Last stand at Wholestone Moor

Guy, myself, Dave, and Cath.

Back to Wholestone Moor for a last bash at planting here. I forgot to post this earlier, so I think we planted 100 Italian Alder and a similar number of Oak.

We were: myself, John, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Steve, Guy, Mandy, Cath... and then my memory gets fuzzy. Someone will correct me. I am sure...

Feast your eyes upon our works, ye mighty, and despair!

Three men and a baby scots pine

Philip, Dave and Hap apply remedial straightening

Back to Butterley for the last Saturday this season, and it was a lovely day, with good folk and good cake. We planted 200 assorted trees above the Clough, and 50 Oaks down on the fringe of the golf course.

We were; myself, Vashti, Hap, Philip, Dave, Stephen, Peter T., Cath, Geoff, Ben, Tanya, Guy, Isabel and Mandy. Brian, Trevor, Duncan and Harvey the dog were over the golf course side.

Cake was a very popular and successful pineapple upside down cake.

The only down of the day was that we lost a further 30 Oaks to critter attack. They were healed in on site, and something ate all the roots.

200 deer stakes, 90 deer guards, and 50 hare stakes and guards are stored for next season.

ps on 16th July we added another 100 hare guards to the stash, found them on another part of the hill while bracken bashing.

Wholestone Moor Week 3

Back to Wholestone Moor, to plant another 150 Sessile Oak and 100 Italian Alder to augment the trees that are already (slowly) growing up there. We managed this with relative ease, and had time to reclaim a bunch of 75cm guards and stakes for re-use, plus a shedload of cable ties. We were: Jess, Emma, John, Hap, myself, Philip, Geoff, Ben, Cath, Peter T., Peter W., Steve, Duncan, and Harvey the Dog. Cake was fruit sponge. Weather was passable, bit damp at first but dried up.

In the evening Geoff screened the tree people trailer at Marsden film club, before the main feature. We also took the tree Society banner along. We only sold one DVD, but all publicity is good publicity.

Wessenden Valley Eco Walk

Today I attended a kind of outdoor conference, organised by Guy Thompson of White Rose Forest. Representatives of a range of interested parties (Natural England, RSPB, National Trust, Woodland Trust, Moors for the Future, and the CVTS) walked up the Wessenden Valley and discussed habitat restoration, habitat protection, and planting of clough woodland. It was a very positive and educational affair.

Wholestone Moor week 2

Geoff, glistening with melted snow.

Back to Wholestone Moor, for more "beating up", that is extra planting to supplement trees already there. We planted 250 Italian Alder and Sessile Oak. We were: myself, Hap, Philip, Geoff, Trevor, Peter W., Peter T. Stephen, Steve, Cath, Dave and John. Cake was chocolate brownies. Weather was extremely variable, sunshine and snow, though bitterly cold throughout.

A man walked into a bar...

Before

After (and Bob)

A misty morning at Slaithwaite Cricket Club, planting 250 Field Maple, Bird Cherry, Crab Apple, Hazel and Dogwood on the embankment behind the stand. This was done in collaboration with the landowner, following plans drawn up from when the housing development was done behind the ground. Not great ground, there being a lot of spoil from the housebuilding. And a bit of a perilous slope. But we finished on time, and then went to the Sair for our mid season meeting.

We were: Philip, Bob, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Ben, Stephen, Dave, Neil, myself, Peter W., Trevor, Dianne and Cath. Jess sent her apologies, as did Prince Edward (who Jess met this week at her gold DofE award presentation). Geoff also sent his apologies, he was going to see Stewart Lee in Manchester. ??? Is the surreal and mordant wit of the CVTS not enough for Geoff?

After the planting and mid season, while a few of us were trying to enjoy a drink in the Sair, we were harassed by some nutter at the bar. He appeared to have been drinking since breakfast (or maybe since 1970).He took exception to our tree planting activities, maintaining that the type of trees were planting did not sustain native insects or birds. Not that he knew what type of trees we plant. He didn't seem to want to stop ranting, calling us liars, or pointing at us. But we were leaving anyway.

