We have been asked by the Village Hall to help develop something of nature interest in the area where the Hall borders the park. Now that our regular team of workers has expanded, I am delighted to report that we are able to take this on and South Glos have given us permission to manage this area.

We are going to be planting woodland shade loving wild flowers and bulbs, creating a habitat log pile, putting in a small pond as a water source for the creatures in the park, making a compost heap, and a refuge for amphibians and reptiles, along with putting up a bird table and more. Sounds like great fun and special thanks to Christine for masterminding this and drawing these plans

Now for something very different – Some of you may have spotted the strange tanks sitting on the ground behind the garage on Emerson Way. I thought they looked like bouncy castles at first! But not so. it seems that in order to desilt this pond they floated a machine on the water and sucked up the sediment into these tanks where they will sit for some months while the water gradually leaks out. Then they can remove the silt. Mystery solved.

Also – on a rather sad note, it was a pity to see that the monkey puzzle tree, which has been such a landmark behind the Langley, has finally been felled. This old tree was, I gather, more than a hundred years old, but was seriously diseased and had all but died.

The AGM of Friends of Emersons Green Park was held at the Langley this year. We enjoyed a lively discussion followed by a meal. If you would like to catch up on what we talked about – check out the minutes here.

I hope you enjoy this occasional digest of news. Please note that, thanks to Amanda, we now also have an active Facebook group called Friends of Emersons Green Park. Join us there if you like for more immediate news about our activities and ways to get involved.