Eighteen volunteers have spruced up a local beauty spot by clearing away overgrown bramble and installing a special bench.
Ver Valley Society (VVS) contributed to Sustainable St Albans Week at Sopwell Nunnery open space, near the Alban Way, on November 19.
Sue Frearson, action group organiser, said: “We cleared bramble thickets on either side of the laid hedge, to allow more light to reach it and encourage growth in the spring.
“We hope to seed a wild flower meadow near the river for next year. Shading riverside trees were felled here last year and VVS members helped to lay the old hedge and added a row of hazels to strengthen it.”
During a sunny autumn morning at the local nature reserve, a bench to commemorate the 40th anniversary year of the Ver Valley Society was installed next to the River Ver trail for local residents and those following the VVS Walk 7: ‘The Watermeadow Walk’.
The Walk 7 footpath waymark knocked down by tree contractors was reinstalled, and litter cleared all along the river from Cottonmill Lane to the Alban Way.
Sue said that an added bonus for the group’s 40th anniversary year was that volunteers were recently awarded the prestigious CPRE (Herts) 2016 award for ‘work in the environment’ along the Ver from Redbourn down to Riverside, Bricket Wood.
She added: “As always, we thank Herts Countryside Management for the loan of tools and helpful advice. It was nice to see the first user of our bench was a local robin!”
• See www.riverver.co.uk for information on walks.
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