Lovely larch, just too many

Up above Marsden thinning a small area planted 30 years ago. Trees removed were mostly larch, which were intended as a nurse species while other trees got established.

We were; myself, Jess, Dianne , Philip, Stephen, Dan, Cath, Geoff, Dave, and Jon.

Jess made parkin.

Everyone looking lovely in hi vis

The woods

More woodland management. This time there were 6 of us in the woods themselves. Myself, Dave, Stephen, Jon, Peter and Philip. Lots of carrying - and more good wood on site that we didn't have the time or energy to move. Be some sore backs on Sunday. 

Back at the nursery receiving all the bounty were Geoff, Cath, Hap, Ben, Dianne, Adam, Jess, and Chayley. And they had flapjack. And deckchairs.

https://youtu.be/CFjw5gJ3xv8?si=wcxUehY1fZ6F2Krz

Wood

Two groups working this morning. 

Philip, Stephen, Dan, Dave, myself, and Peter were in Marsden - thinning out some trees planted 20+ years ago. Carefully selecting the nurse species, and the weaker of the main species -  allow light and shade, and strong growth of the remaining trees.  Some significant squirrel damage was noted to some trees.

Mick was kindly using his large trailer to take the felled material back to the Nursery....

...where, Jess, Dianne, Adam, Ben, Geoff, and Hap were merrily piling it all up, and cutting some of it into logs, or loglets.

In/appropriate Taylor Swift tune.

Rattlesnakes!

Geoff, Dan, Dave, Philip H., Ben, Steve G., Sam, Tol and Jim cleared all remaining the guards from High Wood on Saturday (leaving just a few on some more spindly of the newest trees). This covered quite a wide area across different eras of planting. About six bags of guards were taken by Dave straight to the tip. The whole site is a lovely, quiet, green oasis now though the himalayan balsam needs some serious tackling.

As a significant update to this, Philip H got stung on his leg this morning. Later, seeing as his foot was starting to swell he went to hospital. They told him he'd been bitten by an Adder. Needless to say this has never happened before. And assuming Philip ever comes out to play with us again he will be given some sort of award like volunteer of the year. I hope he is feeling better.

https://youtu.be/gSc46sEZdl4?si=g6HToU1zdP8PfuTz

Pinfold

Geoff, Jess, Dianne, Dan, Philip H. and Ben de-guarded this site today. We left a few on some of the more spindly oaks and sweet chestnuts. Spoke to Chris the owner at the end and he will remove these in due course.

 

One patch of trees was mostly dead (about 25). Don't know why but probably lack of water. Maybe beat up at some point - Chris was keen and he spoke about more trees on the site. There isn't a great deal of room but worth looking at I think.

 

We retrieved 45 good deer stakes which are now in the polytunnel. 

On the beach

An hours solo bracken bashing, then beachcombing on the sand at Butterley. Found a fragment of slipware (18th century plate?) Along with the usual broken willow pattern stuff. And a few beer cans.

A bit of appropriate Neil Young?

Nursery

 A day tidying up the nursery. Geoff, Dave, Jim, Dan, Ben, Jess, Tanya, Philip H., Dianne and Philip B.

Dogwood

 Some light guard removal at Rochdale Road. Geoff, Dianne, Jess, Steve and Dan.

https://youtu.be/A2Clk74vDwI?si=DQO9sTnLf5VRQEcN

Heroes

1005 trees (67 bundles of 15), kindly donated by CFH. These will be the basis of 3 planting projects this Autumn. CFH got in touch with us via Matthew at the Employer Engagement team at Kirklees Council.

https://youtu.be/fCTt0VDNJaQ?si=LrvgdD_2wR2l6QJT

So it goes

Foreground previously done, back newly done.

Back to Butterley for a bit more solo work rescuing some small trees overwhelmed by bracken. Muggy, midgy, sweaty work.

https://youtu.be/UCaf8woXAeM?si=2DKRr5orv57fJTYh

Shady Lane

Shady looking bunch

Weeding and guard collecting on the far side of Scammonden, ground planted in partnership with White Rose Forest, who paid us for aftercare. We were; myself, Geoff, Dave, Philip H., Philip B., Dan and Jim.

https://youtu.be/ixncbflEqes?si=1ZV9Zxdjx-1LOgwA

 Weeding at Rochdale Road, Geoff, Philip B., Jim, Philip H.

Weeding at Hey Knowles, Geoff, Philip B., Philip H., Dan, Chayley, Matthew, Jess, Dave, Hap.

Bracken bashing at Butterley, me, Geoff, Philip B., Paul, Dan. Jim

 Bracken bashing at Willykay Clough. Me, Geoff, Dan, Paul, Jim.

