Nobody speak

Little car, big boot.

A non-work morning, but I still fancied a trip out, so I went to Scammonden and retrieved 112 stakes and a similar number of short guards for re-use.

https://youtu.be/NUC2EQvdzmY

Higher ground

Birches!

Today we were high on sunny Deer Hill, looking down on Marsden, while collecting old plastic tree guards.

We were: Geoff, Ben, Peter, Dave, Jess, Lee, Hap, myself, Cath, and Dianne.

Cake was cherry rock buns.

https://youtu.be/4wZ3ZG_Wams

A foggy day

Another day retrieving plastic tubes at Scammonden. Started out murky and foggy but got better.

We were: Geoff, myself, Garry, Adrian, Stephen, Peter,Dave, Ben and Remy. Cake was orangey.

Grant Green got a mention in the pub, so here is:

https://youtu.be/gN48UDGKPNY

I can't stand the rain

Enough rain for Noah this morning, so there was some initial confusion about whether to carry on.

In the end a handful of us were daft enough to go out.

Geoff, Lee and Jess did a tour of the Scammonden circular.

Tanya and I did a tiny bit of guard removal.

Then the sun came out and we had homemade cheese scones and ginger cake in the car park, so all's well that ends well.

https://youtu.be/g5Rjo_imHDE

Fascination

Acer Griseum -  how'd it get there, fascinating!

Today we were back at Scammonden in glorious weather, crawling around in the shrubbery removing guards. We were: myself, Adrain, Tanya, Ben, Susan and Hap. Cake was apple flapjack augmented by pears from Hap's garden.

I noticed the above paperbark maple while walking along the lane. How did it get there? Not something we would have knowingly planted, and right by the road. So a tree someone has re-homed? Or a rogue one from a tree nursery. Lovely anyway.

Second picture (there are not enough pictures according to Tanya) is of Hap and Susan's cable tie collections. Cable ties are reusable, and are hard plastic that does not break down. So we collect them. Some more enthusiastically than others.

Hap and Susan's adornments.

And finally a Human League classic.

https://youtu.be/6jULqnwsekk

Summer breeze

I spent a couple of pleasant hours up at Butterley trying out our new chainlock tree ties.

https://youtu.be/T88fbHOmvRk

Have a cuppa tea

This week we were at Scammonden again, again, removing stakes and guards. We were: myself, Adrian, Tanya, Geoff, Dave, Steve, John, Jess, Lee and Hap. Cake was pineapple upside down, and weather was fine. Saw the tennant Mr Hibbert going back and forth with his tractor and trailer, and said hello. He was happy to see us maintaining the planting.

Geoff was at the centre of a drama. He hadn't washed his flask properly and his tea cup was musty (rooky error). He was put out of his misery by Jess, who had a spare cup.

And we saw a buzzard. And Geoff found a dunnock's nest.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lw6qxDPmOGM

Skinny genes

Jess, and young person.

This week we were at Butterley. Duncan led work to improve the footpaths leading to the WW1 memorial planting that we did adjacent to Butterley dam. Present were: Duncan, Philip, Remy, Ben, Jess and John - plus some other folk that Duncan had recruited.

https://youtu.be/qxqtnWwLxYI

In the Pines

Jess, Susan, me, and Dave.

This week we were at Scammonden for more guard retrieval - it is a massive site,with thousands of tree guards that need removing. We were: myself, Lee, Jess, Susan, Steve, Dave, Geoff and Hap.

https://youtu.be/DkHbQMZvLwg

She don't use jelly

Jelly, slime, arboreal gel.

Back to Scammonden for more guard removal. Encountering again the phenomenon of some tree guards filled with slime. Lovely.

We were: Cath, Hap, Jess, Lee, Peter, Steve, Geoff, Dianne, Tanya, Ben and myself.

Cake was very lemony lemon drizzle. Weather was glorious.

40 deer guards left on site for re-use in the Winter. 2 large piles of trashed guards left near the top road. Significant number of packs of stakes ready for collection (well done Hap) - to be dried out back at the nursery. 2 million cable ties collected (approx.)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvfxKbpoxRE

Bushes and briars

Geoff and I amongst the thistles

A morning at Scammonden removing guards from some unexplainedly dead and dying alders. We will replant in the winter.

Cake was a very jammy bakewell tart. And the rain held off, mostly.

We were: myself, Tanya, Cath, Stephen, Steve, Dave and Geoff.

https://youtu.be/yJ_2SQLw6a4

The righteous path

Spent a morning at the nursery with Dave, clearing paths and tidying up. Looking a lot better when we had done. Of course, next year, instead of spending three hours on my knees with a patio knife, I am gonna nuke the paths with Round-Up.

https://youtu.be/qDuuGtWTL9k

Straight on

Geoff and Suraj

Back to Wessenden to do some guard straightening and general tidying up. We were: myself, Geoff, Ben, Dave, Jess, Lee, Suraj, Cath and Tanya.

