backyard explorer

Volunteering at Gosforth Nature Reserve

Sitka spruce belongs to the family of Pinaceae. They are imposing trees with needle-like leaves and brown cones in autumn. In Britain, Sitka spruce is one of the most important tree species of the forest industry. They can also be found in Gosforth Nature Reserve, but here, the trees are cut down do make space for native species. Those new trees are planted by the backbone of the reserve: its volunteers.

James Common leads me to the site where volunteers are planting trees after our talk about the importance of Gosforth Nature Reserve. “We couldn’t do it without them,” James tells me when we arrive at the clearing. The sun has finally decided to come out. Volunteers are working alone or in pairs. First, they use shovels to make a hole in the ground before they put in a scrawny little branch that will grow into a tree.

The area that has been cleared of Sitka spruce is open and bright in the sunlight, but in the background, the remaining trees loom over the site. I feel like Bilbo Baggins and the company of dwarfs when they stand in front of the forest Mirkwood on their way to slay the dragon. Sitka spruce is a very dark, shadow forming tree. The volunteers are planting a selection of native trees and shrubs to improve the diversity structure of the reserve.

“Our work parties are made up of everyday people, our members, students and they do several jobs from tree planting – today they’re hedge laying, they also build hides, sheds, invasive species control, building works, repairs – they do it all,” says James. Next to us, a woman in her thirties of forties stomps her feet on the ground next to one of the planted trees to stabilise it in the ground.

Clare Freeman talks about why volunteering at Gosforth Nature Reserve is especially beneficial to students. Audio: Julia Brunner

Just short of 20 volunteers have come to the reserve to help plant trees, which is a great turnout for a Saturday, tells me Clare Freeman. Clare is the director of the Natural History Society of Northumbria. “We have our Saturday conservation tasks monthly in winter,” explains Clare. “Today we plan to plant 250 trees.”

It’s very easy to become a volunteer at Gosforth Nature Reserve. “It’s as simple as emailing the office,” James tells me. “We welcome everyone to get involved and try our best to shape volunteer experience to someone’s personal interests. We are happy to accommodate volunteers from students to adults to older individuals. Just get in touch and we are happy to talk.”

Not only seasoned volunteers have come to Gosforth to get their working boots dirty. For Catherine Waters from Newcastle, it’s the first time to volunteer at the reserve. “It’s absolutely beautiful. I love planting trees,” she gushes. “I think it’s a really beautiful site with lots and lots of different wildlife and really good birds. My brother used to do bird watching at Gosforth when he was ten. We always come here when he’s visiting.”

Catherine encourages others to volunteer. “I think the way things are in the world right now, you know, all the doom and gloom and all of the floods and all of the really sad things that are happening to people. I think it’s a really positive thing to do. Just to get out here with other volunteers and plant some trees which of course is the best thing to do for the planet.”

A frog — A surprise visitor during the tree planting: a frog. Photo: Julia Brunner

All around us, the volunteers are putting their shovels away. It’s time for a coffee and biscuit break. Before James helps me to find the exit of the reserve, one of the volunteers makes a discovery. On the ground, nearly invisible due to its colouring sits a frog. Several volunteers get their phones out and take pictures. “I hope he’ll make it,” says James as we leave the tree planting site and the dark shadows of the Sitka spruce behind us. “It can still be too cold for frogs at this time of the year.”

Game of Thrones in Northumberland: Corbridge Roman Town

“Hadrian’s Wall was a wall built under the emperor Hadrian. It stretches for 73 modern miles from Solway in Cumbria all the way to Wallsend in Newcastle,” says Rachel Wilkinson who is the curator for Hadrian’s Wall and the North East for English Heritage. I visited her at Corbridge Roman Town where she told me about the history of the world heritage site.

Hadrian’s Wall and especially the museum and site at Corbridge show the way of life during the time of the Roman empire. The monument has inspired many artists and poets in their work, especially recently. “Probably one of the most recent modern parallels is that Hadrian’s Wall appeared in Game of Thrones,” tells me Rachel.

