Fencing at Sparrow Hawk Farm - Part 4: 25-06-2013

Well - here we are again - as happy as can be. Ten NCVs reported for duty at Sparrow Hawk Farm on the hillside above Pateley Bridge. We were pleased to welcome a new NCV to the group - Osian.
Three others joined Paul (our leader) for grass identification training with Marian Wilby down in the council chambers. Photographic evidence of this can be seen below: 

Anyone know what this one is?

Marion consults the identification key 

whilst Hannah waits to be enlightened.

If you have been reading this blog recently then you should know the system as far as Sparrow Hawk Farm is concerned, as this was our fourth visit. We were continuing to erect the three fences that are needed to protect newly planted trees from being grazed by livestock.
So - for the benefit of new readers (or to reiterate for dedicated followers) the various tasks that had to be carried out included:

1. Erecting thick straining posts at each corner or bend along the run of fencing. This means digging very deep holes through very rocky ground. One of these holes had to be curtailed as running water could be heard underneath so thought that we'd better stop before we ended up with a water spout.

             

John and Jan dig down and down..... "I say Jan, I think we'd better stop, I can hear water!"

  

 Meanwhile, in the other corner of the area, 

Will and Osian use the giant tweezers and then 
add the finishing touches to a straining post.

  

Tony (the new) shows off his shapely calves 

- summer has definitely arrived.

2. Knocking in the fence posts 3m apart between the straining posts - easy when you say it quickly but finding out the best places to knock them in takes time. If you hit a rock with the post the end bends up and a post is very difficult to remove once it is in part way. Even more difficult is removing a post that is completely knocked in - something that had to be done twice when we realised we'd put them on the wrong side of the string line.

The string line is carefully laid out 

(ready to be ignored in two cases!)

Graham makes sure that this post is perfect
- no need to dig this one out, thank goodness!

3. Attaching the pig wire, ensuring that it is pulled taut with the special tensioning tool before being stapled to the posts. Only Anita had actually used this tool before so she was promoted to 'tensioning tool team foreman' (forewoman? foreperson?). She then cascaded her knowledge to three other NCVs, training them up into a crack team.

                 First you do this....  then you do that....  then you just pull this and.....

.... hey presto - a fence!

4. Attaching a strand of barbed wire around the top of the fence - no chance of getting around to this today I'm afraid.

Today we were working on the third and final fence (a trapezium shaped area). We worked hard from 10 am until 3:30 pm, managing to get jobs 1 and 2 completed and starting job 3 along one side of the trapezium. One more visit should finish the job off.

The day was glorious, as was the view. Digging and post knocking doesn't seem too bad at all on a day like today. Even better - our hosts, Kit and Megan, supplied a wonderful feast of goodies at lunchtime. 

A lunchtime spread fit for a king
(or a group of hungry NCVs)

(or a group of hungry NCVs)

The two cakes and punnets of strawberries were much appreciated and a competition ensued between Jan and Graham to see who could create the highest swirl of cream on top of a strawberry. I think Graham won but I can't be sure; Dean and Anita enjoyed the outcomes anyway.

Jan creates the first cream tower.

Anita and Dean eat the record breaking attempts.

Ros (E)

Bracken Bashing at Old Spring Wood: 18-06-13

What a beautiful day for bracken bashing, the weather was lovely and the concept of bashing something sounded like a wonderful day ahead to relieve stress. More seasoned volunteers will have guessed this was my first time, I wondered why they didn’t seem quite as excited as me.

Twelve volunteers and their leader marched into the woods carrying their bashing sticks after a briefing explaining both the concept and the difference between bracken and ferns. Who are the good guys? Nothing is simple, we have to identify the enemy before bashing!

Sticks at the ready  - bring on the bracken!

The first half hour was quite enjoyable picturing well know politicians as I flattened the bracken; very satisfying, but after an hour when arms were beginning to ache a coffee break was unanimously called. It was one of the longer coffee breaks I had encountered on my volunteering so far.

The NCVs are glad of an opportunity to stop for a photo opportunity. The smiles are becoming slightly forced as the joys of bracken bashing start to wane.

A bit more bashing and it was lunch, with talk of a second front in the lower part of Spring Wood. We did make a big impression, the bracken gave up without much of a fight and we all felt victory was ours.

