Hackfall and Duck House Farm: 20-09-2016

It's 'Take Your Pick' time - with your host Michael Miles!!

MM - Which would you prefer? A seed collecting and drying course at Duck House Farm, Studley Roger, or a day in Hackfall Wood, Grewelthorpe, 

NCVs: That's a tough one Michael. Can't we just take the money?

MM - Sorry - no money on offer this week. Just a day of pleasant study and field work or a day of tasks in lovely woodland. Clock's ticking away. I must hurry you for an answer now. It's make your mind up time.

We all had a think and made up our minds. The majority of the NCVs (12 in all including the students and their tutor) returned to Hackfall Wood and just 2 plumped for the training day. Over to our roving reporters to give us the latest in NCV adventures......

Hackfall Wood:

One brave soul set off with teak oil and a mountain of cloths to find the various seats scattered far and wide throughout the wood. She was never seen again except for lunch.

Four souls went a-roaming the paths of the wood, lopping, sawing and tidying the vegetation. They too weren't seen again - except for lunch.

Meanwhile pity was shown by two from a stream clearance team on the lone volunteer bashing a hillside of bracken.

A team of six fought their way up stream to aid the flow of water to the Weeping Rock and try to discover the source.

After lunch at Fountain's Pond all activities were finished by 2pm. The last of the troops enjoyed (?) the long haul to the car park, smelling the sterling work of the bench oiler, seeing the impressive results of the bracken bashing three and appreciating the path clearance of the other four.

The day was a fine one with good views 
across to the North York Moors.

 The latest in outdoor wear for the younger man about town.

Lunch by Fountains pond.

These three little pigs made their house with stone.

Sally the oiler oils away the day.

A bashed area of bracken - once again!!

Osian


Seed collecting and drying course:

The 2 other NCVs joined a number of other volunteers and interested individuals in the Lodge of Duck House Farm, near Fountains Abbey. 

Inside the lodge - what a venue for a training day!!!

After a brief introduction to hay meadow restoration from Tara Challoner (the AONB's farming and wildlife officer) and wild flower seed collection from Sarah Green (from the Forest of Bowland's AONB office)  we went out on a guided walk and seed collection foray led by Neil Watson (the Duck House Farm estate manager). We were collecting seed from a number of different species that set seed during the late summer and which, therefore, get missed during the earlier hay making season. (e.g. rough hawkbit, knapweed, teasel, lady's bedstraw, betony.)

 Sarah shows us how to tell if the seeds are fertile.

Neil points out the many, many species that are now growing 

in abundance in the Duck House Farm meadows

Everyone gets busy collecting seeds of various kinds.

Four miles later we arrived back at the lodge for a lovely buffet lunch (courtesy of the estate owner - thanks very much for this!!). After lunch we were all given information about how to dry the seed we had collected and the equipment needed to do this. So - some homework is in order!! 

Anita can't believe her luck - a plastic box, a kilner jar 

and a hygrometer in our party bags!

Once dry this seed will be spread in one of the hay meadows that is currently being restored in upper Nidderdale. You can find out more about the Nidderdale AONB's Hay Meadows project by clicking HERE. Now that we have all the equipment we shall be able to collect seed throughout the spring and summer when we are walking out and about.

Thanks for a good day's training Tara!

Ros E.