Dacre Banks Nature Reserve: 25-04-2023

"My! How they've grown!!" 

Yes. These were the words that came to the lips of many of the NCVs who were in at the beginning of the Dacre Banks Nature Reserve, way back in Nov. 2015. Back then it was an empty field being planted up with around 4000 trees. Now it has become a proper woodland - all in only 8 years!

 

Then...

...and now!

Of course, you can't just plant trees and forget about them. Landowner Michael was now in need of a helping hand with tree tube removal, so the NCVs girded their loins and went into the removal business.

 

They entered the reserve through the kissing gate.

 Don't worry - no kissing went on!

 

Everyone spread out and started to slice down the 

lengths of the tubes. Some could be done 

with more or less straight legs.

 

 Others required a kneeling posture...

 

...and others a crawling position.

 

The worst were the ones that required you

 to squeeze between the merciless spikes 

of the blackthorn. Well done Ruth!!

 

Once sliced the tubes had to be opened out with 

surgical precision - as ably demonstrated by Andy.

 

A large number of trees had simply done

 the job themselves - bursting out of their tubes.

 

It was hard to believe that the tiny tube 

to the left of this mighty trunk 

had once dwarfed its, now huge, inhabitant.

 

As tubes were removed so various communities 

of wildlife were uncovered. Colonies of 

ants were disturbed and immediately 

started running around carrying their eggs.

 

These little black beetles seemed to enjoy 

the tubular protection. Sorry guys!

 

Snails were often found, complaining bitterly

about being revealed. 

This toad was very grumpy when carefully 

removed from a horizontal tube.

A mouse made a dash from this hole

 once Paul started work on the tube.

 

Some of the tubes had taken their toll on the trees 

inside, such as this one that will, forever,

 grow in a right angle form. 

The workers enjoyed their breaks in the sun and

swapped their experiences of last Sunday's 3pm

emergency alert. A number did not hear it, or recieved

it too late to swiftly concoct a tempory nuclear 

shelter out of a table and a kitchen door.

Of course, tube removal generates 

additional tasks, such as tube carrying to the pathways;

 

...removal of the stakes from the tubes; 

 

....and tube transportation off site. Luckily landowner 

Michael could deploy his tractor to assist with this.

 

Brave Dave took his life into his hands

to cross the Bog of Eternal Stench in order

to collect the tubes on the far side.

Luckily being an Olympic gold medallist

 at the javelin came in handy here.

By close of play many tubes had been removed. But, of course, with 4000 trees on site there are still a few more to do!!

Days from a bygone age number 14

This regular quiz is now coming to an end as the supply of available photos from a bygone age have all just about been used up. However - we do have this one to end the series with.

So - who is this happy little soul we have here? Take a guess and check next week's blog to see if you were right.