Wed 27th Feb 2013 - Corfe Camp.

Corfe Camp was our venue this week, helping to maintain the Site of Special Scientific Interest.  Again a few tasks for us all, an area needed one of the dtiches clearing out a bit more than we managed last time to improve drainage; and other areas needed cutting back to improve access.  Then there was an old hawthorn tree which was in dire need of some pollarding, and also a big area of brambles and dead trees to clear out.  The subsequent debris was then used to create a barrier around the area.

Thanks to Carrie for the photographs and editorial.

Sat 23rd Feb 2013 - Hedge Laying Competition, Dunsbury Farm.

Link to the competition results......   http://www.iwhg.org/competition/2013-results.pdf    

Didn't they do well...!

The 2013 IW Hedgelaying Contest at Dunsbury Farm was another success.  Bitterly cold weather didn't put off 11 individuals and 4 teams participating in what was another well organised competition and our two teams did extremely well indeed coming in 2nd and 3rd; only pipped by a mere 4 points from winning the team event!  Both teams scores compare very well with much more experienced participants taking part in the open category.  

So many congratulations you can all be justly proud and we hope the aches and pains... and thorns from the day's activity subside soon.

Thanks to Mark for the result details and photographs.

Wed 20th Feb 2013 - Fort Victoria, Yarmouth.

Our venue this week was Fort Victoria, where Nick the ranger had several tasks for us to tackle.  The severe wet weather over the last several months has meant that there has been considerable land movement along the cliffs, with large cracks appearing near one of the footpaths down to the beach. This has meant that the path has to be re-routed further inland, and our main task was to clear the area of scrub and cut back the trees and shrubs to open up a new pathway.  We then had to build some steps to improve the access to this new route, and also replace some existing steps which had rotted away badly in the wet weather.  Our final task was to shovel a large pile of limestone chippings into plastic buckets, cart these up and down the steps and fill in several muddy areas along the top part of the existing pathway.

Carrie's Nature Lesson.

This beautiful red trunk (the colour will fade fairly quickly) is that of the common alder (Alnus Glutinosa).  This water-loving deciduous native tree is most at home by rivers and streams, although this example was next to a pond.  Its reddish wood linked it to evil spirits in ancient folklore, as they considered the tree to be a natural embodiment of evil, because the cut wood turns a reddish colour as if bleeding.  In Ireland the tree was so revered that cutting one down was a criminal offence, while in Norse mythology the first people were said to be made from ash and alder.

It is a strong underwater timber, and has been used for boats, jetties and underwater structures; even the supports of the Rialto Bridge in Venice are made of alder.  It also lends wildlife a helping hand as in secluded areas, female otters build their holts in the roots of these trees protecting their cubs from danger. Its conical shape can make it look like a deciduous conifer, and its pine cone shaped catkins only add to this illusion.  Small and green in summer, they ripen to become large and brown and some stay on the tree throughout the winter.  Its leaves, however, are oval shaped and look nothing like any conifer.

A big thanks to Carrie for all of the above this week...!

Green Gym Hedge Laying Practice - 2013

As Carrie reported last month on the 30th of January we have been practising a little for this year's Hedgelaying Contest and so whilst novices at the craft we hope to do our best again in this contest, our 5th time in the team event.

We have layed the hedge shown here in the photos at the Community Orchard in Longwood Lane, between Lake and Adgestone.  What was a leggy and gappy hedge is now set to last a good few years and will hopefully thicken and provide a good boundary for the site.

The next competition is on Saturday 23rd February 2013 at Dunsbury Farm - NOTE REVISED VENUE. 

Try the following link for further details....  www.iwhg.org/competition.html

Many thanks to Mark for the photographs and editorial.