Well, January has been a busy month, hasn’t it! Evidenced by the fact that it is infact February and nearly time for the next visit to Willsbridge. There is time for a quick update first though.
Once again I forgot to bring a camera, and I really kicked myself this time as we could have had some fab before and after shots! The groups is growing steadily month on month, new faces for January were Tom and Stuart (Hurray for Tom and Stuart, throwing off the shackles of the desk job - at least for one day a month) and Martyn who is a regular volunteer come to teach the art of dead hedging. The usual suspects were also present, me, Ruth (our beloved leader), Devon, Caroline and Paul, plus new-to-me faces from November, Caz (same course as me at UWE so obviously a class act), Nick and Si.
Due to the wonderful amount of tasks we split into 3 groups for snowdrop weeding, coppicing and dead hedging. Snowdrop weeding was very successful, as it naturally would be with myself and Caroline on the case. We found hundreds and millions of little green shoots (only a slight exaggeration), some with buds and even managed not to stand on more than a couple! I came away feeling very spring like and uplifted, in spite of the rain. Until someone (who shall remain nameless) did a bit of doom mongering with forecasts of frosts to kill them all off. Hedge making along the side of the falling down ruin-y bit was ably handled by Si, Caz, Tom and Stuart with Martyn supervising. It looks very impressive – officially a ‘work of art’, although some people were not entirely satisfied with their handiwork – apparently Tom intends on bringing his spirit level next month……. Moving swiftly on, this left Paul, Devon and Nick with the role of removing the woodland, I mean, ‘coppicing’ the woodland near where the minibeast hunts take place. Never ever let these lads prune your favourite cherry blossom tree. Ever.
So a good day all round – and we had peanut and chocolate chip cookies, who could ask for more?!
DON'T FORGET: Next opportunity to bash some plant life (in a totally wildlife friendly way) 12th February 2007 (that'll be this saturday then)