Slowly the ground starts to clear and the precious wild flowers can now be seen.

Dave - you've missed a bit - it's behind you!

In its favour bracken bashing does come out just ahead of Balsam pulling; thank goodness it was such a beautiful day and in such lovely surroundings.

Terry M

Himalayan Balsam pulling at Hackfall Woods: 11-06-2013

Today we had a good number of volunteers to carry out the task - Paul and his eleven NCVs were joined by four of the Hackfall volunteer group. We needed this kind of manpower as the job involved pulling up rather a lot of Himalayan Balsam, an invasive species that must be eradicated. For those readers who are wondering why we should want to do this I am including a website link that will explain it all far better than I can: http://www.gardenorganic.org.uk/organicweeds/weed_information/weed.php?id=96

Himalayan Balsam - a worm's eye view.

Some people argue that it is an excellent food source for bees but, unfortunately, that is its only redeeming feature. It is threatening to overtake Hackfall Woods and we need to get rid of it - and quickly. The aim is to stop it flowering and setting seed otherwise it spreads at a rapid rate of knots. 

Terry M. quite enjoyed the beginning of the day. It was his first time pulling balsam and the first patch we tackled seemed thin on the ground and easy to deal with. Hmmmmm. He soon changed his tune. After an hour the job starts to take its toll on the back muscles. As we moved down the boundary path we saw that the plants were getting more and more numerous; taller and taller. There was acres of the stuff. To add insult to injury it was growing amongst brambles. And nettles. And holly.

When they saw what lay ahead, Bobby and
Dean wished they had had a prior engagement

We took turns of collecting up the piles and transporting balsam in wheelbarrows to the boundary wall. There it could be dumped into compost heaps and chopped up with a spade to prevent the plants trying to make a come-back. 

Standing aside to make way for a speeding barrow, Graham takes the opportunity to straighten his back.

At lunch time one of these heaps came in handy as a nice soft sofa upon which we could eat our packed lunches. It was satisfying to know that we had got the better of that bit at least.

After lunch we decided to change tack as there was no way we could remove it all in the time we had left. We moved further into the wood to what appeared to be the edge of the infested area and started working backwards towards the boundary. That way, we thought, we could slow down the balsam's spread. However - it soon became apparent that the balsam was one step ahead of us. We were surrounded by it - this was certainly not the edge of the area! 

Hannah stands to take stock of the situation
- and despairs!

With just half an hour left, and our backs starting to complain bitterly, we tried yet another method: marching in a line and just trampling it down. This turned out to be an efficient way of dealing with the problem but whether or not it will have killed off the dratted stuff remains to be seen.

A view of the aftermath of the task - brambles still all standing.
Is that some balsam I can see? Paul - you've missed a bit!

Although Hackfall is a beautiful environment to work in there is one disadvantage - at the end of the day you have to toil back up the hill to the car park, carrying tools and pushing wheelbarrows. I think that Dave B. deserves special mention. Not only was he meticulous in removing the tiniest of balsam seedlings throughout the day but also pushed a barrow all the way up the hill by himself.

Some Tuesdays we go home knowing that we have finished a job. This was not one of those days. As I left the woods the wind was wafting through the remaining tracts of the weed that we never managed to reach and I could hear the sounds of yet more balsam seeds starting to germinate. I suppose that we have at least made a start. I think we said the same thing last year!

Ros (E)

Sparrow Hawk Farm part three! 04-06-2013

What a glorious day for the third week at Sparrow Hawk Farm. There were 8 of us plus Paul so we divided into two groups. One group concentrated on attaching the wire to the posts which had been put in last week around the second area of trees and the other group tackled the third and final area.

...whilst team B get busy adding the wire
to the posts erected last week.

We marked out where all the straining posts needed to be then carried all the posts, mainly uphill, to approximately the right position. We were able to move and replant 10 trees which made it easier to get a good line from each straining post. Then came the hard bit, digging the post holes deep enough! We started with spit and pick, then crowbar and 'tweezers', but finally resorted to hands and knees. When our arms weren't long enough we decided the hole was deep enough.

Team A get to work on the straining posts (note the need for sun hats!)...

...whilst team B get busy adding the wire
to the posts erected last week. (Fencing 'thingy' back in use.)

