.
Clearing Plover Island ©2024 MGLG
Tuesday 15th October 2024
Clearing Tern Island is usually a Sunday task but without our boatman it was left to the Tuesday. In recent years, this has become a relatively easy task. It does not have the bracken and bramble that can be found on Plover Island.
Other BVCP volunteers continued the Sunday work by clearing more shoreline willow. Hedge trimmers were used to cut back the blackthorn encroaching into the meadow and bramble alongside the track north of Colebrook North Lake ready for the Robomower.
Sunday 13th October 2024 - Working along the west shoreline of Colebrook North
Most of the volunteers set out to clear the shoreline of willow, building a dead hedge nearby or adding to the pile that had rotted down from the previous year. Others used hedge trimmers to clear some bramble along pathways ready for the Robomower. Also, the lower branches of several ash trees were removed. The above work was carried out to ensure a good view of the lake from the footpath leading from the car park.
View before (left) and after of west shoreline of Colebrook North ©2024 MGLG
Sunday 10th September 2024 - Working near the birdfeeder paddock
TA multitude of different tasks were completed by the BVCP work party.The paddock was hay cut. Broken wire fencing between the hide and Colebrook Cut was removed and the fence to Colebrook west meadow was repaired. Nearby, the disused tern raft was repurposed as a jetty ready for using during the clearance of Tern Island.
Sunday 8th September 2024 - Mostly working in front of Grove Hide
The new season started with a dry day, ideal for our annual task of clearing the reeds in front of Grove hide, ensuring the nearby stream was flowing freely and removing a few willows with any time left.
Hedge trimmers were used to cut the reeds then they were cleared manually by the volunteers. In addition, the fence alongside the path to Horseshoe Lake was cleared of vegetation and four broken posts replaced.
Only one casualty when Andy took an unexpected dip. Lunch was then enjoyed in the hide.
View before (top) and after to the right of Grove hide ©2024 MGLG
For previous installments click here
If you are interesting in volunteering or for more information on planned work click here
