Reservoir Logs

The official first day of our new planting season is 1st November. Today was another summer maintenance day. The circular walk around Butterly Reservoir had become blocked by fallen trees in the pine plantation. These were large trees and a chainsaw was necessary to clear them. Philip and Guy had done a proper risk assessment. We marked off the path with hazard tape. There was much debate about a strategy but once we had agreed on one, Guy marked the cuts on the trees with spray, and Philip set about them with the chainsaw. I took photos, and Dan lopped off branches with a pruning saw, and cleared debris. After that, and after a coffee break, we walked over to a nearby farm to meet the new owners and discuss planting in their fields.

Summer work

I havne't posted recently because our planting season is Autumn through to Easter. In the summer months we meet occasionally to visit new sites, or do a spot of maintenance on existing ones. We look forward to the occasional balmy summer evening of a bit of light work and then a pint. More usually it pours with rain and then we go home to get dry and warm. Summer?! Anyway, this evening Philip and I visited White Hull Farm to inspect some trees planted at the beginning of last season, and spoke to a couple of householders nearby who are thinking of getting us to plant on their land. The first photograph is of a small Rowan tree, struggling bravely against the tall grass.



The second photo is of Philip pointing over towards Green Owlers, a site planted about 8 years ago. Not many of the trees on that site have thrived, a result of some grazing by sheep, and maybe not good soil. As you can probably guess from the glowering clouds overhead, it tipped it down shortly after this.

Four seasons in one hour. A site visit to Huck Hill

Tree planting is officially over for this season, so this mornings outing was a site visit to Huck Hill above the Tunnel End, Marsden. We were accompanied by Jeff and Patrick from the Kirklees Environment Unit, who were advising us and Ian, the landowner, on how to further develop the site. It was a preliminary discussion, with flora and fauna audits to be carried out a later date, but the discussion with Jeff and Patrick was very useful. The area we were visiting has been fenced off from grazing for around 2 years now, and Jeff was keen to note the natural regeneration of plantlife in that time. Unfortunately, it decided to snow heavily as we were walking up the site, and so all the low lying plantlife was somewhat obscured by that. We did see some natural regeneration of small Grey Willow/Sallow trees and Heather, and examples of Cowberry and Polytricum moss (as pictured above). By the time we were walking back down the sun was shining and it was a lovely day. By the time I had walked the half mile home, all the snow had melted away. I think it fair to say that Jeff and Patrick were keen that we be sensitive in our further development of the site, that following the flora and fauna audits we could plant small areas of appropriate low lying trees such as Blackthorn and Hawthorn, and that this could be a positive contribution to the transition between wooded valley areas and upland heath.

Philip, Patrick and Jeff from the Kirklees environment unit, and Ian, whose land this is.

I sloped off home after this visit, but Philip and Dave went off to plant a last few Hazel trees at Marsden Golf Course.

Only fit for ducks. Back to Scammonden, and a visit to Mecca.

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Another morning of work to finish at Scammonden. Once again we were led by Brian in a session planting in and around some underused farmland. Brother was it wet. The pet ducks illustrate this. We planted alder and willow in the dampest corners, and some pine and hawthorn where it was relatively dry. Once again whiskey was brought. And the cake was as substantial luxury mincemeat slice. After planting we were taken to Brian's favorite drinking hole, colloquially known as Mecca. Pints and pork pies were got in. Very good. But the scantily clad ladies calendar was a bit non-PC.