Chambers Farm Wood, 6th February 2011
A return to the woods at Chambers Farm to continue clearing an area beneath
the trees to allow more light in and encourage the
Greater Butterfly Orchid that is known to grow in that area.
The weather was kind, not raining on us once during the day, although the
wind kept the trees animated! There was about 14 of us, including 3 new
volunteers. We set about cutting down the smaller trees and scrub
around the larger oaks and birches, allowing more light to reach the ground
beneath the trees. The plan was to clear an area heading to the south,
so that the summer sun would stream in, encouraging the germination of the
dormant orchids.
There was plenty of cut material by lunchtime, but a massive bonfire took
care of that, while a number of strategically placed habitat piles used up
the larger pieces (hopefully not on any hidden orchids!). We continued
tidying up and cutting until about 3, before letting the fire die down, the
strong wind helping the fire to consume everything in double quick time.
Julian
