Twelve volunteers and a three strong Heritage Skills student team met at the recently spruced up car park for Hackfall Woods on what promised to be a warm day in the woods.
A much improved car park surface awaited the NCVs.
We spectated as a large bull knocked over a tree guard due to his scratching.
There's nothing like a good 'ol scratch on the bum.
Armed with gloves, bracken bashing sticks and curious intrigue as to how much Himalayan Balsam would be growing at this point in the season, the group descended into the woods.
Tantalisingly small pockets of balsam were visible with even less bracken. However, being the dedicated ruthless conservation volunteers we are the team soon discovered the pesky invader’s hiding places and set about extracting all balsam specimens large and juvenile.
Coooeee - Balsam! Where are you?
Can't see any here.
Oh - there you are.
Hmm. A bit on the puny side.
Never mind - let's get going.
Now - who do these particular rear ends belong to?
Of course - we should have known.
Anita and Ruth - two outstanding areas of natural beauty.
Roving volunteers also cleared footpaths of fallen trees and overhanging branches.
Mich and Tom clear the obstacles...
...and make a nice neat brash pile out of the way.
Student Hannah models the latest in balsam pulling headgear.
After a tea break in the shade of the woods the attack renewed as volunteers quickly got their ‘eye in’ on the non-blooming, unsuspecting balsam.
This patch of Herb Paris (a rare little plant) was spared eradication.
Lunch was a civilised affair in the warm sunshine on the uncomfortable stones of the riverside. However, Tony’s wife had baked a truly prodigious amount of three different cakes for the group to celebrate Tony’s birthday. How we missed Jan’s cake eating abilities.
Down by the riverside.
Lovely view!
The cake was welcome - but not even 15 people could eat it all.
Thanks Alwin!!
The afternoon proceeded as per the morning. Pleased with the area stripped of balsam and wondering how much would grow back during summer the last of the tired hot NCVs made the long ascent to the car park and home around 2:15pm.
The search continued.
A balsam free area. Hurray!
Osian
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