Wholestone Moor week 2 - less sunny.

"Coconut Kiss", nicer than last Christmas's choc mint liqueur.

So, our second week at Wholestone Moor. We were: myself, Philip, Peter W, Peter T, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Remy, Ben, Ramsay, Geoff, Dianne, Vashti, Cath, Steve, Stephen, and Andrew. Cake was Bakewell tart, which everyone loved, except Ramsay who prefers savory snacks, and Remy who won't eat cake that isn't chocolate.The cold was also kept at bay by Peter's liqueur laced coffee, Dave's coconut cocktail drink, and Andrew's bottle of whisky. I'd hate to give the wrong impression, tree planting does not usually involve so much alcohol, I blame Christmas. We planted another 300 Italian Alder and Sessile Oak, in areas where Birch had mysteriously failed. The weather could have been kinder, cool, and rainy. But we were all wrapped up well.

Vashti and Dianne put on brave faces.

First day at Wholestone Moor

Dave and Philip enjoying the winter sun.

Today a squad of us went to Wholestone Moor for a first day of "beating up" at that site. First planted 10 or 12 years ago the site has suffered from some mysterious Birch die back, and generally slow growth of all specimens. We are due to put in 1000 trees here over the next few weeks, using longer tubes to keep those pesky deer at bay. Today we began by planting 90 Italian Alder and 90 Oak. We were: myself, Hap, Steve, Stephen, Peter, Philip, Geoff, Cath, Neil, Julia, and Remy. Lovely winter sun, and not too cold.

Helping Netherton School

Parents, children, CVTS types and local MP, and Harvey the dog.

This morning Duncan had arranged to help Netherton school plant a hedge. He was assisted by Dianne, Dianne's Aunt Susan, Ben, Peter, Trevor and Brian. Lots of parents and children were in attendance, as was incumbent local MP Jason McCartney, and prospective local MP Binnie Joshi Barr.

To paraphrase John Milton, those who also served, myself and Steve counted out the necessary 200 canes and spirals at the Nursery at 9.00am.

Dear stalker...

Guy and I went on a site visit to Wholestone Moor, to develop a planting plan for the 1000 trees that are to be put there. While on site we saw a hare (lovely) and a deer (not so lovely, as there was plenty of evidence of it having been eating trees). Guy hopes to reconcile his Buddhist beliefs, vegetarianism, and squeamishness, with his desire to cull these tree-eating cervine scum.

Beating up Marsden Golf Course

Not an act of violence, "beating up" in our language means adding extra trees to an already planted site. This hillside overlooking the golf course was planted by us 8 or 9 years ago, and some of the trees have either been swamped by grass, or eaten by invading sheep. The man from the Forestry Commission inspected the site back in the Summer and said it needed improving. So today we planted another 250 trees, Sessile Oak and Italian Alder, in deer tubes. We were: myself, Geoff, Philip, Steve, Stephen, Andrew, Peter T, Remy, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Ben, Cath, Vashti and Hap. Cake was a classic fruit cake, and the sun shone all morning. T-shirt weather, well, t-shirt and gloves. Group photo by Geoff.

The new tubes standing out against the old. Photo by Duncan

Wilberlee School

Not one of our own sessions, but we did lend the School some tools, and Duncan (and Harvey the dog) was there to represent us. Duncan helped plant, and gave them some useful feedback on the state of last years planting.

Butterley bliss

From the left: Geoff, Vashti, Philip, Jess, Ben, Dianne, Remy.

A far nicer, dryer morning spent at Butterly planting another 250 trees courtesy of the Woodland Trust and the One Community fund. We were: Hap, Remy, Geoff, Peter, Dianne, Steve, Jess, Philip, Helen, Vashti, Duncan (and Harvey the Dog), Ben, and myself. We had ginger cake at break time. Sometime after Christmas we will return to plant some TCV Big Tree Plant trees on this site.

The new "Anniversary" CVTS t-shirts have arrived!

