We were blessed with a break in the rain for a few hours and were amazed what seven people could do in a couple of hours.

The Friends:

• planted 30 sizeable gorse bushes on the northern boundary of the Cornfield reserve
• planted, staked and collared 15 hawthorn trees and 5 hazel to reinstate the recently layed hedge that is the boundary between the New Meadow and Blue Beck Copse
• dragged a large amount of the brash from the cutting of the trees along the Ings Dyke overlooking the tansy plants in the New Meadow

There’s still logs and brash to clear but at least the tansy can see daylight!

We also had to apply a temporary repair to the bottom of the Cornfield gate that someone had broken in the intervening 24 hours from our last visit. This will need bracing and screwing at some stage. The Cornfield is not for public access – as with the rest of the site it is managed for agricultural purposes and in this case as an arable field. Dog walkers using it disturb any nesting or feeding birds. There are 25 acres of the Meadows themselves plus the Rawcliffe Bar Country Park that are accessible – please stay out of the Cornfield!

Tom & Laura Clearing Brash – March 2014

Interplanting Blue Beck Copse New Meadow Hedge