Does It Rain

So in view of the weather we decided to go to the highest most exposed site we know of, and face the music. Or in this case the wind and rain. It didn't rain all morning, just enough.

We were: myself, Dave, Simon, Geoff, Philip, Tanya, John, Adrian, Hap, Steve, Stephen O., Ben, and Lee.
We were joined by a number of Friends of the Earth people, who seemed to enjoy themselves despite the weather.

We planted 233 trees - 30 Holly, 30 Scots Pine, and 173 Oak.

A point of information, we do not usually plant into Heather, but this is a Forestry Commission Woodland Grant Scheme site, and this is what they instructed us to do.

We were spoilt for cake with Hap contributing a very nice bakewell tart that he had made.

Song courtesy of Tanya's mum this week.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sI3QpAkxVrI

Rain

A brief respite from the rain. Look at that sky.

First day of planting of the season, and it rained. As it tends to. Still, we were: myself, Simon B., Jess, Tanya, Dianne, John, Stephen, Steve, Hap, Adrian, Geoff, Dave, Philip, Ben, Susan and Peter.

We planted 190 trees, Aspen, Holly, Oak and Scots Pine - not sure of the quantities as some of what we brought got taken back to base.

We were trialling our new mesh guards for Scots Pine, see below.

https://youtu.be/gzdASn-R8aw

Everything must go

Dave and Adrian

Back to Scammonden for more guard removal, everything must go, as the title says.  Misty at the start but sun came out later. All the guards were coming off, though the ones that had been on Ash trees were left on site because we weren't sure whether it was appropriate to move them elsewhere because of the dread Ash dieback.

We were: myself, Philip, Dave, Tanya, Geoff, Steve, Stephen, Ben, Adam, Dianne plus 2 dogs, Harriet and Floyd the dog, Jess, Lee, Mel, John and Adrian. Cake was apple flapjack.

https://youtu.be/uU5trjpFus0

You don't miss your water

Today we were up at Scammonden reservoir, which was empty! We were collecting stakes and guards for re-use, again. We were: myself, Dave, Philip, John, Steve, Stephen, Hap, Geoff, Ben, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, and Adam and sons and dog. Cake was ginger.

After, myself, Ben and Dave delivered 240 deer stakes and guards to the Standedge site.

On Friday the weekday crew delivered 440 deer stakes and guards to the Mount road site.

Wholestone already has its deer stakes and guards.

We are quite well set up for the Season ahead.

The weight

Floyd and Harriet

Back to Wholestone Moor to do more reclaiming and prep for planting.

We were: Dave, Geoff, Hap, Steve, Stephen, Jess, Lee, Ben, myself, Paul, Harriet and Floyd the dog, Cristina and Cath.

Big deal of the morning was carrying stuff on and off site. It was a long walk back to the cars, and Ben set an impossible standard by carrying two bundles of stakes at a time.

Planting will be in three compartments. Furthest compartment has 112 stakes and deer guards. Centre one has 215 deer guards and 246 stakes. Nearest compartment has 90 guards and 100 stakes.


https://youtu.be/FFqb1I-hiHE

Concrete dub

Geoff fresh from being dub dj, and Jess.

Today we were at Wholestone Moor, looking down on the M62, and wishing the wind would die down a bit. We were removing guards from previous planting, to re-use at this site.

We were: Geoff, Ben, Dave, Sue, Jess, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Cath, Jason, Mel, myself, Hap and Adrian.

2 cakes, jam sponge from the President, and luxurious fruit cake from Jason, plus emergency jaffa cakes from Dianne, and grapes from Hap.

We left approx 300 guards and 200 stakes at the first collection point. And roughly half that number a tthe second, furthest, point. With a bit more scrounging around we will have enough to do this season's planting up there with reclaims. We will need to take 60 shrub guards up for the holly, and 60 of the new mesh pine guards.

Me pointing at pointy sticks.

https://youtu.be/M3lYlTeJC34

Forever young

Here we were back at Pasture Wood above Marsden. Collecting more plastic and sticks. Special day today it was Jess's birthday, with birthday cake both on site and back at the pub. We were: Dave, myself, Jess, Lee, Harriet, Cristina, Dianne, Adam, Steve, Hap, Tanya and Geoff.


https://youtu.be/Frj2CLGldC4

A forest

Hap on the throne

Site meeting of the woodland management group today at Hemplow. This comprised: Hap, Stephen, Ben, Sue, Philip and Duncan (I believe). A cunning (woodland management) plan will result.

https://youtu.be/xik-y0xlpZ0