Hackfall Wood: 26-04-2022

Back to the old routine...

Now that the tree planting and scrub removal season has come to an end, it was business as usual this week. Having had a week off, as an Easter treat, to recover from the dash to beat the calendar, the NCVs were able to visit Hackfall Wood today for a regular woodland maintenance session. It is a good time to visit this beautiful wood - the trees have still to come into full leaf so the woodland flora is able to take advantage of the warmer temperatures and higher light levels.

Let's see what jobs lay in store for our brave workers. 

PS - Many of this week's captions have been provided by Osian (thanks for that!!)

Another glorious day in the NCV office.

The latest conservation fashion footwear from

 the dapper birthday boy (70 but looking not a day over 21).

He was so preoccupied with getting the 

birthday cake to the NCVs he forgot his boots!!

First a briefing for 11 intrepid souls....

...then it was off downhill to see what lay in wait.

1st job - an epic sawing adventure taking 

the puff of 6 NCV lumberjacks...

...kneeling...

 standing...

...and squatting.

Also 5 NCV counterweights were 

needed to finally shift this obstacle.

Good job that tea break was augmented with some 

cracking, unctuous, rich, iced fruit cake

 from the stylish birthday boy. Mucho gusto!

The next job was clearing a drainage pipe 

the 'down and dirty' way with improvised, 

naturally sourced drainage rods.

What a brave man!

Result? One unblocked pipe and a stone filter constructed,

 with helpful indicator stick for quick pipe

 location next time clearing is needed.

Lunch was taken on the top path, enjoying the vista.

(No - not the back of Dave and Ken's heads.)

After lunch Will set about trying to remove some bench graffiti.

He was ably supported by the many eclectic items 

from The NCV Man About Woodlands' (Paul's) bag.

This photographic evidence shows that a combination 

of baby wipes, toothpaste (yes - toothpaste), water, 

rotten wood, hand sanitiser and stones does the trick.

Sort of....

The next (and main) job of the day was to reinstate 

and significantly upgrade the Alum Spring hurdle.

Keep going guys.

It ain't pretty but by God you'd need to be Red Rum to get over it. 

(Note from the ed- you may find that some 

members of the public will manage it!!)

Next the team took a short interlude to assess SS AONB's 

maiden voyage across the Alum spring pond.

Uh Oh! Time to abandon ship?

After a little footpath pruning the team had an early finish 

in anticipation of next week's apparel from

 the fashion conscious birthday boy.

Old Spring Wood: 12-04-2022

Oh I went down south for to see my Sal,

Singing ‘Polly Wolly Doodle All the Day’

Singing ‘Holly tree removal all the day…’

Sorry - got carried away there. It was a song amendment that was just begging to be heard - and it tied in nicely to today's task for a small, but perfectly formed, band of NCVs. They returned to Old Spring Wood to continue removing the holly that is encroaching on the oak trees and the blue bell lake. Care was taken only to remove trees that were not home to any early nesting birds and all the brash was dead hedged along the footpath edge in order to create a good habitat for wildlife. The photos below show what was achieved.

NB Heavy rain eventually stopped play at one o'clock, by which time everyone was soaked through and feeling cold. You may find that the quality of the pictures deteriorated along with the weather!!

Here you can see the nature of the problem.

A few brave bluebells were trying to grow 

under the dense cover but not doing very well.

The oak trees are having to compete for light, water and nutrients.

Here the NCVs have lifted the crown of the holly...

...to allow the chain saw to be deployed more easily.

Having the benefit of the chain saw was great - 

although the sheer quantity of brash created 

swamped a well used footpath.

"Everyone on clearing duty please!!"

It was all hands to the pump....

 ...to shove the brash into the hedge as tightly as possible.

Right - that's the first tranche processed. Bring on the next wave!

And on it went. Here Brenda battles bravely with a prickly opponent.

Are you checking that the top of the dead hedge is level Ruth?

Master stake maker, Paul, got to work with his 

bowsaw, billhook and lump hammer to ensure

 that the hedge was well secured with upright posts.

Tim and Tom (sound like the Flowerpot men!)

got to work on this monstrosity.

By close of play it was gone!

Not all the wood was dead hedged. The really big logs

 were piled up for drying out ready for a log burner.

The footpath into the wood from the White House Lane entrance

now looks much lighter.

What a pity we can't just wave a magic wand and make all the 

holly bushes disappear!!

Ellington Banks: 05-04-2022

Back to Descrubulisation!

Yes - this week it was a return to Ellington Banks for scrub removal - a change from tree planting. Regular readers should know the score but, in case you are new to the blog, be assured. The NCVs were not removing trees for the fun of it. There is an important reason for cutting down the alder saplings growing at this MOD owned SSSI site. The trees have to go for the benefit of the other species that live in this rare magnesian limestone grassland - the wild flowers, the invertebrates that live on them and the great crested newts that inhabit the ponds. 

So - it was a day of slash and burn, or slash and create habitat piles, as you can see below....

These two don't look as if they are going to cut down scrub!

Apparently they were off to survey the 10 ponds on site for

the 'Nidderdale Priority Pond Project'.

Obviously this little chap hadn't heard that the 

survey was happening as he was found in amongst the scrub.

There was a wall of alder saplings awaiting everyone else.

A 'mob grazing' approach was used to tackle it.

Gradually the line moved forward and cut the wall down.

Some of the brash was carted off to the fire...

...which took a bit of getting going.

The rest was taken to the brash pilers, where there 

was a bit of competition between the two teams regarding 

construction quality. This group did a great job but 

had the benefit of softer ground to insert their verticals.

This team didn't have such luxury. Their uprights simply refused 

to enter the ground. This led to a little instability.

However, by close of play, the sheer quantity of brash that

 was too wet to burn ensured that the heap would remain

 in situ for a long time to come. Points were

 knocked off for lack of finesse.

By lunchtime the first area had been dealt with ...

...so the mob grazers moved on to the area nearer to the pond.

Note the bull rush seed heads behind the saplings.

Keep looking at them....

By home time this patch, too, was cleared. 

(Bull rush seed heads clearly visible now.)

Hurray!!

Piles of been poles were loaded into Liz's trailer

 to take to her allotment community.

Special thanks to Liz for the two delicious

 cakes she treated us all to. 

Liz - we LOVE you!!!

FOOTNOTE

There was another bit of scrub removal going this Sunday too. The sand martins are due to start their nesting season soon and the encroaching vegetation, around the face of the sand martin wall at Gouthwaite reservoir, needed pruning back. This would ensure that predators can't hide and pounce on the unsuspecting birdies. An NCV, a Nidderdale Birdwatcher and a hybrid ventured forth with loppers and rakes....

This is what needed removing.

Tony, Sue and Ros E got busy...

..and soon there were two big bags of vegetation to take to the tip.

Hopefully the sand martins will be able 

to nest safely in the wall this year.