Plymouth Environmental Action

Beach clean and BBQ at Mountbatten

On Saturday 31st March, PEA carried out a beach clean and survey on Mountbatten Beach near Plymouth with the Marine Conservation Society (MCS)

We found lots of different types of litter and learned to identify common pieces of rubbish

The volunteers did some rock pool rambling... taking care to put the animals back where we found them

To celebrate a nice tidy beach we had a BBQ and played frisbee on the beach!

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Volunteer Profile

(Simon identifying a Fungi at Mount Edgcumbe Bioblitz)

Hi, my name is Simon and I have been volunteering with PEA (Plymouth Environmental Action) for three years. I have gained many skills and experiences, for example hedge-laying, bush craft, tree-planting, coppicing, survey work and much more. I've also increased my personal skills like team-working, listening and communication. I think that these experiences are brilliant to put on my CV for when I apply for jobs and I recommend PEA to people who want to volunteer outdoors because it's a great way to make new friends and develop skills. Come and join our pod!

Thank you Simon for submitting your profile :D
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PEA are in 247 Magazine!

Check us OUT on Page 5 advertising what PEA is all about and how young people can get involved!!! 247 Magazine targets 18-30 yr olds in Devon and Cornwall and is the most popular free music and lifestyle magazine in the region.

http://247magazine.co.uk/2012/02/28/247-march-south-west-2/

Pick up your copy FREE from many cafes and shops.

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Tree Planting with Moor Trees! (12.02.12)

A cup of tea in the Moor Trees gazebo looking out at all the trees already planted!!

Rob plants an early morning tree...

The girls get planting in their 'patch'

Moor Trees site at Badworthy... wonder what this will look like in 30 or so years time.... hopefully a beautiful woodland!!

Plant identification with OPAL

PEA met Alison (OPAL community Scientist) at the University of Plymouth to learn to identify some of our common wild plants... Here were the first 10: (20 more to go!!)

Not by the ordinary taxonomic key way though... by ways of word association and games!! Great fun for us, very successful, and we contributed to scientific research too!

Remember this little Pennywort (or Navel wort as they sometimes call it)?? 'Round like a penny'...

And the long thin leaves of the bluebell.. 'tall like a church steeple, shiny like a bell'...

After our session in the classroom, we went out to Central Park in Plymouth to spot lichens for our sir survey. We have quite good air here in Plymouth - the lichens were very diverse!

Getting that identification right takes concentration, determination and.. a good eye (or hand lens)...

You can't call that a boring bark, with all that lichen diversity!!!

Thank you Alison for teaching us 30 plants today! We have learned so much and will keep up the good work!

Insect Hotel Contruction at Antony House 4th February

Tea and cakes was first on the agenda in the morning after arriving at Antony. Charis baked some delicious cakes for us - Thank you!!!

They even had edible glitter on them!! :D

Off outside to make the Insect 'hotel' in the Garden of antony! After collecting and drying all the natural materials from Burrator last year we set to fill the pallet crates to make the homes for insects...

We were kept busy sorting all the materials and making the homes as cosy as they could be!

Our (nearly) finished product!! The local school are going to add more and make the 'hotel' a tower!!

After lunch in the lovely grounds of Antony estate, we put the bird boxes up in the trees (we made these during our Winter celebration...) Thank you to Brian at Antony for such a great day! :D

Coppicing at Andrews Wood Devon Wildlife Trust Reserve

On 28th January, on a cold crispy but sunny day we headed to Andrews Wood near Modbury to carry out some coppicing in the woodland and remove invasive willows from the grassland meadow...

(look at that beautiful sky!!!!)

The volunteers got lopping the willow...

and coppicing the hazel in the woodland

Henry did his bit for wildlife and saved a hibernating ladybird from coppicing activities... :)

A good day had by all! :)

Post-and-Rail fencing and woodland management with the National Trust at Saltram Estate

Amy and Charis did a fab job of putting points on the stakes...

Laura the photographer took some 'arty' shots of our beautiful surroundings..

We were lucky to have a nice warming fire to keep us toasty away from the cold wind

Our finished post-and-rail fence :)

Molinia raking and spruce removal at Bellever with the Dartmoor Pony Heritage Trust

It was a beautiful but cold day up at Bellever today, the sun on the Molinia created a serene light up at the Moor! But it was chilly! We had to keep busy to keep warm!

After all the hard work, Paul from the DPHT took us on a tour of the area showing us some of the special species that live in the area and the archaeological features. A very informative day! Thank you Paul!

7th January 2012 Moor Trees Nursery work and OPAL surveys

We met Alison from OPen Air Laboratories (OPAL) at Broadley nursery where we planted out the trees ready for the field in a couple of weeks. We then tested the health of soil by carrying out an earthworm survey!! We concluded a healthy field at Moor Trees :)

January programme 2012!

PEA Christmas Party!!

PEA celebrated the end of 2011 with a Winter party Nature walk to Wistmans wood on Dartmoor followed by bird box construction....

We even got some snow!!! And spotted a few reindeer!

Stopped for a little break and had some mince pies on the big granite rocks by the spooky wood... Mike told some scary Dartmoor storys.. about the hounds at Wistmans wood...

We found some pretty 'Yellow Brain' Fungi attached to the gorse and some beautiful lichens hanging from the gnarled oaks of Wistmans...

3rd December 2011 Tree Planting at Moor View Park

PEA planted a hedge of holly at Moor View Park in Mutley with the Plymouth Tree partnership! It was a lovely sunny day and we were treated by Jeanne and friends from Moor View Park with a Picnic in the Park for our work! Thankyou Plymouth Tree Partnership and Moor View! :D