High Ridge, Meltham

A pleasant morning planting 185 trees in a field overlooking Meltham. We were mob-handed, with help from Richard and Roger, as well as Angie and friends from the Slubbing Billies. The usual suspects were also at work, Philip, Dave, Dan, Brian, Trevor, Peter, Geoff and myself. Fine weather and the job got done in quick time. Then on to the Mid season meeting at the Sair (pub).

Guerrillas in the mist - Wholestone Moor

Trevor, Philip, Diane and Brian

Another week at Wholestone Moor, and another variety of weather. This time thick fog. Got plenty done, in a nice convivial atmosphere. We have planted around 700 trees here so far, and will now wait until the fencing contractor has been and done his work, then we will return and plant alongside the new fence. This weeks cake was a rather crumbly but delicious apple cake. Someone (ungrateful cur) only rated it 7/10, so it'll be plain cream crackers for them in future. We did do a little bit of cheeky guerrilla planting today, slightly over the boundary of where we should have been. Wild and crazy us.

Wholestone Moor week 3 - good in parts

Neil, Philip, Dave, Heidi, Geoff, Duncan, and Matt - Trevor and Brian in the distance, somewhere

A very cold day, and the atmosphere wasn't just meteorological. There needs to be some sort of tree society Oath that everyone takes, including promises not to criticise or correct other volunteers work, and not to argue unecessarily. Ask not what your tree society can do for you, but what you can do for your tree society. Aside from all that, we had a productive morning, in brilliant cold sunshine. Probably planted around 250 trees again, which wasn't bad going given that some were frozen solid and unplantable. Lets hope those trees thaw for next week, and that some of those frozen people skills also warm up.

Wholestone Moor - Finally we get to plant some trees!

Dan and Dave figure out which trees are which.

Officially then this is the second week at Wholestone Moor, a very large shelter belt site between farmland and the M62, but in reality this was the first week of real planting. I think we managed to plant over 200 trees, which wasn't bad going after having to transport the trees to the site, and acquaint everyone with the planting plan. Still deep snow in some places, and Trevor, who is six foot four, managed to go groin deep into a snow drift. So that gives you some idea. Cake was a luxurious bakewell tart. Other notable topic of the morning, Dan's new realtree multifunction gloves, with "trigger finger" (or nose picking) capability.