Diary 2018

2018

To see last year’s work go to Diary 2017

December 2018

A pre-Christmas bonfire at Quinney’s Wood. Mince pies and cake at break time!

preparing to re-erect the roadside fence

Quinney’s Wood – re-erecting a 50m stretch of roadside fence damaged several years ago by traffic, using existing stock fencing and barbed wire but new fence poles

November 2018

Quinney’s Wood – bramble has encroached into the top hedge and is cut back at ground level. Branches blocking light from younger trees are removed, and brash is burnt.

October 2018

clearing a lttle more encroaching bramble

cutting back an old patch of bramble using a hedge trimmer

a little more grassland reclaimed from bramble

Dial Hill – clearing back some more bramble to restore lost grassland on the top of the hill

cutting back vegetation with brush cutter and hedge trimmer

Dial Hill – tidying and opening up the area nearest the cricket pitch. The remains of a stone boundary wall here are obscured and protected by ivy and other vegetation.

The grass is mowed & raked off prior to the apple harvest at the Millennium Community Orchard. A generally poor harvest this year due to weather conditions – but a good crop of the late ripening variety Black Dabinett!

bank brush cut to improve grassland quality

brush cutting around 2 young walnut trees

Dial Hill – mowing & raking to improve grassland areas inaccessible to the tractor mower

Mowing and raking the steep and stony slope above Dial Hill cricket ground

September 2018

Quinney’s Wood – raking up. Invasive brambles in the hedge are cut out at ground level.

brush cutting long grass and blackthorn suckers

Late summer grass cutting starts in Quinney’s Wood. Two wasp nests disturbed!

A second session of garden work brings welcome funds to the Woodcutters’ account

August 2018

Tidying a Woodcutter’s garden in return for a most generous donation to our funds.

Clevedon School – tidying the woodland edge & trail, and grubbing out bramble roots

grubbing out brambles from reclaimed grassland

Dial Hill – moving hay (newly tractor mown) into woodland; pulling regrowth of non-native everlasting pea and grubbing out brambles in reclaimed grassland

July 2018

non-native everlasting pea invading grassland

pulling everlasting pea in mown grassland

Grassland management on Dial Hill during a heatwave – controlling toxic ragwort and two non-native & invasive species (garden escapes) – everlasting pea and purple toadflax

June 2018

Quinney’s Wood arboretum starts to take shape with tree labels in place

scything and raking up beside the top hedge

Quinney’s Wood – fixing tree name labels to posts and cutting hogweed & cow parsley

Quinney's Wood - newly planted whitebeam to the right

Closely mown paths in Quinney’s Wood add contrast to lush vegetation & provide access

The Community Orchard – cutting areas of rank grass & other vegetation and raking off the arisings to improve the orchard floor. The grass paths are mown to enhance access.

raking off after brush cutting rank vegetation

nettles round a walnut tree cut and raked off

Dial Hill – rank vegetation is brush cut and raked off to promote species rich grassland while thistles are forked out and non-native honesty and purple toadflax is pulled out.

May 2018

grassland cut and raked off to control everlasting pea

spear thistles need to be controlled to prevent them out-competing other grassland species

the population of over-competitive creeping thistle & spear thistle is reduced by forking out

Dial Hill – a patch of grassland is mown to control the spread of non-native everlasting pea while thistles are forked out to reduce competition with other native species.

grubbing out sumach regrowth, thistles, ragwort & purple toadflax

Dial Hill – grubbing out of invasive everlasting pea on a recently scrub-cleared patch, follow-up control of sumac & ragwort, and thinning out of thistles & purple toadflax

April 2018

overhanging holly and a sycamore sapling cut

brambles cleared back from the mounting block

Norton’s Wood bridleway – cutting encroaching brambles and overhanging branches

After weeks of wet Wednesdays the Orchard is finally dry enough to prune more overgrown apple trees to reduce their height and encourage more compact growth. Elm saplings near the ditch are thinned out and all brash burnt.

cleariing bramble prior to thinning ash trees

Dial Hill – forking out spear thistle in grassland and thinning a grove of ash saplings

March 2018

extending an informal trail by cutting sycamore saplings and clearing around fallen trees

trimming back brambles along an earlier informal trail

Clevedon School – extending informal woodland trails to increase accessibility

remedial pruning to reduce height and spread

The Millennium Community Orchard – pruning to reduce height & spread serves to lighten the load on the crown of apple trees that are leaning due to wind and wet ground.

brambles cleared to allow light to the woodland floor

Late winter work at Clevedon School – extending the area of accesible woodland and creating new habitat by cutting back brambles and thinning sycamore saplings