Hackfall's autumnal colours are starting to appear.
Hang on - are those sweet chestnut cases or autumnal corona virus germs,
hiding in the leaf litter?
New Covid 19 restrictions are being introduced all over the North as the dreaded virus starts to proliferate yet again, but the NCVs are still allowed out to play (in a covid safe way of course!) Phew! Just as well, as Liz's email promised a busy day of woodland management in Hackfall this week. Holly removal was mentioned (yes - we know all about that from last week's Summerbridge Nature Reserve task don't we? Legs were still showing signs of holly prickle punctures a week later) and dead hedge building was also on the agenda (something else we also had a lot of practice with last week.) Regular readers will remember that our previous trip to Hackfall was adversely affected by extremely heavy rainfall - this week was not much better but, as you can see below, more managed to be achieved.
One group went down to the Alum Springs.
They were flowing freely thanks to the rainfall.
They had been tasked with blocking off this track.
It's a road to nowhere and visitors need preventing from using it
as they end up scrambling on steep, muddy slopes.
was all that was then required.
Just move to one side chaps - I would like to just check out
the quality of your workmanship.
A* in fact.
Meanwhile, team A were further up in the woods,
removing holly that was encroaching
Turner's view of Masham Church.
Yes - I think that you can see the church now.
It's over there - in amongst the mist and rain clouds.
This team were also on step clearing duty - something that will
probably need doing again by tomorrow, thanks to the leaf fall!
I think that we can give this flight of steps an A* grade too.
That's a job for another day.
At lunchtime both teams met by the pond for a riot of fun.
Things were in danger of getting out of control.
This NCV was worn out with all the partying.
It may have been wet and miserable, but at least everyone
had a nice view to look at whilst they ate their lunch.
There is a lot of ash tree felling going on in Hackfall at the moment.
Any large trees near the footpaths have to go.
One NCV has renamed this area 'The Valley of Desolation'.
The cross section of this tree shows
the reason for the felling - Ash dieback.
Some of the resulting debris was blocking the stream
to the weeping rock.
Both teams joined forces and sorted the problem out.
Well done everyone - time to go home now.
A hot shower and a well deserved cuppa is in order.
Manpower at Hackfall was somewhat reduced. A splinter group of three had to visit Glasshouses verge to shift the last of the heaps of grass left from our recent mowing. The grass and the weather was far too wet to light a fire so plan B was put into action.....
Let's rake it over here.
No one will notice it along the fence.
The compost will do the hedge good.
OK - so that's that lot sorted.
Now there's just a little matter of these
heaps at the other end of the verge.
There you go - we know the wall doesn't need compost
to make it grow, but at least it's off the main area of wildflowers.
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