Mayfield Farm: 05-02-2019

Tuesday 5th of February may well have been the start of the Chinese New Year - 'The Year of the Pig'. However - in Wilsill it marked the end of 'The Fortnight of the Trees'. 

The NCVs returned to the farm to try to complete the task of planting the new 650 tree woodland. If you read last week's blog then you'll know that snow stopped play once 250 trees had been planted and all the posts had been knocked in. The following morning, when the snow had gone and the sun was shining, it was clear that we'd made a big impact in that half day:

However - don't be fooled. Some of those tubes at the back of the picture were empty. They had only been put into place ready for action. So - the rule was - if you can see the tree post on the outside of the tube then it's complete. If the tube is over the post, it isn't. 

Unfortunately the day did not dawn bright and sunny.

Still - at least it wasn't snowing again!

 However - as work got underway so the sky started 
to clear and everyone began to feel much warmer.

On the slopes of the glacial moraine diggers 
continued to battle with the stony earth.
These three large rocks came out of just one small hole.

The moles had obviously found an area away from the glacial deposits. 

"Three little maids from school are we,
Give us a spade and we'll plant a tree..."

Coffee in the sunshine...

...was supplemented with Audrey's flapjack and Alwin's chocolate buns.

This very particular oak was given special attention. It had had been planted as an acorn in a pot over 30 years ago, had then died in a heat wave 2 years ago and sprung back to life as a new shoot last summer. The stem you can see is just one year's growth.

The tree's new owner carefully inserted the root ball into the hole...

...and the tree's original owner did the honours with the spade.
(Her dad planted the acorn for her son when he was very small.)
Let's hope the tree now goes on to grow into a mighty oak.

After a bit more of this no fewer than 350 more trees were in the ground and it was lunchtime... 

...so it was back up hill to the house where Alwin had 
prepared a pheasant casserole fit for a king (or queen).

Everyone formed an orderly queue and the feeding of the five thousand began.

Once the casserole had been polished off out came the dessert - 
a mouthwatering apple crumble and custard.

Having first ascertained that no-one wanted thirds of custard 
Ros E. bit the bullet and offered to finish it off.

 Well - someone had to do it!

Alwin - we take off our collective hat to you. 
You are a wonder. You have made 15 NCVs VERY happy.

There was a tree planting frenzy as the last 50 went in.

Graham had the honour of planting the final one. Or so we thought.
Then three more saplings that had fallen out of the bag were found 
and took away his moment of glory. 

Finally, all that remained to be done was for the two lines of little white flags marking the central path to the removed. 

Excellent work gang - 650 trees planted in less than two days.

Now - let's just wash off the spades whilst 
Tony gets the trailer to carry all the gear.

"He'll be coming round the mountain when he comes..."

Post script:

Jan and Phil spent the day with Liz down at the barn sharpening tools, stopping only to come up to Mayfield Farm for their lunch (well you would wouldn't you?) After lunch three other NCVs were spirited away to join them and Liz sends her thanks below....

We didn’t just disappear to the pub (evidence below)! 
Tools sharpened and a massive effort from Stan & Angela who helped me tidy the trailer end of the barn so I can now freely move in and out. Will took over my saw setting and cleaning duties too - thanks all 
Liz 

Tool sharpeners happy in their work.

Mayfield Farm, Wilsill: 29-01-2019

What's going on at Mayfield Farm?

Anyone walking past the lower field at Mayfield Farm last Thursday would have been asking themselves this question. Why were two people hammering in these pegs and canes and then decorating them with white, plastic bows? 

The answer was simple. Both Tony and Ros E. were preparing the virtually tree free field for a big tree planting task to be started by the NCVs this week. The white 'flags' marked out where a winding path was to be left empty of trees. Apart from this and a 2m wide stretch around most of the perimeter, the rest of the field was fair game for the 650 mixed,native deciduous trees that had been delivered from the Environment Agency.

So - let's see how they got on this week.....

 The day started with the walk down to the second field. 
Everyone was well wrapped up against the cold and possible snow showers.

The second field has been fenced off down the centre. 
This half is going to be a woodland.
(The other half has been scarified and seeded with wild flower seeds
 to create a wild flower meadow.)

