We were pleased to return to this lovely little reserve in North Hykeham. The
lake is one of a series formed from old gravel workings and was saved from
building or other development when dedicated local people successfully applied
for Millennium funding to create a reserve. It is bordered by residential
housing, more lakes used for fishing and sailing, and also a large manufacturing
site which has recently closed down
Our task, on this first day of April, was to continue work started last
October of removing the tree guards which had been put round the young trees
when first planted to protect them. The majority of trees survived and are
outgrowing the guards, which are also disintegrating with age so not very
attractive.
We also wanted to cut back a willow tree and gorse shrubs, which were growing near the path, to keep it clear for walkers and also for the one of the reserve trustees who mows the grass on either side of the path.
A brisk wind helped us to decide where to work – we headed for the most
sheltered side of the lake where there were also plenty of trees - and plenty of
guards to remove. Richard’s suggestion to use Stanley knives or penknives to cut
through the guards made them much easier to remove and we managed to clear them
from most of the trees along one side of the lake. We did leave a couple of
guards – one occupied by a nest of field mice and one by a nest of ants!
There were 13 of us working all day, including two new members, and a local resident joined us during the afternoon. Overall it was a lovely day – sunny and very warm out of the wind – and we felt that we achieved a lot.
Jude
(More pictures available on the Picasa website)