FOMV

Welcome to the FOMV’s new weekly blog. This is the place for nitty, gritty Medlock detail, sharing all the thinking behind the works completed on the valley. Becoming a resource, the blog will hold all the Medlock’s memories from this point forward, guiding future rangers and coordinators.

Expanding on my short-form introductions on Facebook (Friends of Medlock valley) and Instagram (medlock_valley), my name is Alex and I recently graduated from the University of Manchester in Environmental Management. Visiting the valley in first year, I was significantly wooed by the site’s drastic dichotomy to inner city Manchester, a strange conclave of nature offering river, grassland, shrub and mature woodland habitat 10 minutes from Manchester Picadilly…but you all know this.

Completing my dissertation in June, I gathered birdsong and grassland species data, along with a short citizen survey, all attempting to showcase significant greenspace value. Using industry methods, I hoped my work would help the lower Medlock, building a biological record as current housing plans threaten the entire site.

Adding to the site’s individuality, the Lower Medlock Valley has continually been stripped of any service it had since the mid twentieth century. Only in the last twenty years the area lost Ardwick Lads Club, nursery, primary school, pub plus other industry. Whilst either left to dangerously rot or become an inaccessible overgrown lot, this pattern goes further back than discussed.

This lack of attention has been a double-edge sword for the Lower Medlock Valley as whilst street trees grew and a rich species community took advantage of the space, so did anti-social behaviour. Significantly reduced today, the waste left by old homeless camps has been the practical focus of this week, with an extreme exfoliation happening around Manc Henge. Whilst the work is far from glamorous, it is satisfying and at times even exciting as you really really don’t know what you could find.  

As some light relief, I begun working with some of the excess dogwood we have on-site. These shrubs, whilst a good pollinator are everywhere and encroach on the rarer grassland habitats. Therefore, I took some to attempt some dead hedging which I will continue in the following week, if I can find a pair of secateurs up to the job.  

Finally, I can confirm the Medlock’s age-of-plenty is upon us! With the momentum generated by Dave squared and the already strong Medlock community we will be trailblazers for Manc green spaces. People will be in awe.

Please follow our socials, the content is the best out there…I promise!

Alex, FOMV.