Say not the struggle naught availeth, the labour and the wounds are vain, the enemy faints not nor faileth and as things have been they remain. Arthur Hugh Clough
Friends of Adel Woods first formed in July 2009, and every Autumn since then we have spent a morning working with Steve Joul on Adel Pond.
Our first foray into the pond was on the 15th November 2009 when the pond was badly silted up and choked with Reed Sweet Grass, a non-native plant species which tends to crowd out the native plants. Here are a couple of photographs taken that day:
Adel Pond, 15 November 2009
We can just see a few flag irises at the end of the wheelbarrow handle. The rest of the vegetation in the pond is almost all reed sweet grass.
Adel Pond, 15 November 2009 – most of the vegetation is reed sweet grass
That first year, we removed most of the reed sweet grass, and each year since we have helped Steve manage the pond, digging out large amounts of silt which washes in from the surrounding woods, and an amazing number of sticks and logs which seem to appear out of nowhere each year.
We had a good turn out of Friends today and enjoyed a successful if muddy morning of hard work – digging out silt, removing logs and cutting back some of the overhanging branches of trees. Have a look at the photos taken today to see how the pond has improved.
The pond is an important habitat for palmate newts – as can be seen from our blog entry for the 5th May 2012 (click on the link) The newts headlines at 7.30 am on Saturday 5 May 2012.
Photos from 23 October 2016
Adel Pond, 23 October 2016 – see the clump of flag irises to the right.
Rob clearing the stream which feeds the pond.
Adel Pond, 23 October 2016
A smiling team, happily anticipating lunch!
Friends of Adel Woods 