The Mersey Valley Countryside Warden Service are keen to involve the local community as far as possible with the management of their sites. Since March 2004 we have started to set up Friends Groups on our sites to establish a practical way of doing this. We also work with volunteer groups such as BTCV and SACV (Sale and Altrincham Conservation Volunteers) to carry out practical conservation tasks on sites that don't have their own Friends groups.
Friends of Chorlton Water Park
After working with the wardens to secure funding for the restoration of the dipping platform and pond through BBC Breathing Places, the Friends of Chorton Water Park have moved on to their next project.
The group has been busy setting up a plant nursery in the compound at Chorlton Water Park during spring 2009. The seedlings they will be nurturing have been specially selected to contribute to the diversity of flora in the Valley.
The Friends now have a brand new website - check http://focwp.webs.com/ for information about the group and forthcoming meetings, events and activities.
If you would like to join the group to take part in this project, or have suggestions of your own, e-mail the Friends on
or contact our office at Chorlton Water Park on 0161 905 1100.
Friends of Chorlton Meadows
The Friends of Chorlton Meadows cover Chorlton Ees, Ivy Green and Hardy Farm community orchard. The group is interested in taking a practical approach to working with the wardens to manage the sites for the conservation of flora and fauna; and have an active programme of events through the year. Look out for details in the events section of this website.
Currently their busy programme of events covers practical conservation tasks, wildlife walks and fun activities. This year the Friends are focusing on wildlife recording and monitoring, emphasising the importance of the area in terms of local biodiversity. In partnership with the Mersey Valley, Greater Manchester Ecology Unit, Butterfly Conservation, Cheshire Wildlife Trust, Amphibian and Reptile group for South Manchester and with the help of experienced naturalists, the Friends are being trained in wildlife identification, monitoring and recording techniques – and will hopefully be setting up a biological survey volunteer group (for more information on this call Alex Krause on 0161 8815639).
This active group is keen to attract new members, and whatever your interest in the site, you would be welcome to join them. You can find out about the group's latest events by visiting their blog at http://friendsofchorltonmeadows.blogspot.com/ or contact their chair, Dave Bishop, for further details on 0161 881 6276. Alternatively, you can e-mail him at
Friends of Fletcher Moss
The Friends of Fletcher Moss Park are principally concerned with the conservation and enhancement of both the park area of Fletcher Moss (botanical gardens, Old Parsonage, Alpine house, etc) and of the Mersey Valley area (Stenner Woods, Millgate Fields, the river).
They are always looking for volunteers to help with their work. They have actively sought grants from various bodies to support their activities, and recently have been awarded £10,000 under the Breathing Places scheme for various projects in the Stenner Woods and Millgate Fields area, which is now a Local Nature Reserve. Some of this grant has gone towards looking at possibilities for disabled access, and some on mounting courses in traditional field skills such as hedge-laying and coppicing.
If you have any questions to ask about their work or are interested in being involved in some of the volunteering activities please get in touch with Alan Hill (; phone 0161 445 1535).
Chorlton Anglers Group - CAG
The Chorlton Anglers Group (CAG) was formed recently by local anglers interested in collaborating with the Mersey Valley Wardens in various projects to enhance the fishery at Chorlton Water Park for both anglers and wildlife. They have already been busy carrying out practical conservation tasks around the lake - initial projects include the rejuvenation of fishing pegs and creation of fish spawning habitats.
For more information about the group you can email or call Richard Salisbury on 0161 8815639.
Volunteer Groups
The Mersey Valley wardens work in partnership with various groups to carry out an ongoing program of practical conservation volunteering tasks across our sites. We are enormously grateful for their contribution. If you would like to join any of the conservation tasks, visit the latest news section of this website to see what's coming up next.
Some useful contact details for volunteering in this area:
