Back to meal hill. We were; myself, Sophie, Arthur, Jon, Tess, Dianne, Jess, Lee, Stephen, Peter, Dave, Philip, Bob, Ben and Geoff.
We planted 300 hawthorn, 50 blackthorn, 5 dog rose, 5 hazel, 5 field maple, and 5 crab apple.
Sophie provided an absolutely outstanding "rocky road" type cake at break time.
Song suggested by extended conversation at break time. The poster for this song replaced the famous Athena tennis bum poster on my teenage bedsit wall.
Christmas eve and we were at Meal hill lane again. Weather was kind, not cold, and sunny! We got plenty done and still reached the pub around opening time.
We were; myself, Geoff, Tanya, Philip, Stephen, Hap, Ben, Sam, Jack, Tol, Jon, Tess, Dave, Peter and Cath.
We planted 200 hawthorn, 100, blackthorn, 5 hazel, 5 crab apple, 5 dog rose, and 5 field maple.
https://youtu.be/fCNvZqpa-7Q
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| Cold, sleety and dark, not very nochebuena. |
We were; myself, Geoff, Stephen, Tanya, Jess, Lee, Philip, Peter, Sophie, and Michael.
We planted 150 hawthorn, 50 blackthorn, 5 hazel, 5 dog rose, 5 field maple and 5 crab apple.
No cake, but Sophie, Stephen and Tanya bought diverse biscuits.
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| Any Saturday it doesn't rain is a Wonderland as far as I'm concerned |
We were: Cath, Kayleigh, Sophie, Tanya, Geoff, Dave, Bob, Steve, Steven, Jon, Jack, and myself.
Cold, but dry weather, some light snow on the ground.
Slightly late finish, but we emptied our tree bags this week, no leftovers. Top work!
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| Kayleigh, me and Bob in the distance. |
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| Stephen, and Kay. |
Back at Meal Hill. We were: myself, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Hap, Michael, Kay, Jess, Jon, Tess, and Peter.
This week we planted 275 hawthorn, 125 blackthorn, 10 hazel, 10 dog rose, 10 field maple, 10 crab apple.
The terrain is difficult, with lots of stones having to be dug out prior to planting. Which this means its taking longer than planned.
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| Slight issue with hundreds of sheep having been put in the field where the trees were healed in. A small electric fence fixed that (hopefully). |
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| I'm down there in the fog, apparently. |
Dave and I planted all Saturday's leftover plants (nearly 200 of them). It was foggy where we were, but only yards p the lane it was sunny, as per pic.
Totals planted so far 450 Hawthorn, 150 blackthorn, 15 each of Hazel, Dog Rose, Crab apple and Field Maple.
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| My feet, and a load of plants, resting. |
Today we were up above Slaithwaite, beginning some hedge planting.
We were; myself, Jess, Tanya, Stephen K., Stephen M., Steve, Hap, Dave, Geoff, Philip, Michael, Heidi, and Matthew. Plus the owner and two colleagues.
We planted approx. 300 Hawthorn, 100 Blackthorn, 10 Hazel, 10 Crab Apple, 10 Field Maple and 10 Dog Rose.
From now til Christmas it'll be Christmas tunes!
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| Kayleigh and Tanya |
This morning we were in the woods alongside Marsden golf course this morning. Stephen, Dave, Philip, Kayleigh and Tanya were practising with the chainsaws and winch, thinning some small nurse species larch, and felling some leaning and falling over trees. I was across the other side of the clough moving some tree stakes to where they will be needed when we replant some of the wildfire areas.
All the woodland management team were appropriately dressed, to the max.
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| Dave applying tension. |
Afterwards there was the pre-season meeting, and we were joined by Richard, Cath, John, Hap and Jess.
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| Jess sees through us. |
A day of a few parts. Geoff, Stephen, Dave, Hap, Kayleigh, Jess, Tanya and Peter were at the nursery cross cutting and splitting logs.
I met up with Philip and Duncan to go visit a prospective new site.
Then I went up to Scammonden to do a soil depth survey for a planned planting area (required by our patrons, so that they can safely rule out the presence of deep peat).