It rained some, again!

https://youtu.be/IeEA9yuZ2G8

Summer song

So, here we were again battling the bracken. We were: myself, Hap, Adrian, Geoff, Remy, Dave, Guy and Steve.  It rained, a fair bit, but it is Summer you know.....

https://youtu.be/N-HXfMvU85g

Hold on

Two trees hold on to each other.

An added evening bracken bashing session. Rescuing some swamped specimens. We were: myself, Philip, Stephen, Sue and Geoff.

https://youtu.be/Le-3MIBxQTw

Run through the jungle

Another day of  deep, deep bracken bashing,  but nearing the end. We were: myself, Philip, Geoff, Stephen, Steve, Hap, Peter and Ben. Cake was chocolate brownies, with added fresh strawberries.

https://youtu.be/EbI0cMyyw_M

Come all ye

Over the far side of Butterley this week for bashing of the bracken. We were: Philip, myself, Geoff, Dave, Lee, Jess, Steve, Susan and Susan's sister (sorry).

Philip had his peasant shirt on today, so a spot of Fairport Convention for the tune.

https://youtu.be/Id-uy--H8tQ

Hot fun in the summertime

Another day of relentless Wessenden bracken bashing, all so those little trees thrive. We were: myself, Dave, Adrian, Steve, Ben, Tanya, Philip and John. It was very hot, my hi-tech Pro-Trek watch had a bit of meltdown, it gave a temperature reading of 30+ degrees, then refused to do owt else til it had been taken home to cool down.

Cake was a new one,  rhubarb sponge.

https://youtu.be/Bg0tFRea0wA

More bashing of the bracken. We were: myself, Dave, Philip, Hap, John, and Geoff. Sorry, I was a bit late posting this, and can't think of a witty tune for this one. S

Go west!

Philip telling Hap where he can go.

Another Saturday morning Wessenden, bashing bracken and straightening guards. We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Hap, Tanya, Remy and Ben. There was a large amount of jam sponge cake.

https://youtu.be/LNBjMRvOB5M

An unguarded moment

 A couple of weeks ago I was at the golf club talking to groundskeeper Roy about some more planting. He asked if I could pop up there sometime and straighten some guards that had fallen over since we did our planting last season.

So today I popped up, thinking it would take me half an hour to straighten "some".

It was carnage up there, like a forest of drunken men. Some of them were where stakes had broken off at the base in high winds. But lots had manifestly not been hammered in enough. See photos.

There should be no more than a couple of inches of stake above the top tie on a tree guard, in a lot  of cases there were a couple of inches of stake in the ground, and 8 or 9 inches of wasted stake above the top tie.

Here's one I found lying on the ground.

Around 30 trees had already failed because the guards were basically lying on the ground next to the tree rather than being on it. And sheep had got at them.

Hammering in stakes is hard work, and perhaps we should invest in some weightier lump hammers, but people who do find this task a bit challenging could focus on other tasks such as planting or distributing materials.

https://youtu.be/qQvr2eF5zMM

Mansion on the hill

Before, see white house up on hill behind.

After, see same house.

I was away in Scotland, but the indomitable few were; Geoff, Dave, Remy, Ben, John, Hap and newcomer Rob.

They were at Parkwood, finishing off the back field?

Actually have a proper before and after pic of the planting, thanks to Geoff and the Facebook page.

https://youtu.be/WYj7P9I15lU

(Don't) Walk away Renee (Remy)

Back to Parkwood for yet more plastics retrieval. We were: Jess, Lee, Hap, Dave, Geoff, Steve, Remy and myself.

https://youtu.be/hWUJGPBmiLE

Pale shelter

A Thursday morning at Parkwood, removing more tree stakes and guards. Myself, Dave, Hap and Stephen.

Not my favourite tree, the birch, but these ones had beautiful, young, pale (steady...) bark when you took the tree shelters off. We spent the morning crawling around in damp shrubbery (steady again...) and it was still better than working for a living.

https://youtu.be/l_kN_DJQJ3U

Carry go bring come

Ben and Sue, with bags of swag.

Back to Pasture Wood above Marsden for yet more plastic retrieval.

We were: Sue, Ben, Tanya, Geoff, Hap, Steve, Dave and myself- with Philip making an appearance for a strategy meeting and piece of lemon drizzle cake.

https://youtu.be/ZL_XdVL5ivQ

Willow

Just myself, Dave and Hap up at Butterley on a Thursday. Gathering more plastic tubes and stakes for re-use. Hap provided a very nice pear and toffee cake. We were serenaded by Willow Warblers in the little oaks around us.

