Bare rooted at Butterley

The folks on the hillside.

One of the tags from our TCV trees.

This week we began planting 450 trees that came to us courtesy of the TCV Big Tree Plant initiative. Unlike our usual supplies these came bare rooted, which caused some consternation. Bare rooted require a slightly different planting technique, and care has to be taken that the tree roots don't dry out. We were: myself, Stephen, Peter T, Geoff, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Remy, Cath, Vashti, Jess, Andrew, Philip, and Ben. We think we planted around 200 trees, but it is harder to keep count of the bare rooted sort, as they come in big sacks, rather than in handy packs of 15. As a note for next week, we left 95 deer stakes, 120 deer guards, and around 45 hare stakes and guards on site.

Once again we could see the Senior Section on a far hillside, removing guards at Marsden Golf course.

Fetching, carrying and de-guarding

Everyone in awe of Philip's knot-tying skills.

While we wait for our next deliveries of trees we occupied ourselves by reclaiming deer guards from Scammonden (Duncan, Harvey the dog, Geoff, Dave) and transporting new stakes and guards onto the Butterley site (myself, Vashti, Hap, Stephen, Philip, Ben, Jess and Andrew). From Butterley we could see Brian, Trevor and Dianne working away on a far hillside removing guards. Butterley is a great site, just so flipping far from any road.

Blogging about logging

Dave and I spent a couple of hours moving the last of the logs from Throstle Green to the Nursery drying shed. We used the moisture meter on them and fresh cut they read 27-30%. I think the white coloured logs are Poplar, and the orange, Alder.

Our logs

Timber and no tantrums

Vashti, Harvey the dog, Duncan, Stephen, Alison, Guy's arse, Ben, headless Steve, 1/3 of Remy.

Today we were at Throstle Green Farm for a morning of woodland management, involving formative pruning and timber extraction. We were: myself, Stephen (with chainsaw), Philip (with Chainsaw), Duncan (with Harvey the dog), Ben, Remy, Alison, Cath, Vashti, Andrew, Steve, Dave, Neil, Julia, Guy, Mandy (and friend). We had mad christmas style cake, and soup warmed up on the fire.