This morning we were up Wilberlee, Slaithwaite, planting a mixed hedgerow.
We were a select but very effective few; myself, Stephen, Dave, Cath, Jon, Jess, Dianne, and Matthew.
We planted 225 hawthorn, 75 blackthorn and 15 each of dog rose, field maple, hazel and crab apple. 360 total.
Jess brought a very nice Christmas cake, and it was windy, but dry - the weather, not the cake!
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| Trying not to lose a tiny spindle amongst the bramble trash. |
This morning we above Spring Head Lane, Marsden.
We were; myself, Ben, Tania, Emily, Julia, Sam, Tol, Jack, Dianne, Philip, Geoff, Philip, Stephen, Jess, Paul, and Cath.
We planted 45 downy birch, 45 sessile oak, 30 hazel, 60 hawthorn, and 15 (for the official record) spindle.
Terrain was infernally brambly in parts, but a pleasant morning other wise.
Butterley again to replace more trees burnt in the most recent moor fire.
We were; myself, Philip, Jess, Michael, Paul, Cath, Tess, Jon, Julia, Kayleigh, Matthew, Dianne, Philip, Tanya, Aaron, and Stephen.
Things planted were; 45 scots pine, 60 oak, 30 silver birch, 30 hornbeam, 30 beech, 15 black thorn, and 15 spindle.
Some of the plants were provided by TCV/OVO, but plants received didn't correspond varieties promised, the Spindle and blackthorn were surprise/shock substitutions for rowan and field maple.
Doubts were also raised about the suitability of some of the varieties for the site, but they were all we could get for nothing.
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| Sophie's choice |
Up at Butterly, replanting trees that were burnt in the most recent moor fire. The new trees were mostly supplied by OVO energy via TCV.
We planted 45 Scots pine, 60 oak, 30 aspen, 30 alder, 30 downy birch, and 30 bird cherry.
We were; Paul, Sam, Jack, Tol, Ben, Peter, Dianne and Philip, Geoff, Philip, Stephen, Hap, Sophie, myself, Tess, Jon, and Matthew.
Sophie finished the morning collecting oak galls, to make ink with.
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| Tools |
Once more unto Meal Hill rode the 16.
We were; myself, Philip, Geoff, Peter, Tanya, Julia, Jack, Jess, Lee, Dianne and Philip, Stephen, Ben, Jon, Kayleigh, Michael
We planted 200 hawthorn, 100 blackthorn, 10 dog rose, 10 hazel, 10 crab apple, 10 field maple.
Song refers to the Ashy mining bees that Tanya found last week.
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| Philip framed by Tanya |
Back to Meal Hill, where it started off nasty, but got nicer. Wish the same could be said for me.
We were; Stephen K., Stephen M., Geoff, Tanya, Jess, Cath, Sam, Jack, Tol, Dave, Philip, Lee, and myself.
We planted 325 hawthorn, 100 blackthorn, 10 dog rose, 10 hazel, 10 crab apple, and 10 field maple.
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| Hap, hedging, rainbow, sheep. |
A very damp at blustery morning, but with bright moments.
We were; myself, Geoff, Sophie, Tanya, Cath, Philip, Peter, Dave, Matthew, Kayleigh, and Hap. Plus James the landowner.
We planted 195 hawthorn, 30 dog rose, 30 hazel, 30 downy birch, 15 field maple, and 45 sessile oak. In the form of 2 field corners of trees and two lengths of hedge.
Tanyas photo is very representative of the morning, mud, rainbows, and animals.
https://youtube.com/watch?v=mIWOhisqrP8&feature=share
Another 80s tune, from the chirpy youthful days of levi 501s, flattop haircuts, and vintage everything.
Back to meal hill. We were; myself, Sophie, Arthur, Jon, Tess, Dianne, Jess, Lee, Stephen, Peter, Dave, Philip, Bob, Ben and Geoff.
We planted 300 hawthorn, 50 blackthorn, 5 dog rose, 5 hazel, 5 field maple, and 5 crab apple.
Sophie provided an absolutely outstanding "rocky road" type cake at break time.
Song suggested by extended conversation at break time. The poster for this song replaced the famous Athena tennis bum poster on my teenage bedsit wall.
Christmas eve and we were at Meal hill lane again. Weather was kind, not cold, and sunny! We got plenty done and still reached the pub around opening time.
We were; myself, Geoff, Tanya, Philip, Stephen, Hap, Ben, Sam, Jack, Tol, Jon, Tess, Dave, Peter and Cath.
