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Archive for the ‘Woodland management’ Category

Woodland work and Himalayan balsam

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged , on August 23, 2015|

Another late-in-the-season bashing of Himalayan balsam was the order of the day today, this time in Priory Gardens (approximately SJ797926) on behalf of the Red Rose Forest.  Some of the balsam will already have flowered and set seed, but there was plenty to go at which hadn’t yet seeded.  Alongside this, we were also doing some woodland work, reducing some of the density of saplings, particularly sycamore, to open up the woods and allow more light to some parts of the woodland floor.  A fine and hot summer’s day but gradually building up to refreshing rain – although the clouds helpfully held back until our work was done!

Working in the woods
Loppers
Himalayan balsam and trees
Himalayan balsam flower
Volunteers tackling Himalayan balsam
Seeds of common hogweed

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Rhododendrons at Priory Gardens

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged , on April 12, 2015| 1 Comment »

Today we were working at Priory Gardens on behalf of the Red Rose Forest, to remove a patch of invasive rhododendrons from an edge of the site near Dane Road.  On starting, it looked as though the area to clear might not be too great, but in fact the rhododendrons were pretty extensive and established, so by the end our piles of cut material were fairly high!  Doubtless we’ll have missed some of the invaders and some will re-sprout, but we’ll have opened up this part of the woodland for some time.

Volunteer at work
Clearing the rhododendrons
A removed root
Panorama of work in progress
Piles of cut rhododendron

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Thinning at New Moss Wood

Posted in Woodland management, tagged , on March 8, 2015|

Today several volunteers (and a labradoodle, who found lots of sticks) worked at New Moss Wood on behalf of the Woodland Trust.  New Moss Wood is a native woodland, planted about sixteen years ago and part of the Red Rose Forest, and as the woodland develops ongoing work is needed to thin the trees and maintain some of the open spaces and paths.  Those out today braved non-stop rain through the morning but were rewarded with clearing skies and spring sunshine by soon after lunch!

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Goodbye 2014 and hello 2015!

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Woodland management, tagged , , , , on January 4, 2015|

So, we finished 2014 with an event at Chorlton Ees on 23rd November: working with the Friends of Chorlton Meadows, we removed trees and scrub to the south of one of the ponds to allow more light in. Then on 7th December we were at New Moss Wood, which is one of the Woodland Trust’s sites and a new one for us. We carried out some coppicing and thinning at this relatively young woodland. It was a day of mixed weather (mostly wintry brightness but lunch in hail!) so we were glad afterwards to get into the dry for our annual seasonal get-together with mulled wine, mince pies and the like!

Now we’re into 2015, and we’ll be swinging into action next Sunday (11th January) at Chorlton Water Park, when we’ll be helping with some management of the willow groynes around the lake, which are important in protecting
the lake banks from erosion and providing a valuable wildlife habitat. New volunteers are welcome to join us!

Tools and tree
Path
Habitat pile
Hats on tree

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Woodland work in Priory Gardens

Posted in Woodland management, tagged , on October 19, 2014|

Last Sunday (12th October) members of SACV were in action in the woods at Priory Gardens again, on behalf of the Red Rose Forest.  Parts of this woodland, which was probably planted a few decades ago, are rather species-limited, so the work was to remove some of the smaller saplings of sycamore and Norway maple in order to open up the woodland floor and encourage a greater diversity.  Habitat piles were created with the cut material for the benefit of wildlife.  Once again at this site we were lucky to have some very fine weather – a great autumn day to be spent in the woodland’s dappled shade!

The woods 1
The woods 2
Volunteers at work in the woods 1
Volunteers at work in the woods 2
Volunteer at work in the woods 1

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Himalayan balsam at Black Moss Covert

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged on July 13, 2014|

Himalayan balsam is a pernicious invasive species which can take over large areas of woodland and the banks of streams, shading out and eradicating many other species.  Today SACV were out in Black Moss Covert helping the Cheshire Wildlife Trust with attempts to get the Himalayan balsam under control at this site – fingers crossed that this will help in getting it eradicated here!

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Woodland work in Priory Gardens

Posted in Woodland management, tagged , on June 9, 2014|

SACV volunteers were working in yesterday’s fine weather at Priory Gardens, on behalf of the Red Rose Forest.  The day’s task was to carry out some woodland management, removing saplings, particularly sycamore and ash. The increased light will encourage flowers in the understory, while allowing the continued growth of larger, more mature trees.

Volunteers in Priory Gardens
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 4
Volunteer in Priory Gardens
Volunteers in Priory Gardens 2
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 2
Volunteer in Priory Gardens 3

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Woodland and pond work at Priory Gardens

Posted in Ponds and lakes, Woodland management, tagged , on April 5, 2014|

Last Sunday (30th March) SACV volunteers were out in Priory Gardens in Sale. This woodland site is now managed by the Red Rose Forest. One task was to do some woodland management near the entrance to the site from Dane Road – in particular to carry out some thinning to allow more light through to parts of the wood. The second task was to start to do some clearing of reeds to try to open up a pond which is in danger of silting up. We were lucky to have a very warm spring day for the work – great to be outside!  We’ll be back at this site helping with further work on Sunday 13th April so come along then if you’d be interested in getting involved!

Woodland management at Priory Gardens
Woodland management at Priory Gardens 2
Volunteers at work – woodland at Priory Gardens
Volunteers at work – pond management
Pond clearance at Priory Gardens
Work in progress on pond

 

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Saplings at Birch Moss Covert

Posted in Invasive species, Woodland management, tagged on September 8, 2013|

SACV volunteers were out today helping the Cheshire Wildlife Trust at one of their sites, Birch Moss Covert.  The work was to carry out some woodland management, clearing an area that had been invaded by Himalayan balsam and bracken, then transplanting rowan saplings from a denser area of the wood.

Woodland work at Birch Moss Covert
Woodland work at Birch Moss Covert

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Rhododendrons at Hare Hill

Posted in Woodland management, tagged on June 30, 2013|

Today SACV volunteers were out giving the National Trust a hand at Hare Hill.  We were working at the edge of the woods which surround the walled garden, in a meadow awash with buttercups, where our task was to help with the control of rhododendrons.

Buttercups at Hare Hill
Conservation volunteers at work

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