If you lived in the village in 1992 did you, along with my family, help to plant the saplings that since then have matured into Gibbies Wood? Various village organisations were invited to help plant this area of Rushcliffe Country Park.
Over the years wood has been used throughout the Park in various ways , signage, sculptures, seating and sensory activities .The creative skills of the numerous volunteers who form the Friends of Rushcliffe Country Park (FoRCP) have crafted various wooden items throughout the park.
Unfortuntely 2 popular features in Gibbies Wood, the wooden lizard and the hedgehog, have recently succumbed to rather a lot of rot and invertebrate infestation. They have been removed for everyone’s safety. It turns out the hedgehog was an ideal habitat for the Lesser Stag Beetle and loads of adults and larvae were discovered living in it.
All the material has been relocated to a safe area, suitable for its inhabitants to continue their insect lives.
A habitat for the beetles and their larvae has also been created and everyone moved in – hopefully without too much disturbance.
The volunteers will endeavour to install new constructions in Gibbies Wood later in the year.
Across the other side of the Park a new sign has been erected at the entrance to the Country Park. Based on the brown tourist sign for Country Parks, it is a stylised depiction of parents and child. This once again has been crafted in wood.
This particular sign is the work of Roger Byrne, a volunteer at the park for the last 10 years. He, like all the other volunteers, is passionate about the area. I for one thank them for providing me with such an attractive natural place to visit literally on my doorstep.
Barbara Breakwell