Everyone got busy banging in the tree stakes - 
avoiding the flagged path and resisting the urge to make straight lines.
"Let's keep this woodland looking wibbly wobbly please!"

A double row of stakes were inserted near the central fence. 
No need to keep this boundary clear as this is where the hawthorn hedge is going. 
This will provide a good nesting environment for birds.

The introduction of a hawthorn hedge here meant that the old tree swing was 
going to have to go. It would not be good to swing into a thorny wall!!

Whilst posts were being knocked in Liz set about separating the two outer tubes from each set of tree guards. These were for the bigger oak saplings.

Anita was the first to dig a hole and Ros K. the first to fetch a tree to be planted.

The time flew by and it was soon coffee break...

...supplemented by the yummiest chocolate buns in the world.

Thanks Alwin!

Landowner Tony had to use an iron bar to remove the stones from the hole where this hawthorn was to be planted. This ridge of earth is a glacial morrain and, as such, is full of all kinds of ice age debris.

All over the field posts, trees and tubes were sprouting up.

Eventually ....

...it was time for lunch in 'Alwin's Trattoria" where we were all served a wonderful hot meal of cottage pie and green veg followed by a gorgeous fruit tart and custard. 
How does she do it?
Everyone was full to capacity - especially after seconds of everything.
THANK YOU SO MUCH ALWIN. YOU ARE A TREASURE!

Unfortunately, during lunch, the predicted snow showers set in and work had to be abandoned. However - All the tree posts were in place, many of the guards were allocated to posts and no fewer than 250 trees were planted. This was a good start to the job which will be completed next Tuesday with help from a group of students from Askham Bryan College.

Some NCVs made use of the outdoor showering facilities 

to rid themselves of the mud before heading off home.

Cow Myers, Galphay: 22-01-2019

When the NCVs received their task email this week they were under no illusions. 'Clearing scrub' definitely does not refer to a quick brush down with a stiff yard brush. No - it entailed the wearing of thick gloves, the use of loppers and saws and a lot of bending. And at Cow Myers (a SSSI site near Galphay) the last thing you would wear on your feet would be white pumps. Oh no - it is too muddy for that!

Here's how the scrub clearance went......

Although reasonably clear in the centre this flower rich meadow
 was in desperate need of a short back and sides.

All the scrub around the edges and the large 
stand of trees at the back needed to go. 

 Well- you have to start somewhere so...this patch first? 

 OK - why not.

My knees are going to pay for this tomorrow!

Dave demonstrates the brash collector's lunge.

Eventually the first blackthorn patch was no more 
and the NCVs were vying to cut the last bit.

At the other side of the meadow this team tackled a rather 
daunting wall of bramble and blackthorn.

Slowly but surely the daunting wall was nibbled away by NCV loppers until - 

- a breakthrough was achieved which allowed them
 to attack from the rear (a much easier prospect).

Brash heaps started to develop ready for burning next time. 
They occasionally had to be beaten into submission.
Blackthorn is impossible to turn into a proper habitat pile. Far too prickly and voluminous.

Ruth ably demonstrates the brash piler's fling.
(Note the spectre of doom has followed the NCVs here from Ellington Banks.)

Whilst all of this was going on two chain saw wielding workers 
laid waste to that stand of young trees mentioned earlier.
This was all very well until it came to clearing the aftermath.
Where to begin???

Well - trim all the twiggy ends off each tree and 

start making a proper habitat pile here....

...and the remaining trunks can be sawn up and made 
into a nice log pile here.

That's right Ros K. Keep ramming in the brash to make the pile nice 
and dense and stable. We don't want any flimsy habitat piles here.

Lovely log pile taking shape there Stan.

Well - quite a bit of the debris seems to have been processed.

Let's take a look on the cutting side of the stand.....

...Not too bad at all. A lot of the cut trees have been dealt with. 
We can do the rest next time (unless the chain saw workers start generating more!!)

The day wasn't nearly as cold as it had been forecast so layers had to be removed.
This led to polo shirt envy on the part of a couple of NCVs when they realised that Paul had a shirt with LONG sleeves. Jammy thing 
How did you swing that Paul?