Ghetto

Bracken bashing at Willy Kay Clough. We were; myself, Philip B., Geoff, Dave, Ben, Dan, and Jim.

Willie Kent (Willy K?) Chicago bass player.

Devil's haircut

 Light duties today, trimming a hedge we planted years ago, so that it doesn't overhang a road. We were; Sam, Ptol, Dave, Dan, Peter, Geoff, and myself. A small amount of tidying and guard removal also occurred. Lovely day.

https://youtu.be/aa3rBVb3v4g?si=AzG2-ExTsfSi84Zh

Hold on

Dead grass, but also unwell plants. Hold on little plants!

This week we were weeding a previously planted site above Slaithwaite. Most of the plants looked good, but a few had been damaged by some over enthusiastic use of weedkiller.

We were; myself, Philip H., Dianne, Philip B., Dave, Jim, Peter, Geoff, Sam, Ptol and Matthew.

https://youtu.be/Le-3MIBxQTw?si=9Mj8lTYY0ZRAtwVa

Fire in the hole

That's a lot of bags.

This morning we were in WillyKay Clough, Marsden Moor,  helping the National Trust clear up after the most recent moor fire.  A lot of the recently planted trees and their deer tubes got burned, so we were removing the burnt plastic

We were myself, Sarah, Matthew, Paul, Philip H., Dianne, Sophie, Alastair, Stephen, Tanya, Dan, and Cat from the National Trust.

We filled 9 builders bulk bags.

Matthew!

Where we were

https://youtu.be/9PwkU4nsJM8?si=rOzAB8fYtQx-XkzC

Crimble!

Geoff, Dave, Hap, Chayley and Steve visited Clough to collect some old tree guards that a local resident had brought to our attention.

Fantastic day

 

Carter's spears 

A twofer today.

At Cowlersley myself, Tanya, Dan, Alastair, Matthew, Chayley and Peter planted 105 trees to finish this site.

At Slaithwaite gate Philip B., Philip H., Hap, HuDianne, Jess, Ben, Dave, Geoff, Jon, Tess, and mystery guest planted a 250 hedge.

https://youtu.be/FHPjSTtKBkw?si=zbjF_lfS4tak0mSS

New gold dream

Gold!

In Marsden, putting in 585 plants in two hedges (thickets). We were; Geoff, Dave, Jim, Philip H., Philip B., Cath, Chayley, Dan, Peter, Hap, Alastair, Jon, Tess, Paul, Alfie, Philip B., myself, Matthew, and Tanya.

https://youtu.be/GWAC4UeWGd0?si=XcONZeVrljy2JfSU

The night they drove old Dixie down

Dixie and Trixie

We were back at Pymroyd again. We were; myself, Dave, Geoff, Tanya, Sophie, Alastair, Hap, Steve, Stephen, Dan, Philip B., and Philip H.

Plus 6 excellent members of the public.

505 plants got put in, but we still have another 105 to go in.

https://youtu.be/wanJQC5KAfo?si=wgsbKbONN_o_-vLe

Going up

The little Land Rover that couldn't.

Up above West Slaithwaite today, planting 105 trees, and 250 hedge plants.

We were; myself, Dan, Cath, Jess, Tanya, Geoff, Philip B. plus friend Jon, Peter, Stephen, Matthew, Paul W., Dave, Paul, Alfie, Andy, and Ptol.

We had use of a Land Rover and trailer, which was nice. But it would have been even better if it had been able to go up the field as well as down.

Nobody knows why the Land Rover couldn't get back up the field.

https://youtu.be/Gt8depJXlX8?si=57CSZ5FHlW-BNHju

Standing on the shoulders of giants (us, we are the giants)

New planting above and around our old planting at Butterley. I'd feel better about this if we had not been  stopped from doing it years ago, and are now contractors are getting paid to do it. Still, we did start the ball rolling.

https://youtu.be/kleqF3X1_l4?si=OkcgRVfAhmzSSw-M

Kite festival (Back in '74)

Back to Pymroyd, another 445 trees and shrubs planted. There were 16 of us; Dan, Matthew, myself, Geoff, Philip H., Philip B., Jim, Jon, Tess, Chayley, Sophie, Dave, Hap, Paul, Stephen, and Alastair.

We saw a red kite (bird, not stringed sort)

https://youtu.be/x5-xIfubiuY?si=Aix_vWbsrh397OPX

Don't let me down

 Back to Pymroyd and another 410 trees and shrubs planted.

We were; myself, Sophie,Tanya, Geoff, Dave, Philip B., Philip H., Hap, Peter, Dianne, Jess, Alastair, Ben, Matthew, Jon, Cath, and Chayley - and seven members of the public recruited by Kirklees.

Everyone did splendidly.

Still digging the Beatles rooftop thing.