Hayfield - Sunday 17th November 2013

Although not originally planned as a joint-workday, 9 of our MNTV group ended up working with 4 Sheffield University students, 3 National Trust Rangers and various dogs:-)

We met at the Mam Tor car park (known as Mam Nick) which Shane, the lead NT Ranger, had recently been asked to manage along with a couple of other NT car parks and land nearby. The diversion on the way was a 'challenge' but fortunately we all made it.

The tasks were: to tidy up the car park edges, remove a wire fence and wooden posts that were no longer needed and to thin the tree's surrounding the car park by cutting off the side branches up to head height. This was to improve security so the parked cars could be seen from the road as well as removing some smaller tree's completely to give other, stronger trees the room to grow.

Jon removing the side branches

Shane with some of the students from Sheffield University



We had reasonable weather although it was cold and a little drizzly for some of the day but then it brightened up and it was just fabulous being out in such amazing countryside.
There was a lovely atmosphere and everyone was chatting while they worked. There were a couple of new volunteers in the MNTV group: Sue who had come along after seeing our recent recruitment advert in the Manchester Evening News and Jon, who had been recommended to try one of our workdays by a fellow college student who had been out with us recently.

We always enjoy our workdays in the Peak District and today was no exception!