The task at Longside Farm:
7 NCVs joined Paul up beyond Ramsgill to once more scale the heights of the new tree plantation at Longside Farm. Instead of planting trees we had to:
- peer down each tube to see if there was a live tree inside. If not then the tube and post had to be removed. If there was then we checked that the tube was vertical and solid. The posts of those that had keeled over in the strong winds had to be banged in further or even removed and re-positioned.
- bash the bracken that had started to grow up in some areas of the site and would overwhelm the young saplings, if left to its own devices.
As usual on this site we had to pretend to be mountain goats - difficult on a surface that consists mainly of dry dust or stones and is strewn with old conifer debris.
The task begins at the very top of the hill.
The view is excellent - unlike the conditions underfoot!
Jan looks in vain for a clear path to descend.
Osian, Karl and Tom find a bit of
flat ground at the end of the day.
Lunch was the highlight of the day with not just one, but two choices of cake, baked by the two heritage skills students, Karl and Tom. They are fine bakers indeed and the rest of the NCVs that were busy elsewhere missed a culinary treat. It was the students' last day out with the group - we will miss them and wish them all the best for the future.
The NCVs at rest
Karl and Tom enjoy their last lunch as NCVs,
Tom in his nest of branches.....
.... and Karl in the softer seating option.
We were pleased to see that the majority of the trees we had planted were flourishing.
Ros E.
Wildflower ID training:
Thirteen
eager botanists joined Marian Wilby and Graham Megson on a delightful day of
discovery. The first hour was spent in
the classroom reminding us of the different parts of a plant and their
function. With this information under
our belts and a vast array of flower books (and even a very useful phone app) under our
arms, we headed for Scarhouse Lane to test our knowledge.
Paul Harris joined us here to continue his
project for Nidderdale Landscape Partnership, taking
photos of us peering into the undergrowth.
I don’t think any of us envisaged finding so
many different flowers in such a small area and it took a great deal of
discussion, and our combined wisdom, to identify a staggering sixty plus flowers (and that didn’t include the grasses!)
We kept to the common names; so many named
after animals (mouse-ear, hog weed, foxglove, goose grass, sow thistle, cat’s
ear, cow parsley, dog’s mercury and pignut).
There were sweet smelling leaves of sweet cicely and meadowsweet and the
pungent aroma of figwort, ransoms and garlic mustard. There were the beautiful flowers of pink
purslane and melancholy thistle and not forgetting Veronica beccabunga who was squeezed
into conversation at any appropriate time.
Anita
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