Here is Jonathan’s message, part of a much longer email about Fairfield activities.
VOLUNTEER SESSION, SATURDAY JULY 11th.
A little earlier than usual, but our tasks for the Volunteer Saturday on
July 11th are as follows:
Many of the fruit trees in the Orchard are being swamped by nettles and
long grass so a main job is to cut all this back.
If you can bring a pair of shears or other favoured cutting and slashing
tool then that will be useful but please do mark your own tools in some
way for identification.
We also need to take a pair of shears along the Long Pads footpath and
check that the path is not obstructed.
We’ve asked the Council to delay the intensive strim they tend to give
this path as long as possible this year to preserve the wildflowers. We
are doing some clearance work to keep the path clear.
We also need to run the mowing machine along the edge of the Fauna path
now that it has been strimmed.
The outer edge of the Oak Circle could use a strimming to preserve the new
path we now have in place.
Graffiti needs to be sanded off one of the Fauna path benches.
Here is what we did
16 volunteers attend on what turns into a pleasant summer’s morning.
• A carful of ragwort bags are taken to the tip.
• Graffiti is removed from a bench on the Fauna path.
• The previously strimmed edge of the Fauna path is mowed to keep it under control.
• Nettles and brambles are cut back along the length of the Fauna path especially the boardwalks and the Cromwell Road end.
• The Pads footpath is trimmed back to prevent obstruction to pedestrians.
• Long grass, nettles, goosegrass etc enveloping fruit trees is cut back and cleared away.
• Further work tending the apple trees to remove excess fruit.
• The Oak circle perimeter is strimmed to protect the new path. Using citronella on the invading dandelions does not seem to have worked.