It was another dry day for our task at Thurlby Wood, with, in the
afternoon, some sunshine. Amazingly, it is five years since we first helped
Colin, the owner (or custodian as he prefers) with the management of this
wood.
I was delighted with a turnout of twelve, as I had only expected six, and
particularly to see Tracy, making a rare visit from Sheffield.
We cleared willow and ash – plentiful in the wood – in an area where a
previous owner had removed old oak trees so that Colin can plant new oaks;
he also hopes that bluebells, which carpet a nearby part of the wood in
spring, will spread now that this area is much lighter.
After lunch we moved to the far end of the wood, to the pond. Its water
level is dependent on the water table (very low at present) and this has an
impact on the plants that can survive in the water and along the pond
margins. The pond has also silted up over the years, affecting the depth and
quality of the water. A digger will be carrying out major work – indeed
should already have done so – to increase the depth of the pond and the
drain running into it, and to reform the steep banks so that they have a
more sloping profile that will be better for plants and wildlife. Small
islands will probably be removed to create one, more open area of water. It
will be dramatically different. Trees around the pond had to be removed so
that the digger could get access and Colin had already felled them with a
chainsaw so we sawed up and moved all the manageable stuff. We had
three bonfires and cleared a lot of timber – 12 days’ work done in a day!
Many thanks to Colin for the task and the contribution to our funds (and
some firewood for those with wood burning stoves). We look forward to
returning in January. And thanks too to Nicola and Julian for doing the brew
kit.
Jude