Bramble on!

An enormously sweaty morning attempting to loosen the stranglehold of brambles on our young trees at Fieldhouse. We were: myself, Steve, Geoff, Philip, Dave, Hap, Duncan and Harvey the Dog. Guy and Mandy were working at the nursery. Cake was an improvised currant, cherry, choc-chip affair. There were a mysteriously large number of carrier bags in amongst the trees. Abandoned by blackberriers?

Parkwood Revisited

Philip amongst the White Willow

This morning we took a trip up to Parkwood in Golcar. Planted over 3 seasons from 2012 onwards there are trees at various stages of growth across the field. We were very pleased with progress. Willow and Alder are doing well in the wet parts of the field, and Downy Birch was growing well in the dryer centre. Deer guards have been well worth the money, as planting done with canes and spirals has suffered from deer browsing. We retrieved 36 stakes and a similar number of guards for re-use this Winter. We were, myself, Steve, Philip and Ben. Cake was apple flapjack.

Weeding and wood chippings

Under Dave's supervision we spent the morning at the nursery, weeding the large bed in front of the shipping container, and then distributing wood chippings that were being donated by a tree surgery crew who were working just up the road. We were myself, Dave, Philip, Steve, Ben, Remy and Guy. After all that, and quite a few extra work by Dave it looks quite smart. Cake was chocolate.

Wholestone Moor

This morning Duncan, Harvey the dog, Brian and Peter went up to Wholestone Moor to carry on guarding vulnerable oaks. Unfortunately Brian was knocked over by a boisterous dog (not Harvey) and had to retreat wounded, with Peter's help. Duncan stayed on and guarded 25 trees.

Midges, midges, midges

This morning we were at Marsden Golf Course Hemplow Wood. We began by beating down some bracken on the side of Butterley Clough, rescuing some young trees from a shadowy doom. Then moved up into Marsden Golf Course phase 1 to do some formative pruning. For the entire morning there were clouds of Midges attempting to consume us. We consumed home made ginger cake. We were, myself, Geoff, Jess, Steve, Guy and Remy.

Our rapid-response Ragwort team respond!

"Where be that Ragwort?"

Philip went to Fieldhouse to remove Ragwort plants. We planted Fieldhouse some years ago, and have diligently removed Ragwort - which is a horse-unfriendly yellow weed - for the last two years. A huge number of plants were removed last year, and very few remained to be removed this year. Harvey the dog was also there it would seem, alone?

A motley crew bash the bracken

Jess, Ben, Geoff, Hap, Simon, and Dave.

A rather warm Saturday morning, out on a hillside overlooking Meltham Mills. We were knocking back the Bracken which grows up and stops the sunlight reaching our precious little Oaks. A job well worth doing, but very sweaty, and quite a lot of flies/midges (hence the headwear). We were myself, Geoff, Dave, Ben, Jess, Hap and Philip. Duncan and Harvey the dog did try to find us, but failed. Cake was crunchy topped coconut cake.

Wholestone moor: guarding in the mist

The weather was promised as awful, but considering we were in thick mist or cloud, and experienced fairly heavy rain at noon, we had a good time. We were myself, Dianne, Jess, Cath, Duncan and Harvey the Dog, Ben, Geoff and Philip. We were putting deer guards onto Oaks that had failed to thrive from planting several years ago. A worthy cause. We were also removing guards from trees that had thrived. Home made oat and chocolate biscuits were the snack, plus some slightly out of date Minstrels!

Small Oak, new big tube.

Some Oak leaves looked suspiciously nibbled, but this likely looking culprit may not have been to blame, despite being called the Oak Eggar caterpillar/moth. Apparently it eats Heather and Bilberry.

Nursery work

We trimmed the perimeter hedge, weeded around the fruit trees and bushes and generally tidied up. It was damp. Jess brought 2 varieties of biscuits. We were Jess, Dave, Steve and Philip. We repaired to the Sair promptly.

Philip

Field House and High Wood

Dave, and path before

Path after

Gorgeous morning, too nice to stay indoors. So myself, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Steve, Remy, Duncan, and Harvey the Dog met at Fieldhouse.

Philip, Geoff and Dave worked to clear the stone flagged path that runs up the centre of the site. Myself, Remy and Steve removed plastic guards and some vicious brambles from Hazel planted 7 or 8 years ago. Duncan and Harvey took the guards off some Larch.

Cake was a classic Jam Sponge, and they were big pieces.

Steve removes tree guard.

Duncan's delight

Duncan's car full of deer stakes and guards.

Duncan (and presumably Harvey the dog) were hard at work yesterday retrieving valuable deer stakes and guards from Parkwood. Excellent work! We promise we will take up the baton and start Summer work soon.

Philip and I spent the morning visiting two landowners, and hope that will result in two mornings of planting in the coming Season. 400 trees apiece would be about right. One is a bridleway near old Ground, which could do with tree lining, the other is a field below Pasture Wood in Marsden.

Dave was also out and about, but I can't remember where he said he was.

And lastly, another cartoon...

Cartoon!

This comic strip (and four others) were created by Dave Beeston in 2002. The origin of "mattock rouge" is that particular volunteers develop affections for digging with particular mattocks, which are then personalised with a dab of paint or other adornment. We have had mattock rouge, mattock bleu and mattock orange. Plus others which are identified by minor differences imperceptible to the uninitiated. Somehow the rough charms of mattock rouge got thoroughly imaginated into a fully fledged super-hero. Dave as very carefully (and only slightly) changed the names of all individuals and places featured in the comics.