Scarhouse Reservoir: 10-07-2018

Picture Quiz - 

Today's National Awareness Day is..?????

Yes - you have it - National Don't Step on a Bee Day; the special day of the year when people get together to learn about the importance of protecting and caring for bees. 

Now, the NCVs already know a thing or two about how to improve the environment for bees, so no worries there. The only bee related concern they had today was trying to ensure that none of our little stripey friends got covered in gravel or bashed with a mallet. The reason why this could have happened was that the NCVs were helping to finish off The Upper Nidderdale Landscape Partnership project, up at Scarhouse Reservoir, where some new installed information panels needed surrounding with a layer of 'crusher run'. We'd been ordered to "bring your muscles!" by Liz - which gives you an indication of the level of input required. The photos below show the day unfolding and the job being completed.

The 5 interpretation panels were arranged around 
the inside of this beautifully built stone enclosure.

And very nice the panels were - most informative.

Unfortunately the floor below the panels was a little less beautifully constructed.
The upside was that the work area was next to the car park and the 
gravel was literally on site. All good news for NCVs on a hot day!

First of all something had to be done with the area of large stones - 
a health and safety risk if ever there was one!

This is where the mallet bashing part of the job spec came in.
The large stones had to be reduced in size.

Next the first gravel bag was split open.....

... and its contents were released.

 Once the first lot of gravel was raked out we then needed to 
fetch more large stone to create a base for the second bagful.

"I've been working on a chain gang, all the live long day..."

 Into the stone circle it went...

... where a bit more mallet bashing went on.

Then the second bag could be opened and 
its contents raked around.

HOWEVER - it soon became clear that there simply 
wasn't sufficient gravel to finish the job properly.

The answer? Give up and go home?

Of course not! Instead we all took an early break 
whilst Liz went off with the trailer to fetch another bag of gravel.

The journey was so long that there was plenty of time to make inroads 
into some of the packets of cake that Liz had brought. (Thanks Liz!!)

 There was also time to wander down to the 
dam for a peep over the wall.

The prolonged dry spell has taken its toll 
on the level of the reservoir.

Jan gave his feet a treat and took off his wellies....

... to show off his snazzy socks.

By the time we heard the trailer arriving back 
we'd even fitted in an early lunch!
Now there was no excuse - it was back to work.

 This time barrows were filled,,,,


...and wheeled to the circle....

 .... where the gravel was dumped and raked.

Yes - that should do it.
Very nice.

 No sooner had we loaded up the trailer with some of the spare stone....

 ....and all the tools....

...than two members of the public came by and read the interpretation panels.
They were very happy with the quality of the floor!

Please note that no bees were harmed in the filming of this blog entry.