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| Peter and Geoff admire their own work. |
https://youtu.be/7YvAYIJSSZY
A small crew chopped up wood for wood fuel this morning at the nursery: Dave split some of the big stuff with the hydraulic splitter, Peter, Geoff and Jess chopped logs and Michael stacked them in the wood store. The logs will be seasoned and ready for sale in six months or so. The dense and sinewy cherry proved especially difficult to split and chop, but we three-quarters filled an empty bay by the end. It rained steadily most of the morning but was not unpleasant, though our departure time coincided with some heavier stuff, so was prescient.
Just a crew of three this morning, sawing, splitting and stacking logs.
Myself, Hap and Dave.
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| Kayleigh, Julia, Jess, Dianne, and Tanya. |
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| Golfers, and Stephen. |
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| The end result. |
Today we were at Marsden Golf Club, felling some alder trees that were planted over 20 years ago by the Society, but were now deemed to be shading out one of the tees. We were; myself, Dave, Matthew, Dianne, Kayleigh, Paul, Tanya, Hap, Philip, and Stephen. With very valuable extra help from Mick and his son. And help from the club grounds staff. That was a lot of logs, and hard work.
And we all had our helmets on, when it was appropriate.
Further safety note, the camera lens makes those golfers look closer than they actually were.
Back to Meltham Cop again for more guard removal. The weather seemed to deter folk so just 5 of us this week; myself, Michael, Steve, Dave and Geoff. The sun did appear occasionally, but so too did wind and showers.
This week we (Geoff, Dianne, Peter, Michael, Dave and Stephen) were back at Meltham Cop for a relatively gentle session completing the de-guarding of the easterly end of the site (ME18/16). There is one working session left to do nearer the western, road end, at the top. Geoff found a heavy mallet sticking out the top of a tree guard of a twelve foot high birch amongst a small, dense grove of them; must have been put there for safe keeping after banging the stake in and then forgotten. It is in excellent condition considering it must have been there ten years or more and seen the tree grow past it towards the sky.
We retrieved a few stakes and guards for re-use and returned them to the nursery (along with the mallet) where Jess had spent the morning sowing 500 acorns she gathered locally for future tree planting stock (having done a further 500 at home). Dave took the rest of the rotted and now useless guards straight to the nearby tip.
This sunny Saturday we were at Meltham Cop, gathering plastic tubes and stakes from lots of rowan and whitebeam! We were: myself, Geoff, Cath, Jess, Hap, Dave, Kayleigh, Joanne plus dog, and Steve.
A blogs a kind of diary, so that's my excuse to feature this fried gold one finger synth pop classic.
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| Shelter belt foliage. |
This week we were up above Butterley Reservoir, removing stakes and guards from a farmland shelter belt. Pleasant morning with 300+ tubes reclaimed. Though not so many stakes.
We were: myself, Tanya, Geoff, Hap, Stephen, Paul, and Dave.
Top quality photos by Tanya (as usual).
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| Me and Dave |
We spent the morning processing some of the timber we acquired this week. Cross cutting with chainsaw, spliting with axes, mell, and grenade. We were; myself, Geoff, Kayleigh, Dave, Philip, Stephen and Peter.
Once dried, the wood will be distributed locally in exchange for appropriate cash donations. The money will pay for more trees planted, while keeping people of the Colne Valley warm.
This morning we were at the upper end of the Colne Valley removing plastic tubes and stakes from a mature planting site. We were: myself, Hap, Baljit, Dave, Geoff, Stephen, and Michael.
Stephen, Hap and Baljit had also been collecting felled timber from a site in Fixby.
My favourite tune of the month
A few hours spent at the nursery this morning. Clearing paths that some didn't even know existed.
https://youtu.be/_6ZPVxnBxq0
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| Best time of year for heather flowers. Bit of rain would make the colours pop though. |
Back to Scout for more plastic gathering. We were; myself, Paul, Geoff, Tanya, Kayleigh, Baljit, Hap, Dave and Stephen. Pictures by Tanya. It was pretty hot.
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| Hap, some stakes, and some decimated Balsam |
Back to Scammonden, for the last time for a while? We were: Hap, Geoff, Dave, Tanya, Kayleigh, Cath, Matthew, and myself.
Lots of Balsam got bashed, and some stakes and guards reclaimed.
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| Geoff and me discouraging the balsam |
More reclamation and balsam bashing at Scammonden. We were: myself, Geoff, Tanya, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Peter, Michael, Dave and Matthew. And an honourable mention to Kayleigh, who was sabotaged.
