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.

Shadowplay

Philip casts a shadow

I was away at a training event with Treesponsibility in Hebden, so the following was provided by Philip.

We filled in the gaps from last week with Hawthorn. That side of the field is now complete. The other side of the field was a lot wetter so gaps were left where it was sodden. The same planting mix of Hawthorn with other shrubby species was used. At the bottom of the field adjacent to the existing woodland we planted 30 Beech and 15 Spindle. Brambles sprouting from the wall and encroaching into the field were grubbed out so the hedge could follow the line of the wall.

Total number for the day consisted of 300 Hawthorn, 15 Blackthorn, 15 dog Rose, 15 Elder, 30 Hazel plus the Beech and Spindle. Total 420 plants.

We were: Richard, Dianne, Jess, Stephen, Bob, Geoff, Adrian, Dave, Jared and Alastair, Sophie, Jon and Tess, John F, Cath, Elliot, Steve, Philip.

https://youtu.be/yPt3-lB5Lsc

David Wainwright's feet

Peter's trench foot is assessed by Jess.

Another mixed hedgerow, this time at Hey above Slaithwaite.

We were: myself, Tanya, Philip, Dave, Hap, Stephen, Ian, Jon, Bob, Peter, Jess, Adrian, Ben, and Simon.

Mud was very sticky. Some bits of the field were very wet. Nevertheless we planted 15 spindle, 15 field maple, 30 hornbeam, 15 holly, 60 Elder, 45 dog rose, 30 Blackthorn, 120 hazel, and 255 hawthorn.

Song is apropos of nothing other than a conversation me, Philip and Geoff had.



https://youtu.be/rkrr_F6vtlc

Rocks

Elliot hits rock bottom, and keeps going.

Back to finish off this mammoth hedgerow with 585 more hawthorn.

We were: myself, Geoff, Philip, Sophie, Remy, Dave, Stephen, Steve, Elliot, Nelson, Hannah, John, Jon and Tess, Cath, Richard, Jess, Dianne, Adrian, Hap, Alison, Paul, and Bob.

Some real work done this week, with tough grass to dig through, and then tough rocks underneath.

Cake was two variants of crunchy top coconut, one with cherries, and one with lemon?

https://youtu.be/Z3ZCZjhjguA

The sound of the crowd

Ben and Bob confer

A cast of thousands today, so I had better get all these names down before I forget.

We were: myself, Dave, Geoff, Philip, Steve, Remy, Alison, Dominic, Elliot, Adrian, Bob, Jon, John, Katie, Martin, Cath, Ben, Alastair, Jared, Jess, Lee, Dianne, Susan, Chris, and Hap.

In addition we had special guests from Sant Jagjit Singh Lopon, a Sikh organisation whose members are committed to charity and community work.

This mighty team managed to plant 885 trees and shrubs as a mixed hedgerow on the farm. This total consisted of: 15 bird cherry, 15 blackthorn, 30 dog rose, 45 elder, 15 field maple, 60 hazel, 15 holly, 15 hornbeam, 45 oak, 15 spindle, 15 whitebeam, and 600 hawthorn.

This leaves 810 hawthorn allocated for this site but not yet planted.

Cake was apple flapjack, and it all got eaten, as did all Hap's buttered panettone, all Dianne's jaffa cakes, and some random chocolates that did the rounds.

Break time

https://youtu.be/9CJFk7LZa5A

Black Flag - Nervous breakdown

Who knew silage bales could be so photogenic?

This week we were at a farm overlooking Meltham Mills, beginning a long mixed hedgerow.

It was stupidly windy, which didn't help communications, and we were spread out across the site.

Nevertheless we got 390 plants in the ground easily, 15 beech, 15 bird cherry, 30 blackthorn, 60 dog rose, 45 elder, 15 field maple, 150 hazel, 15 holly, 15 oak, 15 spindle and 15 whitebeam. We need to return to fill in the gaps with about 700 Hawthorn. Then complete the next 150m or so, in a similar manner.