Pretty sure I have used this tune before, but it is lovely.

https://youtu.be/hV0rhsMAiKM

Cherry blossom girl

Up at Pasture wood clearing more stakes and old plastic tubes from the hillside. We were: myself, Dave, Geoff, Jess, Dianne, Ben, Adrian, Steve and Hap. Augmented by some nice Cherry rock buns and ginger biscuits.

https://youtu.be/VmHTp_OVu84

Stop the dams

Hap and Dave creating a very leaky dam.

Today Dave, Hap and I were up at Butterley, consolidating the second stash of 300+ stakes and 700+ tubes for re-use. Glorious morning, with birds, bees, butterflies, and Eccles cakes.

https://youtu.be/-rDU70YBpOA

Take that to the bank

In the background, Dave's massive stash of stakes and guards.

A very last little bit of tree planting with help from the good folk of Yorkshire Building Society lending a hand. 120 Oaks got planted.

CVTS people were; Hap, Dave, Stephen, Cath, Jess, and myself. Plus YBS people.

Jess provided a tin of varied delicious homemade cakes.

I know YBS is technically not a bank (?) but this is such a good tune.

https://youtu.be/fRF8yWSelWw

Born to lose

This morning we were high above Marsden again, removing old plastic tree guards.

We were; Geoff, myself, Hap, Steve, Stephen, Dave and Cath.

The conversation was wide-ranging, and the weather was pleasant.

It was a morning when things kept getting lost, knives, gloves.

https://youtu.be/wQoDCEKZyQw

I don't believe in the sun

Inexplicably sunny this week, after two weeks that suggested it had ceased to exist.

We had a nice time planting the final 325 trees up Crimble.

We were: myself, Jess, Dianne, Philip, Hap, Adrian, Ben, Geoff, Peter, Stephen, Dave and Cath. Also joined by owner Paul (aka Neil).


https://youtu.be/L85cillM6ME

Pretty in pink

There isn't enough room on the internet for photos of all the days of work that the weekday crew have done this Winter, but just a single mention of the heroic work they have done with the logs at the Nursery. Hats off to Stephen, Hap, Dave, and Cath.

https://youtu.be/aCrrsm0U4t0

I bought the original 12" of this, and got a free t-shirt (which was unflatteringly small).

Cloudbusting

Geoff, Peter and Jon vainly try to shelter from the horizontal rain.

Rain of biblical (hellish) quantity today, worse than last Saturday even. Clothes will be drying for days. Fools to be on a hill like Wholestone in this but needs must.

We were: Jon, Simon, Philip, Dave, Geoff, Adrian, Stephen, Tanya, Jake, myself, Peter and Cath. We were joined by Chayley, Nell and the Green Building Store crew - who sponsored today's planting.

225 Oak planted.

https://youtu.be/pllRW9wETzw

Breakdown

Up Crimble Clough this week. Weather was mixed, with a hefty dose of hefty rain and sleet thrown in.

We were: Tanya, myself, Geoff, Philip, Jon, Simon, Stephen, Steve, Ben, Cath, Dianne, and Dave. Plus four Scouts and their chaperone.

230 planted today, with 295 left to plant (plus 105 gorse).

The morning was capped off by an unfortunate car fail, that left all the other cars blocked in. We ended up pulling it out of the the way with a mass of people and two tow ropes. Range Rovers, huh.

https://youtu.be/pOwlYZ_P7Sg

Woody Woodpecker

This morning we were West of Marsden, doing some woodland management. The site was planted in several phases over 15 years ago, and we were thinning out some of the nurse species, such as Birch and Larch, leaving more light for the Oaks and Scots Pine.

We were careful to leave as little trace of our activities as possible. Piling brash away from the track, and removing all the felled timber.

We were: Stephen, Susan, Ben, Hap, Adrian, Simon, Robert, Cristina, Dave, Geoff, John, Lee and Jess.

Cake was apple flapjack, plus fruit from Hap.

Philip was representing us at a "Making the most of our moorland" public event at Marsden Mechanics.

Earlier in the week I had been on site with Guy and Susan to select the trees that could be felled. While we were there we heard lots of woodpeckers in the big Beech trees at the top of the site. I think they were probably scared off by the chainsaws on Saturday.

https://youtu.be/qXBDCEcHU6U

Carry go bring come

Forgot to take a photo today as was sooo busy.

We were at Throstle Green, doing some woodland management. Thinning, pruning, coppicing, and carrying back some logs for woodfuel.

We were: John, Hap, Steve, Ben, Jess and Lizzie the dog, Tanya, Geoff, Philip and friend Jon, Dave and Susan.

Cake was ginger, plus Hap again excelled (though don't know the name of his cake).

https://youtu.be/qqn-BJc1I2c

The leanover

Happy reclining volunteers

This week we were at Parkwood in Golcar, formatively pruning trees, and reclaiming stakes and guards. It was a lovely morning, blessed further by eccles cakes!