Rachel Wilkinson talks about Corbridge Roman Town. Video: Julia Brunner

When you visit Corbridge Roman Town, you can learn more about the soldier’s life, as well as that of families and people living next to Hadrian’s Wall. As you can see in the video, the museum has several amazing exhibits. Rachel tells me that the armour is an especially exceptional piece. The museum is full of finds and has also been reorganised.

Outside, visitors can walk through the remains of Corbridge Roman Town. “We’ve got a free audio guide to the site, so you can see the ruins of Roman Corbridge and it’s really quite extensive,” says Rachel. “You can walk down a Roman high street on the original road surface and you can explore the site and get a sense of what a real Roman town would have looked like up in Northumberland.”

Curator Rachel Wilkinson on what she loves about Corbridge Roman Town.

Hadrian’s Wall was mainly built in stone and marked the most North-Western point of the Roman empire for over 300 years. But Hadrian’s Wall wasn’t just a defence line. “People lived and worked along here, so it wasn’t just soldiers living on the wall,” explains Rachel. “We have men, women and children, sometimes families, sometimes brothers and sisters who came to join the soldiers. We have people supplying these Roman soldiers. We have people coming from all over the Roman empire to live in Northumberland and Cumbria as part of what might have started as a Roman community but becomes this sort of huge mass of people to say in an extend.”

Gosforth wildlife under threat by construction plans

Gosforth Nature Reserve is a beautiful site on the outskirts of Newcastle. It’s one of those rare places where you can stand, close your eyes and only hear nature all around you. Birds singing, wind rustling through water reed. And yet this paradise for everyone who wants to flee the bustling, loud city as well as a vast number of animal and plant life is in danger.

The Natural History Society of Northumbria (NHSN) has managed Gosforth Nature Reserve since 1929. It’s a secure haven for animal and plant life. James Common, communications and engagement officer of NHSN tells me that at least 1,566 different species have been recorded at the reserve. This includes everything from flower to fish, he says.

James is 26 years old and you can see his excitement for his work in his eyes. Around his neck he has binoculars and once in a while, he looks through them, observing the geese and other birds of the reserve. “I live in Heaton, in Newcastle, so very much a local boy.”

James explains the importance of the site and why people need places in nature like Gosforth Nature Reserve. Video: Julia Brunner

We’re standing on a platform next to the wetland site of the reserve. The geese are protesting loudly in the background. “Maybe there’s an otter close by,” James guesses. He says that otters are very common in the reserve as well as frogs, toads and smooth newts. “Visitors and volunteers have submitted a total of 137,654 observations of animals from the site – making it one of the most studied sites in the region.”

Even though it’s clearly still winter – the wind is harsh and the ground muddy from the weeks of rain – Gosforth Nature Reserve is full of life. That also includes plant life. When we walk back through the forest, I can see spots of dark green moss on the ground and on tree roots. “In summer the reserve is beautiful, wildflowers carpet the floor and we have all of our summer birds back,” explains James. “But also in winter, when it might look relatively dull and grey, it’s still a wonderful place. This is when the majority of our ducks and geese visit. As well as the bitterns. And, of course, winter species that you would not normally see during spring and summer.”

Coral-Root Orchid — Coral-root orchid are one of the special species in Gosforth Nature Reserve. Photo: John Dalrymple

The reserve might only be one square kilometre large, but when you walk through it, the site feels endless. Especially when you’re a first-time visitor and don’t know which way to go. Gosforth Nature Reserve is also home for England’s second-largest colony of coral-root orchid. The reserve has a viewing area from late May to June for the species which can be found in the wet woodland. James tells me that they sometimes also have rare species of geese and other birds visiting. During such occasions, people from all over England – though majorly from the North – flock to the reserve to bird watch and take pictures.