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| Jess and Philip, saving small trees from being shaded out. |
Still working, even in the "heatwave".
Back to Scammonden for more weeding and scrounging for stakes and guards to re-use.
Weeders were myself, Philip and Jess.
Scroungers were Geoff, Dave, Michael, Stephen, Steve, and Tanya.
Not everyone love's The Clash, but I do.
Important though Summer work is, I have been very slack with recording the sessions for this Summer. Let that all change now. And I am going to cheat and just put a list up.
Saturday 12th July Scammonden. 2 groups, me and philip bashing on far side. Dave, Kayleigh, Geoff and Stephen retreiving stakes from SC12
Saturday 5th July Wessenden weeding. Geoff, Dave, me, Philip, Peter, Michael, Tanya Paul
Saturday 25th June Wessenden weeding Philip, Geoff, Dave, Paul,
Saturday 18th June Wessenden weeding Philip Geoff, Dave, Paul
Saturday 11th June
Spring St. Weeding. Matthew, Paul, Dave, Geoff, Kayleigh, Peter, me, Philip, Steve
Saturday 4th June
Weeding Hey 2. Matthew, Paul, Dave, Geoff, Jess, Philip, me
Saturday 28th May
Weeding Waller Clough and Green Edge. Geoff, Philip, Stephen, Kayleigh, Jess, Dave,
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| "Lean", by Tanya |
We were at Scammonden planting 200 sessile oak, and 25 aspen.
We were: myself, Jess, Geoff, Richard, Stephen, Jon, Tanya, Dave, Kayleigh, Michael, and Peter. Cake was a rather good vegan blackcurrant flapjack.
Nice and sunny, but there was a cold wind, and that took its toll on some.
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| Jess smiling in the sunshine, and Hap! |
We were: myself, Philip, Stephen, Hap, Dave, Peter T., Jess, and Richard.
While sitting down having our break Geoff spotted a stoat/weasel, and most of us got a glimpse. Seems the major difference is a black tip to the tail. I don't think any of us got that good a look at it as they are pretty speedy. It disappeared over a wall. But then popped its head back up to look at us! Cute. And as far as I am aware they don't eat trees, so carry on stoat/weasel.
I think there might be a Toots and the Maytals song for every blog entry from now on.
Very occasionally trees don't thrive on a site. On this particular patch at Scammonden this was due to ash die-back disease, and an unknown problem with a batch of alder trees. So we spent today inter-planting oaks and aspen amongst the dead and dying.
We were: Geoff, Dave, Philip, Richard, Adrian, Matthew, Jess, Kayleigh, Stephen, Steve, and myself.
I think we planted 50 aspen and 175 sessile oak?
Hard times to be positive. But we do what we can. Some, like Adrian, go that bit further (literally).
It was a nice sunny morning and quite warm today as we planted 240 trees (150 sessile oak, 60 hazel, and 15 each of birch and rowan), on the south-west side of Scammonden, to 'beat up' (replace) lots of ash we planted quite some years back that have now all succumbed to die-back. Though steepish, it was quite easy planting with soft soil making screefing and staking a breeze. There was a hold-up at the start as a car got stuck in the muddy verge which we could not budge but Jess's Dad responded to her call to save the day with his van and tow-rope. A bit more to do here next time plus a similar job higher up the hillside to replace lots of red alder (not planted by us) that died quite suddenly and somewhat mysteriously after about 15 years.
We were: Geoff, Dave, Hap, Peter, Tanya, Jess, Richard, Philip, Michael, Steve G, Joanna and small dog. Photos by Tanya and Geoff.
Last day at this particular spot at Scammonden. We were: myself, Jess, Lee, Philip + friend and dog, Geoff, Dave, Richard, Jon and Tessie, Julia, and Steve.
We planted 100 Sessile oak, 50 Aspen and 25 Rowan - next to an existing stand of Birches.
I probably shouldn't have been there, as I was in the beginnings of covid. And now feel quite rough. Still it was outdoors, and I stayed away from everyone. Not a big deal in the current grand scheme?!
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| Geoff, Richard, Dave and Tanya |
After a season of Saturdays have that tested our endurance and forbearance, we finally got a vaguely sunny day.