Wholestone Moor - week 1

We had a good day on Saturday, though didn't get all 250 trees planted. We planted 125 Oaks and 25 British Alder in Wholestone Moor phase 3 (the long strip parallel to the motorway). Beating-up seems to be more time consuming than straight planting. I always forget how noisy the M-way is when you are right next to it.

A combination of 2 trailer trips for Dave, one for Brian with stakes, and guards in various cars we got all the stakes and guards up there. People had there back seats down in readiness! Raymond couldn't get his tractor going initially, but came back at 10.30 in his tractor with trailer. We loaded up the trailer with 500 stakes and Guy's 500 standard plus guards, which is now parked at the top near to the planting area. Guy appeared and drew a map of where the trees are to be planted.

The 100 stakes and thin guards are on site in Wholestone Moor phase 2 ready for the 100 Alder which I took back to the nursery and heeled-in.

We were: Dave, Geoff, Jess, Diane (and Lizzy the noisy dog), Peter T, Peter W, Stephen, Hap, Duncan (and Harvey the quieter dog), Philip, Steve G. and Ben. Brian helped to trailer and then disappeared. Cake was ginger.

Philip

Linthwaite WW1 planting

Everyone eating cake (bar Philip who took the picture, and Harvey who wasn't allowed cake).

This was our fourth week of commemorative planting at Butterley dam. We planted 106 Oak, to represent the casualties from Linthwaite, together with a similar total of nurse species, Scots Pine, Rowan and Alder.

We were: Hap (who I missed off last weeks roll-call so apologies), Cath, Dianne, Jess, Steve, Stephen, Peter, Geoff, Dave, Philip, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Ben and myself.

Cake was the ever popular coconut crunch top.

There was a lengthy on site discussion about my persistent capitalisation of the varieties of trees that we plant. 

Golcar WW1 planting

Today we were back above Butterley dam, planting the third of our groups representing WW1 casulaties. This morning we planted 156 Oaks for Golcar, along with a similar number of Rowan and Scots Pine to act as nurse species while the Oaks get established. At least 300 trees got planted in all.

We were: myself, Hap, Geoff, Stephen, Jess, Dave, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Brian, Trevor, Peter T, Steve, Ben, and Cath.

Cake was Apricot and Pecan.

The weather was disappointingly variable, with some fairly substantial winter-y showers blowing through.

Slaithwaite WW1 planting

Someone is looking jaunty there in the middle.

The second week of our commemorative planting for the Colne Valley. This week we planted 118 Oaks to represent those lost from Slaithwaite. We also planted 25 Scots Pine and 75 Alder to act as nurse species for the Oaks.

We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Ben, Cath, Trevor, Peter W., Peter T., Stephen, Steve, Geoff, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Duncan and Harvey the Dog, Jess, Neil and Vashti.

Cake was Cherry rock cakes.

It snowed. Quite a lot.

Dave, on the right, clearly isn't letting the weather get him down.

First day of World War 1 memorial planting

 

Today was the first day of our memorial planting to mark the anniversary of the start of World War 1. The intention is to plant an Oak tree for every person from the Colne Valley who was killed during the conflict. The site is above Butterley dam, looking down on Marsden, and we intend to plant groups representing the villages of the Valley. So today we planted 147 Oaks, representing the casualties from Marsden, together with 150 nurse species of Alder, Rowan and Scots Pine. We were: Hap, Philip, Vashti, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Jess, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Geoff, Dave, Ben, myself, Trevor, Peter W., and Stephen. Over the next few weeks we will return to the site, and plant groups representing the other villages.

Who ate all the Willow?

Philip, Peter T., Steve, Cath, Simon, Stephen, Hap and Dave.

So here we were again at Butterley. The weather wasn't as nice as it was supposed to be, it kept on sleeting when it was meant to stop. But we kept busy and planted another 200 trees. We were: myself, Philip, Steve, Stephen, Peter T. Hap, Dave, Geoff and Cath. Cake was jam sponge.

