Coppice Block Started!

Today was the third of our Winter Worky Days and we accomplished a great deal! The main task of the day was to start this year’s coppice block. We made good progress, clearing a significant area, with the aid of a number of chainsaws and their steadfast operators!

They were supported by a team of others who followed on behind clearing brash…

…and ‘popping’ small (unwanted) trees.

Unlike in previous Worky Days we did not have a fire to deal with the brash (alas!). But we did have a chipper…

The resulting chippings were then put to good use by another hard-working team who dug out and re laid the paths behind the workshop. This area is now much improved and significantly less muddy!

There were also other teams who were coppicing elsewhere on the site including on a very steep slope by the Wetland Hide…

…and pollarding the willow adjacent to the main drive. This will be put to good use in the forthcoming series of wreath-making workshops, the first of which is Monday 5th December.

This is a guest blog by Peter B.