The Coppice ‘A’ Team

Tuesday, December 13th 2016

As with every Tuesday we ask some hard work of the volunteers which they always dive into willingly. Today was no different and they got on with the hard work we allocated them in the willow coppice block near the field centre.

This work is an extension of the work we have been doing since the start of the month, and is a BIG job. We continued with the coppicing and clearing of the brush wood in an attempt to bring back some managed regrowth on the coppice block floor which had been prevented by the dense canopy and brambles, etc.

Birch, prolific on the site, and a pioneering plant, was particularly dense and leggy and in need of removal to allow light to the Willow that was being strangled out. All the brush wood was then dealt with by the team.

On the path edge of the coppice block are a few fairly high and mature Hawthorns; nothing too unusual for the reserve, with this spiny shrub thriving and a fantastic source of berries for our winter birds such as Redwings and other members of the thrush family. The one below did catch our eye, being a mini blend of the surrounding shrubs and tree species. In the photo you can see an Ash growing about a metre above ground in the crook of this Willow, next to it a very small Holly, and nestled in the middle is the large Hawthorn!

It was the last time we would see the Tuesday team from Dales School this side of the New Year. They have worked hard for us the past year and we wish them a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

John, back in the Field Centre, did a sterling job at getting back a camera that was logged off the monitor by the weekend power cut.

Thank you to all that helped out today…. more progress in fairly wet conditions.
 

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