Three men and a baby scots pine

Philip, Dave and Hap apply remedial straightening

Back to Butterley for the last Saturday this season, and it was a lovely day, with good folk and good cake. We planted 200 assorted trees above the Clough, and 50 Oaks down on the fringe of the golf course.

We were; myself, Vashti, Hap, Philip, Dave, Stephen, Peter T., Cath, Geoff, Ben, Tanya, Guy, Isabel and Mandy. Brian, Trevor, Duncan and Harvey the dog were over the golf course side.

Cake was a very popular and successful pineapple upside down cake.

The only down of the day was that we lost a further 30 Oaks to critter attack. They were healed in on site, and something ate all the roots.

200 deer stakes, 90 deer guards, and 50 hare stakes and guards are stored for next season.

ps on 16th July we added another 100 hare guards to the stash, found them on another part of the hill while bracken bashing.

Wholestone Moor Week 3

Back to Wholestone Moor, to plant another 150 Sessile Oak and 100 Italian Alder to augment the trees that are already (slowly) growing up there. We managed this with relative ease, and had time to reclaim a bunch of 75cm guards and stakes for re-use, plus a shedload of cable ties. We were: Jess, Emma, John, Hap, myself, Philip, Geoff, Ben, Cath, Peter T., Peter W., Steve, Duncan, and Harvey the Dog. Cake was fruit sponge. Weather was passable, bit damp at first but dried up.

In the evening Geoff screened the tree people trailer at Marsden film club, before the main feature. We also took the tree Society banner along. We only sold one DVD, but all publicity is good publicity.

Wessenden Valley Eco Walk

Today I attended a kind of outdoor conference, organised by Guy Thompson of White Rose Forest. Representatives of a range of interested parties (Natural England, RSPB, National Trust, Woodland Trust, Moors for the Future, and the CVTS) walked up the Wessenden Valley and discussed habitat restoration, habitat protection, and planting of clough woodland. It was a very positive and educational affair.

Wholestone Moor week 2

Geoff, glistening with melted snow.

Back to Wholestone Moor, for more "beating up", that is extra planting to supplement trees already there. We planted 250 Italian Alder and Sessile Oak. We were: myself, Hap, Philip, Geoff, Trevor, Peter W., Peter T. Stephen, Steve, Cath, Dave and John. Cake was chocolate brownies. Weather was extremely variable, sunshine and snow, though bitterly cold throughout.