Scammonden scroungers

Steve, Remy and Geoff, with the fruits of our labours.

This morning we were at Scammonden again, retreiving stakes and guards, and weeding where necessary. We were: myself, Remy, Geoff, and first-timer Steve.It was a bit damp and drizzly at first, but cleared up by the end. We salvaged 67 Hare stakes and guards, and 33 Deer stakes and guards . All of which we left piled up behind the wall below Baker's Acre planting.

Dave and Guy also served, working at the nursery cutting up logs and trimming hedges.

Comments on the general state at Scammonden, lots of good growth across the site, with relatively few failures. Sitka Spruce (?) along the top of the site are not doing too well. They are small, tiny in fact,, and getting swamped by grass in the tubes, but not all dying. The relatively large proportion of salvaged Hare guards represents the higher failure rate of Scots Pine and Sitka Spruce.

Butterley prep work

This morning myself, Ben, Geoff, Duncan and Harvey the dog took more materials up to Butterley. There are now 240 deer guards on site, and 290 stakes (I think). First day of planting is likely to be early to mid November, as the nurseries are not putting out the deliveries of trees until then (ideally, trees should be dormant for the winter before handling and transporting). We shared de-caff coffee, and some Foxes biscuits while we were up there. And Geoff and Duncan photographed lots of mushrooms.

Ben takes a well earned break.

Drizzle and odd jobs

Not the most lovely of mornings, but we set to a variety of jobs. Dave and Ben worked on the fence. Philip and Guy cut and bagged logs. Myself, Geoff, Remy and new recruit Vashti took 160 stakes and 180 guards up to Butterley, and got fairly wet doing it. Duncan went to the Golf course to do some pruning. Cake was the ever popular date and walnut.

Reclaim and re-use.

Tubes for re-use this Winter.

The stakes and guards that we use to protect the young trees are quite expensive, and in these financially distressed times it pays us to scour the hillsides for tubes that either the trees have outgrown, or in some cases where a tree failed to grow at all. Because of the high volume of planting at Scammonden, over several seasons, there is a lot of scope for reclaiming.

We retrieved 46 deer guards and left them by the fallen pine at the Northerly end of the site, and another 35 left under the tree above the Scout hut car park. We will return to the site in the coming months and plant new trees using those stakes and guards.

We also found 120 stakes and guards from the other end of the site, and took those to Outlane, for planting there.

We were, Stephen, Remy, Dave, Ben, Philip, Neil, Trevor, Jess and myself. Guy and Mandy were also on site, but at the other end. And we were joined by local journalist Marie-Claire, and her dog.Cake was lemon drizzle.

Sad to say though that we did find evidence of deer having nibbled at the young trees, despite our use of tall guards. It was most evident at the end of the site, next to some established woodland, suggesting that the deer lie up in  the woodland, and pop out for a bite to eat now and then. I suppose its nice that we are supporting biodiversity, even if that does mean providing snacks for deer.

More fencing, and a plague of flies

Myself, Dave, Geoff and Ben met at the nursery. We put up a bit more fencing, then split up. Dave and Ben stayed on to tidy the nursery, and myself and Geoff went up to Scammonden. There we removed 48 deer guards and 21 hare guards from failures, from the area nearest to the pines and start of the Scout hut track. We piled up the stakes and guards nicely, and can return to replant using those this winter. Geoff and myself only covered small area of the hillside, but still found 70+ failures that can be replaced. Re-using the stakes and guards in this way will save us a great deal of money, meaning we will be able to plant 2 trees on site for every £1 donated. A £250 pledge from the Green Building Store will enable us to plant 500 trees.

 There were a lot of flies up there though. And lots of nettles. We were very brave.

Fencing masters

Dave despairs of the standard of our workmanship.

So, a Saturday morning spent working on our new Nursery fence. Myself, Remy, Dave, Ben and Philip. Cake was apple flapjack, made with Nursery apples no less. Remy still wasn't impressed. Philip went and bought some post-mix and we erected six posts. Sometimes it was all a bit Eric Sykes, but mostly we got the job done. Then we went to the Sair, and discovered that the jukebox has been re-stocked with stuff like obscure Magazine tracks and Killing Joke songs. Peculiar.

One of the muppets at work, and a soft toy we found in the bushes.

Wood, weeds and woolly hats

Hats for all!

A game of two halves this morning. With myself, Geoff, Jess and Dianne going to Fieldhouse to weed. And Guy, Mandy, Neil and Julia staying at the nursery to do cultivation, weeding and cutting up logs. Homemade oat biscuits were provided for all, and the sun shone for most of the morning. New CVTS woolly hats were snapped up by all, including Trevor who came to the pub afterwards.

Three men in a field picking wild flowers

Me and my bouquet.

Philip, Geoff and myself went to Fieldhouse to strip out Ragwort, and a do bit of weeding. It was stupidly humid and I lost about half my bodyweight in sweat, but there are worse ways to spend a Thursday evening. Almost all the trees are growing despite vigorous competition from Ragwort and grass. Some encroachment by brambles and knotweed along the top edge of the field though. Need to keep an eye on this.