Cortis Avenue Wildlife Garden Update

Posted on 25 November 2020

Over the last six months, the Wildlife Garden has been thriving, blissfully unaware of the pandemic. Although closed to general visitors, the garden has been a sanctuary for our volunteers, and has benefited from their high level of TLC.

Between April and July, volunteers visited in twos for three sessions a week. Since August we have expanded to four volunteers each session, again covering three sessions a week. By appointment we will show visitors around during a session, providing the total number at the garden stays at six or less.

Other Covid safety measures are also in place, including everyone using their own gloves, handwashing and sanitising, mask wearing if people have to get close to each other, and disinfecting tools and furniture at the end of the session. Only one person is allowed in the office hut and tool store at any one time – which brings some challenges with heavy rain showers.

Over the spring and summer the garden suffered with the drought and the pond got very low, despite our work last year to double water storage capacity. Very helpful neighbours did provide us with some water. Drought tolerant plants, like wild carrot, teasel, vipers bugloss and oxeye daisies thrived, but the apple trees haven’t done well this year.

Butterflies were abundant – brimstone, small skipper, peacock (with nettles covered in caterpillars), speckled wood, gatekeeper, and a marbled white. And of course the cinnabar moths, with their stripy caterpillars stripping the ragwort bare.

Just before lockdown we had thankfully just completed the installation of our composting toilet, and in the last month have put in the soakaway. Clearing the area for the toilet has enabled us to plant a new hedgerow of dogwood, alder and common buckthorn, under-planted with red campion and primroses.

For the autumn and winter there is plenty to keep us all busy. We are remodelling the small pond to make it more child friendly, creating bare earth areas in the meadow and seeding for next year, clearing paths, weeding borders, and tackling invasive brambles and bindweed. Let us hope that by next Spring we will be able to welcome the public back to enjoy the garden as we can.

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We have some available slots for electrical, electronic, sewing and jewelry repairs on Saturday 27th May in the morning. If you have anything you'd like us to take a look at, please book it in here:
www.ttworthing.org/repair-cafe/
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We have some available slots for electrical, electronic, sewing and jewelry repairs on Saturday 27th May in the morning. If you have anything youd like us to take a look at, please book it in here:
https://www.ttworthing.org/repair-cafe/

We have some available slots for electrical, electronic, sewing and jewelry repairs on Saturday 27th May in the morning. If you have anything you'd like us to take a look at, please book it in here:
www.ttworthing.org/repair-cafe/
... See MoreSee Less

Glorious weather yesterday for our community gardening session at the allotment. Thanks to Jo, Tracey and Eva for coming to help Alan and I, we got loads done. Just trying out a new slug/snail proofing method to see if it works...

Glorious weather yesterday for our community gardening session at the allotment. Thanks to Jo, Tracey and Eva for coming to help Alan and I, we got loads done. Just trying out a new slug/snail proofing method to see if it works... ... See MoreSee Less

really useful morning at the community allotment, got loads done and finished just as it was starting to rain. Big thanks to Tom, Tracey Mclaren, David Stanton-roberts, Michael & Sally and Becky for coming to help.

really useful morning at the community allotment, got loads done and finished just as it was starting to rain. Big thanks to Tom, Tracey Mclaren, David Stanton-roberts, Michael & Sally and Becky for coming to help. ... See MoreSee Less

Lots of events happening at CREW this month, here’s a reminder of the first 4!

Thursday 4th, 19:30 - 21:30:
🌍 A Discussion: XR Worthing - A Presentation and discussion on the Climate Crisis with slides. What we can do to bring about the urgent change needed?

Tuesday 9th, 14:00 - 16:00:
🏭 Exploring Air Pollution - A Community Event, Learn about the causes of air pollution, its impact on people and how we can breather cleaner air through a fun and interactive workshop.

Wednesday 10th, 19:00 - 21:00:
💐 Bread for All and Roses Too - A monthly 'Garden Club' for anyone interested in growing food and flowers in a climate, nature and cost of living crisis

Monday 15th, 19:00 - 21:00:
🚲 Active Travel Worthing - Progress Meeting, Come along and check out some of the local projects that ATW are working on and provide some input on their current and future direction.

Go to Eventbrite to book your free place: www.eventbrite.co.uk/o/crew-climate-resilience-centre-worthing-58062209193

See you at an event soon! 😊

#worthing #activetravel #airpollution #gardening #extinctionrebellion #cycling #walking #permaculture #sustainability #climateemergancycentres #worthingevents
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Hovelsrud Gård's Sculpture-Like Potager on Helgøya Island, Hedmark, Norway, showing that an edible garden can be just as attractive as an ornamental one.... ... See MoreSee Less

Fun morning at the Repair Cafe - birthday cake/candles and some great toys to repair!

Fun morning at the Repair Cafe - birthday cake/candles and some great toys to repair! ... See MoreSee Less

Comment on Facebook

I've just accessed it and countless other people do all the time so no idea why that message is coming up. Can you try again please or just go into our website and choose the Repair Cafe tab.

Can I ask if anyone could try and fix my 6 month old electric blanket I can’t get a refund for. It must be a loose connection it’s practically brand new