We were: myself, Geoff, Dave, Hap, Tanya, Kayleigh, Richard, and Stephen.
With this hand picked team we planted 89 sessile oak, 39 rowan, and 47 downy birch. An admirable total of 175 trees,
And it has to be a joyful tune to reflect the day, so...
(clip from the Harder they come, recorded in Leslie Kong's studio, I presume that's him on the desk)
Our sense of fun was a bit undermined by world events, but hey.
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| Philip still forswears hi-vis. |
File this one under, should have known better.
Fag end of storm Eunice brought us snow. Which is always vile for working outdoors. But we soldiered on and I think we are all heroes - apart from me who was more of a donkey leading lions.
We were: Stephen, Sophie, Richard, Matthew, Harry, Peter, Hap, Dave, Philip, Cath, Geoff, Jess, Tanya, Kayleigh, and Kai.
Gave up and ran away, so ended up taking an unknown number of trees away unplanted. Some are in a bag in my backyard. Tools could be anywhere, I have half a dozen. Started with a dozen. Dave took some tools and trees.
Everyone got home alive, which is something.
This song is properly what it felt like.
If there is even a wisp of a cloud in the sky next week I'm staying in bed.
After consulting recovering participants, and counting what I'd got in the bag, it was apparent that we planted 157 trees. 27 Scots Pine, 36 Sessile Oak, 58 Downy Birch, and 36 Rowan.
All tools also now accounted for.
This is how it looked 4 days later.
After this years serious problems with supply of trees and approvals to plant we are staggering towards the end of the season and using the trees we have to improve a previously planted eWGS site at Scammonden.
We were: Cath, Gillie and Ruth, Jess and Lee, Jon and Tessie, Ben, Dave, Geoff, Hap, Richard, Philip, and myself.
We planted 100 sessile oak, 25 aspen, 15 downy birch, 15 hazel 15 hawthorn, and 15 rowan.
Weather was terrible. But we got it done.
There's something relevant in this song, obliquely.
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| Tanya's splendidly kinetic picture of grass and heather blowing |
Link below is not a music vid, but a clip from the 1928 silent film, the wind, starring Lillian Gish. About a woman driven mad by... the wind. Did I mention the wind?
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| Michael and Richard. Looked kind of dark up at Wholestone. |
This week we were back in Marsden finishing off some woodland management. Having removed some large larch shading out other smaller trees we moved on to thinning out the smaller trees behind. End result being a more natural mix of sizes and varieties of tree, and better accessibility to the woodland for locals. As per agreement with Kirklees ,broken down fencing and wire were also removed and taken off site. We were: Matthew, Kayleigh, Dave, Paul, myself, Kai, Jess and Lee.
Meanwhile at Wholestone Moor were Geoff, Richard, Hap, Steve, Michael and Shelley, collecting old tree guards and reusable stakes.
Of course, we'd rather be planting trees, but we are just....
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| Me and Kai. Looks brighter in Marsden |
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| Hazard tape, hi-vis, and hard hats |
In the absence of any planting work, we did some woodland management and tree guard reclamation today.
Half of us were in Marsden. Cutting down some nurse species larch to let more light get to the trees behind them. Hopefully leading to a more diverse and native bit of woodland. We were: Stephen and Philip on chainsaws, plus Dave, Kayleigh, Matthew, myself, Tanya, and Paul. Quite hard work as a couple of the very tall larch got hung up while falling. Great care was taken to signpost the work and prevent members of the public wandering along the footpath through the site. Several small brash piles created, some 2m length logs left in situ, and the footpath left entirely clear of debris.
Meanwhile at Wholestone Moor Geoff, Jess, Lee, Steve and Michael collected 3 bags of waste guards, and one bag of reclaims.
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| Stephen, Kayleigh and Dave |
Last day of planting at Meltham (or of this Season?).
We planted 100 Oak, 45 Hazel, 45 Downy Birch and 25 Aspen.
We were: Cath, Geoff, Dave, Matthew, Tanya, Hap, Peter, Jess, Ben, Philip and myself.
Four intrepid "soles" ventured out on New Years day to remove old tree guards at Wholestone moor. Geoff, Dave, Steve G. and Tanya.
Not sure about Tanya's choice of song, maybe they stopped for ice cream on the way home? Or is it a reference to the bottoms of Geoff's boots?
