The new "Anniversary" CVTS t-shirts have arrived!

Now available in a variety of sizes in dark green and dark brown, ideal for tree planting, and light blue for more casual wear. £4 each. And I'll bring them with me next Saturday morning.

Me, modelling size Medium in dark brown.

Sunshine and heavy rain - first day of the season!

Beginning planting, old Tree Society planting of Hemplow Wood in distance, looking nice and Autumnal.

A fairly representative kick-off to the season. We were at Butterley Reservoir, and we comprised: myself, Dave, Remy, Hap, Stephen, Steve, Helen, Cath, Vashti, Geoff, Andrew, Duncan (and Harvey the dog), Ben and Jess. We planted 250 trees, a mix of Oak, Rowan, Birch, Wild Cherry and Field Maple. Perhaps not ideal varieties for that site, but those were the trees the Woodland Trust gave us. Cake was a lovely moist chocolate cake. And we left 20 trees and around 100 deer stakes and guards on site. Plus two mattocks hidden in the bracken. First half of the morning was brisk but sunny for the most part. Second half cold and very rainy. Ben and Jess were both without waterproofs (rookie error) and later on were steaming in front of the fire in the Pub. At least the cold and rain makes you appreciate the log fire in the pub, and later a good hot shower.

While we were doing all this, Philip Guy were at the Nursery selling our logs. And Dianne, Peter, Trevor and Brian were at Meltham Cop removing old guards.

Photos by Geoff,  as I spent all the sunny hour dragging stakes and guards up the hill.

Dave went back a couple of days later and planted the 20 remaining trees, and counted 91 deer stakes and guards still on site.

Assembled throng break for chocolate cake.

More Butterley prep

There are now 300 deer guards and 330 deer stakes on site at Butterley. First day of proper planting will be (fingers crossed for delivery of trees) Saturday 9th November.

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.