Ant music

So in this slightly relaxed (?) lockdown myself, Geoff and Tanya travelled to Scammonden separately, worked separately (Tanya was 100m away) and then sat at 3m spacing for teabreak.

We did not share tools or snacks.

All deguarding and tidying. 

Tanya got fascinated by an ant's nest.

Ben and friend and dogs were also at Scammonden doing similar, but working on a completely different bit of the hillside. Didn't see them.

https://youtu.be/Rm9drIwmmU4

You've got time

Time consuming, but worth it.

So back at Scammonden for more regulation adherent scrabbling around in the undergrowth.

This time I was perfecting my method for removing almost all guards in a manner making them re-useable.

https://youtu.be/w9_isl1jjHc

Police on my back

There I was, lurking in shrubbery up by the reservoir, when I got collared by the filth! I dun nuffin!

I was up at Scammonden planting 30 of our remaining Hawthorn in the hedge line along Sledge Gate. I was next to the lane and this little silver hatchback pulled up, and a woman starts staring at me. I walked towards the car and then saw she had the vest and radio rig on. So I unzipped my fleece to reveal my anniversary design CVTS t-shirt. and pointed at the tree. She gave me the thumbs up and off she went.

I have taken a few trips up there recently. One of the things I have been doing is putting retaining bars on our piles of old deer tubes. Open topped affairs don't cut it, and there were wind scattered tubes all around the ones we'd done recently. They needed putting behind bars!

https://youtu.be/dMuL0uHJrv4

Lately I've let things slide

I can see my house from here!

So I have also been wandering up to Pasture Wood, Ellen Clough, to tidy things up a bit.  I have brought down several big green bags of guards. All by hand and on foot, and all on my own.

https://youtu.be/7ImrJijeveM

I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel to Be Free

The lucky ones of us with sites nearby are bobbling around doing little bits of solo work. Tidying guards, planting the odd tree, splitting logs.

Hang in there everyone!

At this point in the lockdown there really is no other song.

https://youtu.be/HDqmJEWOJRI

The seed

Hope everybody is staying well and safe. and at home.

One of our members has nearly run out of chia seeds, despite diligent preparation.

https://youtu.be/ojC0mg2hJCc

Don't get around much anymore

Understandably, little to report this week. Here's a photo from Dave, and an appropriate tune from Joe Pass.

https://youtu.be/1a8B5ni9VZQ

Yes we can

Our last group session of this season, and we were sponsored and joined by the Green Building Store.

We planted a heroic 500 oaks at Scammonden, which is outstanding for just a Saturday morning's work.

We were: Bill, Camilla, Luke and Sarah from Green Building Store - myself, Hap , Stephen, Steve, Ben and friend and two dogs, Tanya, Philip, Geoff, Richard, Elliot and Hannah, Alastair and Jared, Jon and Tessie, Adrian, Dave, John, and Bob (I think).

I should probably count myself and Hap twice, as we had been up there on Friday and dug the first 150 holes.

https://youtu.be/H_SuyOLW_f0

Poet Laureate plants misleading idea - CVTS responds

His "Marsden" piece with heady phrase
Contains some "bollocks" Simon says.
"Clean air 's the cause of trees returning".
But there's a hole in t' poet's learning.
In t' main they're back you silly "b"...
By dint of our Society!

Simples!

Down on the farm

This week we were at Outlane, reinforcing a farmland shelter belt. We planted 510 Hawthorn, 45 Hazel, and 15 Hornbeam.

We were: myself, Elliot, Hannah, Dave, Geoff, Cath, Dianne, Jess, Lee, Adrian, Peter, Richard, Jon, Stephen, Philip, Ben, and Bob.

Cake was a weighty Bakewell tart.

Farms are great, if only they weren't all so muddy.

https://youtu.be/EsBFGHpzDhg

Peace frog

Those trees don't "spring up" by themselves.

