Once again I forgot to advertise this on the Blog. This is becoming a bad habit which I must get out of!
Here is what we did
Despite a forecast of continuous heavy rain 22 volunteers turned out including 5 Lancaster University students under the new arrangements (see last month’s report). In the event the rain was light and intermittent so we were damp rather than sodden.
- Hidden stumps in the mown area of the Orchard were removed. Hopefully these are the last of them but any more must be reported and dealt with immediately.
- The self seeded thorn stumps left last time were removed. This area is now almost clear, a few stumps remain. The area needs flattening and then grass seeding in the spring.
- Woodland Trust saplings (hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and rowan) were planted in two gaps in the Flora field hedge, 90 saplings at the north end and 50 at the south end.
- 22 dead saplings in Pony Wood and its Extension, planted in March and labelled during the summer, were replaced by Woodland Trust oak and birch saplings. Given that we planted over 650 saplings back in the spring the survival rate has been remarkably good.
- Four gaps in the Pads footpath hedge were cleared and the missing saplings replaced with Woodland Trust hedge plants as above.
- The stretch of Pads hedge (near the former NACRO strip that we planted two years ago) was trimmed back. This section is now going well and was trimmed to encourage low growth.
- Treeguards which have (rather mysteriously) come off the saplings and some migrated to the adjoining field, were replaced in the south hedge of the West Field. We did not have time to do the same with the west hedge.
- Now redundant tree guards and canes were removed from the shrubs behind the Fauna Stones.
- A start was made in clearing leaves from the track down from Sunnyside Lane.
NOTE: FFOG had agreed on the 6th November to leave the nose pump in place until sustained cold weather is forecast.