Beck Project
We are indebted to MIRES BECK NURSERY at North Cave for their continual support and help with purchasing/selecting plants for this and other projects. Please support them !!
End of August Photos
Poor South Cave Beck this century has been greatly mistreated and uncared for. In the 1960s most of it along Church Street & Church Hill was covered over in concrete so as to allow the road to be widened and footpaths installed. The only remaining section along Church Street was probably spared because of the magnificent Elm Trees which onced graced its banks. Since their demise in the 1980s very little has been done along the beck, it had become an area devoid of wildlife and smothered in suffocating ivy. Realising the environmental importance of this area the South Cave in Bloom team decided to apply for an environment agency grant to cover the costs of restoring this area to how it should be - a haven for wildlife rich in flora.
The grant application was successful, and within weeks the beck has been brought back from a state of neglect due to the tireless work by SCIB members.
At present work is still very much in progress, many branches have been cut back so as to allow sunlight to penetrate and kick start the light starved embankments into life. The ivy which draped eeriely from the long dead elder trees has been removed and the dead trees cut down, dead branches have been stacked to provide microclimates for insects.
Photos from Mid September
Photos from Mires Beck and Planting
Video of the ivy smothered Beck Area, August 2008
What we've done so far...
We have planted 500 native wild flowers grown at Mires Beck Nursery alongside the footpath
2500 spring bulbs have been planted around the beck - mostly native
Installed living willow fencing to create microclimates and provide shelter for wildlife
Cleared away nettles and planted 8 Buddleias near the library
Put in ferns at strategic places
Planted a weeping willow tree at the Church Hill end, a cherry tree at the library end, planted Hazel nut trees and dogwoods to shore up the steep embankments
Installed most of the 14 or so bird boxes
We've been given a large amount of logs from Hessle Golf Club to make into stacks and such for the insects to live in.
Currently we're digging over the area to prepare for the meadow to be sown in March, very hard work considering the amount of ivy and tree roots!!
Artists impression of how the beck should look in the summer
Click on the photos to enlarge Taken between October 2008 and January 2009
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