If you are planning an outdoor activity, it is best to check with me if I have a visit to Snipe Dales that day, because if I am, it's probably raining... After 2 weeks of glorious sunshine and what could well have been our summer used up for the year, it started to rain on my way to Snipe Dales in May. I can’t say it dampened my mood however, as the rich greens of the Country Park seemed to have grown out even more since my last visit. As soon as I stepped out of my car, I soaked in that atmosphere of a forest floor after rain. The petrichor was gorgeous in the air and the misty rain was more refreshing than uncomfortable as the temperatures were still a reasonable height.

James was out on the reserve with the new cattle when I arrived, and Andy, one of the volunteers at Snipe Dales, did his best to talk me through the long list of jobs we had planned for the day. I have to say it started off rather excitingly, as after some basic instruction in the art of using the ride on mower, I got a chance to use it, tidying the area around the car park and picnic benches. It was harder than you would imagine with lots of obstacles around the Country Park entrance!

As there was so much for us to do, it was easier to divide and conquer. James used the tractor to collect some gravel that would be used for the foundations of new picnic benches in the picnic area at the Country Park. The council have funded the picnic area benches to be replaced with recycled plastic ones that will require no maintenance over time. Whilst he did this, Andy and I headed to fix a bridge where a couple of the wooden planks had rotted. With half term approaching and Snipe Dales open day coming up, we needed to make sure it was safe.

We started off by removing the rotting plank so we could see how best to place the new one in (photo above – and the return of the pink bucket!). The challenge came when the wooden planks we were going to use to replace the rotted ones weren’t long enough for the entire width of the bridge. I have to admit though, Andy was like a DIY genius at work. Certain practical tasks certainly lend themselves to certain practical people, and I was thoroughly impressed he was able to come up with a solution with two short planks of wood and his surroundings.

After measuring and sawing the wood so that two pieces put together would be the correct length, he used rocks and gravel from around the stream to support the wood and hammered nails into a third piece of wood underneath where the two joined to keep it secure. It was really impressive to me that Andy was able to just use what he had available to temporarily fix the problem until the bridge would be properly reconstructed in the future.

We continued on through the day, carrying out usual tasks such as checking on the ponies and changing around the parts of the tractor needed for the next job. The various jobs had eaten a lot of our time and before we knew it, lunchtime was upon us. The car park was busy and it seemed everyone had checked the weather app as they all turned up at the same time for the brief break in the rain. But although the rain had eased off, black clouds had started to encroach over the Country Park and I wasn’t optimistic that we were going to end the day dry!

After lunch, we all set off in the same direction towards the reserve. We needed to gather brash that had been cut in the winter and collect it together and take it to the Country Park ready for various den building activities that would take place on the open day. Driving on the way to the reserve through the Country Park, I just had to stop to take a photo of the gorgeous tunnel effect that the trees were making now they were fully alive with greens. I remember this being one of the first things I noticed when I first started my visits to Snipe Dales last summer and now as I’m nearing the end of my year, it stood out to me again.

Unfortunately, due to the ground and the trailer, we couldn’t get the truck to the collection of brash on the reserve. It took a lot of time and three trips from James in the tractor to ferry it all up the hill from the reserve to the truck parked on the edge of the Country Park. Andy and I cleared away the little bits that didn’t get picked up and made our way back to the truck to transport them where they needed to go. To secure them, James used a wagoner’s hitch knot on some rope fastening them down to the trailer. He made sure to mention the name of the knot specifically so I’m sure it is very impressive, but unfortunately, I have no idea what it is!

We moved the brash to the area that the groups would be den building, and James lifted them from the trailer and put them to the side, ready for the open day activities. Whilst we were there we were met by Peter, James’ predecessor and previous Warden of Snipe Dales. It was great to hear tales of when he was out planting on the reserve and how different it is in a short space of time, relatively speaking. It is also nice to see that he still has a connection to the reserve, even after retiring. It shows that being the Warden for a reserve is more than just a job. It is the passion that makes them so good about it and feel so strongly about the work that they are doing. I am quite sad that the next visit will be my last, as I too have built a connection to the place, eager to see how the work we do know will transpire in coming months/years. Although next time might be my last visit shadowing James as a Warden of Snipe Dales, it certainly won’t be my last visit to the reserve.