7th July 2024 - Work party

 

This is going to sound a bit repetitive for this year but we have had a lot of rain recently! To be fair we have had a couple of weeks of summery weather but it has also subsequently been unseasonably cold. Growth has slowed down in the woodland now and this gives us a chance to catch up. Today, I was hoping to tidy up the cut wood but we have been alerted to the dangers of the sycamore sooty bark disease. The spores are hyper-allergenic and so a couple of people wearing masks moved as much as possible out of the stream bed and off the verge but we had to leave some. 

There is now a big gap where the sycamores have been felled.

Obligatory picture of main pathway. 

The main pathway and glade had been mown previously so I just went over the edges to widen the area of short vegetation a bit and mowed all the smaller paths where necessary.

The plum bed was cut using a scythe and raked and the vegetation piled at the top of the wood. Pushing the wheelbarrow uphill is a very good workout!

The fruit bushes were cleared and the fruit, redcurrants and gooseberries, picked in anticipation of making some jam to sell at the next plant sale. 

Fruit bushes cleared and scything taking place.

 

The Sturmer apple tree had got completely overshadowed by the elder and dogwood surrounding it. It is on a tall rootstock and designed to be left alone but, because it is the shade, it has got too leggy and will need some winter pruning to reshape it.

It has got a lot more light now.

June- Plant Sale

 

We didn't have a work party in June because we had the annual plant sale, I would like to have the excuse that it took a lot of time to organise but we are such a good team that I just have a last minute panic and then it all comes together just fine on the day. 

New posters were printed, thank-you, and put up. We had a meeting after the last work party to dish out the jobs and agree the cakes and luckily several people had been producing plants both perennials and bedding. With donations from other village members we had a good selection and the hall was set up the night before.

The first buyers.

The rush started early and we sold nearly everything this year despite charging a little bit more than previously. Still great value!  What was left went to Otley shop to be sold for charity.

 

Set up the night before, more plants arrived the next day.

Together with the refreshments and raffle we made nearly £700 which was an amazing total. 

The following weekend we spent some of that money having some tree work done in the woodland, removing some dead sycamores with sooty bark disease. 

A couple of us also went round the woodland with scythes to cut back the overhanging cow parsley and keep the paths open. There were some fallen branches to move as well. 

May work party - Sunday 12th May 2024

Big change from last month, we are suddenly into the main growth season and the woodland is predominantly green. 

The paths and glades had their first mow, although I was a bit reluctant to cut all the clover as I like the shaggy look but it will soon bounce back. 

A large stand of snowberry, Symphoricarpus spp, was cut. This was originally planted by the estate for game cover but we have removed it now as it is quite invasive and non-native which generally means that it supports less wildlife species. It will probably come back, but for now the native hawthorn and vegetation has a better chance of growing.

Mown path

Cow parsley at the top of the wood.

We also removed a large evergreen lonicera nitida, usually used for hedging for the same reasons as the snowberry. Never previously touched we unfortunately found a mass of glass underneath which also had to be picked up and taken away.

Richard filled the bird feeders for the last time this summer as we think there is plenty of food to be found in the woodland at this time of year.

 While were in the glade having a chat about the plant sale we used the Merlin app to find out what birds are in the woodland and we watched the great tits going in and out of the nest box obviously feeding their young.

April 2024 work party

The woodland has dried up a lot although it was still a little sticky underfoot on the main path. The guys carried on with the laurel removal at the top of the woodland. There was some general tidying to define the paths but from the photos you can there was a bit of wildlife enjoying the sunshine and the woodland was mostly looking after itself.