We were: Philip, Geoff, Dave, Adrian, myself, John, Jon, Hap, Tanya, Sophie, Jess, Dianne, Steve, Stephen, Ben, Alastair, Jared, Alison and Paul.

Cake was parkin.

Tea break time!

A tune for Philip this week.

https://youtu.be/302oEzSPCqE

Bag to black (sic)

Hap pulling up black plastic mulch mats.

A bit of weekday crew tidying up at Throstle. which we will now leave alone for a while.

We were: Adrian, Stephen, myself, Dave, John and Hap, and Geoff back at the nursery.

The fruits of several weeks labours.

https://youtu.be/TJAfLE39ZZ8

Never going back again (?)

Before

After

The final woodland management session for a while. At the nursery we were: Adrian, myself, Geoff, Remy, Dianne, Jess, and Lee.
In the woods were: Philip, Stephen, Susan, Peter, Hap, John, Dave, Cath and Ben.

Cake was a non-Christmassy jam sponge.

https://youtu.be/0E7rUemfC-A

Stay free

Sophie, Adrian, Sue, Cath, John, Stephen, Peter and Philip

Another day of feverish chopping and sawing, as a remedy to Christmas indulgence.

We were: myself, Geoff, Tanya and Ben at the nursery. And: Philip, Susan, Stephen, Hap, Adrian, Dave, Sophie, Peter and John in the woods at Throstle.

Cake was a mix of Christmas leftovers, both homemade and shop bought.

And the songs a tribute to revelations of one member's chequered past.

https://youtu.be/NHDm4oHee5A

Christmas is coming

Dianne and Cath full of cheer (or Dave's Baileys)

A very convivial pre-Christmas session at Blakeley Reservoir. We planted 2 Yew, 15 Alder, 60 Bird Cherry, 90 Sessile Oak, 30 Birch, and 15 Aspen. We were 20 strong: myself, Tanya, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Steve, Sylvie and Elliot, Kate and Martin, Jon and Tessie, Cath, Jess and Lee, Adrian, Hap, Ben, Kirstie and Dianne. Cake was the brilliant and seasonal sticky cranberry gingerbread.

Plus we also transplanted some trees which had previously been put too close to the dam.

Kirstie and Cath, and lots of others.

https://youtu.be/ICKRJ-ZL7Cs

Hit, git and split!

Dianne and Jessica keep swinging.

Another productive day of woodland management and wood fuel. All of which benefits local woodlands, and goes towards our sustainability as a tree planting group.

At the nursery we were: Stephen on chainsaw, myself, Dianne, Sophie and Adrian. Later joined by Jess and Tanya.

In the woods were: Susan and Philip on chainsaws, Ben, Hap, Dave, Duncan and Harvey the dog on lead, and Chris. A comprehensive risk assessment was shared with the group before work began, and everyone was safe and happy.

Ben communes with a tree, or maybe just saw a squirrel.

And a song by "Young Jessie" https://youtu.be/g2W_YWsQ2qU

Fall on me

Another Hogarthian scene of cake eating.

A woodland management morning at Throstle, thinning, pruning and tidying an area of planting done 19 years ago.

We were: Philip and Susan on chainsaws, Ben, Peter, Remy, Chris, Adrian, Hap, Duncan (and Harvey), myself, Geoff, Dave, Katie, Lee, Dianne and Jess.

Cake was date slice.

Safety talk was given. Lots of hard work was done. Lots of hi-vis was worn. Nothing fell on anyone.

https://youtu.be/I-nC25QQ3_w

Neon lights

Sundry hi-vis folk framed by birches.

A morning of woodland management. Hap and Adrian had been very busy marking trees up with their neon paint. And we all worked very hard felling, snedding, cutting and carrying.

We were: Susan and Stephen on chainsaws, Hap and Adrian exercising their woodland management theories, and myself, John, and Dave labouring.

Hap had made a very delicious sticky fruit cake.

https://youtu.be/KqmGZ_6LaUw