Sweet and dandy

Geoff, Richard, Dave and Tanya

After a season of Saturdays have that tested our endurance and forbearance, we finally got a vaguely sunny day.

We were: myself, Geoff, Dave, Hap, Tanya, Kayleigh, Richard, and Stephen.

With this hand picked team we planted 89 sessile oak, 39 rowan, and 47 downy birch. An admirable total of 175 trees,

And it has to be a joyful tune to reflect the day, so...

https://youtu.be/ErQ2UB44k-o

(clip from the Harder they come, recorded in Leslie Kong's studio, I presume that's him on the desk)

Our sense of fun was a bit undermined by world events, but hey.

Ice age

Philip still forswears hi-vis.

File this one under, should have known better.

Fag end of storm Eunice brought us snow. Which is always vile for working outdoors. But we soldiered on and I think we are all heroes - apart from me who was more of a donkey leading lions.

We were: Stephen, Sophie, Richard, Matthew, Harry, Peter, Hap, Dave, Philip, Cath, Geoff, Jess, Tanya, Kayleigh, and Kai. 

Gave up and ran away, so ended up taking an unknown number of trees away unplanted. Some are in a bag in my backyard. Tools could be anywhere, I have half a dozen. Started with a dozen. Dave took some tools and trees.

Everyone got home alive, which is something.

This song is properly what it felt like.

If there is even a wisp of a cloud in the sky next week I'm staying in bed.

https://youtu.be/cDrBTr5HOrI

After consulting recovering participants, and counting what I'd got in the bag, it was apparent that we planted 157 trees. 27 Scots Pine, 36 Sessile Oak, 58 Downy Birch, and 36 Rowan.

All tools also now accounted for.

This is how it looked 4 days later. 

YOLO

 

After this years serious problems with supply of trees and approvals to plant we are staggering towards the end of the season and using the trees we have to improve a previously planted eWGS site at Scammonden.

We were: Cath, Gillie and Ruth, Jess and Lee, Jon and Tessie, Ben, Dave, Geoff, Hap, Richard, Philip, and myself.

We planted 100 sessile oak, 25 aspen, 15 downy birch, 15 hazel 15 hawthorn, and 15 rowan.

Weather was terrible. But we got it done.

There's something relevant in this song, obliquely.

https://youtu.be/z5Otla5157c

The wind

Tanya's splendidly kinetic picture of grass and heather blowing

 Storm Malik made this morning very invigorating. Up on Wholestone moor was just the place to appreciate it. We were; Geoff, myself, Kai, Jess, Lee, Dave, Tanya, Richard, Peter, Cath and Julia. Cake was peanut butter vegan cookies. Half a dozen bags of old tree guards were removed, and then the fun bit was carrying them down the hill in the literally howling gale.

Link below is not a music vid, but a clip from the 1928 silent film, the wind, starring Lillian Gish. About a woman driven mad by... the wind. Did I mention the wind?

https://youtu.be/dmjJ9uSchcM

All revved up with no place to go

Michael and Richard. Looked kind of dark up at Wholestone.

This week we were back in Marsden finishing off some woodland management. Having removed some large larch shading out other smaller trees we moved on to thinning out the smaller trees behind. End result being a more natural mix of sizes and varieties of tree, and better accessibility to the woodland for locals. As per agreement with Kirklees ,broken down fencing and wire were also removed and taken off site. We  were: Matthew, Kayleigh, Dave, Paul,  myself, Kai, Jess and Lee.

Meanwhile at Wholestone Moor were Geoff, Richard, Hap, Steve, Michael and Shelley, collecting old tree guards and reusable stakes.

Of course, we'd rather be planting trees, but we are just....

https://youtu.be/eWVmRvq50kQ

Me and Kai. Looks brighter in Marsden

Tall trees

Hazard tape, hi-vis, and hard hats

In the absence of any planting work, we did some woodland management and tree guard reclamation today.

Half of us were in Marsden. Cutting down some nurse species larch to let more light get to the trees behind them. Hopefully leading to a more diverse and native bit of woodland. We were: Stephen and Philip on chainsaws, plus Dave, Kayleigh, Matthew, myself, Tanya, and Paul. Quite hard work as a couple of the very tall larch got hung up while falling. Great care was taken to signpost the work and prevent members of the public wandering along the footpath through the site. Several small brash piles created, some 2m length logs left in situ, and the footpath left entirely clear of debris.

Meanwhile at Wholestone Moor Geoff, Jess, Lee, Steve and Michael collected 3 bags of waste guards, and one bag of reclaims.

Stephen, Kayleigh and Dave

https://youtu.be/1FoPfNku9sY

This is the end

Last day of planting at Meltham (or of this Season?). 

We planted 100 Oak, 45 Hazel, 45 Downy Birch and 25 Aspen.

We were: Cath, Geoff, Dave, Matthew, Tanya, Hap, Peter, Jess, Ben, Philip and myself.

https://youtu.be/VScSEXRwUqQ

O sole mio

Four intrepid "soles" ventured out on New Years day to remove old tree guards at Wholestone moor. Geoff, Dave, Steve G. and Tanya. 

Not sure about Tanya's choice of song, maybe they stopped for ice cream on the way home? Or is it a reference to the bottoms of Geoff's boots?

