Dangerous Trees

The really big conifers that were hit by the storm were a tangled mess of trunks, branches and root plates, it was a job beyond the capability of the reserve staff and required a specialist Tree Surgeon. Sean and Brendan from Yorkshire Tree Specialists were in for a surprise when they arrived on site first thing this morning!

As you can see, some of the root plates were huge.

The first task was to assess the danger and work out in which order to tackle the trees.

It was an interesting challenge and exciting to watch (from a safe distance)! To see a video of the biggest root plate going back into place head to our Facebook page.

By the end of the day all of the trees were down on the ground which makes the area a safer one to be in. There is still a gigantic job ahead to tidy up the mess but now there is no rush.

Elsewhere, volunteers were busy catching up with other projects such as building a Hazel hedge, gardening in the Field centre garden and replacing old boardwalk (another colossal job).

In other news, Hayley, an Ecology student who has just finished a 7 week work placement at Foxglove was seen heading out to the woodland with a can of dog food and a camera trap, watch this space for the results!

Thank you to everyone who has helped out this week it has been extremely hard work but we are making good progress!