Now available in a variety of sizes in dark green and dark brown, ideal for tree planting, and light blue for more casual wear. £4 each. And I'll bring them with me next Saturday morning.

Me, modelling size Medium in dark brown.

Sunshine and heavy rain - first day of the season!

Beginning planting, old Tree Society planting of Hemplow Wood in distance, looking nice and Autumnal.

A fairly representative kick-off to the season. We were at Butterley Reservoir, and we comprised: myself, Dave, Remy, Hap, Stephen, Steve, Helen, Cath, Vashti, Geoff, Andrew, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Ben and Jess. We planted 250 trees, a mix of Oak, Rowan, Birch, Wild Cherry and Field Maple. Perhaps not ideal varieties for that site, but those were the trees the Woodland Trust gave us. Cake was a lovely moist chocolate cake. And we left 20 trees and around 100 deer stakes and guards on site. Plus two mattocks hidden in the bracken. First half of the morning was brisk but sunny for the most part. Second half cold and very rainy. Ben and Jess were both without waterproofs (rookie error) and later on were steaming in front of the fire in the Pub. At least the cold and rain makes you appreciate the log fire in the pub, and later a good hot shower.

While we were doing all this, Philip Guy were at the Nursery selling our logs. And Dianne, Peter, Trevor and Brian were at Meltham Cop removing old guards.

Photos by Geoff,  as I spent all the sunny hour dragging stakes and guards up the hill.

Dave went back a couple of days later and planted the 20 remaining trees, and counted 91 deer stakes and guards still on site.

Assembled throng break for chocolate cake.

More Butterley prep

There are now 300 deer guards and 330 deer stakes on site at Butterley. First day of proper planting will be (fingers crossed for delivery of trees) Saturday 9th November.

Scammonden scroungers

Steve, Remy and Geoff, with the fruits of our labours.

This morning we were at Scammonden again, retreiving stakes and guards, and weeding where necessary. We were: myself, Remy, Geoff, and first-timer Steve.It was a bit damp and drizzly at first, but cleared up by the end. We salvaged 67 Hare stakes and guards, and 33 Deer stakes and guards . All of which we left piled up behind the wall below Baker's Acre planting.

Dave and Guy also served, working at the nursery cutting up logs and trimming hedges.

Comments on the general state at Scammonden, lots of good growth across the site, with relatively few failures. Sitka Spruce (?) along the top of the site are not doing too well. They are small, tiny in fact,, and getting swamped by grass in the tubes, but not all dying. The relatively large proportion of salvaged Hare guards represents the higher failure rate of Scots Pine and Sitka Spruce.

Butterley prep work

This morning myself, Ben, Geoff, Duncan and Harvey the dog took more materials up to Butterley. There are now 240 deer guards on site, and 290 stakes (I think). First day of planting is likely to be early to mid November, as the nurseries are not putting out the deliveries of trees until then (ideally, trees should be dormant for the winter before handling and transporting). We shared de-caff coffee, and some Foxes biscuits while we were up there. And Geoff and Duncan photographed lots of mushrooms.

Ben takes a well earned break.

Drizzle and odd jobs

Not the most lovely of mornings, but we set to a variety of jobs. Dave and Ben worked on the fence. Philip and Guy cut and bagged logs. Myself, Geoff, Remy and new recruit Vashti took 160 stakes and 180 guards up to Butterley, and got fairly wet doing it. Duncan went to the Golf course to do some pruning. Cake was the ever popular date and walnut.

Reclaim and re-use.

Tubes for re-use this Winter.

The stakes and guards that we use to protect the young trees are quite expensive, and in these financially distressed times it pays us to scour the hillsides for tubes that either the trees have outgrown, or in some cases where a tree failed to grow at all. Because of the high volume of planting at Scammonden, over several seasons, there is a lot of scope for reclaiming.

We retrieved 46 deer guards and left them by the fallen pine at the Northerly end of the site, and another 35 left under the tree above the Scout hut car park. We will return to the site in the coming months and plant new trees using those stakes and guards.

