Heavy overnight rain cleared away in time, and although there was a strong westerly wind the work party was not impacted (apart from having to trudge through a lot of mud). We were fortunate in having an excellent turn-out once again, so the main task of planting 11 canopy trees (10 donated by RBC, the eleventh by a Friend) was quickly accomplished. An area just off the western path had been cleared of vegetation, and the 11 trees (oak and small-leaved lime) were planted in this area, together with guards, sturdy stakes and rotted wood chip as mulch. The gap in the existing canopy should ensure a reasonable amount of light. Although a number of volunteers had to leave early, the remainder resumed the task of thinning Norway maple, a non-native invasive species, in the centre of the Wood. This mainly involved treating stumps that had not been treated last time and cutting and treating a few more. This produced a little more material for future path edging, as did a sycamore that had fallen during recent storms. More stones were applied to the central path (thanks to David) and some litter was removed.
by
John (work party coordinator)
