Hackfall Woods: 15-02-2022

 

Long ago, back in August 2021, the NCVs made what seemed like a 2 mile pilgrimage to the Dropping at Hackfall Woods, to pull balsam and bash bracken in readiness for tree planting. This week they didn't have quite so far to walk, but it was a fair step never-the-less.

A while back a team of soldiers, wanting to do their bit for the environment, installed the 8 circular fences into which today's trees were to be planted. Thanks lads - the vols were extremely grateful that they didn't have to carry all the fencing down a very steep slope!! 

This is a trial area to see if planting can be done without the use of plastic tubes and posts. Once the trees have reached an appropriate size the plan is to remove the fences and move them across to different patches in order to protect more saplings from browsing deer.

So - this is what the NCVs did do.....

Tools were carried to where Liz had left the trees

Right - so who's going to carry the trees the rest of the way?

This elderly gentleman kindly offered to take some

 and was soon wishing he hadn't.

This young whipper-snapper hoisted a bag of 100 prickly 

dog rose onto her shoulder and strode ahead.

The path led to the top of the work area.

 It was a loooong, steep way down.

An easier route was suggested and everyone

 set off to the enclosures.

Here the 650 trees were shared out into 8 bundles 

and the 11 vols into 3 teams.

Each team went off to plant up an enclosure.

The next test was to gain access to the inner sanctum.

Ken and Dave didn't find it easy.

This team, however, broke the code in no time

 and were soon busy inserting saplings.

The fence of this enclosure was no

 barrier to the third group either.

The 'after' picture for a completed enclosure 

is not very impressive. It is very difficult to see 

the saplings. Bamboo canes are to be inserted next to

 each one to assist with future maintenance.

Hang on - what are these two up to?

Why are you eying up these poles Andy?

Ah - I see. Making some extra mini-enclosures 

for planting just a couple of trees in?

Oh - perhaps not. Liz just decided that Andy needed locking up.

See you next week!!

The first three enclosures were completed by coffee time

and the rest by lunchtime.

Good going everyone!

PS

Whilst all this was going on Jan and Phil were beavering away in the barn constructing nest boxes to be erected at various sites. Well done chaps - the birdies will be very pleased.

Ellington Banks: 08-02-2022

Scrub a dub dub

This week's venue for the NCVs was a place that used to be a regular winter scrub clearance haunt - until Covid reared its ugly head. The last time the NCVs worked at Ellington Banks (the MOD's SSSI site near Ripon) was far back in March 2020 - virtually two years ago - so it was well overdue for a visit. After all - the magnesian limestone grassland flora and the great crested newts in the ponds all need their light!

Everyone got to work, scrubbing away the scrub, and, as you can see from the photographic record for the day, made a good impact. The three men in the tub were nothing in comparison. For a start, there were a good many more than three...

And all 19 of them listened carefully to the MOD's

 ecology officer, Karen Fisher, for this SSSI site

 to review health and safety issues

 and find out what needed doing.

On arrival at the work site the NCVs were sad to see

 that an area completely cleared the very first time

 they visited Ellington Banks in 2015, was completely

 taken over with alder saplings.

There was a great deal of de-scrubulization required.

Yooo Hooo! Mind you don't get lost in there!

So the de-scrubulizers got busy de-scrubulizing.

Both up at this end of the site...

And down here. As the scrub was removed 

so the grassland reappeared.

And then - you've guessed it - 

the resulting brash needed dealing with.

NCVs were to be seen marching up and down with

 bundles of it tucked under their arms.

Now - can you remember what might happen next?

Correct! It either needed brash piling for wildlife habitats or burning. 

Like your brash pile ladies. Very neat and streamlined!

New recruit Melanie was trained in this very complex art.

Her and her partner went for the square,

 rather than oblong, approach.

At lunchtime they climbed on top of the pile to push it down. 

But there was no need - it was absolutely solid!

Post lunch piling would be upon a firm base.

Oh yes - the fire - well, you know who volunteered for that don't you? 

Got it in one. Graham and Alistair managed to coax 

a blaze from the wet brash with the 

most basic of fire-lighting equipment.

Coffee and lunch was taken in a linear fashion which, 

given the size of the group, made a  single close

 up shot impossible. Use a magnifying glass to 

identify individuals.

