Finishing up at Butterley

Trevor and Dianne. You can see previous weeks new
planting in the shade on the opposite side of the clough.

Our last week (for this year) at Butterley, and we planted 136 trees exactly. 16 Oak, 30 Rowan, 15 Hazel and 75 Scots Pine. Trees and stakes guards were again provided by the Woodland Trust and Marsden Cuckoo's nest charity shop. We were: myself, Trevor, Geoff, Remy, Ben, Cath, Jess, Dianne, Dave and Hap. Cake was a very nice apple flapjack, made with the last of the apples from the nursery. Glorious sunny morning, and not too cold at all. Dave did some more pruning work on the Larch in Golf course phase one, and disturbed an owl. We ate more of the cake when we got back to the pub.

(Butterley) Reservoir dogs

Trevor, Duncan and canine friends.

Second week at Butterley Reservoir, planting Woodland Trust Trees with Cuckoo's Nest shop stakes and guards. We planted 120 Birch, Oak and Hawthorn. We were: Remy, Ben, Hap, Trevor, Peter, Stephen, Dianne, Philip, myself and Duncan. Dave was the other side of the reservoir doing formative pruning. Cake was a very nice pecan nut and fruit cake. Late on in the morning we were joined by a pack of errant hounds, we don't know where they came from or where they went, but they were friendly enough while they were with us. Memo to self: 5 trees on site still need deer guards.
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First day of planting of the season

Some of today's trees stakes and guards. Dianne digging. And in the very far top left, some other volunteers on the far side of the clough.

Today we were at Butterley Reservoir for the first day of planting of the Season. We were..myself, Philip, Dave, Duncan, Dianne, Jess, Cath, Geoff, Remy, Hap, Ben and Peter. After some organizational two-ing and fro-ing we settled down to plant on two spots facing each other across the clough. There were some attempts at shouted communication across the divide, but mobile phones worked a bit better. We planted around 150 trees total, and have a similar number left to do next week, but the heavy carrying and stressful organisation is done. Trees were provided by the Woodland Trust, and the stakes and guards used were funded by the Marsden Cuckoo's nest charity shop. Cake was provided by my mother, as usual, and was cherry sponge.

If only all training days were like this...

This morning we were joined by Ben Scotting of Yorwoods, who graciously tutored us in the art of woodland management. We met at Guy Edge, an area of woodland owned by Kirklees, but planted by the Society in the mid 1960's. The trees have been left largely to their own devices since that time, and for the sake of public access and biodiversity they need some attention. We have a management plan agreed with Kirklees, but we needed some professional input into our pruning and thinning activities. We were, myself, Philip, Ben (Godfrey), Stephen, Peter, Dave, Guy, Duncan, Neil and Dan. Ben (Scotting) was a brilliant trainer, with lots of practical advice, but also tons of entertaining tree facts and lore. Between talks we did some path clearing and formative pruning. We will return to Guy Edge several times this winter, and do more of the same. We had homemade Parkin at breaktime, and Mandy made provided us with sandwiches, crisps and biscuits at the end. And the sun shone, and we finished with beer in the Sair. Not a bad way to spend Saturday morning at all.

I just wonder where sleepy, dopey and bashful have disappeared to...