Saturday 13 December 2014

The Few plant the first of many

Trevor, Geoff and Duncan, amongst the frost and fog.
Here we were back at Butterley, a little depleted in numbers due to the proximity of Christmas. We were: Trevor, Peter W., Duncan and Harvey the dog, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Geoff, Dave, Philip and myself. We planted 120 Oaks, courtesy of the Trust for Conservation Volunteers. Cake was big chunks of Bakewell tart.

As an aide memoire: we have 100 hare guards and stakes, 220 deer stakes, 100 deer guards, 40 cell grown Goat Willow, 50 bare root Goat Willow, 50 bare root Downy Birch, 50 bare root Hawthorn, and 130 bare root Oak. There are, I think 60 odd trees left at the nursery too for this site. Total still to plant 380. Two Saturday's work?

Sunday 7 December 2014

Deep Gate

Hap, Geoff, Jess and Dianne resplendent in CVTS branded casual wear.
Peter is still irked that the hats sold out before he got one.
This Saturday we were planting along a local bridleway called, Deep Gate. There is older CVTS planting at both the bottom and top ends. So we were attempting to link this woodland with a new "wildlife corridor". We planted 210 trees, in several small clumps along the edges of the bridleway, taking care not to impede the progress of folks on their giant pets (horses). We were: myself, Philip, Jess, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Cath, Jolly, Trevor, Peter W., Brian, Peter T., Hap, Geoff, Ben and Steve. Dave went off solo to Butterley. Cake was Apple and Walnut. And the sun shone for at least some of the time.

Saturday 29 November 2014

Butterley once more

Vashti and Jess, and some Birch.
This morning we were back at Butterley. Planting another 205 Woodland Trust/Co-Op/ Cuckoo's nest trees.

We were: myself, Cath, Philip, Dave, Jess, Vashti, Ben, Dianne and Lizzie the dog, Duncan and Harvey the dog, Geoff, Steve, Stephen, Peter W., and Hap.

Cake was monumental slabs of home made millionaires shortbread. Wow, was said a lot. Even the greedy sorts could only manage single pieces.

Left on site are 40 Willow, 100 Hare stakes and guards, and, I think, 70 deer guards and 150 deer stakes.

Stephen and Peter, and misty Marsden.

Saturday 22 November 2014

Per ardua ad Butterley

Geoff strikes a blow for treedom
This week we returned once again to the fringes of Butterley Reservoir. Trees were provided by the Woodland Trust, stakes and guards by the Cuckoo's Nest and the Co-op. There are lots of plans for Butterley this year, with Yorkshire Water themselves getting involved in some planting. Above us, higher up on the moorland we could hear the National Trust up to something, motorised, probably planting heather.

We were; myself, Geoff, Dave, Philip, Jess, Lizzie the dog, Dianne, Steve, Ben, Trevor, Peter T., and Hap. We spent the first hour lugging materials onto site. Though we did get some welcome help from the groundsman at Marsden Golf Club, who ferried the heavy stuff some of the way in his Kawasaki Mule buggy. We want one.

So far we have taken up 360 deer stakes and guards, and 100 hare stakes and guards.

In the second hour we managed to plant 85 trees. 125 trees were left on site healed in.

Cake was ginger.