Friends of Buntings Wood
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Friends of Buntings Wood |
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A SUMMARY OF THE FRIENDS OF BUNTINGS’ WOOD (FOBWO) WORK FOR JANUARY TO DECEMBER 2011 * Denotes a FOBWO work party date.
* 2nd January The traditional annual walkover of the site. (8)
3rd January Work beyond the motorway clearing out logs and creating habitat piles. Post Christmas fly tipping was removed as were a number of old tents and camping gear. An unsafe tree was felled next to the main track near area 6. (4)
* 9th January Extra task working on the Adopt a Tree area. The area was strimmed and measured. (5)
* 16th January Again working in the Adopt a Tree area. The strimming continued, with the small strimmer used to trim around trees. All plaques were cleaned with brasso and a fallen support was replaced by one of the trees. (7)
* 23rd January An extra task, posts were cemented in to accommodate new gates to be erected to the Adopt a Tree plot. Checked the mapping for the area and mapped the Existing Trees which have been adopted. (6)
25th January The Green Gym worked removing guards and stakes (two sacks of guards and a sack of stakes). Trees along the canal-side path were trimmed back and used from dead hedging. A dead tree near the canal was de-limbed to prevent it becoming a hazard. (14)
* 6th February The volunteers installed three gates on the entrance points in the hedge of the Adopt a Tree area. The posts were treated with preservative. More strimming and raking of bramble and matted grass, again in the Adopt a Tree area. A den in area 6 was removed, along with four bags of rubbish, metal and general litter. A sack of tree guards was collected and removed from the site. (10) Eduardo, Jamie, Tony all present.
15th February The Green Gym worked removing guards and stakes (two sacks of guards and a sack of stakes). Trees along the canal-side path were trimmed back and used from dead hedging. (10)
* 20th February Task cancelled due to weather.
* 27th February – replacement task session The volunteers completed the clearance of the Adopt a Tree area (strimming and raking). A builder’s sack of tree guards and stakes was collected, along with a variety of litter and rubbish. Various willow trees near the Railway Bridge was cut back. Preparation pits were dug for the Adopt a Tree planting. Sad to note that the stakes had been stolen A-A Tree and the first theft of a plaque and stake. (Brass). Two volunteers went and inspected the damage caused by green Landover ripping up tracks. Horrific. CFN, on the phone call from Pete Richardson went down yesterday, 16.00 hrs, and saw the Landover leave the site. (10). Eduardo and Jamie present.
28th Feb 2010 John Thompson, BTCV, phoned to say unsuccessful in the WREN bid. However, with CFN permission, granted, to apply to Biffa for landfill credit. Since LNR status not resolved, CFN agreed to use TMC £600 – for signage, as match funding for this. Should hear in mid-june.
* 6th March – Adopt a Tree Planting Four of this year’s adopted trees were planted. Part of the hedge along the outside of the Adopt a Tree area was trimmed back. A bag of tree guards and stakes was removed. Some cutting was done to finish the trimming back of the willow trees near the railway bridge. (9) Eduardo, Jamie and Tony all present.
* 11th March – Adopt a Tree Planting – Additional task Another of the adopted trees was planted, this one in memory of Mrs Bunting, wife of William Bunting whom the wood was named after. (3)
15th February The Green Gym worked dead hedging in the car park, extending the existing barrier, and removing tree guards from area 6. (20)
* 19th March – Additional task JFW, Shaun and Peter investigated reports of damage to gates in the Adopt A Tree area. The gates were made safe and removed to safe storage. (3)
* 20th March – Adopt a Tree Planting – Additional task The last Adopt a Tree planting for Sheila Pantling. The gates were re-hung. Three horse Chestnut trees were planted into the hedgerow to help fill gaps. Guards were replaced on hawthorn whips in the hedge opposite the cottages on Lock Hill Lane. Trees damaged at the time the gates were damaged were tidied up/pollarded. (8) Eduardo, Jamie and Tony all present.
* 27th March - Additional task The volunteers worked in area 5 removing debris and litter where a tent and some burnt out tyres had been left, and area 6 alongside the canal. This entailed two trips to the skip to dispose of litter and other rubbish. Area 5 was swept for fallen tree guards and stakes and these were removed from the site. (4)
29th March CFN met with Ian Harrison and John Thompson to discuss a WREN grant bid.
