Here is Jonathan’s message
Greetings All,
There’ll be a volunteer session at Fairfield Orchard, Fauna and Flora this
Saturday morning, Jan 10th, starting at the usual time of 10.00am and
finishing at 1.00pm or thereabouts.
As you’d expect for time for this time of year, wellington boots should be
at the front of your mind before you leave the house.
On the agenda for this week:
* Finish clearing leaf debris from the path to the Orchard.
* Continue removing the ash trees from Upper Sowerholme.
* Finish clearing self seeded thorns from Graham’s Wassailing bonfire site.
* Clear debris.
* Cut the ivy growing around trees in the Stump Circle area.
Clear bramble enveloping the hedges alongside the Orchard / Big Meadow path.
* Continue pruning the Orchard fruit trees
* We have now finished laying the east hedge of West Field but there are
some finishing off jobs to do: plant hedge saplings in the gaps, cover the
elder and sycamore stumps with black plastic, tidy up wood and wire
removed from the hedge.
* There are also some other tidying jobs in the West Field: retrieve and
replace tree guards, a small fence repair, move some timber to the Shed,
move the nose pump stand and pipe to the Shed.
May I also remind you that the Hedge Working Party has resumed it’s
Wednesday morning sessions – meet from 9.30 at the Shed, and remember to
bring your own refreshments. And wellingtons.
And that’s your lot for now,
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
Here’s what we did
17 volunteers braved a windy morning for our monthly volunteer session. Fortunately it stayed dry although those in more exposed locations were a bit chilly.
• We finished clearing the leaf debris on the track from Sunnyside Lane to the Orchard.
• We finished removing the self seeded ash and other trees in Upper Sowerholme.
• We finished clearing self seeded thorns from the Wassailing bonfire site and cleared away all the resulting brash.
• Branches from broom and gorse bushes were pinned down to test whether we could renew them. Very much experimental.
• We cut the ivy growing around trees in the Stump Circle area. Still more to do.
• Encroaching bramble in the Stump Circle area were cut back.
• We continued the winter pruning of the apple trees. This will continue for some time.
• Hedge saplings (hawthorn, blackthorn, hazel and rowan) were planted in gaps in the east hedge of West Field. Still more to do.
• Black plastic was placed over elder and sycamore stumps in this hedge to stop them re-growing.
• Fencing posts were moved from Pony Wood to the Shed for use in the new fence there.
• We moved spare and scrap wire (barbed and netting) from the West Field to the Shed.
• The nosepump stand and its pipe were moved to the Shed.
• Decent timber recycled from the hedge line was moved from the West Field. There is more to get.
• Tree guards were retrieved from the field adjoining West Field (mystery how they got there) and replaced insofar as the saplings were accessible.
• A small fencing repair was carried out on the west side of West Field.