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Archive for the ‘Coppicing’ Category

Coppicing in Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on March 15, 2020|

Today we were helping in a woodland a stone’s throw away from Lymm, called Spud Wood.  As in the past, we were working with The Woodland Trust and the Friends of Spud Wood.

This is a relatively new mixed broadleaf woodland, planted in the late 1990s.  It was planted on a former potato field – hence the name, which was suggested by local school children in a naming competition, and is a reminder of its historic use for growing Golden Wonder crisps!

We were coppicing hazel trees and, with the branches, creating a picturesque barrier along the edge of the wood, which cut off the ditch behind but should also prove a perfect habit for wildlife!

A great day out.  The weather remained nice and dry apart from a short five-minute burst of rain.

Volunteer at work
Coppicing in progress
Hedging
Volunteer at work
Volunteers at work
Volunteer at work
Volunteers

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Coppicing at Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on March 17, 2019|

Today a few of us were out at Spud Wood, a Woodland Trust site.  We were continuing the coppicing of hazel we’ve been doing over the winter, in the better than expected weather! Buds are starting to burst for spring so this is possibly the last of the coppicing for this year.

Coppicing of hazel in progress
Coppiced hazel

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Woodland tasks at New Moss Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on February 17, 2019|

Today we were at New Moss Wood, a Woodland Trust site.  This is a native woodland, planted about twenty years ago.  Alongside our woodland management tasks, we were pleased to find and learn a bit about the scarlet elf cup fungus (Sarcoscypha cocinea) – the red of which stood out beautifully against the green of the moss.

 

Information board
Volunteers clear fallen tree
Scarlet elf cup (Sarcoscypha cocinea)
Scarlet elf cup (Sarcoscypha cocinea)

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Willow and snow at Tittesworth

Posted in Coppicing, Hedgelaying, Ponds and lakes, Residential weekends, Willow structures, tagged on February 4, 2019| 3 Comments »

For our first weekend away of 2019 we were treated to a a beautiful sunny and snowy landscape on the edge of Tittesworth Reservoir!  Working with the Peak Park Conservation Volunteers, on Saturday we were coppicing willow in an area being managed as an important habitat for willow tit.  Then, on Sunday, we returned to the willow hedge that we began in October 2018, and extended it further along the shore.  This barrier, created by a combination of dead hedging and the laying of living willow, is to discourage disturbance by walkers and dogs of an area of the shore important for ground-nesting birds.

Our hedge from October
Volunteers at work – coppicing willow
Coppicing willow
Tittesworth Reservoir by night
Extending our October hedge – getting started
Laying of willow in progress
Volunteers hedging
Volunteers at work
Volunteers at work on willow barrier
Volunteers at work on willow barrier
The extended hedge

Update, May 2019: Back in the area for another weekend, we were pleased to see our hedge thriving and sprouting well!

Sprouting on our previously laid hedge

 

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Starting 2019 at Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Hedgelaying, Woodland management, tagged , on January 13, 2019|

We have started 2019 with a day with the Friends of Spud Wood.  At this Woodland Trust site, we today helped the Friends with the preparation of a hedge for a forthcoming hedgelaying course, and then some coppicing within the wood.  We were sustained, as always here, by plenty of tea and parkin – a great start to the year!

Preparing hedge for future laying
Coppicing
Volunteers coppicing
Tools and stumps
Cut wood

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Wildlife garden and grassland

Posted in Coppicing, Grassland, Meadows, Ponds and lakes, tagged , on December 16, 2018|

Well, our activities for 2018 are now over. Our last two outings have been with the Friends of Longford Park on 25th November and with the Friends of Chorlton Meadows on 9th December.

In Longford Park, we helped the Friends with a number of activities for the maintenance of the wildlife garden including seeding wood anemone, foxglove and yellow rattle; coppicing hazel; removing blackthorn which was invading the grassland area; and managing areas of dogwood, rose and flag iris near the pond.

Volunteers at work
Work in progress
Removing blackthorn root from grass
Tools
Coppiced hazel

At Chorlton Meadows, the Friends are currently in the process of trying to restore the only remaining area of old grassland. The aim is to re-introduce cattle grazing once the new fence has been completed. Sadly, many years of neglect has resulted in several species invading the field, not least bramble. The cattle will keep the invasive plant species down and allow the rarer plant species to thrive once again. SACV members spent the day working with the Friends in removing the bramble.

Volunteers at work
Volunteer with brambles
Volunteer at work
Volunteer at work
Volunteers at work

Hard work, but well worth it and our efforts were rewarded with an early Christmas soirée after the task, kindly hosted (as in previous years) by Elaine. Thanks to Elaine for the perfect end to the day!

And of course big thanks to everyone who has come out to volunteer with us in 2018!

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Urmston Meadows and water voles

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on September 4, 2018|

This past Sunday (2 September) we were out helping City of Trees at Urmston Meadows with some habitat management: thinning out trees, mostly willow, as part of a larger project which aims to improve local conditions for water voles.  It is thought that there are already water voles at this site and the work aims to enhance the conditions for them.

Many thanks to the new volunteers who came along – it was good to meet you all!

Getting started
In progress – increasing light to the bank
Canine volunteer takes a rest
Work done – a clearer bank

 

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Wintry coppicing at Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on March 21, 2018|

This past Sunday saw our final visit for this season to the Woodland Trust’s Spud Wood.  Wintry conditions had returned and although snow wasn’t exactly thick on the ground it was very chilly – good reason to keep moving!  The Friends’ usual excellent home-made parkin pulled us through and we finished the planned area of hazel coppicing.  And of course a local robin gave some encouragement too.

Volunteers at work
Feeding a robin
Log pile
Wheelbarrow

 

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Return to Spud Wood

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on February 11, 2018| 1 Comment »

Today we were back at the Woodland Trust’s Spud Wood.  The weather wasn’t as kind as during our visit in January, shifting from hail to bright sunshine and back again, but nonetheless we made some good progress with the coppicing of hazel and some other woodland thinning.  We put the possible hedgelaying on hold for today, although we might yet make a start on it when back on 18th March.  Thanks again to the Friends of Spud Wood for the welcome and for fortifying us with home-made cake!

Log pile
Coppiced hazel

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Spud Wood – great start to 2018!

Posted in Coppicing, Woodland management, tagged , on January 7, 2018| 1 Comment »

Thanks to all who came out today to help with coppicing work at Spud Wood, a Woodland Trust site.  A great start to 2018 – a good turn-out from SACV, a warm welcome from Friends of Spud Wood, lovely sunshine, an excellent site – and homemade cake!  Here’s to more days like this for the rest of the year.

 

Volunteers in action
Log pile
Canine volunteer with sawdust

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