Friends of Littlemoor Nature Reserve

Thank you so much to our Wednesday volunteers. The difference at the round garden is astonishing! It's amazing what can get done in a short time with some help.

If you can spare some time to join our volunteers please comment below or message us for further details.

Today is our volunteer session. If you want to escape the football our volunteers will be at the Park Lane entrance at 6pm.

Look our for our new hi-vis volunteer vests. Volunteer and be stylish! If you see one of our volunteers feel free to stop and have a chat.

We also have an extra session at 1pm for anyone not wanting to miss the England match.

Hope to see you there.

How many bumblebee species can you identify? Which do you think are the easiest/hardest to spot? 🔎🐝

Share your top bumblebee identification tips below ✨

🔎 Brush up on your bumblebee identification skills: https://ow.ly/MKKe50ZaprK

📷 Jordan Moncho, Tom Luck, Pieter Haringsma, Ciaran Clark, Richard Dowling, Miranda Shephard

www.bumblebeeconservation.org

This week is Invasive Species Week 2026, an annual event to help raise awareness of invasive non-native species and how everyone can help prevent their spread.

Different areas such as woodlands, moorlands
and ponds all support a rich variety of
wildlife. However, non-native invasive plants like Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotw**d and rhododendron threaten these habitats by spreading quickly and out-competing native species, reducing food, shelter and breeding opportunities - and ultimately biodiversity.

In Littlemoor we are continually trying to keep the Himalayan Balsam under control and a recent biodiversity report advised us to do the same with the rhododendron.

Any local residents that would like to assist us with these ongoing tasks would be very welcome.

Please message us to obtain further details.

Feeling hot? Imagine being a bumblebee with a thick fur coat! Fortunately, you can help them ☀️🐝

🌡️ Once temperatures reach about 32°C, bumblebees can’t fly without overheating. This means they can’t collect food for themselves or the larvae developing in their nests. This can ultimately lead to shrinking populations.

⏰ To avoid the worst of the heat, bumblebees will forage first thing in the morning and last thing at night. But this gives them less time to collect food – and drought-hit plants provide less nectar. It’s like us rushing to the supermarket 10 minutes before closing and finding the shelves mostly bare.

⚠️ For bumblebees that are already struggling, that isn’t great news.

Here’s how you can help bumblebees in hot weather:

💧 Bumblebees get water from drinking nectar from flowers. By watering your plants, you can ensure the flowers in your garden keep producing nectar.

🕒 Water at cooler times of day (e.g. evenings) and at the base of the plant. This reduces evaporation and helps plant roots make the most of the water. This also means you can enjoy being outside helping bumblebees during the cooler part of the day and stay safe inside during the extreme heat.

💚 summer volunteer sessions -
6pm-7pm Park Lane entrance 💚

Wednesday 1st July
Wednesday 5th August
Wednesday 2nd September

All volunteers welcome

With the heat on the increase, its the best moment to spend time in woodlands🌲

The tree canopy can provide a natural shade helping to keep you cool.

If you plan to head to the woodland in this heatwave, please be responsible:
🚫 No BBQs, gas stoves or campfires - All it takes is one spark to ignite in dry conditions
🚮 Take your litter home with you - It's unsightly, harms wildlife and glass bottles can start fires
🚰 Wear SPF and keep hydrated - Heatstroke is particularly common from extended periods outside
🐕 Keep the dog at home - Unless it's an early morning or late evening stroll, dogs should be kept out of the sun

Can you believe that it is a year since Littlemoor Park was formally declared a Local Nature Reserve (LNR) by Bradford Council in partnership with Natural England.

What does Local Nature Reserve status mean?

✅ Recognition and care: It formally acknowledges the site’s importance for people and wildlife.
✅ Stronger planning weight: It helps protect the space from inappropriate development.
✅ Open, green space: It remains open and welcoming and a place to walk, play, explore and enjoy.
✅ Opportunities: The new status opens up doors for funding, partnerships, and future improvements to enhance habitats, run community events, and make the reserve even better.
✅ A shared future: It supports learning, wellbeing, and a deeper connection with the natural world, right here on our doorstep.

Littlemoor was gifted to the people of Queensbury and the Friends group have made it their job to ensure it remains that way for future generations. And now, with the backing of Natural England and Bradford Council, we have more tools to protect, celebrate, and invest in it for years to come.

💚 watch this space for updates on the planned development in the nature reserve. 2026/2027 is going to be quite exciting.

Some final points

💚 We need people to volunteer and help us in the reserve – can you help?
We currently meet on the 1st Wednesday of the month at 6pm.
💚 Do you have any special skills that may be useful to us?
💚 Do you have connections with schools or youth groups that would be interested in using Littlemoor for educational visits?
💚 would you be interested in helping run an event at Littlemoor?

Please contact us if you can help.

Here are some before and after photos of the w**d clearing in the park last week.

Thanks also to Harry and Becky who helped with litter picking after planting a cherry tree near to the Royal Meadow.

Thanks to all the volunteers for a good nights work. Look forward to seeing you again on Wednesday 1st July.

The weather is behaving for the moment so we are taking advantage and doing an hours volunteering tonight at Littlemoor Nature Reserve.

If you are ready for an hour of fresh air meet us at the Park Lane entrance at 6pm.

We are working on the round garden and compost bin tonight.

Hope to see some of you there.