   

https://youtu.be/1X27O50Xq4U

Christmas time

Geoff, in a before-ish picture

Back to Meltham, and into the briar patch. A fraction of an large area of brambles was cleared, and planted with 60 Hazel, 25 Aspen, 75 Downy birch, and 5 Oak. It was dry, but a bit foggy.

Ann's Mince pies were consumed, but no alcohol.

We were: myself, Geoff, Dave, John, Jon and Tess, Jess, Hap, Peter, Michael, Philip, Tanya, Cath, Stephen, Steve, Matthew, Murray, plus a friend of Tess and her family including Matt.

Cath and Matt, in an after-ish photo

https://youtu.be/G0D_pdOCe9o

Chicken in the corn

                           
Back to Meltham, in considerably better weather. We still got very muddy though.

We were: myself, Dave, Philip, Tanya, Jess, Lee, Steve, Stephen, Harry, Peter, Peter 2, Hap, Cath, Ben, and John.

We planted 125 Oak, 90 Downy Birch, 25 Aspen and 30 Hazel.

https://youtu.be/E8H-67ILaqc

Filthy and fried

First day of planting of the season, and the weather could not have been much worse. Wind and cold rain. We all ended up pretty mucky, though the rain did wash some of the mud off toward the end. Silver linings eh?

We were: myself, John H., Jon and Tess, Tanya, Shelley, Julia, Hap, Stephen, Ben, Murray, Matthew, Lee, Harry, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Peter, and Michael.

We planted 30 hazel, 150 sessile oak, 90 downy birch and 25 aspen.

Drive by truckers

A cautionary song

So after a challenging week dealing with suppliers and haulage companies we have had our trees and materials delivered. Not the hedging. But the trees.

5 deliveries on 5 different days from 4 different suppliers, and 4 different haulage companies. I spent quite a lot of time at the nursery making phone calls to various suppliers, transport hubs, and delivery drivers.

Thanks to all the volunteers that gave up their time to help: myself, Alastair, Stephen, Richard, Tanya, Sophie, Dave, Philip, Sarah, Geoff, Adrian, Hap, Bob, plus Simon, Mick, Steve and couple of others I don't know the names of from River Holme Connections.

Somehow, this pop/folk song about the plight of a Victorian mother seems appropriate.

https://youtu.be/9fTUR4suld8

Willin'

With the aid of willin' helpers and a willin' delivery driver we received a huge amount of tree planting materials today. Only 5 more deliveries to go?

CVTS folk were myself, Dave, Hap, Tanya, Adrian and Bob.

Plus Simon and 4 other folk from River Holme Connections.

Country rock classic about truck drivin'

https://youtu.be/zcrEWRLk3CE

Pleasant and delightful

 

Hap, Baljit and Dave

Just four stalwarts this week collecting more stakes and tubes (oh, and Philip who carried on clearing a footpath at the Western end of the site). The four were Geoff, Hap, Baljit, and Dave.

Weather was chilly but sunny and all round a delightful morning.

https://youtu.be/e0GdTwzPOJg

In these shoes?

Matthew rocking his wellies and shorts trademark look.

Back to Wholestone for more guard removal. It didn't rain!

We were: myself, Matthew, Adrian, Shelley, Geoff, Cath, Tanya, Hap, Jess, Lee, Philip and Dave.

https://youtu.be/oW0GK2bVqI0

What did your last servant die of?

 

Lots of tubes, and Cath, Geoff, Julia and me.

Up at Wholestone Moor working hard retrieving old plastic tree guards for re-use and disposal. We were; myself, Julia, Richard, Dave, Ben, Cath, Tanya, Hap, and Geoff.

Bit wet and windy, but it always is up there. 

https://youtu.be/tOth_jv7EfA

Losing my edge

Who's that funny little fella? Me, Steve, Geoff and Hap's shoulder

Up to Wholestone Moor for more plastic removal/retrieval. We were: myself, Geoff, Hap, Peter, Cath, Dave, Michael and Steve.

I think both Steve and I lost knives this morning, nothing valuable. but annoying. So the song title is particularly aposite, as well as being a belter. 

And apparently this blog has been lost to google, so am investigating that.

https://youtu.be/6xG4oFny2Pk

What's up

Matthew and Murray, and Geoff

Whats up? We were up. Climbing a near vertical slope to get to the top of Pasture Wood, Marsden. And then removing old plastic tree guards. A couple of bags of re-usable ones, some wooden stakes, and some bags of trash for the tip.

We were: myself, Dave, Baljit, Hap, Richard, Ben, Murray, Matthew, Tanya, Kayleigh, and Geoff.

https://youtu.be/6NXnxTNIWkc

Rollin' stone

 

Paul carries that weight, and Tanya and Geoff.

Up at Scout Top, Marsden for a spot of guard removal.

We were: myself, Geoff, Murray, Dave, Paul, Tanya, Shelley, Kayleigh and Dave.

On the way down there was a moment of mild peril, when a moderately sized stone got knocked and rolled down the hill towards Murray, who fended it off with a bag of guards.

https://youtu.be/4T2hygHu8CI

Better things

 

This morning Geoff and crew were at Scammonden SC3 removing more guards. They were; Geoff, Ben, Dave, Steve G., Jess, Lee, and Joanna and small dog.

Geoff has provided nice before and after photos for today's session.

Worse

Better

https://youtu.be/qs6G9tisVdU