But those and several other rare species are under threat. “Persimmon Homes have put in an application to build 217 homes on the boundary of the reserve,” James says. “We are objecting to this on the grounds of increased disturbance, damage to fragile habitats and of course the impact on the triple SI (Sites of Special Scientific Interest).” The increased traffic and dog walkers as well as cats who hunt birds are especially a danger to the reserve, adds James. The NHSN encourages people to oppose the plans.

People walking through GNR — Development plans for over 200 houses could disturb the wildlife in Gosforth Nature Reserve. Photo: NHSN

We don’t see deer when we walk from the wetland towards a site where volunteers are planting trees on the day of my visit. “The deer here are very tame. They can come very close and aren’t afraid of people at all”, James says. He thinks it’s because they don’t allow people to walk their dogs in the reserve. Sometimes it’s challenging to make people understand that the site is a place where they can’t go in with their dog, he tells me.

The birds are still singing in the forest, but the closer we get to the volunteers, the more the voices of people drown those of nature. We’re back in civilisation.

. . .

Next Tuesday I will post the second part of my visit to Gosforth Nature Reserve and tell you more about volunteering at the site and what special visitor we discovered to already be out and about.

Gosforth Nature Reserve and Hadrian’s Wall

Hello adventure lovers!

I have great news! Last week I had some amazing interviews. I visited Gosforth Nature Reserve where I learned a lot about the Reserve and how people who are interested in volunteering can join. This is especially interesting for students. More about that on Tuesday.

I also spent some time in Corbridge where I interviewed the current curator of Hadrian’s Wall, Rachel Wilkinson. She told me a lot about the history behind Hadrian’s Wall and the museum in Corbridge. Definitely worth a visit! You can learn more about Rachel and Hadrian’s Wall in the post next Friday.

Beach cleaners collect waste at Newbiggin

Sea Shepherd UK organised a beach clean-up on Sunday, 1^st of March at Newbiggin-by-the-Sea. I attended the midday clean and talked to Wayne Mitchell who is a 40-year-old senior volunteer and education coordinator of Sea Shepherd from North Shields. At the clean, participants found car wheels, golf balls and plastic litter from industrial cables.

Wayne Mitchell on beach clean-ups and how people can participate. Video: Julia Brunner

“We’re lucky here in the North East to be really active on beach cleans,” says Wayne. “I think last year there were over 30 that we organised from as far down as Sunderland right up to Newbiggin and this year we’re looking into going beyond and go up to the likes of Druridge.”

The number of participants ranges. Sometimes there are as few as five people showing up. On other days there are as many as 30 to 40 people attending. “Part of it comes down to the local support and generating awareness and sometimes the weather plays an effect”, adds Wayne. During the clean in Newbiggin, it’s rather windy, but nevertheless, over 30 people have come to help clean up the beach.

Boys helping at a beach clean — Youth players from Newcastle East End FC U8 helped at the clean. Photo: Julia Brunner

“Today we’ve got a football team here that is assisting us which is fantastic to get them involved because it raises awareness for them and it’s a good way for everyone to do something”, says Wayne. The football youth team of Newcastle East End FC U8 came to give something back to the community, explains one of the adult supervisors.

In general, all kind of people participate in beach cleans. “All sorts of people come and help from young kids right through to older generations”, says Wayne. He followed Sea Shepherd for a long time before he decided to become part of the Sea Shepherd team that operates in Taiji, Japan, where dolphins are killed every year. Now he is an onshore volunteer in the UK.

Litter from a beach clean. — All kinds of debris is found during the beach clean. Photo: Julia Brunner

All the litter that the participants collect during the clean has one thing in common: it’s human-made. “What was really sad seeing in the North East last year was during the summer when we had some really hot weather,” adds Wayne. “We went down to Cullercoats beach at the end of the day and between three of us we filled over 30 bin bags. And all of that was stuff that had been left there on that day. Things like barbecue kits and bottles and sandcastle buckets.”