Poet laureate Simon Armitage had an article in the Guardian today, in which he said:

"The moors themselves are greener and trees have sprung up even beyond the recognised "tree line" - a consequence of climate change and reductions in chimney smoke and soot".

That sentence appeared in the online version, but was mysteriously absent from the print version of the article.

In any case, while this was being read with the morning croissants, the good folk of Colne Valley Tree Society were out planting 105 hawthorn and 70 oak, aspen and rowan in a shelter belt a the top end of Marsen golf course. Given that he is a Marsden lad, and attended Colne Valley High School, where a number of teachers were members of the Society, and pupils were often roped in to do tree planting, it is a bit of a stretch to believe that the doesn't know we exist, or that he doesn't know that the Society has planted more than 350,000 trees and shrubs in the valley since 1964. Maybe we just don't fit with his mythology.

So the not at all mythological volunteers were: myself, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Adrian, Hap, Richard, Ian, Alison, Paul, Steve, Stephen, Remy, Jon, Bob, Ben, Dianne, Jess and Lee.

Dianne found a plastic frog while digging, so this week's tune is....

https://youtu.be/z7pCD827wB4

Still life with cat skull and plastic frog, and Hap in the middle.

Band à parte

Left leaning photographers, Tanya and Geoff

Circumstances saw us flung to far corners of the valley this week.

Myself, Tanya, Geoff, Alison, Paul, Jess and Dianne went to Scammonden and scavenged 80 stakes and 50 guards, plus did some tidying up as preparation for planting 500 oaks with the Green Building Store people in a couple of weeks.

Dave, Richard, Bob, Steve, Simon, Elliot, Hannah, Polly, Alastair and Jared went to Green Edge and planted 245 Hawthorn. Then they went to Parkwood, planted 2 memorial yew and straightened a load of storm tossed tree guards. It looked very muddy.

Philip, Susan, Stephen and Adrian were at Marsden Golf course, thinning trees and preparing for interplanting with some new oaks.

Cake was carrot.

Not so much a song, as a musical clip this week.

https://youtu.be/O4TYQkkAvk8

Black and white world

This morning Dave, Hap, John and I were at the far end of Marsden Golf course, consolidating some brash piles, and clearing the way for the chainsaw operators to come in and take out some of the larch, which were used as a nurse species in this (previously) exposed spot.

Finally some nice Winter weather, snow and sun, instead of rain and wind.

https://youtu.be/RRDl6YvXhiw

Us

"The Tree Planter"

To quote Regina Spektor "They made a statue of us".

This charming little fella has appeared at Scammonden Reservoir, and according to Yorkshire Water he is there in recognition of Colne Valley Tree Society's work on site (though they also mention some other people might have planted some trees there as well).

And fittingly, its a damn fine tune too.

https://youtu.be/fczPlmz-Vug

Wind up

Me, Peter, Steve, and Philip wondering where the time goes.

A morning divided.

Dave, Jess, Dianne, Adrian, Stephen, Elliot, Ben, Jared and Alastair. This lot planted 345 Hawthorn at Waller Clough, then went and did half next weeks work planting another 150 at Green Edge.

While myself, Philip, Steve, Geoff, Bob, Tanya and Peter wallowed around in the mud and wind at Pike Law. Under much heavier going we planted 255 Hawthorn.

Cake was lemon.

A fittingly demented song to represent the wind this morning, and the title works on a couple of levels.

https://youtu.be/i860U22o3TE

(For those about to rock) we salute you

Well hats off to Dave, Stephen and Cath, who went out in the pelting Marsden rain. And tidied and logged like troopers.

Hey

Dianne braves the wind and rain. Tanya's Fuji X20 is a classic camera.

Poor weather, but a cast of stalwarts and old favourites were present: myself, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Tanya, Cath, Dianne, Ben, Stephen, Steve, Adrian, Hap, Richard, Bob, Alastair, Jared, and Peter.

175 Hawthorn were planted plus willow whips.

https://youtu.be/tVCUAXOBF7w

Bob, pursued by some wet zombies.