Category: Updates

Annual Himalayan Balsam Pulling in the local SSSI, Ladies Spring Wood – Saturday 23rd July 2022 Himalayan balsam Three members of the Monday Group and two regulars from Abbeydale Rotary Club set about this year’s attack on Himalayan Balsam and Japanese Knotweed in our local SSSI. This regular task is one of the few we have been able to continue through the two years of the pandemic. As a preliminary recce a fortnight earlier had suggested, this year’s crop was neither as prolific nor as advanced in growth as in previous years. Also very few plants were in flower, even

THE ANNUAL MEMBERSHIP SUBSCRIPTION FOR BEG IS £3.50 FOR A FAMILY You have the option to make payment in three ways:(1). To continue to pay by cheque; or (2) to pay by Standing Order; or (3) by making direct payment into BEG’s bank account. Whichever method of payment you choose, please complete a form and send your subscription and/or donation to Gavin Johns, Hon Treasurer BEG, 67 Glen View Road, Sheffield S8 7SG (enclosing your cheque if appropriate). Please make your cheque payable to “Beauchief Environment Group”.  This ensures that our records are kept up to date. A form can be downloaded from

Members of the Monday Group have spent several sessions clearing a new path for walkers on the Nature Park. This leads from the end of the car park and up through woodland at the edge of the site, parallel to the Holly Path. Towards the top end it passes through an area where whips of native trees have been planted this season. This makes a really pleasant and interesting walk, and though a bit slippery underfoot at present this will improve with drier weather. By planting plenty of native trees we hope to do our bit towards maintaining woodland habitat in Sheffield.

On Monday afternoon 30th March, lots of BEG people turned up in perfect weather. After a brief reminder of the project, and look at the plan to discuss the best tree layout we divided into two groups to measure and mark out planting spaces with stakes. Some used a pedometer, and some a tape. We were working directly into freshly turned sods, as the digger and tractor moved soil alongside us, quite safely. The area designated to be the forest garden was roughly marked out but the edges could be flexible. The group thought that a winding path through would

The restoration project at the Hamlet with funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund is in hand. The large water wheel is currently being restored. At present the area over the wheel is covered to protect it from the elements and so far a new beam has recently been installed to replace the one which was rotting away. You may have noticed a new learning and visitor centre being built on what was the overflow car park. The building is modern and eco-friendly and will accommodate new interpretation material and facilities for learning. The cafe and shop will also be located

If you are in the habit of walking in Gulleys Wood meadow you will know that one of the dominant plant species there is yellow rattle (Rhinanthus minor). Yellow rattle is an annual that thrives in grasslands, living a semi-parasitic life by feeding off the nutrients in the roots of nearby grasses and reduces their vigour. It is usually recommended to sow it with other species when creating wildflower meadows. Several members collected a good amount of ripe seed heads one very hot afternoon in July and the seeds were sown on the new meadow on the Nature Park in

Thirty-one members attended this year’s AGM, which was again held at Greenhill Library. The evening opened with the formal AGM proceedings. The minutes of the 2019 AGM were approved; and the Chair, Diana, went through the year month by month, showing photographs of working sessions, and finishing with wildlife pictures sent in by BEG members,in the form of a PowerPoint presentation. Last year’s activities included Higher Level Stewardship of Gulleys Wood Meadow and Shene Field, the workings of the Monday Group, who now also do some work in Hutcliffe Wood. Saturday tasks were not being as well supported as previously, Also mentioned were wildflower and wildlife

An ongoing project with Michael Senkans (Ziggy), SCC Biodiversity Monitoring Officer. Whilst recognising that none of the trees in our area qualifies as being in the “Major Oak” category, we nevertheless have trees special to our area. On two evenings we made a start mapping and recording these venerable trees following the method set down by English Nature. So far we have studied 2 beech trees and a sweet chestnut behind Beauchief Hall, a five trunked field maple behind Bradway Golf Range and a very large alder by Beauchief Ponds. The aim is to continue with this project so that

The Council is monitoring the areas of grassland in its ownership and keeping records of species present, especially those regarded as key species, in order to gauge the extent of changes that may be taking place there, whether improvement or deterioration. Michael Senkans (SCC Biodiversity Monitoring Officer) and BEG members have met on three occasions since spring 2011, using monitoring sheets to review and record any changes in species/abundance and management which may have occurred in the two meadows under the Countryside Stewardship scheme. Since the previous visit on 7 July highland cattle have grazed in Shene field so we