Work Party - Sunday 6th December 2020

 

The weather was kind to us this morning and the sun even came out. It was a bit soggy underfoot though.

Some good news to start, Matthew Hicks our county councillor, has agreed to let us spend some of his locality budget on tools, and here they are! 

Up to now we have mostly relied on people bringing their own tools but this will enable us to be more inclusive allowing anyone to turn up and join in, with tools and safety equipment available.

We also managed to apply for, and get, hedge plants and guards from the Woodland Trust, via the Suffolk Tree Warden Network. So our main focus for the morning was planting a new hedge. Here's Jeannie showing us the planting technique.

And here's work in progress. We split into hole digging, tree planting and guards teams and managed to maintain social distancing. 

Here is more progress and the finished planting. We plan to mulch the hedge in the future, and control the weed growth along the verge to give it the best chance to grow.

Meanwhile in the wood, the noticboard was renewed and the bird feeders re-filled, this is done regularly in the week.

There was also a second team of volunteers on leaf raking duty. All done until next year.

We have had very heavy rainfall over the last week but the new pipe and raised path are working well and the stream is pooling and flowing in all the right places.

A good turn out of volunteers and much work accomplished.

It's working!

 After the first lot of heavy rain since putting in the new drainage system, it seems to be working. Thanks to Mark for the pictures.

Work party-Sunday 1st November

 A strangely warm, breezy, autumnal morning with a bit of light rain and a bit of sunshine by the end if the work party. We had a very busy morning with several different areas of work completed. Firstly the leaves were raked off the paths and glade, there's more to come but it will help keep the grass growing.

A start was made on a new hedge along the roadside. This is an ongoing project.

About 18 months ago, February 2019 if you want to look, we put some pipes in at the top of the wood to channel some water into the central ditch. We were so successful that after heavy rain, it overflowed on to the path at the bottom. Today we set to remedy this.

A sump was dug to collect the water and then the pipes were laid in a fairly shallow channel. Luckily there is a natural gradient to the ditch at the bottom of the woodland.

Once we were happy that it was working we filled in the trench and used extra topsoil to build up the path. This should ensure that the water doesn't pool on the path like it did before. 

The finished path. Grass seed was sown but it is a bit late in the season so may need re-sowing in the spring.

The picnic table was given a scrub and covered to protect it from the worst of the winter dirt.

The paths were re-defined with new lengths of wood, a rake and a strim. They had disappeared under the new growth of cow parsley so that is much better.

So lots achieved today and hopefully we can meet in December, lockdown rules permitting.

Fairy ring 2020

 

Some pictures of the fairy ring at the top of the wood, which has made another appearance.

Work Party - Sunday 4th October 2020

 

It was a very wet morning, although it's still sinking into the ground at the moment so the woodland is looking lush and green and the ditches are still dry. 

A small group of us walked around the wood to discuss the annual report that has been recently produced by a local woodland expert. 

We looked at proposed work, to take place over the next five years, and the successful outcomes of our management so far.

We were able to plant 100  bluebell bulbs along the banks of the middle ditch and then we went home to get dry. We will add to this stock in further years.

The bird feeders continue to be replenished by Richard on a regular basis and are a good place to sit and watch the birds. 

Work Party - Sunday 6th September 2020

 

A beautiful morning in the woodland, and feeling a bit autumnal. Several degrees warmer at the top of the woodland where we installed a new owl box. Donated by a supporter and restored by Richard, who chose an ancient oak tree with a good  view over the field. 

That's the tree as a few little branches were trimmed off and the view over the field.

The  box was hauled up the tree with a rope and a bit of muscle, and put into position on a fixing point previously attached to the tree.  Then the front was put back on.

Meanwhile in the woodland we strimmed and raked a patch of long vegetation, and did some general trimming but the aim never is to have a tidy woodland. 

We also picked, and enjoyed eating the sweet yellow plums.

During the week, the village book group used the woodland glade to have a meeting. 

Work Party - Sunday 2nd August 2020

It was a perfect summer morning, nice and warm and sunny with a gentle breeze and pleasantly cool under the leaf canopy. 

There were quite a few of us and we got lots done, but we were so busy that I didn't take many photos. 

A small amount of vegetation was cleared was cleared by strimming around the buckthorn just to stop the competition.

The rest of the firewood was moved to storage and we found some more felled trees in the middle, visible now that the nettles have died back so they were tidied up too

The middle ditch was cleared of vegetation, ready for when it does rain properly again. Our ditch is fed by field drains which means that when it rains, the water gets absorbed by the soil first, then the excess reaches the drains and eventually the woodland so it will take a while.

Plums ripening on the tree

The honeysuckle was tied on to the ropes to try and make a bower over the table area next to the glade. A pigeon kept her eye on us.

Guelder rose berries

I need to make an apology for miss naming the bird which fledged from the nest box last month. They were spotted flycatchers and not pied wagtails as stated. Just me not concentrating.

Usual view of the main path get a bit of late summer colour now.

 

Sunday July 5th 2020 - Work Party

It's been a while, March was the last work party, because of lockdown, so it was good to get back in the woodland and do some work. Especially good to see everyone too. 

We cut and raked the grass from the spring meadow in the plum tree bed and put it on the compost heap at the top.

The vegetation was cleared around the fruit bushes which have done very well this year. 

Ripe gooseberries.

With help from Richard G and his quad bike, we were able to move some huge logs to make additional seating in the glade and the rest of the wood nearer to the entrance to be collected for firewood.

We also moved an owl box, restored by Richard B, and surveyed where it is going to go at a later date.

Other jobs completed were trimming the long vegetation on the path edges and planting some primroses.

While we have  been away, the wildlife has been busy. 

The green woodpecker has been finding  the insects in a rotten log in the glade and some pied wagtails successfully reared a nest of chicks in the top of the bug hotel.

June 2020

Still no work party this month although restrictions are easing now so we should be ok for July. The paths are being kept mown and the rest of the woodland is just green.

Dogwood flowers

Potential redcurrants