* 3rd April The volunteers swept the car park area for litter and other rubbish. In all 13 bags were collected along with various larger plastic items. Trees felled in the previous year were removed from the ditch next to the car park and cut down, the brash to be used in dead hedging. (3)
* 17th April Repair work was done to the stile on the right hand side of the car park, replacing the upper step of the stile whose supports had rotted away. Half a builder’s sack of tree guards was collected. The Adopt a tree map was updated to include the dedications from this years round of planting, the new gate posts were wrapped with wire to prevent them being cut and two packs of wild flower seeds were raked in and watered. In preparation for the Green Gym work a number of stakes were driven to support their dead hedging work and material for them to work with was stacked in readiness. Parts of the hedge along the drive were trimmed back where the hawthorn had begun to hang over the track. (6) No DofE volunteers.
19th April The green Gym worked in the car park and in the area next to the cottages erecting further dead hedging. Members of the Autism Plus group were not present having been warned that there was a gypsy funeral taking place on this day. (10).
* 1st May The volunteers repaired and replaced broken and missing slats on the hand rails of the bridge near the end of the Adopt a Tree area. The new trees from this year’s Adopt a Tree planting were watered along with wild flower seeds planted in the area. The hedge along the drive was trimmed in places where it had started to encroach onto the path. A builder sack of guards and stakes were removed from area 5. Self-sets were thinned in area 3 near to the railway bridge, The cut trees were stacked next to a previous fire pit, to be moved at a later time for use in traffic control. Rubble was used to back-fill potholes in the entrance to the car park. Volunteers challenged a couple who were shooting at tin cans hung from trees using an air rifle. It is slightly worrying to note that there seems to be a recurrence of the Spindle Ermine Moth infestation which in previous years stripped all the foliage from some of the trees in area 5. A new chain and padlock were put onto the right hand gate in the car park. (7) Tony present, no Eduardo, or Jamie.
* 15th May The volunteers tacked wire onto the rails of the bridge near the end of the Adopt a Tree area to discourage vandalism. The new trees from this year’s Adopt a Tree planting were watered along with wild flower seeds planted in the area. The areas around access ways and benches were strimmed. Self-sets were thinned in area 3 near to the railway bridge, and a new pathway connecting to a previously cut one was created. Rubble was used to back-fill potholes in the access track. The new chain on the right hand gate in the car park was cut to length and the gate clasp was repaired so that the gate closes properly. Four of the Scots Pine from the ACEVO tree planting were re-staked. (6) Tony present, no Eduardo or Jamie.
* 5th June A new kissing gate was installed on the left hand side of the car park. Two new bins were installed in the car park and more potholes were filled in the drive using rubble donated by a volunteer. (5) No Tony, Eduardo or Jamie.
12th June (Additional task) The kissing gate installed previously was completed with wire being tacked to the top of each lath to prevent them being cut and stolen by vandals. More of the potholes in the drive were filled. A path was strimmed along the inside of the hedge in the Adopt a Tree area to allow easier access. (6) No Tony, Eduardo or Jamie.
* 19th June Cancelled due to heavy rain.
21st June Green Gym volunteers working with a few of the friends worked thinning a section of area 6 near the access track. A large amount of self set trees were cut down and the majority of the brash was burnt. Another pothole was filled in at the entrance to the car park. (24)
* 3rd July A bench which was vandalised near Perches Pond was repaired and Jamie and Tony ventured into the pond to recover pieces of wood pulled from the benches. Work was done on the access track to fill in potholes using rubble donated by Kev. The vegetation around the steps near the railway bridge was cut back and a repair made to the step. The bench next to the canal near the meadow area was cleared of overhanging vegetation. (10) Jamie and Tony present, no Eduardo.
* 17th July The volunteers worked clearing/thinning self set trees in area 3, the cuttings being prepared for the Green Gym volunteers’ dead hedging work. More of the potholes in the access track were filled with hardcore. (7) D of E - Jamie present, no Eduardo or Tony.
19th July The Green Gym worked in the car park rebuilding the dead hedge along the edge of the hard standing. They also worked along the track next to the canal cutting back branches which impinged upon the path, which were also used in the dead hedge building. (23 includes 4 FOBWO vols)
* 7th August Thinning was undertaken on Hazel coppice in area 6 with the aim of providing material for the next work session with the Green Gym. A large number of poles were cut and trimmed ready to be used in the completion of the dead hedge in the car park area. (5). No D of E volunteers.
