Poor weather won't beat The Friends of Melton Country Park

The FOMCP volunteers have completed various tasks such as weeding and trimming the Royal Bed, retreating the wooden animal sculptures, maintaining the willow dog agility tunnel, cleaning and maintaining the bird and owl boxes, and regular litter picking.

Volunteers spent several sessions across the autumn and winter in the community orchard under the guidance of our local tree warden, Paul Greene and Josie Hutchinson, a former regular member of BBC Radio Leicester’s Down to Earth programme. Paul and Josie gave some in depth tuition on apple tree pruning and care, so the trees could have their first major pruning for many years. The aim of this was to rejuvenate and correct the growth of the trees to encourage better fruit production for the coming years. The orchard contains several varieties of apple, pear, cherry and even medlar trees with the fruit available to everyone in the community.

December saw The Friends annual entry in the St Mary’s Festival of Christmas trees. This year the group used their tree, entitled ‘Park Life’, to highlight the various and diverse creatures that can be found in the Country Park from the familiar, such as muntjac deer and Moorhens, to some less well-known species such as Gadwall ducks and Daubenton’s bats. Special thanks went to Zenon Kuryś for making the group's tree out of recycled pallet wood, and to The Friends volunteers who designed and decorated the tree with the many donated items.

Zenon had also made six new bat boxes with funding provided by the Ragdale Hall Community Chest, which volunteers were able to put up in January under the guidance of a local expert from the Leicestershire and Rutland Bat Group. The Friends hope that these will provide some additional protection to the park’s population of bats across the coming seasons.

The Friends have been thrilled to welcome some new volunteers recently and would like to encourage more ‘Friends’ or any new volunteers to come down and help out in the sessions. No prior experience is necessary, and all ages and abilities are welcome. Volunteer sessions usually start at 10.30am, meeting at the main car park / cafe unless otherwise specified.

Their next work group dates are 2nd March and 6th April.

Email [email protected] for more information or find them on Facebook.

Everyone is welcome, feel free to bring a friend.