: 01-04-2025

With it being April 1st, the NCVs had to be on their guard before lunchtime  today, in case anybody played any tricks on them. After all, nobody wants to be made a fool of. They were working up at the Summerstones estate in Upper Nidderdale, removing old tree tubes from young trees that no longer require their protection, or ensuring that trees were restored to the vertical.

Let's take a look and make sure that everyone behaved themselves shall we?

Those that managed to arrive at the

 correct destination (I'll say no more!) 

got a lift up to the work site.

Just as well, as the tubes were 

way up at the top of this hillside.

They'll be comin' round the 

mountain when they come....

Once up there work could start.

Some trees had grown far from the vertical,

due to the high winds.

Not all the tubes needed removing 

but this one definitely did.

There was a thick layer of grass stuck to its trunk.

More than one simply had a tube shaped grass 

plant inside, growing around a dead sapling.

Of course, tubes removed needed collecting up. 

NNL staff member Joe was in training for 

his upcoming appearance on Crackerjack. 

All he needed was a cabbage.

Tim did some ad hoc bird watching through 

his tree tube telescope.

(There were curlews and buzzards to 

be seen.)

The tubes were shoved into

builders' sacks and carted off 

in the mule.

Amy enjoyed the trips up and

down to the farm to take the filled

bags off the hillside.

Breaks were very pleasant in the sun...

...particularly when Dawn broke out

the tin of apple flapjack.

Thanks Dawn!!

The loneliness of the long 

distance tree tube remover.

Eventually the job was all but finished 

and things were looking fairly upright

and de-tubed where necessary.

And not a single prank was played.

There was no time for April fool tricks!!

Ellington Banks: 25-03-2025

 

Now - if you read last week's blog entry you will probably be able to guess what was going to be on the NCVs' agenda this week.

Yes - that's right - a continuation of the push back of encroaching trees from the magnesian grassland and newt ponds at MOD training ground Ellington Banks. The fact that poor coordinator Liz was off sick was of no consequence. She simply called on her deputy to take up the reins and crack the whip.

Let's see how the gang got on - there was a lot still to do. Good job they had a good turn out as there was plenty of lopping, sawing, dragging and burning on the job list. 

Yes indeedy.

Plenty of alder here

to keep everyone busy!

Everyone set to, nibbling away at the edge...

...and carting off armfuls of brash...

...to the excellent fire that Andy

 and Ken managed to build.

There was a lot of low level lopping and sawing.

And over here - some high quality

 habitat building was happening.

Cut stumps gradually appeared

all over the place.

Coffeetime and lunchtime were

particularly enjoyed...

...thanks to the appearance of two

boxes of excellent cake.

Thanks Anita - and Happy Birthday!!!

At 2pm time was called and,

amazingly, the area was just about 

cleared. 

All that was left were the very soggy remains

of the towering inferno.

By the way - while the NCVs have been busy in recent weeks, Jan has been beavering away at home making 4 superb owl boxes for putting up at various spots in Nidderdale.

Well done Jan - let's hope they get well used!!

Ellington Banks: 18-03-2025

     

Pateley Pigeon Post   

MOD steps up training
by war correspondent A. Hack

With all the uncertainty in the world today, it is important that countries have the means to protect themselves. This week, at the MOD training ground at Ellington Banks, I was invited to visit to find out just how the UK is developing its defence capabilities. I arrived to find large numbers of camouflaged soldiers and military vehicles - just as you would expect. 

However, I was rather taken by surprise by an additional group of army personnel. They were wearing navy blue:

...and had arrived in modern cars: 

The only sounds that could be heard throughout the day were those of the natural world and the clipping of loppers and the the rasping of saws:

There was also the sound of the laughter and chatter, rather than gun shots and explosions:

The only smoke came, not from bombs, but from a bonfire, which two of these MOD 'eco warriors' (for that's what they called themselves) got going as soon as they arrived.

Apparently they were in training for the battles against invading alder and birch armies intent on taking control of areas where great crested newts, butterflies and moths and rare magnesian limestone grassland flowers live. And there was plenty of material for them to train with - both near the car park:

...and further away:

They explained that, by practising their skills at Ellington Banks (where this is an ongoing issue), these eco-warriors would be fighting fit to be sent anywhere in the world where such conflicts flare up.

Here are some further pictures to give you a better insight into how the MOD trains the foot soldiers that they normally keep quiet about. 

They were made to work in  teams at either end of the site:

Many of them were having to carry heavy bales of brash to the fire:

Any squaddie that failed to use the approved 'over the shoulder' method soon  realised their mistake as they started to lose their load en route:

The army provided very healthy extra rations when the troops were allowed a short rest. A packet of lemon puff biscuits and orange flavoured chocolate biscuits ensure they got two of their 5 a day  fruits. Citrus fruits too, to avoid scurvy developing:

Some of the brash was made into habitat piles - the making of which developed the important skills of understanding how to store sticks both horizontally and vertically:

Two of the squaddies got into trouble from Sargeant Wilson for sunbathing at lunchtime. They both claimed that they were simply demonstrating what was meant by 'horizontal':

The Sarge told Private Ken not to be cheeky and was sent off to hammer in vertical stakes:

Discipline was harsh. Private Anita, overwhelmed by the hot weather, decided to do a strip tease:

That did not go down well! Captain Mainwaring sent her off to the cooler and ordered her to stay there for a week. When Private Amy commented on the harshness of the punishment she was made to do 50 sit ups with the extra weight of the company dog Gus sitting on top of her:

By the time the training day came to an end it was clear that the strict discipline had paid off. Both ends of the area were well clear of invading scrub. It was truly remarkable to see such a crack team in action:

I think that you will agree, we can all sleep soundly in our beds knowing that these eco-warriors are ready for battle whenever they are needed.