16th August – Green Gym The Dead Hedge in the car park was finished all bar some final touches. More brash was cut and ferried to feed the hedge. (10 from SEC including 2 staff, No Autism Plus, 3 FOBWO vols)
* 21st August The volunteers cut back the hedge growth and strimmed the banks beside the entrance near the lock to allow easier access for vehicles in view of the forthcoming regatta at Stanilands. The vista overlooking the car park as one enters the drive was opened to allow more visibility. More Hazel poles were cut and some final finishing work was undertaken on the dead hedge in the car park. (7) FIRST AID REPORT: JFW treated for foreign object in eye, Bill Roe treated for minor cut to finger. Both patients well. No D of E volunteers but good to see that Eduardo got the top student award at Trinity Academy.
3rd September – Stanilands Regatta Stall manned at the regatta by JFW, CFN, Kev and Carl Cauldwell. Leaflet distribution went well from the static stands in the car park.
* 4th September Access points along the access track were cleared using brush cutters/strimmer. The track from the left hand gate of in the car park was cleared back to make walking easier. Kev and CFN rescued a deer from the canal. The hedge between Adopt a Tree and Adopt an Area was cut back. A general litter pick was done. The screws holding the metal fixings onto the gates in the Adopt a tree area were drilled to prevent vandals taking them. (8) no D of E. A local requested to take some bricks from the rubble in the entrance to area 5, permission was given. Thanks to Rachel and Ben for picking up the leaflet dispensers, boards and display stuff from the carp park.
* 18th September Preparation for the Green Gym next session. Cutting and piling brash for the volunteers to work with at the next Green Gym session. (4) no D of E
20th September - Green Gym The brash cut in the previous FOBWO task was burnt and more self sets were felled by the Green Gym volunteers for burning and removal from site. (10 Green Gym + 2 staff, 4 FOBWO volunteers, no Autism Plus volunteers) Fly tipping was noted in the entrance to area 5 of Concrete posts and gravel boards, this was removed from site for recycling.
* 2nd October Litter picking through Area 5. Preparation for next green Gym task, strimmed nettles to allow Green Gym Volunteers access – i.e. creating model example of managed woodland. (6)
* 16th October Felling in preparation for Green Gym Task, creating a path and managing self set trees. Applied preservative to benches. (5)
18th October – Green Gym Felling and burning brash to create a new pathway and clear self sets. (22 including 4 FOBWO volunteers)
* 6th November Litter Picked. Filling in some large cracks in the ground where intended fire place in area 3 where the Green Gym have been working. Preparatory felling for next green gym task. (6)
15th November – Green Gym Green Gym groups cancelled, so FOBWO volunteers undertook an impromptu work party. Very Successful day burning brash and progressing the footpath in area 3. Chopped a lot of self set trees and burnt the cuttings. Went back whilst fire dying down over the whole path so far, (starting opposite Perches Pond), and undertook selective Thinning. This and some other Brash was used to stop vehicular access along the side of the railway line to Sammy Roy’s Pond. (No autism Plus or Social Education Centre) (4 FOBWO volunteers)
* 20th November Started out breaking rubble for the drive from the pile of stones in front of area 5, without success. Tree guard removal in Area 5 removed two builders sacks of guards and a small sack of stakes. Litter picked in the meadow area at the top of Area 5 whilst going through the undergrowth discovered some cable from the railway which was removed from the site and reported to the British Transport Police.(7)
The damage done by the Spindle Ermine moths appears to have had a detrimental effect on the trees infected, and will require monitoring.
* 4th December Litter Picking over old campsite in area 6 approximately 60 paces from the junction in the pathway near Adopt a Tree Area, this left a large builders sack of rubbish including wire from burnt tyres. Removed more guards from Area 5, two half builders sacks and a small sack of guards removed. When CFN went on site later to remove the builders sacks also removed five tyres dumped along Ings Lane and a pram, all taken to Bootham Lane skip.(6)
* 18th December Removed two builders sacks of tree guards and one bag of stakes from area 5. Filled in the burning pit in area 6. The pit was approximately 2m by 4m and 0.8 -1 m deep. Tree guards and stakes were taken to the skip. (4)
20th December – Green Gym Cancelled.
Instead a number of volunteers worked on site removing tree guards from area 5. Two builders sacks of guards and two of stakes removed and take to the skip. (3)
28th December Again removed two builders sacks of tree guards and one bag of stakes from area 5. Tree guards and stakes were removed from site to be taken to the Bootham Lane dumpit site. (4)
CFN & JFW 28th December 2011
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Contact: postmaster(at) buntings-wood.org.uk. Copyright © 2011
Friends of Buntings Wood
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