Pateley Bridge Pigeon Post
Anti-Scrub Campaign Continues
By A. Hack - roving reporter
Way
back in April 2022 the NCVs spent a good deal of time cutting down
encroaching scrub from the rare magnesian limestone grassland and newt ponds at
Ellington Banks. Now it was time to return to continue the seemingly never-ending
job. Feelings were running high when the group returned and saw how
much still needed doing. Demonstrations were held - all to no avail. The scrub just jeered at the demonstrating NCVs and visibly increased in size just to show who was in charge.
The workers
were ordered by the MOD ecologist Karen and volunteer co-ordinator Liz, to
stop demonstrating, buckle down and get on with the job. "It's action that is needed, not placard waving." they said. The NCVs realised the futility of their actions and picked up their loppers. It was time to get to work, especially given that no fewer than two previous attempts had been thwarted by heavy rain. If they didn't get a move on now the nesting season would be underway and the scrub would live to invade for another whole year!!
So - how far did they manage to
get?" I hear you ask. Read on to find out....
The task that lay ahead was enormous -
this was one side of the area.
The other side was just as bad.
The cutting down of a million stems begins with but a single lop.
lopping could soon be heard right, left and centre.
This patch was not alder or birch however.
It was the much more malign species - BLACKTHORN.
🙁
....and armfuls...
...and either given over to Anita, Tony and Ros E. to brashpile...
...or taken to Osian, Graham and Will
who were in charge of the bonfire.
...as did the brash pile.
Woven sides kept it looking tidy.
There was so much brash a second pile was
started and Andy made sure it was good and solid.
began to appear all over the place.
Now - wait a minute - what's everyone looking at here?
Answer - a pond teaming with great crested newts!!
Everyone became very excited. So
THIS is why we need to do this job they all cried.
Everyone enjoyed their two breaks in the warmer weather.
With 18 NCVs on duty it was no wonder
that the job was getting done.
Ross the dog had designs on Graham's lunch
but Graham was not willing to part with his sandwich.
Up in the sky three skeins of geese flew over.
And down on the ground a good deal
of deceased ordnance was collected.
It is an MOD training ground when all's said and done!
Graham's firelighting gillet has taken a hammering
over all his years of being in charge of bonfires.
He decided that the time had come for it to be
ceremonially burnt and looked on with tears
in his eyes as it went up in flames.
"That fire jacket has been with me since
I was knee high to a grasshopper",
he was heard to say. "Tuesdays will
never be the same again."
Andy was happy. He had been able to harvest a
handful of silver birch and alder samplings
to plant on his farm.
And then - at 2pm - time was called.
A huge area had been cleared, although lots more
scrub still remains for the next visit in March.
Hopefully there won't be any demonstrations next time!!
Days from a bygone age number 10
OK. Now this one shouldn't cause you too much head scratching, in spite of the very different hairstyle. Which NCV is looking young and fresh faced here? Take a guess and check next week's blog to see if you were right.
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