Wayne urges people to be mindful of the rubbish that they have. “Recycle it when you can and if not make sure it goes in a bin, not on the beach. Just be more mindful of marine life in general. It’s a beautiful coastline we have up here. We have seals, we have dolphins and some of this rubbish will make its way out and harm them. And we wouldn’t want to lose them from our coastline.”

Bouldering: Chris Graham from Climb Newcastle about how to get started

In the last post, I introduced Chris Graham, co-owner of Climb Newcastle and its two bouldering centres The Valley and The Pool. Today, you can learn more about bouldering itself and how to get into it in Newcastle.

People watching a woman climb a wall — Seasoned climbers as well as beginners can climb in Newcastle. Photo: Julia Brunner

“Bouldering is very different from rock climbing. There is very little equipment that you need,” explains Chris. Bouldering, as I explained in Tuesday’s post, is not the same as rock climbing. It basically is climbing without ropes and in the end, you jump off and land on crush mats. Chris tells me that bouldering became popular in the late 1990s when portable crush mats came about.

Getting into climbing at Climb Newcastle is very easy. “People who have climbed before at our own centres or elsewhere can sign a waiver and just start,” says Chris. “We run induction sessions for people who are new to the sport and they are very straight forward. They cover the basic safety information, the basic climbing information and that takes about 45 minutes. Basic things like bend your knees when you hit the ground, don’t climb above anyone, don’t walk underneath anyone. There is no equipment needed, we give a pair of shoes and that’s all that’s required, some loose-fitting clothing and off you go.”

Climb Newcastle also offers events and coaching weekends. Video: Julia Brunner

The Pool in Byker, the first centre of Climb Newcastle, was initially opened to be used as a training facility, says Chris. “The climbing scene at that time was very small and we thought that it would appreciate this facility to go to. We quickly realised that bouldering is so easy to get into that it was becoming popular with people new to the sport.”

Over the course of the first several years of Climb Newcastle, they started to bring in a huge number of new climbers to the sport. After a few years, they reached the capacity of the centre in Byker. “So, we went looking for a new facility somewhere bigger where we could expand and grow. We found this place here in Ouseburn, which is a cool part of Newcastle, it’s a sort of vibrant place with lots of different activities going on. We found the perfect building at The Valley which is three to four times the size of the one in Byker where we could offer a wide range of climbing including for those who are new to the sport and for people who are well established.”

Climbing is for everyone

A man climbs a wall. — People of all fitness levels and experiences can climb. Photo: Julia Brunner

Climbing is becoming more popular, especially with the sport having its Olympic debut during the summer games in Tokyo this year. I had a chat with Chris Graham who is the co-owner of Climb Newcastle. We talked about his passion for the sport and how everyone can start climbing or bouldering – climbing without ropes or harnesses – at his two climbing centres The Pool and The Valley.

Chris himself started rock climbing when he was eleven years old. “I did a half-term climbing course at the local leisure centre and at one point I got hooked. I went to class every week throughout my school years and started climbing with people who were a little bit older than me who could drive and we used to climb rocks outside in Northumberland”, says Chris. While he was a teen, he also got into competition climbing on a local and national level. Chris even got selected for the British climbing team where he competed for several years.

The Valley climbing centre — The Valley is the second climbing centre that Chris and his partners opened in Newcastle. Photo: Julia Brunner

At the time, the conditions for climbing in Newcastle were rather poor, so in 2007 Chris together with his two climbing friends Andy Earl and Darren Stevenson decided to open a centre in Byker. They found a neglected building that had been empty for 20 years and made a bouldering centre out of it. The Pool quickly gained popularity – not only by seasoned climbers but also by people who looked for a new way to exercise.

“Climbing is not only for people who are fit and strong, it’s for people of all shapes and sizes”, Chris tells me. “It’s a really good sport for you, both physically and mentally. It works almost every muscle in your body. If you think about it, your hands and feet are in contact with the wall and everything in between is working towards pulling you upwards.”

