It ain't easy

More bracken destruction, takes a while on this scale. But vital if the trees are to thrive.

This time we were: myself, Philip, Geoff, Hap, John, Steve and Peter.

Hap, lavishing tlc on the little trees.

https://youtu.be/OnI_ko3_r_c

I forgot to remember to forget

Another bracken bashing session. To my recollection we were: myself, Philip, Adrian, John, Hap, Steve and Dave. But I neglected the blog for 7 days and can't remember!

https://youtu.be/HaqjSCx_3uw

By a waterfall

Geoff and Steve, by a waterfall.

We were up near the far end of the Wessenden Valley, bashing bracken to allow light to the wannabe trees. We were: myself, Lee, Jess, Diane and Lizzie the dog, Steve, Dick, Ben, Geoff and Dave.

Cake was bakewell tart.

It was warm, but lots of good work got done.

https://youtu.be/loKznDGqTcw

Little green bag

Adrian, me, Lee, Jess, Dave and Steve. With our tightly packed green bags.

Today we were back at Butterley, removing guards from grown trees and bagging them up for taking to the tip. We are nothing if not tidy.

We were: myself, Geoff, Adrian, Steve, Lee, Jess, Dave and Hap.

Cake was flapjack. Weather was good.

https://youtu.be/6kWHalsbZLk

Changing of the guard

Hap hard at it.

This morning we were literally changing the guard(s). We were at the WW1 memorial planting, re-purposing some deer guards to better protect the Scots Pine, which had been nibbled by sheep.
We took long guards off trees that were already established, cut them to 3/4 length, and put them on the Scots Pine. We also collected a whole bunch of stakes and guards for re-use on other sites. short ones were returned to the nursery by Dave, long ones left on site, for the time being.

We were: myself, Dave, Hap and Stephen. We had Co-Op mini jam doughnuts at break.

Great (and properly appropriate) tune this week.

https://youtu.be/zL-4CH0eJBc

Take me to the river

Philip bottom right, in Carr Clough, previous planting shows top left.

Today there was a work party, and a research party.

Philip and I sat and looked at maps of all the sites planned so far, then walked up the length of Carr Clough, to work out whether and where we could plant there. Of course it looked very lovely, and viable, in the sunshine.

Dave, Hap, Stephen, Geoff and Ben were back down at the Butterley Reservoir end of things, removing stakes and guards from old planting there.

Ben, Hap, Dave and Stephen, with their bags of swag.

https://youtu.be/vGD8aQ2GKr0

Today we were at Marsden golf course removing more old guards. We were: myself, Dave, Hap, Geoff and Ben. Cake was chocolate. Weather was passable. Dave and Hap then took lots of old guards to the tip, and retreived some more archery bosses from Meltham.

Dave worked on the stinking morass AKA attempt to create drainage out of old tree guards,while Adrian,Susan and Geoff did sterling work carrying old guards across the links to the road side. About 16 bagful's removed. 

Clean up woman

This Saturday our tidying up activities were below Marsden golf course. Planted in 2003, there were still lots of tree guards strapped round the bottom of grown trees. So myself, Dave, Peter, Jess, Geoff, Steve, and Adrian applied ourselves to the task. Some of the old guards were used to try and stabilise a sodden path. Cake was ginger, it rained some though not all of the time. And we found a lot of golf balls, which, in a random act of kindness we gave to some golfers.

https://youtu.be/paSrdEKHQqY

Friday's blues

Dave, justifiably proud of all his rubbish.

Today Dave, Stephen and Hap spend a 2nd Friday finishing of the spring cleaning at Lower Green Owlers.

A total of 19 bags of guards were collected (most will be reused) and diligently carried of site, by hand, which was no mean feat bearing in mind the Indian elephants we hired for the job should couldn't cope !!

Not the most successful site ever, but still deserving of a tidy up.

https://youtu.be/b8cdFgjHy1g

Can't stop

So, really was the last day of the Season today, next weekend being Easter 'n all.

This morning we were on last go round, and spread across the valley trying to finish various bits and bobs.

