Another Thursday at KFP
Thursday is our regular volunteer day at KFP and there is always a lot going on but today was busier than usual.
It began with the collection of a car load of useful timber, metal and tools donated by a neighbour followed by a meeting with Andrew our wonderful bird recorder - watch out for an update shortly.
It continued with the arrival of 10 of our wonderful volunteers who soon set to work.
Chris & Ken were putting finishing touches to the toilet block :-
Tony & Richard went off to put bracing posts on the new fence around the picnic area and later built a gate for this area.
Ian & Helen continued checking the tree shelters and stakes in the new hazel coppice - some needed straightening and some needed retying. The hazels have done really well considering it was such a dry summer and there are less than 5% losses.
Rachael & Julie were planting out more wildflowers, today it was more Cowslips and Ladies Bedstraw.
The soil is still very dry, recent rain has not gone below 1inch so the plants were also watered in.
David went off to test out his new Austrian scythe, it is fitted with a ditching blade so it can cope with thistles and nettles as well as grass.
At lunchtime it was lovely to have a visit from the Orb group who have been working with us on Thursdays, and others from the walking group who are now on a course with Yorkshire Dales.
I went to mow grass around our memorial trees and to meet up with a couple who wanted to see where their memorial trees can go, an oak and a beech.
While mowing, the tractor had a breakdown with bolts shearing on the steering arm link. Thankfully we have a wonderful occasional volunteer, Cliff, who rushed over to help. He had to drill out and extract the broken bolts before they could be replaced but he saved the day.
The Beryl Burton cycleway was closed today as contractors started drainage work prior to resurfacing,
A drainage channel was dug and filled with stones to capture water which drains off the adjoining bank. Unfortunately there won't be a gulley to take the water across the path so we hope it will manage to soak away, The cycleway will be closed again from oct 19 for resurfacing work.
The consultation notice has also gone up for the new planting phase in conjunction with White Rose Forest and Yorkshire Dales and Rivers Trust.
Keep following for more details and come and join us for some tree planting in December!
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