Cow Myers: 12-10-2019

BEWARE! Scrub Clearance to be done!

When they heard where they were headed this week the NCVs considered running out and buying some health and safety equipment similar to that shown above. They were to return to Cow Myers SSSI in order to carry out 'scrub clearance and autumn tasks' which sounded like shorthand for saying 'cutting down blackthorn with all the usual likelihood of scratched noses and a dig in the eye to boot'. The extra fluffy bits on a face protector such as this would also give some protection from any midges that might try to invade around the edges.

The photos below show whether their fears were confirmed......

Everyone thought that perhaps the work area may be a little 

on the moist side when they walked through this gateway.

Needless to say - their thoughts were confirmed 10 fold.

The word of the day was decidedly 'slimy', with NCVs having to squelch through muddy puddles and slither along slippery paths.

However - the good news was that they were not dealing with blackthorn after all.

Instead a stand of encroaching alders, birch, spindle and hawthorn needed 

pushing back to allow the special magnesian limestone flora to flourish.

Various bods set to with their bow saws, 

leaving the thicker trunks to Liz and the chainsaw.

"What do you want me to do with this now?"

 "Just pass it over here and we'll relocate it for you."

"We'll need to do a little bit of whittling before we start mind."

Anita started constructing a high quality brash pile 

using a frame of uprights to keep it contained.

A brash pile that sprang up at the other side of the site was 

constructed using a more 'laissez faire' approach.

Yes. Well. Shall we move on? 

 The brash piles contained all kinds of natural decorations.

 

As well as the main stand of trees there was also this year's

 growth that had re-generated from last year's pruning.

The job is a bit like the painting of the Forth Bridge. Never ending!

 Ken collected these short alder shoots and 

considered taking them home as a bouquet for his wife.

Complete the following sentence....

Jan and Will spent the day:

(a) working their socks off

(b) discussing the best way to use a pair of loppers

(c) debating the pros and cons of the current Brexit situation.

At coffee time most headed for the slightly drier area by the fence....

...apart from Ken who had the bright idea of using the very dry area on top of it.

Everyone was very pleased to see the contents of a tin 

that Andy had brought along to celebrate his birthday. 

The yummiest millionaire's shortbread - and all made by Andy's own fair hands.

Happy Birthday Andy!

Work continued on cutting...

...and brash piling all day.

 

Ah! Now that's a good way of ensuring a brash pile is nice and solid.

 Eventually all the trees that had been felled 

were processed and it was time to go home.

Everyone first passed through bio-security trench 1...

...before going through bio-security process 2.

So much mud to get rid of.

So much clean water needed!!

Hackfall Woods: 08-10-2019

With October in full swing the NCVs headed back to Hackfall Woods - an ideal spot to see some autumnal colour. There was further work to do on step renovation, as well as culvert clearing. With the NCVs having had TWO (!) weeks off due to those bike races and the heavy rain of last week, the small group who were able to turn out was raring to go.

However, the day was not without its challenges......

Firstly the timber that the saw mill provided was 
twice the thickness it was meant to be - most of it no use for today's job.

Of course the short lengths that could be utilised 
were under all these long pieces. 
So - out of the van they had to come....

...only to have to be re-loaded once the short stuff was reached.

Then we were on our way, tools in the wheelbarrow, 
only to be met by the steps down from the bridge.
Uh Oh - tool unload needed.

Having manhandled the tools down the steps....

...the wheelbarrow was loaded up again and 
an extra bundle of wooden pegs was added.

This increase in load probably accounted for the wheelbarrow falling over further along the path and emptying its contents down the slope.

Mountain goat Osian quickly made his way down to rescue the 
precious peg bundle that was teetering precariously on the edge of a precipice.

Slowly but surely the pegs were moved to safety 
and the group continued to the work site.
This was a looooong way away and not reached until coffee time.

Revived by some coffee and a piece of Audrey's flapjack Anita and Ros E. 
then had to back track a loooong way to start culvert clearing, 
leaving the boys' team to ponder on where to start with the steps.

Take care with that mell Osian.
After the start we've had we don't want to lose Jan's head as well.

 To cut a long story short they did a bit of this...


 ...and a bit of that...

...and the job got done very nicely thank you.

 Further along the way the path was starting to disappear down the hillside.


So some boards were inserted along the edge...

 ...and some handy bits of stone nearby were utilised....

...to make a section of crazy paving.
Good work chappies!

And what did the other two get up to?
Well they spent much of the day bent double deploying spades and a mattock.

They left a wealth of nice clear culverts and gullies in their wake 
as they ranged throughout the woods.
(One visitor, who saw them lunching with their spades nearby 
asked if they were looking for truffles. If only!!)

As a bit of light relief two flights of steps were also cleared of fallen leaves.
Of course they will be covered again by tomorrow but at least the workers 
could stand just a bit straighter to do that job!

By 2:30pm the teams were heading back to 

the cars cleaning their boots...

...and their tools in the plentiful supply of water running through the wood.