We were: myself, Guy, Adrian, Stephen, John, Harriet and Floyd the dog, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Jess, Lee, Steve, Philip, Susan, Sarah, Dave, Tanya, Dianne, Adam, Ben and Geoff.

We removed several hundred stakes and guards, and will be back for more.

This was followed by a very productive mid-season meeting.

https://youtu.be/0SL4_DsUlH8 (cult 90's Scottish post punk spoken word)

Numbers

The trees behind were us too, but over 15 years ago.

Back up Mount Road, Marsden today. We planted 28 Scots Pine, 102 Oak, 43 Birch, 74 Rowan, 30 Willow and 15 Alder - 292 total. How's that for precise.

This leaves 2 Pine, 3 Oak, 2 Birch and 1 Rowan for me to plant on Monday.

We were: Adrian, Hap, Stephen, Philip, Dave, Ben, Jess, Tanya, Geoff, Simon, Jon, Peter, and myself.


https://youtu.be/4YPiCeLwh5o

Hey

Geoff defrosting  trees - or a garden water feature with gnome?

In attendance: Adam, Adrian, Ben, David, Diane, Geoff, Harriet, John, Jon, Philip, Simon, Stephen, Steve, Tanya.

Adrian arrived with pastries to celebrate his 60th. As Simon was away, anarchy ruled with an early break to let the trees defrost. 

Photo of Geoff de-frosting trees in a small brook, taking care not to let all the soil wash downstream.

The shelter belt was finished by planting the Hazel and Wild Service Trees in the dryer areas. Guelder Rose were planted as a woodland edge back from the fence-line as requested. The few remaining trees were used to fill up two of the field corners planted the previous week.

Cake was curranty sponge.

I was away this Saturday, so music is Philip's choice...

https://youtu.be/eNu0EKnrv8U

Pocket knife

Jess politely offers the knife to Geoff.

Today we were at Hey, looking down on Slaithwaite. We were planting some shelter corners and shelter belt on farmland. There were furry cattle, pet sheep, a really big horse, and a dog that loved to walk on walls.

We were: Geoff, Jess, Dianne, Tanya, Cristina, Dave, Philip, Ben, Sue, Stephen, Steve, Jon, Peter and Hap.

240 plants went in. With potentially another 225 to go in? If there is space.

Nice PJ Harvey tune this week.

https://youtu.be/OSOkO3Vg8Ns

Something on the side

This week were on Marsden recreation trust land, creating a shelter belt, of sorts. In this case it won't be livestock that will be getting relief, but golfers?

We were: myself, Stephen, Adrian, John, Jon, Lee, Philip, Geoff, Peter, Dianne, Adam, Tanya, Dave, Steve and Hap.

We planted 285 trees, with a similar number still to do.

Cake was Nutella sponge.

Not an entirely appropriate song, but funny. Well it was either this or Toby Keith's "Shitty golfer".

https://youtu.be/_J1jIZD4vCk

Click clack - I like trains

"Toot toot" went Granville the TransPennine engine.

Today there was cake, sweets, biscuits and we all waved at a train and it tooted at us.

No, it wasn't a trip out for the local infants school, we were planting trees at Standedge.

We were: myself, Philip, Steve, Stephen, Peter, Jon, Janette, Simon, Ben, Sue, Cristina, Dianne, Tanya, John, Hap, Adrian, Dave, Cath and Geoff.

We planted 105 Oak, 45 Aspen, 45 Rowan, 30 Guelder Rose, 30 Dogwood and 30 Crab apple.

Cake was Pineapple upside down cake, plus Hap had brought a selection of Indian sweets, which were hugely popular, and Dianne brought Jaffa cakes. I am not sure we earned all those calories.

Lots of train songs so two today, one from me and one from Steve, can you guess...

https://youtu.be/7QBkD1Xub3k

https://youtu.be/l-7WkdAdMgU

Paisley Park

Larks in the park (not a park, or Paisley)

On a relatively warm day we finished off planting at Ainsley/Paisley Barn.

We inter-planted the Oak and Scots Pine we planted last week with Aspen, Hornbeam and Rowan and also used them to make a woodland edge to those Oak areas. A three-tree-deep hedge of Blackthorn, Guelder Rose and Holly ensured that the fantastic view of Marsden was maintained. Nearer the house a banking adjacent to the A62 was planted with Guelder Rose, Dogwood and few Holly.

We numbered 16 volunteers today. We were: Adrian, Dave, Steve, Geoff, John, Ben, Hap, Jess, Harriet, Stephen, Lee, Chris, Simon, Jonathan, Peter and Philip.

A total of 255 trees were planted.

Cake was chocolate-y.

https://youtu.be/1mhL5ynXzB0