Back for good

 This morning we were at Scammonden, again, but the monotony was lifted by the attendance of Steve!

Altogether we were: myself, Adrian, Jared, Alastair, Geoff, Steve and Philip.

Lots of plastic tubes and stakes were retrieved for re-use or disposal.

Steve was back!!

https://youtu.be/N2ICtCO8TCw

Eagle

 

Back at Scammonden, reclaiming and collecting waste. We were: myself, Geoff, Adrian, Jess, Tanya, Hap, Dave, and Ben. 

We saw a Buzzard, which is not an eagle, but a bit like one.

https://youtu.be/dDI7x1nwTUw

The 1

This Saturday we were at Scammonden again, removing old tree guards and stakes. Most of the tubes were off mature trees, or Ash, so were not re-useable. 80 long stakes were brought away for re-use.

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

It was a pretty damp and midgy morning, with one notable deluge. But still turned out to be fun!

Me and Jess were quite excited about the new Taylor Swift release, so this week's song is off it. Even if the title isn't relevant. So there.

https://youtu.be/KsZ6tROaVOQ

Meeting

This Saturday morning we held our AGM and Summer meetings, amongst trees we planted.  Due to Covid we didn't feel it was appropriate to cram ourselves into a room for the meeting, and this seemed a good idea. It was a bit damp, but I still managed to take the minutes.

We were: myself, Guy, Cath, Dianne, Peter, Stephen, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Sue, Hap, John, Ben, Lee, Jess, Geoff, Dave and Philip.

The outdoor setting seemed to work, in that we got both meetings done in an unusually short time.

https://youtu.be/Jv0NUZVdIVQ

Blue orchid

Geoff, Tanya and Ben collected 117 shrub guards from Scammonden SC14 on Saturday and probably about 100 stakes (some broke). Dave came along later to 'reconnoitre' and took 30 back to the nursery; the rest are left on site for now. There are a few more there though not many, but most of that site needs de-guarding so could well go back there next Saturday. The weather was fine really - constantly rainy but not at all unpleasant.

 

They speculated that the visit of Jason McCartney to this site must have blessed it since Geoff found this rather fine common spotted orchid specimen (Dactylorhiza fuchsii), maybe even on the very spot that he had stood, proudly posing for a photo of him pretending to plant a tree.

 

Not many songs about orchids...

https://youtu.be/jW8UlrtcEac

Myself and Philip were visiting two prospective sites, the final additions to the Winter's activities.

Do anything you wanna do

The view from Scout

This  morning I was up at Scout talking to a landowner about a planting plan for the coming Season.

Geoff, Tanya, Ben, Lisa, Alexander and Jared were at Scammonden de-guarding.

Dave, Stephen, Peter, Cath and Hap were over the other side of Scammonden, de-balsaming.

https://youtu.be/rK8pAfhC4Rk

There, there, my dear

Another Saturday morning up Wessenden, and another deer/dire situation. This time we were working and heard a godawful screeching racket the other side of the reservoir. Turned out to be a distressing altercation between some deer and a dog. We think a mother deer and a young un, with the young un running off and taking refuge down by the water (pictured) and the mother scrapping with the dog then running off with the dog in pursuit. They put down dogs that worry sheep, probably no such penalty in this case. The picture was taken with a combination of my telescope with Jess' phone, 20x optical magnification achieved, with arty circle effect too.

It seems to be an effect of the epidemic, more people out enjoying the countryside, including more dogs. The deer had probably got used to a quiet life over that side of the reservoir, but now theres a near constant stream of people and their dogs going over there. And, using our tree guards as dog chew toys when there are not deer to chew on.

We were: myself, Geoff, Jess, Peter, Tanya and Ben in one group. Dave Hap and Stephen in another group. And Philip, Cath, Jared, Alastair and John in  the third and furthestmost group.

Lots of bracken got bashed and guards straightened.

And one of my all time favourites for the music.

https://youtu.be/ZjwUX5MKJOo

Animals

The last few weeks we have been putting deer guards back on some young trees at Butterley, because we could see the bark was getting eaten or rubbed by deer. Lo and behold, this morning in the fog we ran into two of the culprits. The irony of tree planting is that the more successful we are the more deer there will be, which will make it more difficult to establish more new woodland. Hey ho.

We also saw a frog, owls (might have been same owl twice), curlew, and a buzzard.

We were: Philip, Jess, Lee, Cath, Guy and John in one group. Dave, Ben, Hap and Stephen in another, and finally myself, Adrian, Geoff, Jared and Alastair.

https://youtu.be/eBiIFhg0Jnc

Out in the fields

This Saturday we were up the Wessenden Valley, knocking down bracken before it shades out any of our growing young trees.

We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Adrian, Hap, Alastair, Jared, Peter, Susan, Stephen, John and Cath.

We divided into two groups to try and adhere to the guidelines.

This week's tune, a heavy rock request from Dianne.

https://youtu.be/bbjrAQf8jBQ

Sastanàqqàm

Geoff looking exotic

Myself, Geoff and Steve were again working and being socially distant at Scammonden. Guard and stake removal. I made one trip back to the nursery with our spoils. Geoff had forgotten his sunhat so was going round looking like a member of Tinariwen.

https://youtu.be/vACZA9dGvV4

I got stung

Blog by Tanya this week, including arty fly photo and more representative one of nettles (the stung part).

Steve and Geoff were also on the hillside. Removing guards and tidying. I was busy landscaping Ann's garden.

https://youtu.be/FvmLT1UBOxM

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!