We also found 120 stakes and guards from the other end of the site, and took those to Outlane, for planting there.

We were, Stephen, Remy, Dave, Ben, Philip, Neil, Trevor, Jess and myself. Guy and Mandy were also on site, but at the other end. And we were joined by local journalist Marie-Claire, and her dog.Cake was lemon drizzle.

Sad to say though that we did find evidence of deer having nibbled at the young trees, despite our use of tall guards. It was most evident at the end of the site, next to some established woodland, suggesting that the deer lie up in  the woodland, and pop out for a bite to eat now and then. I suppose its nice that we are supporting biodiversity, even if that does mean providing snacks for deer.

More fencing, and a plague of flies

Myself, Dave, Geoff and Ben met at the nursery. We put up a bit more fencing, then split up. Dave and Ben stayed on to tidy the nursery, and myself and Geoff went up to Scammonden. There we removed 48 deer guards and 21 hare guards from failures, from the area nearest to the pines and start of the Scout hut track. We piled up the stakes and guards nicely, and can return to replant using those this winter. Geoff and myself only covered small area of the hillside, but still found 70+ failures that can be replaced. Re-using the stakes and guards in this way will save us a great deal of money, meaning we will be able to plant 2 trees on site for every £1 donated. A £250 pledge from the Green Building Store will enable us to plant 500 trees.

 There were a lot of flies up there though. And lots of nettles. We were very brave.

Fencing masters

Dave despairs of the standard of our workmanship.

So, a Saturday morning spent working on our new Nursery fence. Myself, Remy, Dave, Ben and Philip. Cake was apple flapjack, made with Nursery apples no less. Remy still wasn't impressed. Philip went and bought some post-mix and we erected six posts. Sometimes it was all a bit Eric Sykes, but mostly we got the job done. Then we went to the Sair, and discovered that the jukebox has been re-stocked with stuff like obscure Magazine tracks and Killing Joke songs. Peculiar.

One of the muppets at work, and a soft toy we found in the bushes.

Wood, weeds and woolly hats

Hats for all!

A game of two halves this morning. With myself, Geoff, Jess and Dianne going to Fieldhouse to weed. And Guy, Mandy, Neil and Julia staying at the nursery to do cultivation, weeding and cutting up logs. Homemade oat biscuits were provided for all, and the sun shone for most of the morning. New CVTS woolly hats were snapped up by all, including Trevor who came to the pub afterwards.

Three men in a field picking wild flowers

Me and my bouquet.

Philip, Geoff and myself went to Fieldhouse to strip out Ragwort, and a do bit of weeding. It was stupidly humid and I lost about half my bodyweight in sweat, but there are worse ways to spend a Thursday evening. Almost all the trees are growing despite vigorous competition from Ragwort and grass. Some encroachment by brambles and knotweed along the top edge of the field though. Need to keep an eye on this.

A hard days log

Jess's unorthodox method of securing wood while sawing.

So today was all about gathering and preparing wood fuel. Myself, Dave, Remy, Hap and Geoff went to Hemplow Wood and retrieved some Larch logs from where we did some thinning out a few weeks ago. Then we returned to the Nursery to join Philip, Jess, Ben, Jack and Neil who were cutting up and bagging some already dried timber. While it wasn't as sunny as recently, it was still flipping warm, and midgy. Cake was a very jammy bakewell tart. And we retired exhausted to the Sair where Bobby was playing 80's funk.

Remy and Dave chopping and bagging.

Bracken bashing at Helme

Ben, Geoff and Philip adrift in a sea of fern.

This Saturday the team, Ben, Geoff, Philip, Guy, Duncan and Harvey the dog, spent the morning at Helme, Meltham, knocking back bracken to allow young trees some light. It was obviously quite hot, and they had to manage without homemade cake, as I was away at the seaside. So well done chaps.

Ben looks hot, Guy looks like a panther about to pounce, and Geoff looks casual.

After all the work, you can see trees, and the trees can see the sun.