Some rather interesting items were found. One was

 this 'surrender parachute' which is thrown up

 in the air by trainee soldiers, flare attached,

 to signify they have been beaten.

This military make up kit was also discovered, complete with mirror.

 The instructions on the lid clearly stated 'External use ony'. 

Hmmm. Now why might anyone want to apply make up internally? 

Maybe to camouflage the inside of their mouths when

 they have to shout during action?

By the end of the afternoon it was clear 

that the NCVs had made significant progress. 

The pond was clearly visible. However, there

 is plenty more scrub to descrubulize next visit!

FOOTNOTE:

Anyone going into the NCV barn from now on will be able to admire the brand new saw stand that has recently been constructed by Jan and Phil. It is beautifully crafted, with sufficient pegs for our various sized saws to ensure that they are kept in good condition. Much better than having them all stuffed higgledy-piggledy into a barrel! Thanks chaps - much appreciated!

Picking Gill Nature Reserve: 01-02-2022

 

By Jupiter - that's a good pic!!

On the 1st February 1979 the spacecraft Voyager 1 photographed Jupiter from a distance of 20.3 million miles (32.7 million km) and got this really clear image. This set the bar very high for any NCV photographers. Could they, on this 43rd anniversary of photographical wonder, possibly achieve the same level of clarity  of the volunteers from a slightly less remote position? Well - judge for yourself. The evidence is laid out below for all to see, along with the hedge at Picking Gill reserve, so carefully prepared a couple of weeks ago and now awaiting pleaching. 

As you can see from the initial briefing there was

 a great turn out today - 20 NCVs in all!

Good job too as the first task was to shift an enormous pile

 of giant pencils that had been delivered in error. 

They had to go back to the sawmill to be

 swapped for some the right size.

Then  there was that little issue of the two large brash piles

 remaining from the last visit that needed burning

 (as well as any new brash that was produced).

 'You know who' were soon on the case. 

Luckily the majority of the trees were 

fairly thin. Nice and easy to pleach!

So pleached they were - by a number of teams.

Nice axe action there Brenda.

You too Friedy.

First time hedge layer, Chris, turned out to be a natural.

Occasionally Liz and her chainsaw were brought 

in to hurry up the process with the more sturdy stems.

Liz also provided additional sustenance at coffee time.

The most DELICIOUS christmas cake was passed around 

and gave everyone a much needed energy boost.

The alcohol level in the aforementioned cake required 

everyone to sit down and be breathalysed before driving home.

Things got a bit awkward near the gate.

Ken looked on in awe as Paul made the job look easy.

First timer Chris was given the

 honour of pleaching the final stem.

As the hedge was laid, posts were inserted.

Banging the posts in was not easy, unless you could 

tower above them like Osian (aka 'Lofty').

Next the rails were nailed on. 

"Make sure the rail line runs straight lads - up a bit at your end David?"

Finally the posts needed cutting off to the right height.

Thanks Tom!

And there you have it - a beautifully laid hedge. 

(Picture taken from the same place as the 'before' shot above.)

Even the section beyond the gate was completed.

Whilst all this was going on, higher up the hillside 

there was another kind of hedge being created - a dead hedge.

A beauty at that!

The wood for this came from some trees that

had been blown over in the recent storms.

One had damaged the stone wall.

This fallen stem didn't succumb easily, getting hung 

up in the neighbouring tree - Liz - chain saw please!!

This group also cleared the path next to the neighbouring farm 

which was full of fallen branches.

Will spent all morning litter picking along

 the roads in the immediate vicinity. 

This is just some of what he collected.

So - what's the verdict on the photographs? As good as Voyager's? No? You are right. But then the NCV cameras didn't cost a great deal in comparison, so they were working at a disadvantage. Still at least you have a rough idea about what went on this week.

Finally - remember that tiny war memorial up on the hill? Well Ted Flexman, a local resident involved in the reserve, came along to explain its background. Apparently the three men that it lists were all locals who went off to fight in the first world war and never returned. The gate post has been brought from nearby 'Butcher's Field' - so named because the field was used as a holding area for local animals destined for slaughter in the Sawley abattoir. The field belonged to the family of one of the men. The post was used in preference to a piece of bought stone, very fitting given that all three of the men were from the farming community. An especially nice touch is the poppy carved into the adjacent wooden bench (made from half a tree trunk).