Hackfall Woods: 29-11-2016

In this post-Brexit world of uncertainty it was reassuring for the NCVs to know that our timetable for tasks is unaffected (for the time being at least!) Almost a month to the day that we were last at Hackfall Woods we returned, just as we had been expecting. The weather was glorious - if very, very chilly. Thermals were required by the less hardy members of the group to ensure that the circulation in the legs did not come to a frozen standstill like the pond water and vegetation below.

Even by lunchtime the tops of the trees were still covered in frost.

The agenda for the day involved clearing mud and leaves from the culverts along the paths and clearing scrub from the historical vistas. The photos below show some of the 19 NCVs happy in their work.

Teams were picked in the car park.

 The culvert clearing team had a job on their hands - 
where's the culvert?

 Somewhere along this line I think.

Yes - thought so!

There's another one down here and across there.

Avril and Yvonne got to work on the scrub 
covering the Fountains pond island.

Now that's looking much better girls.

Further up the hill more scrub needed removing...

... to try to reveal the view of the ruin at the top.

The culvert clearers also did a bit of bridge scraping...

... and step scraping to keep visitors safe.

Sally used her saw to good effect on a fallen 
tree to make it ready for chainsawing.

Anita helped with this task and made a brash pile 
with the resultant vegetation.

Ros K. was a little more creative with her brash pile and 
fashioned a Rudolph the Orange Eyed Reindeer instead.

Ros E.

Dacre Banks Nature Park and QGIS training: 22-11-2016

Choices,choices. So many choices!! Another week and another quandary. This time we could either:

• re-visit the Dacre Banks nature park to focus on preparing an area for sowing wildflower seed and helping with some drystone wall repairs

OR - for the more technologically minded NCVs ....

• attend the QGIS training on offer in the council chambers, Pateley Bridge. 

14 NCVs opted for the nature park and 1 for the training which was given by Jim Brightman. 

I signed up for the training having absolutely no idea what QGIS software did, but soon discovered that it is an 'Open Source Geographic Information System' - the 'Q' stands for 'Quantum'. Hmmm. OK. And....??? Well - you can use it to visualise, manage, edit, analyse data, and compose printable maps such as the two below.

There were 8 other people on the course - all of them volunteers who have been helping with the various archaeological projects in Nidderdale - so I wasn't the only student in the room.

It is probably best for interested readers to go to the QGIS website to learn more. Suffice it to say that the day was very informative (thanks Jim!!) and allowed us to use the software on our own laptops throughout. 

Whilst I was getting to grips with this IT wizardry everyone else braved the elements down in Dacre. Photos below show what they got up to.

Hay rakes were used to pull off grass thatch 
to prepare the ground for wild flower seed sowing.

Will kept a stern eye on the workers, tut tutting when things were not done correctly.

A group of NCVs with walling experience did some patching up.
It was like having to do a 3D jig saw puzzle - 
without the picture on the lid of the box to help.

Do you think that this bit goes here?
(Word on the street says that it took 5 NCVs to place one particular stone - 
either it was a very heavy stone or one that required an awful lot of figuring out!)

Ros E.

Dacre Banks Nature Park and Ripon Walled Garden: 15-11-2016

There were an impressive 24 NCVs in action today – 11 over at Ripon Walled Garden and 13 at Dacre Banks. And what a lovely sunny day they had.

At Dacre Banks Nature Park time was spent tidying up tree guards. This involved firming the stakes and weeding within the guards to prevent weeds smothering trees and also stop the trees becoming damaged by decaying vegetation. Two field mice had to be temporarily evicted from one tube in the process.

There has been a very good survival of trees throughout the whole area. Losses have been largely restricted to the spiral guarded trees but could be due to various factors. The students got stuck into shifting 2 tons of walling stone for Michael in the afternoon. A good day's work!

James

Beautiful sky as we arrived. 

The planes were keeping an eye on us.

Some of the 3000 trees that needed our TLC. 

Possibly the wings of a woodcock found on the track. 
Probably the remains of a fox's dinner.

The task ahead.

The weeds like to grow in the tubes
 just as much as the trees!

The tree now with less competition in its little tube

Yes its lunch time and the sun is still shining

Sally and the vanishing banana trick

Meanwhile, at Ripon Walled Garden the other group met with orchard expert, Barry Potter, for the second time  to participate in the next part of their orchard management training. Here we were shown how to prune the trees in order to encourage fruit to be produced, cut out rotten wood and remove branches that are stopping light and air circulating within the centre of the canopy.

Thanks to Barry for an excellent training session - and to Audrey for the flapjack!

Ros E.

We started off on the veranda.

Hoy! Dave there, at the back. Pay attention!

Now - this 'ere's a tripod orchard ladder....

... and when you're at the top you can prune the tree safely.

Barry sorts out his harness. 
"I think that this bit goes in here."

Now for a demonstration - but not for the NCVs to try out.

Everyone got busy with secateurs, saws and loppers.

Are you sure you were meant to remove such a large piece ladies?

Graham and Dave used a different kind of ladder.

Ros E. ended up sitting down on the job.

Anita and Ros had some extra tuition from the expert.

Stop!! On NO account must you prune so vigorously Jan.

Lunchtime was a very civilised affair back on the veranda.
During this time we sampled a number of old apple varieties.

Ros E.

Low Dam: 08-11-2016

Editorial Note:

Apologies to all our blog readers who have been eagerly awaiting the next instalment. Late publication is entirely due to circumstances beyond my control.

This week 17 people, including students and zoo keepers, met at Low Dam, below Thruscross Reservoir, to clear pond vegetation and cut back scrub in a wetland  that NCVs had a hand in creating several years ago. We were met there by Peter Riley, well known in Wharfedale Nats and Otley Wetlands and the expert on the Washburn Valley. He and James explained the task which involved cutting down scrub and, if time permitted, taking out some of the vegetation that has invaded the ponds. This was all for the benefit of adders, slow worms, frogs etc. as well as flowers.  It was a good day, a challenge successfully met.

Tony

The photos below give a flavour of the day..... 

 Low Dam looked lovely.

 Observation hut.

"What's through the round window today?"

Another beautiful view.

The team are briefed on the plan for the day.

 Everyone got busy with busy with bow saws and loppers.

Dave did battle with a number of saplings.

Snip, snip snip.

Ros K, Anita and Laura built one of the most
impressive brash piles we've made to date.

It will provide a good home for many creatures over the winter months.

There was fun and games for those in waders...

...but there was always a risk of being hit in the 

face by a colleague with a bulrush.

 No. It's not an NCV task - perhaps Robin Hood got lost?

Saplings were hiding the ponds and slow worm habitats

Scrub cleared!

 A good spot for lunch.

Nice to see you back after your post-operative skive Graham!!

Say "Cheese". Eat cheese.