On 27th February, our Friday volunteers enjoyed a sunny day to finish hedge planting along one of the Keswick Marsh boundaries. The hedge is 70 to 80% Hawthorn with the remainder made up of six or seven other hedging plant species such as Hazel, Spindle, Holly, Blackthorn and Buckthorn. Since the hedge in the Marsh, hedging in Elliker Field has been completed.
Hedge planting
Enjoying the fruits of our labour
Planting saplings in Elliker field
Dexter cows in Elliker field
The animals will stay on the reserve untill late March when the Spring flowers start to appear.
Enthusiasm was not in short supply…. Frank Shire’s field was similarly treated by the youngsters planting a new hedge along the north-eastern edge of this reserve.
Hedge planting in Frank Shire’s
A well earned rest!
Further information can be obtained at… http://www.grazinganimalsproject.org.uk/what_is_conservation_grazing.html
Feeding tunnels under the bark of a dead Elm made by the Elm Bark Scolytus beetle
Half of Ox Close Wood was clear felled prior to its acquisition by the Trust in 1992.
Much of the natural regeneration has been by Elm trees. These trees are now of an age where they are becoming susceptible to Dutch Elm Disease which is a fungus carried by the Elm Bark Beetle. Evidence of the beetle, in the form of their larval feeding galleries, can readily be found under the bark of dead Elms.
A walk round the wood now reveals that many of the Elm trees are beginning to show signs of the disease in the form of dead and dying leaves and branches. In order to combat the disease, this winter, in the South West corner of the wood, the Trust has been coppicing many of the elms including some that seem healthy to prevent the disease from killing the trees. Trees alongside footpaths will also be felled to remove any danger from falling branches. Coppicing in this way extends the life of trees and further benefits wild flowers and insects by opening up the canopy allowing sunlight to reach the ground.
The area will be surrounded by a tall deer fence to prevent deer from eating the tasty young shoots that will grow from the coppiced stools.
Part of the coppiced area in Ox Close with posts for the deer fence being knocked into the ground.
The Elm is important locally as it is the foodplant of the White-letter Hairstreak butterfly which is an uncommon butterfly ranked 24th most widespread of Yorkshire’s 36 breeding butterfly species. Ox Close has a healthy population of this butterfly which is seen flying around the tops of the trees during July.
Local Volunteers joined together in Elliker Field to clear scrub and continue erecting the stock proof fencing in preparation for conservation grazing with Trust member’s rare breed Soay and Hebridean sheep.
Having finally received the licence from Leeds City Council to “cultivate” our roadside verges, we decided, at short notice, to cut a small section of the grass verge along Moor Lane.
An important part of this management strategy is to remove all the cuttings. If left, the cuttings would rot down and fertilise the soil which encourages the more vigorous grasses to grow which swamps any wild flower growth. Denuding the soil of nutrients favours the growth of the colourful wild flowers that used to be a part of our countryside landscape.
Cutting and raking the long, dead grasses along Moor Lane.
Even though few cars were encountered, safety is a priority with roadside signs and fluorescent jackets.
The new hedge in the Elliker Field is well underway. Many thanks to those who helped in the rain on the 26th Jan.
Planning the work. all the saplings are bagged into separate species and ready for dividing into lots for planting.
Sue and David from Green Leeds (who funded the hedging project) visitind the Friday Work Party volunteers to see how the project was progressing.
It’s all hands to the deck for the Friday workparty…. dig the hole, plant the tree, insert the cane and fit the spiral guard.
The weather was not so kind two days later during the Winter Work Party on Sunday 26th January.
A series of four marathon Friday work days saw the completion of the new hedge along the southern and western boundaries of Ox Close Wood.
Funded by Green Leeds, The Trust has completed planting over 3,000 saplings to create this new mixed species hedgerow. It is intended to provide protection from spray drift from the intensively farmed fields that surround the wood and to create a new wildlife corridor and important habitat.
The completed southern boundary of Ox Close Wood…. over 3000 plants
We are pleased to report that the purchase of Elliker Wood was completed a few days ago. We hope to improve the various habitats to make a haven for wildlife and an inviting place for visitors.
A Harvest Mouse
A Field Mouse
Weighing and recording small mammals in the Marsh.
15th September 2013. We invited the local community to come and see the latest plans for Elliker Field and add their comments. Many joined the day’s workparty. Young and old helped to sow seeds and identify wild flowers while the more active helped to clear brash from our initial scrub clearance.
The event was aided by funding from Green Leeds.
