Hello Conservation Volunteers
Thank you to all the volunteers who came along to our latest work morning.
One of the main tasks of the morning was to mulch the 350+ hawthorn whips along the bridle path which were planted in December 2022. There is a programme in place with Community Forestry for mulching every year for 5 years and the whips had received their first mulch last May 2023 on a truly horrendous wet morning, so the weather was much kinder this time!
Two truckloads of bark mulch had been dropped off ready for the mulching team, and with all FoPV wheelbarrows in action the team were off. We didn't have the colourful trugs this year but Ranger Matt had supplied some cut off 2 litre milk cartons to use instead, but unfortunately they weren't quite up to the task - 4 or 6 litre needed next time.....or the trugs! The whips are already in leaf and look really healthy, and with the additional mulch to keep the weeds down and retain moisture they should have another good growing year.
One of the other main tasks of the morning was to help Ranger Matt deal with the severe infestation of horsetail (often called mare's tail) which has taken over and is crowding out other plants on the open green space on the other side of Carr Bridge. Four of us had received council training in using strimmers in public places last December and Matt had acquired four 2-stroke strimmers to help him cut it back. Phil's strimmer had major mechanical failure after only a few minutes of use so we left with just the 3 strimmers to cut down it down! It's not an easy plant to control and will grow again but it will be monitored and strimmed back again when needed. A few herbivore dinosaurs would no doubt have dealt with them a 100 million years ago!
Further up the valley, another team was busy clearing blocked up drains and returned with a broken fork (that's what mattocks are for Martin!)
Back in the store at Forge Dam where the ducks had been put into hibernation ready for next year's race, Mike was doing some fixing and tidying up of the launch equipment.
Thanks to Mandy for supplying the chocolate peanut crispies - just what we needed!
The next work morning is on Thursday 9th May. An email will be sent out nearer the time with details.
Lyndon
A Selection of photos from the work morning
Part of the mulching team at the Carr Bridge end of the bridle path
Whips looking green and healthy with a new layer of mulch
John in action strimming
Phil looking for lost (and not found!) strimmer parts!
Mandy bringing chocolate peanut crispies to the strimming team