Lunchtime was spent sunning ourselves, admiring the view and feasting on cherry pie, ginger cake and strawberries kindly provided by Kit and Megan.

Mmmmm. Cherry pie, ginger cake and strawberries.

Progress was slower after lunch as it was so hot but we managed to get three straining posts in place around the final area. The fencing wire around the second area was completed, except for the barbed wire, and looks very impressive.

Impressive fence indeed!

Paul decided to postpone an afternoon of Cowslip seed gathering at Low Grantley.

Chris S

Sparrow Hawk Farm part 2: 28-05-2013

Well - it certainly didn't look very promising first thing. The rain was pouring down and only three NCVs were available to join Paul at Sparrow Hawk Farm to continue with the fencing work started last week. However - once we got up there:
a) the rain eased off 
b) we were joined by two new volunteers (Dean and another Tony)
Hurray! We now had sufficient man-power (and woman-power - which is even more powerful) to do something worthwhile.

The first job entailed putting in the two straining posts for the main run of fence. Easy when you say it quickly, but it turned out to be a job that lasted all morning. Deep holes had to be dug and many pieces of stone had to be removed. Long heavy spits and the giant tweezers were used to good effect and - hey presto! - two straining posts were erected.

Dean was a whizz with the tweezers.

Tony (the new) gets to work with a post hole spade.

We had started the morning with a random chat about this and that when it came to light that Paul is a didgeridoo player (how cool is that?). This inspired Ros E. to dig just that bit deeper for her post hole. She was determined to reach Australia to find an instrument for Paul to give us a tune. John had to retrieve her before she reached the Earth's core.

"Don't worry Ros - my arm isn't long enough to reach you
but I think we might be able to find a rope to pull you out."

Whilst the NCVs were digging Paul had made a first trip to the wood yard to get more fence posts; so before we broke for lunch we carried these over to the site. Anita then did the most important job (fetching the lunch bags) and used this opportunity to check the height of the posts on the other side of the field. She cleverly multi-tasked on her way back in order to remember how high above ground they needed to be: 

Packhorse Anita marking the all important level.
"I must not move my hand. I must not move my hand..."

After lunch we split into two teams of three. One team continued erecting two more straining posts and the other started banging in the fence posts with a post knocker. Hopefully the posts will be seen to be in a good straight line when we return next week. (Well - as straight as they need to be.)

Team A on the straining posts. Paul gives
Tony (the new) a demonstration on how to  lean on a log.

Strainers all in place, Paul then trundled off to the wood yard again to buy more posts. We carried on knocking. And on. And on..... As we knocked we counted sets of ten - in English, in French, in German and even to "eeny, meeny, miney, mo, knocking posts in as we go". I think that the last of these was the most productive as one post went in a good few inches more than it should have done.

We finished the day pleased with our work - all the posts around the second area of trees are in place for the wire to be added next time AND - all the posts for the third and final area are stacked, on site, ready for use.

Ros E.

Fencing at Sparrow Hawk Farm: 21-05-2013

Three groups of trees, which had been donated by Friends of Nidderdale and planted by Open Country for Kit and Megan at Sparrow Hawk Farm, were in need of  stock proof fencing and this was our task of the day, or two, or three!

The day began for the nine volunteers with a gentle climb up the hill to Sparrow Hawk Farm to loosen our muscles and prepare us for the day’s work out.   Paul took his little car loaded down with all the tools we would need, but unfortunately the posts, wire netting and barbed wire were not able to be delivered so off Paul went to load up his poor car with yet more materials.  In the meantime the site was measured out and work began on digging the holes for the straining posts.  

Once the posts arrived they were carefully positioned equal distances apart, but without a long piece of string it was difficult to agree on the line.  The boys seemed to see a different line to the girls – we knew we were right (the girls that is) and we (the girls) set to with the post knocker knocking them into place to the required height.  All good exercise for the abs although someone did say theirs were absent!   Too many innuendos around knockers and best not put in print!

Right girls - let's just get on with it. This is
definitely the right line for the posts.
(Julia volunteers to do the hardest job - holding the measuring stick .)

 

Turn and turn about ensures no-one gets too tired.

And straight the line was -
- right down the field. How simple it all looks. 

