Balsam bashing, putting up a sign and tree branch clearance at Hardcastle Crags on Sunday 7th July 2019

We had a varied day today working with Natalie the Ranger at Hardcastle Crags:-)
We met there at 10am, Sarah, Andy S. and Sue sharing a car from Styal while Jean and also Andy H. travelled from their homes as it was a shorter distance.
Natalie, as usual, was full of enthusiasm for what she had planned and she drove us down towards the car park from the old Estate Office. Once there, Jean and Sue put up the Ranger workday banner:

while the others removed a branch of a Beech tree that had snapped off the tree.

We then pulled up and squished the nodules of Balsam near an old Waterways building before heading back to the old Estate Office to have lunch in the sun:-)

before.......

.....during.....

.....and after:-)

Then we headed up to the old quarry and pulled some more Balsam whilst spotting butterflies and moths flying around.
Natalie then drove us down to Gibson Mill and treated us to an icecream to say thanks for all we'd done:-)
On the way back to our cars, she pulled over near to some Northern Hairy Wood Ant nests to show us how large they were, it was a real treat.

Northern Hairy Wood Ants nest

We love working at Hardcastle Crags and enjoy hearing all the tales from Natalie of the fauna and flora in the area.
Photo's mainly from Nat.