Mayfield Farm: 31-05-2022

Mayfield Farm field circa January 2019.

It is well over 3 years since the NCVs entered this field at Mayfield farm to start populating it with 650 native trees. Each year since, thanks to covid,  landowner Tony (aka 'the Bard') has had to weed each tree tube, and restore any drunken looking ones to the vertical, all on his own. This year the NCVs felt that it was time to lend him a hand, so...

...everyone turned out in force!

Armed with lump hammers and Stanley knives,

 they ventured forth to do the deed.

Mayfield farm field circa May 2022. 

What a difference to that first, treeless, view!! Time to get cracking.

The NCVs worked in a line across the field and worked downhill. 

The equine onlooker was impressed.

They stuck to the mantra "Lift it up a bit, pull 'em out and leave 

the weed ball to mark that the tube has been 'done'."

By coffee time all the tubes had been checked! 

Time to go home? NO!!! 

It is now time to go to the top field 

and pull up creeping thistles.

😦

Monet just happened to be passing and 

captured this scene on canvas.

 He entitled it 'Thistle pullers in May'.

Some thistles needed removal with a garden fork. 

The rest were small enough to be pulled straight out of the ground. 

 A prickly job, but someone has to do it!

The amphibian onlooker was also impressed 

and asked what we were doing. We explained that 

the creeping thistles needed removing so that the meadow 

can be enhanced with wild flowers.

As can be seen from the pile that accumulated by lunchtime, 

 it's no good leaving them in as they are so invasive.

At lunchtime Osian keeled over, totally exhausted.

Luckily, as is customary with Tony and Alwin, 

a superb 2 course lunch was provided. 

Thanks Alwin!!!! - and Tony.

Osian managed to find enough energy to crawl 

to the table for second helpings of cream.

Everyone sat and chatted in the warm sunshine....

...trying to ignore the very black clouds ,

slowly moving towards them..

David was sent to the naughty seat to eat his

 pudding in isolation, having misbehaved all morning.

Anita did a passable impression of a rose between two thorns.

Fully fortified, the gang set off downhill to continue pulling thistles.

Bending over was now more difficult due to the large lunch. 

Many were now working on their knees instead.

Tony spent a good deal of time shuttling up and down

 to collect the piles of thistles with his garden tractor.

And here are the majority of them 

 - ready for burning - once they dry out*!!

* see below....

Unfortunately, an hour after lunch the heavens opened 

and there was a torrential rain and hailstorm.

Everyone had to run for cover and were stuck 

under the car port for a long time. 

Eye spy while we wait anyone?

Middlesmoor: 24-05-2022

Planting Plugs

"Plug planting? PLUG planting? Why on earth would you want to plant plugs?" I hear you ask.

 Don't worry. This week's NCV task was not a way of solving a post Brexit supply problem in electrical or plumbing accessories. No - the plugs to be planted were going to grow into some lovely wildflowers instead. It was all part of the 'Farming in Protected Landscapes' (FiPL) project with Clare Foster and the Upper Nidderdale Farming Group. This group of upland farmers have been successful in applying for funding to enhance over 11 farms' hay meadows. The NCVs were helping by planting 750 plus plug plants across a network of 12 fields in the upper reaches of Nidderdale. What a lovely thing to do! And here they are - in action with their trowels and dibbers....

(NB there are few photographs this week as there was simply too much to do to spend time snapping!!)

Claire, with her clipboard, gave out all the instructions. 

The plugs not only had to be shared out between the fields

 and planted in certain types of ground,

but also needed to be grid referenced too.)

And here are the plants - 5 trays costing a total of £500!!

Species included ox eye daisy, rough hawkbit, bird's foot trefoil, betony, 

harebell, meadow cranesbill, meadow vetchling and ragged robin.

There was a LOT of walking involved - from field to field 

and from planting point to planting point.

The NCVs were going to get their steps in today!!

It was a challenge getting the plugs out of the plug trays.

The NCVs soon realised that a hi-tech poking tool was required...

namely a stick or a pen!

Everyone leant a hand with the first site - 

a sunny bank suitable for betony.

Then everyone was split into groups and assigned different species.

The plugs were very tiny, which made for ease of planting 

compared to trees with bare roots!!

Each little plant was carefully watered in.

Then - crucially - each group grid referenced. 

This entailed Ros E. racing around with the GPS and clip board.

She finished the day a shadow of her former self.

Worzel Gummidge (or is it the Angel of the North?) 

waits patiently for Ros E. to waymark his plugs. (!)

6 fields (375 plants) were completed before lunch.

 After lunch everyone moved across the valley to repeat 

the process in 6 more fields, with 375 more plants.

By 4pm those left standing were demanding overtime.

Eavestone Lake: 17-05-2022

 

Cakes anyone?

Apparently 17th May is officially 'World Baking Day'. So, did the NCVs spend the day baking? 

Of course not!! They had far more important things to do. A new venue awaited their attention at Eavestone Lake, where a footpath required attention and some tidying up of the SINC woodland was in order. The only baking that was in evidence was to be found in the NCVs' lunch boxes.

Everyone set off with a spring in their step,

 down the steep hill to the lakeside.

Once at the bottom of this hidden gem of a valley the lake 

could be admired...

...as could Mrs Duck and her flotilla of 8 little ducklings.

Half the group got busy on the first task - 

that of clearing the path of this fallen tree.

Liz got busy with her chain saw...

...and once a path wide chunk was removed it was

rolled away to allow walkers easy access.

The brash that was collected and piled

will provide an excellent habitat for wildlife.

The other half of the group set off down the side of the lake to 

find the 'tussocks' that were encroaching the path.

Once these were found the NCVs realised that 

pulling the vegetation up by hand was far more

 effective than slashing it.

The path looked much clearer once they had finished.

BUT......just a little further along the path a newly fallen

 tree was discovered, completely blocking the way. 

It was not there last week when the botany group 

carried out a SINC survey here, but it is not surprising,

 given that many trees are growing on top of bare rock!!

There was nothing for it but to walk back to the end

 of the lake, fetch the bow saws and get sawing.

By coffee time sufficient space had been created

 to allow a bit of crawling / limbo dancing. 

It was a relief when the cavalry arrived to 

lend a hand and a chain saw!

The brash was sent uphill to another habitat pile.

(Brenda was triumphant with her first kill of the day.)

All the big logs were piled down by the lakeside.

The path was clear as could be as we left.

Lunch time at the top of the lake.

Three had their lunch on the flat footbridge

 overlooking this rather gorgeous view.

Although the view from the hump-backed 

bridge was just as gorgeous!

The fourth, and final, task of the day was carried out 

on the way back up that steep hill.

The NCVs went off piste in search of trees 

that needed freeing from their tree tubes.

The tubes were brought down through the woods...

...to the path where they were removed from their posts...

...and piled up neatly for collection and re-cycling.

Tim kept them all under control with some well

placed posts.

Brenda with her second kill of the day.

Having created one pile of tubes the NCVs plodded on 

and created a second...

...and a third (there were LOTS of tubes!)....

...before giving up and going home, 

steadfastly ignoring the tubed trees higher up the path.

Liz had the bright idea of us calling in at the nearby 

ice cream parlour, as it was so warm. 

However - upon arrival everyone got rather a disappointment.

Tuesday is closing day.