As usual for this site, we worked with Nettleham Woodland Trust volunteers for the day. One main task was to remove an overgrown willow from the edge of Beatles Pond, using the coarser material to build a dead hedge while saving the finer fronds for Su's willow weaving session at the Wilder Lincolnshire Festival later this month. We continued by cutting back blackthorn and hawthorn to let more light into the pond, again using the cuttings to build up the dead hedge. As you can see from the photos, that work area provided some welcome shade on a hot day!
Another group worked on the 'Humber Bridge', which was beginning to rot as a result of the elements and overgrown vegetation. The area was cleared, the woodwork cleaned with wire brushes and the treatment begun - only stopping because there was no more preservative left!
We met up in the picnic area for coffee break, lunch and chat.
Chris from NWT updated me afterwards on other work completed, with a message of thanks and a photo of a wildlife spotting: 'Please thank your team - and don't forget yourself - for a really great day's work in Monks Wood. As always we really enjoy you joining us. Two major projects were hugely advanced at The Bridge and Beatles Pond and the restoration of the AAA carpark was also completed. Moreover, a number of small but important positive steps were made in other areas such as hazel plotting, clearing the berm behind the supporters' tree, rediscovering two 'lost' locations in the North Wood not visited since Covid (!) and so on. Many hands with plenty of the right equipment and experience indeed make light work. And the picture ? "The earliest arrivals catch the buzzard …"This was taken at about 09:45. A couple of minutes later this magnificent bird must have decided it was getting a little busy down at the entrance and departed for a quieter corner of the ALNR.'
Nicola
Nicola