Volunteer saturday 14th December

Here is Jonathan’s message

Greetings All,

The final volunteer session of Fairfield Orchard, FAUNA and FLORA of 2013 will take place this Saturday, December 14th, starting at 10.00am and finishing around about 1.00pm.
Please come along if you can possibly spare any time. (Father Christmas on this one occasion is excused.)

Our activities will be many and various…

1. Graffiti removal in the playground.

2. Removal of leaves in the lane running down from Sunnyside Lane.

3. Continue the tasks already started in Flora, namely:
a. Dismantling the fence at boundary 3. Once down, we need to cut it into manageable sections and move it to Pony Wood for temporary storage.
b. Infilling hedge gaps with thorn saplings. These include saplings alongside the hazel hedge just built in the Orchard, one small section of the Pads hedge missed near the Orchard and then there is one more challenging section near the concrete wall.
c. Check again for reusable stone near the wall and the concrete trough near Aldcliffe Road.

4. New tasks in Flora:
a. Carefully dig two exploratory lateral trenches at the concrete wall to determine its foundations.
b. Make a plan as to how the former boundary 3 fence is to be re-erected as boundary 2 (after ploughing).
c. Investigate boarding in Pony Wood.

From the HWP desk:
The Hedge Working Party continues to meet every Wednesday (except Christmas Day and New Years Day!) from 9am until about 1pm but come along at your own times if you prefer. Meet at the Shed or, if later, look for us. The next Saturday meeting of the Working Party is the 4th January, again from 9am. Bring your own refreshments to the Working Party sessions.

Opportunities in fruit tree management:
Keith Taylor has been looking after the pruning of the fruit trees for some time but he is keen to pass on his knowledge so we are forming the ‘Fruit Tree sub-group’ of volunteers. Anyone who would like to learn pruning and fruit tree management skills, joining Jean who has already started, should mention this to Ian Procter who will give you the opportunity to spend at least part of your volunteering time working with Keith.

There’s more to February than St. Valentine’s Day:
One for the more distant diary. Steve Rider from the Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) is holding a hedge planting day at Freemans’ Pools in February. We had a similar session last year with a very good attendance from Fairfield volunteers. Hopefully we can do the same again as we receive wonderful help from the LWT, particularly in haymaking when it’s Steve and Reuben who bring their equipment, time and expertise to make it happen.
Details are:
Practical Conservation Day: Freeman’s Pools, Thursday 20th February 2014, 10am. Meet at the reserve on the cycle path from New Quay Road, Lancaster.
Bring stout footwear, waterproofs and a packed lunch.
If you can come please let Ian know on on 07811 970595.

And that’s your lot from me.

All being well I’ll see you on Saturday – I’ve spoken with my people and can personally guarantee that weather conditions will be perfect.

And if not Saturday, have yourself a wonderful Christmas and we’ll meet again damp, bedraggled and in all likelihood in need of a good workout and some fresh air in January instead. Marvelous.

Best wishes,
Jonathan.