Net Ride Improvement

Sixteen volunteers were eager to get out working on the reserve after the Christmas break.  We spent time finishing off the far corner of the coppice block and pollarding along a net ride. Here is the photo just as work began.

Vegetation is managed along the net rides by pollarding. This involves removing the upper limbs of a tree, promoting a dense head of branches. This work maintains the vegetation at the most effective level for the bird ringers who use mist nets along these rides.

With the pile of brash growing the fire was started and in no time at all was roaring away.

Students from the Dales School joined us again and helped process all of the cut material so that it was ready to go on the fire.

We finished just as the light was starting to fade; what a difference from this morning!

Thank you to everyone today for all of your hard work to improve this area of the reserve.