Here is Jonathan’s message
Greetings All,
There’ll be a volunteer session at Fairfield Orchard, Fauna and Flora this
Saturday morning, August 9th, beginning at 10.00am and finishing around
and about 1.00pm.
As per very usual, the meeting point will be the Storage Building on the
footpath at the Sunnyside Lane end.
Activities to engage in on this occasion look a little like this…
* We need to construct a fence in the Hay Meadow around Anna’s Pool. The
bund (small dam) has been repaired and we must keep the cattle off it. The
materials and tools will need transporting from the Shed.
* We will complete the grass trimming around the bases of the new saplings
in Pony Wood, particularly the small hollies. When this is done the team
should inspect each sapling and mark those that are dead with coloured
ribbon. This is so we know which, if any, to replace over the winter when
its difficult to judge which are dead or alive.
* Keep a check on vegetation overhanging the paths in the Orchard,
including around the pear, cherry and medlar trees and the area at the
south end.
* Trim back the edges of the Fauna path.
* Trim back the west side of the edge of the track from Sunnyside Lane to
the Orchard.
Three items from the “And finally” section of this email…
1. Please bring shears if you have any.
2. We are still short of builders’ bags (the sort that sand and other
building materials is delivered in). We’ve used all ours storing some
scythed hay, so if anyone has spares can they bring some along on the day,
or elegantly hurl them over the fence in front of the Storage Building at
any other time.
3. On the afternoon of August 9th and during Sunday the 10th the Friends
of the Triangle will be demolishing lean-to buildings on the Triangle
site. Anyone with destructive urges is welcome to help. Meet at the
Triangle after our volunteer session on Saturday and from 10am on the
Sunday.
And that’s your lot for this time,
Best wishes,
Jonathan.
Here’s what we did
25 people came along for our Saturday morning volunteer session on a bright and sunny day.
• We constructed a fence in the corner of the Hay Meadow to protect Anna’s Pool and its newly repaired bund from cattle incursion.
• We continued thinning the grass around the Pony Wood saplings, inspecting them and marking with ribbon those that have died. Only a small proportion. We will review in the winter whether these should be replaced.
• Slashed, cut back and cleared away vegetation around the pear and medlar trees in the Orchard.
• Slashed, cut back and cleared away vegetation toward the southern sector of the Orchard.
• Trimmed around the soft fruit circle to clear overhanging branches.
• Trimmed back the west side of the track from Sunnyside Lane to the Orchard to the north of the Shed. Cleared the debris.
• Strimmed a section of the Fauna path of overhanging grass.