Probably the most rewarding and productive work party this season at the Moors. Unfortunately the 'before and after' pics taken with new camera are proving a problem to post. They are too large (megabites) ..out of interest is there anything I can do to put them on here.
Anyway today the 13 'warriors' pulled out all the stops
Paul M, Dave H, Ray C, John C, Paul H (beyonder),Bob W, Terry H, Terry N, Janet, Sukie, Matt, Charles.
Firstly we
removed all the willows around the
top part of the north moors reed bed. This has now opened up this very deep 'moat' around the island there.
The brash was used to create a dead hedge along the trail, starting from the seasonal pool up to where the trail enters the plantation.
The
large willows within the seasonal pool, were
pollarded, again cutting were either piled within one of the bramble patches to encourage more vigorous growth.
At the
north east corner of the trail, there is a
large blackthorn thicket. This south facing area has never been managed and is quite 'leggy'. We have decided to start a
4 year rotational coppicing program, whereby we will cut and correctly manage a different section every year. Within 4 years it would have come full circle and the process will start again, during the 4 years a structural diversity will increase the biodiversity. We plan to have short bushy areas at the front, gradually rising to a 'high hedge ' at the rear. This will enable the whole section to be 'sun blessed' and will encourage a vigorous scrub for nesting birds and hopefully
Brown Hairstreak butterflies to lay their eggs.
The blackthorn cuttings were interwoven into the bramble and willow cuttings. After Dave H ( our hedge laying expert:t
trimmed the resultant 'dead hedge, you would be hard pressed to know that it wasn't a living hedge.
Hopefully will get the pics to show today's work later.
If not have a walk around the area next time you are there.
We haven't finished the work yet and anybody wanting to give us a hand completing it, we will be back next Tuesday, as usual.
B
John