With the posts in place a well-earned lunch was taken in the sun overlooking the valley beneath – a magnificent view to Coldstones Cut.  The cuckoo could be heard calling for a mate and a large juicy slug ambled onto our picnic site.  A discussion began as to how this tasty morsel could best be enjoyed – with a pinch of salt, a little tomato ketchup on the side or, since it is a snail without a shell, maybe with a drizzle of garlic butter!  Such intellectual conversations abound when you are out with the NCVs!

Back to work and with much scratching of heads we had to work out how to use the wire straining piece of equipment (henceforth referred to as the 'thingy').  It looked as though it had come from a medieval torture chamber,  with bars, chains, ratchets and screws, but with the help of 'The BCTV Practical Guide to Fencing' the job was a piece of cake. Checking we had the netting the right way up, small lamb proof holes at the bottom and large holes at the top, we attached it to the straining post at one end and the 'thingy' at the other.  A few pulls on the lever and hey presto the netting tensed up like magic.  

Anita and Will attach the wire to the posts.

Tony shows off his ability to multi-task:
pulling the lever on the  'thingy'
whilst  practising his  yoga  (warrior position 14)

Quickly it was stapled into place and then all that was left to do was attach the barbed wire above it.  The wire straining tool proved less useful here as the barbs tended to snag on the posts, but Tony came to the rescue and the end result looks very impressive.

Just how impressive is that!

50+ metres down and only another 200 to go.  With a number of our volunteers taking holidays or attending the Lime Mortaring Course next week we may be some time.   Megan mentioned cake for next week - now, there's an incentive to come and help.

Anita

Bewerley Park Outdoor Education Centre: 14-05-2013

(Editor's note - due to an absence of photographs of NCVs actually at work this week I have had to resort to some 'artist impressions' here and there. Although they lack a little in likeness to the people depicted I trust that they give a flavour of what we were doing.You may need to zoom in to see them in all their glory!)

Thirteen volunteers met at the barn at 9.15am. In the absence of Paul, Ros E. (“the Boss”) took control and advised that the day’s task was to remove a (less than) rabbit proof fence on the site of the adjacent Bewerley Outdoor Centre. Tooled up we were met by Ade, the site manager, who explained what was required and, more importantly, what arrangements had been made for morning coffee.

We split into three teams taking up positions along the 250 metres (approximate) of fencing. At first sight the task appeared straight forward - that was until we started!  Well secured embedded posts and stubborn wire mesh entangled with the undergrowth proved to be quite a challenge.

Various approaches were tested by the teams and eventually a methodology evolved that allowed us to get on top of the job. Will mastered the art of post removal and Colin’s approach to ridding the wire of earth and vegetation was, if not scientific, very effective – just kick it!

Will's approach to post removal

Two different ways of dealing with the wire

Despite a dubious forecast the weather held during the morning with brighter sunny intervals. Lunchtime came a little after noon when rain and hail prompted a speedy retreat to the site workshop, allocated to us for that purpose. Little wildlife or bird life was seen but there was plenty of discussion of recent sightings in the dale over lunch.

At one end of the workshop Anita holds nearby NCVs in thrall with her lunchtime anecdotes, whilst Will lays back smug in the knowledge that the fence posts are no more. 

At the other end Hannah sits, head in hands,
exhausted by Dave B's wire removal methodology.

The afternoon brought more fair weather and the party was able to complete the task by 2.00pm. Job well done! Back at the barn we discovered Jan beavering away inside making leaflet display racks. Mmmm! On reflection, as I sit here nursing aching limbs, I think he got it right.

Dave L.  

Top Plantation, Summerbridge: 07-05-2013

Today found 11 volunteers (minus our fearless leader Paul who was on holiday) at the Top Plantation near Old Spring Wood, above Summerbridge.  Rosemary Helme, who owns the plot, reported that some work was needed after the winter.  The site had been checked earlier by the Boss and Terry and they reported that the trees had fared badly from high winds and heavy snow and were in need of fettling.  When we arrived  we were greeted by a rather sad sight of wind ravaged young trees with loosened or rotted stakes- so there was plenty to do this week. 

Dear, oh dear - what a mess.

Trees keeling over every which way.

 As this was the sunniest day of the year we divested ourselves of various layers of our posh new outfits - exposing our logos!  And, in Will’s case, a lot more! 

