Millenium Green: 12-07-2022

 

Well I never. I didn't know about that!

Tell me more.

New Conversation Day is annually celebrated on July 12 worldwide. This holiday is set aside to encourage people to talk to each other and make new friends. Well - what better thing to do than to volunteer with the NCVs and do just that?! Conservationists having conversations with conservationists about conservation!

This week the NCVs were informed that their services were no longer required to eradicate balsam at the top of the dale because.......

.....the battle has been all but won in that stretch! Hurray!! 

So - now they need to focus their efforts on the next stretch down the River Nidd from the Millenium Green Bridge to the main bridge in Pateley Bridge. Let's us take a look at what got done.....

Everyone met at the Millenium Green scout hut, where

conversation centred on who was going to go across to the 

far side of the river.

This was the starting point for the HB pulling task.

Conversation here moved on to the quantity of 

balsam that could be seen from this viewpoint.

And there WAS a lot!

Some of it very tall.

The conversation here focussed entirely on 

why this particular patch of balsam couldn't be a wee 

bit taller to save bending over.

Whilst Julia and Rachael were working they were were in 

deep conversation about the need to be armed against

 the many predators roaming the river banks.

A minute later they were proved right as an enormous 

tree monster loomed through the undergrowth.

Luckily the sight of Julia and her slasher 

stopped it in its tracks.

Brenda and Sarah considered what could 

be made from long lengths of balsam.

A new ballgown perhaps?

It is likely that Paul and Andrew, both wearing 

waders, were talking about the benefits of 

being able to work in the water in the warm weather.

Paul certainly looks as if he is feeling the chill!

Conversations with this NCV had to

 be conducted in a loud voice.

Luckily there wasn't a flash flood during

 the day.

Whilst most of the group conversed about weighty things

during the lunch break...

...one NCV preferred to try to 

push over a weighty thing.

No points for guessing what these four were talking 

about at the end of the day - 

• the good progress made 
• the excellent conversations they had had
• the fun they had all experienced (despite there being no shortage of brambles, nettles, trip hazards, serious slopes and the occasional bee or wasp sting.)

Greygarth: 05-07-2022

 

Bikinis on?

Well obviously no. At least, not if you were an NCV working at Greygarth this week. It may have been the 76th anniversary of the invention of this scanty piece of swimwear, but the idea of NCVs shimmying around in neat little two pieces whilst trying to pull balsam would break all kinds of health and safety regs. (It would probably also put everyone off their lunches!) No - full sets of protective gear were needed as the group readied their strimmers, slashers and gloved hands before heading off to do battle (again) against their hated foe.

And here they are - a small, but perfectly formed, group 

waiting patiently to go into battle.

Slasher Tom wastes no time and gets busy with his blade,

wherever the balsam was big enough to be slashable.

Many of the plants were still only at the micro-salad stage 

and needed hunting for in amongst the reed tussocks.

And there was no shortage of reed tussocks!

Liz got the strimmers out, which enabled one 

of the ponds to be strimmed within the day.

Of course, this will not have destroyed

 the micro salad leaves.

Man in hat enjoys a day out in Nidderdale.

(Dave A. can always be relied on for a smile!)

Andrew was difficult to control - 

he was dizzy with the excitement of it all.

Line up! Line up!! Feeding time!

The NCVs had to take a bit of care not to harm 

some other pink flowered plants that were growing 

in the area, such as betony and foxgloves.

They noticed that there was a good 

deal of cuckoo spit on the balsam.

This white foam is created by insects called frog hoppers

which lay their eggs in the moist blobs.

It seemed to be distorting the newest leaves and flowers.

Could it be an ally in the eradication of plant?

The answer to the last question above is probably no. BUT - a little nugget of comfort could be had by anyone reading this week's article on the treatment of balsam at Hell Wath nature reserve near Ripon. The development of that balsam eating fungus we first heard of a long time ago is now being trialled. Who knows, maybe one day this task will be a thing of the past for NCVs?

🤞