News Hats Off to Melanie’s 'Golden Glove' Award

Hats Off to Melanie’s 'Golden Glove' Award

Our dedicated project leader of Worcester Walk Community Project, Melanie Getgood, has been awarded the Forestry England’s National Volunteers ‘Golden Glove Award’ for the ‘Volunteer Quote of the Year’. Our congratulations!

Not only does Melanie Getgood lead a group of enthusiastic volunteers, she also writes poetry. One such poem about the species-rich and culturally interesting project area of Worcester Walk has earned her this well-deserved accolade!

Here is Melanie’s award-winning poem:

The Project is located, in fields above the ‘tip’

If you don’t know it, please do take a trip

It took 15 months, just to renew the fence

And that cost us, a few thousand pence!

Now the future’s bright, for Worcester Walk

Where people go, to walk, walk and talk

We’re very lucky, to have 13 old oaks

Always much revered, by all Forest folk

We’re looking after, these notable trees

Perhaps a log hive, to encourage the bees

In the wildflower meadow, we’ll encourage more flowers

And ensure that the grasses, will have less power

The children from Coalway School , have had fun

Spreading yellow rattle seed, the deed is done!

We’re installing a pond at the top of the site

For Great Crested Newts, that’s a bit of alright!

We’ll encourage the dragon, and damselflies too

We might even see, a small butterfly blue

We’d like to look after, both sides of the hedges

And that is one of our volunteers’ pledges

Elderberry, blackthorn, crab apple and native pear

Within the existing hedges, you’ll find them all there

Fruit tree planting is next, like the Hagloe Crab

Some heritage varieties, so it won't be drab

A dozen or so trees, should fit the bill

We’re not looking to be run of the mill,

The meadows’ll need cutting, every year

Plenty of raking to do then, I fear!

We hope the Fire Cadets, will help us once more

Without them, this summer would have been such a chore!

Himalayan Balsam they pulled up with ease

And bashing the Bracken, that was a breeze!

The energy of youth, quite put us to shame

A different activity, than putting out flame

So, I’d like to introduce, 2 cadets and Chris Hale

My Star volunteers, in the Worcester Walk tale.

Worcester Walk, a tranquil area within the Forest of Dean, is used by local community groups, schools and individuals. With this in mind, this Foresters’ Forest National Lottery Heritage funded project is delivering a few enhancements. Already a boar-proof fence has been erected to enclose the area, gaps in hedges are being filled with bird and insect friendly trees and a shallow wildlife pond has been created this summer in the emerging wildflower meadow. This winter, a small number of heritage fruit trees will be planted. More recently local volunteers have been involved in pulling Himalayan Balsam and Ragwort around the site and they have been busy protecting the new pond, to prevent cracks forming in the clay-lining of the new pond, until it is filled by rainwater.

If you are interested in getting involved in any way, or would simply like more details, please contact: forestersforest@fvaf.org.uk or find the project’s Facebook Group: @Foresters’ Forest Worcester Walk Community Project

Find out more about Worcester Walk Community Project

Volunteers in main photo above from left to right:

Felicity Greenman, Malcolm Vine, Julie Godfrey, Melanie Getgood, Karl Greenfield