Some critter had eaten some of the trees we had left on site, despite them being very well covered with stakes and guards. Only ate the Willow, and devoured the whole stems. A hare? So we lost 45 of our Woodland Trust Willow. But we still had lots of TCV trees.

There are 30 Oak still on site, together with just over 200 deer stakes and guards, and 50 hare stakes and guards. There are another 60 or so trees still at the nursery for here. And a further 250 trees for here due with the next Woodland Trust delivery.

Snow show

Stephen, Vashti, Steve.

'Twas the day after Boxing day, and the snow lay round about. Mainly on the ungritted roads, so that hardly anyone could get to Marsden. Vashti, Steve and I had walked up, Stephen intrepidly drove. We managed to plant a further 31 Oaks, which wasn't bad going given the conditions. Leftover mince pies were shared.

Yule logging

Hap, Steve, Jess, Mandy, Harvey, Geoff, Dave and Dianne.

Today we had our now traditional pre-Christmas woodland management session. Weather was a bit grizzly and damp. But we soldiered on. We were: myself, Guy, Mandy, Dave, Geoff, Ben, Dianne and Lizzie the Dog, Duncan and Harvey the Dog, Jess, Steve, Hap, Philip and Stephen.

Guy and Mandy provided hearty chilli stew for break time. This was accompanied by Dave's Aldi knock off Bailey's, and Geoff's purportedly more sophisticated blackcurrant liqueur. And home made oat biscuits. Plus cheese and crackers. And a roaring camp fire.

Before and after we made pigs of ourselves Philip and Steven were doing their chainsaw work, and the rest of us were felling smaller trees and logging. We were thinning out some woodland that was planted by us 15 years ago. Removing some nurse species and shorter lived trees such as Larch, Birch and Alder, to allow more light to the Oaks.

Oh, and we also carried a further 150 deer stakes and 200 deer guards on site.

The Few plant the first of many

Trevor, Geoff and Duncan, amongst the frost and fog.

Here we were back at Butterley, a little depleted in numbers due to the proximity of Christmas. We were: Trevor, Peter W., Duncan and Harvey the dog, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Geoff, Dave, Philip and myself. We planted 120 Oaks, courtesy of the Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Cake was big chunks of Bakewell tart.

As an aide memoire: we have 100 hare guards and stakes, 220 deer stakes, 100 deer guards, 40 cell grown Goat Willow, 50 bare root Goat Willow, 50 bare root Downy Birch, 50 bare root Hawthorn, and 130 bare root Oak. There are, I think 60 odd trees left at the nursery too for this site. Total still to plant 380. Two Saturday's work?

Deep Gate

Hap, Geoff, Jess and Dianne resplendent in CVTS branded casual wear.
Peter is still irked that the hats sold out before he got one.

This Saturday we were planting along a local bridleway called, Deep Gate. There is older CVTS planting at both the bottom and top ends. So we were attempting to link this woodland with a new "wildlife corridor". We planted 210 trees, in several small clumps along the edges of the bridleway, taking care not to impede the progress of folks on their giant pets (horses). We were: myself, Philip, Jess, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Cath, Jolly, Trevor, Peter W., Brian, Peter T., Hap, Geoff, Ben and Steve. Dave went off solo to Butterley. Cake was Apple and Walnut. And the sun shone for at least some of the time.

Butterley once more

Vashti and Jess, and some Birch.

This morning we were back at Butterley. Planting another 205 Woodland Trust/Co-Op/ Cuckoo's nest trees.

We were: myself, Cath, Philip, Dave, Jess, Vashti, Ben, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Geoff, Steve, Stephen, Peter W., and Hap.

Cake was monumental slabs of home made millionaires shortbread. Wow, was said a lot. Even the greedy sorts could only manage single pieces.

Left on site are 40 Willow, 100 Hare stakes and guards, and, I think, 70 deer guards and 150 deer stakes.

Stephen and Peter, and misty Marsden.