Last of the better days ahead

A few hours spent at the nursery this morning. Clearing paths that some didn't even know existed. 

https://youtu.be/_6ZPVxnBxq0

(nothing but) flowers

Best time of year for heather flowers. Bit of rain would make the colours pop though.

Back to Scout for more plastic gathering. We were; myself, Paul, Geoff, Tanya, Kayleigh, Baljit, Hap, Dave and Stephen. Pictures by Tanya. It was pretty hot.

https://youtu.be/q5-LAb75LpQ

Barbwire

Up to Scout, Marsden, this week. For some tidying and material reclamation. Met the new owner. We were: myself, Geoff, Paul, Jess, Philip, Steve, and Dave. 

I spent the morning crawling around in a micro environment of thorns, barbwire, hawthorn and dogrose. 

Hence, a classic from Nora Dean...

https://youtu.be/9jp6cdgLCRQ

Alberto Balsam

Hap, some stakes, and some decimated Balsam

Back to Scammonden, for the last time for a while? We were: Hap, Geoff, Dave, Tanya, Kayleigh, Cath, Matthew, and myself.

Lots of Balsam got bashed, and some stakes and guards reclaimed.

https://youtu.be/-ZVZgCrHy5E

One fine morning

Geoff and me discouraging the balsam

More reclamation and balsam bashing at Scammonden. We were: myself, Geoff, Tanya, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Peter, Michael, Dave and Matthew. And an honourable mention to Kayleigh, who was sabotaged.

https://youtu.be/8NphJbinncQ

Atom tan

Jess and Philip, saving small trees from being shaded out.

Still working, even in the "heatwave".

Back to Scammonden for more weeding and scrounging for stakes and guards to re-use.

Weeders were myself, Philip and Jess.

Scroungers were Geoff, Dave, Michael, Stephen, Steve, and Tanya.

https://youtu.be/HS5VWNJqQRc

Not everyone love's The Clash, but I do.

I forgot to remember to forget

Important though Summer work is, I have been very slack with recording the sessions for this Summer. Let that all change now. And I am going to cheat and just put a list up.

 Saturday 12^th July Scammonden. 2 groups, me and philip bashing on far side. Dave, Kayleigh, Geoff and Stephen retreiving stakes from SC12

Saturday 5^th July Wessenden weeding. Geoff, Dave, me, Philip, Peter, Michael, Tanya Paul

Saturday 25^th June Wessenden weeding Philip, Geoff, Dave, Paul,

Saturday 18^th June Wessenden weeding Philip Geoff, Dave, Paul

Saturday 11^th June

Spring St. Weeding. Matthew, Paul, Dave, Geoff, Kayleigh, Peter, me, Philip, Steve

Saturday 4^th June

Weeding Hey 2. Matthew, Paul, Dave, Geoff, Jess, Philip, me

Saturday 28^th May

Weeding Waller Clough and Green Edge. Geoff, Philip, Stephen, Kayleigh, Jess, Dave,

https://youtu.be/zXERHsuIyUQ

Cold weather blues

"Lean", by Tanya

 Last day of planting of the season, and we have managed to find homes for all the trees we had in stock.

We were at Scammonden planting 200 sessile oak, and 25 aspen. 

We were: myself, Jess, Geoff, Richard, Stephen, Jon, Tanya, Dave, Kayleigh, Michael, and Peter. Cake was a rather good vegan blackcurrant flapjack.

Nice and sunny, but there was a cold wind, and that took its toll on some.

https://youtu.be/ojfMCYpDda8

Friend army

Jess smiling in the sunshine, and Hap!

 Back to Scammonden to plant a further 135 hazel and 60 downy birch amongst previously planted but diseased ash trees. 

We were: myself, Philip, Stephen, Hap, Dave, Peter T., Jess, and Richard.

https://youtu.be/wTu5HXq4D-Q

Sitting and watching

Back to Scammonden. We planted 105 hawthorn, 45 downy birch and 105 Rowan. We were: myself, Geoff, Dave, Tanya, Philip, Richard, Michael, Steve, Stephen and Hap.

While sitting down having our break Geoff spotted a stoat/weasel, and most of us got a glimpse. Seems the major difference is a black tip to the tail. I don't think any of us got that good a look at it as they are pretty speedy. It disappeared over a wall. But then popped its head back up to look at us! Cute. And as far as I am aware they don't eat trees, so carry on stoat/weasel.

I think there might be a Toots and the Maytals song for every blog entry from now on.

https://youtu.be/ukXlPAm32nM

Hard times

Very occasionally trees don't thrive on a site. On this particular patch at Scammonden this was due to ash die-back disease, and an unknown problem with a batch of alder trees. So we spent today inter-planting oaks and aspen amongst the dead and dying.

We were: Geoff, Dave, Philip, Richard, Adrian, Matthew, Jess, Kayleigh, Stephen, Steve, and myself.

I think we planted 50 aspen and 175 sessile oak?

Hard times to be positive. But we do what we can. Some, like Adrian, go that bit further (literally).

https://youtu.be/zMIzTh0Lafg

More than enough

It was a nice sunny morning and quite warm today as we planted 240 trees (150 sessile oak, 60 hazel, and 15 each of birch and rowan), on the south-west side of Scammonden, to 'beat up' (replace) lots of ash we planted quite some years back that have now all succumbed to die-back. Though steepish, it was quite easy planting with soft soil making screefing and staking a breeze. There was a hold-up at the start as a car got stuck in the muddy verge which we could not budge but Jess's Dad responded to her call to save the day with his van and tow-rope. A bit more to do here next time plus a similar job higher up the hillside to replace lots of red alder (not planted by us) that died quite suddenly and somewhat mysteriously after about 15 years.

We were: Geoff, Dave, Hap, Peter, Tanya, Jess, Richard, Philip, Michael, Steve G, Joanna and small dog. Photos by Tanya and Geoff.

https://youtu.be/BzsmciMNAGU

Прекратить войну!

 

Last day at this particular spot at Scammonden. We were: myself, Jess, Lee, Philip + friend and dog, Geoff, Dave, Richard, Jon and Tessie, Julia, and Steve.

We planted 100 Sessile oak, 50 Aspen and 25 Rowan - next to an existing stand of Birches.

I probably shouldn't have been there, as I was in the beginnings of covid. And now feel quite rough. Still it was outdoors, and I stayed away from everyone. Not a big deal in the current grand scheme?!

https://youtu.be/GOwVxvGIER8

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