Thursday 4th January 2024

First Volunteering Session of 2024

Since the January weather has not been too bitter so far, and knowing how keen my lovely volunteers are, I decided to reboot the volunteer programme about two weeks earlier than I had originally planned.

The unseasonably mild weather has brought its own problems. In particular, a sudden 'mini monsoon' one afternoon resulted in a torrent of water running downhill from the inner gates and along the left hand path.

Inevitably, this resulted in a series of pot-holes and ruts along the path where the water had gouged out the path surface. Running repairs were the order of the day, essential from a health and safety perspective.

No Slacking Please!

Having taken delivery of a slack-line kit, Howie and Katie kindly volunteered at unboxing it and setting it up. The instructions were of the usual poor standard, but resolve and perseverance paid off.

They showed remarkable further patience when I cheekily asked them to take it down, put it up again and then take it down again - for practice.

When the ground is less water-logged and muddy the slack-line will go up permanently.

Perspex and Hazel

We had a little look at our Hazel grove. Having been professionally advised that good tree management would involve thinning or coppicing the hazel we are making plans. But today was just a little tidying and an inspection.

As regards the problem of woodpecker damage to nest boxes we are continuing to fit perspex covers to the fronts. A piece of perspex is cut to size, holed and then screwed in place over the front entrance. We hope to protect all 46 boxes like this.

Good start to 2024