Old Spring Wood: 29-06-2021

NVQ QUALIFICATIONS AUTHORITY

LEVEL 1 module: Bracken Bashing for Beginners 

Course Code: BBB-2021

20 credits - 1 hour study online / 5 hours field work

Pre-requisite module: IWE-2020

Welcome to the latest in the NVQA's offerings of covid safe study. In this module you will learn the basics of a highly skilled technique of invasive weed control. We hope you find it easy to follow and will feel fully competent by the end of the course. All you need to do is read the step-by-step guide below and then join a band of local conservation volunteers for a day of bracken bashing to provide evidence that you have assimilated the information. You will be assigned a mentor/assessor during the day's field work. 

Please note that this module does not cover why bracken should be bashed. This was fully explained in NVQ level 1 module IWE-2020 - "Invasive weeds explained", a pre-requisite for this course.

How to bash bracken:

Step 1:

First select an appropriate bashing tool and don some work gloves.

A stout stick or grass slasher will do the job nicely.

This glove is obviously in need of replacement - once your fingers feel a stiff breeze blowing through you know that there has been a breach of the fabric.

Step 2:

Next, walk to an area of bracken infested woodland that requires bashing. 

It is advisable to tuck trousers into socks before you set off if you are not a welly wearer. Deer ticks may abound in the undergrowth and love to run up your leg to feast on your innermost delicacies.

Step 3:

Ensure that you are fully aware of the presence of any vegetation other than bracken which may be in danger of being inappropriately bashed. Here Graham demonstrates this technique with a foxglove.

Be particularly careful with ferns - ensure that you can tell them apart.

Here the bracken is the one on the left with the central stem. Ferns (right) look more like shuttlecocks.

  

Step 4:

Position yourself at a safe distance from fellow bashers and find a bracken plant to bash. Raise the bashing implement to the side.

Swing the stick or slasher aiming to damage the stem. DO NOT swing too hard. Cutting the top off the frond will only encourage it to grow from below. Please stop mid-swing if you perceive the presence of a fellow basher's body in the way. Alistair ably demonstrates a 2 step method below:

 

First gently clip the frond near the base of the stem then, when it keels over, whack it hard on the back just to be sure.

Step 5:

Be sure to collect littler as you uncover it. Always have a bin bag to hand.

For any unsavoury items found you can utilise your bashing tool to ensure you don't touch it with your hands, as Tony demonstrates with this dog poo bag.

Jumper clad arms could also be deployed ....

Here, Alistair shows how some litter could be put to good use - in this case as a headband to hold back his long fringe of hair from falling into his eyes.

Step 6:

Regularly hydrate - especially if the weather is hot. Bracken bashing is particularly warm work. Make use of various natural, or man-made features to ensure comfort when doing so.

Walls provide something on which to lean your back...

...and even the smallest of trees can provide a little shade.

Do not mislay your stick during resting periods. Careful placing of work gloves can act as a marker flag - something Ken is fully aware of.

Step 7:

Particularly important - do not get downhearted when you see a field of bracken ahead of you such as this one.

With a good team working together the area will soon be cleared...

...and in no time at all the bracken will be bashed and you will feel proud of your achievement.

Step 8:

Repeat steps 4-7 until all bracken plants in the work area have been vanquished. Do not ask the more experienced bashers if they think that the technique is effective. Their answer is likely to be less than encouraging. However - they are only kidding. They know - in their heart of hearts - that, slowly but surely - they are making a huge difference.

Interim assessment tasks (all to be completed and submitted before commencement of fieldwork):

Task A - In 500 words explain what you feel are the 3 most important things about bashing bracken you need to remember before you start. 

Task B - Draw a fully labelled diagram of a bracken basher in full swing, outlining the key learning points of the module. Use the photograph below to remind yourself of these.

Thanks to the Nidderdale Conservation Volunteer Group for the instructional images - all taken in the beautiful Old Spring Wood.