Task Reports

The Team once more returned to the Parkside Centre today focusing mainly on the general tasks of up keeping the vegetable beds as well as the wildlife garden areas.

As a group of us made a start at weeding the vegetable beds a couple of us took to the task of laying an additional section of pathway and undertaking the small amount of maintenance required to the rest.

Laying a strip of mulching fabric before covering it with bark, the added section of path seemed to give the raised bed area a more finished appearance.

Additional growing beds were constructed out of salvaged material found on site and filled with veggi compost while the wildlife garden areas were mowed and weeded leave a small area as untouched meadow in order to help encourage wildlife.

Returning the Laisteridge Lane site we set about today's task of general pathway clearance and general maintenance of the nature reserve.

A broken bench within the seating area beside the ponds was dug out and replaced with a home-made one thanks to the efforts of some of the team.

Removing some of the more dominant plant species, our volunteers concentrated on improving the wildflower diversity by planting the varieties we brought to the site, along with redistributing some of the wildflowers from different areas of the nature reserve.

However the management of the railway line and meadow area had to be cut short due to the discovery of an overgrown secluded spot which appeared to show signs of extensive drug use. Efforts to do a good litter clean-up was further hampered due to a large amount of waste which seemed to contain rotten down cannabis plant matter and needles.

SORRY - we had to cancel today's task.

We will re schedule for a date in June .

What a surprise! No blossom.. We’ve said it before but this year really was the least blossomy Blossom Day. Although today was warm and sunny on the whole, it was snowing last week so it’s not surprising the blossom is delayed; let’s hope the weather suits the pollinating bees when the flowers open.

A range of activities took place, including some artistic people making tissue blossom and others eating cake. The practical tasks included the predictable weeding, as well las feeding the trees and replacing the gate post. 

Returning today the Boar's well site we had quite a successful bounty of timber to bring back to Culture Fusion building for storage to be turned into charcoal.

As normal, out of courtesy we made an effort to improve the path in the reserve removing vegetation and clearing away allowing access to be made easier.

We continued with the tasks started last week. 

Returning to the church after Shaping Spaces program made a start at digging over the church garden and the back getting it ready for the raised beds and path to be installed as agreed.

The young people appeared to have made good progress with the initial work and so our task was that little bit easier. With a strong showing from our volunteers we managed to make slow but steady progress with clearing out the rubble and weeds...

The beds were marked and measured out and the beginnings of the flag stone path was laid down

It's that time once again; today we are working at our base in the under-croft area where some of our equipment are stored along with the Culture Fusion Meadow.

Part of the team spent their time assigned to the task of tidying up the store area. With a concerted effort we were able to restore a little order to the under-croft and storage sheds and even managed to assess the condition of some of our tools and equipment.

Meanwhile the other part of the team spent their day working on the meadow removing some of the more dominant species and tending to the raised beds.

Our planned trip to Otterburn had to be changed today as the ground conditions were too wet to get the materials to the planting site. Instead we travelled south to within view of the Peak District. We were helping with the Woodland Trust scheme at Hepworth, fairly near Holmfirth. 

There was a wetter section in the middle of the field, where aspen and willow were planted. The other species included hazel, oak, birch and hornbeam (not a species we normally plant). 

It was satisfying to get the job completed, with all trees planted, staked and guarded securely.

But keep an eye on the website just in case we schedule something earlier in the week – March is often a busy month to get winter tasks completed so we might add extra days…