Steve, Peter, Adrian, Diane, Ben and new boy Dick were at Butterley. Some dispute over how many trees taken but it was quite a few- 160 maybe- and despite a heroically late clock-off, they returned with around 20. All infilling, there was no need to go into the triangle bit. Diane took some photos. Steve says he seemed to end up in charge by default and nearly cracked under the responsibility. There were accusations that he was making a covert attempt to take over from myself & Philip.

I was in Ing Head in Marsden on my own, planting 5 Holly, 15 Bird Cherry and 12 Crab apple. At one point I was harrassed by some sheep + farmer and sheep dog. No wonder some of the trees in that field are struggling.

Philip and Stephen O. were at Fieldhouse planting 30 Crab Apple, some will be visible (on a clear day) from the Sair.

Dave, Stephen K. and John were chainsawing a logging back at the Nursery.

So we traditionally take a break of a week or three now. But people just love this stuff so much there may well still be little groups doing this and that now and then.

https://youtu.be/BfOdWSiyWoc

Six pack

Myself and the President were away in that London this weekend, and weather was not good so there were just six hardy souls. Philip says they planted 90 trees at the Butterley Hill Top slope. The full pack of six comprised: Philip, Geoff, Cath, Stephen, Dave and Steve.

A Reed Bunting was spotted!

https://youtu.be/6zFK6hdKRd8

The Fog

Steve,Stephen, Peter and John

As we stagger towards the end of the planting season we were again in two teams.

Myself, Steve, Stephen, Peter and John were at White Hall Barn planting 60 Hazel and 15 Willow.

Philip, Dave, Adrian, Sue, Ben, Jess and Geoff were at Butterley planting 75 Birch 25 Oak, and 50 Rowan.

Cake was Eccles, and a wierd mist rolled in off the reservoir late in the morning.

The Fog

https://youtu.be/yNSLaYJboPE

Footprints in the snow

Another split day.

Some of us were playing in the snow at Upper Clough, planting 50 Oak, 50 Rowan and 50 Birch. We were: myself, Philip, Jess, Lee, Hap, Cath, Dave, Tanya and Stephen.

Others stayed at the nursery and cut and split logs. They were: Geoff, Ben, Adrian and Sue. They also found time to make art with found objects? This one is apparently entitled "Hungry owl".

Later it was our Winter meal out, organised by Jess. Good food, a lot of fun, and quite a few drinks. 

https://youtu.be/rfR_PJGf4B0

Twin freaks

Bit of a rock and roll selfie there.

Today we were split in two again.

Jess, Philip, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Hap, Geoff and Ben were at Bolster Moor. They planted 150 trees -  50 Alder, 25 Downy Birch, 25 Goat Willow, 25 Hawthorn and 25 Rowan.

Myself, Tanya, Stephen and Dave were at Hill Top Marsden. We planted 150 trees - 75 Hawthorn and 75 Hazel.

Stephen and myself, and the shelter belt.

Cake was chocolate, and the weather was dry and bright, and cold. A nice break from the last few weeks of relentless rain and greyness.

And hats off to a West Yorkshire band, the Orielles.

https://youtu.be/Q2Aeooy0l4k

3 is the magic number

Today's blog entry courtesy of Hap.

Stephen is very proud of his piles.

Today was a rare "Thursday irrregular's session for this year. However we were a model of efficiency: Dave prepared the logs, Stephen chopped them up and Hap did a moon walk...and all this while you lot were probably enjoying a nice lie in !!!

https://youtu.be/dLBx3g8cowY

You've got my number (why don't you use it?)

Everyone wishing there'd be a dry Saturday.

This week we were at Bolster Moor, planting 50 Hazel, 50 Sweet Chestnut, 50 Goat Willow, 25 Beech, 25 Oak, 100 Blackthorn and 25 Dog Rose.

We were: myself, Stephen O., Stephen K., Steve, Tanya, Dianne, Jess, Lee, Dave, Philip, Hap, Peter, Ben, Adrian and Sue.

After that we had our formal mid-season meeting in one of the side rooms at the pub. Where we were forced to face the coming of the 2018 General Data Protection Regulations.

Fantastically ironic tune this week. 

https://youtu.be/dVVYfeMmZG0