The following news seems such a long while ago, with Christmas holidays and the new year coming in between but I must write the notes to finish off our work diary for the year 2013.
We finished clearing the rushes from the pond on the nature reserve, a job well done. A large area near the main entrance has been cleared and a hedge formed to create a lovely open space behind. A few small trees have been cleared from around the middle pond to let some light in but the pond surface is still covered in duckweed. This is so hard to eradicate that just one piece left behind will grow so fast as to soon cover the pond again.
There has been a lot of work going on in the school grounds to clear a pathway through a mass of brambles and undergrowth for the children to have access. We have created a new path for them and laid chippings. Outside their new perimeter fence the children have all planted a whip each to form a new hedge, we came along afterwards and put tree guards around the whips to prevent rabbit or deer damage while the new hedge grows. Tesco were going to supply a work party and get involved with the school but, unfortunately they did not show up so our work party did the job instead. The school was celebrating its 25th anniversary so it was lovely for them to get involved and they kindly sent us all a nice pen each.
The small pieces of blown-down trees are being used as new path edgings and we are again carrying on with our regular path chipping.
The main path which was very muddy has been scraped off again. We were lucky enough to have the use of a small digger and were given some road planings to put on the cleared path so hopefully the water will drain more easily.
We have been given our 5th award recently from Anglia in Bloom and the R.H.S. This was a level 5 outstanding (Its Your Neighbourhood) award so all you woodland workers give yourselves a well deserved pat on the back!
The fourth branch to fall off a large oak tree in the wood has been cleared away with Colin up a ladder securing the pieces to be pulled down and David supervising from the ground. This has left a split in the main trunk so we will have to keep an eye on it just in case it becomes a hazard. The strong winds have certainly caused a lot of havoc again with such a lot of rain too.
I am sure everyone enjoyed our last trip of the year to the concert at Snape maltings. What a lovely show put on again by young people and what lovely colours and costumes. We all agreed we want to go again in 2014.
Well, the start of a new year now and already the snowdrops are pushing through so don't miss them when they are out.
A happy new year to you all.
B.C.
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