January at MOP

Winter Progress and Exciting Spring Plans

January may have brought cold weather, but it certainly hasn’t slowed us down here at Meadow Orchard! Despite the chill, we’ve been working hard to move forward with a variety of projects, and we’re excited to share all the progress we’ve made – plus a sneak peek of some of the fun events coming up this spring!

Welcoming new volunteers

We’ve had an amazing response to our volunteer recruitment on Reach Volunteering and are really pleased to welcome new members to our team. Over fifty members now and we’ve really made a lot of progress on site this winter thanks to the hard work of all of our volunteers. It’s always so appreciated. We are always happy to lend a hand and help support eachother.

Winter Work & Volunteer Efforts

Bulb Planting & Tree Saplings
We kicked off the year by getting our hands dirty with some essential winter gardening tasks. Our bulb planting is complete, and we’ve also collected more tree saplings, setting the stage for a vibrant spring and a greener future. We’re committed to enhancing the biodiversity of our space, and every little step counts.

Christmas Tree Composting with Good Gym
Our GoodGym session this January was as always a great success! We collected local Christmas trees for composting and raised over £50 in the process too. It was fantastic to see the community come together to help out, and we’re grateful for everyone who participated and joined us for mulled cider!

Progress with the Roundhouse
Exciting things are happening with the roundhouse! We’ve purchased lighting fixtures, which are ready for installation in February. We can’t wait to light up this space and make it even more welcoming and valuable amenity for our growing community.

Wassailing & Fireside Fun
Of course, we also found time to enjoy the winter season. We managed to fit in a joyful wassail, with a fireside song and some spiced cider to warm us up. It’s always a special time when we can come together regroup and start to plan the year ahead and the prospect of warmer days.

Growing & Building for the Future

Three Sisters Bed
Our incredible female volunteers have been working hard on a “Three Sisters” bed, a fantastic growing method rooted in Native American tradition. This method involves planting sweetcorn, beans, and squash together in one bed – the sweetcorn grows tall, offering support for the beans, while the squash provides a low, rambling ground cover. It’s a win-win for our garden, the beans also help fix nitrogen for a sustainable method of growing.

Mulching & Composting
The Elemental Home Education volunteers have been busy too, helping us with three tons of woodchip! We’ve been busy mulching as well – there’s always more brewery waste to top up the compost bins. This ongoing process helps ensure that our soil remains nutrient-rich and ready for all the planting ahead in the warmer months. In the last year we’ve really transformed our space and it’s an absolute pleasure planting into the prepared beds.

Spring Planting Plans
We have raised £400 towards preparing our spring planting schedule. We’ll be picking up some soil amendments, seed compost, seeds and plants to get us geared up for the season. We’ll come together to make plans about what we want to grow and eat this year!

Woodworking Projects
Our woodworking volunteers have been hard at work, too! They’ve repurposed pallets into sturdy workbenches and created a lovely canopy from upcycled roofing sheets to provide cover for our outdoor kitchen. It’s amazing what can be accomplished with a little creativity, passion and healthy teamwork.

Harvesting Wild Clay
Our local ceramic artist friends are collecting clay to process and will be returning with some beautiful pottery made from our very own Meadow Orchard Clay. We’re really excited and can’t wait for it to warm up so we can start sculpting!

Wildlife & Nature Care

Bird Watching & Nesting Preparations
We’re also taking steps to ensure the wildlife around us thrives. We’ve installed nest boxes, birdfeeders, and even carried out the Big Garden Bird Watch! We’re gearing up for the nesting season, and these small acts of care are crucial in supporting our local bird population.

Willow Coppicing & Spring Bulbs
We’ve coppicing our willow, to build some garden structures and creating protective fedges around our newly sprouting spring bulbs. It’s all part of our ongoing effort to nurture our natural surroundings and create a thriving, vibrant ecosystem.

Exciting Events Coming Up

Looking ahead, we’ve got some wonderful events planned for the coming months, and we can’t wait to welcome you all back to our space!

Mike Robeson – Harmonies of the Heart
Mike Robeson will be joining us in April for another community singing session, “Harmonies of the Heart.” If you haven’t had the chance to experience his work yet, you’re in for a treat.

Stacey Cohen – Meditation & Sound Bath
Following up on her amazing beautiful meditation and sound bath session in December, Stacey Cohen will be returning for another performance in April. It was such a hit last time, and we’re thrilled to welcome her back so soon!

Singing Walk & Fireside Song with Emily Hannah
On March 22nd, Emily Hannah will guide us on a Singing Walk, followed by a fireside song session. It’s going to be a lovely time to connect with nature and community.

Spring Solstice Celebration
We’ve got something truly special in store for our Spring Solstice event! Lizzie will be running a drop-in yoga session, and Edita will be guiding us through Animal Flow Yoga. Alex, our inspiring Scout leader, will be joining us with some fun activities for kids and adults alike. And we’re thrilled to have Bryan Sifu Barnes, Meadow Orchard’s legendary Kung Fu master, leading some exciting Kung Fu sessions. If we have the time and energy, we might even fire up the pizza oven!

Looking Forward to a Thriving Spring!

As you can see, we’ve been busy, but it’s all been worth it! We’re excited to see our hard work pay off as we prepare for the blossoming spring season. Whether it’s through our gardening projects, woodworking, or the wonderful events on the horizon, we’re committed to creating a space that fosters community, sustainability, and joy.

Stay tuned for more updates, and we hope to see you soon at one of our events. Let’s make this year one to remember!

Join Us
If you’re interested in volunteering or attending any of our upcoming events, don’t hesitate to reach out! We’re always looking for new faces to join our community, and we’d love to have you with us as we continue to grow and thrive together.