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Happy New Year- January 2021

It has been a bit of a strange year at Eades Orchard, with the various restrictions, and we now find ourselves in tier 4 so, effectively, back in lockdown and unable to meet again.  We have still managed some successful projects and the woodland has been much used by locals and some visitors from further afield.

 

On the eastern side of the wood.

This is the stream looking from the top, running well because of the large amount of rainfall but also forming shallow pools and, most importantly, not flooding the path at the bottom. 

Top end of the wood

The bluebells that we planted in the autumn are starting to grow!

Mossy stumps.

If you want to know what we have been up to over the past year, and further back, check the previous blogs.

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I wrote a draft of this post a few days ago ready to go out at new year, only since then we have a a tree come down. No damage done.

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.