Hackfall Woods - 06-02-2018

It is exactly 100 years ago today that women over 30 in the UK were given the right to vote. And look where it got the female NCVs - working side by side with our male colleagues, wearing the same uniforms, up to our eyes in mud on a cold, snowy winter's day in Hackfall Woods, wielding tools other than embroidery needles and generally being equal. Yes - women's suffrage has brought with it a lot of suffering as far as the female NCVs are concerned!!

But enough of politics. Let's move instead to what these brave women (and men) were doing in this challenging, though beautiful environment. The time for the NCVs' monthly visit to Hackfall had come round again, bringing with it the normal round of landscape maintenance tasks, 

 Snow showers kept turn out lower than usual - 

11 at Hackfall with two more at the barn (see later).

Temperatures for the workers were low and 

finger tips went numb whilst waiting for work to start.

However, everywhere looked lovely in the snow.

The photos below show equality in action.

 Tom did some lopping....

...and so did Sally.

Will wielded a spade...

...and so did Sally.

 David used a bow saw...

...so Sally did too.

Conor carried brash to the pile...

...and so did Maggie.

When large logs needed team work Ros E. lent a hand.

Please note here that it is a woman 
who is at the heavy end of the log!

Let's put the issue of equality to one side and make it clear exactly what was achieved today. 

The overhanging holly by the Grewelthorpe pond 

was cut back to the fence line.

This will allow walkers to use the whole path .

Invasive scrub and brambles were 

cut down alongside the pond.

Litter picking was done as the NCVs walked from one job to another.
This particular bit of extreme litter picking shows just how determined David is.

The biggest task of the day was cutting down and brash piling scrub 
that was encroaching the view from Mowbray Castle.

James demonstrated the Looney Tunes method of tree pruning.
You have to dangle from the branch that you are cutting off.

Sharp eyed Maggie spotted these tiny little orange fungi.
Ros's fungi ID app on her phone keyed it out as Velvet Shank.

Additional News:

On Monday and Thursday last week a group of 6 NCVs and Nidderdale Birdwatchers visited both the Y1/2 class in Summerbridge and the Y5/6 class in Dacre Braithwaite schools to support them when doing the RSPB's Big School Birdwatch. Good times were had by all and the children managed to work with the adults to identify and record many species of birds. Not a single penguin or ostrich was recorded, so that's promising.The children of Dacre Braithwaite were so keen they've since asked the head teacher if they can start up a bird watching club. Result!!

Also - Apologies to Jan and Andy - last week they toiled away in the barn making another great set of new shelves and didn't get a mention in the blog. The 'Newt Quarterly' ignored them totally. So - just to put the record straight - here are the shelves they constructed. Nice one lads!!

This week Jan and Phil continued with the shelving project....