Infographic CLimbing — Source: time.com Photo: Julia Brunner

Chris himself still climbs, though he says that at the moment it’s mostly to put up new climbs on the wall. Route setting, as he calls it is not planned on a computer or spread sheet and more something you learn with years of experience.

Chris Graham explains route setting. Photo: Julia Brunner

Climbing is also a very social sport. “Especially since we opened our second centre in Ouseburn at The Valley, we really captured that social aspect by having more open spaces where people can watch and sit on top of one of the boulders”, he says. “Climbing has really grown in popularity and particularly since it was announced that we are part of the Olympics. Here, we continue to grow, we’ve got a lovely big building here at The Valley. We’ll put in new bits of equipment this summer to expand there and hopefully keep bringing people in for the sport”, Chris tells me.

Surfing in the North-East

Man surfing in Daylight by Casey Horner — Ride the wave. Photo: Casey Horner on Unsplash

I have to be honest, I’ve never surfed in my life, but it’s on my list of things I want to learn. When I think of surfing, I see pictures of beautiful sandy beaches in Hawaii or maybe Portugal, but you can also surf in England and especially at the coastline close to Newcastle. Let me introduce you to two surf hotspots of the North-East!

A little bit further away from toon is Saltburn-by-the-Sea close next to Middlesbrough. Here you can take surf lessons at Saltburn Surf School which is located directly at the beach. Several bars and cafés also offer a warm cup of tea or coffee after a dip in the cold water. The waves are also good for beginners.

Surfers at Tynemouth wating for a wave. — Surfers at Tynemouth waiting for a wave. Photo: Julia Brunner

At the coastline of Northumbria, you can catch many great waves. Closer to home is, of course, Tynemouth where you can also take lessons if you’ve never surfed before or wanted a refresher. Northumbria University also has a Surfing Society and Newcastle University’s Student Union offers one-day surf lessons with give it a go. Not only beginners enjoy the waves at Tynemouth. When I visited the city, I saw many seasoned surfers in the water.

What to do in Tynemouth on a Sunday

Tynemouth beach — No matter the weather: the beaches at Tynemouth are always worth a visit. Photo: Julia Brunner

Tynemouth is a small city at the beach and only a 25 minutes metro ride away from Newcastle. I went to the seaside on Sunday to check out what the little city has to offer and what kind people go for a swim in the cold sea in February.

First of all, when you visit Tynemouth by metro you should opt for the A+B+C day saver ticket which costs less than six pounds. It takes you directly to Tynemouth station. On Sundays, you can stroll through the market. Here you can try cupcakes, buy new clothes and antiques. The market is situated inside the metro station and is roofed: perfect when you think about the rainy British weather.

A woman looks at antiques. — Locals as well as tourists enjoy Tynemouth’s Sunday market. Photo: Julia Brunner

Of course, when you visit a coastal town, you also want to go to the beach! Tynemouth has several beaches, for example, King Edwards Bay next to the priory and castle. They are very popular amongst dog owners and surfers. Even though it was rather cold and windy when I visited the beach, there were several brave surfers in the water!

When you only have a few hours like I did on Sunday, then definitely go to the beach and stroll a little bit trough the city. Tynemouth has a nice charm and many small cafés to help keep you warm in winter.

News: upcoming articles

Hadrian's Wall — A NORTH EAST WORLD HERITAGE SITE: Hadrian’s Wall in winter. Photo: Toa Heftiba on Unsplash

First of all, happy valentines day to all people who celebrate it!

Also, I wanted to give you all a little update on what content you can expect in the upcoming weeks. I have already set up several interviews, so keep your eyes open for them!

Together, we will visit a nature reserve in the north of Newcastle, a bolder and climbing place and learn more about history in the North East. I hope you’re as excited as I am!

Till tuesday,

Julia