Here is Jonathan’s message
Greetings All,
There’ll be a volunteer session at Fairfield Orchard, Fauna and Flora this
Saturday morning, October 14th, from 10.00am until 1.00pm.
Tasks for this occasion as follows:
* We will review First Aid arrangements to check that everyone knows our
procedures and the contents of our First Aid box.
* Some of our gates need clearing of vegetation.
* We have a pear tree in the Orchard which needs re-staking.
* The nose pump needs retrieving from the West Field. Nose pump. Nose
pump. You can’t say it aloud repeatedly without sounding daft.
* There are some repairs to be made to the fence between the West Field
and the Pads footpath.
* The path around the Oak Circle is becoming very overgrown and we should
remove the grass but without damaging the surface.
* Hedge trimming.
* We still have a little ragwort in Big Meadow.
* Various ponds and channels need further clearance work.
In HWP news: the Hedge Working Party meets every Wednesday EXCEPT OCTOBER
11TH. Hopefully this news reaches you in time. (When it does meet, the
times are 9.30am until around 1pm, meeting at the Shed.)
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
Fourteen volunteers attended for all or part of the monthly Saturday session on a cloudy but dry morning.
• Obstructive vegetation preventing gates along the Fauna path opening properly was cleared.
• Invasive vegetation on the path near Cromwell Road was cut back.
• Ragwort was dug out of the Big Meadow near the big Ash Tree. Still some there but it probably won’t flower now.
• The nose pump and its stand were retrieved from West Field. Some repair work needed over the winter.
• Padlocks around the Reserve were checked and oiled. Some still need to be done.
• Algae cleared from Alder Pond and barley straw placed in the pond in cages.
• A leaning pear tree was re-staked.
* Keith and grandsons continued pruning the fruit trees
• Grass was cleared from the gravel path around the Oak Circle. We did our best to avoid damaging the path surface but inevitably some of this comes away with the roots. Is glyphosate a necessary evil here?
• At the break the Volunteer Organiser reviewed Health and Safety procedures with all First Aiders present (6) and the remaining volunteers. The review included:
o The role of the ‘Duty First Aider’ especially in keeping close to the First Aid wheelbarrow.
o Emergency information sheets in each wheelbarrow.
o The Health and Safety Box in the Volunteer Organiser’s bag especially:
The Emergency Contacts book
The file of volunteers’ Medical Conditions. Volunteers were urged to inform the Volunteer Organiser of any such condition.
o The bag containing the defibrillator and its accompanying equipment (towel, razor….). A safety mask for mouth to mouth resuscitation is also in the bag.
o The contents of the First Aid box especially:
The haemostatic dressing to rapidly control severe bleeding
The tick removing tool
Aspirin for use in a cardiac arrest