Tuesday, 13 February 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John, John new, Ian, Mike m, Terry, Bob s, Bob w, Mark, Stuart, Alan, Keith, Jonathan, David a, and Martin Activities: - Looked and fed ponies - checked and patched the central fence - closed all but one of the gates along it - put in two extra posts for maze type styles - did strengthening to a gate post and fence strainer combined, on the open gate nearest to the small gate along the road - brought in wood and cut logs - cleared more of bramble at the front - moved the salt licks from entrance and bench to other side of reserve These were in preparation for fencing work next week around the entrance, which requires the ponies to be kept on the other side of the reserve Observations: - weather foul, with strong winds, alert and cold - Keith went back home for lunch pack, which was actually in the shed - Jonathan promising to take deer orders - stacking logs at right angle to the wall - went after lunch, cold but happy Martin

Tuesday, 6 February 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John, John new, David w, Mike m, Terry, Pat, Alan, Keith, Bob w, Stuart, Ian, Paul, Bernard, and Martin Activities: - looked and fed the ponies - pollarded some birch along the top, near the car park - two bonfires. One near the big gate by the car park, where mark and nick felled some birch, and the other in the quarry with the willow. All the birch brash was burned. - gorse was coppiced in the quarry, and burned. - all logs we stacked up, in experimental stacks to maximise drying. - some small brash was used to cover the worst of the boggy area there -Stuart did some log cutting in the store, and John and Paul put some hardcore down at the edge of the road. The hardcore was provided by Keith Observations: - Mike m prepared some birch for turning and took away as perk - Stuart took some more bracken peat - some logs were taken or allocated - weather very cold, after recent snow, but not too windy and some nice blue skies - evidence of some deer kill, including a separated tail. Body not found. A bit close to the car park? - gorse fire was a little slow at building up into a strong fire - reed buntings, redwings, tree creepers Martin

Tuesday, 30 January 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: Keith, Bob s, Bob w, Alan, Ray, Pat, David p, David a,, Anda, Terry, Ian, Mike m, Mark, John, Jonathan, Stuart, Paul, David w, and Martin. A record. Activities: - some log cutting in tool store - looked the ponies - checked the fence from stony pond back to kissing gate - two gorse fires near stony pond. One down towards the stream and one the other side of the path. Cut remaining gorse along stream, and piled up for future fire - cut down the leaning beech on the boundary up from stony pond. Observations: - ray had hip problem, but managed it back to car - 2 or 3 Dartfords near fires - reed bunting - 2 siskins - ravens patrolling - sunny but cool. Little wind. - 2 alder buckthorn in ditch - Jonathan had hawfinch at home on feeder Martin

Tuesday, 23 January 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John, Keith, David w, David p, Bernard, Ian, Mike m, Mike p, Ray, Bob, Mark, Paul, Jonathan and Martin. Neil visited for coffee. Activities: - John did some road work just outside the stone pillars - looked the ponies, and feed with last of the rations that we had in the store - oiled many of the locks. One at the roller stand brought back for repairs. - peeled the chestnut post and moved it, with great difficulty, to the ride junction. Then put up by a new team after lunch - brought in the last of the big trunks from the edge of the copse. Cut up and split a large amount of wood. Tested out all the two man saws. - sorted out the remaining log piles - checked the new wedge - did a little drainage work on the car park near the store - Mike p did a little work on the banks in front of store Observations: - horrid weather. Rain, mist, wind. People got wet. - David w showed off some of this wood work - pole saw being borrowed by Stuart - water butt seemed to be working well Martin

Tuesday, 16 January 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John, Keith, Bob, Stuart, David w, Mike p, Mike m, Terry, Ian, Bob West, Mark new, Ray, Alan, and Martin Activities: - looked and fed the ponies. Near the bench - John did some work on road along the fence line, and some pine pulling along the m1 and batters heath - Martin and Bob cut a new fire beater stand, to replace broken one at the ride junction - Stuart dug some bracken peat as perks - cut birch around the pond that we found on ol2, burning the brash. - Keith and Ian finished planting the cherry whips

Observations:

- John brought a dozen or more elm stakes for the cherry trees - cold and quite a wind in the open. Rain held off until after we had left - red bunting along the road - Raven in ol2 - good flock of goldfinches at top lodge Martin

Tuesday, 9 January 2018 ... weekly volunteers

Description:Present: John, David w, Mike p, Mike m, Keith, Alan, Terry, Paul, David a, Stuart, Jonathan, Barnard, Ian and Martin Activities: - looked the ponies. Up near bench feeding on the salt licks there - cut some logs in the store, and dug up some bracken peat for perks - planted some wild cherry on south heath, more to follow. These are certified as native. - cut birch in ol2, burning the brash and making log piles - John did lot of work along road clearing the fence line Observations: - cold, little wind, dull, misty - redwing, red bunting, possible woodcock - Paul is new volunteer - water butt in use, watering the cherry whips and cleaning boots Martin

Results of Fungus Foray , 12th October 2018 .... martin

 click the list below for  results of the foray.  They should appear , and you can download the file from there.

cheers

martin



click for fungi list