Sunday 6th May 2018 - Work Party

At last, a sunny work party and with all the rain and a bit of recent warm weather it is certainly growing fast now.

Priority this month was to tackle the paths with the woodland mower finally out for it's first airing. All the paths, and the glade,were given a high cut. This might need doing again before the next session, but at least you can see where they are now.

Some foxgloves, donated by a villager, were planted and watered. Note the new set of blue trugs bought for use by the woodland group, and matching wheelbarrow!

A very good job of searching for and digging out sycamore seedlings and burdock was undertaken together with pulling out brambles and nettles along the path edges.

There aren't many bluebells so the taller vegetation was cleared around this clump.

Refurbishment of the noticeboard started with a coat of paint on the inside and Danish oil to protect the outside wood. This project will be ongoing for a few weeks. Since the work party it's had more paint.

The Baldwin apple tree has lots of blossom so hopefully many apples to come. This is our 

oldest fruit tree in the woodland and is a dual purpose variety good for cooking and eating.

All that rain and sunshine also means lots of wildflowers out in the woodland this month. Masses of cow parsley but also red campion, stitchwort,  Herb Robert and cowslips and more.

Stitchwort 

Cow parsley

Herb Robert 

Cowslips 

Also seen this weekend, butterflies. Orange tip, small white, speckled wood and small blue. 

The quince tree is in flower, also with lots of blossom, and the fruit bushes show signs of gooseberries and redcurrants so we will keep them clear of tall vegetation.

All in all a lovely sunny morning in a very green woodland. 

Sunday 8th April 2018 - Work Party

Another month on and, as if by magic, the woodland is green again. The cow parsley is shooting up and the edges of the paths are beginning to get blurred in places so we gathered more long branches and finished the path marking started last month.

It was too wet to mow but a bit of soil was added to bring the ground level with the slabs under the new picnic table so hopefully it can be done next time. The large clump of snowdrops there was thinned a bit and the extras planted elsewhere in the wood.

The noticeboard at the entrance was given a good brush down, inside and out. It will probably have a revamp in due course as the photos could do with updating. 

New hawthorn leaves

It was good to see new leaves appearing on the trees as well as the undergrowth springing to life. 

Hazel

Willow

White violets

Last but not least, new member/lawnmower called Sidney the soay. 

Many thanks to everyone that turned out in the rain and to Jeannie for the refreshments. 

Sunday 11th March 2018 - Work Party

The snow has gone but it remains damp and muddy in the woodland. There were 10 of us, and a dog,  for a good morning's work and only a little rain.

 After levelling the earth, the picnic table was raised on to slabs to protect it from wet from the ground which can seep in to the cut ends of the feet, it will also stop it sinking in. It needs a coat of Danish oil, to protect the wood, on a dry day.

The finished picnic table

The raspberry had a prune and the gooseberry and currant bushes were weeded. The path edges were kept clear of brambles as usual and the old nettle stalks raked off the snowdrops to allow for maximum growth. 

The path through the plum trees near the entrance to the site was redefined with long pieces of wood along the sides.

 The den was checked for loose poles and the hedge laying along the track tidied up a bit. A lovely tall, straight ash was felled, with the view to selling it to a local chair maker. This was to finish a job started last month, although the trees are only just coming into leaf this will be all the regular tree felling until next winter.

Snowdrops and primroses at the entrance to the wood.

Woodland Group News

Since the last, almost spring like, photos we have been hit by winter once again. It's very cold but the woodland looks beautiful in it's snowy blanket. 

As mentioned before, we held an Extraordinary General Meeting after the last work party to formerly adopt new roles within the group. After many years of hard work our dedicated chairman decided to retire at the last quarterly meeting and we now have big boots to fill (metaphorically speaking!) Accordingly, the group has been restructured, sharing out responsibilities with one person, me, co-ordinating.

A draft management plan has been written. It needs refining and adding to but it should give us all an idea of what we are aiming for and how any future proposals fit into an overall plan for the woodland.

I have a great team behind me and I'm sure we will manage to keep the woodland as lovely for people and wildlife as it is now.

Charlotte x

Sunday 4th February 2018 - Work Party

It was a well wrapped up group that braved the cold for the February work party. The snowdrops were creating beautiful drifts in the woodland and adjoining churchyard but there weren't many other signs of spring just yet.

The boundary ditch, which was cleared last month, was emptied a bit more and any

overhanging vegetation trimmed back to keep it clear. The remains of a bicycle frame was found, but the tree doesn't seem to mind.

Ongoing ride edge clearing.

A few branches were thinned from the track edge. This will probably be the last of any major tree removal until next winter as hopefully by the next work party, in March, the birds will have begun nesting.

It is worth noting that the money received from the Grassroots Giving award from Skipton Building Society was a reward for our hard work in maintaining the woodland for the community and not a grant for a particular project. Following much discussion and a vote among members it was agreed to buy a picnic table for a second cleared area at the southern end of the wood.  This has now been constructed. 

The table is in position but needs levelling up and putting on a base to prevent rot and prolong it's life, although the wood is treated.

At the last quarterly meeting, the chairman resigned and therefore during refreshments after the work, an Extraordinary General Meeting was held and a new committee agreed of which more to follow.

Sunday 7th January 2018 - Work Party

A fine but chilly day for the first work party of the year, really nice to see some sunshine at last. The first few snowdrops are out and there should be a good show, both here and in the adjacent churchyard, by next month.

The boundary ditch got it's annual clear out of leaves and other debris so that the water, when it rains, can run freely again.

Two more pussy or goat willows, Salix caprea, were added to the group already planted. Also known as sallow, they are dioecious  which means  male and female flowers appear on separate trees. These were grown from cuttings so will have the soft grey buds opening out into pollen covered flowers in early spring, like the parent plant. 

The broad oval shaped leaves are eaten by caterpillars of a number of moths,  sallow kitten, sallow clearwing, dusky clearwing and lunar hornet clearwing. 

There was an on site discussion about the picnic table proposal for a site next to the glade (top photo) the top of the wood store laid down on the right to give an idea of siting and size. Then we looked at a second area where we had already agreed a table could be sited. At the next quarterly meeting we can decide if we think another table would enhance the woodland, and if so the type and where to put it. A group vote will be taken if an agreement cannot be reached.

This is a large log relocated from the glade area to a secluded spot hopefully suited to stag beetles. It looks insignificant on this photo but I can assure you it was a big effort to move! 

The ground having softened since last time, the holes were able to be dug and the posts installed to finish the new bench in the glade area. All duly measured, levelled and finished off it had to be tested!

Some branches were thinned along the boundary ditch and leaves raked from the grassy areas.