Happy new year from the Framsden Woodland Group! The year has started as the old one finished, a bit grey and drizzly.
I also forgot to take any photos until the end so there are not many action shots this month.
The aim is to have an area of productive coppice in the woodland. This means cutting the hazels to the ground so that they grow up again with lots of stems. This is done on a cycle and let's light to the ground, important for wild flowers, and hopefully produces coppice products such as pea sticks. With this on mind we coppiced a couple of stools in the glade area.
It was only when walking round at the end that I saw the damage on the sallow planted last month so I think that these and the coppice will need some protection.
Several ash at the top end were showing dieback, a sign of chalara, and were felled using hand saws.
The fruit bushes were mulched and the apples given a light formative prune.
The ditch was given it's annual clear out, although it is dry at the moment.
Snowdrops are just poking through.
The fire pit was lit just to cheer up the day but it was lovely to stand around with hot soup and warm the bread rolls on for refreshments.
Many thanks everyone again.
