Greetings All,
There’s a number of volunteering opportunities for you to set yourself upon this February. A brief outline follows…
The Hedge Working Party will meet on Saturday 1st February as well as every Wednesday at the moment.
We are making progress with the West hedge but there is still a long way to go and plenty to do.
We meet at the Storage Building at 9.00am or, if arriving a little later, head down the Pads footpath and you will see us at work on the hedge.
Please bring your own refreshments.
The regular monthly volunteering Saturday will take place on February 8th, from 10.00am until 1.00pm. We meet at the Storage Building and on this occasion will be joined by a group of students. Our tasks include:
1. Planting a willow ‘living fence’ alongside School Pond. This is to act as a screen as we are advised that the closeness of the path may be inhibiting some birds from nesting around the Pond.
2. Clearing away brash both in the Orchard and alongside the West hedge.
3. Planting hedge saplings at the Pads ‘dogleg’ and in the West hedge.
4. Litter picking both in the Orchard and in Little Wood.
5. Trimming back the hedge alongside the Pads footpath between Lucy Brook and the concrete wall.
There is also a Lancashire Wildlife Trust (LWT) sapling planting day at Freeman’s Pools on 20th February, starting at 10.00am.
The meeting point is at the reserve on the cycle path from New Quay Road, Lancaster.
Bring stout footwear, waterproofs and a packed lunch.
The LWT give us lots of support, including haymaking and we hope that some Fairfield Association volunteers can lend a hand.
Please let Ian Procter know if you are coming on 07811970595 or
Contact Ian if you are not sure of the meeting place.
And that’s all for now. Please do come along to any of the above sessions if you can possibly spare any time.
Many hands make light work and we really do appreciate all help, regardless of experience, physical sturdiness, how much time you can give and anything else I might have forgotten.
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
Here’s what we did on the day:
Twenty-two local volunteers were joined by 25 Green Lancaster students for the regular Saturday session. 47 individuals meant that the newly introduced ‘team leaders’ were very much required and the new system worked reasonably well and everyone soon got to work. A blustery day but the promised rain held off until after our session had finished.
1. A willow ‘living fence’ was planted out to screen School Pond, using our own willow saplings. This was strictly for the ‘wellied’ as the land is waterlogged here but that should give the willow a good chance.
2. Brash was cleared from the hedging work in the West Field. It was either pushed up again the hedge to form a thicker but still low layer for insects and birds or moved up against the new saplings to protect them and form a cattle proof fence.
3. Hawthorn saplings were planted alongside the lane to the south of the Storage Building. Further clearance work was undertaken to further restore the hedge in amongst the tree line.
4. A ‘litter pick’ was conducted in Little Wood, along the Pads path, from within Lucy Brook and around the Orchard stumps. Six black bags of rubbish were taken away to domestic grey bins.
5. A substantial section of the Long Pads hedge was trimmed back along its path side, leaving the top to grow for future hedge laying. This included lopping back elder and sycamore. The created brash was stored in the hedge.
6. Further work was done clearing trees and shrubs encroaching on the apple trees. The brash was cleared.
7. After the break a group of volunteers were given instruction in how to prune fruit trees.
8. Some gale debris was cleared from the Sunnyside Lane path.
9. Photographs were taken of our activities for the general record and to support the report to the Heritage Lottery Fund. Everyone was given the opportunity to opt out of being photographed.