Balsam bashing at Hardcastle Crags on Sunday 27th June 2021

As inevitable as seasons roll round it’s balsam picking time.  One of my favourite tasks destroying Himalayan balsam. Delicately plucking a bunch of flowers then ringing their necks to stop them growing back. All done in lovely surroundings, with good company.

Sue getting ready to to break the roots off the Balsam!

On the 27^th June 2021, 8 of us gathered in the carpark at Hardcastle Crags, Hebden Bridge.  We met up with Ranger Alice again, who was with us on our last trip to Hardcastle.   The task was a simple seek and destroy mission. Himalayan Balsam is an invasive non-native species that likes part shade and damp ground.  But we didn’t want to destroy the native plants it was growing amongst, so we had to wade through them including bramble and nettles and contend with mozzies to hand pick it.

Socially distancing at break time

As you can see from the photo, in the foreground is the picked Balsam surrounded by other plants. Picking by hand rather than slashing the whole area leaves a much better result. 

Text from Jenny. Photo's from Jenny and Sue.

Ragwort pulling at Formby on Sunday 20th June 2021

Six eager MNTV volunteers met Bree the newest ranger, of just 7 weeks, in the car park at the National Trust offices for Formby for a 10:00 am start. I say eager as we had sorted everything out and started to our work site for 10 o'clock.

For a day that had been forecast earlier in the week to be quite wet it turned out not a bad day and did get quite hot at times.  We were working in the same field as we worked in two years previously so it just shows how much this ragwort can grow and spread.  It grows that fast that you clear an area and when you go back a few minutes later to put more in the wheelbarrow it's grown again where you have just cleared.  Well that's my excuse for obviously missing some.

It was a good day and thanks to Bree for having us and best wishes in her new job.

Christine

(photos: Christine and Adrian)

Various tasks at Styal on Sunday 13th June 2021

Ten of us met ranger Craig at 09:30 in the main car park at Styal then moved off in a convoy to the work area close to Manchester airport runway.

The fields here are part of Oak Farm, a National Trust tenancy that had been in the same family for four generations.  A couple of years ago the family decided to retire from farming so the Trust is using the land to enhance the conservation value of the Styal Estate.

One of the fields is let to the Bollin Valley Partnership.  They plan to grow grass for silage and use it to provide extra feed for the longhorn cattle they graze throughout the Bollin Valley.  Some holly trees had been cut down by a previous group and we dragged the brash to a safe place for burning.

Old fencing was cleared.  Some of it was so old the tree bark had grown over the wire and had to be left, but the tree didn’t seem to mind!

Overgrown laurel trees needed cutting back.

It was a satisfying day even though cut a bit shorter than usual due to the humidity.  It was the first time some of us had been to this area and it was interesting to see how big the Styal Estate is.

Jean

Footpath clearance at Alderley Edge on Sunday 6th June 2021

Eleven of us met in the National Trust car park next to the Wizard Inn. 

Today's workday was hastily re-arranged when the team at the location, where we were originally meant to be working, weren't able to host us. Instead Tim, the Ranger at Alderley Edge, stepped in to offer us some path clearance provided we were happy to work unaccompanied (which we were!).

First job was to collect some wheelbarrows from Tim's compound, and the tools from Sue's car and take them across the Macclesfield Road, down Artists Lane onto a path on the right called Cow Lane, then turning onto the Bridleway, where we would be working.

Christine transporting not one, but two, wheelbarrows!

The Bridleway goes quite a long way down through the woods and, as horses use it, the soil on the path which has built up over the years, gets very 'sloppy' when it's been raining, making it difficult for walkers to get past. Our job was to remove the 'slop' - which fortunately for us was fairly dry having had no rain for a few days, barrow it away from the path and dump it in the woods amongst the vegetation, so it wouldn't easily get washed back onto the path once it started raining.

Tim also asked if we could dig some channels from the 'sloppy areas' into the nearby ditch, so the water would drain away from the path in the future.

It was a warm, humid day. We initially split off into smaller groups to tackle different 'sloppy' area's. 

After a socially-distanced relaxing coffee break in a sunny, sandy area (it was just like being abroad!), 

we got back to the job in hand and moved further down the path to a large 'sloppy' area that needed clearing.

It took a while but we managed to get it done and, just as we were finishing, a horse and rider came along to try out this 're-furbished' area of path - fortunately we got the thumbs up from the rider - phew!

Right on cue, a horse and rider appeared to 'test' the new path:-)

It was all too much for David, who needed to take the weight off his feet, while the rest of us gathered the tools together.

Taking the weight off!

This finished another great MNTV workday, which was full of chat, laughter and banter between the volunteers - all glad to be outdoors and helping another NT Ranger make good progress on a task that needed doing:-)

Photo's from Adrian, Jenny and Sue