Hackfall Woods: 30-08-2016

Ten NCVs turned up to Hackfall today where the sun quickly came out for a lovely day. In short time we had volunteers for the 3 tasks that were on offer:

• bracken bashing

 Alistair, Phil and Jo opted for bracken bashing.

The woods looked like a tropical rain forest.

Take that! And that!
And this time don't come back!

(But it will....)

• cleaning and sanding benches

 Ros, Anita and Angela wore their fingers to the bone 

scrubbing clean no fewer than 9 benches.

Mind you - it was worth it. Kent's seat looked wonderful afterwards.

Angela took a bit of time out to admire the view 

from one of the benches she was scrubbing. 

Hardly surprising given the nature of the landscape.

• clearing silt and debris from the top Pond, near Grewelthorpe, down to the Alum Spring. 

Down in the depths of the valley a band of 4 were shovelling silt. 

This task is almost as difficult as catching hold of a cloud 

as the silt just keeps sliding off the shovel in the water.

There was also plenty of silt to shift that was a bit drier.

An intrepid explorer makes his way up the water course.

Mind your footing - we don't want any wet pants.

We met up at Fountain Pond for lunch where we enjoyed Audrey’s flapjack and watched the dragonflies. By 3:15pm the last of us had returned to the car park having completed the mission to the Alum Spring.

James

Scarhouse footpath work and scything training: 23-08-2016

Another week of choice! To scythe or not to scythe? As this is a question you don't often get asked, you just had to say "Yes please!!" However, as there were only 8 places on the scything training course with expert Steve Tomlin, the 6 other available NCVs, who were not quick enough to put their hands up, went instead to Scarhouse reservoir. 

Up at Scarhouse:

Here the NCVs carried out path maintenance and drainage work with our footpath officer Peter Lambert. This is wild, beautiful and exposed part of upper Nidderdale and they were working not far from the deserted Lodge village, so those curious could also take a look at the site of the recent Nidderdale AONB's archaeological excavation. (Follow the link for information about this.)

Hmm. That does not look good. 

What do you suggest lads and lasses?

Perhaps if we dig this bit out here...

...and a bit more out along here...

...and put in a piece of perforated piping here, it will sort it out.

What a great place for lunch!

A view to die for. Not bad for a Tuesday lunchtime 

when other folk are stuck in works' canteens.

Angela 's particularly pleased with the results.

Nothing like a good drainage channel.

This gate needed a bit of attention...

...but the NVCs soon had it sorted. 

Meanwhile at the barn.....

.... the band of would be scythers were learning all the skills they needed to help them cut the budding wild flower meadow, within the verge alongside Glasshouses Dam. Steve was an excellent trainer and made the day both enjoyable, informative and - most importantly - SAFE!! As well as the practical skills, we had to get to grips with new terminology, e.g.

• Snath (handle)
• Tang (hook on the end of the blade)
• Rib (back edge of the blade)
• Peening (hammering the cutting edge of the blade to flatten it out)

NB Two interesting facts:

1. Did you know that the first Sunday in April is International Peening Day? I kid you not. People all over the world that own a scythe get together on that day and peen their blades ready for the new cutting season.
2. The song '1 man went to mow' was used to start off a staggered line of scythers so that they didn't chop each others' legs off as they worked. As each verse started so the next man set off.

Here are the photos (and videos if you can access them) of us all in action.

Steve explained the running order for the day...

...and demonstrated how to stand holding a scythe.

First up - how to assemble the scythe.
You need to fit the hand grips on in the correct places for your arms.

Then you need to attach the blade...

...and know how to pose for a photo without slicing 
off your ear (or that of your neighbour).

 Next we had to move outside to swing the scythes and 
make sure the blades were all at the right angle on the handles.

After two hours the scythes were assembled to 
Steve's liking (sorry Anita - this blade just isn't quite right)... 

...and then we practised our swings on grass that didn't need cutting.
How easy it seemed. 

Swish, swish, swish - no problem at all. 
Hips swayed, knees flexed, arms swept beautifully.

During lunch break Dave slapped on the sunscreen and, as usual, 
Jan aired his toes - socks were still odd ones.

After lunch it was on to the long stuff - the verge at Glasshouses Dam.
The NCVs walked along like a group of Grim Reapers.
Passing motorists must have thought that their time was well and truly up.

Before we could start we had to be shown how to 
hone the blade without losing a finger. A blunt scythe is
 of no use whatsoever.

Next, Steve cut a way into the verge so that we wouldn't 
trample all over the grass and flatten it.
He made it look so easy. We would have the entire verge cut in no time.

 Then - at last - it was our turn.
Off we went.

And an action view.

Once more - swish, swish, swish - the grass didn't stand a chance.
It lay down ready for raking, nicely chopped by the newly trained experts.


Unfortunately two wasps' nests prevented us from 
doing the whole of the intended area but we didn't do too 
badly at all. 350 square metres (about 1/10 acre) in one hour.

And here's the team - all standing in the right way for the photo.

Finally, back at the barn, 
Steve demonstrated the skill of 'peening'.

A great day - thanks Steve!!

Ros E.

***

Old Spring Wood: 16-08-2016

"BOB A JOB"

NCV job scouting team:

"Eh there missus. Want any jobs doing? Very good rates - just a bob a  job - and a group of 9 highly skills NCVs to do them."

Rosemary Helme (owner of Old Spring Wood):

"Now let me think. Oh yes - I've got a few odd jobs you can do in Old Spring Wood this week. I'll give James a list and I'll see you on Tuesday."

And see us she did. We did a lot of jobs but decided to waive the fee. See the photo blog below....

Ros E.

Up in the top plantation:

 Trees planted long ago had to be 

freed from their tree tubes.

 All were thriving and had grown quite tall.

 Some of the tubes were awkward to reach 

but this didn't deter Yvonne and Mich.

 Colin sliced the tubes with surgical precision...

As he peeled back the plastic the trees 

breathed a sigh of relief.

The slugs and worms that were then revealed were less happy. 

One was heard to say, as it wiggled and slid away, that he was going 

to put in a complaint to the local council. There had been no prior 

warning of this de-tubing activity.

 Many tubes were well overdue for removal.

Trips down to the wall with armfuls of unwanted tubing

 allowed the bob-a-jobbers to see the lovely view.

Meanwhile, down in the main wood:

 First up was the creation of 6 notice boards 

using the materials provided.

These then had to be inserted at the 6 different entrances 

into the wood in order to pass on an important 

message to the public, namely:

A spike was used to provide the hole for the stake...

...and a heavy mallet then had to be wielded to knock them in.

Ta Da! That must be worth a bob of anyone's money.

After a short coffee break ...

...on to job number 2. This entailed the team walking the 

various pathways with bow saws and loppers, finding a number of 

fallen tree branches that had blocked pathways...

...and removing them.

Now that's definitely worth a bob.

Bird box monitors can now reach box number 3 in safety.

Brash piles were constructed with the resulting vegetation.

Last 2 jobs of the day involved the lower woodland

 team pruning off unwanted sycamore growth and de-tubing 

trees that were big enough to stand on their own two roots.

Lunch was a leisurely affair in the sunshine - 

very enjoyable indeed.

 Jan lent back against his rear wheel as a 

deterrent against  anyone pinching it.