Even Wintery-er at Butterley

Made several solo trips up to Butterley Clough to check out where to plant this season. Took some stakes up, and retrieved some left over from last year. So there are already 150 deer stakes and 150 deer guards on site, plus 50 rabbit guards and stakes. Of last years planting the Sitka Spruce and Rowan are doing well. Oak seemingly less so. This years planting mix will be a mixture of Rowan, Oak, Birch, Hawthorn and Blackthorn, a standard mix supplied to us by the Woodland Trust. We are planning to do this work on the morning of 17th December.

Older planting is doing ok. Sitka Spruce and Scots Pine grow well. Birch grow well, but then suffer from die back. Rowan grow well. Oak grow, but slowly. Hawthorn grow, but even more slowly. Older planting using only rabbit guards has been a bit hit or miss, given sheep incursion and grazing.

And it rained or hailed every time I went up. Photo is from my second trip .

Getting a bit more wintery up at Scammonden

Philip and Ramsay hard at work.

Quite a damp and chilly morning up at Scammonden. But we did plant 170 Ash, 15 Lime and 55 Hawthorn. With universally acclaimed home made Eccles cakes at break. We were: myself, Ann, Philip, Geoff, Andrew, Ben, Cath, Stephen , Dave, Ramsay, Brian and Trevor.

Scammonden - a day of three teams

Very nice photo of Julia and Neil, courtesy of Geoff

Today we were at Scammonden again. We ended up working as three teams. There was the Senior section, comprising myself, Brian, Peter, Trevor and Diane - we planted Crab Apple and Hawthorn below the path. Duncan and the Outlane Scouts, who planted Crab Apple above the path. And the Young 'uns, Geoff, Andrew, Stephen, Cath, Ben, Julia and Neil, who planted Ash and Lime on the hillside. In all I think we planted 95 Hawthorn, 30 Crab Apple, 90 Lime and 65 Ash. A grand total of 280, which was pretty good going considering we were missing Philip (self-inflicted ailment), Guy (feeling non-specifically wan) and Dave, who worked at the Nursery.

The Senior section at work, Duncan and Outlane Scouts further up the hill.

Helping Honley High School

Today I went to Magdale Fields, Honley, to act as "technical assistance" for a group of Honley High School students and their teachers, who had received a pack of trees from the Woodland Trust. We planted 20 trees on the edge of an open grassy area, under the supervision of a representative of the Honley Village Community Trust.

We were on BBC Look North

Last night we were the subject of a report on Look North. They filmed it a couple of weeks ago, when we went out on a Monday and planted 120 trees at Scammonden. We don't normally plant on weekdays, but this was to suit Look North. Myself and Guy were interviewed, and the report was generally good, though it might have been nice if they had mentioned the CVTS by name.

Scammonden Week 1

Making our way back to the cars afterwards.

First real day of planting at Scammonden reservoir for this season. We were: myself, Philip, Ben, Andrew, Stephen, Dave, Geoff, Cath, Peter, Ramsay, Brian, Trevor, and Peter. We were also joined by Duncan and Outlane Scouts. Guy was planting on another part of the hillside with Longwood Scouts. We planted about 300 trees, Sessile Oak, Rowan, and 60 Birch, which wasn't bad going for a first day on site, with all the associated moving gear around and getting the planting plant straight. Cake was jam sponge.

Tea and cake time.

Scape School and the Woodshed

Ramsay, Brian, unknown, and Trevor (Trevor looks offside to me)

A day of two halves. Philip, Brian, Duncan, Ramsay and Trevor went to Scape School thinning some old planting. This was done at the request of Scapegoat Hill Junior and Infant School, where we had helped them plant a shelter belt of trees about 10 years ago.


Myself, Dave, Andrew and Ben put the roof on the new timber drying shed. Fruit cake was divvied up before setting off, so everyone got some. Oh, and I put another 128 Common Alder in root trainer trays, for planting in 2 years time?

Ben and Andrew, Dave behind shed working.

A grand design

Just like something off of Channel 4, Dave's grand design for a timber drying shed has come to (almost fruition). With the help of Philip, Andrew, Dan, Ben, Stephen and a local joiner they got the bulk of the structure done this Saturday.