Reclaim and re-use

Brian, Trevor and Peter

A rare photo feature for the Senior Section today. Brian, Trevor, Peter and Dianne were at Marsden Golf course removing stakes and guards. With the help of the young un Jess were were able to bluetooth the photo off Dianne's blackberry onto my phone.

Guy and Philip, and many many deer guards.

The rest of us were at Scammonden removing deer stakes and guards for re-use at Parkwood. We were: myself, Vashti, Hap, Peter T, Steve, Philip, Guy, Neil, Andrew, Duncan and Harvey the Dog, Jess, Geoff and Remy. Cake was a kind of almond free cherry bakewell.

Other notable events of the morning. Hap kindly donated several prizes for the raffle to be held at the 50th, and we met Roger and Richard in the Sair, and they have very generously sponsored our room booking at the Broad Oak Bowling Club.

Back to Butterley

This morning we were back at Butterley Reservoir above Marsden, preparing to plant 400 trees that are coming to us from the Woodland Trust. We took 80 stakes and guards up with us, and then dug as many screefs as we could in the Molinia grass above "Where birds go to die". The Molinia grass is that golden (dry) looking windswept stuff, and there is no shortage of it. We were: myself, Geoff, Philip, Dave, Dan, Dianne, Peter, Trevor, Vashti, Steve, Hap and Remy. Cake was ginger, with lumps of stem ginger in it. Hopefully the trees will arrive at the National Trust Office this week, and we will be planting next Saturday.

Wholestone Moor, once moor

Ben and Geoff looking damp, but undiminished.

Continual heavy rain, wind and cold made it a gruelling morning for the three of us - me, Ben and Peter. But we got on with the task and planted, staked and guarded 50 quick-growing and hardy Italian alder trees to help with the slow growth of the trees planted on the site a few years ago. We enjoyed a brief break in the driving rain to eat some lovely cake (we could not identify it specifically but the general feeling was that it was a classic, almost like Plato's 'perfect cake'). Peter had to leave not long after the break leaving me and Ben to finish off. Two and a half hours or so later and the damp had well and truly seeped through but the work was done and the warmth of the Sair fire and a pint was very welcome.

Geoff

PS Simon, Guy and Philip were at the nursery, bagging logs and talking to a reporter from the Huddersfield Examiner. Many more people turned up for the mid-season meeting at 1pm in the Sair.

PPS Duncan and Harvey were at Merrydale, doing formative pruning?

Harvey, heroic wilderness hound.

Finishing up at Wholestone Moor

Jess in her Aldi lady-wellies and Hello Kitty rioter's mask.

Another windy morning, though with less bite to it than last week. We were: myself, Hap, Steve, Peter T, Peter W, Jess, Dianne, Vashti, Cath, Philip, Geoff, Dave, Andrew, Duncan and Harvey the Dog. Cake was the every popular Apple flapjack. We completed planting the 460 Sessile Oak and Italian Alder, with 40 Italian Alder left at the bottom of the hill for Brian and crew to do some remedial planting down there.

A windy day on Wholestone Moor

Hap and Stephen

This morning we began planting another 500 Sessile Oak and Italian Alder on Wholestone Moor, supplementing, or "beating-up" the slow growth on that site. We were: myself, Peter, Trevor, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Hap, Cath, Vashti, Remy, Dave, Andrew, Stephen, Philip, Steve, Ben and Geoff. Guy was also there early on to give project guidance. The weather was bright and clear, and you could see the cooling towers of Drax which is about 30 miles away, but there was a fierce cold wind, and it did get a bit sleety at the end. Cake was the ever popular lemon drizzle. We did wonder about the whereabouts of Mr Moriarty.

How to identify Ash dieback

The noble few soldier on at Butterley

Jess, Remy and Vashti

We were somewhat diminished today, but basically all the best people were there! Myself, Vashti, Remy, Stephen, Cath and Jess. Duncan and Harvey were working, but we think they headed off to Scammonden in the end. The weather was kind to us, only turning squally as we left the pub later on. We finished off planting at Butterley, which means this year we have so far planted 870 trees up there. Cake was chocolate chip sponge. Remy had 2 pieces.

Where birds go to die - Butterley

Guy (in Zombie apocalypse snood), Stephen, Ben,Vashti, Peter, Remy, Steve(just visible behind) Andrew

Another morning at Butterley. At the spot the that we like to call "Where birds go to die". We were: myself, Guy, Vashti, Andrew, Ben, Stephen, Peter T, Steve and Remy.  We carried on planting the TCV bare-rooted stock, and ended up leaving 75 Oak healed in below Schofields Barn, and around 75 deer guards on site. 50 are in the barn, and some scraps are concealed up where we were planting. Could possibly do with taking another 20 deer stakes up when we go to finish these off. Reclaiming stakes and guards seems to inevitably lead to some stakes breaking, so we have more recycled guards than stakes.

If we get more trees for this site then Guy's suggestion is that we continue planting up behind, and to the right of this spot, in the Molinia grass, joining up with previous planting in the clough.

We encountered the Bradford Ramblers group while we were up there. I did my best to recruit some, but I don't think I was successful.

Spoke to Ron in the Sair and confirmed the mid season meeting for Saturday 15th Feb. And gave him his invite to the 50th anniversary party.

Again we could see the Senior Section off in the distance, Brian, Trevor, Dianne and Peter.

And we had apologies from Philip (bad back), Cath (bad cat), Geoff (bad sleep) and Dave (bad bike).
No word from Jess (so, bad girl).