We planted 200 hawthorn, 100, blackthorn, 5 hazel, 5 crab apple, 5 dog rose, and 5 field maple.
https://youtu.be/fCNvZqpa-7Q
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| Cold, sleety and dark, not very nochebuena. |
We were; myself, Geoff, Stephen, Tanya, Jess, Lee, Philip, Peter, Sophie, and Michael.
We planted 150 hawthorn, 50 blackthorn, 5 hazel, 5 dog rose, 5 field maple and 5 crab apple.
No cake, but Sophie, Stephen and Tanya bought diverse biscuits.
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| Any Saturday it doesn't rain is a Wonderland as far as I'm concerned |
We were: Cath, Kayleigh, Sophie, Tanya, Geoff, Dave, Bob, Steve, Steven, Jon, Jack, and myself.
Cold, but dry weather, some light snow on the ground.
Slightly late finish, but we emptied our tree bags this week, no leftovers. Top work!
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| Kayleigh, me and Bob in the distance. |
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| Stephen, and Kay. |
Back at Meal Hill. We were: myself, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Hap, Michael, Kay, Jess, Jon, Tess, and Peter.
This week we planted 275 hawthorn, 125 blackthorn, 10 hazel, 10 dog rose, 10 field maple, 10 crab apple.
The terrain is difficult, with lots of stones having to be dug out prior to planting. Which this means its taking longer than planned.
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| Slight issue with hundreds of sheep having been put in the field where the trees were healed in. A small electric fence fixed that (hopefully). |
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| I'm down there in the fog, apparently. |
Dave and I planted all Saturday's leftover plants (nearly 200 of them). It was foggy where we were, but only yards p the lane it was sunny, as per pic.
Totals planted so far 450 Hawthorn, 150 blackthorn, 15 each of Hazel, Dog Rose, Crab apple and Field Maple.
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| My feet, and a load of plants, resting. |
Today we were up above Slaithwaite, beginning some hedge planting.
We were; myself, Jess, Tanya, Stephen K., Stephen M., Steve, Hap, Dave, Geoff, Philip, Michael, Heidi, and Matthew. Plus the owner and two colleagues.
We planted approx. 300 Hawthorn, 100 Blackthorn, 10 Hazel, 10 Crab Apple, 10 Field Maple and 10 Dog Rose.
From now til Christmas it'll be Christmas tunes!
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| Kayleigh and Tanya |
This morning we were in the woods alongside Marsden golf course this morning. Stephen, Dave, Philip, Kayleigh and Tanya were practising with the chainsaws and winch, thinning some small nurse species larch, and felling some leaning and falling over trees. I was across the other side of the clough moving some tree stakes to where they will be needed when we replant some of the wildfire areas.
All the woodland management team were appropriately dressed, to the max.
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| Dave applying tension. |
Afterwards there was the pre-season meeting, and we were joined by Richard, Cath, John, Hap and Jess.
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| Jess sees through us. |
A day of a few parts. Geoff, Stephen, Dave, Hap, Kayleigh, Jess, Tanya and Peter were at the nursery cross cutting and splitting logs.
I met up with Philip and Duncan to go visit a prospective new site.
Then I went up to Scammonden to do a soil depth survey for a planned planting area (required by our patrons, so that they can safely rule out the presence of deep peat).
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| Peter and Geoff admire their own work. |
https://youtu.be/7YvAYIJSSZY
A small crew chopped up wood for wood fuel this morning at the nursery: Dave split some of the big stuff with the hydraulic splitter, Peter, Geoff and Jess chopped logs and Michael stacked them in the wood store. The logs will be seasoned and ready for sale in six months or so. The dense and sinewy cherry proved especially difficult to split and chop, but we three-quarters filled an empty bay by the end. It rained steadily most of the morning but was not unpleasant, though our departure time coincided with some heavier stuff, so was prescient.
Just a crew of three this morning, sawing, splitting and stacking logs.
Myself, Hap and Dave.
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| Kayleigh, Julia, Jess, Dianne, and Tanya. |
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| Golfers, and Stephen. |
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| The end result. |
Today we were at Marsden Golf Club, felling some alder trees that were planted over 20 years ago by the Society, but were now deemed to be shading out one of the tees. We were; myself, Dave, Matthew, Dianne, Kayleigh, Paul, Tanya, Hap, Philip, and Stephen. With very valuable extra help from Mick and his son. And help from the club grounds staff. That was a lot of logs, and hard work.
And we all had our helmets on, when it was appropriate.
Further safety note, the camera lens makes those golfers look closer than they actually were.