Baildon Moor

looking westThis was our first visit of the year to the area of Baildon Moor where we have been controlling bracken for a decade. The impact we have had in enabling the moorland vegetation to thrive, rather than be swamped by the bracken is significant and noticeable. When we clear a patch the first plants to arrive are the heath bedstraw and sheep's sorrel, closely followed by the wavy hair grass. Heather and bilberry are now encroaching into the grassy areas giving a perfect example the plant succession on moorland. There are few small rowan and birch trees which will give perching points for birds, as well as food and shelter.

It feels wrong to complain it was too hot -we have had many a drenching on the exposed moor - however it was very warm! Good for the butterflies - the small heath were most numerous but there were also plenty of meadow brown, ringlet and large white. The crossleaved heath was in flower and going over and the ling (common heather) is just about to open. There were many bees visiting the heather and the bilberry.

We had a walk on the moor on Wednesday evening and there were quite a few birds in the longer bracken and a pair of hunting kestrels. On both days we disturbed a pair of partridges. Because of our observations we concentrated our cutting efforts today in some of the areas we have cut previously. We used scythes, sickles and slashers to cut the bracken and raked into to piles to make compost. Today we worked with 17 volunteers.

The BEES technique of widening out from areas of mixed flora Our second visit of the season to cut Bracken on the moor. For today's task we concentrated on 3 techniques of control. For the areas that we have been working on for a number of years, which are showing good recolonisation progress, we mainly walked over the area and hand picked out the Bracken. Next, patches that we identified as having a good mixed flora were cut away from using hand tools in the hope that that the flora will spread out into the newly cleared areas. Finally, using the autoscythe and the hand scythes we cut areas that were dense with bracken with little or no flora beneath. The Bracken is then collected up into piles.

Today there were 15 volunteers.

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Racking cut bracken in very strong wind Today was our last trip of the season and we concentrated our efforts on ensuring we removed regrowing bracken from previously cut areas and raking the bracken litter. It is noticeable the amount that we have managed to cut over the past five years and the range of plant species that are recolonising the area. We are going to take advise over the winter on how best to proceed with the project. Although it was August we were exposed to some severe weather and had to result to the Lifeboat matches to get the kettle alight!

Today there were 6 volunteers.

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Fri 26th June 09 : Area of previously cut Bracken which grasses have now been able to colonise. Picture shows removing the young Bracken. 

Our first trip of the season to the Baildon Moor site. We were pleasantly surprised that the area we have been cutting has shown a good recovery with a range of plants now recolonising. We worked in three areas, the oldest area required the young bracken to be removed, a previously cut area required thorough raking to remove the thick layers of decomposing matter, and an area which we have only cut once previously was recut.

The work was very physical and we where able to practise our traditional skills of sycthing and raking. The conditions were hot with a high pollen count that was a problem to hay fever sufferers. Today there were 10 volunteers.

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