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| Richard and Philip strategise the destruction. |
This morning a handful of us were at a previous planting site, Parkwood, to cut back willow that were overwhelming some blackthorn and shading out ground that could be used for allotment plots. We were: Philip and Stephen on chainsaws, myself, Dave, Kayleigh, and owner Richard. Risk assessment done and signed, PPE worn.
Meanwhile Geoff and Michael were at Scammonden collecting more old tree guards, and a mystery skull (small deer?)
Last full team go at Netherwood. We were: myself, Sophie, Steve, Geoff, Jess, Lee, Murray, Dave, Paul, Tanya, Peter and Philip.
A large number of bags were filled, and a quick survey of the site was done to see whether there was a need for thinning.
More discussion of the CVTS song, and singing, at breaktime.
Once more up at Netherwood. We were: myself, Geoff, Matthew, Paul, Peter, Tanya, Kayleigh, Dave, Shell, Stephen, and Jess. Hacking our way through the brambles and removing old plastic tree guards.
Really only one song title suitable for this week.
A new knife safety regime began today. We are doing more work with knives, cutting and removing plastic tree guards for re-use. However this has seemed to result in two quite bad accidents with those knives this year, trips to casualty in both cases.
So we trialled two types of new knife today. Safety parcel cutters, with a fixed but entirely enclosed blade, picture below, and a much more expensive and more complex knife with an auto self retract blade.
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| Other brands are available, but these were big and sturdy. |
https://youtu.be/0QDKLglEP5Y
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| Steve points and laughs at a fallen tree. He's a fun gi. |
Today Geoff led the charge at Scammonden SC6 for yet more guard removal. He was joined by Steve, Cath, Kayleigh, Jess, Shelley and Dave.
Philip and I were doing a bit of light woodland management at Tanya's. More trees falling, and more laughing.
Our tree order goes in on Monday morning. 5910 new trees and shrubs for the valley.
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| Jess , Sophie and Michael with slashers. |
This week was the final week or our program for light for the Wessenden trees. Knocking back the shady bracken. We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Hap, Stephen, Kayleigh, Jess, Sophie, Michael, Paul and Julia.
A day bracken bashing at Butterley. This time around the end of the lagoon, where a lot of young trees were getting, or had got pulled down by the bracken. We were: myself, Paul, Stephen and Adrian. Not enough people for the work, and there is still more to do at the lagoon, and further up the track at the lodge.
Also, Dave, Kayleigh, Hap, Ben S., Graham and Geoff were at Scammonden removing tree guards from mature trees.
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| Michael in the mist |
Back to Wessenden to discourage more bracken from shading out the small trees. Plus some tube and stake removal. The morning began with torrential rain, but it did back off to light rain and fog by lunchtime!
We were: Philip, Geoff, Kayleigh, Michael, Matthew, Peter, myself, Paul, and Adrian.
Animal antics. We saw two fawns and a doe, a jackdaw sitting on a cows head, and a sheep that shook the rain off itself like dogs do.
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| A tiny oak is grateful for the light. |
En masse up to Wessenden this week, for bracken bashing. Its nothing personal, but when you have gone to the bother of planting trees, its annoying to have bracken shade them out and kill them in their first couple of years.
We were: Paul, Geoff, Dave, Philip, Peter, Kayleigh, Adrian, Murray, and myself. And it poured with rain most of the morning, and was humid, so there was no escaping getting soaked.
While it might have been a rainy day, our turnout in Summer is always less than Winter. People like to plant trees, but a good few of those people don't wanna do the work that makes sure they grow. Something we need to factor in to how many trees we can plant and care for each year.
The Scammonden contingent were Geoff, Dave, Hap, Michael, Steve G. and Peter. They continued clearning SC5 and SC6, Dave took re-useable materials back the nursery, and waste to the tip.
Over above Slaithwaite myself, Philip, Kayleigh, Matthew, Tanya, and Adrian spent the morning weeding the hedging planted at the sides of the fields at Hey 2. There were a lot of nettles, and we got a lot stung. And once again I managed to cut myself, this time with a sickle. Nothing major, but its getting a habit. On the plus side there were chickens.
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Two groups again. Philip, myself and Tanya were at Waller Clough, giving the grass a haircut - so that the hedge we planted isn't overwhelmed. Dave had lent me his sickle, and I was so impressed I have bought one for my future use.
Dave, Geoff, Ben, Peter, Hap, Michael and Max were at Scammonden removing more guards from established planting.
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| Beautiful pic of Steve communing with nature, by Jess |
Geoff, Ben, Jess, Dave, Steve, Kayleigh and Michael were at Scammonden today, removing more plastic tree guards. It looks like it was lovely.
Steve was apparently listening to a (not the) cricket.
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| Tanya and Steve |
A beautiful morning at Green Hill Clough, with everyone in one place, and all very convivial. Removing plastic tree guards from a site planting around 2003 (mostly).
We were: Geoff, myself, Dave, Paul, Kayleigh, Tanya, Steve G., Michael, and Matthew.
Ann had made us Bakewell tart.
There was some talk of stoats dancing. Having watched some videos I'd say that its more larking about than dancing, but I'd say that of Michael Clark too.
Dave and I spent a sad morning collecting burnt plastic tree guards from above Butterley.
Close up, those trees don't look too good. No buds or leaves, but some green still visible if you scratch bark, so maybe they'll come back.
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| Wide open spaces? Where dem trees? |
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| Dave and Paul at Marsden |
Another divided day.
Myself, Dave, Paul, Matthew, Alastair, Philip, and Kayleigh were in Marsden reclaiming about 300 short stakes and guards for re-use in the Autumn.
Geoff, Jess, Tanya, Steve G and Bob were at Scammonden.
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| Jess and Bob at Scammonden |
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| Jess in the bag |
More double trouble with two crews removing old plastic tree guards at different places.
In Marsden we were myself, Sarah P., Jess, Kayleigh, Tanya, Murray, Max, Matthew, Michael, Dave, and owner Neil.
At Scammonden were Geoff, Sophie, Steve G., Steve G2., Peter and Cath
And at Marsden Neil had us scouring the field for intruder deers and foals. Click here for tune.
There were a lot of failures at the Eastern end of the Marsden site, where we had planted a large number of ash, just before ash die back hit. The rest of the site is doing really really well.
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A stupidly rainy morning, but small and intrepid bands of all star volunteers did sterling work.
Myself, Kayleigh, Matthew, Michael, and landowners Neil and Sarah cleared 4 big bags of old guards from their small field in Marsden.
A similarly starry line up at Scammonden comprised Geoff, Peter, Cath, Sophie, Steve G, Steve G2, Alastair and Jared.
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| Scammonden group |
This Saturday AM Geoff was back removing plastic at Scammonden, with Tanya, Richard, Alastair, Jared, Lee, Sophie and Steve G2 (two Steves is one thing, we now have two Steve Gs).
We were finishing removing the plastic from Jolly's field in Marsden, myself, Dave, Matthew, Murray, and for a while, Kayleigh. Got 32 deer stakes, 50 short guards, and 25 deer guards for re-use.
Its a very low key Cuckoo festival day in Marsden today.
Some of us were in Marsden reclaiming 150+ long tree tubes and 75+ stakes from a planting done about 8 years ago. Plus one bag of trash guards that were either too small or too damaged to re-use. We were: myself, Paul, Matthew, Sarah, Kayleigh, Murray, and Julia.
Geoff led a group at Scammonden, comprising himself, Jess, Lee, Tanya and Shelley. Their bird of the day was the willow warbler, nice pic by Jess.