Ros K. sports the new ANOB motif on her trouser pocket.

Will shows off his biceps. 

Walking carefully so as not to  trample on the emerging bluebells, we spread out across the site on the hillside, straightening, re-staking and re-tying the trees.  Some were a little beyond help and remained at a 45 degree angle but generally most were rehabilitated.

Jan tries to tempt a tree into a more
upright position by giving it a hug.

Dave takes a more threatening approach -
"Stand up straight you weedy sapling or I shall hit you soundly with this stout pole!"
Meanwhile Hannah tries to protect the young tree from the oncoming blow.

We were joined by a group of 10 volunteers from Open Countryside who did invaluable work collecting and stacking old tubes and stakes, and clearing  the wood of brambles with the loppers.By lunchtime we had made good progress and already the trees were looking more perpendicular!

The Open Country volunteers take a well earned rest.

Lunch, looking from the top of the hill,  down the valley in brilliant sunshine with bright blue sky, was a treat.  We could see for miles!  The birdsong was in full flood and Tony’s head would turn every time something of interest was heard!

The beautiful lunchtime view on one side of the wall........

                                   

.... and the less than beautiful view on the other side! 

Note that sun hats were required this week. 

Conversation was a little less high brow – discussions comparing levels of deafness, blindness, gastric problems (sanity?) and the tests to check for such inflictions was enough to put everyone off their lunch!

Then it was back to work on the hillside.  In another couple of hours we had  exhausted our supply of stakes with points and  the wood was looking  much more well cared for. 

An 'after' shot: the trees are now reasonably upright -
or at least until the next gale comes along!

Tools were collected, counted and returned to Tony’s car to be transported back to the barn.  Looking back up the hill the wood had definitely benefited from our attentions.  What better way to spend a beautiful spring day!

End of day shot - John and Tony decide that they have had enough. They sit and put the world to rights (probably discussing  the merits of apple juice over coffee on a hot day and large sun hat vents over small ones). They were also heard debating how a particular poem ends ("The warrior came down from the hill"? "The hunter came out through the trees"? Well - someone came home from somewhere.) How very cultured.  

Gill

Studfold Farm: 30-04-13

Editor's note: This week's blog entry is written by one of our new NCVs. Thanks for taking the plunge Terry!

The venue today was at Studfold Farm near How Stean; the task to check on and maintain the thousand or more newly planted trees. The young trees had been planted earlier this year by our volunteers and army apprentice cadets from Pennypot. The strong winds following planting had caused some damage which needed fixing.

After leaving our cars, eleven volunteers and our Ranger Paul walked about two miles and climbed a thousand feet carrying all our equipment - spades, club hammers, stakes and new trees. Someone in management had decreed that we no longer needed the land rover!
(The worst joke of the day was related to this issue. The award goes to Ros K. who, carrying a bucket loaded with lump hammers down the track at the end of the task, commented that 'this is beyond the pale.' Groan.)

As we arrived at the first location some of us decided that we should have lunch and call it a day but the boss and our Ranger insisted we worked. The damage was fairly minimal and only required straightening a few trees, knocking in stakes and adjusting ties. 

At the end of the long walk up the 

hillside the task begins. 

Is there anybody there?Gill tentatively 
peers down a tube, looking for signs of life .


Yep - there is something there -
and it is starting to grow green leaves.
The original planting has been successful!

                                             

The task continues further down the hillside. 

Tube after tube after tube after.....

We worked our way gradually back down the valley and stopped for lunch overlooking Blayshaw Gill, a delightful stream with waterfalls and pools running down a gorge - perfect.

Jan soaks up the sun and John
impersonates a cool dude in his sun glasses.

Terry M. gazes out over the view, thinking profound thoughts,
whilst Angela tries to hide behind a pheasant feeder.

Ros E. gives an impromptu post-prandial tutorial on 'Clearing your Chakras' - something she feels everyone should do before setting out on a day's volunteering. (Ros K. followed this up with a demonstration of her take on morning yoga exercises.)

The weather was beautiful, warm and sunny so getting us to move and resume work after lunch required all the motivational skills of our leader. We did finish the job and planted another twenty trees before heading back. Another good day.

Terry M.