Wednesday Work Party

Not a bad morning, not overly sunny but at least there was no rain.

We had decided that we would start tidying up the Arboretum. This is a big task, the Arboretum is a large overgrown area with many standing dead trees, trees damaged by squirrels, and others in great need of crown lifting or thinning out. 

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[1] Brambles, young Hawthorn, Blackthorn, Ash and Willow Herb [2] Young Redwoods.

A beginning was made today in the bottom corner where there are four Redwoods.  We last cleared this area some two years ago, but the Brambles, young Hawthorn, Blackthorn and Ash, together with the Willow Herb had come back with a vengeance.   We cut through the tangle of Bramble and undergrowth and were then better able to see which trees were damaged or need to be removed.

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[3] The Friends removed damaged and self-seeded saplings. [4] Rich tackled the bigger trees with a chainsaw.

The smaller damaged or intrusive trees the Friends removed and Rich used the chainsaw to tackle the bigger ones. We piled up the debris. It will provide refuge for a variety of animals.

Meanwhile, David was doing some summer pruning on the apple trees in the Heritage Orchard by the Allotments. and Pat and the dogs litter-picked their way around the reserve before joining us for a well-earned coffee.

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[5] Bottoms up! [6] A Southern Hawker entertaining as at coffee time.

 During coffee we were  entertained by two Southern Hawker dragonflies swooping around us, and I even managed to photograph one.

Ian Bushell