Jess , Sophie and Michael with slashers. |
This week was the final week or our program for light for the Wessenden trees. Knocking back the shady bracken. We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Hap, Stephen, Kayleigh, Jess, Sophie, Michael, Paul and Julia.
A day bracken bashing at Butterley. This time around the end of the lagoon, where a lot of young trees were getting, or had got pulled down by the bracken. We were: myself, Paul, Stephen and Adrian. Not enough people for the work, and there is still more to do at the lagoon, and further up the track at the lodge.
Also, Dave, Kayleigh, Hap, Ben S., Graham and Geoff were at Scammonden removing tree guards from mature trees.
Michael in the mist |
Back to Wessenden to discourage more bracken from shading out the small trees. Plus some tube and stake removal. The morning began with torrential rain, but it did back off to light rain and fog by lunchtime!
We were: Philip, Geoff, Kayleigh, Michael, Matthew, Peter, myself, Paul, and Adrian.
Animal antics. We saw two fawns and a doe, a jackdaw sitting on a cows head, and a sheep that shook the rain off itself like dogs do.
A tiny oak is grateful for the light. |
En masse up to Wessenden this week, for bracken bashing. Its nothing personal, but when you have gone to the bother of planting trees, its annoying to have bracken shade them out and kill them in their first couple of years.
We were: Paul, Geoff, Dave, Philip, Peter, Kayleigh, Adrian, Murray, and myself. And it poured with rain most of the morning, and was humid, so there was no escaping getting soaked.
While it might have been a rainy day, our turnout in Summer is always less than Winter. People like to plant trees, but a good few of those people don't wanna do the work that makes sure they grow. Something we need to factor in to how many trees we can plant and care for each year.