BRANCHLINES AND OLD SCHOOL WOOD
MEADOWS UPDATE. Hay Day was a success again. A good number of volunteers arrived at Orchard Meadow on the last day of August. We armed the infantry with hay rakes and pitchforks. Then the cavalry appeared in the shape of Mark Kiddy on his vintage tractor. All the hay from our meadow and the churchyard was raked into piles, loaded on to the tractor and taken to the boundary bank to rot down.
MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO HELPED!
One area was left unmown as a refuge for small creatures and overwintering butterfly eggs.
We later obtained some ‘green hay’ from a local nature reserve to spread on selected areas. The idea is that seeds from a known, local wild source will fall from the hay, germinate and add to our own flora.
Our old small meadow was left unmown until September, allowing some late flowering species to set seed.
WORKING PARTY. Saturday 26th October. We had volunteers from a wide age range on Hay Day. All welcome but children must be accompanied by a parent/guardian. Meet 09.30 by the benches along the main track just before the forest school area. We stop for a chat and refreshments at 11am. Tasks will depend on the weather.
David Taylor, chair of Branchlines
ST. LAWRENCE CHURCHYARD
Our churchyard is well used by walkers and by visitors to the graves of loved ones. The maintenance is all done by volunteers.
Many thanks to the many who came in August to rake up and move the hay. The meadow areas in the churchyard look quite different now.
We will soon be putting up new signs for information and for reminding users about the churchyard rules.
We hold working parties once a month, usually the second Saturday morning of the month. There is plenty to be done, so could you join us? No special skills needed, but bring gardening type gloves.
WORKING PARTY. Saturday 12th October. Meet 09.30 in the churchyard. Various tasks need to be done this autumn including, but not all on this day!, the annual compost bin renewal, hedge trimming, fallen branch gathering, soil levelling and general tidying.
David Taylor
